winterborn

Author: Az (Azmodan76@yahoo.co.uk)

Homepage: http://www.nad-no-ennas.net

7 - AN: nuttin much to say here.. other than I don’t know what the ME visions was on prostheses, I say they were possible and did exist *wink*

Betaed by; Calad prince of passion ;) RatiRating: r

Disclaimer: none of these characters are mine, sad but true.

Summary: Maglor implores his brother, and Maedhros listens.

Warnings: angsty issues for the weak of heart

Pairings: (over all) Amrod/Elured Maedhros/Fingon Maeglin/Maglor & Maeglin/Eöl implied


7. I am the silencing machine

Almost year had passed while Maglor had been serving as high king. He hated that duty with passion. But still, Maedhros did not seem to get better; his wounds had long since healed, but not the ones in his soul. This afternoon Maglor, had left his brother’s chambers with an ultimatum. It was over; he did not want to be high king anymore.

He closed the door behind him, noticing Maedhros standing on the balcony. “Maitimo?” he said loud, and walked across the room, towards the balcony. “A mighty fine day.”

“Yes…” Maedhros answered, and turned to look at his younger brother. Maglor fumbled with his crown.

“Here.” Maglor said, handing it to Maedhros. “It’s yours; I can’t do this anymore.”

“Nonsense.” Maedhros said, “You did just perfect.”

“How would you know? You have not been outside your door,” the black haired elf stated. “If you don’t want it, I say uncle Fingolfin is the righteous heir to the throne.”

“Fingo?!” ?!” Maedhros gasped, “Nay, I cannot give the crown and title to him.”

“And why not?” Maglor hissed, “He is father’s eldest brother, and this crown is Finwë’s, and thus should belong to the next in line, not you, not me, Fingolfin.”

Maedhros tried to get past Maglor, but his younger brother pushed him against the wall. “You better wake up from your self-pity soon; we need you to wear this crown. No one else can wear it right.”

Caught off guard, Maedhros looked down at his brother most confused “But you…”

“I? I choose not to.” Maglor sneered, and dropped the crown on the floor with a loud ‘clank’. He let go of his brother, and he walked into the bedroom once more. “We had an addition to the family a couple of days ago.”

Now, Maedhros curiosity was piqued. “What? Who, from where?”

“Curufin apparently had a son,” Maglor said softly. “His name is Celebrimbor.”

“You must tell me more.” Maedhros gasped, and quickly moved to sit down on the bed next to Maglor.

“Nay, you can go see him yourself. He is with mother, in the nursery she had made for him.” Maglor said, turning his head to look at his big brother. “He is the sweetest wee one; he even captured the heart of Caranthir.”

The red haired elf drew a deep shuddering breath. “Yes, you are right. I should go see mother.”

“Yes.” Maglor just said. “Come, Maitimo, I will follow you there.” He reached out to caress his brothers cheek gently. “She would be so happy…”

“Alright.” Maedhros whispered, “Hand me a tunic, and my boots.”

“Oh Maitimo, I am so happy.” Maglor said, almost shedding tears of joy. Could this be? Would his brother finally go out, even if it was just down the hall…?

Maedhros grabbed his tunic, and tried his hardest to straighten it out, to get a grab on it to get it over his head, but failed not having two hands to help him. The frustration was mounting, and he suddenly tossed the offending piece of cloth far away with his good hand. “Damned be!” he cried, and sat down on the bed, crying for all his frustrations and fears.

“Maitimo…” Maglor whispered.

But Maedhros turned his back to his brother. “I was right all along. What good am I as a brother, a son, or a king, if I cannot even dress myself…?” he sobbed miserably.

“Maedhros, listen to me.” Maglor whispered, as he wrapped his arms around his brother from behind, resting his head on Maedhros’ shoulder. “Your abilities for being a son or a brother does not lay in your hands.” He tightened his hold, and buried his face in the thick red hair of his brother. “Please Maitimo, you must believe me, I would gladly help you for the rest of our eternity, or find a way to teach you.” He heard his brother sigh and continued. “What if we went and saw the smith?” he mumbled.

“What can he do? Forge me a sword to cast myself upon?” Maedhros whispered back, wiping tears from his face with his hand.

“No, he can make you a hand.” Maglor whispered, feeling his own tears sting. “Please, if not for me, or your subjects, then for mother.”

“A hand?” Maedhros sniffled.

“Yes a iron hand, he showed me the draft of one”

“Do-do you think it would… wo-work?” Maedhros said, with a meek voice, “I’m afraid I would look like a monster with a iron hand.”

“No...” Maglor whispered, “You are Maitimo, you could never be a monster.”

Maedhros chuckled. “You are so terrible at persuading Maglor.”

