#edhellos

[hhimring]

Irreversible Decision

 Angrod and Edhellos, in Araman, after the Prophecy of the North.

They watched the column forming behind Finarfin from a distance.

‘Eldalote,’ said Angrod, in a strained voice, ‘you should perhaps go and join them.’

‘I notice,’ said Edhellos, after a moment of silence, ‘that you are not moving yourself.’

‘I have a confession to make,’ said Angrod, not looking at her. ‘Before this happened—before we heard the Prophecy—I had just finally made up my mind I would turn back and would try to persuade others to do so as well. I was only waiting for a chance to speak to the family, to you and to my brothers when we next halted, and…’

‘And now?’ asked Edhellos.

‘And now, having heard the Prophecy—the Doom that gave my father that final push to come to his own decision—I find I cannot do it. It is not that I think my father is wrong—only a few hours ago I would have said he was right—but I find I can no longer turn back myself.’

He drew up his shoulders, painfully.

‘Lotenya,’ he said. ‘Is it vanity? It is not just selfishness that moves me, I think. I do not want to turn my back on either side of my kin, on any of them, in such times as this. I am still being pulled both ways. But is it mere pride—that feeling that I cannot follow my father now that we have heard what we are threatened with, what fate awaits those who go on? Is there more to it, more than Noldorin obstinacy?’

‘I cannot answer you,’ said Edhellos. ‘All I can say is that I feel as you do.’

She seized his arm underneath the elbow and held it.

‘And surely one thing we have just learned is this: if we turn back now, it will be a decision we cannot reverse.’

They stood in the dark and watched Finarfin go.

@arafinwean-week

This piece is not entirely new, but I realized that I don't seem ever to have posted it to a public entry anywhere, as far as I can tell, so can it be a late submission for Day 3?

[silmarillaure]

List of uncharacterized Silmarillion background blorbos I love because ✨headcanons✨ just because.

Argon - I think about him & Fingolfin so much it's ridiculous. It's just something about how he shares his name with his father, does it mean he's similar to Fingolfin the way Curufin is to Feanor? If so was he also riddled with insecurities of being unable to live up to his father? Did he idolize his father to begin with? Was he his father's favorite?

Eldalote/Edhellos - I have a soft spot for Angrod so by extension I think about his wife a lot (her granddaughter Finduilas is also my blorbo). Also it seems like she’s Noldo and you don’t see many Noldor marry into Fingolfin & Finarfin’s sides of the family as opposed to Vanyar, Teleri/Sindar, or Edain, so she kind of stands out. Her name is also one of the few originally Quenya names that sound better in Sindarin.

Tindomiel - Also her brothers but mainly her. In my head Elros’s children were the last generation in his side of the family to get the choice. I headcanon she was single & chose immortality while her brothers chose to pass on with their mortal families. They were kind of the reverse Elladan, Elrohir, & Arwen, speaking of who, she lived with before sailing to Valinor. Arwen liked that she sort of had a "twin" of her own with how similar she & Tindomiel looked. (I also think Vardamir is a whole vibe, his name is beautiful and he’s a nerd.)

Ingwion - I wonder if he’s around Feanor’s age. If not, well too bad because in my head he is! I see him & Feanor as childhood friends who's relationship was ruined by Finwe, Indis, & The Valar just like almost everything else in Feanor's life is.

Ecthelion - Not that much of a background character but still background enough. I just think he's really neat & little Earendil crying over him is so heartbreaking & touching. His last moments were iconic! My jaw dropped when he killed Gothmog who was able to take the lives of Feanor & Fingon who were both famously skilled and literal Noldorin Kings!

[elronds-library]

The Warning Sounds Too Late

by EilinelsGhost (@eilinelsghost)

Part 18 of Atandil

“Blessed was the joining of your forbearers’ souls, and blessed are we by the fruit of their labor.” Eldalótë stood at one corner of the table with a slim chalice raised in salute, first to the king at her left, then to her husband at the foot of the table. “May joy be upon what joy hath wrought!” Shortly after Finrod and Balan's encounter with the Orc ambush, members of the family have gathered in Dorthonion to celebrate the begetting days of both Finrod and Angrod.

Teen, No Archive Warnings

Words: 6,219

[silmkinkmeme]

Day 25 - Anthology of female friendship

Prompt: There are many examples of wonderful male friendship in the Silm but fewer female (there are fewer ladies in general, but we're not getting into that). I'd love to read more of it.

