Henneth Annûn Story Archive

HASA Birthday Cards workshop

Instructions for Birthday Drabbling: instructions on the new system.

May 2005 birthday challenge

May 5 - paranoidangel (Nic): I promised Erin I'd ask for Elrond and Sam, so I'd like a drabble with those two in. My birthday's on the 5th (I'm quite happy for them to be late though!)

May 6 - RiverOtter: My birthday is May 6th. After much pondering and muttering, I am requesting encounters. Tell me about a meeting between any two characters - any Age or races or place. The more unusual or obscure, the better.

May 8 - Loremaster of Anorien: My fourteenth birthday is on May 8, and I'd love a drabble about the Denethor, Finduilas, Imrahil, Boromir, and Faramir during a celebration. It would be a happier moment for the rather troubled family who suffer painful losses and mischaracterization in fanfic.

May 13 - Pippin's Lass: I'd like drabbles on the hobbits (particularly Sam & Frodo) or Faramir (anything--with Eowyn, Elessar, as a child...). I'm also *quite* fond of horses, so anything with horses in is fine by me.

May 14 - Aliana: On May 14th I'll be 20, the age at which Aragorn learned the truth about his heritage. I'd like to hear about any LotR character making a discovery--large or small, funny or serious, that's up to you. Failing that, I'll also swipe Allie's request from March and say I'd not be averse to anything Houses of Healing, either.

May 25 - Dwimordene: Did you know there's a world out there at 6:30 in the morning? I had forgotten. I dislike that I'm reminded. Ulk. To suit my mood, something about Castamir, Ornendil, and/or Eldacar. Something Kin-Strifish, which can include the arguments and tensions preceding the actual war. Post-war stuff would also be welcomed. Thanks!

May 27 - gronyats: Since I love History, I would enjoy a drabble about some interesting lore discussed between Elrond and Glorfindel.

May 30 - Starlight: I think this year I would like gapfillers or Middle-earth mysteries. Any type of gapfiller would do, set on whatever time period and the character of your choice. Anything that you have puzzled about, anything that draws your fancy, anything you wish had been expanded upon- they are all welcome!

If not, something set in Arnor would be lovely. Or, Eomer and Lothiriel. Or maybe something inspired by the Appendices?

Stories in Workshop: Dwim, paranoidangel, Aliana, RiverOtter

---

*GASP* It's that time, my fair ones!

Gosh, I almost let this one get away. Three days before the start of May, and I have not posted the new birthday thread! Ah, blame it on my exams. Evil profs.

Anywho, May babies, please post your requests post-haste!

And I really implore you, May babies, create your stories and add them to the birthday cards shop. From the bottom of my heart, please. I cut the April babies a whole lot of slack, because workshop was launched almost two weeks into the month. But you, my May birthday children, will be my HEROS if you make your stories and put them in the shop.

edit: And drabblers, it's a matter of just a few clicks to add your drabble to that person's birthday story at the same time you post it here!

And I'll write anyone who adds a story to the shop a drabble! I swear! By Varda, I swear it!

Muse: But Allie, you still have two overdue drabbles from March--

Me: Shhh, be quiet! It's totally your fault that those are still unfinished!

Muse: Well la dee dah! Fine, if you're going to be like that, I'll just leave.

Me: No, no, no! I didn't mean it! I really... I didn't... Oh, crud.

Allie

 

My birthday is 13 May. I'd like drabbles on the hobbits (particularly Sam & Frodo) or Faramir (anything--with Eowyn, Elessar, as a child...). I'm also *quite* fond of horses, so anything with horses in is fine by me Parker

 

 

Did you know there's a world out there at 6:30 in the morning? I had forgotten. I dislike that I'm reminded. Ulk. To suit my mood, something about Castamir, Ornendil, and/or Eldacar. Something Kin-Strifish, which can include the arguments and tensions preceding the actual war. Post-war stuff would also be welcomed. Thanks!