Maglor bit Maedhros’ ear, and pushed him from the bed as when they were kids. “You always bite!” Maedhros whined with a smile.

“And you always tease.” Maglor spat back, and stuck out his tongue.

Maedhros got up from the floor and smacked Maglor over the head playfully. “You can help me, oaf!”

“Oh thank you, lord of a thousand goats.” He snapped back, but smiled as he picked up the tunic helping his brother get dressed, grooming the irate tresses of red hair into something resembling a hairdo.

And as he guided his brother out the door, he must have been the proudest elf on the face of Arda. “Don’t tell anybody I said this…” he whispered, and snaked an arm around the waist of his brother. “I love you.”

Maedhros laughed softly. “I will declare national ‘Maglor loves his brother’ day,” he teased, ruffling the black hair of Maglor’s head.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Maglor gasped .

“Are you daring me little brother?” Maedhros said clinging to his brother, trying to keep conversation light so he would forget he was outside his own rooms.

Maglor let his brother into a little room, who if Maedhros remembered right, used to be a storage room for old un-useful furniture. His mother sat by a tall candelabra singing softly to a bundle in her arms. For a second Maedhros looked at Maglor, Maglor just smiled reassuring and gently pushed Maedhros forward, as he closed the door behind them.

“Mother?” Maedhros whispered.

Nerdanel looked up and looked as though she had seen a ghost. “Maedhros, my little Maitimo, is it really you?”

“Yes…” Maedhros said, and stepped closer into the light of the candelabra.

Nerdanel started to cry, upon seeing her son he looked worn and twisted. Destroyed was the word that came to her mind. “Oh, my baby. What did they do to you?” she mumbled and extended a hand towards the tall elf.

Maedhros dropped to his knees, and grabbed his mother’s hand in his, rubbing it to his chin. “Don’t worry about that,” he whispered. He looked down at the baby in the bundle. “So this is Curufin’s heir…” he whispered, feeling tears threatening to fall.

“Yes.” Maglor said softly, as he gently pried the baby from Nerdanel. “Come Celebrimbor, we are going for a walk.,” he mumbled to the baby, who just waved his arms in response, half in sleep. He walked out the room, and closed the door softly behind him. They needed time alone he thought, smiling to himself. Things would be alright now. Hopefully

____

Nerdanel kept touching her son’s face as were he a phantasm that would disappear if she closed her eyes. “I thought they had broken your spirit,” she finally whispered.

“They had…” Maedhros mumbled, and laid his head in her lap. “It has been a long journey, but now I’m here.”

“Yes, you are.” Nerdanel said softly, running her fingers through the thick red hair.

“I couldn’t bear that you should know, I didn’t want anyone to know.” Sobs shook Maedhros’ body. There had been a time where he would have thought he would never bear a touch again in his life, yet he had been yearning for his mother’s soothing voice. Just her presence gave him the illusion of that everything would be alright. “I missed you so terribly…” He took a deep breath and started crying harder. “I called for you, but you didn’t come.”

Nerdanel let out a shuddering breath, feeling her own tears begin to fall. “I could not hear you my son. Had I heard you I would have taken on Morgoth himself to safe you,” she said with a thick voice.

“I know,” he whispered, “I would have done the same for you.”

Nerdanel gently lifted Maedhros face with a hand. “You are very brave, so much more brave than you think. A lesser elf would have told him what he wanted to hear to just hope for a quick painful death, but you my son, you are indeed the heir of your father.”

“I was not brave,” Maedhros said with a little broken voice, and closed his eyes. “I was terrified, I thought I would never see any of you again.” He tried to wipe his eyes, but too late realized he had no hand on that side anymore, so he just wiped his eyes with his stump. “I begged for Fingon to kill me, yet he didn’t.”

“He loves you, he is your kin. And he sees the strong spirit within you,” Nerdanel said, taking a hold of Maedhros stump running her fingers over it.

Maedhros stayed quiet, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. Fingon had acted out of love, and what had he done? Sent him from his side in the most cowardly way.

“Will you join us now?” Nerdanel asked nervously. “Will you see your brothers, or will you hide yet again?”

“I promise, I won’t hide again.” Maedhros whispered.

“Good, we need your spirit and your guidance,” Nerdanel said. “We are your blood Maitimo, we will never scorn you no matter what those creatures threatened you with. They lied.”

Maedhros got a flash of claws ripping in his flesh. They had not threatened him. They had defiled him, made him unworthy of his family and of the crown.

“I am here now.” he forced himself to say.

Nerdanel saw the fear that flashed in her son’s eyes, and a deep dark part of her knew what had happened to him, but she would not ask, for even asking was too painful. “Everything is going to be alright,” she said with a firm voice, “I won’t light another pyre for a son.”

-TBC-