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h4rrypotterf4n · 1 year

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Stuffed animal

Pairing: Legolas x Reader

Wordcount: 1210 words

Warnings: hurt to comfort; The fellowship being mean to reader

Summary: After the fellowship made fun of you sleeping with a stuffed animal a certain elf is there to comfort you.

Finally, you were able to rest a bit. Aragorn and Gandalf found a clearing in the forest they both agreed on resting for the night. So, the fellowship prepared their bedrolls. When they finished Sam began to cook dinner, Aragorn sharpened his sword, Gandalf watched how Boromir tried to teach the hobbits how to make a fire, Legolas rested with his eyes closed against a tree and you were preoccupied with staring at the elf across from you. You’ve had a crush on him since you first saw him at the council of Elrond. And how could you not? Long blond hair, icy blue eyes, a fierce warrior, you could rant about him all day.

“My lady,” Aragorn pulled your gaze away, while he gave you a plate of soup.

“Thanks, Aragorn,” you responded gratefully.

“You know,” he began as he sat next to you, “you should just tell him, that you fancy him,” you nearly choked on your soup at his declaration.

“I- what?”

“Come on, it is painfully obvious that you both like each other,” he left you stunned, to say the least and walked over to Gandalf.

Soon darkness fell upon the camp and the only source of light was the slowly dimming fire. The fellowship sounded asleep, so you slowly sat up and as quiet as possible opened your bag and pulled your stuffed animal out. You can’t sleep without it but felt ashamed of your little habit and chose to hide it from the others. As a woman it was hard enough to proof that you were capable of this quest. You cuddled against it and let the faint sounds of the fire and the snores of Gimli lull you to sleep.

You woke up to loud laughter from your friends. Groaning you turned to the other side trying to shut them out and get a bit more rest. But as your mind slowly came to its senses, you missed the light weight in your arm. Hastily you opened your eyes to see your little friend wasn’t anywhere near you. You hurriedly began searching for it through your things.

“Do you miss something?” Gimli laughed at you, while he held your stuffed animal up.

“Our fierce warrior sleeps with a stuffed animal who would have thought of that?” Boromir mocked you. You looked around hoping someone would defend you. But the hobbits just laughed along, even Aragorn and Gandalf smirked at their cruel jokes and Legolas was nowhere in sight, he was probably looking for any danger ahead of us.

As the humiliation became too much and you felt tears threatening to fall you ran into the forest. You only stopped when your vision was too blurry to see properly. Sinking down with your back against a tree you buried your head in your bend knees, while you continued to cry.

Meanwhile Legolas came back from inspecting the further road. Thanks to his elven ears he heard the conversation, and he was furious. Because unbeknownst to you he also had his eyes on you since the day he first saw you.

“What was that?” Legolas asked in a stern tone.

“Oh, we just had a bit fun,” Gimli answered still laughing.

“Fun for whom? Because of what I’ve witnessed (Y/N) just ran crying into the forest,” the elf bit angrily back.

“Maybe it’s better if she’s gone. I mean if she still sleeps with a stuffed animal she can’t be of much help, can she?” Boromir piped in defending Gimli.

“She is a strong warrior with a kind and loving heart. She is a perfect addition to this company. She has proven herself often enough. We all know that. And besides everyone has something from home to remind us of it,” Legolas pointed out and everyone fell silent knowing he was right, „For example Gimli, you have your necklace with pictures of your family. Aragorn, you have your evenstar and Frodo, you have your mithril shirt. So why shouldn’t she be allowed to have something, that remind her of her home?” he went on in rage and the fellowship let their gaze fall to the ground in shame, knowing he was right.

“While I go looking for her, I advise you all start thinking of a good apology for her,” he said already walking in the direction you took off but not without your stuffed animal.

While he searched for you, he freed it from a few leaves that were tangled in the soft fur from sleeping on the ground until he picked up quiet sobs ahead of him.

The sight in front of him broke his heart your whole body shook with the sobs you desperately tried to muffle with your hand.

“I think you forgot someone,” Legolas spoke as softly as he could. Startled you looked up to see he was now sitting beside you with your little comforter sitting in his lap.

“G-Go away, Legolas,” it warmed your heart that he was trying to comfort you, but you do not want him to see you like this.

“So, you want me to return with your friend?”

“It’s stupid anyway,” you grabbed it and threw it away which shocked Legolas. The elf stood up and walked over to the poor animal to pick it up.

“I do not think it’s stupid. I actually think it is quite relatable,” you looked up at him to find there was no lie in his eyes and your stuffed animal closely held to his chest.

“You don’t?”

“No, I could not for I too miss my home. Every one of us does and it is cruel to make fun out of something, that helps you,” the elf explained softly sitting next to you again.

