CHAPTER 24: CONTINUED
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silwritersguildChapter 24 continuedWhile Mandos was in the process of bringing Feanor back to life, Manwe had flown to Tol Eressea, to retrieve the Palantir that rested in the Tower of Avallone. Four Palantirs still existed: two in Valinor, one of which was in Manwe's throne room, and one in Tol Eressea. The others, which still remained in Middle-earth, were hidden. The one that had belonged to Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, at the end of the Third Age, still resided in the throne room of Minas Tirith, and the other, the one that had belonged to Saruman, was in the keeping of Cirdan of the Grey Havens.
Although it was forbidden to make contact with Middle-earth since the fall of Morgoth, Manwe had at this time received permission from Eru to do so. Contact would only be allowed among the four Palantirs, and if it were deemed necessary for someone to travel between the two worlds, then the matter of whom would be allowed to do so would be decided at that time.
Manwe removed the Palantir's cover and grasped the ball between his hands. He stared into its cloudy surface and watched it become clear.
In Minas Tirith, Aragorn awoke suddenly, feeling a strange calling. He felt compelled to get up out of bed and go to the throne room, even though it was the middle of the night. He crept out of the bedroom, not wishing to disturb Arwen. She was not sleeping, however, and got up herself to follow him. They entered the throne room and could see a light coming from the Palantir, pulsating through its covering. Aragorn picked it up and looked into its depths.
Manwe spoke to him, then, but not through speech. He communicated through thought only, and spoke to Aragorn of the ill that had befallen Valinor.
"I ask for your help, if you have any idea that would be useful to us".
Aragorn then told Manwe of the finding of the Silmaril and the discovery of the root-people of Moria. They communicated at length, and then Manwe took his leave and flew to Mandos.
In the Halls, everyone was still gathered in the Resurrection Chamber when a gust of wind blew suddenly into the room. It startled everyone and they turned toward it to see that Manwe had suddenly appeared before their eyes.
"I bring greetings to everyone", he said. "I am sorry to have arrived in such a sudden manner, and intrude upon your meeting in this way, Mandos, but I have news which I must relay to you all".
Manwe swept his robes aside, and sat down. Lindaril, leading Frodo by the hand, took a seat beside him. Frodo was left by himself on the other side of the room, a forlorn figure looking across at them.
Manwe continued speaking. "I bring news from Middle-earth. The Silmaril of Maedhros has been found there, by Legolas of the Elves, and Gimli of the Dwarves. They discovered also a new race of people that we did not know previously existed. It was these people who had hoarded the Silmaril for many years".
Every person in the room sat wide-eyed with interest, and Feanor jumped to his feet. Manwe continued, "The Silmaril was found by pure accident, and has sadly caused much trouble for Legolas, who transported it from Moria to the Grey Havens".
He looked at Lindaril. "He tried in vain to take it to you. He followed you all the way to the Grey Havens, but you had left well before he arrived. Afterward, he carried it back to Minas Tirith, but found he could not leave it there. He was returning, apparently, to the Havens in order to bring it to Valinor himself, but in the process a tragedy occurred, in which there was loss of life".
Lindaril looked stricken. She glanced at Frodo, and realized that now he would know that she had been lying when she told him that she did not know Legolas. She turned back to Manwe. "A feel terrible for what it has cost him, and other innocent people", she gulped. "Please tell me - is he still alive?"
"Fortunately, he has recovered from some terrible injuries and he is now well. This is good news for us", Manwe continued. "It means that there are now two Silmarils that we can use in order to fashion the new jewels. The people who live in Moria are metal-workers and jewel-smiths, and will begin work on the Silmaril of Middle-earth, while we begin on ours here, if Feanor will cooperate with us, as he has said that he would".
"How will the Silmarils from Middle-earth then be transported to Valinor?" asked Irmo.
"They will be brought back here by an emissary who will travel from Valinor to Middle-earth aboard a White Ship, and will then return with the new Silmarils by the same method", Manwe replied. "There is only one person who will be permitted to do this. She is the only one who has ever made the trip in both directions before; thus, we will ask her to do it again". He turned and smiled at Galadriel.
"Yes, it will be you, Galadriel", pronounced Manwe. "You were granted full pardon once for your disobedience of the Valar, and were permitted to leave Middle-earth to return to Valinor. Now, we shall give you leave once again to depart our shores for Middle-earth to carry out this task appointed to you. We know you shall not fail us".
Feanor glared at Galadriel, and all of the old memories of her flooded back into his mind. He remembered that she was his niece, but had turned against him long ago. He stared back and forth between her and Lindaril. Galadriel was pleased that she had been chosen to undertake the journey. She knew Middle-earth very well. She was a friend of Cirdan, the ship-builder of the Grey Havens, and also of Legolas and Gimli. She was Arwen's grandmother. Galadriel was over 10,000 years old, and she had changed much over the long ages of her life. While she had once been as much of a power-seeker as any of the Noldor, she had mellowed over the years since the One Ring and along with it, power, had been offered to her, and she had turned it down.
After being tested by the One Ring, which had been offered to her by Frodo in Lothlorien, she knew in her heart that she was happiest just to be herself, Galadriel, the "earth mother", who was always watchful over her children, the people of her realm who trusted her. She was glad to be given this new task that Manwe offered her because she loved Middle-earth and its people, and was grateful to have a part in helping to deal with the new menace from Morgoth.
