Discussion Ill Chances and Strange Fates Discussion

[Ashley]

Using the sacred duties of a healer as an opportunity to gawk at a handsome prince was not appropriate in the slightest

She has a point, but how could you not in this situation? He's called Maitimo for a reason.

Had the young Aranya noticed something the rest of them had missed? Had she simply been lucky?

This is interesting. I guess with all the time they've spent together, she is well accustomed to his mannerisms and could understand some signal the others wouldn't pick up on.

“Ambarussar, Telvo and Pityo, I mean. Carnistir—no wait, Curufinwë’s next—” Maitimo paused for a long moment, and Aranya’s heart sank a little. His eyes widened anxiously and his silence drew on longer and longer. He clenched the linen bedsheets in his fists, and the muscles of his arms visibly tensed. “I haven’t forgotten who my brothers are! I have six!” he cried, his voice pleading and despairing. “Ambarussar, Curufinwë, Carnistir…”

This is simultaneously sad and sweet. Of course he remembers who his brothers are, but he's so caring, the moment he can't recall the exact order, he panics. It really shows how much they mean to him.

“But remember, we cannot risk subjecting the House of the High King to the slightest bit of scandal. We cannot violate the purity of our profession. And all that aside, you must guard your heart for your own sake.

Again, these are defenitely valid reasons, but she could have delivered them a lot more gently. Poor Aranya. She doesn't seem to have the best companions in her fellow healers. First, she had to deal with that other annoying one when she first met Maitimo, and now she has an extremely blunt teacher.

“I didn’t… mean to make you feel bad about it,” said Tyelko, pulling away to reveal a reddened, tear-streaked face. “I’m the one who should have known about Morirámo’s fear… I can’t seem to say what I mean, and I’m messing everything up! I’m sorry, Timo… so sorry.”

Oh dear, Tyelko. It seems to me like he's guilty for giving up on the horse earlier, as well as worried about Maitimo. He's probably thinking if only he had spent more time on Morirámo, then this accident could have been avoided, so now he's blaming himself.

“You know who’s cuter than Tyelko?” she blurted out, not sure if he was awake enough to hear.

No matter. Even if he wasn’t, she would tell him anyway.

His brows creased, though he did not open his eyes. “Impossible,” he mumbled. “No one’s cuter than Tyelko.”

“You are, Maitimo.”

“Me? No…” He raised his eyebrows and his eyes cracked open. “I don’t believe it.”

“You’d better believe it, because it’s just true.” Aranya reached for one of his soft auburn curls and twirled it around her finger.

This is ADORABLE! Even though he won't remember, it's still so sweet.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

You’d be content watching him, more like, Mittanyissë thought. She was fairly certain she could sense what was going on. After all, she had once been young too, though those days were long ago. It was only natural for any young lady to take an interest in Prince Maitimo.

I was just thinking... Elves are very beautiful compared to the average mortal. If Maitimo is considered particularly 'well-formed' by the Elves, then those must be some frankly dangerous levels of good-lookingness for our poor mortal eyes. 😂

She didn’t get a chance to answer him, though, because the other healers realized he was awake and talking, and they hurried over to question him, trying to determine his pain level and whether or not he had a concussion. They motioned for Aranya to get out of their way, and she obeyed begrudgingly.

She gave a small sigh. Though the other healers were obviously much more experienced than her, she wished they could have just let her have a moment or two to talk to Maitimo. He was no longer in immediate danger, and he was going to get overwhelmed with all these strangers talking to him at once.

naww 🥺

“Please, can you bring her back?” Maitimo uncharacteristically interrupted her.

naww (again!)

“Tyelko and Kano. I swear, I didn’t forget them. They’re the oldest ones besides me,” Maitimo said, his eyes wide and voice frantic. His breath quickened to choppy, panicked gasps.

Aranya was quickly regretting choosing such a personal list to have Maitimo recite. She should have chosen something less personal, like numbers or letters of the Tengwar. But then again, the latter might have been a bad idea too, since Maitimo’s father had invented the Tengwar and Maitimo might have grown distressed if he made a mistake in reciting his father’s alphabet.

And poor Maitimo, the amount of things that could possibly bring him anxiety. 🫠

Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure there was an alternate birth order somewhere in Tolkien's writings, in which Curufin and Caranthir were switched around. So uh... maybe he concussed himself so hard that he remembered an alternate timeline of events. 😵‍💫 😂

Maitimo hesitated, and an uncertain look came to his eyes. “Well… I don’t want to offend any of them, but, all of them in here at once… they’re loud.”

