How Far I'll Go, by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Mar. 25th, 2019 09:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayleearafinwiel posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
b2memFormat: ficlet
Genre: adventure
Rating: PG
Warnings: use of "ye old English language" as Emma calls it, and hopefully correctly
Characters: Olwe, Finwe, Ulmo, mention of Osse
Pairings:
Creator’s Notes (optional): Er...I disclaim the short bit of song lyrics directly after the line of asterisks; it's from one of my favourite recent Disney movies and ought to be recognizable (especially given the title of this story, which I also disclaim). But it's just so Olwe, don't you think?
Summary: A very young Olwe, on the shores of Cuivienen, feels the song in his heart calling him to adventure. His best friend Finwe thinks he's gone mad. But he's sure there's SOMETHING more out there...
“What do you here, Olwë?” The sharp question broke through the silver-haired elf’s concentration and Olwë stirred, turning to see Finwë of the Tatyai watching him with an intense look. He leaned back against the shelter of larch branches he had been building, mildly annoyed at being interrupted in his work. The trees surrounding them had been glad to give him their spare limbs, since he had asked so politely.
“Is it not obvious, Finwë,” he responded. “I am building a shelter atop this raft.”
“I see that,” the son of Tata replied. “Why do you so?” He raised an eyebrow as Olwë resumed his work.
Olwë shrugged. “I would go fishing in the Helcar,” he said. “A shelter is needful, for the wrath of the Lord Ossë may strike us.”
Finwë shook his head. “You Nelyai,” he murmured. “Why dare the wrath of the Power of the Sea?”
“Because he is not the Power,” Olwë replied. “He has a Master. I desire to meet that one.”
Finwë shook his head and walked away. Those water-loving Nelyai were fools. Let this middle grandson of Enel delude himself. Finwë had never seen any Master of the Sea but Ossë the Stormbringer.
***
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go…
A song seemed to ripple through Olwë, his heart soaring as he sailed his raft out on the bay of Cuiviénen. The wind drove him along, a sail of tightly spun and woven grasscloth hoisted on the highest of his poles. He used an oar to steer the raft with its low railing and inviting shelter - an improvement on Grandfather Enel’s rafts to be sure. Olwë was nothing if not innovative.
The bay was fairly calm, rippling lightly, but ahead where the land curved inward slightly, out there was the wilder Sea. Helcar, he had been taught, where long ago the Great Light Illuin had been plunged to the ground by the Dark Hunter. It was said even now the trench of Illuin lay beneath the Sea. He wondered if it would be possible to find, and whispering a prayer to the unseen Sea-Lord for safety and good luck, pressed his raft past the breach, the waves dancing as it coasted out onto Helcar at last. Perhaps his luck would hold!
“O Sea-Lord whose name is unknown,” Olwë whispered. “Speak, your servant is listening. Be gracious and show me the way to you, that I may offer you my respect, and mayhap find what it is I seek unless the way be shut to us.”
The Sea began to rumble, and Olwë trembled, fearing that it was the Stormbringer come to do his raft a mischief. He gasped in shock as a large figure with sea-blue eyes, long green hair on his head and face, arose dripping from the water.
“Thou hast called for me, Olwë, grandson of Enel. I come,” the Sea-Lord rumbled, his voice like thunder. “I am Ulmo, Lord of Waters. What wouldst thou have of me?”
Joy and fear in equal measure surged through the young elf. Awe, he decided, that was the proper name for this emotion - and he trembled, tears spilling over his cheeks as he knelt on the floor of his raft, hands raised in supplication.
“To serve you, O Lord of Waters, in any way you will have of me, all the days of my life,” he breathed. “I wish for your protection, and in return I will give you anything I can.”
“Thou hast it, my son,” Ulmo replied. “But go now; the Trench of Illuin is not for elven eyes to seek. Thou hast come very near it, and that will have to be enough. I will call for thee- and thy people- again, and show all of ye what wonders I may.”
“Yes, Lord,” Olwë replied humbly. “I will obey.”
“That is well,” Ulmo replied, smiling. “Take this, my son, and wear it in memory of thy promise.” He drew forth a gleaming silver ring, with a black pearl set therein, and set it on Olwë’s finger. Olwë looked at it in surprise, then turned his gaze back to Ulmo.
“I will treasure it,” he said softly, and Ulmo nodded, giving Olwë a kiss on the brow.
“The dolphins will see you back to shore,” he said, and at his word a pod of the sleek grey creatures swam about Olwë’s raft, leaping and dancing, carrying Olwë back toward the shore of Cuiviénen. He kept a tight hold of his ring, refusing to lose it.
He couldn’t wait to tell his brothers - and Finwë.
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Date: 2019-03-25 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2019-03-25 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-03-25 08:10 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
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Date: 2019-03-25 10:03 pm (UTC)I was thinking of Atto Fiondil when he wrote about Valandur in Alqualonde, being told how lucky black pearls were. I figured that had to start somewhere. :)
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Date: 2019-03-25 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2019-03-26 03:27 am (UTC)So glad Olwë was successful in his quest!
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Date: 2019-03-26 03:30 am (UTC)