 

I still can't believe it's this time--again! My birthday is 30 May. I think this year I would like gapfillers or Middle-earth mysteries. Any type of gapfiller would do, set on whatever time period and the character of your choice. Anything that you have puzzled about, anything that draws your fancy, anything you wish had been expanded upon- they are all welcome! If not, something set in Arnor would be lovely. Or, Eomer and Lothiriel. Or maybe something inspired by the Appendices? Thanks! Starlight

 

On May 14th I'll be 20, the age at which Aragorn learned the truth about his heritage. I'd like to hear about any LotR character making a discovery--large or small, funny or serious, that's up to you. Failing that, I'll also swipe Allie's request from March and say I'd not be averse to anything Houses of Healing, either. Thanks! Aliana

 

And, my dear Dwim, your birthday would be when? Vistula

 

Duuuuh! Never mind.... Please disregard my earlier post Dwim. I see it up top now. Vistula Who shouldn't read posts at 4am

 

I promised Erin I'd ask for Elrond and Sam, so I'd like a drabble with those two in. My birthday's on the 5th (I'm quite happy for them to be late though!) Nic

 

I had to use my Super Powers of Deduction and check last year's May threads, because Dwim's b-day isn't listed on her profile. But I figured it out! Allie

 

Since I love History, I would enjoy a drabble about some interesting lore discussed between Elrond and Glorfindel. Gronyats

 

Oops, I forgot, my birthday in on May 27. Thanks Gronyats

 

My birthday is May 6th. After much pondering and muttering, I am requesting encounters. Tell me about a meeting between any two characters - any Age or races or place. The more unusual or obscure, the better. RiverOtter

 

May 5 - paranoidangel (Nic): I promised Erin I'd ask for Elrond and Sam, so I'd like a drabble with those two in. My birthday's on the 5th (I'm quite happy for them to be late though!) Let's pretend that Elrond visited the Hobbits in the Shire some time before the departure of the Ring-bearers, all right? May 5th is also the General Election in the UK, so I've played with that idea. The Politics Of Gardening Elrond sat cross-legged beneath a tree in the garden of Bag End, watching Sam hard at work. “You look hot, Sam,” Elrond commented. “I confess, when it comes to gardening, I prefer to watch others labour.” Sam joined him in the shade, surveying the garden proudly. “My old Da were a terror on weeds and such – but I prefer a more liberal approach. Even weeds have their place, I reckon.” The door opened, and Sam’s little niece flew across the garden. “A ’tory, Uncle! A ’tory!” she lisped. Sam settled her on his lap. “Aye,” he agreed comfortably. “A story.” Happy birthday, Nic! Jay [Edit: For those not familiar with UK politics, the three main parties in England are Labour, Tory (also known as the Conservatives) and the Liberal Democrats. ]

 

Ok, for continunity's sake, I'm going to put both here - First is one I wrote Aliana for non-birthday reasons; second is the actual b-day gift. I still can't come up with a title I like for the first one..Happy Birthday, Aliana! ****** The men of Minas Tirith are certainly fair, but there is something which draws me to these Rohirrim. I have observed them while I gather up soiled bandages. They are a warm and open people, laughing as easily as weeping, even here in the Houses, where death is too prominent. Sometimes I hear them singing quietly, and wonder what the words mean. “Your pardon.” The accent is thick, yet the words roll in a most pleasing manner. I turn from my basket and forget to breathe. Here is the one I have watched most, with his deep blue eyes and dark gold hair, looking as if he has just torn across the plains a-horseback. “Can you tell me where to find the Lady Eowyn? I have messages to deliver.” He smiles his thanks as I direct him toward the proper hallway, and I discover that I have both found and lost my heart. ****** Musing She is neither healer nor herbalist; she is the girl who collects old bandages and brings new. But once I saw her help hold down a man - one of my fellow Riders- whose leg had to be amputated, and, though her face went white and the queasiness was clearly written on her face, she did not loosen her hold. She always has time for a kind word or warm smile for bored men who are not yet healed enough to leave the Houses. Yesterday I asked her for directions to Lady Eowyn’s room .Her cheeks flushed pink when my gaze met her shining grey eyes, and my heart leapt, for I had not dared hope. I must find out if she is spoken for.

 

These are lovely, EdorasLass! I can just see the sparks flying between the tired HoH worker and the hunky Rider. RAKSHA

 

Thanks, Raksha! Even when I'm in Gondor, I'm still in Rohan. Those two just came out of no-where; have no fear, there will be more on them. Soon-ish.

