Blood and Darkness Part 5

[fanged-geranium.livejournal.com]

This is the final part of 'Blood and Darkness'. The first four parts can be found here.

Title: Blood and Darkness Part V
Author: fanged_geranium
Challenge: "How would things have been different had Morgoth murdered Maedhros instead of Finwë?"
Challenge issued by: tarion_anarore
Rating: General
Warnings: Kinslaying, Perfidious Valar


Blood and Darkness

Part V

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for this work.

Elwing hastened towards the ship that was waiting to carry her and the Silmaril to safety when she saw a very tall Elf with red-brown hair standing on the harbour wall. She recognised him at once, for such hair is rare among the Eldar, and could only belong to two who lived in Beleriand, and the other had only one hand. "Elbereth Gilthoniel save me," she whispered, "do not let my Silmaril fall into the hands of this murderer!"

"Lady Elwing," said Maedhros, "I offered you friendship in exchange for my father's Silmaril, but it seems you now have my friendship without the exchange. I have come to warn you that my brothers are approaching with an army. They mean to get the Silmaril and they will not hesitate to destroy the Havens of Sirion to achieve their ends."

"I am well aware that my city is about to be attacked by Fëanorians," said Elwing, "Even now your people are at its gates. You may burn Sirion to the ground and slaughter every one of its citizens before I will give my Silmaril to one such as you. My mother and father died for it, as did my father's mother, father and grandfather, and my brothers. I shall gladly die also to protect the precious Light of the Silmaril. I will not suffer it to be sullied by any who are unworthy of it!

"I too have died for the Silmarils," said Maedhros, "and to protect my grandfather from Morgoth himself. I was fortunate, for Mandos gave me a second chance to live because of the manner of my death; unless you die in place of another your stay in the Halls of waiting will be long. You are married, with two young children. Do they not need you more than the Silmaril does?"

"My children may do well enough without their mother," said Elwing, "but Dior my father entrusted me with the Silmaril. I will not break that trust, least of all to give my Silmaril to a Fëanorian Kinslayer."

"I am no Kinslayer," said Maedhros vehemently.

"You lie!" cried Elwing, "You slaughtered my brothers who were not ten years old! What harm could they have done you?"

"I searched for your brothers for a whole spring and summer," said Maedhros, "and I found nothing. I do not know how they died, but I can assure you that it was not by my hands."

"What of my father? What of my mother? Do you deny that you killed them?"

"I see no need to deny anything," said Maedhros proudly, "when I have already told you that I had no part in the Kinslaying. If you doubt my word I will not waste more of my time or yours with this discussion, when we both have more pressing things to do than talk about the iniquities of my brothers and their cruel servants. My father made the Silmarils, and as I am his heir they all now belong to me. I care little whether you acknowledge my claim or not, so I will not presume to influence you beyond reminding you that theft from a thief does not confer ownership." He turned away, and prepared to leave the city before the fighting reached the harbour.

"Then you are truly not here for the Silmaril?" asked Elwing.

"I am not," said Maedhros, turning back to Elwing, "and I would not choose to hold it again except to keep my brothers from the everlasting darkness that they have sworn themselves to if Fëanor's kin do not regain it."

"I am glad that your fell brothers will be condemned to the darkness," said Elwing. "It is what they deserve!"

"You would say that my brothers are worse than Morgoth," said Maedhros, "who corrupted Elves into Yrch and darkened the world, for those offences were punished by three ages in the Halls of Mandos, not an eternity of darkness."

"Morgoth's sentence was too lenient. It does not make your brothers' punishment unjust, for they have done great evil, and will do more before the end, but you claim you had no part in it." Elwing pulled the Silmaril free from the Nauglamír and held it out to Maedhros. "Take it! Prove that your hands are clean! None who harbour evil will may touch it without being scorched and withered."

Maedhros reached out for the Silmaril, but an Eagle plummeted silently out of the sky, as if it had been waiting for that moment, and snatched the jewel from Elwing's outstretched hand then flew off westwards across the sea. Elwing stood motionless in shock, gazing at the retreating Eagle and realising that Varda had answered her prayer.

