"The Choices of Spirits"

[dawn_felagund]

Title: "The Choices of Spirits"
Author: dawn_felagund
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Heterosexual sex, violence, and mature themes, including discussions of death
Summary: Caranthir falls in love with Haleth of the Edain, and their lives--and fates--become forever entwined. This story examines the AU relationship between Caranthir and Haleth and how it might have

Comments

[digdigil]

What a great story. And, like you, I love this pairing. They lend themselves so very well to this kind of melancholic, romantic story.

But I was alone, walking in the forest beneath autumnal leaves aflame with color-a beautiful death, I’d always thought, even in the north of Valinor where death was supposed to be unknown. I had gone walking on a whim, having bidden farewell to Celegorm and Curufin three days prior and already bored with silence and long-neglected paperwork: lonely, if I was being honest with myself. Why don’t you marry? came the frequent question. Why do you live alone?

I thought mentioning the autumnal leaves was so appropriate here, just before mentioning the effect of Haleth’s death upon Caranthir. It just puts the reader right in the mood for what is to follow.

The following descriptions of his pain are so real that it tears one’s heart, and makes the ending all the more poignant.

In agony, in the forest aflame with beautiful death, I wept that day, for her. For even as I knew this moment had been coming

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you, Jenni! The story was really a joy to write; it was one of those things that starts unplanned and just...happens. At the beginning of the day, I had no idea that I would write it. Now I think it's becoming one of my favorites. :)

The following descriptions of his pain are so real that it tears one’s heart, and makes the ending all the more poignant.

Emotions as strong as grief are so hard to write, so I was really worried about making this work. It's so easy to fall back on cliche and melodrama, and I hope that I haven't done that.

I just love the part where Caranthir rubs Maedhros’ “phantom hand” to get rid of the “shadow-pain”.I remember being young--elementary-school age--and reading a biography about a little girl who had bone cancer and had to have her leg amputated. She experienced very severe phantom pain after the operation, but her family discovered that by rubbing and massaging the missing leg, it went away. I hope that she does not mind that I've borrowed her experiences for this story

[digdigil]

Thank you, Jenni! The story was really a joy to write; it was one of those things that starts unplanned and just...happens. At the beginning of the day, I had no idea that I would write it. Now I think it's becoming one of my favorites. :)

It deserves a MEFA nomination! Do you mind if I do that? There are - what - three or four days left to do so? I still have some nomination room!

I remember being young--elementary-school age--and reading a biography about a little girl who had bone cancer and had to have her leg amputated. She experienced very severe phantom pain after the operation, but her family discovered that by rubbing and massaging the missing leg, it went away. I hope that she does not mind that I've borrowed her experiences for this story! :)

I remember reading something like that as well! It is a fascinating subject - one of the many mysteries of medicine!

Even though I'm not too fond of Arwen and Luthien, this aspect of their story has always struck me: making the choice between forsaking all of their people--

[dawn_felagund]

I just had to log out Meryth to reply to this. How annoying. :^P

It deserves a MEFA nomination! Do you mind if I do that?

I would be honored if you want to do this. :)

I remember reading something like that as well! It is a fascinating subject - one of the many mysteries of medicine!

We studied it quite a bit in physiological psych. Apparently, there are regions of the brain "mapped" to each body part. When a limb is removed, it's spot on the brain remains, so the mind can convince the body that it feels something in that limb. That's also a theory for why some people have foot fetishes: the foot and the genitals are mapped next to each other and some of the neurons from the foot-region spill over onto more exciting spots. ;) Sorry to ramble, but I just figured that that was something that would amuse you!

You do the same thing to Felak? What do you mean?He's immortal, I give him a mortal wife...and I kill her before she can become immortal with him. Now he's one of the few immortals left in a mortal world, so he must resign

[jilba]

Lovely. I like the ending, that somehow beyond death, they found each other again.

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you! :) I wasn't too sure about the ending; I don't usually give in to the urge for big dramatic prologues and epilogues, but it seems to have worked.

Thanks for reading!

[jilba]

No, it's ok, it's a lovely ending. Somehow, I think the Valar would help two such spirits to be together in death, it hardly seems quite fair else. I mean, if an elf and a mortal can fall in love, and in some cases have kids, it doesn't seem quite right somehow that they are seperated in death.

Haleth and Caranthir are to be envied their fate, I think.

[dawn_felagund]

I've always found myself fascinated by the mention in LaCE that Elves can resist the call of Mandos and remain amid the lands that they love. Tolkien doesn't elaborate a whole lot on that, but I think that for it to have been recorded in the history, it must have happened enough--or to important enough people--to be worth mentioning.

Also, my husband and I are very interested in the paranormal in the mortal realm, so I put the two together and got the ending! :^D

I've never believed that there weren't other mixed couples aside from those mentioned in the books. With the degree of mingling between Elves and Men, it seems inevitable. And I agree that most of such pairings would not have ended favorably. :^/

[clotho123]

I'd like to to a detailed commentary on this one but words elude, so I'll just say I really liked the ending. Approriate and a bit spooky at the same time :)

[dawn_felagund]

I hope that the words eluding is a good thing? :^D

Thank you for reading my (rather long) short story! I was worried about the ending a bit; it came to me rather spontaneously, and it is not exactly my style to include "epilogue: x years later" endings (if that makes sense), but this one just begged to be written. And who am I to argue with the muses? (Especially when the muses are Feanorian....)

As for the spooky bit, it's probably not a surprise that in original fic, I mostly write horror.... ;)