Character of the Month: Marach
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.

On Tides of Light, Antariëarcalindalë, begins with Elwing's arrival upon the shores of Eldamar after her flight from the ruins of Sirion. After Eärendil goes alone into Valinor, Elwing is brought to Alqualondë. Rather than hurrying toward the celestial ascent of Vingilot, the core of the narrative is the salt-crusted halls of Alqualondë, where the Falmari must finally confront the devastating history of Beleriand's three kinslayings.
Elwing must plead the Teleri to bear the Host of the West across the Sea. Despite a mother, survivor and also bearer of a Silmaril - the First Age converged on her: the weight of its sins, its accumulated grief, and the grace through which salvation may yet enter history.

Eventually they arrived, and Echeleb and Dernodhos ushered Anniavas in. Dernodhos found an old thin pallet somewhere and unrolled it on the floor, made him lie down with Limral—who had immediately perked up and started sniffing the air—and went and found them a heavy piece of cloth to use as a blanket. The frayed and ragged edges and complex, cut-off pattern made it look as if it had once been part of a larger tapestry. It was beautifully woven, but singed dark in places, where fire must have touched it.
“What’s this?” Anniavas asked, sleepy and curious—at least it was something to focus on other than his current fears.
Dernodhos paused, running her fingers along it, with an expression on her face he hadn’t seen before. “A memory,” she said.“Of a story from long ago.” She ruffled his hair gently. “I’ll tell you about it another time.”
-- The Mirror Crack'd, Chapter Seven, Without the Hands of a Healer
A series of perfect drabbles about Dernodhos's blanket.

Narvi adorns Celebrimbor with jewelry while telling him a story about the creation of mithril.

Narvi shows Celebrimbor the Crown of Durin in the Mirrormere and tells him the story of how it came there.

Melian chooses a home for the first birds in Middle-earth.

The departure from Dorthonion, as seen through the eyes of the child Rían.

Gimli sipped at his tea. “Knowledge, Master Elrond, for your library is known far and wide for its vast collection of works dating to the the time before Sun and Moon, and all that came after.” Gimli smiled. “Alas, I seek even older knowledge.”

A death and a rebirth. Proud Nōwē sunk to the depths as the Shipwright rose, foresighted and wise beyond all else on these shores. And his name was refuge, steadfast friendship and succour in time of need. A cry died unvoiced in his throat, the death knell of the brave and daring young Nōwē. Círdan would have to be so much more.
Written for Scribbles & Drabbles 2025 Art Prompt #85: There is No Ship by Shadow, which can be found here.
The title is taken from lyrics of There Is No Ship by Rose Betts.
Listen to an audio recording of this work here.

Three intrepid stellar explorers witness a crack in the edge of the universe and are guided by an ancient spirit animating an automaton to a strange and unexpected place where they hope to rescue their kidnapped cat. A cat who may hold the future--or its inevitable end--in his far-too-ancient paws.

A Tolkien of colour sketch if Varda.

The mood in Maitimo's house has been dark these last few years, and his father's eyes have been following him.
Inspired by the fairytale Donkeyskin

What then, auntie, separates us from the ones who left them here, save for the reasons behind our cruelty?

What is it to be made for a kinder world?

Once upon a time, JRR Tolkien wrote a fairy-tale retelling, an attempt to reconstruct an alternative version of the ancient poem called Beowulf, and he called it Sellic Spell: 'strange tale' or 'wondrous tale'.
Once upon a time, on the long road home from the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf travelled with Beorn to his home and spent the winter with him before they crossed the mountains. On a winter's night while the snow fell, Beorn told a tale of his forebears.