After the group had discussed everything that was to be done, and the different roles that they were each to play, they all made to retire to their rooms to rest. Frodo was feeling drained from all that he had witnessed. He had told the Valar of his idea of breaking the Silmarils into smaller pieces. Manwe asked Feanor if it would be possible to do this, and Feanor had agreed, and he had told them also a belief about the Silmarils.
"I believe that once the existing Silmarils are melted, and if more gemstones of different kinds are added to them to increase their size, that there may still be enough light to burn within the new jewels that will make the new undetectable from the old. The light of the Trees was intense enough that the amount of dilution that would occur to form seventy thousand jewels should still not be enough to weaken this light. We shall have to make them first, to see if my idea will work. If it does, then we can make as many jewels as we wish, and we shall not be able to tell that the light within them is in any way diluted. If we cannot tell the difference, then Morgoth will not either".
The Valar seemed to be immensely pleased by this information from Feanor. After a while, when discussion had ended, the group began to disperse and each returned to his and her own room.
"Will you be joining me again tonight, Lindaril?" asked Frodo, as he headed toward his room.
"No, Frodo, please go ahead without me. I do not need to sleep, and I shall come to see you later", she said.
Lindaril turned to Feanor. "Great-grandfather, I do not want to be parted from you now that I have found you", she said. "Will you be coming back with me to Lorien?"
"No, Lindaril", interrupted Mandos. "I am sorry, but Feanor does not have a choice in where he is permitted to go. He must remain behind these walls until a contingent can be assembled to make the trip with him to Formenos. then he must go there in order to begin working on the Silmaril of Earendil. He cannot roam about freely in these lands until he is re-oriented in the current ways of Valinor. There have been great changes in the world since he had passed away, and he must be given time to become accustomed to them".
Feanor smoldered at these words. "You judge me, Mandos, yet you do not know my capabilities. Why do you not tell Lindaril the truth, and that is that you are afraid of me? You fear that I may seek revenge once again for the crimes that were committed against me. You punish me still for the oaths that I spoke against you, the Valar. You, who spoke against taking vengeance, seek revenge yourselves!"
Manwe stepped forward. "We wish only peace for you, Feanor. The Valar do not seek revenge. Our wish is to preserve this world, and not allow it to be destroyed by evil. To that end, we ask you only to work with us, to help us in this common purpose".
Lindaril took Feanor's hands in hers. "Great-grandfather, for my love, which is newly discovered, and which will be yours forever, please put aside any thought of revenge for yourself or against you, and help us as you have promised", she pleaded.
Feanor's heart softened at her words, and the look of love for him that glowed upon her face. He stared into her eyes, and he made up his mind.
"Yes, my little one", he said, "I will help".
"May I stay with Feanor in his quarters tonight?" asked Lindaril, looking back and forth between Mandos and Manwe. "Please. We have only just been united with each other, and I must leave him all too soon tomorrow. Please let me stay with him this one night".
Manwe and Mandos consented, and a room was prepared for them. The two Valar then left them alone. Lindaril, who had been feeling terribly strained, collapsed into Feanor's arms.
"I wish that you could come back with me to Lorien", she cried. "I want us to be together always, from now on".
"Lindaril, please listen to me", said Feanor. He grasped her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes with his piercing stare.
"Mandos will be taking me to my old fortress of Formenos, where we will make the new Silmarils. Then the jewels will be given to Morgoth as a bargaining tool so that the Dark One will leave Valinor in peace. I have agreed to this plan because it is what the Valar wish of me, and because of that they have made me whole again. But, with the last will and strength that I possess, I will never let my precious Silmarils fall into anyone else's hands but my own. With my dying breath yet again I would fight to keep them out of Morgoth's grasp. You are my close kin. Do you understand what I tell you? I care not for the Valar, nor for anything that they stand for".
Lindaril stared back into Feanor's eyes, in which showed his uncompromising ferocity. She paused.
"We are kindred spirits, you and I", she replied at length. "I am of your blood. Are we also of the same mind?"
"What mind is that?" asked Feanor. "I do not know where you stand. You came here with the others, and then seemed to have a change of heart upon meeting me. You separated yourself from them to stand with me. Do I believe that is how it looks? Is blood then thicker than water? Do you stand by me or with them?"
Lindaril did not falter. She nodded. "I am of your blood", she said again, "and you are of mine".
"Then will you promise me something?" he asked.
"I would do anything that you wish of me", she said.
"Would you come with me to Formenos? Once the Silmarils have been made, I need to find a way to take them away from Valinor, even if it means stealing a ship and going far from this world. I would need you to help me do this".
Lindaril held her breath. "I promise to help you in any way that I can", she said at length. "But the Valar will never let me accompany you to Formenos. I shall have to find my way there by myself after you have gone".
Lindaril reflected then upon her gift of a magical singing voice that was able to change the mood of anyone who heard it. She could manipulate people simply by singing to them. She had done this to Legolas in Minas Tirith, by forcing him to act against his will. She knew that he was not attracted to her, but she had led him to her room, and then had made him make love to her by singing to him. Later, she had regretted doing what she did, because he had become angry with her upon recovering from the spell, and was wary of her afterwards, and even disliked her, which was not at all what she had intended.
