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fantasticmuseLivejournal was being a bitch yesterday, so I waited until today to post this here.
Title: Earthly Ships and Songs of Grief
Rating: PG
Characters: Aragorn, Arwen- A/B and A/A pairings
Notes: Two ficlets that can stand alone, but are intended to be read together. For the Ringprov song line challenge, except each part is accompanied by a verse, rather than just a line. The song is "My Lover's Gone" by Dido. Very, very haunting. *<3 Dido* Feedback is always appreciated and as always, these characters belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and his estate.
My lover’s gone.
His boots no longer by my door.
He left at dawn.
And as I slept I felt him go.
Returns no more.
I will not watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again.
Aragorn watched the river take Boromir. And it struck him odd that the boat that bore the Son of Gondor’s body sailed so smoothly toward Rauros. Unflaggingly, unhesitatingly heading toward doom. He felt Boromir sliding away from him with every second he stood there, as though his memory was riding along in the funeral boat. He wanted to cry out, run after, do something to stop it’s movement and bring back the dead. And the pain came from knowing he could not.
There was nothing to do but watch for a moment, and sing, a fitting song to honor the man he knew, the man he had admired, quarreled with and loved. Gimli and Legolas had understood, and done their part in paying tribute. Aragorn needed to share memory, before it was lost to him. This they understood all too well, but they did not try to comfort Aragorn. There was too much loss in his eyes and there were other things that needed attention, the fate of worlds still depended in part on them.
So on they went. Across plains and through battles, into caves and coronations alike. And Aragorn did not look for Boromir in the world around him, he no longer needed anything to remind him of his loss. He had shared the memory once, to save it. Now, he hoards it for the same reason. There were still some things that should only belong to him, leader of the people or no.
One day each year, he would not leave his chambers, and ignored the world at large. Alone, he remembered a river and a time long past. Those who passed by the barred could hear the soft song that honored a fallen hero.
My lover’s gone.
I know that kiss will be my last.
No more his song.
That tune upon his lips has passed.
I sing alone.
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
No earthly ship will ever bring him home again.
Arwen looked at her husband’s body, laying so still on the cold stone. So still she could not tell where the stone ended and he began, and she wondered if it mattered anymore. Her daughters wept and her son stood strong, wearing his father’s crown and his father’s dignity. She hadn’t the heart to tell him that looking at him hurt her heart more than any great song singing his praises, or whispered words of comfort that passed from the lips of some well-meaning courtier.
She wished she had been taught to grieve, shown how to deal with the pain in her heart that threatened to break her and leave her empty. But her people knew nothing, or just next to nothing about loss, so she instead she sang. That was something she knew. Alone in the rooms she shared with Aragorn, the doors locked to keep the world at bay, she sang the songs of her people. She sang until she could sing no longer, her voice breaking and growing hoarse with use. And when there was no song left inside her, she wept. Then her emotions were spent, but the grief somehow still lingered.
It surrounded her, cloaked her as she slowly faded away. Those around her noticed the change and were worried, but she paid them no mind. There was little that could trouble her, and less still that could make her smile. Her family was raised, all those she knew and cared about were gone from her. She had nothing left.
In Lothlorien, where she had fled to find a shred of comfort in her final, darkened days, she sang once, and only once more. Song was all she had left of love, and it gave her the strength to remain fearless as the world went black.
Crossposted in my journal and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ringprov
Title: Earthly Ships and Songs of Grief
Rating: PG
Characters: Aragorn, Arwen- A/B and A/A pairings
Notes: Two ficlets that can stand alone, but are intended to be read together. For the Ringprov song line challenge, except each part is accompanied by a verse, rather than just a line. The song is "My Lover's Gone" by Dido. Very, very haunting. *<3 Dido* Feedback is always appreciated and as always, these characters belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and his estate.
My lover’s gone.
His boots no longer by my door.
He left at dawn.
And as I slept I felt him go.
Returns no more.
I will not watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again.
Aragorn watched the river take Boromir. And it struck him odd that the boat that bore the Son of Gondor’s body sailed so smoothly toward Rauros. Unflaggingly, unhesitatingly heading toward doom. He felt Boromir sliding away from him with every second he stood there, as though his memory was riding along in the funeral boat. He wanted to cry out, run after, do something to stop it’s movement and bring back the dead. And the pain came from knowing he could not.
There was nothing to do but watch for a moment, and sing, a fitting song to honor the man he knew, the man he had admired, quarreled with and loved. Gimli and Legolas had understood, and done their part in paying tribute. Aragorn needed to share memory, before it was lost to him. This they understood all too well, but they did not try to comfort Aragorn. There was too much loss in his eyes and there were other things that needed attention, the fate of worlds still depended in part on them.
So on they went. Across plains and through battles, into caves and coronations alike. And Aragorn did not look for Boromir in the world around him, he no longer needed anything to remind him of his loss. He had shared the memory once, to save it. Now, he hoards it for the same reason. There were still some things that should only belong to him, leader of the people or no.
One day each year, he would not leave his chambers, and ignored the world at large. Alone, he remembered a river and a time long past. Those who passed by the barred could hear the soft song that honored a fallen hero.
My lover’s gone.
I know that kiss will be my last.
No more his song.
That tune upon his lips has passed.
I sing alone.
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
No earthly ship will ever bring him home again.
Arwen looked at her husband’s body, laying so still on the cold stone. So still she could not tell where the stone ended and he began, and she wondered if it mattered anymore. Her daughters wept and her son stood strong, wearing his father’s crown and his father’s dignity. She hadn’t the heart to tell him that looking at him hurt her heart more than any great song singing his praises, or whispered words of comfort that passed from the lips of some well-meaning courtier.
She wished she had been taught to grieve, shown how to deal with the pain in her heart that threatened to break her and leave her empty. But her people knew nothing, or just next to nothing about loss, so she instead she sang. That was something she knew. Alone in the rooms she shared with Aragorn, the doors locked to keep the world at bay, she sang the songs of her people. She sang until she could sing no longer, her voice breaking and growing hoarse with use. And when there was no song left inside her, she wept. Then her emotions were spent, but the grief somehow still lingered.
It surrounded her, cloaked her as she slowly faded away. Those around her noticed the change and were worried, but she paid them no mind. There was little that could trouble her, and less still that could make her smile. Her family was raised, all those she knew and cared about were gone from her. She had nothing left.
In Lothlorien, where she had fled to find a shred of comfort in her final, darkened days, she sang once, and only once more. Song was all she had left of love, and it gave her the strength to remain fearless as the world went black.
Crossposted in my journal and
ringprov