The way I see it, the fic can be a few short stories about friendship between different women of the Silm. For example: Anaire and Earwen and/or Nerdanel, Aredhel and Galadirel, Indis and Nerdanel, Indis and one or both of her daughters-in-law, Galadriel and Melian, Galadriel and Luthien, Morwen and Rian, Andreth and Beril, Andreth and Edhellos, etc. You can even deviate from canon and have two ladies who have never canonically interacted become friends.

Of course this is just an idea. It doesn't really have to be an anthology. You can choose one pair of friends and focus on them.

If you decide to write about different women, romantic/sexual relationships or QPR between some of the ladies are fine (your choice who but not everyone please). QPR are more than welcome even. But if you write just one story, please focus on friendship.

Additional tags: Friendship

Ao3 link | dreamwidth link

This prompt has a fill:

true companions by Anonymous

[polutrope]

Number 23 (Going from a hot tub/sauna into snow/cold water), Galadriel and Celeborn (romantic or pre-romance, up to you)

For the modern AU holiday prompts! Here you are, Anon: ~1100 words of Galadriel meeting a cute boy at her 19th birthday party. (I received this same prompt for another couple, so there will be a part 2 of this with more actual snow jumping😉). Warnings for several f-bombs, some other swear words, and a millennial writing Gen Z. Sorry, besties.

Knotting her plush white robe loosely around her waist, Galadriel led the parade of her girlfriends onto the flagstones of Nevrast Nordic Spa.

Her friends chattered behind her.

“Yo, this place fucks.”

“For real.”

“Ahhh! Gal, it’s snowing!”

“Ugh, this is so boujee. I can’t believe I’m here.”

“Hey, sis,” Galadriel whirled on the last speaker. “No bad vibes, remember?” The other girls laughed. “Yeah, my rules, cause it’s my b-day, bitches!” She threw her arms out in a V-shape and struck a pose.

Edhellos lifted the phone dangling from her hand by a gold finger-loop and snapped a photo. “Ahh queen! You look so cute!” she said, looking at it, and hurried over to Galadriel to show her. Then she gestured to the others. “Come on, come on, babes, let’s get one of all of us.”

All four of Galadriel’s best friends huddled around her while Edhellos held her phone out as far as possible for a selfie.

“Okay, okay,” Galadriel said, and they all hushed. “So the way it works is you go hot, then cold, then relax. Hot pool or sauna, then cold pool or cold shower, then chill for fifteen minutes. And we're supposed to be quiet.”

They all nodded, except Nellas, who was a little removed from the group with her arms crossed over her chest. “I think I’ll just sit and read.”

“Oh come on, Nelly!” Edhellos whined. Evranin shushed her.

“No, it’s fine, Nel,” said Galadriel, and smiled. “Join us whenever.”

*

“I can’t believe we’re all nineteen now,” Lindis said a loud whisper as they lounged in the largest of the hot pools. “We’re so old.”

“Oh, please, spare me. You have no idea what old is,” said Evranin, who was all of twenty-one.

“Hey, I’m still eighteen for two weeks!” Edhellos protested. This time, Lindis shushed her.

Galadriel examined her pruny fingertips. “I don’t know. I’m kind of excited to get older. Maybe my dumbass family will stop treating me like a baby.”

At the mention of her family, Edhellos’ eyes lit up. “Oh hey, how’s Angrod?”

“Oh my god, Los,” said Lindis, “stop thirsting for her brothers!”

“Brother,” Edhellos corrected.

“I dunno.” Galadriel shrugged. “Maybe just ask him out already.”

Edhellos sputtered. The other girls giggled.

“I think Finrod is hotter,” Evranin said casually.

“He is way too old for you!”

“Isn’t he gay?”

“What? No! Galadriel said he had a girlfriend in Valin, remember?”

“The one he dumped?”

“No, she dumped him.”

While her friends debated the relative attractiveness and past relationships of her older brothers, Galadriel sank lower, rolling her shoulder blades back and forth over a water jet. She hummed contentedly and let her eyes fall shut. She’d been all nerves the last month with final exams and papers, but she was finally able to relax.

Just that morning her grades had come in: four A+ and one A (at least she was well above class average the last one). She’d also been taken off the waitlist for a seat in The Paranormal Mind. Thank fuck.

