Title: Mortal Time
Fandom: Silmarillion
Challenge: Genre
Other Prompt: SWG 13th Birthday Instadrabbles: Mirror, twilight, silver, delight,
-- February SWG Days of Bliss challenge.
Rating: G
Length: 200
Content notes: N/A
Author notes: Thanks go to Zana, Morgynleri & Runa for encouragement & sanity-checking.
Summary: The new age is for Men, not Elves


The final defeat of Sauron, like that of Morgoth, made for a shift in the world, the end of one age and the beginning of another. Again the land rejoiced, but it was more subdued, a restrained delight: the sea and sky and earth more fixed in form and working, set in patterns of growth, with less of deep change possible. Truly the time of the Elves was ending, one last twilight flowering in the reign of Elessar and Arwen. Silver rivers ran in the broken places of what had been Mordor, bringing slow health to that long damaged realm.

Mortal growth, in the fits and starts of mortal spans. Few now would see the stars of Durin's Crown in the mirror of Kheled-zâram; few would even know to look for them, though Maentâl made certain to, when he passed that way. The stars had not shifted, but perceptions had. The Great Music was getting harder to hear, seeming to change from song to speech, from symphony to story, wherein Elves and Dwarves, trolls and giants were fanciful tales, not living, speaking peoples. No longer home, however green in memory. And Maentâl knew it was time to Sail at last.