Maedhros smiled. "Be he foe or friend, foul or clean, brood of Morgoth or bright Vala."

"Why did you say that?" asked Elwing, recovering from the surprise.

"It is the beginning of the oath that my father and my brothers swore," said Maedhros, "and it now seems that they must fight Manwë himself for the Silmaril, the brightest Vala of all - if they still live. I must leave now for I will not fight today, and I see that the battle is coming towards us."

"Please stay," said Elwing, "help me to defend my city and my children! You know that your brothers are wrong."

"I know that they are wrong, but I will not fight against my own people and my nearest kin." said Maedhros, "I will see you safely out of the city, Lady Elwing, if that is your wish."

"No, I must remain here to defend my city," said Elwing, "but if I should die in this battle, I ask that you will do what you can to protect my children until my husband returns; I would not have them meet the same fate as my brothers Eluréd and Elurín."

"I give you my word that they will not be harmed while I yet live," said Maedhros.

In that hour Maedhros walked out into the city with a heavy heart, and searched for his brothers, but he was too late, for both Amrod and Maglor were slain, as were many of the people of Sirion, including Elwing. The city burned, and its living inhabitants fled in boats to the Isle of Balar, where they made their new home.

When it was all over Maedhros sat down upon the shores of the western sea and wept for his lost kinsmen and the people they had killed. Two children, a boy and a girl, emerged from a cave on the beach, and sat beside Maedhros.

"Why are you crying?" asked Elrían, wiping a tear from Maedhros's cheek.

"Are you one of the evil men who want to hurt our mother?" asked Elros.

"I am not," said Maedhros, "and I cry because two of my brothers have passed to Mandos this day."

"Did they hurt Mother?" asked Elrían.

"Yes, they did. I fear that your mother is dead," said Maedhros, and both children began to cry too.

Some hours later a dozen ships sailed into the bay, making for the havens. Gil-galad's pennant was flying aboard the foremost ship, but the children's attention was fixed on the second. "Look," said Elros, "Father has come home!"

Gil-galad's ship was the first of the small fleet to reach the Havens of Sirion, and Gil-galad himself was the first Elf to come ashore. Maedhros saw him, and walked along the beach to the quay with Elros and Elrían. "Greetings, Cousin Finellach," he said.

"Maedhros son of Fëanor," cried Gil-galad in a great voice, "I call upon you to answer for your foul deeds. Will you stand craven behind these two children, or will you come forth to fight me?"

"I do not wish to fight you, kinsman," said Maedhros, "but I have even less desire to be called craven by the son of Orodreth."

"You will not kill him, will you?" whispered Elrían.

"Of course not," said Maedhros, and indeed it was a simple matter for him to disarm Gil-galad, who was young in years and had little experience of battle. "You are but a foolish child, Finellach! You assume that I am responsible for this, yet if I was do you really think I would let you live after calling me a coward?" He bent to pick up Gil-galad's sword, and gave it to him.

"I apologise if I have misjudged you," said Gil-galad stiffly.

Voronwë's ship had arrived while Maedhros and Gil-galad were fighting, and Elros and Elrían ran to their father. Once Maedhros had returned Gil-galad's sword he walked over to Voronwë and explained what had happened to Elwing and the Silmaril. "Where are Elwing's people?" he asked, "Surely they cannot all be dead?"

"They have sailed to the Isle of Balar," said Círdan, "I saw their ships on the horizon as we rounded the point. You should go there too, for Elros is now the lord of the Sindar in Beleriand, though he is mortal and lord of the First House of the Edain too, and his presence will bring them hope."

While Gil-galad's people were searching the ruins for any more survivors, Maedhros departed for Hithlum, in need of his cousin Fingon's counsel.

"Mandos said 'On the House of Fëanor the wrath of the Valar lieth from the west to the uttermost east'," said Maedhros, "I too am of the House of Fëanor. I begin to wonder if I was cursed ere I was released from the Halls of Waiting, and if all my deeds here have been worthless, for did not Mandos say also 'To evil end shall all things turn that they begin well'?"