 

Happy early birthday! After the Flood The world is bent. Venerable charts speak nonsense now. Lodestones that put north before them yesterday show it astern today. They forge on nonetheless, the captain and crew of Venturer. From northern wastes where Forodwaith speak of the new skyfire beneath the polestar, to humid isles where they're refused anchorage, they find they're well exiled. "The world is a belly," the greying scion of a once-friendly tribe. "You are cursed that woke its hunger!" The world is a belly, a new world full of tongues that swallow memory: Edonim, Dilmuni, Tantaloi—Númenoreans no more, they return to Middle-earth strangers.

---

After the Downfall, some of the greatest mariners of the surviving Faithful lit out to see if they could find any trace of Númenor, and after sailing for quite a long time, discovered that the world was round. I'm sure on the way, they must have stopped to try to talk to people... Please excuse the fake names at the end; I picked my Atlantean equivalents off of Wikipedia and this site, but that's really the extent of what I know about the Atlantis myth.

 

May 25 - Dwimordene: To suit my mood, something about Castamir, Ornendil, and/or Eldacar. Something Kin-Strifish... Hi Dwim! Your request didn't just nip my ankles, it lassoed and hog-tied me... Bad guys just seem to attract me! Happy (rather early) birthday! - Barbara The Usurper "Ornendil, son of Eldacar, bow down before your King!" He refuses! This renegade refuses to submit to me: the King of Gondor! And now he dares to call me pretender? "Silence!" My fury will be felt! The Captain of my Guard salutes. "Sire, should we hang him from the bridge to rot with the other dissidents?" "No! Summon the people of Osgiliath to the Tower, then take him there and proclaim his disloyalty publicly..." I briefly weigh the most fitting penalty, then smile as I settle on the sentence, relishing my ascendancy. "Sire?" "Break his back. Then burn the city!" *** 'Castamir had not long sat upon the throne before he proved himself haughty and ungenerous. He was a cruel man, as he had first shown in the taking of Osgiliath. He caused Ornendil son of Eldacar, who was captured, to be put to death; and the slaughter and destruction done in the city at his bidding far exceeded the needs of war.' The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion

 

Happy birthday, dear girl! Benison

 

Benison Oh, Ann, that positively gave me goose-bumps! Lovely vignette! Whose birthday is it for? - Barbara

 

Happy Birthday, Dwim!! That is a lot of formatting... edit for formatting reasons, unsurprisingly... Sedition (posted on a wall in the first circle, writer unknown) Men of Gondor! Shall we continue to do nothing whilst we are crushed beneath the bootheel of a petty tyrant? Shall we continue to live in fear that a misspoken word will bring cruel death to our families? How many men must disappear in the middle of the night before we say NO MORE? How many daughters and wives must be raped? How many sons must be murdered in the forced service of a vile ursurper? Have you honour, Men of Gondor? Can you continue to watch these atrocities being committed in the name of our fair land? Can you continue to do nothing, and still hold yourself a true Son of Gondor? We cannot allow this foul traitor to continue his reign! We will not, even though we die!

 

Oh. My. God. Ann, I am floored. Completely floored. It.. It was just... It was so... *sniffles* Allie

 

Oh, thank you so much! This is lovely; I adore the linked-drabble-ness, and I can't wait to see what else you've got... Also I am so pleased to see that I've spurred you to writing about OC love in the HoH, mwahaha. The connections and differences between the cultures are lovely. The accent is thick, yet the words roll in a most pleasing manner. Oh, those Rohirrim. Sigh. Once again, thank you so much!

 

Ann-- thank you so much! I've said it before, but I have to say it here, too: I love it. Your gifts as a writer are all apparent here: your sense of detail, appreciation for beauty, ability to speak volumes with brevity, and lovely sense of emotion and memory. Also, as a Middle-earth proto-feminist, I love the connection between storied heroine Eowyn, and Finduilas, one of the "forgotten" women. I had to look up "benison," and the meaning makes it all even lovelier. Again, thanks so much! Aliana

 

Oh, those Rohirrim. Sigh. What I don't understand is how Gondor wasn't just emptied of women when they came riding in. I mean, come on! All those available Rohirrim, and all those available women? I don't care if they were evacuated. Hush. And you are very welcome!