Her singing ability also involved another special gift, which she did not, of necessity, usually make known to others. This gift was an ability to sing song-spells, which had only once before in history been a talent possessed by an elf-maiden; Luthien Tinuviel, who was part Maia, and who was able to sing songs of spells that, among other things, could put people and other beings to sleep.
Lindaril always kept her own gift a secret, so that, if it became necessary for her to use it, it would be better used as a surprise for the recipient of the spell. She was aware that she could use the gift to sing a song-spell right at that moment, and everyone in the Halls of Mandos would fall into a deep sleep, from which they would only awaken after several days had passed, unless she herself awoke them with a waking-song. She considered doing this, but knew that it would be a possibly great mistake to reveal her talent at this time. Mandos and Feanor needed to get to Formenos. If she put them to sleep, she could not transport them to the fortress on her own.
She was troubled by another thought as well. Did the Valar know of her singing ability? She did not think so, because she had remained hidden for so long on Middle-earth that no one had previously been aware of her existence. Before now, she had led a very uneventful life, never using her powers in any overt way. She looked now at Feanor. Should she pretend to be without an idea and let him think of a way for her to go to Formenos unnoticed? Would he be suspicious of her if she seemed to be too clever? She sighed, and said nothing. Instinctively, she knew that her special gift should be kept secret for a while yet.
Feanor appeared deep in thought.
"How far is Formenos from here?" she asked him.
"I do not know", he replied. "I have dwelt too long in these Halls, and I have been told that the geography of the world has changed much since I have passed out of it".
Lindaril remembered then that Frodo had brought with him one of Bilbo's maps of Valinor. She thought that she could look at it later in order to calculate the distance.
"The only way I can think to help you would be for me to go back to Lorien with the others, and then leave from there for Formenos at the first opportunity. I think I would also need to bring Frodo to help me".
"Who is this Frodo?" asked Feanor. "Is he the small elf with the curly hair who was sitting beside you in the Chamber when Mandos brought me back to life?"
"Yes", Lindaril replied. "He is actually a great hero who comes from Middle-earth. He is not an elf himself, but he is of a race of people who may be close relatives of elves. We share the same ears, but his people are much shorter in stature than we are. I am an exception, and do not know why, as an elf, I was born of such short stature. This may interest you, Great-grandfather. Frodo was instrumental in defeating Sauron the Deceiver, the evil Maia who tried to conquer Middle-earth".
"Sauron! I have heard that this Sauron was a servant of Morgoth!" cried Feanor, his eyes narrowing with hatred. "I hate Morgoth and all of his minions more than I do the Valar!"
"Do you really hate the Valar?" asked Lindaril.
"No, I should not have used that word. Hatred is not exactly what I feel. I have contempt for them, yes, especially for their reluctance to take action. In the past, I had been terribly wronged, and I felt much anger towards them because I had been corrupted by the lies that Morgoth had told me. After I found out the truth, that he had lied to me, I hated Morgoth foremost for the murder of my father, and also because he stole my jewels from my house while I was away. The reason I was away at the time was because Manwe had commanded me to attend a festival on Taniquetil. I have blamed him ever since for that. If I had been at home, I may have been able to prevent my father's death, and the theft of the Silmarils".
Lindaril looked at Feanor more closely. In his once very handsome face, which was now twisted by unfathomable emotions, she saw a man whom she felt had the power to redeem himself.
"Let me now return to Frodo", she said, rising to her feet. "You and I should not seem to be too close to each other, lest Mandos suspects that we have made a plan together. Look for me in Formenos in 30 days, if I can manage to get there by then. In any case, I will come, I promise you, in not much greater time than that".
Lindaril returned to Frodo's room and saw that he was sleeping. She then went through his belongings very quietly, so as not to disturb him, and found the map of Valinor. Assuming that Bilbo's calculations were accurate, the distance between the Halls of Mandos and Formenos was about 525 miles. The distance from the Isle of Este to Formenos was about the same. It meant a walk of at least a fortnight, and that would mean pushing themselves very hard. Lindaril breathed a sigh of relief that she had given Feanor a fairly reasonable estimate of the time it would take her to reach Formenos.
She slipped quietly out of Frodo's room and tiptoed down the corridor. She opened a number of doors until she found Galadriel, sitting in her room, alone. Lindaril stepped through the door and silently glided toward her. Galadriel, sensing her presence, turned and saw that it was Lindaril.
"I have come because I need yur help", Lindaril said earnestly.
Galadriel looked at her with an inscrutable expression. "I would be glad to help you", she said.
"Come and sit with me. We have not had a proper opportunity to speak with each other before now, and I feel that it is important that we do so".
Lindaril joined Galadriel on the settee. "I do not know where to begin", she said. Then, feeling overwhelmed, she burst into tears. Galadriel put her arms around Lindaril's shoulders and held her closely.
