The Final Battle, part 16 : Abjuration
Title: The Final Battle, part 16 : Abjuration
Fandom: Silmarillion
Characters: Finrod, Gimli, Legolas, Thorin and Durin, hobbitses.
Prompt: 057. Lunch.
Word Count: 1070
Rating: General
Summary: Finrod and friends have a painful discussion with the forgotten little people. Decisions are taken and promises are made.
Author's Notes: Part of a Work in Progress based on the Dagor Dagorath prophecy. I own nothing.
Dandelion Gamgee was a quiet sort of fellow. He spoke only when absolutely necessary, usually barking monosyllabic, resentful answers at the elves or the dwarves who spoke to him.
Dandelion Gamgee was positively seething - Finrod Felagund did not need to have his sister's talents to figure it out. It was spelled out in every one of the halfling's movements, in every single gesture he made, in the baleful look he cast around the company.
It had been judged unnecessary to tie up the hobbit, mostly at Legolas and Gimli's insistence. Finrod was wary of the little man, though he understood his anger. But wrath was the seed for sedition and violence, and he did not wish to see it bloom.
It took another week for the other halfling to return, heading a small company of ragtag dignitaries. They sat around the fire, elves keeping peace on a handful of overly enthusiastic dwarves. First, pipeweed was distributed, and pipes were lit. Then, lunch was served, or was it dinner - but the hobbits insisted it was lunch, and who better to know the time for a meal than a periannath?
“We must have our man back,” Finrod started, clearly concerned about the proceedings.
“Oh, you will have him,” Dandelion replied. “And then you'll be on your way, but you must give us half your rations.”
This demand started an uproar. Again, the elves calmed down the dwarfs as they could.
“I have to feed my people,” the hobbit continued, “and we are unable to cultivate. The land is rotten.”
Finrod nodded at this, sadly. “It is. The Dark Lord has arisen once more,” he explained, quietly, weighing his words. He might have paused for effect in appearance, but he was testing out the hobbits, trying to pry out of their reactions whether they knew about this, or not. The confused frowns that came in response were answer enough. Findarato Felagund let out a small, discreet sigh.
“Then we must tell you what has come to pass,” he said, heavily. “And then you shall judge on your course of action.”
There were mild protests, but a hobbit spoke up, quietly. He had an air of confidence about him that only matched the Gamgee lad, who, it seemed, was higher in his hierarchy than his looks revealed. “Dandellion, we must listen,” he said after a moment. “Or will we disregard the renown of our forefathers?”
Finrod thought he caught, then, a flicker of recognition in the eye of the Sindarin elf Legolas, and he seemed to glance at Gimli. The hobbit continued on. “Do you think the great-great-great-great,” after a moment, the number of 'greats' were lost to Finrod, though he never lost patience, “grandson of Meriadoc the Magnificent would insult the elves? Didn't Mayor Samwise write of how good and gentle they were? Didn't he tell his sons, and the sons of his sons, the children of Elanor the Fair, that Lady Galadriel was the gentlest and wisest being to walk this earth?”
There were gasps, and Finrod smiled, just a little, thinking of how embarrassed his little sister would be if she were there.
“Her brother sits here in counsel with us,” Legolas said, after a moment. “And I am Legolas of Mirkwood, this is Gimli son of Gloin, who fought in the war of the Ring with your ancestors.”
For a moment, there was a moment of silent awe, and then Dandelion Gamgee spoke up, harshly, angrily. “And you come now ? At the end of all things ? You come when all is lost and the world is coming to an end ? You come when the Shire is destroyed and the sun is blotted out? Go away. We don't need you.”
“We're not here for you,” one of the Naugrim barked back, impulsively. Finrod sprung to his feet, and for the first time in a long time, he spoke loudly and regally, King of Nargothrond from head to toe, suddenly. “No. We will not go down this road,” he said, firmly. “The periannath need our help, and we will give it to them. It will not be said that a son of the House of Finwe turned his back on the last born of Eru Illuvatar.”
Standing at his side were Gimli and Legolas, and in the clang and the arising brawl, Thorin Oakenshield's voice was heard, booming over the plain on which the camp was set. “Enough!” he cried, loud and clear. “Have you no decency? Have you no perspective? The enemy lurks in the shadows, and the world's end is nigh.”
Durin spoke as well, more calmly, but no less imposing in his fierce quietness. “Come now. Let us find our kinsman, and let us speak. We must unite against the darkness, and not divide ourselves without reason good enough.”
“We have reason good enough,” Dandelion Gamgee replied, flippantly. “We were abandoned, when we were promised protection from Man's destruction. Is that not reason enough?”
There was an awkward silence, and Finrod kneeled to face the hobbit. “Then I promise you that over my own life, half-man, no further harm will come to you or your people.”
He knew what oaths did. He remembered the last time that he had sworn his loyalty. Beren of the House of Beor had been a good and loyal friend, and he had deserved every inch of his friendship, every expense of his strength, every jolt of pain under the Gorthaur's duress. This was different.
This was redemption of the faults of a whole generation which he was not there to witness, but had he been there.... responsibility did run deep in his veins, his father always mused. Now was the time of reckoning for the people of Middle-Earth, and if ever there was a time to make a pledge, this was it.
The honesty with which he made his pledge must have mollified the hobbit: he only sulked a little, for form. “Well don't expect me to shine your boots,” he grunted, reluctantly. Still, it was enough to buy peace.
The remainder of the night was spent in better spirits, and after the little people had rested, the newly increased company set forth towards the Hobbit colony.