Everyone at Ondolindë University wanted to take that course, but Galadriel needed it if she was going to have any chance of doing her honours thesis with Melian Goel. Evranin, who was President of the Psychology Student Association, said that that Dr. Goel was planning to retire soon and might not be taking new students. Oh pleasepleaseplease, Galadriel thought, please take me.

She exhaled slowly and intentionally released the tension building in her neck. This wasn’t the time for worrying.

Then her eyes flew open and she bolted upright as a surge of water splashed over her.

“What the fuck!” she shouted, swiping the backs of her hands over her eyes.

“Celeborn, you dumb shit!” a male voice cried from behind her before breaking up into laughter.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” The person who’d narrowly missed tumbling on top of her rose from the water with an expression of sheer terror. “I’m so, so sorry. Are you okay? Oh god, I’m sorry. I slipped, we were racing from the…" Catching the look on Galadriel's face, his nose crinkled sweetly. "I guess that’s a pretty dumb excuse, huh?"

“Yeah, it is.” Galadriel smirked and bit her lip. He was her type: tall, slender but well-toned, and a little timid. Which was far preferable to the blustering arrogance that most guys her age — no, scratch that: all ages — liked to use to hide their emotional incompetence.

“That’s a sick tattoo,” she said, gesturing with her chin to the elegant tree climbing its way up one bicep.

“Oh, really?” he said. “Thanks. It’s a beech. There are a lot of them where I grew up, and— never mind, doesn’t matter. Thanks. Hey, by the way," he held out a hand, “my name’s Celeborn.”

“Galadriel.” His handshake was firm, but not too firm. Long fingers, too. A little spark of excitement shot down her arm as she pulled back. “So, you were racing—?”

She was cut off by a whoop from his friend still standing on the flagstones behind them, which prompted Galadriel’s friends, who’d huddled by the small waterfall at the opposite end of the pool, to finally take notice of the interaction.

As Celeborn’s friends — the first now joined by two more — slid into the pool, Galadriel’s group drifted over like a train of ducklings lured by breadcrumbs.

“Hey, I’m Galathil,” the loud one said, “and this is Mablung, and Beleg. Celeborn here is my little brother.”

Galathil attempted to ruffle Celeborn's silver-blond hair, but it clung wetly to his head.

“Hi,” Galadriel waved coolly, then dragged her eyes from Celeborn to the empty space beside her, beckoning him to sit before someone else did.

He picked up on the cue, seating himself at a respectable distance; but to his right, Edhellos slyly shuffled over so that he too was forced to scoot closer to Galadriel.

“Yeah,” he said, in answer to her interrupted question. “We thought it would be fun to, you know, go from the sauna into the snow,” he pointed to the snow banks around the spa area, “and then from the snow to the hot tub.”

“Oh really?” Galadriel’s eyebrows shot up, and Celeborn looked sheepish. “You know you’re supposed to ‘relax’ in between the cold and going back to the hot?”

Several of Galadriel’s friends giggled.

“Huh?” said Celeborn.

“You’re supposed to go hot, cold, then relax for fifteen minutes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Galadriel smiled and smacked his arm lightly. “But the snow thing sounds fun.”

His face split into a dashingly handsome smile that dimpled his cheeks. “Yeah,” he said. “It is.”

“Hey fam,” she called to her friends. “Wanna jump in the snow?”

“What!” shrieked Lindis.

“Hell no,” said Evranin.

“Ahh so fun, yes please!” Edhellos squealed, and levered herself out of the hot tub. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“Lit,” said Galathil to no one in particular, and followed her.

“Come on,” Galadriel said to Celeborn as the others squirmed and scurried out of the pool in various states of enthusiasm. “I’ll hold your hand so you don’t slip this time.”

[tanoraqui]

Curufinwë Spite Gifts, and Other Welcomes

The extended experience of being welcomed (more or less) to the House of Fëanor…once they belatedly find out about your secret threeway marriage.

404 FA – 0.

Celechwes was choosing tiny sandwiches from the eastern buffet table when Edhellos caught her by the elbow. Edhellos bent her blond head as though eyeing Celechwes’s sandwich choices and whispered in her ear, “Is it true that you’re already pregnant?”

“Wha?” said Celechwes. She hastily swallowed the cucumber-and-cheese sandwich in her mouth and said, “How did you hear that? That’d be so fast—”

“Thought so,” Edhellos said with satisfaction.

