A Lesson in Astronomy
By Ithiliel Silverquill

Elrond sighed inwardly as he heard the unmistakable sound of small feet tiptoeing down the hallway. This was the third night in a row that one of the twins had sneaked out of bed, and while Elrond had let the first two incidents go, he was determined not to let it become a habit. He silently crawled out from between the blankets and stepped out into the hallway.

He watched long enough to see his son sneak into the… library? Curious now instead of irritated, he followed the child's trail.

Elrohir was seated at the far end of the library, next to the large window. He gasped and sat upright as Elrond entered, then pasted a guilty smile on his face. "Hello, Ada."

"What are you doing at this hour?" Elrond looked over his son's shoulder at the open book in his lap. "Star charts?"

Elrohir's smile became genuine. "Erestor told me about them, and I decided to look for myself. I like stars."

Elrond looked at the book, then out at the stars. "You're on the wrong page. Turn to the chart for Hísimë."

Elrohir turned to the appropriate page, then looked back up at the sky. "Is that Wilwarin, then? Over that tree?"

"Yes. Do you see how those stars form the shape of a butterfly's wings?"

Elrohir squinted. "It looks like an old lady to me."

Elrond looked back at the chart, then took Elrohir by the hand. "Come with me. To see the rest of these, we need to face eastward. There is a balcony on the eastern side that will work perfectly."

Elrohir paused only a moment to look at Elrond, surprise showing on his face, before he blinked and followed. He had obviously expected to be put to bed.

Elrond inwardly shook his head at himself. In all truth, he should put Elrohir to bed. But at the same time, he could not resist the opportunity to indulge both himself and his son. Lately, he had wanted more time to spend with his children, and this late at night, he would not be bothered by anyone else. Besides, his self-indulgent side could not resist stargazing on a cloudless night, and if he could share that passion with his son, then how could he resist?

Satisfied with that justification, he led Elrohir silently through the quiet halls of Imladris. The eastern balcony was not far from the library.

He opened the balcony doors and led Elrohir out into the night. The late autumn breeze was crisp and clean, and the stars glittered like gemstones in the sky.

Elrohir's eyes lit up. "Oh, Ada, it's beautiful!" He walked to the end of the balcony and leaned over the railing. "Look at them all!"

On impulse, Elrond picked up Elrohir and let him sit on the balcony railing, keeping his own arms around his son's waist. "This is a good night for stargazing."

"The last two days were really cloudy," admitted Elrohir. "But tonight you can see all the stars. Do you know all the star pictures?"

Elrond nodded and pointed to a bright red star just over a nearby hill. "Do you see that star, and the blue one nearby? Those are Borgil and Luinil, and they are part of Elbereth's picture of Menelvagor."

Elrohir craned his neck to see more clearly. "Who is Menelvagor?" he asked, his voice high and breathy in the wind.

"There are many legends. Some say that Menelvagor is Túrin Turambar, who will return to challenge Morgoth in the Last Battle of the world. Others say that he is just a reminder that someday there will be a Last Battle, and that evil will be forever defeated."

Elrohir nodded, but he said nothing, and only leaned against Elrond's chest.

Elrond pointed across the sky. "There you can see Remmirath, the net of stars. And there is Valacirca, the Sickle of the Valar, which serves as a warning to the servants of the Dark Lord that their judgment is never too far away."

"Are any of the legends about our family, Ada?" asked Elrohir sleepily.

Elrond searched the horizon. Eärendil's star had yet to pass into the eastern sky, so he could not go into that story. Surely there had to be some story he could tell…

"Look there, Elrohir," he said suddenly, a pleased smile appearing on his face. "That is Onóni, right over the top of that mountain."

Elrohir frowned. "I have never heard that legend."

"It is a very special legend," said Elrond, smiling. "It began with the twins Amrod and Amras, who hunted together in Valinor, and then later hunted for the Silmarilli in Middle-earth. Then the legend grew with the story of Eluréd and Elurín, the twin sons of Dior of Doriath. They became lost in the forest, and were not found by Maedhros who searched for them, but some believe that they lived ever after in the woods, separate from the war and grief that overwhelmed the rest of the world. It continued with myself and my brother Elros, but when he chose mortality, I feared that the legend of the Onóni would die with him."

Elrohir looked up at Elrond. "Did the legend die?" he asked in a small voice.

Elrond smiled and kissed his son's forehead. "No. You and Elladan are the last of the Onóni, and the legend will endure as long as you do."

"Oh." Elrohir yawned, then smiled. "I like being part of a legend."

"I am sure you do."

"Does Elladan know about the Onóni?"

Elrond shook his head. "Not yet, but you can tell him in the morning."

Elrohir yawned again and blinked sleepily. "How soon is morning?"

"As soon as you fall asleep, morning will be only a dream away." He gave a small yawn of his own. "You should be asleep right now."

Elrohir protested, but his continued yawning rendered his objections completely ineffective.

"Enough, Elrohir," hushed Elrond as they walked back into the hall. "There will be more stars tomorrow night."

Elrohir gazed up at him. "Can we watch them together again?"

Elrond shrugged and entered Elrohir's room, then laid the tired Elfling between his covers. "Maybe we will. Sleep well, son."

"G'night, Ada," Elrohir murmured, then turned over on his pillow and yawned off to sleep.

Smiling to himself, Elrond closed the door softly and walked back to his own room. He had just crawled between the blankets and was about to drop off himself, when a female voice whispered in his ear.

"That took a while," said Celebrían sleepily. "You must have really taught him a lesson."

Elrond blinked. He had left to correct Elrohir for being out of bed late at night, but he never had given him the correction. Oh, well. It could wait for the morning.

"I sure did," he responded. "I am certain he will never forget it."

She chuckled and curled up against his back. "That's good."

Far above the Elves, the stars of Elbereth circled above the valley, painting the sky with their pictures. And among the warriors and nets and sickles, the Onóni continued their dance across the night, singing of a legend that would never die.

The End.

Author's Note: The constellations that Elrond and Elrohir observe are real: Cassiopeia, Orion, the Pleiades, and Ursa Major, as well as the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel. Their Middle-earth names were made by the Professor himself, and you can find them at the Encyclopedia of Arda. The only part I made up myself was the Onóni and their legend. They represent the constellation Gemini; both "Gemini" and "Onóni" mean "the twins."