“I got it from my parents when I was a child. It’s the only thing I still have of my family. They died

w-when I was young, “

“Which makes it even more understandable that you carry it with you,”

“You really do not think of it as stupid or childish? “

„No, I don’t. I can’t think that of someone I love, “

he blurted out and started to lightly blush as he realized what he had said.

„Y-you love me? “ You asked kind of shocked.

He thought for a second what he should do now but decided for the truth.

„Yes, “ he whispered as he looked to his feet.

“I love you too,” you whispered back making eye contact with him when he looked up. You watched as a smile came upon his features and involuntary you mimicked him. Slowly he leaned closer to you but before your lips touched, he stopped.

“May I?” Legolas whispered looking down towards your lips. Instead of answering you closed the gap between you two. Trying to convey every emotion Legolas felt for you he kissed you back.

“How about we go back and give the others the chance to apologize to you?” He asked when you both broke away from one another for air. You nodded in agreement and stood up with the help of Legolas hand. For the whole way back, he didn’t let go of your hand instead he looked at you with a smile on his face.

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jamdoughnutmagician · 6 months

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New Ink

Tattoo Artists!Eddie x Reader (Fluff)

Getting your first tattoo should be a nervy experience, but having a cute tattoo artist to hold your hand through it, then surely things aren't all bad? (sorry I suck at summaries)

Also, let it be known that the authour doesn't have any tattoos, nor does she know anything about what it's like to get a tattoo.

*actually update, the author now does have a tattoo 😛*

Word count:1,680

Masterlist Eddie Munson Masterlist

You pushed yourself through the door of the tattoo parlour, and began to make your way towards the front counter where a boy with hazel brown eyes, a shaggy mess of brown hair and a sleeve of various different colourful tattoos greeted you.

"Hi there, I’m Steve and welcome to Hellfire Tattoo Parlour, what can I help you with today?" The boy smiles brightly.

"Um, well, I'd been considering getting a tattoo for a while, and I was wondering if maybe you have any available slots?" You ask, slightly nervously.

"Is this your first time getting a tattoo?" He nods, looking up at you

"Is it that obvious?" You chuckle.

The boy flips through his register book for a moment, before turning to look back up at you.

"Well, first of all I would have to book you in for a consultation with one of our artists, you know, to talk about what you want and what not, and since it’s your first time getting a tattoo we’ll be able to talk you through what goes on.” he explains.

You nod, as you listen to what Steve has to tell you.

“We’ve got a space for a consultation in a week's time? How does 11:30 sound to you?”

“That sounds great, thank you!” you smile.

“Perfect! I’ll just schedule you in here.” Steve nods, turning to write down your name and contact details in his appointment book. “Let me also just say, that if you have any picture references, or pictures you want to bring in to help us get a feel for what sort of design you would like, then that would be helpful.”

“Oh okay! Thanks!”

“Alright then, that’s you all booked in for a consultation next week! We’ll see you then.” Steve tells you with a friendly smile

You thank him once more before leaving the tattoo parlour with a pep in your step, happy that you’d finally bit the bullet and made the first steps to actually getting the tattoo.

“Hey Harrington, who was that girl?” Eddie says as he casually strolls up to the front counter. “She was kinda cute, don’t ‘ya think?”

“That was a new client, she’s booked in for a consultation next week, with you no less, so if you could keep it in your pants until after everythings all sorted that would be great, Munson.”

A heated flush crept up from Eddie’s chest and bloomed over his cheeks in a scarlet blush. Busted.

He swallowed down his embarrassment and promised Steve to be on his best behaviour next week.

Sure enough your appointment rolled around and you found yourself sitting on the small couch with your artist, Eddie. He was tall, dark, and far too handsome for his own good. His hair is tied back in a loose, messy bun that rests at the nape of his neck, and his intricate gathering of smaller tattoos that make up one larger sleeve piece sprawl from underneath the sleeve of his Metallica t-shirt. However it’s not that draws you into him. It’s when you look past his septum pierced, freckled nose, that his big chocolate brown eyes draw you in. The way they sparkle with a honeyed glow under the studio lights of the tattoo parlour.

“So what sort of tattoo did you have in mind?”

“Well, you know Lord of The Rings?” you start cautiously.

Eddie nodded, it was one of his favourite books, and when the films had come out, they too had become fast and firm favourites of his.

“I really wanted Arwen’s evenstar.” You explain. “And I was thinking of having it by here” you continue running your hand against the side of your ribs.

“So, Harrington was telling me that this is your first tattoo?”

You nod as he continues to speak.

“Well let me just tell you that the ribs can be a particularly sensitive place for a tattoo, I should know. I’ve got a sword right here" he says pointing to the right side of his torso "..And that hurt like a bitch." he chuckles.

“Well I was kind of hoping to have in a discreet place, besides I’m a tough girl, I can handle a little pain.” you tell him confidently.