"Let me tell you a story", said the oder elf. "Many, many years ago, a young elf-maiden left her home where she was secure, and much loved by her family, and placed her trust in others of her kin, and started on a perilous journey with them. Burning within her was a desire to travel afar and establish her own realm, and the desire was of such power that it enabled her to endure many hardships while on this journey. Some of the terrible things that she witnessed on the travels changed her forever, but she changed for the better. It gave her a clearer understanding of others, and of the meaning of the consequences of one's actions. She possessed the gift of foresight, which became stronger over time. More important than the foresight, however, was the knowledge of when to use it, and when to let it lie and allow others to fulfill their own destinies, and let events occur naturallly. Do you understand what I am telling you, Lindaril?"
The younger elf raised her head from Galadriel's shoulder. Her tear-stained face showed much weariness and confusion.
"I do not understand you at all", she said. "Only that perhaps you were telling me your own story. But you and I come from different places. We are worlds apart. Your journey was made with others. Mine was made alone with only myself for company and protection".
"I did not have protection from the others", said Galadriel. "Some of what I witnessed was the slaying of my kin by my own kin. I did not wish to be a part of that betrayal which horrified me, and so I felt terribly alone whilst in the company of others. Together, also, we crossed a treacherous terrain of ice that claimed the lives of many of my people. Never had I felt so alone and in such danger. Yet, I survived, as did many others, and lived a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, despite the horrific memories".
"Still, it was not the aloneness of knowing that you are the only member of your species in a frightening place, where you are surrounded by other beings who are trying to kill you, while you are trying to remain unnoticed while things are crashing down all around you", Lindaril replied.
"We have each had our own terrible trials to endure while we were young", said Galadriel. "This we do have in common. Perhaps the manner in which we deal with the rest of our lives will also be a common thing between us, and yet, perhaps not".
"We are kin, are we not?" asked Lindaril.
"Yes, we are kin", replied Galadriel. "Feanor and my father, Finarfin, were brothers. Feanor and I grew up knowing each other, although we were never very close. We were of different spirit and we did not get along very well. He, actually, sought my friendship, and I rejected him. If I had known then what I do now, I would not have done so. I would have tried to strengthen his ability to have insight into his actions, and I would have tried to show him that there are other things in life to strive for than the possession of power and of objects. Things then may have turned out differently for him", Galadriel sighed.
"What did you wish me to help you with, Lindaril?"
Lindaril paused, her thoughts conflicted. Originally, she had come to ask for Galadriel's help in getting to Formenos, thinking that since Galadriel and Feanor were kin, that the elder elf would help them out of familial loyalty. However, now that Lindaril had heard the story of the cousins' history, she thought that Galadriel would never agree to help her. She quickly cast around in her mind for another plausible reason for enlisting Galadriel's help.
"When you arrive on Middle-earth", said Lindaril, "will you be going to see Legolas, who has the Silmaril in his possession?"
Galadriel was puzzled. "Yes, of course I will see him", she said.
"Would you give him a message from me?" asked Lindaril.
"Yes, certainly, although I did not know that you were close to him".
Lindaril hesitated. She did not know what to say. Galadriel waited, looking at Lindaril with much interest.
"Would you -- would you -- please tell him that I am thinking about him, and that I -- I -- am sorry for everything?"
"Lindaril", said Galadriel, "I will give Legolas your message, but I have some advice for you. If I were you, I would turn my attention back to Frodo and give him the care and friendship that he deserves. I think that you will be the happier for it".
Lindaril regarded Galadriel thoughtfully. "I thank you for your advice, My Lady, and for the talk that we have had. You have given me much to think about", she said.
The next day, the group left the Halls of Mandos, except for Feanor, who stayed behind under the watch of Mandos and Manwe. The Valar did not yet fully trust him. No acts of revenge would ever be permitted to take place on Valinor, and they thought that it was possible Feanor might still be harboring feelings of vengeance below the surface of his thoughts that even he may not have been aware of. However, the main reason to keep him under guard was so that nothing would happen to him, their sacrificial lamb, who was not aware of their ultimate plans for him. Therefore, he needed to be carefully watched.
Lindaril felt that the separation between herself and Feanor was very hard, to come on the heels of their first meeting. Now that she had found her great-grandfather, she did not wish to be parted from him so soon. The memories of her profound loneliness flooded back to her. She had felt a strong familial bond between Feanor and herself. Frodo had tried to comfort her, but he could feel that ever so slightly, she was beginning to distance herself from him.
Galdriel returned to Este and Irmo's home with the others, and then she departed from Lorien for the Isle of Tol Eressea. From that outpost, she would return by White Ship to Middle-earth and the Grey Havens. From the Grey Havens, she would go on to Moria, where Legolas and Gimli continued with their rebuilding, and were completely unaware of her impending arrival.
Author's Notes:
This was a long and complicated chapter, but I chose it to submit because I think it sums up a lot of what has gone on before, for those who do not wish to read the whole story, and because it is the first "live" appearance of Feanor, although he and Mandos have had conversations in earlier chapters, in order to set up his eventual "appearance".
I was worried that perhaps there was not enough of Feanor himself in this chapter, though. For instance, I do not have him responding at all to Galadriel, which, in light of his previous obsession with her (which is dealt with in more detail in my other story about him: SSP). I don't know if I should do something with that.