Aranya smiled and tried not to giggle. Maitimo looked as serious as though he were proposing a new law to the councilmen of Tirion. He had done exactly that before, multiple times, and some of those laws had even been passed.

[...]

He nodded in agreement. “Alright, then, you can send for my parents and Kano and Tyelko, please. It seems fair to invite the brothers in by order of their age. And if you don’t mind, could you tell them to keep their voices down?”

For some reason, Maitimo seems a lot younger when he's concussed. I guess cause he has less of a filter, while still being very polite. Maybe he was like this as a kid. It's rather sweet. 😄

“I didn’t… mean to make you feel bad about it,” said Tyelko, pulling away to reveal a reddened, tear-streaked face. “I’m the one who should have known about Morirámo’s fear… I can’t seem to say what I mean, and I’m messing everything up! I’m sorry, Timo… so sorry.”

Tyelko... 🥺🙁
*Maitimo shares the sentiment*

“Me? No…” He raised his eyebrows and his eyes cracked open. “I don’t believe it.”

“You’d better believe it, because it’s just true.” Aranya reached for one of his soft auburn curls and twirled it around her finger.

His gaze followed her hand for a brief moment before he smiled and closed his eyes. His hand briefly brushed against hers… and then it promptly fell limp. His breathing grew deep and rhythmic. The faint light of Telperion filling the room illuminated his sharp features in a soft glow.

This whole moment is just... really cool. It's almost tense and suspenseful, which I really like in combination with the subtle underlying meaning of this moment: their affection for each other (which is particularly remarkable as they haven't yet plainly expressed such feelings to each other).

---
It was quite nostalgic for me to read this, since as you said, this was one of the first ideas you had for IC&SF. Looking forward to the rest. ☺️

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

Sorry I haven't responded to any of your guys' comments till now! To quote Gandalf, "darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time."

Empathy had a couple smacks for me this chapter. Aranya's feelings for Maitimo being so baldly exposed and rejected like that by an authority figure...ouch. I had the urge to hustle the healer away from Aranya and to make her leave the girl alone. At the same time, though...I knew why the matter was being brought up.
I don't agree, however, Aranya should not have been brought in at all! Things would have been much messier without her, healer chief what's-her-name!

Yep, you're 100% on point! Mittanyissë is not without some valid concerns, but the way she interacts with Aranya is not kind at all (even though she thinks she's being kind).

And then the accident. There's gotta be more to the story than Tyelko told. Something about the way he was reacting bugged me the entire time. It felt like he was holding something back, especially when he hesitated to reveal how he'd helped his brother and the way he grumbled about the horse Maitimo loved. Fëanor, I understood, but Tyelko...or maybe I'm just wrong.

There definitely is a greater story to be told with Tyelko, which shall unfold over the next several chapters!

The last smack came in hardest. Aranya and Maitimo won't ever be able to have a real relationship together while Fëanor and Nerdanel remain heads of the House of Fëanor. And even when Maitimo is of age, what then? Will his mother try to find him a wife? Because he won't be able to love her, and that will be an unfair fate for the poor elf lady. But no matter what, neither parent would ever approve a lowly healer marrying their eldest son.

Unfortunately true. (And slight correction; Maitimo is of age now, but barely. The Interlude mentioned he turned one hundred recently. That's fully adult by Elf standards.)

Bah.
Stupid, stupid, painful tension.
Bah.

Is it bad that I love how you felt this? 😂

She herself married up in social status, but can't seem to understand this when someone else might want to do it. Not to her own son, at least.

My view is that Nerdanel is actually more politically minded than Fëanor. She "married up," after all, and she's concerned with her own status and what people think of her (and the latter trait, she very much passed down to Maitimo). She wants Maitimo to "marry well" as she herself did. Whereas Fëanor, I think he hates the trickery and subtlety of politics and stays far away from that world.

He's called Maitimo for a reason.

'Zactly. 😏

This is interesting. I guess with all the time they've spent together, she is well accustomed to his mannerisms and could understand some signal the others wouldn't pick up on.

Yeah, and I think there's a fëa connectedness they share, so Aranya sensed his starting to wake before it fully happened.

