#i guess this whole week will centre around maedros and elrond now loll

[arlenianchronicles]

Day 2 for Diverse Tolkien Week: Disability

Elrond’s Diary: The Gentle Touch

Upon my horrid clumsiness,

An error I have made!

I did not see where I was going;

If only I had stayed!

The metal hand lay on the floor,

Knocked down from a great height;

A ringing clang now filled the air,

Enough to give me fright.

Adar Maedros stood so still.

His gaze fixed on the hand.

Along its side was struck a dent;

‘Twas more than I could stand!

“Adar, adar, adar,” I cried,

“Let not your anger flare!

“Forgive me for I did not see

“Your bright limb resting there!”

Misunderstand me not, I beg:

I had no fear of fists,

That he might handle me with strength

And leave my mind in mists.

For he has never hurt me thus,

Yet what I came to dread

Was disappointment in his eyes;

A horrid land to tread.

But even worse, I knew that he

Still grieved the empty space

Above his stump, where long before

A hand once had a place.

Now several metal hands he kept,

And all for different tasks;

For Curufin his brother made

A-many with his crafts.

To treat his brother’s work so ill,

What Maedros valued dear!

My heart did ache; what else to do

But make my regrets clear?

A glimmer then I thought I saw

A-blaze in Adar’s eye!

My breath came short, my hands now shook,

And I began to cry.

I thought that he might turn away

And leave me to my shame,

Yet now he knelt and set me on

His knee, against his frame.

He stroked my hair and held me close,

And kissed my tear-filled eyes;

His voice was low, all woolly-soft,

And soothed my sorry cries.

“My dearest child, I promise you:

“My wrath you need not fear.

“Now please, if you will let me, I

“Will wipe away your tear.”

I thought his left hand he would use.

Oh, I was still so weak!

For he did raise his right and set

His stump upon my cheek.

And gently thus he wiped away

The fear and grief from me;

His stump was smooth, all flesh and bone,

As normal as could be.

"But Adar dear," I said to him,

"Are you not mad at me?

"That hand is dear to you, I thought;

"A gift from family."

Adar then did look at me,

His gaze all soft and sad:

"A helpful tool it is, and look!

"The dent is not so bad."

“I hold no anger for your deed;

“‘Twas just a simple err.

“It’d take much more for me to rage,

“My Elerondo fair.”

He murmured kindly as he worked,

And softly stroked my hair;

While ‘cross the landscape of his face

His smile wavered there.

And yet he did not turn around

To see the metal hand.

Quite soon my tears lay on his wrist

Like foam upon the sand.

I held his stump once he was done,

And leaned against his chest.

“See, all is well,” he said, “and now

“For you, some rest is best.”

And so we went, me in his arms.

I gladly kissed his face;

While his bright limb we left behind

Unmoving in its place.

***

Whelp looks like I’m doing these days all out of order now loll I initially wasn’t planning to use this for Diverse Tolkien Week, but I ended up going for it once I started the sketch process.

I took inspiration from Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” for their poses (which I think most of y’all are familiar with XDD) and put a familial spin to it. I’ve always wanted to draw something inspired by that painting, but I was never able to find the right characters or get the face angles right.

As for the poem itself -- many thanks to @thefifthbattle​ for giving me feedback on the first draft! <333 For its setting, I imagine it might’ve taken place in Maedros’ quarters or somewhere not so public (otherwise they likely wouldn’t have left his prosthetic lying on the floor in a corridor loll). Maybe it’s getting close to the twins’ bedtime, which is why Maedros is wearing casual clothes and also because I wanted it to not look too much like the last painting loll

This one is already up in my Inprnt shop as a print!