 

Your request didn't just nip my ankles, it lassoed and hog-tied me... Bad guys just seem to attract me! Happy (rather early) birthday! Ah, music to my ears—nuzgûly bondage! Makes me feel all vaguely evil inside... ;-) *ahem* Thanks, Barbara, for showing Castamir at his worst--leave the guy helpless, burn the tower he's in so he dies slowly, and then torch the rest of the city while we're at it. *shivers* Yeah, not a nice fellow. Dwim

 

Hi EdorasLass, Interesting! I appreciate the effort to give me, literally, a poster off one of Minas Tirith's walls--nice effect. Despite the serious content, I was reminded of a favorite scene out of "Life of Brian", where the hapless dissident Brian paints ungrammatical anti-Roman slogans on the wall of a fort. Obviously, Gondor's dissidents groups are a savvier bunch. You know there's a whole network of these guys who'll make sure that as soon as one poster goes down, another will show up somewhere else. Hmm... is that a nuzgûl slinking under the couch? Oh bother...

 

Happy early b-day, Dwim. Did you know there's a world out there at 6:30 in the morning? Whoever told you that was lying. Ulk indeed. I have only met 6:30 coming at it from the other end, after studying math and/or cryptography all night. Trust me, it's no fun coming at that wretched hour either way. I dislike that I'm reminded. I don't blame you at all. To suit my mood, something about Castamir, Ornendil, and/or Eldacar. Something Kin-Strifish, which can include the arguments and tensions preceding the actual war. Post-war stuff would also be welcomed. Post-war it is, inspired by the following quote:

"Thus he had been king only ten years, when Eldacar, seeing his time, came with a great army out of the north, and folk clocked to him from Calenardhon and Anorien and Ithilien. There was a great battle in Lebennin at the Crossings of Erui, in which much of the best blood in Gondor was shed. Eldacar himself slew Castamir in combat, and so was avenged for Ornendil; but Castamir's sons escaped, and with others of their kin and many people of the fleets they held out long at Pelargir. [...] The loss of Umbar was grievous to Gondor, not only because the realm was diminished in the south and its hold upon the Men of the Harad was loosened, but because it was there that Ar-Pharazon the Golden, last King of Numenor, had landed and humbled the might of Sauron.

Perhaps a bit AU, but there are two sides to every story, and history is written by the victors. We shall return We shall return. They may drive us from their cities, across the River and away to the South, but we shall return. They may bring this Eldacar down from the North, but we will not bow to the son of such a house of his, long bereft of all lordship and dignity. I shall not bow. Gondor loves her strong towers and walled cities, ploughed fields and orchards and stone silos. She has lost her roots: worshipping the land, forgetting Ossë's song. We remember. We hold Pharazon's pillar, and we shall recall Numenor's majesty. Our fleets grow; our numbers swell. We shall return.

 

Thanks! I was kinda surprised myself - I'm usually strictly a Third Age girl. I was reminded of a favorite scene out of "Life of Brian", where the hapless dissident Brian paints ungrammatical anti-Roman slogans on the wall of a fort. I love that scene, because I would be the one out there going, "If you can't spell, how are you going to be taken seriously as a threat?! " Hmm... is that a nuzgûl slinking under the couch? Oh bother... Man, I hope so, cause that means they're leaving me alone for once!

 

This was very nice, Jay. I particularly like to see the way Sam has grown. This was very enlightening: Sam joined him in the shade, surveying the garden proudly. “My old Da were a terror on weeds and such – but I prefer a more liberal approach. Even weeds have their place, I reckon.” Thanks, Starlight

 

Ann, this was too beautiful for words. I just don't know what to say other than I loved it--very much. Thanks! Starlight

 

Yay Aliana! May your twentieth year pass fun-ly and with much LOTR debauchery! *** Dwarven Tribute Elboron squinted. When they said the dwarf was going to sing, he had thought, Valar help us all. And then he had schooled his face into a polite, expressionless mask – watching as the dwarf lumbered up to the front of the room… When the song ended, and the last wavering notes of Gimli’s husky timbre dissolved against the stones, Elboron found himself leaning forward on his elbows, chewing his lip to hide the wavering of his chin. His father’s eyes were red. “Thank you, my friend,” Father said. “You’ve given my brother a beautiful tribute.” Gimli gave a bashful snort. *** Happy (early) bday! Aeneid

 

When they said the dwarf was going to sing, he had thought, Valar help us all. Wheeee!! Thank you, Aeneid!! This is great--he sings--who knew?! I liked this part especially--v. nice: When the song ended, and the last wavering notes of Gimli’s husky timbre dissolved against the stones... Not in any way connected to the forthcoming LotR musical, is it?