It was time to see to Narvi.
Fandom: Silmarillion
Characters: Finrod, Gimli, Legolas, Thorin and Durin, hobbitses.
Prompt: 057. Lunch.
Word Count: 1070
Rating: General
Summary: Finrod and friends have a painful discussion with the forgotten little people. Decisions are taken and promises are made.
Author's Notes: Part of a Work in Progress based on the Dagor Dagorath prophecy. I own nothing.
Dandelion Gamgee was a quiet sort of fellow. He spoke only when absolutely necessary, usually barking monosyllabic, resentful answers at the elves or the dwarves who spoke to him.
Dandelion Gamgee was positively seething - Finrod Felagund did not need to have his sister's talents to figure it out. It was spelled out in every one of the halfling's movements, in every single gesture he made, in the baleful look he cast around the company.
It had been judged unnecessary to tie up the hobbit, mostly at Legolas and Gimli's insistence. Finrod was wary of the little man, though he understood his anger. But wrath was the seed for sedition and violence, and he did not wish to see it bloom.
It took another week for the other halfling to return, heading a small company of ragtag dignitaries. They sat around the fire, elves keeping peace on a handful of overly enthusiastic dwarves. First, pipeweed was distributed, and pipes were lit. Then, lunch was served, or was it dinner - but the hobbits insisted it was lunch, and who better to know the time for a meal than a periannath?
“We must have our man back,” Finrod started, clearly concerned about the proceedings.
“Oh, you will have him,” Dandelion replied. “And then you'll be on your way, but you must give us half your rations.”
This demand started an uproar. Again, the elves calmed down the dwarfs as they could.
“I have to feed my people,” the hobbit continued, “and we are unable to cultivate. The land is rotten.”
Finrod nodded at this, sadly. “It is. The Dark Lord has arisen once more,” he explained, quietly, weighing his words. He might have paused for effect in appearance, but he was testing out the hobbits, trying to pry out of their reactions whether they knew about this, or not. The confused frowns that came in response were answer enough. Findarato Felagund let out a small, discreet sigh.
“Then we must tell you what has come to pass,” he said, heavily. “And then you shall judge on your course of action.”
There were mild protests, but a hobbit spoke up, quietly. He had an air of confidence about him that only matched the Gamgee lad, who, it seemed, was higher in his hierarchy than his looks revealed. “Dandellion, we must listen,” he said after a moment. “Or will we disregard the renown of our forefathers?”
Finrod thought he caught, then, a flicker of recognition in the eye of the Sindarin elf Legolas, and he seemed to glance at Gimli. The hobbit continued on. “Do you think the great-great-great-great,” after a moment, the number of 'greats' were lost to Finrod, though he never lost patience, “grandson of Meriadoc the Magnificent would insult the elves? Didn't Mayor Samwise write of how good and gentle they were? Didn't he tell his sons, and the sons of his sons, the children of Elanor the Fair, that Lady Galadriel was the gentlest and wisest being to walk this earth?”
There were gasps, and Finrod smiled, just a little, thinking of how embarrassed his little sister would be if she were there.
“Her brother sits here in counsel with us,” Legolas said, after a moment. “And I am Legolas of Mirkwood, this is Gimli son of Gloin, who fought in the war of the Ring with your ancestors.”
For a moment, there was a moment of silent awe, and then Dandelion Gamgee spoke up, harshly, angrily. “And you come now ? At the end of all things ? You come when all is lost and the world is coming to an end ? You come when the Shire is destroyed and the sun is blotted out? Go away. We don't need you.”
“We're not here for you,” one of the Naugrim barked back, impulsively. Finrod sprung to his feet, and for the first time in a long time, he spoke loudly and regally, King of Nargothrond from head to toe, suddenly. “No. We will not go down this road,” he said, firmly. “The periannath need our help, and we will give it to them. It will not be said that a son of the House of Finwe turned his back on the last born of Eru Illuvatar.”
Standing at his side were Gimli and Legolas, and in the clang and the arising brawl, Thorin Oakenshield's voice was heard, booming over the plain on which the camp was set. “Enough!” he cried, loud and clear. “Have you no decency? Have you no perspective? The enemy lurks in the shadows, and the world's end is nigh.”
Durin spoke as well, more calmly, but no less imposing in his fierce quietness. “Come now. Let us find our kinsman, and let us speak. We must unite against the darkness, and not divide ourselves without reason good enough.”
“We have reason good enough,” Dandelion Gamgee replied, flippantly. “We were abandoned, when we were promised protection from Man's destruction. Is that not reason enough?”
There was an awkward silence, and Finrod kneeled to face the hobbit. “Then I promise you that over my own life, half-man, no further harm will come to you or your people.”
He knew what oaths did. He remembered the last time that he had sworn his loyalty. Beren of the House of Beor had been a good and loyal friend, and he had deserved every inch of his friendship, every expense of his strength, every jolt of pain under the Gorthaur's duress. This was different.
This was redemption of the faults of a whole generation which he was not there to witness, but had he been there.... responsibility did run deep in his veins, his father always mused. Now was the time of reckoning for the people of Middle-Earth, and if ever there was a time to make a pledge, this was it.
The honesty with which he made his pledge must have mollified the hobbit: he only sulked a little, for form. “Well don't expect me to shine your boots,” he grunted, reluctantly. Still, it was enough to buy peace.
The remainder of the night was spent in better spirits, and after the little people had rested, the newly increased company set forth towards the Hobbit colony.
It was time to see to Narvi.