Two blackbirds at four in the morning

2019-08-28T11:08:22Z

Argon woke up to warmth and fog. He was dead and in Mandos. Those were facts that were as certain as his Manwe was the lord of the Valar and the Vanyar lived in Valmar; he could not recall learning them because they were so obvious.

Argon looked around, for lack of better terminology. The mist seemed to organize as he searched, into a hallway that he was standing in an alcove of. There was another person nearby. They were familiar, though he couldn’t make out any features at all.

-Hello?- He greeted, though speaking made no sound here, merely left him certain the word had been said a moment ago.

The figure turned their attention towards him and was instantly in focus. -Hello Argon. I’d say it’s good to see you, but I’d hoped it would be longer before any more family members showed up.-

-Amrod? What are you doing here?-

-Lord Namo thinks it’s better for new fea to be greeted by family rather than unfamiliar maiar. And Grandpa can be overwhelming at times, especially here.-

-I meant what are you doing dead, you didn’t have to cross the Helcaraxe and should have been in much better shape when you met orcs.-

-You crossed the Helcaraxe?-

-Yes, we couldn’t exactly take the swanships after you lit them on fire!-

-I’ll have to tell my dad that burning them didn’t help anyone at all next time I see him.-

-How on earth was burning the ships supposed to help us?-

-He claimed that you would all happily go back and appoint Uncle Nolofinwe high king of Tirion if we made it clear that going forward was impossible. My dad would have a force of loyal dedicated soldiers, and your dad would have cowards and those loyal to him, and none of us would ever have to talk to each other again. Of course, this is all what he explained afterwards, and he might be making up reasons that sound better than hatred of Nolofinwe.-

-What, at the time he said ‘burn those’ and you did, just like that?-

-I don’t know what he said at the time, I was asleep. I woke up and the ships were on fire.-

-That must have been surprising.-

-Especially because I was on one. When we get out of here, I’m learning to swim underwater, maybe I could’ve got to shore then.-

-You died when the ships burned?!-

-Yes. It’s why I don’t talk to my dad that often.-

-He’s here too?- Argon looked around nervously. -Did he die tripping over a log or something?-

-Ambushed by balrogs while charging the gates of Morgoth’s fortress, and outrunning every person whose job it was to guard him.-

-Ah.-

-How did you die anyway?-

-Orcs attacked as soon as we reached land. I managed to take down their captain, but was surrounded. I don’t know if there were any balrogs.-

-I think they’re hard to miss. They’re supposedly fifteen feet tall with flaming wings. Not that I got a chance to see any, or even any orcs.-

-Wait, they’re fifteen feet tall and your dad was ambushed?-

-I don’t know how either. Anyway, welcome to Mandos, we’re stuck here for a while. Most fea can wander around and whoever they want, but I have to ask Lord Namo before I meet any other elves so I don’t disturb them, and my dad’s stuck in one room.-

-What about me?-

-I think you just get little pity and long abiding, not wrath of the Valar. You weren’t in the front at Alquaonde, right?-

-No, I was walking with Idril so Turgon and Elenwe could have a break.-

-Then you should be good to wander anywhere and talk to whoever you want, and if anyone tells you they’re willing to talk to me I can tell Lord Namo.-

-I’ll keep that in mind.-

-I suppose if you died as soon as you reached land you don’t know how my brothers are doing.-

-Well, it can’t be that bad or else they’d be here.-

-I guess, but I was still hoping for news.-

-Oh, there is one weird thing that happened. A giant light, twenty times as large as the biggest star, shining like Telperion half waned, showed up in the sky. It came from the east, and looked like it was headed for Valinor.-

-Huh.-

-The orcs seemed unhappy about it at least, or maybe they’re always angry like that.-

-Everyone else seems to think the orcs are always angry, but I don’t know. I mean, people say my dad’s always angry, and he’s only angry like twenty or thirty percent of the time he’s awake, and almost never when he’s asleep.-

-Lately they’ve been saying your dad is mad, not angry.-

-Yeah, but even before he started threatening people with swords they said he was angry, and even on the trip across the sea he had other emotions.-

-Maybe orcs aren’t always angry, but the ones I saw were.-

-You know, they say orcs used to be elves.-

-Maybe they’re what happens when elves are always angry, and your face gets stuck like that.-

-If being angry could turn you into an orc, Grandpa would’ve done something to calm my dad down.-

-Like what?-

-I don’t know, taught him how to knit? But it would have come up.-

-Good point. So orcs must be something other than angry elves.-

-We could ask.-

-Ask what? Ask Grandpa why your dad doesn’t knit?-

-No, ask an orc where they come from.-

-Do orcs even come to Mandos?-

-I think so. I haven’t explored the whole place, but some sections of it discourage lingering more. I think that’s so the elves and orcs don’t bother each other.-

-So you want to go explore the parts we’re forbidden from, even though we both died trying to cross the sea when the Valar said we shouldn’t.-

-If it was forbidden, there’d be a wall; the door out of here just doesn’t let me near it. Besides, Namo said he’d take into account my repentance in trying to sail back when he decides when to let me out; I have to even things out with my brothers somehow.-

-Why exactly do things have to be even? Even your dad can’t call getting out of prison early disloyal.-

-No, but I don’t want to be the only member of the House of Feanor in Tirion for longer than I have to. They’ll make me decide thing in council meetings. They’ll make me attend council meetings in full, not leave as soon as Grandpa stops watching me.-

-Good point, I don’t want to lead House Fingolfin either. Let’s go find orcs.-

-Walk this way and think about being lonely, and every time you start to hear laughter turn aside. Then if we go down enough stairs, we’ll find the weird spot. Who knows, maybe we’ll even meet the orc who killed you.-

-I don’t want to talk to him!-

-Oh come on, I talk to my dad.-

-That’s different.-

-Fine, we’ll stick to orcs who didn’t kill you and somebody else killed or the first trip.-

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tehhumi

Two blackbirds at four in the morning