Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Elwing, Elros, Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Fluff, Family, Mother-Son Relationship, Numenor Series: Part 2 of Kings and Queens of Númenor Summary:

AIE yes! Okay, listing out thoughts quasi-chronologically:

There are very few horses in the settlement at the Mouths of Sirion. For many reasons - founded by refugees, horses are expensive to feed and are a luxury and status animal associated with war and travel/nomadic cultures and it’s is so basic and self-evident to early culture I don’t even have to explain because it’s still embedded in our symbolism/understanding to this day, and this is a terrain that might support some barrier island/marsh breeds but isn’t great horse country. Actually that’s something I wonder about; I imagine most of the great Exilic Noldor herds were wiped out by the end. As for what those horses were: probably a hot or warmblood bred for war by combining a few Valinoriean studs with the native Beleriandic breed of which would have existed. This native horse only heavily utilized by the Northern Sindarin gauchos and a few riders in Doriath proper like Thingol himself. The Beleriandic breeds I semi-arbitrarily picture were natural pacers- but then again, needed to travel smoothly over rough terrain in the dark. If nothing else smaller than the Valinorean breeds. So the horses around Sirion could easily be something like the Sorraia, Carolina Marsh Tacky, Camargue, etc…

Maglor is an excellent horseman. If he does one decent thing that the twins will actually remember him for with fondness it would be horseback riding lessons. Sorry but nope, Maglor and Maedhros factor very little in Elros or Elrond’s self-identity, he was never thought of as father figure, that fanon can jump in a fissure of lava. But the big thing is that the people of Bór are also a culture focused on horses and horsemanship. This is what draws them to Maglor’s Gap, the element of familiarity and camaraderie, and when Borte takes her family and servants to flee south they take their horses, steppe breeds renown in song and lore. 

Either the twins are returned to their family on Balar when Morogth overtakes all of Beleriand or the twins successfully run away from Maedhros and Maglor, with help from the Laiquendi. Scenario #1 they keep the horses they are returned on, and the twins care for the horses as companions that had been with them during they period of captivity and often sneak into the stables at Balar and ask the horses if they too find everything on the island strange - but isn’t it better to be here safe where no orcs can get them and they won’t be ridden into a fight against anyone anymore. Scenario #2 the twins escape on foot through the trees but make sure to scatter the horses first to stymie pursuit.

That period is only a year or two at most, whatever, so onto Balar. Island cramped with refugees, so even less room for horses. It isn’t until the Army of the Valar land that Elros and Elrond see vast numbers of horses. Large cargo holds of trained horses, many of them giant pale stallions of the lineage of Nahar and trained by Oromë and his Maiar, unload as Ingwion and his armies land. Elros is captivated by them.

Bledda, like many of the Easterling or half-Easterling humans that work as scouts, translators, and guides for the Army of the Valar, has excellent horsemanship. He is attached, along with Rúth and later his daughter Bortë, to one of the northern-based Vanyar divisions up in the mountains of old Ered Wethrim, but still gets plenty of time in the saddle. Young Bortë grows up around horses and Vanyar, speaking a rustic Quendya as well as native Bóring and the Sindarin lingua franca to her horses. She meets Elros and his brother when they cross paths during the war (Bledda’s awkward reunion). Elros, like her, loves horses (and mountains) and riding. Elrond is competent in the saddle, but he thinks Bortë and Elros are crazy to spend days riding. (He rather stay back at camp with Commander ‘Robin’ and pour over charts and lore).

Elros learns even more horse-lore from the Vanyar soldiers, that elven touch with horses, to speak to them and be understood.

(He names his horse after Fingolfin’s. Elrond favors the Sindar side of their family, Elros ever so slightly more to Tuor and Idril.)

One of the priorities in settling Númenor is for it to have excellent horses, and Elros and his queen not so subtly petition their friends and connections to send the best horses to settle the island. Oromë himself brings some horses to the new island, but the Vanyar friends of Bortë write back to the ranches of their home farms/monasteries/neighbors that their little fille du regiment needs her ponies, only the best for our Bortë. The horses of Númenor are a blend of all breeds.

The Maiar help to build the king’s palace in Armenelos according to canon. One of the first wings constructed is the royal stables, large and beautiful.

When Elros and Bortë need some time away from everything, they go riding together in the still mostly unsettled but peaceful fields of Númenor. Elros and Bortë love the feeling of freedom, of flying.

Beer was probably invented before bread, so yes.

The Nelyar are already cultivating plants to grow as food. Actually the biggest stumbling block is that I’m trying to limit the angiosperms to fit with canon about the absence of any flowers east of the Pelori mountains until the elves arrive in Aman (also a note about Lúthien’s birth spawning flowers, but in that case I think it’s just specific flower species). Still, no flowering plants at Cuiviénen. Which makes grains to make beer a bit hard to work around.