I am also not sure if his character shows enough of the insanity that is beginning to rise up in him. It does increase more in the next chapter that deals with him primarily (Ch. 27), and then ultimately in Ch. 30: Soul Sacrifice, which contains the climax of the story. Taken out of context this way, it is difficult to put into perspective.
I am sorry that the chapter is so long, but I selected this one because it does bring together a lot of the other "sub-plots".
Although it was forbidden to make contact with Middle-earth since the fall of Morgoth, Manwe had at this time received permission from Eru to do so. Contact would only be allowed among the four Palantirs, and if it were deemed necessary for someone to travel between the two worlds, then the matter of whom would be allowed to do so would be decided at that time.
Manwe removed the Palantir's cover and grasped the ball between his hands. He stared into its cloudy surface and watched it become clear.
In Minas Tirith, Aragorn awoke suddenly, feeling a strange calling. He felt compelled to get up out of bed and go to the throne room, even though it was the middle of the night. He crept out of the bedroom, not wishing to disturb Arwen. She was not sleeping, however, and got up herself to follow him. They entered the throne room and could see a light coming from the Palantir, pulsating through its covering. Aragorn picked it up and looked into its depths.
Manwe spoke to him, then, but not through speech. He communicated through thought only, and spoke to Aragorn of the ill that had befallen Valinor.
"I ask for your help, if you have any idea that would be useful to us".
Aragorn then told Manwe of the finding of the Silmaril and the discovery of the root-people of Moria. They communicated at length, and then Manwe took his leave and flew to Mandos.
In the Halls, everyone was still gathered in the Resurrection Chamber when a gust of wind blew suddenly into the room. It startled everyone and they turned toward it to see that Manwe had suddenly appeared before their eyes.
"I bring greetings to everyone", he said. "I am sorry to have arrived in such a sudden manner, and intrude upon your meeting in this way, Mandos, but I have news which I must relay to you all".
Manwe swept his robes aside, and sat down. Lindaril, leading Frodo by the hand, took a seat beside him. Frodo was left by himself on the other side of the room, a forlorn figure looking across at them.
Manwe continued speaking. "I bring news from Middle-earth. The Silmaril of Maedhros has been found there, by Legolas of the Elves, and Gimli of the Dwarves. They discovered also a new race of people that we did not know previously existed. It was these people who had hoarded the Silmaril for many years".
Every person in the room sat wide-eyed with interest, and Feanor jumped to his feet. Manwe continued, "The Silmaril was found by pure accident, and has sadly caused much trouble for Legolas, who transported it from Moria to the Grey Havens".
He looked at Lindaril. "He tried in vain to take it to you. He followed you all the way to the Grey Havens, but you had left well before he arrived. Afterward, he carried it back to Minas Tirith, but found he could not leave it there. He was returning, apparently, to the Havens in order to bring it to Valinor himself, but in the process a tragedy occurred, in which there was loss of life".
Lindaril looked stricken. She glanced at Frodo, and realized that now he would know that she had been lying when she told him that she did not know Legolas. She turned back to Manwe. "A feel terrible for what it has cost him, and other innocent people", she gulped. "Please tell me - is he still alive?"
"Fortunately, he has recovered from some terrible injuries and he is now well. This is good news for us", Manwe continued. "It means that there are now two Silmarils that we can use in order to fashion the new jewels. The people who live in Moria are metal-workers and jewel-smiths, and will begin work on the Silmaril of Middle-earth, while we begin on ours here, if Feanor will cooperate with us, as he has said that he would".
"How will the Silmarils from Middle-earth then be transported to Valinor?" asked Irmo.
"They will be brought back here by an emissary who will travel from Valinor to Middle-earth aboard a White Ship, and will then return with the new Silmarils by the same method", Manwe replied. "There is only one person who will be permitted to do this. She is the only one who has ever made the trip in both directions before; thus, we will ask her to do it again". He turned and smiled at Galadriel.
"Yes, it will be you, Galadriel", pronounced Manwe. "You were granted full pardon once for your disobedience of the Valar, and were permitted to leave Middle-earth to return to Valinor. Now, we shall give you leave once again to depart our shores for Middle-earth to carry out this task appointed to you. We know you shall not fail us".
Feanor glared at Galadriel, and all of the old memories of her flooded back into his mind. He remembered that she was his niece, but had turned against him long ago. He stared back and forth between her and Lindaril. Galadriel was pleased that she had been chosen to undertake the journey. She knew Middle-earth very well. She was a friend of Cirdan, the ship-builder of the Grey Havens, and also of Legolas and Gimli. She was Arwen's grandmother. Galadriel was over 10,000 years old, and she had changed much over the long ages of her life. While she had once been as much of a power-seeker as any of the Noldor, she had mellowed over the years since the One Ring and along with it, power, had been offered to her, and she had turned it down.
After being tested by the One Ring, which had been offered to her by Frodo in Lothlorien, she knew in her heart that she was happiest just to be herself, Galadriel, the "earth mother", who was always watchful over her children, the people of her realm who trusted her. She was glad to be given this new task that Manwe offered her because she loved Middle-earth and its people, and was grateful to have a part in helping to deal with the new menace from Morgoth.