“Well it sounds like you know what you want, how about you give me some time to put together a design for you, and you can come back later on to see if you like it or if there’s anything we can tweak and then we can go from there?” he proposes.

“I like the sound of that!”

“Great! If you swing back at around 2:00, then I should have a sketch for you to review.”

“Okay! Thank you so much!” you say standing up and offering your hand up for him to shake. “2:00 it is.”

He gladly takes your hand, giving it a friendly shake.

“I’ll see you then." And with that he bids you goodbye, and watches as you make your way out of the shop.

He waits until you're completely out of sight before huffing out a breath.

"She's so cute. I'm fucked." he sighs.

"Yes. Yes you are." Steve laughs, clapping a hand on Eddie's back. “Now shouldn’t you be getting back to work?”

Eddie is just putting the finishing touches on his sketches of your tattoo design when you come back into the shop.

He welcomes you to sit on the couch in the studio so he can show you his work.

"So here's the design I had sketched out, let me know what you think of it."

"It's perfect!" You beam brightly.

"Really? Because I did have a few other sketches done if you wanted to see?" He offers.

"No, no, this one's perfect! It's exactly as I had imagined in my head!" You tell him.

"Well, thank you, I'm kind of a Tolkien fan myself, and those films are very dear to me, so I should know what the Evenstar looks like."

Not only was he cute, but you had a shared interest, and that just made him all the cuter in your eyes.

"I've got no other clients for today, if you're up for it I could do it for you now?"

You nod excitedly, eager to have your very first tattoo.

"Thank you! That sounds great!" You tell him with a smile.

"Awesome! I'll just get everything I need set up and I'll come get you in a bit, okay?"

Eddie has you lie down on the padded table in his tattoo studio, the leather of the dark cushions squeaking as you adjust yourself to be comfortable.

“Can you just roll your shirt up for me, please” he asks with a smile as he snaps on a pair of disposable gloves.

You roll up the hem of your shirt to expose your ribs on the side where you want your tattoo.

“..and your um-your bra too please..” he stutters out, fighting against the blush rising to his cheeks.

Way to keep it professional, Munson.

You pull the band of your bra out of the way, allowing him to lay down a tracing outline of his design on your skin.

“If you need to take a break anytime, just let me know alright, this is gonna suck for a short while, but it’ll look so good in the end I promise. You’re in very safe hands.”

The tattoo machine whirs into life, as he reaches for the gun and begins to trace the stencilled outline on your ribs.

It hurts. It feels like a thousand tiny knives stabbing you repeatedly, but you’d put on a brave front after being very bold about your high pain tolerance.

“You’re doing really well, y’know. If I’m being honest I cried like a wimp when I got my first tattoo” he jokes about himself as he catches you grimacing when his needle runs over a particularly sensitive spot.

You take a few shallow breaths as he continues with his work, pausing every once and a while to wipe your skin and to give you a small break.

He continues his work once more, adding the finishing touches to his design until it’s complete.

“Alright, that’s you all inked up! There’s a mirror over there for you to go check it out.” he tells you, peeling off his gloves.

You get up off the table and make your way over to the full length mirror to see your new tattoo in all its glory.

“Oh I love it!! It’s so good!! You did such a good job on it! Thank you so much!!” you praise him brightly.

“Well thank you, it’s nice to know my art is appreciated so highly.” he smiles back at you. “Now let’s get you sorted out and wrapped up.”

Eddie wrapped up your tattoo in a thin layer of plastic wrap and talked you through the proper after-care etiquette for looking after your tattoo.

You hand him over the money to pay for your tattoo, with a smile.

“Thank you so much, again. If I ever decide I want another tattoo I’ll definitely be coming back here and asking for you.”

“Well it’s always good to see off another pleased customer, I’d be more than happy to tattoo you again if you want, tough girl.” he chuckles, throwing an adorably cheeky, boy-ish grin your way.

“How about I give you my number, and maybe we can discuss my next tattoo over drinks? Say.. maybe this Friday at 7.00?” you offer up hopefully, desperately wishing that you hadn’t read this wrong. “There’s a great bar in town that does a great Old fashioned.”

He flushes with a pink blush as you grab a sharpie from the pen pot on the desk and write your number on his other forearm that isn’t covered by a sleeve of ink.

“Sure. Friday. 7pm.” he nods “It’s a date, tough girl.”

You leave Hellfire tattoo parlour with some new ink, and a pep in your step at having secured a date with the cute tattoo artist.

@penguinsandpotterheads @itsfreakingbats @xxhellfirebunnyxx @munsonology @ali-r3n

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x reader fluff #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x female reader fluff #tattoo artist!eddie

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lathalea · 5 months

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THAUC23: Scattered Through Time

This is a story written by @joyfullynervouscreator and yours truly for this years' THAUC event organized by @fellowshipofthefics. Enjoy!

