What (Valar?) couple had greater strength together?

Question

In the Silmarillion, I'm almost sure I remember reading about a pair of people described whose powers were stronger when they were together. I think that they were a married Valar couple. As I remember it being described, it wasn't that they were actually co-laboring together, but simply that being near each other, they were stronger in their individual Valar abilities. (this would be somewhere towards the beginning of the book)

I've searched on google and here and can't find anything about it. I also tried thumbing back through the Silmarillion (I'm currently reading it), but couldn't find it. Does anyone know who this couple is, and maybe even where in the book I can find it?

If this goes without an answer, I may reread the book until I find it and answer my own question, but was hoping someone would know right where that was.

Answer 1

I believe you're referring to Manwë and Varda. From Valaquenta:

Manwë and Varda are seldom parted, and they remain in Valinor. Their halls are above the everlasting snow, upon Oiolossë, the uttermost tower of Taniquetil, tallest of all the mountains upon Earth. When Manwë there ascends his throne and looks forth, if Varda is beside him, he sees further than all other eyes, through mist, and through darkness, and over the leagues of the sea. And if Manwë is with her, Varda hears more clearly than all other ears the sound of voices that cry from east to west, from the hills and the valleys, and from the dark places that Melkor has made upon Earth.

^{The Silmarillion II Valaquenta "Of the Valar"}

Many of the Valar couples have powers that are in some way complimentary (e.g. Aulë the Smith and Yavanna the Gardener, Mandos the Judge and Vairë the Weaver of Fate, etc.), but this is the only time I can think of where one of a pair is explicitly said to make the other stronger.

• Although not explicitly called out in quite the same way, Beren and Lúthien may also meet these criteria. Apart they're still rather exceptional examples of their respective races, but together they accomplish the unprecedented (and unrepeated) feat of stealing a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown.