The Bearing of Fire, by Elleth

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge:
B7: Four Words: core, vulture, stratus, maim
Format: Drabble
Genre: Character Study
Rating: Teens
Warnings: Mildly disturbing images, but nothing graphic.
Characters: Maedhros, Maglor
Pairings: N/A
Summary: On Thangorodrim, Maedhros is plagued by visions.
Note: The first reviewer to pun on this story gets a virtual cookie.


The stratus clouds swirl, dive, and form a vulture come to maim him to his core. Maedhros shudders. Hanging, he dreams the bird tearing, pecking, rending him. But he accepts it, reclaims a measure: His is not punishment for brotherly insubordination, his is not misfortune. This is just. He has failed to bear the fire: never cheered at Losgar, and his father's essence guttered into ashes in his hands. It is just.

Maglor later learns that story, claiming it in turn. In song, Maedhros is the one who carries on the flame. In song, that too is just.