Again, these are defenitely valid reasons, but she could have delivered them a lot more gently. Poor Aranya. She doesn't seem to have the best companions in her fellow healers. First, she had to deal with that other annoying one when she first met Maitimo, and now she has an extremely blunt teacher.

Don't worry, just wait till she gets back to the House of Nolofinwë. Arcamë is a lot nicer!

Oh dear, Tyelko. It seems to me like he's guilty for giving up on the horse earlier, as well as worried about Maitimo. He's probably thinking if only he had spent more time on Morirámo, then this accident could have been avoided, so now he's blaming himself.

Definitely!

This is ADORABLE! Even though he won't remember, it's still so sweet.

Thank you, it was my favorite part! (My favorite part of this chapter and possibly my favorite part of the entire fic.)

I was just thinking... Elves are very beautiful compared to the average mortal. If Maitimo is considered particularly 'well-formed' by the Elves, then those must be some frankly dangerous levels of good-lookingness for our poor mortal eyes. 😂

Yeah, I'd swoon, probably. 🙃

Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure there was an alternate birth order somewhere in Tolkien's writings, in which Curufin and Caranthir were switched around. So uh... maybe he concussed himself so hard that he remembered an alternate timeline of events. 😵‍💫 😂

Bwahaha!! This cracks me up! (Maybe I can have that happen as he continues to suffer injuries in the future. He'll somehow gain knowledge of alternate versions from HoME and whatnot.)

For some reason, Maitimo seems a lot younger when he's concussed. I guess cause he has less of a filter, while still being very polite. Maybe he was like this as a kid. It's rather sweet. 😄

It has definitely been a theme whenever I write Maitimo being "out of it," whether due to injury or drugs or just being overly tired!

This whole moment is just... really cool. It's almost tense and suspenseful, which I really like in combination with the subtle underlying meaning of this moment: their affection for each other (which is particularly remarkable as they haven't yet plainly expressed such feelings to each other).

Oh, I like that you perceived some suspense! I didn't really do that intentionally but you're right, given everything that lies in the future.

It was quite nostalgic for me to read this, since as you said, this was one of the first ideas you had for IC&SF. Looking forward to the rest. ☺️

Aww, it warms my heart that this has become nostalgic to you!

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful comments! It means a lot to me!

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

Chapter 6 has been posted! This chapter gives me major secondhand embarrassment, but it had to happen. Let me know what you think of it!

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

First, something very silly that came to mind when thinking about the other healers' attitudes to Aranya. :3

I just started singing this in my head out of nowhere.

🎶
How do you solve a problem like Aranya~
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down~
🎶

The song, of course, is from The Sound of Music. (Here's a link to it)
After looking it up to listen to the whole thing, I just replaced 'Maria' with 'Aranya' in my mind, and got so much entertainment out of it. 😂

---

Aranya had numbly complied, not sure if she was going to be able to handle this or not, but she realized she had to, for Maitimo’s sake. So she had fetched the cloth and pushed it down as hard as she could on those cuts.

There had been a horrible grating sound. Maitimo had let out a hoarse gasp, but he did not wake. Aranya’s heart had dropped to the pit of her stomach.

“Was that too hard?” she had asked, her voice thin and panicked. “Did I hurt him?”

Mittanyissë had frowned and carefully poked and prodded around Maitimo’s ribs. “I think a couple of these are broken. However, don’t let up the pressure on that cloth. We’ll be right back. We need to mix some cleaning herbs.”

She and the other healer had hurried to the cabinets full of herbs, leaving Aranya to keep the cloth on and watch as blood seeped up between her fingers. The liquid was hot to the touch.

First of all, I found the description of Maitimo's condition and his wounds being treated very vivid and realistic. It was all very well described, and I could definitely feel the underlying tension and sense of urgency. It was there, but repressed, as the healers were focusing on their work, and not on any anxiety they may be feeling.

Except, that is, for Aranya. The sight of her dear friend in such a state utterly shocked her, though she was able to pull herself together in the end.

These things, and her interactions with Maitimo after he woke up, bounced around happily in Aranya’s mind as she tried to sleep that night. The only things that made her squirm with embarrassment were Mittanyissë’s words. The sacred duties of a healer are not to be tarnished by our personal feelings.

