Formenos by Grundy  

Formenos

Formenos was not like any elven place Anariel had seen before. She’d spent her first full day wandering around getting the lay of the land.

Formenos was a walled fortress, and unlike the walls of Tirion, these ones were intended to be functional, not just decorative. They rose higher on one side, all sloping slightly. They had no sharp edges – it was all smooth and organic-looking. 

The walls weren’t the only thing protecting the fortress – its position in the terrain gave it both excellent views of the surrounding area and protection from what she suspected were the worst winter winds. 

Inside the walls, the buildings were all in different styles, as though the builder had been trying things out. Unsurprising, given the builder had been Grandfather Butthead. Shame he hadn’t lived long enough to do any building in Beleriand. 

Formenos had its own well, central to the complex, and nearly as fancypants as anything in Tirion.

She wasn’t sure who had put in the original gardens, but she did know those at least were no longer in their original configurations. Gramma Nerdanel had told her she could take what used to be the formal garden and replant it with anything she liked.

The main gate and its attached building had been rebuilt or at least heavily repaired after the Morgoth thing. That had been obvious as soon as she’d seen it. She was grateful they’d taken her in the kitchen gate instead. The main entrance had a really gross spot that apparently no one else saw where Grandfather Finwë had been killed. She was now slightly more cautious about going to visit the Tree stumps.

The approach to the main entrance was largely still as it had been conceived by Grandfather Butthead – a long gradual ramp led up to the gate. She’d been told in winter most of it would vanish beneath the snow, and it would look like the gate was at ground level. 

She hadn’t seen that yet, but she was planning on staying all winter. They’d promised her both skiing and snowball fights. (Miryo had told her she could have snowball fights with other people. Preferably his uncles if they showed up the way Uncle Moryo expected they would once they’d gotten into sufficient trouble in Alqualondë.) 

Her favorite building in the complex was an eight-sided window-studded tower, one of the few that had sharp angles. 

“I believe your California word is interesting?” Arador smirked when they reached it.

She glanced at him.

“Yes, but this actually is interesting. Someone kept busy while he was in timeout.”

Technically, the entire fortress qualified as ‘keeping busy while in timeout’, but this in particular felt like it. She wondered how long it had taken to build it all. She’d have to get Uncle Moryo talking. He’d know better than Gramma Nerdanel, since she’d declined to go sit in timeout.

“I think they all did, actually. That was the point of it.”

“Of the place in general, or this one in particular?”

“This one in particular,” Uncle Moryo announced, startling both of them.

“Why, what’s it for?” Anariel asked.

“This is everyone’s summer workspace.”

“Why only summer?”

Arador looked confused.

“Because Atto hadn’t finished the central heating system he envisioned yet.”

“So where did you work in the winter?” Anariel asked. “I know better than to think anyone let a little thing like seasons stop them.”

“We all have workspaces attached to our rooms.” He sighed, and continued before they could ask. “Tyelko’s used to be full of hunting equipment and whatever his favorite animal of the moment aside from Huan was. Ammë cleared out what little he left for obvious reasons.”

“Right, Celegorm left his room messy,” she grinned. “Guessing Haru’s workroom had no such problem?”

“Lots of sheet music, no dead animals or hunting gear,” Arador said cheerfully. “We can probably clear the worktable and use it for any projects you have in mind.”

“I have zero projects in mind,” Anariel sniffed. “I want to explore Formenos and vegetate in that order.”

Just because most of the family had zero chill didn’t mean she did.

“There’s always the library,” Uncle Moryo suggested.

“Only if we want to annoy Miryo.”

“It’s a good fallback if we get bored,” Arador agreed. “Though I may borrow a book or two.”

“Did you two want to look around inside?”

Anariel genuinely had no designs on anything like a project, but she was curious to see what the interior looked like.

“Yes, please!”

The ground floor wasn’t anyone’s in particular, it was reserved for removing outerwear and storage. A central staircase circled its way up to the eight floors above it, and a simple platform elevator allowed an easier way to move bulky things to the higher levels.

“I think the intent was for Ammë to take this floor,” Uncle Moryo said briskly as they passed the first of the upper floors. “But of course she never came up while we were here. She’s taken over Atto’s floor since.”

The higher floors didn’t follow any rhyme or reason Anariel could see as to whose they were or how they’d been decorated. She was puzzled to discover the highest floor had been Grandfather Butthead’s until Uncle Moryo clarified he also had a hot shop on a lower level of the main building. This had been more like an office or prototyping space – and the highest level meant catching the most ambient light.

“Remember this was before the sun or moon,” Uncle Moryo reminded them. “Starlight, northern light, and occasionally faint Treelight.”

Anariel had always had a hard time picturing Treelight before the Morgoth dreams. It was just too different to anything she had known. She occasionally wondered what the scientists back in California would have made of the idea of trees that emitted light. (And no radioactivity involved… the dumbest Big Bad in history would have taken an interest in them a lot sooner if they had potential as weapons.)

"Since you seem to be appropriating his rooms, you could take over Tyelko’s floor. It’s not as if he ever used it for much."

“Has Tinu already claimed Maedhros’ floor or can I take that one?”

“She hasn’t bothered with the summer tower at all as far as I know,” Uncle Moryo shrugged. “You can take your pick. Though I imagine if you take Ambarussa’s floor, they’ll be unamused.”

“They didn’t want a floor each?” Arador asked.

“Ambarussa share everything,” Uncle Moryo replied. “I had no other twins to judge by until much later, but they seem closer than any others I’ve met.”

“Whatever floats their jointly owned boat,” Anariel shrugged. “I'd rather have Maedhros' floor. It’s got bookshelves.”

Also would be the easiest to clear out whenever he returned. Which he would, because her grumpy Uncle Namo had said so. Besides, the windows down there would catch a nice breeze without being ridiculous. 

"Go settle in," Uncle Moryo nodded.

“See you later,” she grinned, dragging Arador back down the stairs with her.

“What’s your devious plan?”

“The plan is there is no plan. Except for maybe figuring out if we can hang hammocks in here. I’m going to find some books from the main library, rustle up something like a cooler, and read all afternoon. Maybe some napping.”

Arador gave her a look that said he was having trouble believing that, but he didn’t argue.

“I’ll go find snacks,” he offered. “I know where the kitchen is.”

“Great! Meet you back here in half an hour for a strenuous afternoon of lounging.”