#fuckit chuck a readmore in there i think it's a little long

[mairatyaron]

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⚔️- A memory about war

After spending the greater part of four hundred years livingthere it was almost surreal watching Ost-in-Edhil burn. It was a shame, he’dgrown to like the city during his centuries spent within its walls. If only theGwaith-i-Mírdain hadn’t been so unreasonable as to deny him the return of hisrings Mairon would have been content to leave the city largely intact. Of coursethere would have been some damage when he came to claim it but there would havebeen no need to raze the entire thing to the ground.  It was the Gwaith’s fault the city wasburning, really, they would have hadto have known that Mairon would be obliged to respond with such extremes thisto their defiance. He wondered if they had the wisdom to regret that decision. Perhapshe’d ask that as well when he went to question them for the rings. His hordeshad managed to capture a handful of them, the rest were either amongst the brokenbodies choking the city’s streets or among the scant few of the populace whohad managed to flee in the chaos.

He’d defeated Telperinquar himself, both out of respect forthe great smith as well as his own pleasure. The betrayal in his eyes was just exquisite. Tyelpe’s fëa blazed as onlya descendant of the mighty Fëanáro’s truly could, the magnitude of his rage andgrief swirling within him and granting him strength beyond what most of theFirstborn left in Middle Earth had the ability to summon. Mairon had indulgedhim for a while and gave him the clashing of blades he sought. Using his fullpower to smite the elf to the ground straight off the bat was just too anticlimacticfor his tastes, far too disappointing an end after his years and years of preparation.

Alas, he could not dance with Tyelpe like this forever. Theelf’s enraged strikes began to give way to desperation as the cries of thedying petered out, gradually replaced instead by the harrowing wails of thosewho had not been so lucky.  With a burstof power Mairon cleaved the elf’s sword at the hilt in a single shattering blowand knocked him to the ground with a lightning-fast backhanded strike that leftthe Firstborn stunned and sprawled across the pavers. At a gesture from themaia two of the Uruk-hai broke away from the cheering audience that had formedaround them and swiftly bound Telperinquar’s arms while the elf was still reelingfrom the force of the blow.

Being roughly pulled to his feet may not have been enough tobreak the elf out of his daze but the feeling of his former friend’s hand suddenlycupping his cheek certainly did. He began struggling in earnest at the contactbut could not break from the iron grip of the orcs’ hands around his biceps andhe was quickly stilled by the maia’s pointed nails piercing his cheek, threateningto rip to tear the skin away. Once the elf had quietened he removed them and thehand returned to the previous position, his thumb rubbing the blood now runningdown his face in quasi-soothing circles.

“Hush, Tyelpe, hush,” Mairon’s honeyed voice was soft,similar in tone to calming a frightened child. “It’s done, it’s over. There’s no need to continue tohurt yourself like this. There was no need for any of this, all I want is what is rightfully mine. It’s not toolate, meldo,” (Oh how his captiveshuddered delightfully under his hand at that,).“Return that which belongs to me, and you can take your place at my side.”

The colourful deluge of curses that was the elf’s responsewas honestly somewhat impressive in their creativity. That long with the fireraging behind his eyes made Mairon momentarily nostalgic for Maitimo. Hewondered if his nephew’s screams would sound similar.

Mairon sighed and shook his head in only half-feigneddisappointment as his hand returned to his side. “I offered you clemency,Tyelpe. Remember that. What comes next is done entirely by your own choice.”Turning to the orcs framing the elf he continued. “Take him to the vaults below the stronghold,secure the fool there. I’ll deal with him later.”

Whatever retorted the elf tried to snarl was cut off in a startledyelp as his arms were wrenched in his sockets at the force with which he was abruptlydragged away. Mairon had turned away once he had given the order but from the recedingsounds of scuffling he surmised the stubborn elf had resumed his ineffectualstruggles. No matter, there was hardly a risk of him managing to break free,and the more he exhausted himself now the less fight he would have in him whenMairon finally went to interrogate him.

It was really a shame. He’d genuinely liked Telperinquar onsome level. He would have made a useful addition to Mairon’s court (with theright assurances of his continued loyalty, of course) and his death here wouldbe a waste of true talent. How disappointing it was he had inherited such a self-destructivenature from his Fëanorian blood.

Breaking from his musing Mairon returned his gaze to the crumbling citiscape sprawled out beneath him. In spite of his mild irritation at having to destroy such a well-built city he had to admit the glow of the dancing flames were truly beautiful against the darkening sky.