A Handful of Seawater and a Cheekful of Salt by Isilme_among_the_stars
Fanwork Notes
Warning: The story depicts mental health issues including dissociation, acute distress and one instance of self-harm. Please read with care.
A big thanks to timelessutterances for their beta feedback!
A quick note on names:
Maglor = Makalaurë = Randir = Ranyamo (Randir is Sindarin for "wanderer" and Ranyamo is Quenya for the same)
Nerdanel = Istarnië (Istarnië is an abandoned name for Nerdanel in early canon, from the same root as Istar meaning "one who knows")
Maedhros = Maitimo = Nelyo
A quick note on place:
The majority of this story takes place on Tol Eressëa, and as we do not find as much about this location in later canon I have picked up on ideas from the BoLT era regarding its cities and regions. Alalvinórë is “the land of many elms” in which the chief city of the returned Noldor exiles is found.
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Summary:
The last of the Elven ships are sailing and Maglor’s feet are restless. In the surreal version of reality his mind supplies there are ghosts to wrestle and hard truths to confront. In Tol Eressëa, Nerdanel swallows her own hurts in order to care for her son.
Written for TRSB 2026 Art #114: In Ammë's embrace once more as part of a collaboration with tomefaired based on their absolutely gorgeous cosplay, which can be found in the last chapter and here.
Major Characters: Maglor, Nerdanel
Major Relationships: Maglor & Nerdanel, Elrond & Maglor
Genre: General, Hurt/Comfort
Challenges:
Rating: Teens
Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Mature Themes
Chapters: 5 Word Count: 9, 136 Posted on Updated on This fanwork is complete.
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Table of Contents
Maglor sets out toward Rivendell seeking one he loved and finds an altogether different elf on the road.
It seems to Maglor as if Círdan’s ship has sailed him into a dream. Nerdanel brings Maglor to an estate both familiar and strange that he cannot accept as home.
Under Nerdanel’s care Maglor begins to return to himself slowly and finds the experience distressing.
Maedhros returns. Maglor seeks out Círdan, is confronted with a painful truth, and copes with it poorly.
Nerdanel and Maedhros care for Maglor in the aftermath of his breakdown and Maglor finally opens his eyes to other perspectives.
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