Drabble: True Silver

[martal0712.livejournal.com]

Title: True Silver

Chapter: not applicable (single drabble)

Author: Marta (melayton@gmail.com)

Rating: G

Warnings: heterosexual relationship (Celeborn/Galadriel) but not sexual

Genre: Romance

Summary: Celeborn's first impressions of Galadriel in Doriath

Author's Introduction: Hey guys. I do not usually write fic set exclusively in the times of the Silmarillion, though that backhistory often plays a part in my stories. So setting a whole story, even a drabble, in the First Age is new territory to me. I'm mainly interested in canonical stories. Is there anything here that contradicts what Tolkien wrote? Also, I'm interested in technical things. How would you improve this piece? (Keep in mind that it's exactly 100 words for a reason.)

Related Links: At my LJ, http://www.livejournal.com/users/martal0712/ . Will soon be at my personal site, http://www.freewebs.com/aure/





True Silver
I remember our first meeting, Artanis. You rivaled even Melian's beauty! It seemed the One had captured Elbereth's fires in your radiant garland. But then I saw the jewel-studded mithril clasp, and I scowled. Cold metal should not constrain hair that longs to dance in the evening breeze.

Months later, you threw the band aside and asked for a lock of my hair with which to bind your braid. You would leave delved and forged rocks to the Naugrim, and adorn yourself with beauty worth having. That made me smile. Perhaps you are not so like your kin after all.

*****
Note: According to the index of the Silmarillion, the name Galadriel means "maiden crowned with a radiant garland".

Comments

[martal0712.livejournal.com]

Hi Kei,

I think this is lovely.

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

A small query. Celeborn refers to her as Artanis.

I went back and forth on this issue. When I put in Galadriel it felt so common, that the name lost all significance. Perhaps that's because I'm seeing her through the lens of a primarily LOTR reader, where everyone called her that. So I compromised and had Cel call her Artanis (which would have been the name they were introduced using, I think? Cel later names her Galadriel, IIRC) while hinting at the meaning of Galadriel in her description by using the phrase "radiant garland".

I will have to ponder. Interesting thoughts.

Marta

[nelyo.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, Marta; this is their first meeting and they should have been introduced "formally", using her father-name, Artanis; if we assume (I did it, at least) that the meeting is set before Thingol knew of Alqualondë's kinslaying (and it took him a few years to hear of it), quenya's use was not banned, still, from Doriath. And, OTOH, I guess it took the sindar a while, too, to translate the noldorin names into their tongue, it couldn't be so easy as this, for example: "Ah, hold, your name is 'Angaráto', huh, I will name you 'Angrod', ok?, for I cannot spell your name correctly" :)

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

As this is written in the past tense, I read it as Celeborn reminiscing on their first meeting and the growth of their relationship. I thought that he would be more likely to think of her as 'Galadriel' than by a name he probably wouldn't have used for years, centuries, possibly Ages.