I think presenting all this as Aranya's thoughts while she's in bed is very effective, and adds an extra layer of... I might say realism? Because it is a natural thing for someone to process things that have happened during the day while they are alone at night with nothing else to distract them. Especially if those things were fast-paced, stressful, or many-layered, so that they could not really be reflected on in the moment as they happened.

It also feeds into Aranya's mindset and motivations for the rest of this chapter, and provides us with some more context as to why she acts the way she does later on.

“You have taught me well, Atar,” he said, trying to remain in control of his rising nerves, as though they were a spooked horse. “But I do not remember exactly what happened. I only remember setting out on the ride, and then some bits and pieces of being in the forest with my brothers, and then… nothing. I wish I could better explain what happened and why the horse threw me. I’m sure it was not caused by any negligence on your part.”

Maitimo's nerves acting like the horse that got him into this situation. 🫠

Maitimo’s eyes widened a little. He had not thought of this as a possibility, but it was a valid concern. He couldn’t even recite all his brothers’ names last night. What if he forgot Tengwar, or some crucial fact during a debate with the lords? What if he forgot the knowledge he had worked so hard to earn in law, history, economics, linguistics and many other subjects?

“Atar, would you or someone else bring me some of my books from home?” he pleaded, his voice suddenly desperate. “Whichever ones are sitting on my desk, along with the last few papers I wrote. I don’t have anything else to do, and… and I can’t afford to fall behind.”

Maitimo smiled faintly in return, only hoping this would prove true.

Fëanáro stood and left the room. It took Maitimo’s heart several minutes afterwards to stop pounding.

Poor bean. 🙁 *pat pat*

“Well, I think you’re the only one who can help us in this moment.” Cendë glanced around before she lowered her voice. “Mittanyissë doesn’t need to know. Come with me.”

I like her. She has common sense and uses it. >_>

“Weeks? I don’t have weeks.” He reached towards the spot where his books had been, wincing with the movement, and then paused, seemingly confused. “That’s right. You moved them,” he said bitterly, almost under his breath. “But I don’t have weeks. It’s bad enough that I have to miss the city council meeting tonight.”

“Maitimo… was it your Atar who put these notions in your head?”

His eyes widened briefly, then his gaze fell. Though he didn’t directly answer, this response told Aranya everything she needed to know.

Ah, poor soul. His common sense is also impaired by his condition, so he takes Fëanor's words to heart even more so than he probably would have if he were uninjured and functioning normally.

Aranya had to wonder how Curufinwë got that idea. And if he had talked to Maitimo earlier, how dense did he have to be to fail to realize that his son, though he had certainly improved since last night, was still in a very bad state?

✨ miscommunications...! ✨
✨ Miscommunication and misunderstandings everywhere...! ✨


As for the rest... oh dear, Aranya...
Her courage and care for Maitimo are touching and very much commendable, but her course of action was ill-thought-out. ._.

 

[WatcherWraith]

Aii, Aranya. She got the exact consequences both Maitimo and the other healers had long ago foreseen. I wonder she did not see them coming herself.

One thing I do not understand: being a smith and a fighter and a rider, in short, taking on a lot of occupations in which danger to one's self is a constant, how come Fëanor does not know or does not register how long it takes the body and mind to heal?? This seems an obvious piece of knowledge, especially for one so wise as he is supposed to be.

I'm glad Aranya was able to help Maitimo for now, but unless the worsening of the prince's condition compels her to remain, they have lost each other for the present. And Aranya has no one to blame but herself.

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

Sorry again for the late responses to your comments! It was a crazy month with finishing up school and getting ready to graduate, but all that is behind me now.

I just started singing this in my head out of nowhere.

🎶
How do you solve a problem like Aranya~
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down~
🎶

I love that!! I love the Sound of Music. "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" is a great song for Aranya, too. The healers are even a little bit like the nuns, with their focus on their duties and head coverings and all!

First of all, I found the description of Maitimo's condition and his wounds being treated very vivid and realistic. It was all very well described, and I could definitely feel the underlying tension and sense of urgency. It was there, but repressed, as the healers were focusing on their work, and not on any anxiety they may be feeling.

Except, that is, for Aranya. The sight of her dear friend in such a state utterly shocked her, though she was able to pull herself together in the end.

Oh, thank you! I'm not an expert in medical matters, but I've learned a lot from you and Finno and Tyelko, so I'm very glad you found it realistic.