 

A drabble-and-a-quarter, Elrond and Sam, just for you. I'll post this in the Workshop when I make heads or tails of what the blasted thing is. In the meantime... have the very happiest of birthdays! ~ Stay Back “But you won’t send him off alone, surely, Master?” said Sam, leaping out of hiding. Mount Doom erupted. Smoke and ash flew into the air. Chunks of burning rock clattered around them, and the ground ran with blood. “Stay back!” cried Gil-galad. He rushed to the burning mountain, making for the tall figure of black. His spear glinted in the firelight. Elrond lurched forward to follow him, but Círdan’s firm hand restrained him. “Stay back, you fool!” shouted the Shipwright, harsh with anger and his own worry. Elrond strained to see the battle, strained to free himself from Círdan’s grip. “Gil-galad!” There was no answer. Birdsong danced around him. A smile touched Elrond’s face as he regarded the hobbit before him. “No indeed,” he said. ~ -Ithiliel

 

Hi, Pippin's Lass! I was confused about your drabble request. Do you want Faramir WITH Éowyn or Elessar as a child, or is just Éowyn as a child okay? Because I believe I can come up with something for that. In any case, Happy Birthday! I hope it's special. ~Nienna

 

Hello, it's the newbie, Loremaster of Anorien. My fourteenth birthday is on May 8, and I'd love a drabble about the Denethor, Finduilas, Imrahil, Boromir, Faramir and other family members during a celebration. As you have probably heard by now, I'm the president and single member of the "Gondorians rock!" sqaud which is why I would love a happy drabble for the angsty, oft mischaracterized House of Hurin and various relatives. Thanks! Namarie! Loremaster

 

Whoever told you that was lying. My money is on mass hypnosis or delusion brought on by lack of sleep. I have only met 6:30 coming at it from the other end, after studying math and/or cryptography all night. Yuck! All nighters are evil, hence I avoid them like the plague. At least that is all in your past now. Gondor loves her strong towers and walled cities, ploughed fields and orchards and stone silos. She has lost her roots: worshipping the land, forgetting Ossë's song. Bingo! Perfect line for the traditionalists who left—that's exactly what I'd envision the ideological justification to be (when it wasn't being vulgar and muttering about miscegenation). Thank you very much, Marta!

 

I have only met 6:30 coming at it from the other end, after studying math and/or cryptography all night. Yuck! All nighters are evil, hence I avoid them like the plague. I have kept them to a bare minimum too; I can count the number of all-nighters I've ever pulled without taking my shoes off. In my case they've all been due to lack of discipline -- I study, but have a hard time forcing myself to study *evenly*, spending more time than is necessary on what I enjoy and not enough on what I find neat. At least that is all in your past now. Almost, almost. I'm leaving first thing in the morning for my uni.'s town to take those exams. Cryptography tomorrow afternoon, number theory tomorrow morning. And *then* I will be done. Gondor loves her strong towers and walled cities, ploughed fields and orchards and stone silos. She has lost her roots: worshipping the land, forgetting Ossë's song. Bingo! Perfect line for the traditionalists who left—that's exactly what I'd envision the ideological justification to be (when it wasn't being vulgar and muttering about miscegenation). I've always been very impressed by Ghan's statement "They carved hills as hunters carve beast-flesh. Wild Men think they ate stone for food.". That seems a very land-centric practice for a people that were originally seafaring, so it makes sense that Castamir's group would resent that attitude. Marta

 

