#rescue of maedhros

[melestasflight]

In the Silmarillion fandom, we enjoy grabbing the trope of “Nolofinwëan recklessness” and running wild with it. 

The most common victims of this are Fingon the Rash Prince and Fingolfin the Impulsive King, who rushes into suicidal combat. Both father and son daring death within Morgoth’s domain. 

It’s fun to write and exciting to imagine, no doubt, but I’d like to offer a different take. In fact, what makes Fingon and Fingolfin (and the rest of that family) compelling to me is their patience and endurance.

Yes, I’m aware Fingon rushes to battle at Alqualondë, but that’s a world-altering event. The light of the world has literally gone out, murder has happened in Valinor, Finwë is dead. Most of the Noldor are up on their feet and ready to depart. Everyone is rushing.

But this is not always the case with Fingon. Most significantly, the rescue of Maedhros is NOT an impulsive decision. The published Silmarillion offers no timeline on this, but in The Grey Annals, five entire years pass between the arrival of Fingolfin’s host to Beleriand and Fingon’s decision to look for Maedhros. 

Five years in which the two hosts are quite literally on the verge of civil war because, let’s not forget:

No love was there in the hearts of those that followed Fingolfin for the House of Fëanor, for the agony of those that endured the crossing of the Ice had been great, and Fingolfin held the sons the accomplices of their father. 

Diplomacy is a painfully slow (and absolutely frustrating!) ordeal. Fingon’s decision is born from this strife, from thirty years on the Helcaraxë, and five years of civil restlessness, not to mention the clear signs that Morgoth is ready to attack them at any moment:

Then Fingon the valiant, son of Fingolfin, resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor, before their Enemy should be ready for war; for the earth trembled in the Northlands with the thunder of the forges of Morgoth underground. 

This is not rashness. This is the sacrifice of a captain who is willing to make the best of what time is left before full-out destruction begins. It would be rashness if Fingon got his company and crossed Mithrim to wage battle on the Fëanorians. Instead, he chooses differently for the sake of peace, stability, and renewed friendship.

The trek from Lake Mithrim to Thangorodrim could be estimated at around 150 miles, depending on the map we follow, and there are grasslands and two sets of mountains to cross, not to mention the horror of Thangorodrim. Fingon travels on foot. It would take him weeks, maybe even months, to find Maedhros. Plenty of time for the fire of rashness to cool down if that was the case. But he persists because he has no other choice.

Similarly, I often see takes on Fingolfin that he rushes to pointless combat with Morgoth in the same manner as Fëanor had done. Yet again, the timeline is crucial here. The published Silmarillion has the battle lasting at least several months. Bragollach starts in F.A. 455 during winter time: 

There came a time of winter, when night was dark and without moon

The battle slows down presumably a few months later:

but the Battle of Sudden Flame is held to have ended with the coming of spring, when the onslaught of Morgoth grew less.

The onslaught grows less, but it doesn’t fully cease. Morgoth and Sauron reissue their attacks early into Fingon’s kingship.

In the Grey Annals, the timeline  is stretched further out:

Year 455:

The Fell Year. Here came an end of peace and mirth. In the winter, at the year's beginning, Morgoth unloosed at last his long-gathered strength

Year 456:

Now Fingolfin, King of the Noldor, beheld (as it seemed to him) the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses, and he was filled with wrath and despair.

The fighting goes on actively anywhere from a season to a full year! Fingolfin tries to hold his kingdom together for a full year despite an absolute, unquestionable disaster. I mean, look at this description of the battle:

In the front of that fire came Glaurung the golden, father of dragons, in his full might; and in his train were Balrogs, and behind them came the black armies of the Orcs in multitudes such as the Noldor had never before seen or imagined. And they assaulted the fortresses of the Noldor, and broke the leaguer about Angband, and slew wherever they found them the Noldor and their allies, Grey elves and Men. Many of the stoutest of the foes of Morgoth were destroyed in the first days of that war, bewildered and dispersed and unable to muster their strength. War ceased not wholly ever again in Beleriand

Fingolfin’s decision to ride out, again, is not out of recklessness or a spur-of-the-moment decision. It’s everything but that. He has given everything and truly believes it’s all lost: “the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses.” (!!!) 

This is a final stand, the King’s duty to stand by his people, even in death.

[tar-thelien]

Wrote the first chapter of a new fic yesterday evening because I couldn't sleep

Summary:

Nelyafinwe has been rescued, but he is not yet free, and Findecáno does not seem to understand

Word: 1661

Notes:

Rehtië = Saving, getting out: Quenya TW: Mentioned violence and starvathion

Fingon´s POV

A scream woke Findecáno with a jerk from his slumber in the chair.