I guess my brother had a concussion once. It wasn't nearly this severe, but I remember how long it took him to recover and how much sleep he needed even months after it happened.

I think presenting all this as Aranya's thoughts while she's in bed is very effective, and adds an extra layer of... I might say realism? Because it is a natural thing for someone to process things that have happened during the day while they are alone at night with nothing else to distract them. Especially if those things were fast-paced, stressful, or many-layered, so that they could not really be reflected on in the moment as they happened.

It also feeds into Aranya's mindset and motivations for the rest of this chapter, and provides us with some more context as to why she acts the way she does later on.

Thank you, yeah, I think this comes from my own experience. I think night time when I'm trying to fall asleep is when my brain is most active in ruminating over the day's events. I have to shut it down with making up a story if I want to fall asleep.

And this part wasn't in the first draft, but I felt Aranya's experience when Maitimo first arrived deserved some exploration. It was also a good chance to reveal her opinions about the legalistic morality of Finwë's healers.

I like her. She has common sense and uses it. >_>

She might be the only person in this whole chapter with common sense! 😂 It is a thing the Noldor in general sorely lack. All their brain cells went to Crafts.

Ah, poor soul. His common sense is also impaired by his condition, so he takes Fëanor's words to heart even more so than he probably would have if he were uninjured and functioning normally.

Yeah, for sure. If he had his whole mental capabilities, he might have been able to talk himself down from the ceiling a bit (though Fe types have a lot of difficulty doing that unless they have another person to vent to. Ask me how I know!)

✨ miscommunications...! ✨
✨ Miscommunication and misunderstandings everywhere...! ✨

Insert the Buzz Lightyear meme here!

As for the rest... oh dear, Aranya...
Her courage and care for Maitimo are touching and very much commendable, but her course of action was ill-thought-out. ._.

For sure. If you pay attention to what Cendë says, I believe Cendë has the correct and balanced opinion about it. Aranya had no right to show up, step into a family matter that wasn't really her business, and offer unsolicited advice to Fëanor about how to handle a delicate situation with his own son.

Aii, Aranya. She got the exact consequences both Maitimo and the other healers had long ago foreseen. I wonder she did not see them coming herself.

Yeah, she was too wrapped up in her personal feelings about the situation, I guess. (She's an Fi-dominant type in the cognitive functions system.)

One thing I do not understand: being a smith and a fighter and a rider, in short, taking on a lot of occupations in which danger to one's self is a constant, how come Fëanor does not know or does not register how long it takes the body and mind to heal?? This seems an obvious piece of knowledge, especially for one so wise as he is supposed to be.

My thinking with this story arc is that no one in the House of Fëanor has seen an injury this severe. They've all suffered minor injuries from forge accidents and hunting accidents and stuff, but they've never seen anything on the level of concussion + broken ribs. This is new to all of them.

Thank you guys for your comments! Hopefully I can post the next chapter soon!

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

New chapter is up! In which you will have the pleasure of meeting Tecno, the "Nice Guy" of Elves! And yes, his name really is Tecno because I thought it was hilarious. It's a legitimate Quenya name, too.

And on a completely different note, you also get the context for the Mairanya Dancing scene... 👀

Drawing - Illustrations from Ill Chances and Strange Fates

Some of you may know about my solo fanfiction, "Ill Chances and Strange Fates." It is primarily a fic focusing on Maedhros and my OC Aranya and how they fell in love. (And I will start posting it on here as soon as I get a few chapters edited.) But anyway, I wanted to have some illustrations to...

thetolkien.forum

 

[WatcherWraith]

I enjoyed this one a lot. Aranya needed that lesson, much as it hurt, and I'm glad she could talk things out with her mentor. Arcamë seems a very wise and patient person, observant of other people's ways. A very good character for a mentor.

On one hand, I dislike Tecno. He's apparently very self-centered and self-indulgent(making me wonder how on earth he's among the healers), and he has no concept of understanding another point of view than his own. Also, apparently, he has no idea how to maintain the cleanliness many healers must maintain. On the other hand, I kinda feel sorry for him. He's apparently attracted to Aranya, but hasn't got any decent sense in his head, can't understand her, and has not even a whiff of an idea(pun intended) of how badly he smells and feels to interact with.