Moodboard by Lathalea

Scattered Through Time

Relationships: Dís/Dís's Wife Rating: G Warnings: bring tissues Author's notes: Time is merciless. It devours every single thing it meets on its way… almost. Somehow, a handful of memories remained. Once, they formed a kaleidoscope of life, full of shapes and colours. Now, they resemble a handful of stained glass pieces scattered on the bleak fabric of the past.

These are the letters between Dís, daughter of Thràin, and her beloved wife, Víli.

Link to the whole story:

My gleam of golden treasure,

I found your gift; snuck into my pocket during our final soft goodbye? You have a skilled hand with the chisel, even if you claim it not so, and I can only hope to match the swell of love I felt when I pulled the stone from my pocket with one that my words may pull from you.

I miss you, I love you.

I will return to you.

I swear it.

***

My Princess,

My betrothed,

It is such an honour to address you with these words. I am touching my betrothal braid and can feel the pattern you plaited as if it was today and not six days ago!

And now we are apart and I will not see you for three more days… It feels like an eternity. And to think we are to be wedded in seven months! If you were here with me, in the deep mines, you would laugh and call me “too impatient for my own good”. Yes, yes, good things are worth waiting for — but you are the best one, a true treasure, and I simply cannot wait until the day we become One before Mahal the Creator.

I still cannot believe my happiness. Or... do I dare to write “our happiness”, my Princess? Our. You and me. A daughter of kings from a legendary kingdom, a descendant of Durin himself, and a simple Broadbeam lass from the mines. A story I would not believe from the greatest of bards, and yet… Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder if I am dreaming a beautiful dream… I am dreaming of the way you smile when you look at me, so tenderly…

… of the afternoons we spend together, when I listen to you speaking of yet another problem with that latest contract and your clever solution…

… of the way your hair shines in the firelight, or the way your eyes light up when I show you a new block of carving stone…

… of the softness of your lips and the way your hand feels in mine as we walk through the newly constructed corridors of your city… our city.

And of the way you whisper my name.

I love, adore, and worship every single thing about you, Dís. My perfect princess.

If it is indeed a dream, I refuse to open my eyes! The only thing I wish to do is to take you in my arms and hold you close until the end of days, my beloved. My wife-to-be.

Forever yours,

Víli

Read the whole story on AO3.

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#thauc23 #dís #lady Dís #dis #princess Dís #Dís x oc #Dís x wife #the hobbit #lotr #fanfic #f/f #f/f fanfic #f/f romance #love letters #ori #balin #happy ending

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sillylotrpolls · 7 months

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(Notes on names and translations below poll. Click the read-more link to see, for example, why "star", "noble", and "silver" were used in options.)

I can't be the only person who thinks "Elf-man" is a terrible name, right? Like, I get it Elrond, your family tree is a giant mess and you're like half elf, three-eighths man, and one-eighth demigod, and everyone you know love naming their kids with the same first letters as their own name (thanks for that, Tolkien, I just love trying to keep all those Fi- names in the Silm straight), but maybe you could have broken with tradition and given your boys slightly nicer names? It's not like it's Latin, either, where most people have forgotten what the words actually mean; this is your everyday language here.

At least Elrond and Celebrían wised up by the time Arwen came along, though "Noble Maiden" still isn't very creative. I think Elves just might have something to learn from Mormons in this case.

Pictured: definitely not Jolkien Rolkien Rolkien Tolkien.

Anyway, translations for Elrond's family's names and where I got the names for the poll choices after the cut:

Elladan and Elrohir (Elrond's twin sons)

The name Elladan is Sindarin for "Elf-Man" or "Elf-Dúnadan," referring to his dual descent from both Elves and Edain (a name given to those descending from the three houses of Men from Beleriand).[15] It comes from the words el ("elf or star") and adan, singular of Edain.[16] On the other hand, Elrohir means "Elf-knight", but rochir also means "horse-lord".

Elrond (Elrond)

Elrond is a Sindarin name that means "Star-dome" or "Elf of the cave", from el ("Elf" or "star", interchangeably) and rond ("cave, vault").[17][18][19]

Celebrían (Elrond's wife)

The name Celebrían means "Silver queen"[6], from the Sindarin words celeb ("silver") and rían ("queen").[7]

Arwen (Elrond's daughter)

The name Arwen means "Noble maiden", from Sindarin ar(a) ("royal, noble") and wen ("maiden"). Her epessë Undómiel means "Evenstar", from the Quenya Undómë ("evening twilight") and el ("star").

