High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray

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Fanwork Notes

This fic is a sequel to Clear Pebbles of the Rain, which is itself a sequel to Unhappy into Woe. 

Warnings: References to past torture/captivity (both canonical and the events of Unhappy into Woe), past character death, etc. 

Fanwork Information

Summary:

They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky shores and the cliffs and the sandy beaches. The gulls, and the dunes, and the tide pools with their ever-changing denizens. Someone began to sing a song of farewell, and other voices took it up. He did not join them. 

Maglor keeps a promise, and comes to Valinor, only to find the ghosts he thought he'd left behind are alive and waiting for him. 

Major Characters: Maglor, Maedhros, Elrond, Daeron, Celebrían, Elladan, Elrohir, Fëanor

Major Relationships: Elrond & Maglor, Maedhros & Maglor, Daeron/Maglor, Elladan & Elrohir & Maglor, Amras & Amrod & Caranthir & Celegorm & Curufin & Fëanor & Maedhros & Maglor

Genre: Drama, Family, Het, Hurt/Comfort, Slash

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Mature Themes

This fanwork belongs to the series

meanwhile the world goes on
Chapters: 28 Word Count: 105, 991
Posted on 21 March 2025 Updated on 29 May 2025

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Show all chapters on a single page

Table of Contents

Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Twenty Seven

Comments on High in the Clean Blue Air

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At the moment, the timing of Feanor's release feels like a mistake, but I suppose it isn't.

But still, it is a lot for everyone to handle at the same time.

It's good that he managed to open those letters and is starting to question some of those strongly entrenched beliefs.

I would have thought that the best way to deal with the distorted memories of Nerdanel would just be to go and see her, but if he continues to find it so difficult, maybe he really does need Lorien first. (I was never sure whether he had not just misinterpreted that incident because he was in such a bad way, and whether what he saw wasn't really Nerdanel watching him in the Palantir.)

 Maybe all the less difficult reunions he is continuing to have will help steady him further and he might be doing things in the right order.

And perhaps his brothers may manage to sort themselves out a little further in the meantime...

(Whether or no Huan is being "just a dog" here, I think what he did was very deliberate.)

 

Maglor being handed down the family of cats like some strange family heirloom is excellent. I really like how that took me immediately into the cats' strange point of view and it just made sense. Also... Huan!! (I am very excited he has made an appearance) I am curious about what he's actually going to do now that he's found Maglor, except for delight everyone by licking them all over (can you imagine the size of tongue he would have?). 

It's feeling so sad that Maglor has such big hang ups over seeing his brothers when they clearly care about him. I get the feeling there is a lot that Maglor isn't letting on about yet, and I hope he gets the chance to unpack it in good time. I don't think he is anywhere near as "okay" as he's telling himself right now. The suspense you're creating with the letter's he won't open.... I am hanging in there to find out what Caranthir and Curufin want to say. And that letter from Nerdanel was like a warm hug. 

Aaargh, Maglor and Maedhros..... someone is going to have to drag those two idiots together and lock them in the same room until they realise they aren't going to break each other just from being in each other's presence. It might cause a tidal wave of grief, potentially. But they both need each other. They're going to reconcile with each other eventually, right?

All of the brother and family relationships continue to be such lovely warm hugs. Your writing is so easy to read. Lovely poetic descriptions and realistic dialogue. I am really enjoying reading this. 😊

Oh! Have we reached that point where Maglor is about to reunite with his brothers? I look forward with such anticipation to what comes next!
I absolutely adore the dynamics between Maglor and Daeron as you write them. It seems they are very good for each other and I am very glad that Maglor is not facing his family alone. Daeron may be better for this even than Elrond, I think. Thank you for writing such sweetness between them, the little encouragements and the playful moments where they warmly tease one another and sing together. 
Maglor's little troop of therapy animals is also a delight. I wonder if he will eventually acquire enough to send each one of his brother's a little companion as Huan has been sent to him? I can just imagine it: a little hedgehog or other forest creature waddling after Maedhros, trying to keep up with his long strides with it's short legs. When it starts to lag, Maedhros quietly slows down so that it may catch up. He manages to look dignified even with a tiny forest creature trailing him or riding on his shoulder.