"That cannot be so," said Fingon, "for if you had not followed my father's plan to its conclusion, we would even now be under the power of Moringotto"

Maedhros laughed, "Very well, I shall allow that the Battle of Angband was no evil end, though I began it badly enough by slaughtering half a race of men, so perhaps it does not come under the curse at all."

"I understand that you grieve for your brothers, and you blame yourself for their untimely demise," said Fingon, "but once they had sworn that oath not even the Valar could prevent them from following their destructive course. I still wish that I could have stopped my father from riding to challenge Moringotto."

"You are right, cousin, but what must I do now? How can I redeem my brothers from the everlasting darkness?"

"The oath only specifies that Fëanáro's kin must possess the Silmarils."

"True," said Maedhros, "but I do not think you are suggesting that I should make Manwë and Moringotto honorary members of my family!"

"I am not," said Fingon, "only that you now have to fulfil the oath in your brothers' stead. I do not see how we may accomplish this, for we have no way to take Moringotto's crown from him, and we cannot reach Valinor where the third Silmaril has surely gone."

ooOoo

In Valinor Manwë waited on Oiolossë for his Eagle, watching the bright light of the Silmaril approach from the east. Thorondor dropped the Silmaril into his hands, and Manwë carried it to the Ring of Doom, where he revealed it to the other Valar. All except Mandos and Varda stood amazed, staring in wonder at its undiminished beauty, the greatest work of Fëanor.

"Two of these precious lights are still sullied by the hand of he who was my brother," said Manwë, "and by the presence of this one, I deem that it is now time for us to go to Middle-earth and free it forever from his dominion. I have summoned Ingwë of the Vanyar, Arafinwë of the Noldor and Olwë of the Teleri to gather an army and sail across the Sundering Sea."

"Have you not seen that the Noldor we cursed have already freed Middle-earth," said Ulmo, "even now it enjoys a new spring! What can we accomplish by a war?"

"In the future lies a great evil," said Mandos, "for the Noldor cannot confine Melkor forever. We must chain him once more for the sake of the Secondborn, if not the Elves."

All the Valar acquiesced to this, and the Maia Eönwë was chosen as the leader of the Elven armies. The Teleri would sent no warriors, but they consented to carry the remnant of the Noldor and the Vanyar across the sea in their ships. The Vanyar were led by the son of Ingwë, and at the head of the Noldorin army marched Finarfin and Finrod, who had been swiftly released from Mandos because he had given his life for Beren's.

With aid from the Men of Dor-lómin the armies of the Valar tore down Angband, and chained Morgoth once more with Angainor, removing his crown and the Silmarils. Eönwë sent out a summons to all the Elves to come to his encampment at Brithombar and prepare to depart into the west, and most hearkened to him.

Turgon and his people came forth from Gondolin and Turgon was overjoyed when he heard that Elenwë was restored to life and awaiting him in Aman, though Idril, his daughter, did not want to leave Middle-earth, and because of her choice Maeglin, son of Aredhel and cousin to Idril chose to remain also. Others who chose to stay were Gil-galad and Celebrimbor, who wished to heal the wounds of Middle-earth. The Edain were granted an island of their own, near to Valinor, and took Elros as their king.

ooOoo

"My people and I have not been pardoned," said Fingon, "I am not permitted to return to the blessed realm, for I was among those who led our people out of Tirion, and I fought alongside your father at Alqualondë."

"Why would the Valar do that?" said Maedhros, "Do they not recognise your valiant deeds here in Middle-earth? Without your army Angband would never have fallen!"

"My deeds here could not right the wrongs that I did," said Fingon, "nothing could. You told me once, before we crossed the ice, that you would not leave me, but I must now give you the opportunity to do so. The Valar will not prevent your return to Valinor."

"I shall stay here," declared Maedhros, "for if the Valar will not pardon you, as your friend and loyal subject I shall hold myself exiled also. The Silmarils will remain with me. Perhaps their continued absence from Valinor will make the Valar re-think their decision. Those who yet live of my father's people, few as they are, will likewise not be pardoned, for they all fought at Alqualondë. I am their lord, and my duty is to them as much as it is to you as my king."

"I thank you," said Fingon, "and I shall appreciate your company, though I did not realise that the Valar had restored the Silmarils to your possession."