Elros (Elrond's twin brother who chose to be mortal and founded Middle-earth Atlantis and was, for the record, much better at naming children than his brother)

Elros was a Sindarin word that meant "Elf of the spray", from el ("elf" or "star", interchangeably) and ross ("foam, spray").[8][9] The name came from the Quenya word Elerossë.[10]

And while we're all here, epessë:

The epessë or the "after-name" is the third type. The after-name is given later in life, but not necessarily by their kin, as a title of admiration. In some circumstances, the epessë is chosen by the Elf himself or herself. An Elf could be referred to by any of the three, but the epessë typically took preference.

Galadriel is the Sindarin translation of Alatáriel, the latter being the Telerin epessë originally given to her by Celeborn. Galadriel means "Maiden Crowned by a Radiant Garland". The name itself is an epessë: her father-name is Artanis (noble woman) and her mother-name is Nerwen (man-maiden).

The poll choices were created using this Lord of the Rings Elf name generator. I tried to make sure I picked the Sindarin options, in keeping with Elrond's family's clear preference. I primarily used the "meaning" option, but you could also specify "starts with 'el'", "male", and "Sindarin elvish names" to turn up a list of names like Elunaer ("Light blue bridegroom") or Elanorchanar ("Star sun flower brother").

Although the generator has obvious limitations due to the nature of Tolkien's conlangs, it's a lot of fun to play with. Just be careful or you'll next find yourself on the Parf Edhellen (Elvish dictionary) and from there it's just a hop skip and a jump until you're in a discord chat trying to figure out how to properly conjugate "knitting" or something.

Finally, just because I have always loved this paragraph, a quote from Bigger Things by Blossomwitch on Ao3:

Most people had trouble telling the twin sons of Lord Elrond apart. Gimli did not share this problem. True, they were very similar physically, but to Gimli the difference was plain. The one hanging all over Legolas like the Mirkwood Prince somehow belonged to him was Elladan; the one with enough sense to keep his paws off other people's elves was Elrohir. Simple enough.

#lotr #lord of the rings #poll #polls #elladan #elrohir #please click the links I put effort into those

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agentrouka-blog · 1 month

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The rulers of Tarth are called "the Evenstar" and "Evenstar" is the famous nickname of Arwen in LOTR. Does this mean that Martin is pointing out Brienne and Jaime as the Arwen and Aragorn of ASOIAF ? Since Brienne will eventually become lady of Tarth after the death of her father Selwyn. But Brienne is also a blonde warrior lady like Eowyn. Should either parallel be seen as meaningful ?

Hi there!

I am not a LOTR expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I wouldn't be able to give you a credible answer on the finer details of that nickname within those books.

(I do, however, doubt that it's meant to imply a parallel between this couple and Jaime and Brienne, mainly because they don't share literally any other parallels with these characters either jointly or separately, that I can think of. Eowyn comes closer, but that doesn't make Jaime any kind of Aragorn.)

An interesting I thing I found after a cursory search is that Arwen got this nickname in reference to the world as they knew it nearing its end. If that's true, then that's rather melancholy, but it would fit with the general theme in ASOIAF of upheaval, endings and renewal, best summed up by Leaf, one of the children of the forest:

The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us." (ADWD, Bran III)

This imagery of the setting sun is matched by the concept of the Evenstar and both of these indicate endings.

Something often overlooked is that Cersei shares this imagery, too.

All hail his lady mother, Cersei of House Lannister, Queen Regent, Light of the West, and Protector of the Realm." (AGOT, Sansa V)

Also in reference to Tywin, her father:

By the time they left Maegor's Holdfast, the sky had turned a deep cobalt blue, though the stars still shone. All but one, Cersei thought. The bright star of the west has fallen, and the nights will be darker now. (AFFC, Cersei I)

Warden of the West, in the westerlands, the Lannisters in all the glittering golden light are still associated with the finality of the sunset and evening.

The evenstar and the morning star both actually refer to the same thing, though: the planet venus, all depending on its visibility in the night sky. It was also historically referred to as "lucifer", which can be translated as "lightbringer", the name of the sword forged by Azor Ahai, which is a hugely ambivalent tale in the books and resonates with both Dany's dragons and several special swords named in the series. The powerful weapon as a mark of a hero or a knight is a central theme in the series, and GRRM is begging us to look closer at what is truly heroic and what is merely a show of power or conceit.

An interesting twist here is that Brienne's House and island of Tarth is equally ambivalent. Their arms are sun and moon both. And their seat has an interesting predecessor associated with a significant knight.