She tugged Celechwes to the side, away from the buffet table crowd (resurging as the sun set and dinner plates came out). As they walked, she murmured, “As far as I know, Maedhros told Amras, who told Fingolfin, who told Lalwen, who told Finrod. Now Finrod is telling…”

“Everyone,” Celechwes finished, rolling her eyes. Though she wasn’t actually annoyed at Finrod’s incurable gossip habit—it was impossible to be annoyed at anything today, with the elation of her new union and the new life budding within her own. And as long as he didn’t—

She added quickly, though not too quickly, “Fingon must’ve told Maedhros—”

“Of course.” Edhellos rolled her own eyes, with the fond resignation that characterized much of the Fingolfinian–Arfinian faction’s view of Fingon’s ceaselessly loyal friendship with Maedhros Fëanorion.

Celechwes silently doubled down on her determination to make these people work together. She leaned unconsciously into her new marriage bond, and Fingon and Maedhros’s bright spirits both leapt to hold her.

[keep reading on AO3]

[silmarillaure]

Doing the deed IS marriage to the elves so they were definitely married even if on a whim, but I can see the vision of Angrod & Edhellos being scandalously young parents and Finarfin & Earwen offering to take care of Orodreth.

I would love to read a fic about Orodreth finding out he’s his brother’s secret baby though, that would be fun. I imagine Edhellos doting on Orodreth a lot & him being confused to why his “sister in law” is so attached to him.

headcanons to add more unnecessary drama to the house of finwe, #1/??:

Angrod and Eldalote were neither married nor of age when Orodreth was conceived. To avoid a scandal, Finarfin and Earwen hushed the whole thing up and claimed him as their fifth child. He doesn't find out about this until the Darkening.

[emyn-arnens]

Angrod and Aegnor Headcanons

↳ for @arafinwean-week Day 3: Angrod and Aegnor

Angrod was intent on justice as a child, and as he grew older, he developed an affinity for debate.

He was given the epessë "Iron-handed" not only because of his strength of hands and his talent in sparring, but because he was known to rule with an iron fist and place justice above mercy. Aegnor tempered him, as did Edhellos.

Those who did not know them well thought that Aegnor was the angrier of the two, but his anger burned out quickly and he could be made to see reason even in the midst of his anger. Angrod was slower to rouse to anger, but fiercer and more terrible in his wrath, and his ire did not easily cool.

During their youth, it was often Aegnor who dragged Angrod away from fights with the sons of Fëanor, reminding him of the chastisement they would receive not only from their parents (Finarfin was loath to incur any new reason for discord with his brother's family), but from Finrod and Galadriel as well, who believed it was wisest to keep well away from Fëanor and his sons.

(But if Aegnor ever got into a fight with their cousins, Angrod would swiftly end it. This was when he began to be called "Iron-handed.")

Aegnor was a poet and writer in Aman, known for his verses on nature and his whimsical poetry about the lands that lay over the Sea, inspired his mother's cradle songs. It was said that he left the craft behind him after he travelled over the Ice. Andreth could rarely persuade him to share with her the verses he had written.

Angrod was one of very few who knew of Aegnor's relationship with Andreth and was in Aegnor's confidences well before Finrod ever learned of what had grown between Aegnor and Andreth.

After Aegnor left Andreth, it was said that a terrible anger began to build within him, fury against the Enemy who had long ago dealt to Men the injury of death, and he became single-minded in his purpose to deal out to Morgoth the same injury he had dealt to Men.

Aegnor grew wrathful with the complacency of the Noldor and how easily they placed their trust in the Siege. The greater part of his wrath was held for the sons of Fëanor and their disinclination to act, but he grew angry with Fingon for not heeding Fingolfin's counsel, and it was during the Siege of Angband that the friendship of their youth was at last ended.

It was said amongst the Eldar that after Aegnor's death it became common to name those inflamed with the lust of battle as "consumed with fell fire, like Aegnor of old" and to say that their eyes "gleamed with the same fell fire" that consumed Aegnor, lord of Dorthonion, at the hour of his death.

[hobbitwrangler]

B2MEM International Women's Day recs

I love the idea of spotlighting fics with female characters today, so here's my contribution to @spring-into-arda's Back to Middle Earth event!

she planted this garden by lonelyvisitor (G, Elros/Elros' wife, 0.8k) Beautifully written fic with such a fully realised main character that interrogates the alien-ness of the peredhil and how painful and strange it would be to be married to one of them.

A Thing Strange and Crooked by @emyn-arnens (T, Idril & Maeglin, 2.6k) An incredibly realistic depiction of Idril's isolation and sense of helplessness in the face of Maeglin's pursuit of her.

