A Different Kind of Purgatory [ Silmarillion ] 2

Chapter 10: Celestial Song

A/N: I wanted to hold this from you guys... But I couldn't wait any longer.

1440

Years of the Trees

The stars seemed particularly bright from their vantage point on the western slope of the Pelori Mountains near Taniquetil. Káno had decided they should take a page out of Tyelko's book and go on a camping trip for the first day of the new year, what Eve knew by now was called Vinyarië. For the past forty years, the members of the house of Finwë had agreed to celebrate Vinyarië as Eve's begetting day.

Eve sat on a large, fallen tree trunk with a bit of snow dappling the ground around her. Nelyo joined her, coming up from where they had made camp about two minutes away. He followed Eve's gaze up into the sky where she stared intently at the constellation Menelmacar.

"Elenwë was wondering where you went off to," he told her quietly, sitting down to her right. He huffed and gave a quick smile. "I told her you probably got tired of watching her and Turvo together."

Eve chuckled, breaking her concentrated gaze at the sky. She turned to him. "That's not true!"

Her objection caused him to snicker. "Fair. You and Finno are hardly better together."

"Hey." She swatted him on the arm.

After a moment, he looked back up at the dark, shimmering sky. He watched Menelmacar closely. "What were you looking at?"

"The stars," she told him simply. After a moment's pause, she continued with a small, melancholy smile. "You know how I've told you guys about that old story I used to...listen to? Star Trek?"

"Ah yes, the one with the ships that fly between stars?"

She nodded. "Yes, that one."

"You were thinking about this story then?"

With a nod, she replied, "Yes. Specifically the tale of the ship Voyager."

"That is the one where they cannot find a way home, correct?" he clarified.

Eve turned back to the stars. The constellation Menelmacar, Orion as she had once known it, had always been her favorite. In fact it had been one of the only constellations she could find without fail in the night sky. She wasn't entirely sure why thoughts of Voyager had come back into her mind. "Yes, that's the one."

Nelyo shrugged. "Perhaps you should speak to Queen Varda. Maybe she could let you travel the stars?"

But Eve merely laughed. "No, no. I'll stay here on the ground with you fools, thanks. After all, who would keep you and our siblings in line?"

With a chuckle, he shook his head. "I think Finno and Turvo need to be kept in line as much as any of us do."

"Don't tell me you believe the rumors." She frowned. "Nelyo! It's Finno, and Turvo. They aren't planning a coup!"

"Coup?"

"Like... a rebellion."

"Oh."

Eve watched him snapping a skinny twig into many pieces. His red hair hung loose and obscured her view of his face but she could tell by his body language just how tense this line of questioning made him. "Nelyo. Finno's your best friend." She spoke softly.

He sighed, sitting straighter. "Yes. But his family has changed. I never liked Nolofinwë, you know that. Nor Arafinwë."

"I know, I know." She frowned, picking up a large stick and poking the snow dusted ground with it. The mountain wind blew through her hair. With her free hand she readjusted it. "Your mother is going to be sad she missed this."