The Sapphire Isle, as some call it, is ruled by House Tarth of Evenfall Hall—an old family of Andal descent that boasts of ties to the Durrandons, the Baratheons, and more recently to House Targaryen. Once kings in their own right, the Lords of Tarth still style themselves "the Evenstar," a title that they claim goes back unto the dawn of days. Many of the folk of Tarth, highborn and low alike, claim descent from a legendary hero, Ser Galladon of Morne, who was said to wield a sword called the Just Maid given to him by the Seven themselves. Given the role that the Just Maid plays in Ser Galladon's tale, Maester Hubert, in his Kin of the Stag, has suggested that Galladon of Morne was no rude warrior of the Age of Heroes turned into a knight by singers a thousand years later, but an actual historic figure of more recent times. Hubert also notes that Morne was a royal seat of petty kings on the eastern coast of Tarth until the Storm Kings made them submit, but that its ruins indicate that the site was made by Andals, not First Men. (The World of Ice and Fire - The Stormlands: The Men of the Stormlands)

Evenstar and Evenfall vs. the Morning. Obviously, there's a hidden history there that may be as interesting as the more recent connection of House Tarth to Duncan the Tall, another noted knight. But clearly, we are seeing a tension here between evening and morning. Brienne is the daughter of the Evenstar, but must she be an evenstar herself?

Given Brienne's connections to knighthood, to Galladon whose story she tells in AFFC, it may well be that she herself represents that renewal, a shift from evening to morning. Where the story of Duncan is one of disintegrating ideals, Brienne represents the choice to uphold them. She chooses to take up Duncan's abandoned arms, commissioning to have them painted on her shield:

It was more a picture than a proper coat of arms, and the sight of it took her back through the long years, to the cool dark of her father's armory. She remembered how she'd run her fingertips across the cracked and fading paint, over the green leaves of the tree, and along the path of the falling star. (AFFC, Brienne II)

Which GRRM goes out of his way to associated with finality and endings:

She had made a better job of it than he could ever have hoped for. Even by lantern light, the sunset colors were rich and bright, the tree tall and strong and noble. The falling star was a bright slash of paint across the oaken sky. Yet now that Dunk held it in his hands, it seemed all wrong. The star was falling, what sort of sigil was that? Would he fall just as fast? And sunset heralds night. "I should have stayed with the chalice," he said miserably. "It had wings, at least, to fly away, and Ser Arlan said the cup was full of faith and fellowship and good things to drink. This shield is all painted up like death." "The elm's alive," Pate pointed out. "See how green the leaves are? Summer leaves, for certain. (The Hedge Knight)

The falling shooting being likened to death is another interesting nod to the comet that lights the sky through much of ACOK. The one that heralded the birth of the dragons. Death.

It is the tree that represents life here. Given this context, Duncan's arms may not be her final arms.

A parallel in terms of imagery, knighthood and even history, may be House Dayne. Much like House Dayne (of Starfall) has an ancient origin and a fancy special sword named Dawn, you could argue that it has fallen from grace, the last "Sword of the Morning" (named so for the star constellation only visible before dawn) having been killed after guarding an imprisoned teenaged girl dying from childbirth. That's not knightly honor. Gerold Dayne is called "Darkstar" and describes himself as "of the night". He does not carry Dawn. Ham-fisted metaphors, no?

This is all my convoluted way of saying that no, I don't think this nickname is meant to tie Brienne and Jaime to Aragorn and Arwen, but rather part of a broader metaphor for disintegration and renewal, especially in association with knighthood, all expressed through Brienne herself.

Brienne, caught between Duncan (evening) and Galladon (morning), represents renewal, life, the way forward.

Jaime lacks this imagery entirely. He's no Aragorn. He's walking into the sunset with the Light of the West.

#brienne of tarth #star imagery #sunset imagery #metaphors #knighthood #true knights #false knights #anti braime #<- for filtering

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theworldsoftolkein · 1 month

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It Is Mine To Give - by Kalli Leaf

Aragorn & Arwen - by Kallie LeFave

#tolkien legendarium #jrr tolkien #middle earth #aragorn #aragorn & arwen #arwen fanart #arwen undomiel #arwen evenstar #arwen and aragorn #evenstar #the light of the evenstar #rivendell #aragorn fanart #aragorn son of arathorn

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melrosing · 11 months

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do u think we will learn more about tarth? i always wonder if grrm is being intentionally vague bc theres no reason we know so little about it even though brienne is a pov character… like not even house words? even the florents get a little index bit but not tarth? idk im kinda obsessed i really like the welsh/celtic imagery of it all since westeros doesnt really have that. I NEED TO KNOW MORE!!

Yeah I’ve always found it weirdly conspicuous they don’t have words, especially given the amount of time we spend in Brienne’s head. I don’t think there’s another POV for whom we don’t know that much?

So I do kind of wonder if there’s some kind of reveal to come about the role of House Tarth, it’s interesting that they style themselves so differently in terms of ‘the Evenstar’ and the way they style their names.