Oh, those Rohirrim. Sigh. What I don't understand is how Gondor wasn't just emptied of women when they came riding in. I mean, come on! All those available Rohirrim, and all those available women? I don't care if they were evacuated. Hush. Obviously, the available women of Gondor were waiting for Faramir, new Steward of Gondor, to wake up and start looking for a bride. Oh well, there's still Beregond, whose wife is probably dead since almost all Tolkien Men, including children like Bergil, can be assumed to have lost their mothers. Barbara - your USURPER drabble is scary but good...Ithiliel, I loved Elrond's flashback to the Last Alliance, the parallel between him and Sam...Ann, BENISON is a gorgeous vignette, tying mothers, wives and sons altogether in a bittersweet Mother's Day bouquet. RAKSHA THE DEMON

 

I was kinda surprised myself - I'm usually strictly a Third Age girl. Me, too, it's just that lately, I've been having urges to do a series on the Kin-Strife. Where the heck I'll find time to do something like that I have no idea, but it'd be fun. I love that scene, because I would be the one out there going, "If you can't spell, how are you going to be taken seriously as a threat?!" Good thing that helpful centurion wandered by and saved Brian's career as a dissident by preventing him from being ridiculed to death for not knowing the dative of "home". Man, I hope so, cause that means they're leaving me alone for once! *bursts out laughing hysterically* Once upon a time, I thought that would actually work—that nuzgûl biting someone else meant I'd be left alone for a time. Thirty odd stories and a double handful of drabbles later, I've come to the conclusion that my thesis, lacking empirical support, is of no theoretical merit whatsoever... *slinks under covers in vain effort to hide from nuzgûl*

 

Almost, almost. I'm leaving first thing in the morning for my uni.'s town to take those exams. Cryptography tomorrow afternoon, number theory tomorrow morning. And *then* I will be done. Ooh, good luck! That seems a very land-centric practice for a people that were originally seafaring, so it makes sense that Castamir's group would resent that attitude. Hadn't put Ghan-buri-Ghan's comment in this context, but it does fit very well. And of course, when the empire needs to get somewhere far in a hurry, the navy's the way to go... And now to bed, and now to bed—you too, since exams always look less daunting after 8 hours of sleep.

 

Hi, Nienna! Just Eowyn as a child is perfectly OK She's one of my favourite characters (reminds me of *me*) Parker

 

Thank you for my early birthday present. It was marvelous. As a researcher, I enjoy the information at the end as well. RiverOtter

 

Obviously, the available women of Gondor were waiting for Faramir, new Steward of Gondor, to wake up and start looking for a bride. Ha! You're probably right. And I've read a couple of stories (one of which was yours, I think) where the ladies of Gondor were rather miffed that Eowyn swooped in out of Rohan and snapped him up. Cause you would be, wouldn't you? Oh well, there's still Beregond, whose wife is probably dead since almost all Tolkien Men, including children like Bergil, can be assumed to have lost their mothers. Poor Bergil. I was going to do something for the Mother's Day challenge, too, and I totally forgot. *sigh*

 

Happy Birthday, Nic! This is not happy-Elrond, but I hope you still like it. I'll try to come up with something more birthday-suitable before the 5th :-) Best wishes for a nice, fun day, Starlight *** Memories Elves had always been wistful. Sam knew this. All that singing and story-telling was always about distant things. But this melancholy, and after the war, seemed uncanny. When he asked Mr. Frodo about it, all he got was, ‘Joy can also be bittersweet, Sam.’ He’d felt this in his heart, more than understood it, but after the lord Elrond called Merry by the name of Elladan, Sam knew. He’d never forget that face, so pained and sad under a mask of pleasant memories. Did his Gaffer feel like that about him? He reckoned it was about time to get home.

