Naneth y Iell

For Celridel. Enjoy!

Celebrian smiled as she stepped into the nursery where her little daughter was amusing herself, sitting cross legged on the floor, barefoot and still in her nightgown, surrounded by pieces of paper, wax crayons and her favourite doll.

Arwen glanced up from her drawing and smiled. "Nana!"

"Good morning, iell nin." Celebrian knelt beside the toddler, smoothing the blue-black curls from her daughter's face. "What are you drawing?"

There were five stick figures on the page, none of them really identifiable.

"Me. And you, and Ada, and Ro, and Dan." Arwen answered, clutching a black crayon in her chubby fist, frowning at the other crayons scattered around her. "But I can't find a colour for your hair, Nana."

"Hm," Celebrian mused. Indeed, there was no crayon even close to the silver colour of her hair. She picked up a pencil, looking thoughtful. "If you used this, very lightly, it would look silver."

Arwen beamed, throwing her arms around her mother (leaving black crayon smudges on Celebrian's light blue gown). Nana could fix everything. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Undomiel."

Arwen dropped the crayon she held, taking the pencil from her mother, and focusing on her drawing as she coloured in the hair of the stick figure that was meant to be Celebrian, tongue poking from the side of her mouth in concentration. "All done!" She held her picture up for Celebrian to see, positively glowing with pride.

Celebrian smiled widely in delight as she surveyed the picture. "Well done, iell nin. I think this may be your best drawing yet!" She looked at the child's depictions of Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen herself. "Why don't you write everyone's names above them, so it's clear who is who?" For, in truth, aside from the drawing of herself, with scribbled pencil-grey hair, dressed in scribble she supposed was meant to be a green dress, she could not tell who each of the black haired figures were meant to be.

Arwen chewed her lip. "Will you help me write, Nana? I can't spell Dan and Ro's names."

"Of course, tithen pen." Celebrian wrapped her hand around her daughter's tiny one, and guided the pencil to the black haired figure in red garb drawn beside her in the picture. "Is this Ada?"

Arwen nodded seriously. Celebrian helped her write 'Ada' in shaky letters above the drawing of Elrond.

"That's Ro, and that's Dan," Arwen pointed at the figures in blue scribbled garb.

Helping her to write her brothers' names, Celebrian smiled again. "They are very well drawn, Arwen. For once, even I cannot tell the twins apart."

"That's because they look the same, Nana!" Arwen giggled. "I had to draw them like that too."

"Of course you did." Celebrian pressed a kiss to the top of Arwen's head, smiling as a swell of love for her baby girl flooded her heart. "And is this you?" She pointed at the last figure on the page, 'dressed' in purple, standing next to stick-Celebrian (and almost the same size).

"Yes!" Arwen cheered. Celebrian guided her hand once more, helping her to write her own name.

"Nana?"

"Yes, Undomiel?"

"Why'd you and Ada call me Arwen? What's it mean?"

Celebrian's brows rose. "That's an odd question from a little elfling."

Arwen crinkled her nose. "Dan and Ro have El names, like Ada. Why can't I have an El-name and be a star too?"

Celebrian suppressed her laughter when she saw Arwen was serious. "But you do have an El-name, Arwen. 'Undomiel' means 'evening star.'

"Oh." Arwen's eyes widened, and then she giggled. "I have two names and Dan and Ro don't!"

Celebrian found it harder not to laugh this time- Arwen souned so gleeful of that fact. No doubt she intended to gloat over her brothers, now she thought she had a 'better' name than them. "Indeed you do, iell nin." She scooped Arwen into her arms, and stood, settling her daughter against her hip. "But now, I think it is time for a little elleth to be cleaned up and dressed before we go for breakfast."

Arwen nodded, resting her head on Celebrian's shoulder as her mother carried her through to the bathing room to wash all the crayon off her hands (and face and arms and neck.) "Can I give Ada my picture at breakfast, Nana?"

"Of course, tithen el." Celebrian made short work of making her daughter presentable, (silently thanking the Valar that Arwen was easier to manage than the twins had been at her age), and once Arwen was dressed, and she had managed to sponge the crayoned handprints from her own gown, Celebrian led Arwen into the bedroom that she and Elrond shared.

"Nana, I thought it was breakfast time. Why are we in your room?" Arwen looked around, puzzled.

"Well, I have a surprise for you first."

Arwen nearly jumped for joy- she loved surprises! "What is it?"

Celebrian quickly went to her jewellery box and retrieved the velvet that wrapped the pendant. "You remember Daerada and Daernana's last visit?"