It was not the first time since his half cousin had been rescued that he woke. Yet, his awakening appeared to be merely physical, lacking mental presence. Within the camp, whispers circulated, even though the return of the High King was meant to be kept secret and had been ordered so, that the High King's Fëa had been stolen by the Belegurth, as the Sindar called Morgoth.

Findecáno shifted his gaze towards the healers who were now restraining the king, their eyes wide as he thrashed about, emitting screams, growls, and bites at anyone close enough. Soon enough, an alien language rang from the elf, resembling the noise of rocks tumbling down a hill, with a desperate plea clear in his tone. The healers' faces displayed a mix of concern and bewilderment, their attempts to calm the high king proving vain.

A weary sigh escaped him as he rose from his seat to help the healers hold down the fragile elf to ensure that the now red spotted bandages were readjusted. The piece around the shoulder clearly needed to be secured again, since the king had somehow carelessly entangled his left hand in it and pulled in it, causing it to sit wrong and paining his shoulder further rather than keeping it in place.

“Come Nelyo, lay back down,” Findecáno soothed as he ran a hand through the newly cut red hair, surprising a wince when the ruined elf did as told. Now completely quiet, while staring terrified straight into Findecáno´s eyes. The light in them shining as bright as ever.

The healers around them ---

Read the rest on AO3

[venomdoves]

okay so i can’t think about maedhros too long or i start to shake and cry and throw up. BUT but but he’s an oldest son. he’s an heir. he’s The Tall. he finds a throne dumped in his lap amid the smoking ashes of his father’s body and for a reward he’s chained to the peaks of thangorodrim. he hangs there until he’s rescued by the friend who believed he abandoned him. he witnesses the ultimate act of divine grace and mercy.

and he still flings himself headlong into a chasm of fire to flee the burn of his own sins. maedhros you beautiful insane man, you tragedy in motion. top tier silmarillion character.

[azaisya]

@just-another-linguist and @melestasflight both requested Fingon which was v exciting. Fingon is one of the characters that really stuck with me the first time I read the Silm, but I’ve never actually drawn him. In my mind this is like a Valinor-era Fingon!

[sanshinexx]

After Angband, Maedhros had a complicated relationship with his hair for a long while. The thing he once used to cherish and carry with pride, inherited from the mother he had left behind, was now tainted with memories of unwanted attention and derogatory touch.

After his rescue, it had to be cut short for the sake of his recovery, and he could never quite figure out whether he was more hurt or relieved by the act. It was Fingon, during those times filled with anxiety and doubt and shame, who helped him learn to accept his own appearance again– from the stump of his right arm and the scars littered across his freckled body to the locks of copper hair, ever so slowly regrowing to their former glory.

And little by little, the lingering memories of malevolent hands harshly yanking at his scalp were replaced by the feeling of tender hands carefully braiding familiar golden ribbons into his hair, once again beloved.

[bidmoth]

I’ve been debating what the funniest, most fan-fury-inducing thing any hypothetical Silmarillion movie/show could do would be, and I think the answer is to condense the sons of Feanor. There are so many of them! And they aren’t particularly individualized! You could just… cut a few. Who needs seven whole kinslayers? You get get it down to three or four, easy.

[queerofthedagger]

i love fingon so much just. he's so good and so reckless and he loves so fiercely it makes him do the most stupid shit, and in turn no one ever quite puts him first. I'm going to eat glass

[revee-nyardil]

In an au where Fëanor was sent back to Middle-earth just after Nolo crosses the ice

Fëanor learns about Maedhros' capture. His sons (minus Nelyo) blame Fëanor. Because HE crafted the Oath. Maedhros wouldn't have gone (in their minds) if it hadn't been for the Oath. He was compelled to go because Morgoth offered the Silmaril and Fëanor "made" him swear (not true, but they are freaking out).

I'd just love to see the confrontation. Like, would Fëanor feel guilty? Justified? Just more revenge-y? Which of his kids would punch him first (finrod has a betting pool going)

[sesamenom]

day 1 of @tolkiengenweek: fingon & maeglin in mandos.

a little while ago i did this piece and @tanoraqui mentioned maeglin in the tags. anyways i was thinking about which nolofinwion would be best at dealing w maeglin's trauma.

turgon means well, but maeglin probably doesn't want to talk to him. aredhel is a) his mom and b) part of the traumatic backstory so that would also be difficult. argon never even made it past the grinding ice (and frankly i havent figured out his personality enough to do one of these). fingon, however, kept nicely to the theme of eldest son & youngest grandson and made sense trauma-wise.

so anyways here's fingon helping maeglin deal with the aftermath of his time in morgoth's captivity and the trauma of losing aredhel.

