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(Chapter One) Age: 14 months
Erestor looked warily through the trees at the edge of the border as his horse Ungo (Dark Shadow) trotted at the edge of the Imladris border. A sudden noise caught his attention. It was soft, but sharp. He looked around quickly, grabbing his bow and arming it. He climbed off Ungo and crept around. The noise increased, and he soon identified it as a cry. It was very weak, so whatever it is must be very small. He pushed aside some undergrowth and saw a small cloth bundle. He pushed aside a bit of the light purple fabric and peered down in wonder. For there was the distraught face of an infant. It was a girl, with pale skin, and bright blue eyes. And she had a necklace on, with a mithril moon charm. Her hair was like a sheet of silver, reflecting the sun's rays brilliantly. He looked over and saw a small lock of hair sticking out, and a delicate feminine hand. And further over he saw a large Elvish boot. They were obviously the child's parents.
"Lapsë" (a babe) he murmured, picking up the child. He swung onto Ungo and rode swiftly back to Imladris. He sent a replacement patrol and someone to retrieve the bodies, and then went to the nursery in the Last Homely House.
Erestor handed the child to an attendant there, then walked quickly to Elrond's study. He found the half Elven lord of Imladris poring over some documents.
"My good friend, what blustery wind brings you so to my study?" Elrond asked with an amused expression, which turned grave when he saw the seriousness of Erestor's face.
"I found an infant abandoned at the edge of Imladris, and the bodies of her dead parents. Something is not right Elrond. Orcs and even Uruk-hai would not dare come so close to Imladris. And even if they killed the parents, they would have killed the child" Erestor replied.
"This is indeed strange. When the bodies are brought back, we shall try to learn of their identities, and then they shall be buried. For they were elves and any elf deserves peace" Elrond responded gravely. Erestor just nodded.
"Where is the child, I wish to see her. Please bring her to me Erestor" Elrond requested, while wandering over to some old scrolls.
"I shall return promptly my friend" Erestor said as he left. He went to the nursery, and picked up the child, who was now washed, dressed, and fed.
"Well child, you certainly have caused a stir" Erestor remarked to the little girl as he went back to Elrond. The baby made a happy gurgling noise, and Erestor chuckled. Her tiny little hand gripped his index finger. He smiled affectionately and held the child tighter.
"You really know how to make your way into anyone's heart instantly" he cooed. When he reached the study, Elrond was waiting and opened the door for him.
"so this is our mystery child" Elrond said, then also smiled when she laughed and reached out to Elrond. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth.
"she is very sweet, and all Elven. There is not one evil fiber in this infant's body" Elrond confirmed.
"I like her already" Erestor agreed.
"then you would raise her? You would be perfect, and you could use some distraction" Elrond advised.
Erestor took the girl into his arms and stared deeply into her sweet little face. There was a deep mystery revolving around her, one in which he intended to solve. And it would help if he raised her.
"yes" he finally acknowledged, "I shall raise her as my own. From now on she is Númellóte"
"Flower of the West, very beautiful. And she does remind me of the Maia Ithil, not only by her face, but by her hair also, which shines with the brilliance of the moon" Elrond commented.
Erestor took her back to his quarters and then he noticed the empty room next to his. 'I could add a door to my room, and turn it into a small nursery' he thought to himself as he opened the door to his room. He inhaled deeply, the fragrance oh the flowers was invigorating to him. He lived right over the gardens, which had many benefits. He put Númellóte on the bed and set to making her a bed which he could set by his. We fetched a large basket and padded with a pillow, then draped a sheet over it. Lastly he added another much smaller pillow and a small blanket on it. Then he picked up Númellóte and laid her in her temporary bed. That would make due until he could find a crib.
"I think I shall call you Lótë for short" he said to himself as he went into his bathroom to prepare a bath.
During the middle of his bath he got his first taste of parenthood. Lótë started to cry and Erestor jumped out of the in-ground tub. He threw a towel haphazardly around his waste and ran out to the baby. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth. She hiccupped a few times, then settled back down but did not go back to sleep. He sighed and Lótë cocked her head and gave him what could be interpreted as a questioning look.
"oh never mind child, do not worry yourself over it"he sighed again.
"it's about dinnertime, and I would like for everyone to meet you Lótë, so let us go" he told her as they walked downstairs to the dining hall. The first person they met was Glorfindel. The tall blonde was immense and intimidating at first sight, but he was truly a child at heart.
"hello Erestor! Oh my, is that yours?" Glorfindel asked. Erestor nodded, and handed him Lótë.
