Silmaril Awards Ceremony 2022 Most Epic Heroine
I rush about my backyard in the pre-dawn fog in a bit of a tizzy. The damp grass soaks through my tennis shoes as I dart back and forth trying to set up everything at once. The huge canopy I rented is definitely not a one-person easy assembly operation like the nice man at the rental shop assured me, the tables and chairs are still on their racks and will probably take me all afternoon to set up, none of the decorations have been properly set up and…
A wail goes up from the kitchen door and I look over to see a young girl with curly dark hair standing on the back steps, her pixie-like face a mask of despair.
“Echo?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”
“These buns look horrible!” she wails, holding up a tray of golden-brown pastries for me to examine.
I peer at the tray. The scents of baked dough, currants, and a hint of saffron waft to my nose, warm and delicious in the misty air.
“They do seem to have turned out a little… lopsided,” I say dubiously.
“They look beautiful.” A tall, lithe woman steps through the door and puts her hands on Echo’s shoulders. “And they smell divine.”
Echo sniffles slightly. “I just want everything to be perfect for all the heroines today. They inspire me, and I was so honored to even be in the nominations at all. I wanted to do something… show them how much I admire them all.”
Kamarie smiles down at her. “Perfection is not a qualifying characteristic of an epic heroine, Echo, thank goodness. It’s more about perseverance and character. It’s about your heart. It’s not about perfectly shaped pastries.”
Echo perks up a little, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Thanks, Kamarie.”
Kamarie gives her shoulders a little squeeze. “Come on back into the kitchen. My dear friend, Cimorene just showed up with pails full of cherries jubilee, and I know Leeli and Cress were hoping you would teach them how to make your famous Ruseberry Scones.”
Echo’s cheeks darken and she flashes me a glare. “You just had to publish that.”
I grin and wave her off. As she turns to go back inside, I see lights coming down the road. A line of women march into my yard, carrying decorations, food, chairs, tables, and musical instruments. I stare, openmouthed, as they set to work about my yard. A gentle arm about my shoulders guides me to a comfortable chair that has appeared as if by magic and I look up dazedly into the face of Dame Imraldera, who gives me a brilliant smile.
“We thought you could use a little help this year,” she murmurs. “You just sit here and direct us wherever you’d like things set up. We’ll do the work.”
My eyes drift over the familiar company assembling: Tellie and Tryss begin stringing lights about the yard, Scarlet and Cordelia Beaumont seem to be hitting it off as they make quick work of setting up the tent that was giving me fits just moments ago, while Dana Illwind and Clara seem to have taken charge of the tables and chairs, and Ella and Miri begin putting together centerpieces for the tables as they go up. I stare about in a bit of bemused dazzlement at how swiftly everything seems to be turning around.
“Everything will be fine,” Imraldera assures me. “Just leave it to us.”
The day was a flurry of bustle and activity, but now the sun is setting in a ball of crimson and purple and the guests begin to arrive.
Bonnie Silver helps light a fire in my bonfire pit, and it soon blazes merrily. Nynaeve is organizing the children around the s’more-making table, and Mina has brought enough coffee to feed several armies. Tanwen sets herself up near the patio and is telling stories, shaping beautiful crystal figurines with words for the guests to take home as souvenirs. Roseanna is giving a beautiful ballet performance near the firepit.
All the guests wander through my back yard as if they are in a magical dream, or at a fair. They munch on scones or their bowls full of cherries jubilee. I grin over at Kamarie and Cimorene and jog over to them.
“The two of you arranged all this, didn’t you?” I ask. “You got them to all come back and pitch in.”
“Well, when Kamarie told me how stressed you were, I knew we couldn’t just sit by and let you do it all yourself,” Cimorene replies. “After all, what are friends for, if not to help when it’s needed?”
“The two of you deserve an award for all your help,” I tell them.
Cimorene waves a hand. “A job well done is reward in itself. I’m just happy we could be of service.”
“All that’s left is for you to get up on stage and introduce the presenters,” Kamarie gives me a nudge.
I give them each a quick hug and then make my way up to the stage at one end of the gorgeous tent. I catch Prism’s eye and she nods and sets off a series of flashes that burst inside the tent in a dazzling display, catching the audience’s attention and quieting the crowd.
I step up on the stage and lean toward the microphone. “Thank you all for being here this evening,” I say. “Today, we kick off the seventh year of Silmaril Awards.”
There is a great cheer.
“I would like you to know that many people helped make this happen. I couldn’t have done this alone… though of course I tried.”
This gets a chuckle from the crowd.
“All of the heroines here deserve an award, but tonight, we honor five of them specially. So I’m going to give the platform over to our Presenter this evening… please give a warm, Wisconsin welcome to Princess and Shield-Maiden of Rohan, the lady Eowyn!”
I back away and find a seat off to the side as Eowyn steps up onto the stage to a standing ovation and roars of applause. She smiles gently down at the crowd and a hush falls over the audience.