What Comes Naturally by @imakemywings (G, Indis & Míriel, 2.9k) The way this fic explores the aspects of motherhood that are painful and unglamourous and just plain sad ... I get emotional just thinking about this fic. And I live for this interpretation of Míriel.

Unwary by @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras (T, Théodwyn, 3.1k) Wonderful Théodwyn characterisation, I love her anger and resentment and frustration and how it all tangles with her grief at Éomund's death.

Birthright by cuarthol (M, Findis/Gandalf, 3.5k) I am still absolutely in love with this characterisation of Findis and the way her grief affects her.

Sword-hearted by @emyn-arnens (G, Éowyn, 1.7k) An insight into Éowyn's childhood that also weaves in Helm Hammerhand's daughter and references to Éowyn's aunts.

a fish, floundering on dry land by ncfan (T, Finduilas of Dol Amroth, 4.1k) Not only does this capture Finduilas' waining in Minas Tirith, it also comes with a cameo from one of Denethor's sisters.

what the shadows hid by @swanmaids (T, Lúthien/Thuringwethil, 0.5k) Perfect horror piece that manages to be hot, intimate and creepy all at once.

plundered her and stripped what remained by @swanmaids (M, Aerin & OC, 2.2k) A heartbreaking look at what befalls Aerin and the women of her people, caught between the pain of what they have lost and the pain that is to come.

Askance by @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras (G, Vidumavi, 5.3k) This fic perfectly portrays Vidumavi's sense of self and how she struggles with her feeling of otherness in Gondor.

Threads by Adlanth (G, Finduilas Faelivrin, Edhellos & Orodreth's wife, 1k) Gorgeously written conversation about foresight between three generations of elven women from three different backgrounds.

Beneath the Innumerable Stars by @emyn-arnens (G, Findis & Ilmarë, 0.9k) A conversation between Findis and Ilmarë about Findis' fears in the oncoming War of Wrath, with such vivid, magical imagery.

Queen Under the Mountain by @imakemywings (T, Dís, 2.9k) A look at Dís' grief and emptiness after the the Quest for Erebor, and her musings on how hollow her people's victory is for her.

Mutual In Divine Love by @elvain (G, Arwen/Éowyn, 4.1k) Love Arwen's rejection of fate in this fic, and her immediate appreciation for Éowyn is wonderful.

[ceescedasticity]

Following my recent name-related musing, I think my current name-related headcanons are:

Findis's mother-name is Aranel, meaning "princess"; she was the first daughter of a king in Aman, but it's still kind of cringe.

The Nolofinwëan mother-names are extremely bland — not necessarily exactly Yondo/Háno/Yeldë/Vinimo, but about that quality. They're bland enough to be kind of embarrassing, but not embarrassing enough to make fun of as anything more than 'your mother sucks at naming kids'. So they just never get mentioned.

Fingon got "Astaldo" as an epessë early on due to childhood Shenanigans; it slowly became less of a joke.

Irissë picked the Sindarin name Aredhel in honor of the recently deceased Arakáno.

Galadriel's father-name would have been Nirtaráta or Nirtarátië ("feminine noble/nobility") except Arafinwë decided those sounded stupid. Eärwen was originally thinking Nírwen but nírë has different connotations than its Telerin cognate nída — just "force" rather than "vigorous purpose, strength of will" — so she went with Nerwen instead. As a kid she was sometimes affectionately called Nídaráta by her brothers/Telerin cousins. As a young adult she got called Nírwen as an insult — saying she's bossy, pushy — which kind of soured her on nírë/nída nicknames and even Nerwen, and she went exclusively by Artanis until she decided Rodeth/Rodnîth/Rodwen all sounded bad and she'd just use Galadriel.

Celebrimbor is Telperinquar Curufinwë — Curufinwë is his mother-name. Curufin wasn't opposed to it but it was not his idea.

Orodreth's mother-name is Telerin Orotrátho, meaning mountain-climber. (His mother Eldalótë/Edhellos is Noldor but she followed the 'other parent's language' thing.)

Finduilas is a father-name; her mother-name is Artasíma ("noble mind/imagination"), in Quenya despite her mother being Sindar. (She was Mithrim Sindar, a translator, and of the strong opinion that Thingol was not the boss of her.)

