Many Journeys by Elleth

Salt Water

From the SWG discord instadrabbling session on January 19, 2025. For the prompt: "The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." Idhlinn, Master Healer of the Houses of Finwë, and three drabbles from her life. Warning for character death in the final drabble. 

Estelindë's feet are too small to fill her father's boots. She stumbles, as at the dance recital, and once more imagines the rippling laughter. Someone so clumsy has no place at a dancing school. Her hair may be Vanyarin gold, but her grace is lacking.

She grits her teeth, recalls the music and steps she had rehearsed until her feet break out in blisters and her forehead in sweat. Now she bounds across the room, whirls, stumbles again, falls and picks herself back up. If she can learn to dance in these, she thinks, they will eventually realize her worth.

*

Tears come unbidden. Míriel's hands are dainty, vanishing as she clutches Míriel's right in both of hers; Finwë is on his wife's left. They are both pleading, she knows pointlessly; even the bundle in Estelindë's arm squalls forth a newborn cry.

"My Queen, my friend, stay. Your husband and son have need of you."

In answer, Míriel's hand slacks in hers; she sighs. Míriel is gone, and even as a Maid of Estë she cannot help but weep.

After, she kneels before Finwë. "I failed to save her. Take me, henceforth into service, Noldorán, so I may redress my failure."

*

Gulls' cries are fading in her ears, darkness closes in on her. It hurts; with a healer's knowledge she catalogues her body: Sweat on her brow from the ill-gone battle, tears in her eyes, seawater rushing up. A fishing spear through her abdomen - she's the only healer left in the host capable of curing it.

A shadow falls over the setting sun turning the foam bloody where it is not already. Is there sun in Alqualondë? No, this is - the Havens, their surf. An ending.

A dark-haired Sinda above her. A knife descends, and she wings homeward over the sea. 

Chapter End Notes

If the final drabble reads familiar, it may be because I drabbled about Idhlinn's death before, in Homeward.