Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J. R. R .Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters that belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for this work. It is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
A Nursery Rhyme of the Beacon Hills of Gondor
When dark is the hour and dire the need,
Flames across seven hills shall speed.
On Amon Dîn, silent hill
Brightest blaze the night shall fill.
On Eilenach, tooth of fire,
Flames will flare in brilliant spire.
On Nardol, also, fire head,
Another beacon light shall spread.
On Erelas, our vigil green,
Flares from far off will be seen.
On Minrimmon, our tower of old,
Fires shall shine ever so bold.
On Calenhad, all crowned in green,
No flame will e’er remain unseen.
On Amon Anwar, hill of awe,
The flames shall forth the riders draw.
When dark is the hour and dire the need,
Flames across seven hills shall speed.
On Amon Dîn, silent hill,
On Eilenach, fire-sill,
On Nardol, knoll of fire-sheen,
On Erelas, our vigil green,
On Minrimmon, our tower of old,
On Calenhad, all crowned in gold,
On Amon Anwar, hill of awe –
The flames shall forth the riders draw.
magnificent blending of religion and fanfiction, as he progresses up the trail you can hear the centuries long repeating by rote a prayer, and then you break it up in what could almost pass as a personal prayer to give him reason to believe more deeply. ^:-)^
Thank you so much for reading. This is definitely one of my stranger works, so it doesn’t get many readers. I’m so happy you liked it!
I only discovered this tale this evening, and I love it!
I, too, have blended LOTR/SILM fanfiction with aspects of Christian belief (See Resurrection and Resurrection II in my FFN profile), and was so pleased to see this story. I like how you’ve given us an entire society that we never thought of before, through the personage of the narrator, and the things he tells us as he climbs.
I particularly like the bit of a twist you gave to the account of the coming of the Numenoreans, and the possible reasons for them not allowing others to pray to Eru, except the King. Amazing what a difference of perspective brings, hmmm? 🙂
I do hope that you were able to complete your planned illumination for this tale for the cancer awareness project. Will you scan your finished project and post it to illustrate this tale?
Well done, my dear! Well Done!
Thank you for your kind words. I’m thrilled you like the story. It’s really dear to my heart: 2004/2005 I spent around twelve whole months working on it! I’ve never had a short story take so much time before or after.
And yes, during the next few days I’ll edit this version of the story and include the illuminated letters I’ve made, and make it also available as an eBook in pdf format for download. Just keep an eye on my blog – I’ll be sure to post a notice about the update there.