This is the first chapter of the elfling tale requested by Farflung. She has asked for a story about Legolas' life with Edwen Nana, before he is taken away to the Great Hall early on in "The Nameless One."
Beta reader: Dragonfly the Discerning.
Vocabulary
Edwen Nana—'Second Mama'
Erynmaethor—'Wood warrior', i.e., 'carpenter'; father of Tathar, Laiqua's childhood friend
laes—'baby'
Tathar—'Willow'; Laiqua's childhood friend; son of Erynmaethor
Two Elves on horseback entered a clearing and reined their horses to a halt before a small cottage. One, mounted upon a great stallion, was Gilglîr, Seneschal of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood. The second, who rode upon a gentle mare, was an elleth who bore a carefully wrapped bundle in her arms. On closer inspection, this bundle proved to be a tiny elfling only a few days old. His hair was golden, and his eyes as blue as flax flowers.
"'Tis a humble dwelling," said Gilglîr apologetically, "but you will be safe here."
He dismounted from his horse and helped the elleth down from hers. She looked about appraisingly.
"A little elfling has no need of grandeur. This will do until such time as the King recalls his son to the Great Hall."
"It may be long before he does so, Edwen Nana," said Gilglîr sadly.
"But until he does, be sure I will see that Laiqua is happy here."
"Thank you, Edwen Nana. For my part, I will see to it that you and the infant lack for nothing needful. You must understand, however, that Laiqua is to be dressed and brought up plainly. It would not do for his princely status to be apparent to all and sundry. Although guards will be posted in the forest, if news of Laiqua's presence here spreads widely, evil folk might try to creep near—aye, and might succeed, too. As long as he is to dwell outside the Great Hall, he must be passed off as a commoner."
Edwen Nana nodded.
"I understand, and so he shall be raised—as least in so far as will be noticeable to others. He shall dress and dine plainly and his pursuits shall be simple ones. In private, however, I shall strive to equip him with the manners and the skills that he will someday need as Prince of Greenwood."
"Good," said Gilglîr, satisfied that he was leaving Laiqua in good hands. He mounted his horse, but he hesitated a moment before riding off.
"I understand that you have but lately lost a child."
"Yes," said Edwen Nana, "a little over a fortnight ago. Else I should not be equipped to succor this infant," she added wryly.
Gilglîr winced.
"I am sorry for your loss," he said humbly. "It must be hard for you to take upon yourself the care of a laes when you have so recently lost one of your own."
"No," replied Edwen Nana calmly. "It is not hard. For I console myself in thinking that the Valar took my child because they knew that this one would have need of a Naneth. And I believe that one day the Valar will again send my child unto Middle Earth."
"True," said Gilglîr, "but you may never meet him."
"There are many elflings I will never encounter," replied Edwen Nana serenely, "but I shall embrace the ones I do meet."
Gilglîr looked at her respectfully.
"I believe you will. Aye, you would embrace even a dwarfling, I believe, for you are filled with affection and must have an object upon which to lavish it. Indeed, you would no doubt care for a man-child, should one come your way!"
Edwen Nana laughed.
"I hope you are right; certainly I have affection and to spare for this little one." She looked down at the infant that lay asleep in her arms.
"Laiqua," she said softly. "You will not want for love."
Gilglîr gravely saluted her, reined his horse about, and rode from the clearing. After he was gone, Edwen Nana carried Laiqua into the cottage and surveyed her domain.
"It is light and airy enough," she mused aloud, "for the windows are large and well-situated. That will be a good place for Laiqua's cot, and my bed shall go there. We shall need a wardrobe, a table, and two chairs. A dry sink is needful, of course, and a bench along that wall would be nice, as would shelves on that side. That earthen oven shall do, once it has been repaired."
Her musings were interrupted by a knock upon the door. She went to it, and there stood a rustic Elf bearing the tools of a carpenter.
"I am Erynmaethor, Lady. The King's Seneschal has sent word that I must provide you with any furniture you find needful." He gazed about the empty cottage.
"It seems," he went on with a grin, "that quite a bit will be needful! What would you like first?"
