Tolkien Fan Fiction
Tolkien Fan Fiction
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B2MeM 2012 stories
By:Dwimordene
8
Pharmakon

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B2MeM Challenge:O67: Aspects of Aragorn: Traveller; Magic and Real: Chronicle of a Death Foretold - Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Rangers of the North: The Sceptre of Annúminas; Roles and Names of Aragorn: Stranger; Scientific achievement: pharmacy
Format: Ficlet (150 words)
Genre: Drama
Rating: K+
Characters: Aragorn, Gondor
Pairings: n/a
Summary: "'Poisoning' [is] not the least usual meaning of 'pharmacia.'"

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Pharmakon

The wise traveller learns the lay of the land – finds a map, a view, a vantage. Two scepters in stone relief surmount the door to the Tower war room: Osgiliath and Annúminas, writ in stone alliance. On the great map table lies Gondor, mighty in memory: there is no Rohan, but Calenardhon; no Harad but Harondor.

Yet Ecthelion and Denethor debate: they weigh the weaknesses of men from Minas Tirith to Dol Amroth, and play one here, another there, to scrape a bloc together. For their patient sickens yearly – perhaps is dying, and triage has made kingdoms of provinces, allies out of amputations. Raids sink ships and cities. Endings abound. Gondor withers.

If he would not be a stranger, he must deal in bitter medicine, but he tires of playing for parts and pieces and another short season.

“Umbar,” Aragorn says, and the council quiets, horrified. “We raid the shipyards.”

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"Poisoning [is] not the least usual meaning of pharmacia." - Jacques Derrida, "Plato's Pharmacy."