"I have sent a messenger to Eönwë. I expect his response, and the Silmarils, at any moment," said Maedhros confidently.

"I hope that you are correct," said Fingon, "but I shall not believe so until you hold the Silmarils in your hands."

A messenger hastened towards them, and handed Maedhros a note. Eönwë's answer was not as he expected; the Maia said that the right to the work of his father, which the sons of Fëanor formerly possessed, had now perished, because of their many and merciless deeds, being blinded by their oath, and most of all because of their slaying of Dior and the assault upon the Havens.

"And he regrets that I am deprived of the Silmarils because of the deeds of my brothers!" Maedhros cried, "It is not the Silmarils I require, but my brothers' release from the everlasting darkness! If ever I wished I had not departed from Valinor I repent of it now. The true perfidy of the Valar has been revealed to me by their refusal to pardon you and my brothers' continued punishment."

"Can you be certain that they are in the darkness?" asked Fingon, "Did you ask Findaráto?"

"I did, and Findaráto has not seen Turko, Kurvo, Moryo or Telvo, but that is not proof. The souls in Mandos are often solitary, and do not wish to communicate with others."

"Yet if Manwë and Varda themselves deny the fulfilment of an oath to which your father and brothers named them in witness, is it not made void?"

"I must hope that is so," said Maedhros, "and that Ilúvatar himself beyond the Circles of the World will release them. I can do no more."

ooOoo

In the final destruction of Angband the tumults of the earth caused the lands to sink, and Beleriand was consumed by the encroaching waves. The Elves and Men who stayed fled east to the mountains and beyond, where they began to select new realms for themselves.

When the sea settled, Maedhros and Fingon stood by the western shore, near the Blue Mountains, where Caranthir had once dwelt. "Do you see that?" asked Fingon, pointing to an island crowned with a large grey fortress on the western horizon, barely visible against the darkness behind. "Is that not Himring?"

"It is," said Maedhros.

"Do you not wish to return to it? It was your home for nearly six centuries."

"There is nothing left in Himring or the lands now beneath the sea that I value, or in the west that I have foresworn," said Maedhros, and both cousins turned east towards the sunrise and the new lands awaiting them.

The End

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read this story - particularly those of you who have reviewed; I really appreciate all feedback. Thanks also to tarion_anarore for being evil enough to suggest the idea in the first place!

I'm in the process of writing the sequel to this, which will cover the whole of the Second Age and the beginning of the Third (depending on how long it gets!). It will probably be ready to begin posting in a month or so.

Comments

[tarion-anarore.livejournal.com]

Thanks also to tarion_anarore for being evil enough to suggest the idea in the first place!

Always glad when my evilness is appreciated! ;)

Very nice. Such an interesting take!! I'll be waiting to hear how this all affects the 2nd Age...

[fanged-geranium.livejournal.com]

Very nice. Such an interesting take!!

Thanks!

I'll be waiting to hear how this all affects the 2nd Age...

So am I at the moment!

[tarion-anarore.livejournal.com]

So am I at the moment!

LOL! Those tricksy muses...

[fanged-geranium.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they'll let me know what's going on in their own good time. I've got the story planned to about half way through the Second Age, but after that the details get a little vague!

[dawn_felagund]

Ah, so nice and twisty, and I love the angle that Mae is now working to free his brothers. This is an interesting angle created by this challenge that I hadn't thought of until reading this: That Maedhros, free of the Oath, would be torn between stopping his brothers' foul deeds and dooming them to the darkness--or aiding them and becoming no better.

I smiled at the digs against the Valar too. Sounds like many a conversation we've all had! :D

I join Tarion in being eager to see how Mae and Fin frolick through the ages! :)

[fanged-geranium.livejournal.com]

In my opinion Maedhros really is no better, because he stood by and let two kinslayings happen, but that isn't the view that the Valar take (in my AU or in the Silm); standing around and watching people get killed while doing nothing to stop it is a perfectly acceptable activity for Ainur.

I had to get some anti-Valar propaganda in there somewhere!

I've only written random bits of the sequel so far, so it might be a while before I have anything fit to post. I'm having trouble writing all the political stuff without making it sound too modern.