“I am so pleased to be here once again to present the award of Most Epic Heroine,” she begins. “But I think tonight, I am going to need some help.” She spreads her arms, and several women rise from their seats and make their way to join her. Eowyn greets them each in turn, and the crowd rumbles in appreciative understanding.
Eowyn places a gilded box into the hands of a tall, blond-haired woman with a wise face and knowing eyes. Galadriel accepts the box and smiles down at the audience, her gaze piercing more than a few hearts.
“Rosie,” Eowyn says, pulling the mic from its stand. “Would you do the honors?”
Rosie (Cotton) Gamgee blushes and gives a little bobbing curtsy as she takes the microphone. “Well, I’m pleased as punch and daisies to be here this evening,” she says, her eyes sparkling. “The five heroines on this year’s ballot are all worthy nominees.” She grins down at the five guests of honor seated at the very front of the room. “In fourth place, with 7.55% of the votes, a young woman who has never let anything stand in the way of friendship, Luna Lovegood!”
Luna rises, her eyes large behind her enormous pink glasses. She steps onto the stage and shakes Rosie’s hand in a distracted sort of way. She peers at the space above Rosie’s head. “You have rather a lot of wrackspurts in your head, you know.”
Rosie grins and hands the microphone to a taller, dark haired woman of incomparable beauty.
Arwen Evenstar gracefully raises the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, you may have noticed that Rosie started us off with fourth place. You may have found this a bit confusing, since we had five nominess. Well, we have a tie this year. So in third place, with 14.15% of the vote each, we have Nia Wingfeather and Eilonwy!”
The two rise and join Luna on the stage. Eilonwy tosses a glowing ball in the air and grins as the audience gasps at the familiar sight, then she tosses her head and gives a curtsy worthy of a princess. Nia, for all her time in the kitchen and worrying about three small children, seems to grow taller and more regal as she stands on the stage. Though she wears an apron and a simple peasant’s dress, one might swear they shimmered with elegance fit only for a queen. But a second later, the thought fades and the audience is looking with eagerness at the two contestants left.
Eowyn takes the microphone next. “It was a close call with our last two contestants, for they are both epic heroines beyond measure. But in the end, only one can be the winner. In second place, with 30% of the votes, please congratulate with me, Jill Pole!”
A young girl in an uncomfortable-looking school uniform bobs up onto the stage.
“YEAH, POLE!” a young man shouts from the middle of the crowd.
Jill’s cheeks turn a deep shade of crimson and she shakes the hands of the other finalists before giving an awkward curtsy to Eowyn.
Eowyn smiles at the crowd, who are all already standing and applauding wildly. She extends a hand. “And so, our winner of the 2022 Most Epic Heroine Silmaril is Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle!”
The last woman rises from her chair and hobbles forward, bent over a cane. The audience grows suddenly silent and concerned, a few gasps can be heard at this sudden and unexpected turn of events.
“Sophie?” Eowyn steps forward and takes the woman’s hand. “Oh dear, did you have a run-in with the Witch of the Waste again? I know she was a bit upset when I told her she didn’t qualify for this particular award…”
But before she can continue, Sophie straightens and grins at her, a mischievous twinkle in her bright eyes. Eowyn gives a sigh of relief to see that Sophie is her normal, youthful age.
“I think Howl is having a bad influence on you,” she says, but the reprimand is softened by a smile.
Sophie chuckles. “Perhaps you’re right. But I just couldn’t resist.”
Eowyn shakes her head and turns to Galadriel, who may or may not have a hint of a smile gleaming in her fathomless eyes. The Lady of Lothlorien opens the gilded box and a light as bright as the dawn bursts forth, washing over the audience. If light could have a sound, the sound of the Silmaril would be that of a chorus of angels, the sweet, clarion call of a heavenly trumpet, the crystal clear notes of a flute.
“Lady Sophie, I bestow upon you the greatest honor we possess to give,” Galadriel says, lifting the Silmaril from its resting place and holding it aloft. “The Silmaril of the Epic Heroine. Bear it well.”
She settles the silken ribbon over Sophie’s head, and the pink gemstone blazes with a purifying intensity and then coalesces into a mere simmering beauty as Sophie accepts the award.
The crowd bursts back to life, leaping to their feet once more and roaring their approval.
And thus, the first Silmaril has been bestowed.
The crowd lingers for a while, roasting marshmallows, listening to stories, singing and dancing far into the night while the stars sparkle overhead.
Tomorrow, the Wisest Counselors will assemble, and the celebrations will continue! Make sure to head over to the other hosts’ blogs to find out who won!
Wisest Counselor
Most Magnificent Dragon
Strangest Character
Most Nefarious Villain
Most Mischievous Imp
Most Silver Tongued
Most Majestic Ruler
Most Faithful Friend
Most Epic Hero
I will be assembling the list of links here as they go live each day for the next 2 weeks, so make sure to check back to find directions to each of the ceremonies!
And don’t forget that the giveaway is still going through the end of the Awards!