East Away! by Flora-lass  

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Fanwork Notes

Written using about a dozen of the Title Track prompts (in full or in part), my poem has 20 lines, with the current TolkienShortFanworks challenge in mind. It's also in honour of Tolkien Sea Week (though late).

I've tagged it with Kids These Days as well - I'm far too late for a stamp, but it was that challenge which first made me think of writing about Aldarion, as he defies his father and heads off to find more understanding elsewhere. He's feeling quite sorry for himself!

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.

Major Characters: Tar-Aldarion

Major Relationships:

Genre: Poetry

Challenges: Kids These Days, Title Track

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 159
Posted on Updated on

This fanwork is complete.

East Away!

Read East Away!

Alas! Bleak heave the billows in my heart

As, like a thief at night, I must depart.

My disapproving kin cry: ‘Errantry!’

And bid me take a wife who hates the sea.

I hear the mermaid's flute and the sea-bell

As gratefully I feel the gentle swell

Beneath my feet. Here in the prow I stand

And do not watch the disappearing land.

With happy mariners I am at home

Jetsam I leave, lest flotsam I become.

This son of Eärendil and Tuor

Sets course for havens far from Numenor;

Craves the warm welcome of the Lord Shipwright

And vast, dark forests - ever my delight.

High King Gil-galad, far-sighted and wise

(Who reads more than my father in the skies)

Knows my true worth; my counsel he will seek

As I seek his. Now my thoughts seem less bleak!

While on this road, leaving the West behind

May I no tempests or new shadows find.

Chapter End Notes

I had to look up the difference between flotsam and jetsam, before using that particular title - flotsam is wreckage, whereas jetsam is stuff which has been deliberately discarded. 

This could be happening in SA 829 - but there were probably other occasions when Aldarion departed Numenor in a similar state...

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Oh, I like so many things about this! Your clever incorporation of the title prompts (and he is so apt for the Kids prompt!) And all his thoughts justifications (although I do also sympathise with him, torn between duty and loyalty and his own desires and I'm such a sea-baby I can't help siding with him!)

(I was surprised when I first discovered flotsam and jetsam referred to different types of things, but now remember by jetsam=jettisoned, flot=just floating.)

Thank you for your lovely comment! Although I think Aldarion must have been difficult to live with, I do feel really sorry for him too - especially when the sea-longing comes upon him and he can hardly breathe, or sleep. So I have him honestly believing that he'll fall apart if he doesn't get away... :( 

I love the ship and marine imagery you've woven in to this! And it feels as if it captures Aldarion just aright with the rejection of his father's wisdom in favour of adventuring, far lands and what he perceives as greater in Middle Earth. 

Thank you so much for your kind comment. :) Since we know that Gil-galad regarded Aldarion highly, I like to think the feeling was mutual - and I'm coming to think that Aldarion sometimes wished he'd been one of the Eldar, without the pressures of time or expectation of producing an heir experienced by mortals. He must have found Gil-galad, and Cirdan, very soothing company, I think (there was an AoA discussion about this a while back which got me started on the idea!)