After the group had discussed everything that was to be done, and the different roles that they were each to play, they all made to retire to their rooms to rest. Frodo was feeling drained from all that he had witnessed. He had told the Valar of his idea of breaking the Silmarils into smaller pieces. Manwe asked Feanor if it would be possible to do this, and Feanor had agreed, and he had told them also a belief about the Silmarils.
"I believe that once the existing Silmarils are melted, and if more gemstones of different kinds are added to them to increase their size, that there may still be enough light to burn within the new jewels that will make the new undetectable from the old. The light of the Trees was intense enough that the amount of dilution that would occur to form seventy thousand jewels should still not be enough to weaken this light. We shall have to make them first, to see if my idea will work. If it does, then we can make as many jewels as we wish, and we shall not be able to tell that the light within them is in any way diluted. If we cannot tell the difference, then Morgoth will not either".
The Valar seemed to be immensely pleased by this information from Feanor. After a while, when discussion had ended, the group began to disperse and each returned to his and her own room.
"Will you be joining me again tonight, Lindaril?" asked Frodo, as he headed toward his room.
"No, Frodo, please go ahead without me. I do not need to sleep, and I shall come to see you later", she said.
Lindaril turned to Feanor. "Great-grandfather, I do not want to be parted from you now that I have found you", she said. "Will you be coming back with me to Lorien?"
"No, Lindaril", interrupted Mandos. "I am sorry, but Feanor does not have a choice in where he is permitted to go. He must remain behind these walls until a contingent can be assembled to make the trip with him to Formenos. then he must go there in order to begin working on the Silmaril of Earendil. He cannot roam about freely in these lands until he is re-oriented in the current ways of Valinor. There have been great changes in the world since he had passed away, and he must be given time to become accustomed to them".
Feanor smoldered at these words. "You judge me, Mandos, yet you do not know my capabilities. Why do you not tell Lindaril the truth, and that is that you are afraid of me? You fear that I may seek revenge once again for the crimes that were committed against me. You punish me still for the oaths that I spoke against you, the Valar. You, who spoke against taking vengeance, seek revenge yourselves!"
Manwe stepped forward. "We wish only peace for you, Feanor. The Valar do not seek revenge. Our wish is to preserve this world, and not allow it to be destroyed by evil. To that end, we ask you only to work with us, to help us in this common purpose".
Lindaril took Feanor's hands in hers. "Great-grandfather, for my love, which is newly discovered, and which will be yours forever, please put aside any thought of revenge for yourself or against you, and help us as you have promised", she pleaded.
Feanor's heart softened at her words, and the look of love for him that glowed upon her face. He stared into her eyes, and he made up his mind.
"Yes, my little one", he said, "I will help".
"May I stay with Feanor in his quarters tonight?" asked Lindaril, looking back and forth between Mandos and Manwe. "Please. We have only just been united with each other, and I must leave him all too soon tomorrow. Please let me stay with him this one night".
Manwe and Mandos consented, and a room was prepared for them. The two Valar then left them alone. Lindaril, who had been feeling terribly strained, collapsed into Feanor's arms.
"I wish that you could come back with me to Lorien", she cried. "I want us to be together always, from now on".
"Lindaril, please listen to me", said Feanor. He grasped her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes with his piercing stare.
"Mandos will be taking me to my old fortress of Formenos, where we will make the new Silmarils. Then the jewels will be given to Morgoth as a bargaining tool so that the Dark One will leave Valinor in peace. I have agreed to this plan because it is what the Valar wish of me, and because of that they have made me whole again. But, with the last will and strength that I possess, I will never let my precious Silmarils fall into anyone else's hands but my own. With my dying breath yet again I would fight to keep them out of Morgoth's grasp. You are my close kin. Do you understand what I tell you? I care not for the Valar, nor for anything that they stand for".
Lindaril stared back into Feanor's eyes, in which showed his uncompromising ferocity. She paused.
"We are kindred spirits, you and I", she replied at length. "I am of your blood. Are we also of the same mind?"
"What mind is that?" asked Feanor. "I do not know where you stand. You came here with the others, and then seemed to have a change of heart upon meeting me. You separated yourself from them to stand with me. Do I believe that is how it looks? Is blood then thicker than water? Do you stand by me or with them?"
Lindaril did not falter. She nodded. "I am of your blood", she said again, "and you are of mine".
"Then will you promise me something?" he asked.
"I would do anything that you wish of me", she said.
"Would you come with me to Formenos? Once the Silmarils have been made, I need to find a way to take them away from Valinor, even if it means stealing a ship and going far from this world. I would need you to help me do this".
Lindaril held her breath. "I promise to help you in any way that I can", she said at length. "But the Valar will never let me accompany you to Formenos. I shall have to find my way there by myself after you have gone".
Lindaril reflected then upon her gift of a magical singing voice that was able to change the mood of anyone who heard it. She could manipulate people simply by singing to them. She had done this to Legolas in Minas Tirith, by forcing him to act against his will. She knew that he was not attracted to her, but she had led him to her room, and then had made him make love to her by singing to him. Later, she had regretted doing what she did, because he had become angry with her upon recovering from the spell, and was wary of her afterwards, and even disliked her, which was not at all what she had intended.