[malkaleh]

“I want to go home. Please, I want to go home.”

It is a childs plea, desperate and on the edge of tears - as though it has taken until this moment, when Gil-Galad holds him for Elrond to fall apart - that for all his bravery, he simply wants a parent to fix it, to take him to safety.

“You will. My beloved son, my little star - we will take you home and you will indulge your king, Elrond and rest and let me read to you and sneak you the rose water cakes you love so much. We will take you home.”

Any distance, any idea of it has gone - The High King holds on to Elrond, cradles him with a fathers desperate love - as though he can keep him safe from the world even here.

(No I have no idea where this came from or what this is in context of but uh, @self-destructinganimal reblogging the giving characters more trauma post)

[edennill]

It just struck me that it is important that the rescue of Maedhros from Thrangodrim is attempted by Fingon whom the Fëanorians have just betrayed - but it's also executed by the Valar whom the Fëanorians have also just betrayed.

[winds-of-zephyr416]

"Maedhros wondered how long it would take for a spider to eat a Vala."

(AKA i am writing a very goofy Silm AU and this line is Very Good out of context)

maybe more context if i finish the thing, idk stay tuned for that if it happens lol

[in-the-glow-of-a-silmaril]

I love a good canon divergent fic, and one of my favorite parts is the misunderstandings that arise when people don't have the full picture. Which is to say, I'm curious why the silm fandom hasn't explored that if you see ships burning from a distance, and then rock up to beleriand and find out your brother (and possibly his son) died in fire and his eldest has been captured by the Enemy, you might put two and two together to make five.

[eleneressea]

@lidoshka replied to your post “Treatment "He needs intensive treelight, possibly...”:

@eleneressea I'm happy you like this. 💓 And yeah plz! Continue! I wanna know what happens with feanor now that he thinks he's a bad father! And the silmaril/life support! And what if aredhel and fingon! 🤗����

​(who am I to deny requests for More?)

so Fëanor's immediate reaction is to have several small crises all at once, and then go to his other six sons and ask them if they know that he loves them more than his jewels, to which the answer is six confused "uh, yes?"-es.

so clearly, thinks Fëanor, whatever's gone wrong has gone wrong specifically between Fëanor and Maitimo, and the key thing that Fëanor knows about (because the Oath and subsequent kinslayings are shaping Maedhros's belief, but those haven't happened yet…) is the argument they had about keeping the Silmarils secret.

which, okay, Fëanor can admit that he hadn't been behaving particularly well there, what with the accusing-Maitimo-of-spying-for-Nolofinwe, though he's still not sure how Maitimo came to the conclusion that Fëanor values the Silmarils more than him. but!! the problem is identified, at least in part, so Fëanor can apologize and reassure Maitimo that he's more important and everything will be fine! just as soon as Maitimo wakes up again. And Fëanor will even admit, albeit through gritted teeth, that Findekáno (who only leaves Maitimo's side when physically dragged away) is a good friend to him. and he supposes that if Maitimo wants to marry him there are theoretically worse options.

Maitimo's injury is great for family unity, though. Írissë is spending a lot more time with Tyelkormo, planning their revenge on Ungoliant, Findekáno as mentioned refuses to leave Maitimo's side, Findaráto is getting manipulated by Maedhros into spreading Leave Aman propaganda among the Teleri, and even Nolofinwë and Fëanor are getting along somewhat now. mostly because everyone is feeling bad for Fëanor and his sons, but still! family unity! and all it takes is Maedhros almost dying! he shouldn't be surprised, it worked great last time.

As for the Silmarils, well…remember how the Silmarils are Treelight, and how Ungoliant's poison killed the Trees? They're more durable than the Trees are, physically, but extended exposure to Ungoliant's poison is not good for them. I'm debating whether one or more of them physically cracks or breaks, or whether their light just dims…

[camille-lachenille]

Ok but Morgoth and/or Sauron mockingly tattooing a large star of Fëanor on Maedhros’ chest before hanging him on Thangorodrim.

[vorbarrsultana]

another headcanon: finrod and fingon became truly close friends in helcaraxë. they spent a lot of time together because someone had to step up and be fingolfin's right and left hands. (fingolfin is sure he would have gone mad without them. fingon and finrod are sure they would have gone mad without each other.)