Discussing: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Message: 55017
28 Feb 13 7:28 PM
Original Post
General Audience
Read-Only
The Nuzgûl of the Month new style, brought to you this month by Aruthir: Different Seasons:
How did the races of Middle Earth deal with the changing of the seasons? Was there a Lossoth festival of Spring, for example... or an Orc one for that matter? How did the Fell Winter affect the Elves of Mirkwood? What do dragons make of Autumn mist? How do Hobbits celebrate Midsummer? ...
Have fun writing!
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
(Author's note: I'm guessing that the paucity of entries for this Challenge means I shan't be invited back to set another, but hey ho, such is life... as my old Dad used to say...)
*
A cold wind blew across the bay, but Arnthorr did not feel it, bundled up in skins as he was. Even if he had, he would not have admitted it- not in front of the boys, at least. It wouldn't have been right.
The wind howling in his ears as he stared out across the Ice Bay, he clutched his staff tight as he remembered that night long ago when he had first conducted this ritual...
*
His voice straining to be heard over the howling wind, Arnthorr the priest recited the words as he had been taught by Thiazi, his mentor and predecessor. One slip of the tongue and WInter would last another month, he remembered, one mis-pronounced syllable and his would be the blame.
His lips were numb, his beard rimed with frost, but still he carried on.
He had to.
*
Tears ran down the old man's cheeks as he uttered the chant to banish Winter and bring in the Spring. Had any of the boys dared to ask the old priest why, he would have told them it was the hail stinging his eyes.
It would have been a lie.
*
Arnthorr's gaze shifted as he chanted, and with horror he saw that there was a ship out there- the great Elf-ship that had been sent to the Southlander king. Why had the man not listened to his warnings? Why had he not waited a day more? Why could he have not-
His tongue slipped unwittingly, his concentration lost.
*
The old priest would not mis-speak the words this time.
He would not.
*
Arnthorr continued the chant as swiftly as he had made his mistake, but it was hopeless. Even now he felt the anger of the spring-spirits, even now he felt them desert him.
Even now, he heard the cackling of the Talvi-Noita in his ears, even above the storm.
He had failed.
Winter would continue, and the storm would worsen, and the Southlander king and all his men were doomed.
*
Arnthorr opened his eyes, and there it was on the horizon- the Sun. Small and weak and pale, it might have been, but it was there.
The Talvi-Noita had been repelled once more, and Winter would soon be over.
The boys cheered, but there was no joy for Arnthorr.
Ever since the death of the Southlander king all those years ago, there had never been joy.
He wondered if there ever would be...
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
BRRRRRRR...
Much as I like the story, could your priest/shaman please keep quiet now? I really don't want another month of winter....
(And don't worry about entries, there's still two weekends to come in March; also, you have the bad luck to be prompting during B2MeM - not that I've written anything for that though 
)
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
And am I wrong to want it to be BtMEM?
Not as such, but I doubt it's going to change 
As for your first question... Ummm...No, I've got nothing...
Anyway, here's a quick rundown of the month and its history. It's not quite as hectic as last year's was, but there's still a lot of people tied up writing prompts 
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Okay 
The first is http://lotr-community.livejournal.com, which has monthly themed challenges, and the other you might enjoy is http://tolkien-weekly.livejournal.com/, with weekly themed drabble challenges.
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month March 2013
The muse doesn't want to talk about the weather (it snowed today), but I managed to drag this drabble on the Fell Winter from her:
The winter doesn't affect the deep forest as badly as the dwellings of the Woodsmen. There, despite discreet gifts of food left near villages, hunger and cold take a harsh toll. Thranduil shakes his head and grimaces as he swirls the last drops of wine in his glass. Things are not all bad. Elves don't feel the cold so much, and they can forage and hunt. The few spiders that come near Elven settlements are sluggish from the cold, and easily killed or driven off. But why is the only wine to make it to Laketown's market this vinegary misery?