Her singing ability also involved another special gift, which she did not, of necessity, usually make known to others. This gift was an ability to sing song-spells, which had only once before in history been a talent possessed by an elf-maiden; Luthien Tinuviel, who was part Maia, and who was able to sing songs of spells that, among other things, could put people and other beings to sleep.
Lindaril always kept her own gift a secret, so that, if it became necessary for her to use it, it would be better used as a surprise for the recipient of the spell. She was aware that she could use the gift to sing a song-spell right at that moment, and everyone in the Halls of Mandos would fall into a deep sleep, from which they would only awaken after several days had passed, unless she herself awoke them with a waking-song. She considered doing this, but knew that it would be a possibly great mistake to reveal her talent at this time. Mandos and Feanor needed to get to Formenos. If she put them to sleep, she could not transport them to the fortress on her own.
She was troubled by another thought as well. Did the Valar know of her singing ability? She did not think so, because she had remained hidden for so long on Middle-earth that no one had previously been aware of her existence. Before now, she had led a very uneventful life, never using her powers in any overt way. She looked now at Feanor. Should she pretend to be without an idea and let him think of a way for her to go to Formenos unnoticed? Would he be suspicious of her if she seemed to be too clever? She sighed, and said nothing. Instinctively, she knew that her special gift should be kept secret for a while yet.
Feanor appeared deep in thought.
"How far is Formenos from here?" she asked him.
"I do not know", he replied. "I have dwelt too long in these Halls, and I have been told that the geography of the world has changed much since I have passed out of it".
Lindaril remembered then that Frodo had brought with him one of Bilbo's maps of Valinor. She thought that she could look at it later in order to calculate the distance.
"The only way I can think to help you would be for me to go back to Lorien with the others, and then leave from there for Formenos at the first opportunity. I think I would also need to bring Frodo to help me".
"Who is this Frodo?" asked Feanor. "Is he the small elf with the curly hair who was sitting beside you in the Chamber when Mandos brought me back to life?"
"Yes", Lindaril replied. "He is actually a great hero who comes from Middle-earth. He is not an elf himself, but he is of a race of people who may be close relatives of elves. We share the same ears, but his people are much shorter in stature than we are. I am an exception, and do not know why, as an elf, I was born of such short stature. This may interest you, Great-grandfather. Frodo was instrumental in defeating Sauron the Deceiver, the evil Maia who tried to conquer Middle-earth".
"Sauron! I have heard that this Sauron was a servant of Morgoth!" cried Feanor, his eyes narrowing with hatred. "I hate Morgoth and all of his minions more than I do the Valar!"
"Do you really hate the Valar?" asked Lindaril.
"No, I should not have used that word. Hatred is not exactly what I feel. I have contempt for them, yes, especially for their reluctance to take action. In the past, I had been terribly wronged, and I felt much anger towards them because I had been corrupted by the lies that Morgoth had told me. After I found out the truth, that he had lied to me, I hated Morgoth foremost for the murder of my father, and also because he stole my jewels from my house while I was away. The reason I was away at the time was because Manwe had commanded me to attend a festival on Taniquetil. I have blamed him ever since for that. If I had been at home, I may have been able to prevent my father's death, and the theft of the Silmarils".
Lindaril looked at Feanor more closely. In his once very handsome face, which was now twisted by unfathomable emotions, she saw a man whom she felt had the power to redeem himself.
"Let me now return to Frodo", she said, rising to her feet. "You and I should not seem to be too close to each other, lest Mandos suspects that we have made a plan together. Look for me in Formenos in 30 days, if I can manage to get there by then. In any case, I will come, I promise you, in not much greater time than that".
Lindaril returned to Frodo's room and saw that he was sleeping. She then went through his belongings very quietly, so as not to disturb him, and found the map of Valinor. Assuming that Bilbo's calculations were accurate, the distance between the Halls of Mandos and Formenos was about 525 miles. The distance from the Isle of Este to Formenos was about the same. It meant a walk of at least a fortnight, and that would mean pushing themselves very hard. Lindaril breathed a sigh of relief that she had given Feanor a fairly reasonable estimate of the time it would take her to reach Formenos.
She slipped quietly out of Frodo's room and tiptoed down the corridor. She opened a number of doors until she found Galadriel, sitting in her room, alone. Lindaril stepped through the door and silently glided toward her. Galadriel, sensing her presence, turned and saw that it was Lindaril.
"I have come because I need yur help", Lindaril said earnestly.
Galadriel looked at her with an inscrutable expression. "I would be glad to help you", she said.
"Come and sit with me. We have not had a proper opportunity to speak with each other before now, and I feel that it is important that we do so".
Lindaril joined Galadriel on the settee. "I do not know where to begin", she said. Then, feeling overwhelmed, she burst into tears. Galadriel put her arms around Lindaril's shoulders and held her closely.
"Let me tell you a story", said the oder elf. "Many, many years ago, a young elf-maiden left her home where she was secure, and much loved by her family, and placed her trust in others of her kin, and started on a perilous journey with them. Burning within her was a desire to travel afar and establish her own realm, and the desire was of such power that it enabled her to endure many hardships while on this journey. Some of the terrible things that she witnessed on the travels changed her forever, but she changed for the better. It gave her a clearer understanding of others, and of the meaning of the consequences of one's actions. She possessed the gift of foresight, which became stronger over time. More important than the foresight, however, was the knowledge of when to use it, and when to let it lie and allow others to fulfill their own destinies, and let events occur naturallly. Do you understand what I am telling you, Lindaril?"