Back to Acarmë. I want her as my mom. She feels like she'd be a good hugger. And she was smart, heading first for the pastries! Eating good things is usually a nice way to begin a conversation, especially an awkward conversation.

I wonder how things will turn out for Aranya now she's gone and kicked herself in the mouth. From other scenes you've written, I have a fair guess she and Maitimo will at least reunite, but Fëanor may stand in the way of that for a while. I wonder if his son's lack of recovery will be instrumental in that....

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Tecno! 😣

What an absolute beetle of a man. >_>

“I can manage it myself,” she said curtly, taking another swig of wine. It was already hitting her with a pleasant warmth and slight lightheadedness, but it wasn’t enough to rid her of Tecno.

Drawing - Classroom Doodles

*pockets Tiny Amras* Alright... I'm out of here! Seriously though, this is really adorable! Hehe, thanks! Seriously though, this is really adorable! The frizzy hair had me snort for a moment and then I remembered my own dark times when I didn't know I had curly hair and should take care of...

thetolkien.forum

It's this moment! 😂 🫠 The memory of your sketch suddenly popped into my head when I read this part. No doubt due to Aranya's memorable expression.


And Arcamë is a calming breath of fresh air after all the turmoil Aranya has experienced, in both her external circumstances and in her mind. I could sense Aranya's relief at having someone trustworthy and understanding to talk to.

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

What an absolute beetle of a man. >_>

Indeed, crawling all over everything and everyone!

Hehe!! I do hope to digitize that illustration at some point! Man, the list of things I want to draw is growing insurmountable.

And Arcamë is a calming breath of fresh air after all the turmoil Aranya has experienced, in both her external circumstances and in her mind. I could sense Aranya's relief at having someone trustworthy and understanding to talk to.

For sure. There's been so much chaos lately, it's a huge relief to have someone else with a lick of common sense (again somewhat of a rarity amongst the Noldor).

Thanks for your comments! If anyone else has thoughts on this chapter, I'd love to hear it!

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

Chapter 8 has been posted! For those of you who have not read the future chapters, do you think the Fëanorians' return home will put an end to all the nonsense?

Fëanor's temper may be flying, but I do feel bad for him, because he genuinely wants to help his son but has no idea how. But at the same time, it majorly sucks for Maitimo to not even have his own thoughts and feelings heard. Do you agree?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[WatcherWraith]

I fidget in frustration against Fëanor, the proud princeling. Self-absorbed and controlling, uninterested in anyone's opinion but his own and occasionally Nerdanel's!
Mutter mutter grievance.

That aside, I wish Finwë had asked his healers more questions and found out what the real problem was. How will Aranya and Maitimo meet again now?! This is a separation difficult to overcome indeed. And not even Nerdanel will be on Maitimo's side if she learns the most important reason he does not want to leave this place.

I will admit, I do understand why Fëanor was so angry with Aranya. Not only because of his position as royalty, but also because he is Maitimo's father and his authority over his son is none of anyone else's business outside the family. It hurts to hear him talk about her like that, but I can still get it.

Finwë was a bittersweet appearance for me, not only because I realized this may be close on the time of his death, but because his obvious preference for Fëanor clouds his eyes and mind to everyone else. What was it like for Fingolfin and Finarfin growing up under such a father? On the other hand, it was sweet to see how close father and son are....

I enjoyed this chapter, but I must admit, I'm nervous for the main characters. ':]
Much is happening I hope will be resolved happily, or at least satisfactorily. I am invested.

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

I fidget in frustration against Fëanor, the proud princeling. Self-absorbed and controlling, uninterested in anyone's opinion but his own and occasionally Nerdanel's!
Mutter mutter grievance.

Yeah... it is how I read him in the book!

And don't get me wrong, I love Fëanor, but I believe this is his primary flaw.

That aside, I wish Finwë had asked his healers more questions and found out what the real problem was. How will Aranya and Maitimo meet again now?! This is a separation difficult to overcome indeed. And not even Nerdanel will be on Maitimo's side if she learns the most important reason he does not want to leave this place.

Mmm, good point! He got to the bottom of the problem with the delay in giving Maitimo the medicine, but he took Fëanor's accusation towards Aranya at face value. Probably because he doesn't know Aranya like he knows his own healers.

I will admit, I do understand why Fëanor was so angry with Aranya. Not only because of his position as royalty, but also because he is Maitimo's father and his authority over his son is none of anyone else's business outside the family. It hurts to hear him talk about her like that, but I can still get it.