Arwen nodded, looking thoughtful. "Was that when Daerada said I look even more like Luthin?"

"Luthien, sweetheart, and yes." Celebrian unwrapped the pendant, marveling again at its near-new appearance, despite it having been made in Doriath (according to Celeborn).

Arwen stared at the necklace as Celebrian showed her the delicate silver-and-mithril design on the pendant itself, and the fine silver chain that it hung from. Both shone like new, showing no sign of age or tarnish, despite being millenia old. "Daerada said this was Luthien's once, and he gave it to Ada, as Luthien was his ancestress. Ada and I think, because you look so like your ancestor, that you should be the one to wear it."

Arwen clapped her hands in glee. "Yes yes yes! It's so pretty. I promise to always always be careful with it."

Celebrian chuckled as she hung the chain round Arwen's throat. "It suits you, Undomiel." She turned Arwen to face the mirror, noting with some surprise that the chain did not seem to need adjusting, despite the jewel having been made for someone far older than Arwen- it had been gifted to Luthien on her thirtieth begetting day, if Celeborn's recollection was correct, yet Arwen was not yet five and it fit her like a glove. And the white stones in the jewel seemed to shine more brightly than they had done a moment ago... the light of Arien's ascent, shining through the large windows, must be affecting the stones, Celebrian reasoned.

Arwen smiled at her own reflection for a few minutes, before turning and hugging Celebrian once more. "Thank you, Nana. I love you!"

"I love you too, my Undomiel."

"Can I wear this to breakfast? And all day? I will be careful, and I won't ever lose it."

Celebrian smiled at the utterly earnest tone of Arwen's voice. "Very well. But if you want to go and play outside later, you must leave it indoors. I don't want the necklace getting lost in the woods."

"Yes, Nana." Arwen was already tugging on her hand. "Come on, I'm hungry. It's breakfast time! And I have to give Ada my picture, and tell Dan and Ro I have an El name as well. Oh! And later I have to write to Daerada and Daernana to say thank you for the necklace..."

Celebrian laughed as her daughter retrieved her drawing, then tugged her downstairs to the dining room used solely by Elrond's family, talking eagerly of her plans for the coming day. As they walked, Celebrian gave Arwen an impromptu hug, still amazed at how much love she felt for this tiny elfling. Bringing up Elladan and Elrohir, she had felt their family was complete. Yet Arwen- the unexpected child, the surprise- had quickly become one of the most beloved Elves in Rivendell. And Celebrian knew she couldn't love her daughter more if she tried- Arwen was their Evenstar, a precious gift from Iluvatar, and one she and Elrond gave thanks for every day.

Her likeness to her ancestress, who had become a Mortal, was mere coincidence. Celebrian refused to read more into it than that, despite the foreboding she felt whenever she thought of the choice of the Peredhil in regards to Arwen. Arwen was her daughter, hers and Elrond's, and nothing but nothing would ever see them parted. They were Eldar, and they would remain together for all the Ages of Arda. Nothing would break apart this family. Nothing.

"I love you, tithen el." She murmured, holding Arwen close, resting her cheek atop Arwen's curly head.

"Love you too, Nana. We'll always be together. Til I'm grown up." Arwen spoke as if replying to Celebrian's unspoken thoughts, her tone oddly un-childlike, before stepping back. Her eyes, for an instant, had a faint silver glow to them, but it was gone a second later, leaving Celebrian unsure if she'd imagined it. "Ada, Dan and Ro are waiting for us to come in for breakfast." Dropping Celebrian's hand, she raced into the dining room, calling out cheerful greetings to her father and brothers.

Celebrian followed, setting aside cold thoughts of the future, and joined her husband and children, wanting to make the most of this and every other day they spent together. Every day with loved ones was precious, and should not be squandered.

Arwen was sitting on Elrond's lap, presenting him with her latest picture, while proudly showing off her new necklace, and engaging in teasing with Elladan and Elrohir as her doting brothers filled her plate for her. The strange burst of insight she had shown moments ago was gone, as were the strange silver eyes, and she was simply a blue-eyed child again.

Celebrian slipped into her seat, beside Elrond, and squeezed her husband's hand as she began her meal. Without warning, she recalled Elrond's eyes taking on a similar silver glow when he used his healing abilities, or when his foresight and visions claimed him. Did that mean something? She put the thought aside- it could be discussed later, if anything of the sort happened to Arwen again. Whatever the future might bring, they had their family. That was the most important thing, for all of them.