And I wonder if the celestial imagery is partly to do with the fact that (arguably) Tarth is the eastern-most point in Westeros, so the sun rises there first and night falls there first…. Idk I’ve always pictured the Evenstar as leading weird rituals based around the phases of the moon and the rise of the sun etc, and that the Tarths don’t really remember the meaning of these rituals but they still enact them. It’s v much headcanon territory but I do think Brienne will have a role (if not a major one) in ending the long night, and the imagery around light and restoring the normal phases of day and night could be cool imagery to pair up with that. Like Brienne has conspicuously been paired with ‘light’ in Jaime’s dream so 🤷🏻‍♀️

I used to headcanon Tarth’s words as ‘the light in the darkness’ but turns out those are literally the words of house fucking WAXLEY so these days I go with ‘first light’ or maybe ‘we bring the light’

#ask #brienne of tarth #asoiaf

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niamhcinnoir · 5 months

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Oneshot for Day 1 of #lotrweek on tumblr

Prompt: memory | history | home

This oneshot is inspired by these lines from Seeds of the White Tree by @GreenScholarTales :

"When she had first come to him in Minas Tirith, Aragorn discovered his bride to be both joyful and restless. No longer was the elvish reverie enough for her to fully replenish herself, but neither did a human's sleep come easily. It had taken time, and many long nights spent lying awake in Aragorn's arms after he nodded off before she learned to sleep and dream as he did."

•●•●•●•

The memory of smoke still lingered in the air.

It was a pale morning, one of Arwen's favourite kinds. The city of Osgiliath was just about visible, with a combination of distance and morning haze obscuring its ruins. The sun had not quite risen yet, but the sky was light, light blue, with distant clouds a rosy hue that heralded dawn.

Arwen knew the meaning of the rising of a red sun, and shivered, wondering how many of the wounded soldiers had died in the night. The number was decreasing day by day - in fact, for the last few weeks, nobody had died at all, and the remaining wounded were healing, slowly but surely. Even so, the old elvish saying remained in the back of her mind.

She wrapped her shawl more tightly around her shoulders and looked to the mountains beyond the fields of Pelennor, still darkened where horses' hooves had trampled blood into the earth, of orcs and men alike; black indentations where the Mûmakil carcasses had been burnt still dotted the landscape.

Last night, Gimli had regaled them all with a song in his deep bass voice about the Misty Mountains, a melody passed down to him from his father about the quest to reclaim Erebor. The Misty Mountains could not be seen from Minas Tirith, but the Ephel Dúath were a good imitation, reminding her of the view of the Misty Mountains from the Hidden Valley - tall grey peaks, blurring into shadow. Gimli's song was a reminder that they were grim, and cold, and very, very dangerous.

Now however, they were at peace. It was a sensation they were not quite used to, Arwen could sense that, but now the mountains slept, knowing the evil they held was banished from this world.

Arwen felt a hand on her shoulder then, and knew without looking that it was Aragorn, leaning back against him even as his free hand slipped around her waist. The easy way in which they slipped into such shows of affection, as in Lothlórien in times of old, was a testament to both the endurance of their love, and relief at its survival into this new world.

"Your hands are cold, meleth-nîn," he noticed, his voice low and warm. Arwen smiled at his concern.

"I have been here for some hours already," she explained. "Sleep eludes me, even now. I feel its pull, but it is such a fleeting thing. I confess, Estel, I am used to a different, darker feeling than mere tiredness - a weariness of the soul, where lying still with my eyes closed, or wandering dreams, would not bring much relief. Now that weariness has vanished - and thank the Valar for it -"

"Thank the Valar for it," Aragorn repeated into her hair, so quietly that she could hardly hear him, even as his arms trembled slightly. The Evenstar had been made anew, but Arwen knew that her husband was still plagued by visions that haunted the darkest corners of his dreams; visions of her life smashing into countless pieces as if it was crystal on a cold marble floor.

"What need do I have to sleep? The Enemy had been defeated, and even the Ephel Dúath radiate a serenity they have not felt in generations. Now my weariness has vanished, and I feel so light, that sleep seems so trivial an occupation."

Aragorn laughed. "You have a great many things to learn, rían-nîn. The mortal body does not function very well when it lacks sleep."

Arwen nodded slowly. "That stands to reason. I went to see Éowyn last night - she has been moved from the houses of healing, you know - and was told she was asleep. I was confused, because Adar always told me that sleep is the greatest healer - why then would she be taken away, if she still needed to heal?"

"He was right," Aragorn said, taking hold of Arwen's hands properly and rubbing them gently within his own. The increased blood flow restored some warmth, and he guided her over to a nearby couch where they sat and observed the view together. "However, you and Éowyn and every woman and man in the world still need to sleep - to be mortally wounded is not a requirement."

Arwen yawned, despite herself, and leaned her head onto Aragorn's shoulder once more, settling into his warm tunic. "What about you, meleth-nîn? You are the king. You need rest at this time more than anyone."