Yeah, same here. For me, the whole theme of Arc 2 is about different perspectives and how two people in conflict both might have valid reasons for doing what they did.

Finwë was a bittersweet appearance for me, not only because I realized this may be close on the time of his death, but because his obvious preference for Fëanor clouds his eyes and mind to everyone else. What was it like for Fingolfin and Finarfin growing up under such a father? On the other hand, it was sweet to see how close father and son are....

True! It is very refreshing in your fic how Finwë survives, but unfortunately, IC&SF is meant to be canon-compatible (at this point, anyway. I might go into AU territory in the distant future because the canon compatible path is just way too sad).

I enjoyed this chapter, but I must admit, I'm nervous for the main characters. ':]
Much is happening I hope will be resolved happily, or at least satisfactorily. I am invested.

Hehe, good!

And not to worry-- I am a financial professional and will make sure you get a good return on your investment!

Arc 2 is many chapters long (it goes all the way to Chapter 15) and I hope its conclusion will satisfy you. I worked hard to tie up all the loose ends.

Thank you for your comments!

 

[WatcherWraith]

Yeah... it is how I read him in the book!

And don't get me wrong, I love Fëanor, but I believe this is his primary flaw.

It most certainly is! And I can grumble and complain, but I make Fëanor my own kind of problematic, too 🥲

how two people in conflict both might have valid reasons for doing what they did.

This is always a wonderful way to draw out tension! Splendid writing

Thank you for your comments!

No problem! I endeavor to give as good as I get :]

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

🎤And don't get me wrong, I love Fëanor, but I believe this is his primary flaw.

If God can love us, we can love Fëanor.
🫴
🎤

 

[Ashley]

I swear, Feanor, is it that difficult to ask your own son what would be best for him when he's suffering from a major injury? You don't know everything about this, and if you would use your brain for even half a second, you'd realize you should listen to the people who actually understand that Maitimo cannot make the journey back in his current condition. And then you go getting mad at the healers when it was your fault they couldn't do their job.

It was good to see Maitimo's reaction to what transpired between Aranya and his father. It's so sweet that his first desire is to go find her and help her feel better.

Maitimo always found it satisfying when, for all his self-proclaimed cleverness, Nerdanel managed to stump him.

I probably enjoyed that a bit too much. It feels good to see her stick a pin in the balloon of his ego.

For those of you who have not read the future chapters, do you think the Fëanorians' return home will put an end to all the nonsense?

I would be inclined to agree with Nerdanel that Feanor will be more reasonable once they get home, but it will only make things more complicated between Maitimo and Aranya. So, it'll probably solve the short-term issues, but not the long-term ones.

a tall, dark-haired figure walked in: none other than King Finwë himself. His robe of silver velvet graced the floor with its long train, with edges finely embroidered in goldwork. A silver circlet, elaborately crafted of delicate twists and curls, crossed his brow.

I love reading descriptions like this. It's so much fun to piece each part together in my head to form the whole picture.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Now this was an uncomfortable chapter to witness. Throughout it, Maitimo's physical and emotional discomfort and pain are clearly and keenly perceived by the reader. However, not so much for the other observers in the room. None of them, except the healers, appear to know, understand, or guess exactly how bad he feels. Nerdanel is close, I suppose, but she does not oppose the decision any further for the sake of peace. I feel like she would have opposed more firmly if she knew the full extent.

I wonder if there are some very old elves among the healers of the house of Finwë. Elves who have more personal experience with serious injury, from their time in Middle-earth before and during the Great Journey. That would make it even less of a reasonable decision to move Maitimo away from here.

Normally, perhaps, one could expect Fëanáro to act with logic and practicality when making a decision. But this is no normal or impersonal situation, it is one close to his heart, for his son is wounded.
...And, as we see in the Silmarillion, when Fëanor feels hurt or threatened by something, it is very easy for him to become suspicious, lash out in anger, and be led by his feelings rather than reason. Not to mention he is also very touchy and can get easily offended by perceived disrespect towards himself or his close family.

All this is of no comfort to those who are affected by his actions. Thankfully Nerdanel was there to point out that it was not reasonable to blame the two healers present for leaving Maitimo too long without pain relief, and Finwë did manage to calm Fëanáro down somewhat.