Gil-galad: Son of Orodreth. Father-name Finellach, which he didn't like much because despite being an Arafinwëan he was not blond. Mother-name is Artanáro, which he liked fine except he did not like the Sindarin version Rodnor. Ereinion was a nickname starting in childhood because he didn't want to be called Finellach or Rodnor; Gil-galad came a bit later.

Ingwë's son did in fact get the personal name Ingwion — actually Ingwion Ing[something else]. In fact at least four generations of Vanyar firstborn princes are named Ingwion Ing[something]. All of them use Ingwion as a patronymic.

[silmarillion-stats-polls]

The height order of Finwë’s house

listed below. There is unfortunately no visual representation (you draw thirty distinct people all in a line).

Argon

Turgon

Maedhros

Celegorm

Fingolfin

Caranthir

Finwë and Finarfin 

Angrod

Celebrimbor

Aegnor

Indis and Galadriel

Findis

Orodreth

Finrod

Anaire

Amrod

Idril

Feanor

Amras

Curufin

Aredhel

Celeborn

Maeglin

Eärwen

Fingon

Maglor

Edhellos

Elenwë

Lalwen

Eöl

Nerdanel

Celebrían

Míriel

[hhimring]

Eldalote, snippet

@finweanladiesweek, for Ladies Who Married In

A snippet on Edhellos or Eldalote after Angrod's death (not, I think, posted publicly before).

In Himring 'verse, she escapes and chooses to become the guardian of Barad Nimras, the watchtower on the coast.

Edhellos stands on the top of the white tower of Barad Nimras, looking out to Sea. It is her task to scan the coast and the horizon northwards in case Morgoth attempts an invasion by that route. They have gradually begun to suspect, during the time since the tower was built, that no attack will come that way, that Ulmo will continue to bar the way over the waves. However, that is no reason for Edhellos to relax her watch. Morgoth has surprised them before—and death and devastation followed. As far as it is in her, he will not be allowed to catch them out again. This is a task she has taken on by choice, pleased to find that she was relieving others from an irksome duty who are more usefully employed elsewhere.

Unlike her husband, lost to her in the destruction of Dorthonion, Edhellos does not have much of an early affinity with the sea. She has no Telerin heritage. Kinder memories of visits to in-laws in Alqualonde are overshadowed by later events: the long, weary, lightless trek along the coast of Araman, the terror and grief of Alqualonde behind, the terror of the Helcaraxe ahead, constantly conscious of the wrath of Uinen on the seaward side, like moisture and salt on her skin. Others might take comfort from the view westward, towards Aman beyond the horizon, but to her it mainly underlines how unreachable the past is.

Looking out, keeping watch—it is these tasks that have become somehow almost reassuring and familiar. Strictly speaking, Nargothrond might, in fact, have been safer but it did not feel so to her—more like the maw of a giant beast whose jaws might one day, unexpectedly, close. Of course, she would never have said so to her brother-in-law Finrod.

She also has some skill in handling the naltalma apparatus that is installed on top of the tower and that can be used to send light signals to Brithombar and Eglarest.

[elronds-library]

Shall I Teach Thee?

by Elves_Behaving_Badly

The grandchildren of Finwë seem to get up to an awful lot, even especially with one another.

Explicit, No Archive Warnings

Words: 44,546

[dalliansss]

Egg&finrod!!

"It feels like there's a hole in my heart because I never got to say goodbye."

Never Got to Say Goodbye starters

Re-embodiment has always been a tricky thing. The songs say, the loremasters say -- that the Elf who Returns is expected to pick up where he might have left off, that they resume their old life without further trouble and incident, that continuity settles normally in place. But the singers who first song about Re-embodiment, and the loremasters who wrote about Returning have never died themselves, and so in the end, what do they know of the great (or small) lapse of time in between lives, in between existence, spent disembodied in the Halls of the Awaiting?

There is no picking up exactly where one left-off. There is no pain-free Return, nor Re-embodiment.

And this isn't even taking into account a Return, which is a thoroughly different thing from Re-embodiment, where an Elf is reborn and lives an entirely new life, before the old life catches up, presumably when the new hröa is strong enough to handle the melding of all the memories prior into the memories incumbent.

It sounds easy in the perspective of an outsider. One who has never had to suffer the terror or pain, or both, of a demise, both timely and not.