He ran his fingers softly through his wife's hair, the strands as soft as the blossoms of the White Tree even as its jetlike darkness reminded him of the night sky. Even more so when she wore white gems in it, or the queen's diadem, that sparkled like starlight. In his youth he had dreamed up a thousand songs about his lady's hair, or her endless grey eyes, or her soft white skin like silk - more than he cared to remember, as his skills at poetry had improved somewhat since then. Even so, a thousand songs would not be enough to do her justice. To say nothing of her endless patience and wisdom, her kindness and steadfast loyalty, and her love - her love, her love, her love.

To hold her in his arms like this was unbelievable, yet he could think of no other possible reality. Finally, they were together - he was hers and she was his, after a lifetime of patience and despair.

"Estel?" Arwen could tell he was lost in thought. "What of your sleep?"

Aragorn came back to reality slowly, and laughed softly, answering with a question, as he had in the days of their courtship in Lothlórien where they spoke in nothing but riddles and song. "Do you know what home means to a human, a mortal human?"

"Home." Arwen thought about it.

Just then the sun graced the eastern horizon and crept over the balcony rails, slowly and steadily bringing light to the White City. Soon the haze that lingered in the distance would be dispelled; soon the daily work of rebuilding the city would begin. Arwen would find herself in high demand again, surrounded on all sides by men and women who sought her guidance and leadership as their queen. She loved it, being the one these people needed the most, being able to help those in need and provide the support that her people needed in this time of regrowth and renewal.

"Home is where a person feels safe," Aragorn explained. "Safe enough to build a family, safe enough to have a fire and not worry about attracting orcs or other beings of evil with its light. Home is where you feel safe enough to fall into helpless sleep, where you can curl up and rest without fear."

Arwen only half heard him. The edges of her vision were blurry, her head was heavy, and Aragorn's rhythmic stroking of her hair was making her feel very sleepy indeed. It was hypnotic, and would be an almost frightening sensation, were it anybody but Aragorn.

"Then -" just before darkness consumed her entirely - "home for me is with you."

Thus, the newly crowned High Queen of Gondor fell asleep in her husband's arms on the morning of the one-month anniversary of the Fall of Sauron, finally safe in the knowledge that she could be helpless - just for once.

•●•●•●•

#lotrweek #lord of the rings #fourth age #tolkien #middle earth #jrr tolkien #gondor #aragorn #aragorn x arwen #arwen

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ebaeschnbliah · 1 year

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'Now it is time to drink the cup of farewell.'

`Drink, Lord of the Galadhrim! And let not your heart be sad though night must follow noon, and already our evening draweth nigh.'

Then she brought the cup to each of the Company, and bade them drink and farewell. But when they had drunk she commanded them to sit again on the grass, and chairs were set for her and for Celeborn. Her maidens stood silent about her, and a while she looked upon her guests. At last she spoke again.

'We have drunk the cup of parting,' she said, `and the shadows fall between us. But before you go, I have brought in my ship gifts which the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim now offer you in memory of Lothlórien.' Then she called to each in turn.

`Here is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel to the leader of your Company,' she said to Aragorn, and she gave him a sheath that had been made to fit his sword. It was overlaid with a tracery of flowers and leaves wrought of silver and gold, and on it were set in elven runes formed of many gems the name Andúril and the lineage of the sword.

`The blade that is drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat,' she said. `But is there aught else that you desire of me at our parting? For darkness will flow between us, and it may be that we shall not meet again, unless it be far hence upon a road that has no returning.'

And Aragorn answered: 'Lady, you know all my desire, and long held in keeping the only treasure that I seek. Yet it is not yours to give me, even if you would; and only through darkness shall I come to it.'

`Yet maybe this will lighten your heart,' said Galadriel; `for it was left in my care to be given to you, should you pass through this land.' Then she lifted from her lap a great stone of a clear green, set in a silver brooch that was wrought in the likeness of an eagle with outspread wings; and as she held it up the gem flashed like the sun shining through the leaves of spring. `This stone I gave to Celebrían my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope. In this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil! '

Then Aragorn took the stone and pinned the brooch upon his breast, and those who saw him wondered; for they had not marked before how tall and kingly he stood, and it seemed to them that many years of toil had fallen from his shoulders. `For the gifts that you have given me I thank you,' he said, 'O Lady of Lórien of whom were sprung Celebrían and Arwen Evenstar. What praise could I say more? '

The Lady bowed her head.

The gifts for:

Boromir, Legolas, Merry, Pippin, Sam: ‘I have brought in my ship gifts’

Gimli: `And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?'

Frodo: ‘In this phial is caught the light of Eärendil's star.’

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Farewell to Lórien

#the lord of the rings #the fellowship of the ring #farewell to lórien #jrr tolkien #lothlorien #caras galadhon #farewell #gifts #galadriel #celeborn #aragorn #elessar #elfstone of the house of elendil #movie pics #peter jackson

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