It ends on a note of sadness and apprehension, for how could things go as well as Nerdanel hopes, with Maitimo in such a state?

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

I swear, Feanor, is it that difficult to ask your own son what would be best for him when he's suffering from a major injury? You don't know everything about this, and if you would use your brain for even half a second, you'd realize you should listen to the people who actually understand that Maitimo cannot make the journey back in his current condition. And then you go getting mad at the healers when it was your fault they couldn't do their job.

Yeah, it's ironic how he's normally all about logic, but that flies out the window now that his personal feelings have been ramped up so much!

I probably enjoyed that a bit too much. It feels good to see her stick a pin in the balloon of his ego.

Lol, yep! This is probably why she's basically the only person he (occasionally) listens to. She can whip out some pretty solid logic at times.

I would be inclined to agree with Nerdanel that Feanor will be more reasonable once they get home, but it will only make things more complicated between Maitimo and Aranya. So, it'll probably solve the short-term issues, but not the long-term ones.

Good point!

I love reading descriptions like this. It's so much fun to piece each part together in my head to form the whole picture.

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm so dialogue-focused that it takes a very conscious effort for me to remember to put in things like, hey, where are the characters right now? What do they look like?

Now this was an uncomfortable chapter to witness. Throughout it, Maitimo's physical and emotional discomfort and pain are clearly and keenly perceived by the reader. However, not so much for the other observers in the room. None of them, except the healers, appear to know, understand, or guess exactly how bad he feels. Nerdanel is close, I suppose, but she does not oppose the decision any further for the sake of peace. I feel like she would have opposed more firmly if she knew the full extent.

Yeah, for sure. It's just sad that there's so much conflict in that family.

I wonder if there are some very old elves among the healers of the house of Finwë. Elves who have more personal experience with serious injury, from their time in Middle-earth before and during the Great Journey. That would make it even less of a reasonable decision to move Maitimo away from here.

Mittanyissë is for sure one of those much older Elves. I actually think she was one of those in the Cuivienen, and she likely learned things about healing from Estë herself. And Fëanor is fully aware of this, since he knows the House of Finwë so well and he was likely treated by Mittanyissë himself when he was young. But I guess in his pride, he thinks his own healers are just as good. And they are good, but not as experienced.

Normally, perhaps, one could expect Fëanáro to act with logic and practicality when making a decision. But this is no normal or impersonal situation, it is one close to his heart, for his son is wounded.
...And, as we see in the Silmarillion, when Fëanor feels hurt or threatened by something, it is very easy for him to become suspicious, lash out in anger, and be led by his feelings rather than reason. Not to mention he is also very touchy and can get easily offended by perceived disrespect towards himself or his close family.

Insert the 100 reaction from Discord here! Though his behavior in this chapter is pretty harsh, it is consistent, I think, with behavior he shows in the Silmarillion.

All this is of no comfort to those who are affected by his actions. Thankfully Nerdanel was there to point out that it was not reasonable to blame the two healers present for leaving Maitimo too long without pain relief, and Finwë did manage to calm Fëanáro down somewhat.

Yeah, those two handled it as well as they could have, I think. It was a good decision on Maitimo's part to realize they had a better ability to calm the situation than he did, so he kept his mouth shut.

Thank you all for your comments! I'm about to post the next chapter shortly, and I look forward to your thoughts on that!

 

[WatcherWraith]

When I first saw the chapter title, I wondered if Kano had been provoked to anger by one of the kids, whom he was now responsible for. The actual provocation made a lot more sense.

Kano, as I understand it, is a low-maintenance child, much like Maitimo, but in a more silent way. Nobody asks what's going on in his head(except some of his brothers), and nobody expects him to have any real issues, because he's quiet and keeps to himself. The moment he makes himself a problem, it's startling and suddenly brings him to the foreground, as though he scarcely existed before.

Although I understand, and in many ways approve, Kano's anger, it should have been clear this was not the way to rebuke his father. I don't think Kano would have seen this, however, not when he's looking at an unconscious brother whom he loves dearly, and a parent whom he already doubts and questions internally on a daily basis. With someone like Fëanor, soft words would work better than harsh ones for at least getting him to hear one out. Though...even these would not guarantee he would actually listen.

I wonder how Fëanor's thoughts are going. And how much has he changed since making the Silmarils? I don't see this person as being the one Nerdanel fell in love with.