Day 317: He fleeth as it were a shadow

[tanaquiljall]

A long, long, long time ago, elena_tiriel gave me the quote:

'Mithrandir was lost!' said Faramir. 'An evil fate seems to have pursued your fellowship. It is hard indeed to believe that one of so great wisdom, and of power — for many wonderful things he did among us — could perish, and so much lore be taken from the world.'

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 4, Ch 6, The Forbidden Pool

and asked What were Faramir's inner thoughts and emotions, his reaction?

Day 317

He fleeth as it were a shadow

A part of Faramir selfishly cried out for all he had not time to learn. Not of magics and mysteries, but of the history of the world. For Mithrandir’s memory surely reached back into days now forgotten and lands unvisited.

Could he have recalled, if only Faramir had thought to ask, his speech with Gondor’s Kings? Or shared truths of the far North, where mayhap still dwelt dragons and dwarves from the legends of the Horse-Lords?

Yet the days had always been too short to learn all the world could teach, and Faramir's own end no doubt was hastening to meet him.

Comments

[allie-meril.livejournal.com]

Hey, you know what's a great quote? That incredibly snarky thing that Haleth says to Elu Thingol. A pair of drabbles on that would be phenomenal: one from her POV, and one from his.

[tanaquiljall]

You mean this one?

Now Brethil was claimed as part of his realm by King Thingol, though it was not within the Girdle of Melian, and he would have denied it to Haleth; but Felagund, who had the friendship of Thingol, hearing of all that had befallen the People of Haleth, obtained this grace for her: that she should dwell free in Brethil, upon the condition only that her people should guard the Crossings of Teiglin against all enemies of the Eldar, and allow no Orcs to enter their woods. To this Haleth answered: 'Where are Haldad my father, and Haldar my brother? If the King of Doriath fears a friendship between Haleth and those who have devoured her kin, then the thoughts of the Eldar are strange to Men.'

The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 17, Of the Coming of Men into the West

Ooh, yeah... nice quote! *ponders*

[allie-meril.livejournal.com]

Yes! Yes, that's the one. That's always been one of my most favorite moments in the Silm, particularly because the number of direct quotes is really pretty small. This one survived to get into the records of the Doriathrim and get passed through the ages all the way to Bilbo translating the Quenta.

It's just so snarky and makes me laugh, as well. :)

[elena-tiriel.livejournal.com]

Oh, this drabble is very satisfying (well, I mean to the reader, not to Faramir!)

Faramir seems so wise; he really understands what a tragedy it was to to lose Gandalf. He chides himself for being "selfish", but his loss is also Middle-earth's.

And he is so resigned to his own death... this is so touching!

Well done, Liz!

- Barbara

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks. {{{hugs}}} Took me a long while to work out what to do with the quote, but I'm pleased with the result.

[phyloxena.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

[tanaquiljall]

Good sigh, I hope? {{{hugs}}}

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

Beautifully worded snapshot of Faramir's inner thoughts on Mithrandir's supposed death - the great loss to the world and to Faramir, and the intimation of Faramir's own presumed death in the dark days to come.

[tanaquiljall]

Thank you, raksha. Glad you liked the language I chose - it took quite a lot of tweaking to get it right.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

This is so very perceptive of Faramir.I can just imagine him thinking this.

[tanaquiljall]

Thank you linda - as always, I appreciate your comments. {{{hugs}}}

[dkpalaska.livejournal.com]

Yes, wise Faramir: He would think of the knowledge lost, even more than the power.

[tanaquiljall]

I hope so, yes. *g* I can see him thinking power is important, but the wisdom to use it well (and understand enough to to have that wisdom) is more important still.