==

Aegnor, Egg, has Re-embodied somewhere by the Sixth Age of Arda Marred. He'd had to deal with it all: the sickening debility of years, in his case, because his hröa had been destroyed by flames during the Bragollach, and he had long drifted in Mandos, seeking out Finrod, whom he never found in the fathomless halls. Angrod had Re-embodied ahead, and so did Edhellos, Orodreth and Finduilas, but Aegnor lingered overlong, looking for his older brother. He'd found everyone he had ever known, even Fëanor and Finwë, but never Finrod.

And then he got kicked out of Mandos, because his time of healing was done, and Námo's maiar will not let a fëa linger overlong. So Aegnor was Re-embodied, and though his new hröa was that of an adult elf, he had to go through infantile weakness all over again: unable to walk, feed himself, the world too noisy and full of sensation, as if he had never had a physical existence before. Like Angrod, it took him eight years to recover -- a mere blink to an Elf, but still a considerable length of time for someone who had not been a squalling infant for a very, very, very long time.

Like all who Returned and Re-embodied, he waited. In restlessness, in uncertainty. He'd found, in his own way, that he could not just seamlessly reintegrate into his old life at Tirion-upon-Túna and at Alqualondë. Like Findekáno, he too left Tirion when the expectant gazes of his father and mother got too much to bear, coupled with th expectations of the Amanyar who never went anywhere at all, and attributed his 'eccentricities' and restlessness to an incomplete healing in Mandos.

So, Aegnor left. And like those who Returned before him, he too, found a place for himself in the city called Entulessë, where all of the strangers from the other side of Belegaer found a place for themselves.

And in Entulessë, Aegnor waited, and waited, and waited -- through the Ages, until Dagor Dagorath took place, and Arda Marred made way for Arda Healed, and Melkor was freed from the burden of the Great Task, and resumed his place among the Valar.

==

Aegnor had been drinking with his cousins Ereinion Gil-galad and Curufinwë Telperinquar when the Maia of Námo arrived, looking for him. He dropped his goblet of wine, and he knew what the maia came for even without the Ainu saying what it was.

Finrod, who refused to Re-embody for the entire lifetime of Arda Marred, was to return soon.

==

Aegnor only saw the tapestries as they unfolded on the endless walls of Mandos. Of how his brother tried to come to his and Angrod's rescue during the Bragollach, and failing, and spiralling down into grief, losing control of Nargothrond, which rendered it ripe for the taking by Curufin and Celegorm. He saw how the subjects of Nargothrond rose up against Finrod, kicking him out, as if his brother hadn't given them all a chance for peace in Beleriand, however short. As if Finrod didn't lead them to a new height of glory and splendor during the Long Peace.

And he saw on the walls of Mandos how the Quest for the Silmaril unfolded; he saw Finrod's legendary contest of Song against Gorthaur, and how, in the end, Finrod wrestled with the werewolf, only for Gorthaur to refuse to let his fëa go into Mandos when his hröa perished, and sank claws into him instead.

And he saw how Finrod irrevocably fell into the Dark.

==

Yet Aegnor took care of his incapacitated brother. Covered him in enchanted cloaks, fed him, bathed him, as Finrod's spirit slowly got used to being housed in a body again. There is no room for judgment, only care and help. Like how Finrod plucked him from his parents' callous upbringing, so he too plucked Finrod from the dregs of discomfort of his Re-embodiment, tirelessly caring for him, nourishing him, teaching him again how to walk, how to hold a quill, how to write.

Where Aegnor took eight years, FInrod took two decades before he could stand on his own, and be a resemblance of how he had been -- golden radiant beauty -- before Sauron took him into the shadows.

==

And the most difficult part of a Return or Re-embodiment, is, of course, the painful conversations that can only be delayed, but never avoided.

==

"I feel like there's a hole in my heart because I never got to say goodbye," says Finrod.

It is nighttime, and they are sitting by the roofdeck of Aegnor's three-floor townhouse in the heart of Entulessë. Beyond them, this hodge-podge city that answers to nobody but its citizens, is lit in the myriad colors of the spectrum. Somewhere down Market Street there's a night market still sprawling with people. Entulessë is a city that. never sleeps.

Egg lowers the bottle from which he had been drinking. "For what it's worth," he says. "Me and Anga fought viciously until the end."

There is a ghost of a smile on Finrod's lips. Under the golden night lights of Entulessë, Egg imagines he can still see a glint of red among those summer blue irises of his brother.

"And I know you too, fought with all your strength, hanno, but just Gorthaur---. Gorthaur was a lot stronger. He's a maia, and you are only Elda."

"Mairon. His name is Mairon."