Still, the set-up is there, the title of the highest lady in elven society as the giver of bread slides in nicely with how the original inventors and makers of the sacred brews were women. So yes, some Teleri ladies are going to ferment the grain stock, make beer, and Oromë is going to bless it (if not outright hand over the idea of it) as the rejuvenating drink in honor of his sister-in-law Yavanna. Or his wife. Or his sister’s husband. I know Tulkas and Nessa’s Maia, the party-hard and fight-hard and lounge around as a giant lion Meassë, needs beer to get drunk off of if I’m to ever have the Meassë = Sekmet parallel.

Which, hey, lends itself to the new crack theory on why Elwë and Olwë had so much trouble dragging all their people on the Great Journey. lots of stragglers if have of them are hungover or drunk. 

Cue Elu screaming at his brother ‘I really don’t care how hungover everyone is, we have two large mountain ranges to get over and everyone knows it isn’t water everyone’s enamored with. Tell Dan to stop carousing himself into a stupor every time we stop.’

Swanships of Alqualondë. Valued as highly as the SIlmarils, the cultural treasure and pride of the Falmari of which there is no equal or match, the craftsmanship of an entire community, more than just a means to an end, artwork and identity and livelihoods and home and joy and freedom and community and expression of history and devotion and my rage is as deep and endless as Uinen.

Vinglot. The original cool boat of Arda, the hallowed Evening Star, most famous iconographic craft, Eärendil named it after his wife, carried him (and her) safely to Aman.

  kazaera said: oh WOW the way you described Oromë. UTTER PERFECTION. <333

As I’ve finally solidified/adapted my position on how Aranwë fits with the Finwion family, I’m glad I have an answer for this. :)

Aranwë’s from that first generation of Noldor born in Aman, like Nerdanel and her siblings, and a long-time companion of Lalwendë. They met as teens/young adults when Aranwë was basically hired as Lalwendë’s secretary and steward. Aranwë’s apprenticeship had been under Anairë’s father managing the workshops of mixed Vanyar/Noldor scriveners that produced the paper, manuscripts, and legal documents for the Noldor court. Thus Aranwë - a gifted bureaucrat at heart - is very familiar not just with court politics but with Vanyar culture (he knows all the dirty slang of Vanyarin Quendi, and makes many of his ‘r’ to ‘z’. Not to mention all the Valarin loanwords. Lalwen copies the accent, along with the Þ to s and other linguistic changes of the majority of Noldor, as a political statement and to irritate the conspiracy-theorist older step-brother of hers.) Lalwen is constantly active and a bit scatterbrained, so she needs a personal assistant and finds one in Aranwë. Aranwë balances her out with methodical care, but he also likes sports and outdoor activity, so they get along. Their relationship isn’t romantic in the slightest, though rumors and expectations abound in Tirion about them.

After the Darkening, Lalwen wants to leave with her brothers and favorite nephews and nieces. Aranwë is loyal to Lalwen, though honestly he doesn’t want to leave Tirion. The tipping point is Elenwë. The studio of Anairë’s father was a partnership with the Vanyar noble family of which Elenwë is related, so Aranwë has known Elenwë’s father and kin even before he became all-but-family to the Finwions. They ask him, seeing that he’s going with Princess Lalwen, if he would also keep an eye on Turgon, Elenwë, and little Idril. Aranwë agrees.

Aranwë is one of the elves that helps to pull Turgon from the icy water clutching Idril’s shivering form. 

He doesn’t forgive himself.

In Beleriand, Aranwë is one of the elves most homesick for Aman, and he settles in Vinyamar with Turgon instead of Lalwen (who understands his griefs). Several Falathrim return to Nevrast when the area is safe again, as it used to be a colony/northern outpost for the Falas. Haven’t picked a name for the lady and kinswomen that falls in love and vice versa with Aranwë (and as for kin ties to Nowë, I’m still have trouble with that in ‘young bucks of cuiviénen’, but she’s definitely at least just the same small village of about 30+ individuals that included Elwë’s family, Nowë, Linkwinen and Eredhon, and Beleg. So even if there’s no blood ties, that village is considered the core membership and ‘family’ of the Sindar.) That she wears rattling bracelets, necklaces, and anklets of small white shells, so there’s always this cheerful noise as she moves. She’s attracted to the sad, dark-eyed Noldo that handles the other end of the trade and supply she ferries up from the Falas, and pulls him out of his shell of grief. When Turgon plans Gondolin, Aranwë is one of the quartermasters in charge of the monumental logistics nightmare of moving everything and everyone to the hidden city.

Theon/Ramasy is true love and mutually respectful and beautiful and perfect.

No honestly I am such a Theon/Jon Snow and Theon/Robb/Jon fan.

Wait! Theon/Dany!