#ravames bane

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Amabilis Insania Chapter 4: A White Tree Burning

After many speed bumps and detours: she's done editing. Chapter 4 of Amabilis Insania is now up and ready to read!

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A long awaited RB preview (of a chapter that needs editing)

“How did you know?” I asked. I wasn’t really surprised, and didn’t bother to hide it.

“I sensed and suspected during your instruction…” he explained, keeping his voice low, while keeping an attentive gaze over my shoulder for any prying eyes or ears. When he looked back at me his expression softened from caution to something almost grandfatherly. “But I can see it in your face clearly now.”

I nodded, a little shiver running down my spine with the recall — the emotions and thoughts coming back as if they happened moments ago.

“I have… memories now. Hers and mine. Mostly mine… and a name. My name.”

Tindomiel. 

It rang through my mind like the words of a childhood song I’d been struggling to remember for years. But I didn’t speak it aloud, some shapeless instinct in me holding it back.

“Ah…” He looked genuinely sad, and made no effort to mask it. “And you have not yet shared it with your companions?”

“Not yet.”

“You should,” he stated, gaze drifting toward where Legolas and Gimli had headed to see Haldir and his brothers off. “Though I would advise you choose your moment wisely… and privately.”

“I was planning on it…” I couldn’t quite restrain a somewhat dry smile up at him. “Though I don’t suppose you can tell me why you’re giving me this advice now that I have my name specifically?”

He smiled, the sadness not quite leaving despite the warmth of it.

“You should know by now, Eleanor, that it is the prerogative of a Wizard to be cryptic,” he murmured softly, reaching out to rest a weathered hand on my shoulder. “So I hope you won’t begrudge me one more piece of veiled advice: Tread carefully with the answers you pursue weilding that knowledge, especially now. Each answer you uncover will have far-reaching consequences, for you both. Many that you cannot yet see or understand yet.”

I hadn’t told Gandalf any details of what I’d experienced in the memories during the palantir attack, but somewhere in my guts, I was utterly certain he knew exactly what I’d seen. Who I’d seen. Every detail. And he understood in unfathomable detail all the consequences of what was to come, now that I had this one crucial piece of the puzzle resting in my hands at long last — whether I heeded his warnings or not." Amabilis Insania (Rávamë's Bane: Book 3) Chapter 3: A White Tree Burning

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

No one is more suprised to see another update this soon than me, I assure you. Happy New Years Eve all. 🤍

Much love,

Rella x

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"Looks like neither of us can dance." "I’ll have you know I am an exceptionally fine dancer." "When you’re not three-sheets-to-the-wind from out-drinking a room full of roaring men." "And one Dwarf." -- E & L (Compos Mentis, Chapter 24)

This may turn out to be the longest chapter I've ever written for RB, and a significant chunk of it is a long overdue (slightly drunk) conversation between these two. I'm currently at almost 11,000 words, and I'm still not quite finished yet. Too much?

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“Do you think it’s possible for primordial spirits to get cavities?” -- Tink (Compos Mentis, Chapter 25)

I'm so, so close to finishing Book 2, I can almost smell it. Two more chapters to go.

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We were moving too fast to take a nap on horseback, even as a passenger. But as we began to move through more woodland around the forest edge we slowed down enough for me to relax and shut my eyes a little. When we eventually slowed to a walk I let myself lean forward against Legolas’ back, my forehead resting tiredly against the back of his nape… And his whole body suddenly tensed, then slowly relaxed. For a moment I was sure I was imagining it, but then Arod took a small jump over a fallen log and my brow brushed against the sliver of bare skin where his neck met his collar. He shivered. Not a sensual one, but a squirming one. Like a child trying desperately to hold in a burst of inappropriate laughter. I blinked. “Legolas…” I asked slowly, quietly enough to be sure the others riding a few feet ahead and behind couldn’t hear. “Are you ticklish?” He turned his head slightly to acknowledge he’d heard me, but thinned his lips against an answer. At least not until a wisp of my messily tied hair got caught on a breeze and brushed the back of his ear. He squirmed again, and I saw his cheeks beginning to turn very slightly pink. “Oh stars, you are!” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, mîr nín,” he whispered back a little too quickly. But I could hear the suppressed mirth in his voice. “No?” I asked, poking him in the back of the shoulder. “What was that then?” “Merely a trick of the light through the trees,” he answered serenely. “A trick of the light?” “Indeed.” “Hmm.”

Compos Mentis Chapter 22: The White Wizard's Final Foretelling FF.net | AO3

Someone sent me a message recently asking very politely if I might have a little preview of the next RB chapter up my sleeve, and if I did, would I mind sharing it for Christmas? Well, I do, and I am. So here we are. <3

Sorry to say I don't have a fully chapter finished yet thanks to 2024 absolutely taking me out at the knees with burnout. Long story short in the past twelve months I moved twice (alone), changed teams at work, changed line managers, reconnected with several old friends, atteneded a new friend's wedding, a game I've been waiting 10 years for finally got released, and I bought my own home (also alone). So... yeah, not much time for writing.

All that said, despite the long ass time, this fic still isn't abandoned (and I doubt I ever will abandon it) -- but for the moment real life health and much needed rest must take first pirotity. In the meantime, I really hope you enjoy this little preview of the next chapter, and you have a Merry Christmas.

Much love,

Rella x

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“It was brave of you to share that truth with me. Thank you.” I shook my head against his tunic. “I was just being— “No,” he interrupted with stern gentleness. “That was a statement of reality, not an invitation for debate.” -- L & E (Compos Mentis, Chapter 24)

Final word count for this chapter before editing: 12,721.

And almost 3/4 of that is these two idiots being slightly drunk and adorable together.

It's almost 2am and I have work tomorrow so I desperately need to go to sleep now, but tomorow evening shall be spent editing this behemoth of a chapter ready for release. Hopefully should be out in the next few days.

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Rella! I can’t believe that I only just found your Tumblr. I was in the middle of a reread when I discovered it and oh-my-god I’m loving the extra insights. I was wondering if I could ask a question about book 3 - without giving too much away, do you expect it to follow the same structure and plot as RotK or will we see more of the story divert as Eleanor/Tink figure out who they are? Thanks for everything xxx

Oh I absolutely love questions like this, despite them being incredibly difficult to answer because spoilers. For the most part Book 3 will follow the rough structure of RotK, with a few significant differences due to certain key characters being in exsistence/still alive (eg. Boromir and Haldir). Also Eleanor and Tink do start to uncover more about who they once were early in the book, and it absolutely does have a huge impact on the choices key characters start to make towards the end.

I really can’t say more without giving major plot points away, but I hope that gave you at least a little idea of what’s coming next.

Much love,

Rella x