The younger elf raised her head from Galadriel's shoulder. Her tear-stained face showed much weariness and confusion.
"I do not understand you at all", she said. "Only that perhaps you were telling me your own story. But you and I come from different places. We are worlds apart. Your journey was made with others. Mine was made alone with only myself for company and protection".
"I did not have protection from the others", said Galadriel. "Some of what I witnessed was the slaying of my kin by my own kin. I did not wish to be a part of that betrayal which horrified me, and so I felt terribly alone whilst in the company of others. Together, also, we crossed a treacherous terrain of ice that claimed the lives of many of my people. Never had I felt so alone and in such danger. Yet, I survived, as did many others, and lived a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, despite the horrific memories".
"Still, it was not the aloneness of knowing that you are the only member of your species in a frightening place, where you are surrounded by other beings who are trying to kill you, while you are trying to remain unnoticed while things are crashing down all around you", Lindaril replied.
"We have each had our own terrible trials to endure while we were young", said Galadriel. "This we do have in common. Perhaps the manner in which we deal with the rest of our lives will also be a common thing between us, and yet, perhaps not".
"We are kin, are we not?" asked Lindaril.
"Yes, we are kin", replied Galadriel. "Feanor and my father, Finarfin, were brothers. Feanor and I grew up knowing each other, although we were never very close. We were of different spirit and we did not get along very well. He, actually, sought my friendship, and I rejected him. If I had known then what I do now, I would not have done so. I would have tried to strengthen his ability to have insight into his actions, and I would have tried to show him that there are other things in life to strive for than the possession of power and of objects. Things then may have turned out differently for him", Galadriel sighed.
"What did you wish me to help you with, Lindaril?"
Lindaril paused, her thoughts conflicted. Originally, she had come to ask for Galadriel's help in getting to Formenos, thinking that since Galadriel and Feanor were kin, that the elder elf would help them out of familial loyalty. However, now that Lindaril had heard the story of the cousins' history, she thought that Galadriel would never agree to help her. She quickly cast around in her mind for another plausible reason for enlisting Galadriel's help.
"When you arrive on Middle-earth", said Lindaril, "will you be going to see Legolas, who has the Silmaril in his possession?"
Galadriel was puzzled. "Yes, of course I will see him", she said.
"Would you give him a message from me?" asked Lindaril.
"Yes, certainly, although I did not know that you were close to him".
Lindaril hesitated. She did not know what to say. Galadriel waited, looking at Lindaril with much interest.
"Would you -- would you -- please tell him that I am thinking about him, and that I -- I -- am sorry for everything?"
"Lindaril", said Galadriel, "I will give Legolas your message, but I have some advice for you. If I were you, I would turn my attention back to Frodo and give him the care and friendship that he deserves. I think that you will be the happier for it".
Lindaril regarded Galadriel thoughtfully. "I thank you for your advice, My Lady, and for the talk that we have had. You have given me much to think about", she said.
The next day, the group left the Halls of Mandos, except for Feanor, who stayed behind under the watch of Mandos and Manwe. The Valar did not yet fully trust him. No acts of revenge would ever be permitted to take place on Valinor, and they thought that it was possible Feanor might still be harboring feelings of vengeance below the surface of his thoughts that even he may not have been aware of. However, the main reason to keep him under guard was so that nothing would happen to him, their sacrificial lamb, who was not aware of their ultimate plans for him. Therefore, he needed to be carefully watched.
Lindaril felt that the separation between herself and Feanor was very hard, to come on the heels of their first meeting. Now that she had found her great-grandfather, she did not wish to be parted from him so soon. The memories of her profound loneliness flooded back to her. She had felt a strong familial bond between Feanor and herself. Frodo had tried to comfort her, but he could feel that ever so slightly, she was beginning to distance herself from him.
Galdriel returned to Este and Irmo's home with the others, and then she departed from Lorien for the Isle of Tol Eressea. From that outpost, she would return by White Ship to Middle-earth and the Grey Havens. From the Grey Havens, she would go on to Moria, where Legolas and Gimli continued with their rebuilding, and were completely unaware of her impending arrival.
Author's Notes:
This was a long and complicated chapter, but I chose it to submit because I think it sums up a lot of what has gone on before, for those who do not wish to read the whole story, and because it is the first "live" appearance of Feanor, although he and Mandos have had conversations in earlier chapters, in order to set up his eventual "appearance".
I was worried that perhaps there was not enough of Feanor himself in this chapter, though. For instance, I do not have him responding at all to Galadriel, which, in light of his previous obsession with her (which is dealt with in more detail in my other story about him: SSP). I don't know if I should do something with that.
I am also not sure if his character shows enough of the insanity that is beginning to rise up in him. It does increase more in the next chapter that deals with him primarily (Ch. 27), and then ultimately in Ch. 30: Soul Sacrifice, which contains the climax of the story. Taken out of context this way, it is difficult to put into perspective.
I am sorry that the chapter is so long, but I selected this one because it does bring together a lot of the other "sub-plots".
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