 

Ooh, very nice, Starlight! I like this one. For Elrond, the end of the war was fraught with sorrow Jay

 

Hello, Parker/Pippin's Lass! I must apologize! You see, I started writing your birthday drabble, and it somehow turned into a full-fledged story. Therefore, I now have nothing for your birthday! I might come up with something else; I might not. Can you forgive me? *puppy dog eyes* (Actually, you can probably blame those pesky Nuzguls. They swarmed at me when I had my guard down.) I still hope you have a happy birthday! ~Nienna

 

Hi, Nienna! Darn those sneaky Nuzguls I'd love to read your full-fledged story--please be sure & SSP it (I'm starved for Eowyn stories). Parker

 

Nienna wrote: Actually, you can probably blame those pesky Nuzguls. They swarmed at me when I had my guard down. Mwa ha ha ha ha! Music, music I say! This post has a point besides evil gloating. Really. A drabble-turned-ficlet happens quite often in the birthday drabble forum, actually, and longer pieces are routinely given as presents. I myself received two seperate 4,000 words each ficlets, a 700 word total ficlet trilogy, and many drabbles besides. It doesn't matter how long a present it: it can be as long as you make it! Just because it isn't drabble-length doesn't prevent it from being someone's present. So, really, because her nuzgul inspired you, you could give your ficlet to Pippin's Lass as a b-day present. Of course, that doesn't mean that you give it away, really: giving a b-day drabble/ficlet to someone is like an honorary thing. The birthday person doesn't own your present: s/he just gets to squeal to everyone else how awesome you are for writing it! Allie PS- Did you see this message of mine...? I don't know if you read it or not.

 

Please continue in the new thread! Allie

 

Thank you for my early birthday present. You're welcome, RiverOtter!

 

Okay, well, this birthday gift is, uhm, a tad, uhm, well, *ahem*, delayed, shall we say.  But, what else does one give to a flinger of nazgul, even though she would have had no way of knowing what she perpetrated?  {Huge thing... the spawn of Heirs of Isildur... fangs at least 6 inches long... big old AU fic that's latched onto my ankle and won't let go.  (AU?  *blink* AU?  I don't write AU.)}     

So, this is a small token in appreciation... I think.  Depends upon whether or not I survive this nazbunny sucking my life's blood out of my lower extremity. 

~*~

 ~Taking Leave ~

     'After a few years Gilraen took leave of Elrond and returned to her own people in Eriador, and lived alone; and she seldom saw her son again, for he spent many years in far countries.  But on a time, when Aragorn had returned to the North, he came to her, and she said to him before he went:
     '"This is our last parting, Estel, my son.  I am aged by care, even as one of lesser Men; and now that it draws near I cannot face the darkness of our time that gathers upon Middle-earth.  I shall leave it soon."
     'Aragorn tried to comfort her, saying:  "Yet, there may be a light beyond the darkness; and if so, I would have you see it and be glad."

     'But she answered only with this linnod:

 

Onen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim,

and Aragorn went away heavy of heart.'

LOTR: Appendix A.v: Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

~*~

The fields of my childhood lie fallow, their fruit harvested long ago.  The furrows stretch dark and choked with weeds beneath the moon.  Stones, tumbled from the crest of the walls that hem in the pasture, lie carelessly strewn as if at the bottom of the river from which they were drawn.  The forest marches dark and silent upon the edge of the meadow.  It is quiet here, for my mother has forsaken the halls of Elrond and returned to her kin, to live alone in this place.  

Here I return to a home that I have not known since first I learned the speech of Men.  I have scant memory of this place, though once I knew the fields when they grew high with grain and the pasture when it was full of sheep and cattle.  Perhaps the flash of sunlight upon the water of the river in my eyes and a mother's sharp call to her errant child when he strayed too near its depths.  Or the thudding of my heart and my father's laughter when he set his young son upon the high back of his steed.  

"Estel min," she had said at our parting tonight and brushed her knuckles upon my cheek as if I were still a boy, her skin thin silk over bones as light as a bird's.  For that moment, I saw her with the eyes of my father, the beauty that held him bound.  Well do I understand it.  And full well does my heart dread the day the door of that gentle trap shall spring open.  

'Onen i-Estel Edain…'

Would that I could see these fields as she does, to know the days when she had husband and home, when she claimed hope as her own.  

'ú-chebin estel anim.'

Would that she could see the world as I do, to trust the promise of days when all hopes may be fulfilled beyond the gathering Darkness.  

But, the night is cool, and though I cannot sleep, the tree against which I lean my back is strong and the leaf which I smoke smells sweet.  In sleep's stead, I must content myself with watching the moon rise over the remains of my father's home.  

When this night is done, I return to the world of men, though I take my mother's hope with me.  May she find some small peace in what memories linger here.