Disclaimer: I don't own Finrod. He belongs to Tolkien.
"Ada!" Finrod turned to see his small daughter running toward him clutching a wriggling brown bundle wrapped precariously in a small riding cloak. Excusing himself from his councilors Finrod King of Nargothrond strode forward to meet his daughter.
"Honey what is that?" He asked, trying to pull back the cloak to revel its contents. Whatever it was felt like sandpaper and left his hand cold and wet.
"It is a dog." Said the child folding back the folds of fabric to reveal a disheveled looking golden puppy.
"Indeed it is." Said here father, "but what are you doing with it little one?"
"I found it wandering around in the forest. He was hungry and all alone." She looked up giving her father a mischievous smile that Finrod had come to know all to well over the past few years.
"Ada?"
Finrod turned on his heel and walked off back toward the council table.
"Ada can I keep him?" She asked.
"No." Said her father settling back into his chair. His daughter came to a halt at his side clinging desperately to the small bundle in her arms.
"But..."
"No."
"Why ada? I promise that I'll take good care of him!"
"I know you will sweetheart but we have no where to keep a dog. Where would he sleep?" He asked.
"He could sleep with me."
"No I'm sorry but no." His daughter's face fell. Looking at her now he could see tears starting to form in her grey eyes and her bottom lip beginning to tremble. Sliding out of his chair and on to his knees Finrod drew her, dog and all, into his arms. He watched as the silent tears began to flow, falling onto the dog's light fur, and as his own heart began to break Finrod made his decision.
"Alright," he whispered into her soft dark hair. "Alright you can keep him."
The child looked up, "really?"
"Really. As long as you promise to take extra good care of him." He said wiping the tears away.
"Oh I will Ada. I promise." She looked down at the small puppy sleeping soundly in her arms. "I shall call him Rána."
"Ada!" Finrod turned to see his small daughter running toward him clutching a wriggling brown bundle wrapped precariously in a small riding cloak. Excusing himself from his councilors Finrod King of Nargothrond strode forward to meet his daughter.
"Honey what is that?" He asked, trying to pull back the cloak to revel its contents. Whatever it was felt like sandpaper and left his hand cold and wet.
"It is a dog." Said the child folding back the folds of fabric to reveal a disheveled looking golden puppy.
"Indeed it is." Said here father, "but what are you doing with it little one?"
"I found it wandering around in the forest. He was hungry and all alone." She looked up giving her father a mischievous smile that Finrod had come to know all to well over the past few years.
"Ada?"
Finrod turned on his heel and walked off back toward the council table.
"Ada can I keep him?" She asked.
"No." Said her father settling back into his chair. His daughter came to a halt at his side clinging desperately to the small bundle in her arms.
"But..."
"No."
"Why ada? I promise that I'll take good care of him!"
"I know you will sweetheart but we have no where to keep a dog. Where would he sleep?" He asked.
"He could sleep with me."
"No I'm sorry but no." His daughter's face fell. Looking at her now he could see tears starting to form in her grey eyes and her bottom lip beginning to tremble. Sliding out of his chair and on to his knees Finrod drew her, dog and all, into his arms. He watched as the silent tears began to flow, falling onto the dog's light fur, and as his own heart began to break Finrod made his decision.
"Alright," he whispered into her soft dark hair. "Alright you can keep him."
The child looked up, "really?"
"Really. As long as you promise to take extra good care of him." He said wiping the tears away.
"Oh I will Ada. I promise." She looked down at the small puppy sleeping soundly in her arms. "I shall call him Rána."