"isn't she so beautiful. I named her Númellóte but I call her Lótë for short. I appointed myself as her guardian seeing I found her abandoned and her parents dead nearby" he explained.
"oh, and here I was thinking you had been doing more then I thought behind closed doors" Glorfindel smirked at Erestor, then laughed as Lótë poked him and tugged gently on his hair.
"Glorfindel!" Erestor exclaimed in feigned shock, then laughed as well. Erestor took Lótë and found a seat between Glorfindel and Elrond. During dinner everyone commented on Lótë. And when she cried for her bottle, the other experienced mothers glanced knowingly at each other while Erestor fed her.
"she looks absolutely wonderful" Figwit, another advisor said to Erestor.
"yes, she is my Flower of the West" Erestor nodded.
"oh, speaking of the West, I have identified the parents. Erestor, you have in your arms a child that is half Maia. The mother is indeed her true mother, but the father wasn't. I did some research and apparently that is the daughter of Ithil and Marinn. Ithil fell in love with this elf maiden and she had a child by him, but because the baby was half Maia she carried it for 2 years instead of 9 months, and it was a boy. It died, but apparently she had another, a girl, for the picture of the boy looks exactly like the Lótë. And I also found with the mother a journal, which recorded the birth of the baby, and in which she wrote was Ithil's. The baby was named Amariieana, though the mother refers to her as Marii. And the man? He was not her father, her father is Ithil." Elrond said almost in a whisper.
"Good Elbereth!" Glorfindel gasped. Erestor merely looked down at Lótë and held her tighter.
"we will have to protect her with everything we have. Apparently there is some prophecy regarding the living child of Ithil, but the journal did not expand on that" Elrond added.
"my poor Lótë" Erestor sighed somberly.
"westor!" Lótë giggled, and their faces all brightened.
"she spoke!" Glorfindel exclaimed.
"she said your name Erestor!" Elrond grinned.
"my little one spoke!" Erestor said happily. Then she yawned.
"she is tired, excuse me my friends but I must retire now. We are both tired. Goodnight all" Erestor said, then left the table and went up to his room. He set Lótë in her bed and put that next to his very low bed.
"quel undome Lótë" Erestor mumbled sleepily as he put on his night clothes, then he extinguished all but one candle and settled into bed for some much needed rest.
(Chapter One) Age: 14 months
Erestor looked warily through the trees at the edge of the border as his horse Ungo (Dark Shadow) trotted at the edge of the Imladris border. A sudden noise caught his attention. It was soft, but sharp. He looked around quickly, grabbing his bow and arming it. He climbed off Ungo and crept around. The noise increased, and he soon identified it as a cry. It was very weak, so whatever it is must be very small. He pushed aside some undergrowth and saw a small cloth bundle. He pushed aside a bit of the light purple fabric and peered down in wonder. For there was the distraught face of an infant. It was a girl, with pale skin, and bright blue eyes. And she had a necklace on, with a mithril moon charm. Her hair was like a sheet of silver, reflecting the sun's rays brilliantly. He looked over and saw a small lock of hair sticking out, and a delicate feminine hand. And further over he saw a large Elvish boot. They were obviously the child's parents.
"Lapsë" (a babe) he murmured, picking up the child. He swung onto Ungo and rode swiftly back to Imladris. He sent a replacement patrol and someone to retrieve the bodies, and then went to the nursery in the Last Homely House.
Erestor handed the child to an attendant there, then walked quickly to Elrond's study. He found the half Elven lord of Imladris poring over some documents.
"My good friend, what blustery wind brings you so to my study?" Elrond asked with an amused expression, which turned grave when he saw the seriousness of Erestor's face.
"I found an infant abandoned at the edge of Imladris, and the bodies of her dead parents. Something is not right Elrond. Orcs and even Uruk-hai would not dare come so close to Imladris. And even if they killed the parents, they would have killed the child" Erestor replied.
"This is indeed strange. When the bodies are brought back, we shall try to learn of their identities, and then they shall be buried. For they were elves and any elf deserves peace" Elrond responded gravely. Erestor just nodded.
"Where is the child, I wish to see her. Please bring her to me Erestor" Elrond requested, while wandering over to some old scrolls.
"I shall return promptly my friend" Erestor said as he left. He went to the nursery, and picked up the child, who was now washed, dressed, and fed.
"Well child, you certainly have caused a stir" Erestor remarked to the little girl as he went back to Elrond. The baby made a happy gurgling noise, and Erestor chuckled. Her tiny little hand gripped his index finger. He smiled affectionately and held the child tighter.