Egg grits his teeth and lowers his gaze. Even now, an entirely new world in place, Finrod refuses to call that maia his true, deserved names. He insists on calling him Mairon, Mairon, Mairon. An blot upon Finrod's soul that not even the Vala Námo could heal. Sauron's claw marks. Indelible. Forever there. Forever marring his perfect brother.

And all the wrongs will never be forgot.

Egg thinks of the justice system now in place in Aman. Will it reach for his beloved brother, now that he's back?

@skaelds

Context: [Blood in the Mouth]

[arafinwean-week]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Arafinwëan Week?

Arafinwëan Week is a week-long event to celebrate the House of Finarfin and its decendants.

When is Arafinwëan Week, and where is it happening?

Arafinwëan Week will be hosted on this blog January 5–11, 2025. You can also post to our AO3 collection.

I think I've seen this event before.

@arafinweanweek ran until 2019. This is a new event run by a new mod but still with the goal of celebrating the House of Finarfin and its descendants.

Who's modding this?

@emyn-arnens but likes will come from her main blog @starsuncounted.

How can I participate?

You can participate by creating fanfic, fanart, edits, gifs, rec lists, playlists, headcanons—you name it.

To have your work shared on this blog, mention @arafinwean-week (mind the dash!) in the body of your post and include the tags #arafinweanweek and #arafinweanweek2025 in the first ten 10 tags.

You may also submit a post to this blog.

How can I make sure you'll share my work?

See the answer above.

Your post should be reblogged within 24-48 hours. If you see a like on your post from @starsuncounted (the mod's main blog), your post is probably in the queue. If it’s been 24 hours and you don’t see a like and your post hasn’t been reblogged, feel free to message or send an ask to this blog. Tumblr’s tagging can be wonky, to say the least.

Do I have to participate every day?

Nope! Participate as much or as little as you want, whether that's creating your own works or engaging with others' works and cheering on creators.

Do I have to follow the prompts?

Nope! The prompts are there to inspire, not to restrict. All Arafinwëan content is welcome, regardless of whether or not it follows the prompts.

Additionally, prompts can be combined (whether from the same day or different days), so don't feel restricted by the set of prompts for each day.

Does my work have to focus solely on Arafinwëan characters, or can I include other characters, too?

You're more than welcome to feature Arafinwëan-adjacent characters like Edhellos, Bëor, Andreth, Celeborn, Túrin, Gwindor, etc., as long as there is a focus on the Arafinwëans.

Does what I share have to be completed?

Nope! Don't worry about meeting a certain word count or only sharing completed pieces—we'll happily take short posts, drabbles, drafts, sketches, WIPs, etc. Feel free to update or promo ongoing Arafinwëan-centric WIPs or re-share older Arafinwëan-centric works, too.

Is there an AO3 collection for this event?

Yep! You can find the AO3 collection here.

Can I focus my fanwork on my OC(s)?

Absolutely! This is an OC-friendly event.

Can I post NSFW works?

NSFW works are welcome as long as the Tumblr post itself is SFW (or the NSFW content is placed below a read more) and the content is appropriately tagged. The easiest way to share would be to post your piece to the AO3 collection and create an SFW promo post for Tumblr.

Can I use generative AI to make something for this event?

No. Original, handmade work only, please. We want to see what you come up with!

What if I don’t finish my fanwork in time for the event?

Feel free to post what you have and tag the event anyway—in-progress works are welcome!

Alternatively, tag the blog whenever you are finished and ready to post it—we're happy to promote Arafinwëan works year-round!

I'm not up to creating something, but I still want to participate.

Awesome! Reblog creations you love and let their creators know how much you enjoyed their work. Or you can head over to AO3 and leave kudos and comments on fics you couldn't get enough of. Or, if you really want to share the love, you can create a rec list of your favorite Arafinwëan pieces/creators, or drop a note in their inbox telling them how much you appreciated their work.

Are there any rules?

Just a few. Please be a respectful and positive community member! Here's what that involves:

Do not repost content by other creators without their explicit permission. Please reblog instead to support their work.

Respect other people’s headcanons and interpretations, even if you don’t share them.

Content and creators espousing any form of negativity, bigotry, aggression, or discrimination against others will not be tolerated.

Disrespecting these rules will lead to being blocked from the event.

I have another question.

You can drop it in the ask box.

The event info page is accessible here.

This FAQ has been adapted from @nolofinweanweek run by @melestasflight and @tolkiengenweek run by @arofili.