hhimring: Estel, inscription by D. Salo (Default)
hhimring ([personal profile] hhimring) wrote in [community profile] tolkienshortfanworks2021-02-10 11:05 pm

First Flowers, by Himring

Author: Himring
Title: First Flowers
Characters: Idril, Annael
Pairing: N/A
Text type / Format: ficlet
Source / Fandom: Silmarillion
Rating: G
Warnings: allusion to canonical character death (Elenwe)
Word Count: 320
Summary: In the early days, just after Fingolfin and his people arrive in Mithrim, Idril finds a flower and decides to consult someone who might know it.
Author notes: For the February prompt "First Flowers"

‘What is this?’, Idril asked Annael, holding out the flower.

He was there to speak with her grandfather about important matters, of course, but Idril had latched on to him as a great fount of local knowledge and he had shown no sign yet of tiring of her questions. Sometimes he seemed almost relieved, even, as if her questions were easier to answer than those of others.

But this time he said: ‘I do not know.’

Idril had believed that Annael knew everything that grew in Mithrim. She had plucked the flower from among a cluster of others where it grew scattered among the bracken on the northern slope of a hill. Surely, it could not be so rare?

‘It must be one of the new ones that came up with the first rising of the Sun,’ Annael explained. ‘Where did you find it?’

This plant was so new? Idril was impressed, although to her all of Middle-earth was new.

‘If you are the first to find it, it has no name yet and you could give it a name,’ Annael suggested. ‘What would you like to call it?’

Idril looked at the flower afresh with new eyes. Now it was no longer a plant to find out about, but a plant to name. She was struck, as she had not been before, how very white its petals were, gleaming almost like ice and snow—suddenly, she was not sure she wanted to go on holding this flower, let alone name it.

No. The Ice was behind them, far behind them, and the snow had melted beneath their feet as the Sun rose and flowers had sprung up. The blossom of this flower, too, looked as if it was melting, almost, as if a drop had formed and was about to fall. Like a white tear.

No, no tears.

‘Snowdrop,’ said Idril, firmly. ‘I think it should be called Snowdrop.’
starspray: Vingilot sailing (rose)

[personal profile] starspray 2021-02-10 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
This is really sweet! I love the image of little Idril running around wanting to know everything about everything--and I really like the idea of her forming a friendship with Annael!
shirebound: (Default)

[personal profile] shirebound 2021-02-11 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
This is lovely!
silver_trails: (Daeron)

[personal profile] silver_trails 2021-02-11 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
This is lovely, and very sweet! I like how you included Annael too. I like him.
silver_trails: (Default)

[personal profile] silver_trails 2021-02-18 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Yep! =)
chestnut_pod: A close-up photograph of my auburn hair in a French braid (Default)

[personal profile] chestnut_pod 2021-02-25 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
How sweet!