Olórin sniplet
Mar. 22nd, 2004 08:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartAnother small part of the Reunion story. This one discusses Gandalf's possible fate after returning to Valinor.
He looked at his companion and startled to see that Mithrandir’s appearance was changing, subtly but noticeably. It seemed as if a thin veil of white light covered the wizard’s whole body; it warbled slightly, and for fleeting moments a different shape, a different face shone through his well-known features, like when one looked into the waters of the Dead Marches to see the faces of Elves and Men under the brook.
“Gandalf,” he said, frightened, “what is happening to you?”
The wizard smiled in a detached manner as if his mind were elsewhere already.
“My fana is about to break down, my friend,” he answered simply. “I will have shed it completely ere I set foot to the Blessed Realm. I am returning home and shall not bring any baggage from Arda Marred with me. Not even this body.”
“Your fana…” due to his heritage and the position that he had hold in Middle-earth for two Ages, Gildor of course was well aware of the true nature of the Istari. But knowledge was one thing; seeing the process with his own eyes a completely different one.
The wizard nodded. “Yes. As I told Bilbo once – it looks a lifetime ago now – I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me. But I am also much more than Gandalf… or Mithrandir, as the Elves have known me. My labours in Middle-earth has come to an end. Life comes to full circle for me. ‘Tis time to become Olórin again.”
To that Gildor had no answer, thus he remained silent and watched with fearful amazement the changes under that thin veil. It seemed to him as if the contours of the wizard’s face had become blurred and white light was leaking along its lines. Yet the Maia held his outer shell together by sheer willpower, for he knew that not even the white ships of the Teleri would withstand the sudden dissolution of his fana. He will have to let go of it slowly… after he left the ship.
“What will you do, once you have shed your body?” asked Gildor quietly, when the Maia finally brought his shape under the control of his strong will.
Gandalf – Olórin – smiled again, and his smile was full of longing. “I shall return to Irmo’s gardens and rest.”
That's all for now. Unbetaed and rather rough again.
He looked at his companion and startled to see that Mithrandir’s appearance was changing, subtly but noticeably. It seemed as if a thin veil of white light covered the wizard’s whole body; it warbled slightly, and for fleeting moments a different shape, a different face shone through his well-known features, like when one looked into the waters of the Dead Marches to see the faces of Elves and Men under the brook.
“Gandalf,” he said, frightened, “what is happening to you?”
The wizard smiled in a detached manner as if his mind were elsewhere already.
“My fana is about to break down, my friend,” he answered simply. “I will have shed it completely ere I set foot to the Blessed Realm. I am returning home and shall not bring any baggage from Arda Marred with me. Not even this body.”
“Your fana…” due to his heritage and the position that he had hold in Middle-earth for two Ages, Gildor of course was well aware of the true nature of the Istari. But knowledge was one thing; seeing the process with his own eyes a completely different one.
The wizard nodded. “Yes. As I told Bilbo once – it looks a lifetime ago now – I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me. But I am also much more than Gandalf… or Mithrandir, as the Elves have known me. My labours in Middle-earth has come to an end. Life comes to full circle for me. ‘Tis time to become Olórin again.”
To that Gildor had no answer, thus he remained silent and watched with fearful amazement the changes under that thin veil. It seemed to him as if the contours of the wizard’s face had become blurred and white light was leaking along its lines. Yet the Maia held his outer shell together by sheer willpower, for he knew that not even the white ships of the Teleri would withstand the sudden dissolution of his fana. He will have to let go of it slowly… after he left the ship.
“What will you do, once you have shed your body?” asked Gildor quietly, when the Maia finally brought his shape under the control of his strong will.
Gandalf – Olórin – smiled again, and his smile was full of longing. “I shall return to Irmo’s gardens and rest.”
That's all for now. Unbetaed and rather rough again.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-24 04:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-24 04:53 am (UTC)I really did see before my inner eyes the white light breaking through along the seams, and it did *not* look creepy. That's why I'm coughing up chunks of this fic here - to see how people react and iron out the quirks.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-24 05:25 am (UTC)Could you perhaps use the idea of his flesh becoming transparent, rather than separating, to avoid possible horror connotations?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-24 09:38 am (UTC)