"A cot for the infant," she replied. "And the oven must be repaired straightaway, for I shall have to heat water. Much hot water is necessary when one cares for a laes."
"Well I know it," Erynmaethor replied fervently, "for my wife and I have lately become the parents of a little one."
"Indeed? How old?"
"He is an Elf born but two weeks ago. We have named him Tathar. He has red hair, which has struck amazement into all who dwell hereabouts, for as you know, such a color is unusual in an Elf. He is much admired!"
Edwen Nana stared at him in wonder.
"Red hair! It cannot be!"
"Aye, Lady," Erynmaethor said proudly, "red hair."
"And with a strawberry birthmark upon the inside of his right forearm?"
Erynmaethor was dumbfounded.
"However did you know that!?"
"Oh," Edwen Nana said airily, "it seemed to me that an elfling with red hair ought to have a strawberry birthmark."
Erynmaethor shook his head in bemusement.
"Still, 'tis extraordinary that you should guess its exact location."
Edwen Nana laughed.
"Yes, the matter is extraordinary indeed." To herself she said, "The Valar be praised!" Aloud she continued, "But tell me, Erynmaethor, how much will I owe for the furniture?
"Nothing, Lady. The Seneschal has arranged that I be recompensed."
"Still, I should like to show my appreciation. Perhaps I can mind your little elfling from time to time. Indeed, I should very much like to do so," she went on when Tathar's Adar began to protest, "for then my own little one, Laiqua, will have a playmate."
"True," said Erynmaethor thoughtfully. "I had not thought of that."
"So," Edwen Nana said eagerly, "you will bring him by from time to time?"
"Sometimes it is good to have my wife's company in the forest when I have much wood to fetch. On those occasions 'twould be best if she did not have to bring along the laes. But you are sure you would not mind?"
"Oh, no," Edwen Nana assured him. "I have love and to spare for all younglings."
"Then I shall bring him to you from time to time."
"Frequently, I hope."
"Ah, my wife will not want to spare him too often. She dotes on him."
"Does she!? Oh, I am glad," Edwen Nana declared feelingly. "The Valar be praised; with two such loving parents, he will surely be a very happy elfling!"
Erynmaethor was a little surprised at the fervor in her voice, but he marked it up to her role as a foster-mother. Such an elleth, he thought to himself, must be generous in her love, liable to freely offer her affection to any and all elflings. Dismissing the matter, he turned his attention toward his task, pacing off the cottage so that he might determine the lengths of wood he would need for each piece of furniture. Then he departed into the forest, soon returning with several stout limbs which he quickly shaped into the pieces necessary for a cot.
"This will be but a rude bedstead for the laes, but I shall replace it later with a better one. 'Twill do for several nights, I hope. Now I will repair the oven so that you may use it even tonight, if you wish. Tomorrow I will return early in the morning and begin in earnest to fashion you furniture that will be sturdy, serviceable, and, I hope, appealing to the eye." Rustic Elf though Erynmaethor was, he shared the love of all Elves for the beautiful.
Edwen Nana thanked him, and then, as Laiqua was stirring, she went out and seated herself comfortably, back against a tree, so that she might nurse him. As he suckled, he stared into her face intently.
"You, my little Laiqua," she said to him, "have the most attentive gaze of any elfling I have ever seen. I do not doubt but that you will have exceptional eyesight."
Just then an acorn fell from a nearby oak tree. Laiqua startled, arching his back, his arms flung wide.
"Good hearing, too!" laughed Edwen Nana. "Nothing will escape your notice, I think. You will be an exceptional Elf someday, and your doings will be celebrated throughout Middle Earth."
Suddenly, however, Edwen Nana wrinkled her nose.
"Of course, I must remember that in some ways you will not be an exceptional elfling. I wager you need a fresh nappy. "And," she added, noticing that Laiqua was squirming a little, "no doubt you have a belly full of air and needs must be burped."
With that Edwen Nana arose and carried her charge into the cottage. So it was that life in the clearing began on a decidedly unheroic note. But so must begin the lives of all heroes, although most chroniclers neglect to record that fact. This chronicler, however, will not.