"You really know how to make your way into anyone's heart instantly" he cooed. When he reached the study, Elrond was waiting and opened the door for him.
"so this is our mystery child" Elrond said, then also smiled when she laughed and reached out to Elrond. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth.
"she is very sweet, and all Elven. There is not one evil fiber in this infant's body" Elrond confirmed.
"I like her already" Erestor agreed.
"then you would raise her? You would be perfect, and you could use some distraction" Elrond advised.
Erestor took the girl into his arms and stared deeply into her sweet little face. There was a deep mystery revolving around her, one in which he intended to solve. And it would help if he raised her.
"yes" he finally acknowledged, "I shall raise her as my own. From now on she is Númellóte"
"Flower of the West, very beautiful. And she does remind me of the Maia Ithil, not only by her face, but by her hair also, which shines with the brilliance of the moon" Elrond commented.
Erestor took her back to his quarters and then he noticed the empty room next to his. 'I could add a door to my room, and turn it into a small nursery' he thought to himself as he opened the door to his room. He inhaled deeply, the fragrance oh the flowers was invigorating to him. He lived right over the gardens, which had many benefits. He put Númellóte on the bed and set to making her a bed which he could set by his. We fetched a large basket and padded with a pillow, then draped a sheet over it. Lastly he added another much smaller pillow and a small blanket on it. Then he picked up Númellóte and laid her in her temporary bed. That would make due until he could find a crib.
"I think I shall call you Lótë for short" he said to himself as he went into his bathroom to prepare a bath.
During the middle of his bath he got his first taste of parenthood. Lótë started to cry and Erestor jumped out of the in-ground tub. He threw a towel haphazardly around his waste and ran out to the baby. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth. She hiccupped a few times, then settled back down but did not go back to sleep. He sighed and Lótë cocked her head and gave him what could be interpreted as a questioning look.
"oh never mind child, do not worry yourself over it"he sighed again.
"it's about dinnertime, and I would like for everyone to meet you Lótë, so let us go" he told her as they walked downstairs to the dining hall. The first person they met was Glorfindel. The tall blonde was immense and intimidating at first sight, but he was truly a child at heart.
"hello Erestor! Oh my, is that yours?" Glorfindel asked. Erestor nodded, and handed him Lótë.
"isn't she so beautiful. I named her Númellóte but I call her Lótë for short. I appointed myself as her guardian seeing I found her abandoned and her parents dead nearby" he explained.
"oh, and here I was thinking you had been doing more then I thought behind closed doors" Glorfindel smirked at Erestor, then laughed as Lótë poked him and tugged gently on his hair.
"Glorfindel!" Erestor exclaimed in feigned shock, then laughed as well. Erestor took Lótë and found a seat between Glorfindel and Elrond. During dinner everyone commented on Lótë. And when she cried for her bottle, the other experienced mothers glanced knowingly at each other while Erestor fed her.
"she looks absolutely wonderful" Figwit, another advisor said to Erestor.
"yes, she is my Flower of the West" Erestor nodded.
"oh, speaking of the West, I have identified the parents. Erestor, you have in your arms a child that is half Maia. The mother is indeed her true mother, but the father wasn't. I did some research and apparently that is the daughter of Ithil and Marinn. Ithil fell in love with this elf maiden and she had a child by him, but because the baby was half Maia she carried it for 2 years instead of 9 months, and it was a boy. It died, but apparently she had another, a girl, for the picture of the boy looks exactly like the Lótë. And I also found with the mother a journal, which recorded the birth of the baby, and in which she wrote was Ithil's. The baby was named Amariieana, though the mother refers to her as Marii. And the man? He was not her father, her father is Ithil." Elrond said almost in a whisper.
"Good Elbereth!" Glorfindel gasped. Erestor merely looked down at Lótë and held her tighter.
"we will have to protect her with everything we have. Apparently there is some prophecy regarding the living child of Ithil, but the journal did not expand on that" Elrond added.
"my poor Lótë" Erestor sighed somberly.
"westor!" Lótë giggled, and their faces all brightened.
"she spoke!" Glorfindel exclaimed.
"she said your name Erestor!" Elrond grinned.
"my little one spoke!" Erestor said happily. Then she yawned.
"she is tired, excuse me my friends but I must retire now. We are both tired. Goodnight all" Erestor said, then left the table and went up to his room. He set Lótë in her bed and put that next to his very low bed.
"quel undome Lótë" Erestor mumbled sleepily as he put on his night clothes, then he extinguished all but one candle and settled into bed for some much needed rest.