"Detour" by Dawn Felagund

[dawn_felagund]

Author: dawn_felagund
Title: Detour
Rating: PG-13 for mild sexual content (Maedhros/Fingon), mild violence, and reference to character death
Theme: I am writing for the leftover Yule Exchange prompt, originally requested by silver_trails: "I would like a Fingon and Maedhros story, where they love each other. It can be set in Tirion, in Middle-earth, or after they come out

Comments

[silver_trails]

Oh! I've been so busy working on an article - at home, but still working on it - that I had no idea you wrote this for me! I would have read it before and not wait till Sunday! I love it! It's just perfect! Thank you very much!

*hugs*

[dawn_felagund]

I posted it at 1:30 AM Sunday morning, so you were about as early as you could possibly be in reading it. :D It was a late entry for this challenge because last weekend I was at the Women's March.

The potluck prompts were posted without mentioning who had requested them, so I didn't know it was your prompt until the story was finished and I used my modly powers to look up who had requested it! Otherwise I probably would have mentioned it over email the other day. It seemed especially fitting that it was yours since the story I wrote for your prompt about Maedhros and Caranthir over the summer, "Bone-White," got me started on this reembodied Noldor kick in the first place.

[silver_trails]

I'm so glad you wrote it! I loved Bone White too. I was remembering that story when you described how Fingon's skin was still tender. You did a great job with both tales. =)

[dreamflower02]

I love your style in this, the voice that you give Maedhros so perfectly reflects his weariness. I've often thought that immortality would eventually depress most who had it--which explains the pains many Elves go through to try and "preserve" their world.

I'm normally not much for "first person present" but there are times when that is just what a story needs, and this one certainly does! The voice makes it immensely personal and gives a depth to the POV not found in the usual narrative voice.

And I love the idea that Tirion has become a democracy! I'm sure it shook things up a lot when that idea was put into place!

[dawn_felagund]

I'm tickled that you read this, Dreamflower! Thank you! :)

immortality would eventually depress most who had it

I agree, and I often think of the shock those Elves--used to slow, creeping change--who were reembodied in Aman must have experienced. I know my vision of Aman here could be considered contentious only because the "Undying Lands" presumably change little, and slowly--I doubt I could have gotten away with this story ten years ago and would have had people all over me to label it AU!--but Elves who lived most/all their lives in Middle-earth would have had quite the shock.

I'm admittedly a fan of first person and present tense! ^_^

I'm sure it shook things up a lot when that idea was put into place!

I imagine it happening soon enough after the Darkening that people were willing to go along just as long as the Sun didn't fall from the sky! :D