#ethelfrith

@tolkienocweek // day seven // the children of eomer and fealasse // ethelfrith

Noble Peace

Ethelfrith numbered fifth among his siblings, in the order of birth, but of all them, he took after his mother the most in his looks and bearing, his elven heritage evident from the first time he drew breath. He grew slowly, even more than his elder sister Dawyn, and was the last of his siblings to reach adulthood. As he grew, it was apparent that he had taken after his Noldorin heritage, more than anything else, for he was skilled in the weaving of tapestries and the sewing crafts he had learnt from his mother, taking to them with a burning zeal not dissimilar to the Noldor of old with their crafts. His pride and confidence were evident to all, but none could deny his skill in the creation and adorning of his muses.

When his mother departed Edoras following the death of his father, she took him, along with his sister Dawyn and Arweniel, princess of Gondor, with her. He dwelt a while in Lothlorien, fading as it was, then Imladris, before choosing to return to Edoras as an older adolescent. Following that, he trailed after his sister, Burnwyn, in her travels, learning the cultures and fashions of peoples across Arda, as surely as she learned their lore.

After the passing of his older sisters, and the withdrawal of Dawyn from mortal society, he settled in Edoras to serve as an advisor to his brother, Trygve. Due to his skill and reputation, many people were drawn to Rohan, in hopes of winning apprenticeships or commissioning garments from Ethelfrith. He followed Trygve after his abdication, and dwelt a while with his siblings, until they decided to sail West.

Though Ethelfrith was of elven-kind, he chose to stay in Middle Earth, for he loved these lands too deeply to forsake them until the Second Music. He grieved deeply at his choice resulting in his sundering with his siblings, but he could not bring himself to regret it. 

Ethelfrith is said to have settled for a while in King Elessar’s court, and his son Eldarion after him, as a liason between Rohan and Gondor, but after that no more is known of him. Many of his creations were passed down through the ages and it is said that some form of magic keeps them as new as the day they were first created.