Arakano gets bored with Tirion and goes off on adventures. The cousins spend time in Formenos.

Under the Stars

Lord Denethor's people had arrived at the lake for the midsummer festivities. Mornel was there to receive them as was the custom whenever she was in Formenos for the festival. She crowned Denethor with a wreath of wildflowers and offered him the customary cup of berry-wine. In exchange, the Nandor gifted her with a white deer's pelt and a necklace of porcupine quills. Denethor then whispered into her ear that he rather preferred her distributing the wreaths, for Lady Tatie enjoyed adding her own little twist to the ritual by smacking the chieftains on the bottom as they downed the wine.

Mornel was surprised when Denethor greeted her cousin Arakano warmly by his Sindarized name Argon and a hug. The pair conversed briefly in Sindarin before Denethor re-joined his hunters. With a smile she recalled her cousin Arakano had spent a season running about with a band of Nandor in the south. Arakano's patience at his mother's cosseting ran out and he had fled the stifling confines of Tirion for the wilds of Aman. Finrod met his cousin by chance when taking his wife on a leisure trip into southern Aman. After hearing how frantic his mother was in Tirion with no news from him, Arakano took his leave of the Nandor and returned to Tirion.

"A fine archer he is," Denethor conceded. "Would you believe none of my men could hit the broad-side of a buffalo even at fifty paces?" Mornel had joined the hunters at their campfire.

"But surely the Nandor are skilled hunters with the bow…" Mornel started.

"You assumed wrong, milady. Not all Laiquendi are skilled with bow and arrow… My people hunted boar and deer with spears back then before the Sun and Moon… Even with our sight, it is better to have a spear than arrows in the thickets, for fear of hitting one's fellows," Denethor chuckled and hefted his spear. "As for my father, Lenwe, he was great at finding edible plants, but he did not have it in him to hurt any animal, not even for food. Thin as a willow branch."

Mornel nodded. She still had much to learn from the Nandor and Avari. Denethor's small band of hunters probably hunted with him under the stars of Beleriand long before Tilion steered his vessel across the skies for the first time. Mornel excused herself. It was time for the dance and as hostess, she needed to declare its start.

"It was probably like this for Grandfather and the other elves on the shores of Cuivienen, living under the stars…" Arakano had yawned, lay back on the sweet grass, and rubbed his belly, sated with grilled trout.

"I am sorry your stint at Lord Tulkas' did not work out…" Mornel murmured. It was late but the dance was still ongoing and would continue until dawn under the supervision of the elders. Tired dancers left and fresh dancers joined the line of elves slowly circling the lake. Only at dawn would the dancing end.

"Nope. The routine gets a bit stale after a while, even with Cousin Glorfindel…" Arakano yawned. His crown of wildflowers had slipped rakishly over one ear. He sported the tattoo of an oak leaf on his exposed shoulder, the mark of a Silvan woodsman.

Mornel smiled. Her stints in Yavanna's pastures were not as fruitful as her elders had hoped. Despite her friendship with the Vanya ner assigned to be her tutor in the agricultural arts, it simply was not meant to be. Her tutor was now happily and bountifully wed to a sweet-tempered Vanya nis. The climate of Formenos still ruled out corn as a staple crop. She did however, learn a bit about animal husbandry which would come in handy for the flocks of Formenos. They had needed wool, milk, and meat for the city's growing population. Hunting and trade were far from sufficient to meet their needs. Perhaps Arakano's talent also lay in areas other than the warrior arts.

"How long will you be staying, Arakano? Long enough to learn a craft?" Mornel teased gently. Many of the skilled craftsmen of Tirion had moved to Formenos over the yeni.

"Did you not hear from Glorfindel? I am in disgrace!" Arakano groaned mockingly as Glorfindel joined them on the grass. The blond had flowers woven into his golden locks and was clad only in a loincloth, having joined the customary dance around the lake.

"Well, you did promise King Olwe to behave while in Alqualonde. Then you went on to wreck a tavern that same evening," Glorfindel smiled as he took his cloak back from Mornel.

"Well, Cousin Finrod's boy was there, and I could not leave him to be beaten up by some Teleri sailors. He's family, you know…"

"I think it should have been the sailors who are worried," Mornel remarked. She had heard from Finrod he was sending his son to Lord Tulkas' to instil some discipline in him. She expected Celeglass to make his escape and seek sanctuary with Lord Orome within the week.

"The tavern went up in smoke, didn't it?" Glorfindel added. "Nice reminder to the older Teleri elves of a certain incident during the Darkening…"

"It was an accident…" Arakano whimpered.

"Well, I am glad you made it safely to Formenos without getting eaten by a bear or falling off a cliff. I suppose I should return to Lord Tulkas' and report on your safety to Tirion," Glorfindel downed a mug of cider. "I suppose Lord Tulkas will forgive you, eventually. Fancy taking off like that without a word after I recommended you to his mansion."

"Sure you are not staying for longer, cousin?" Mornel asked. Glorfindel's parents were not at the festival but their farmstead was ten miles from Formenos.

"Well, I suppose I could make a detour to visit my folks…" Glorfindel relented. "Lord Tulkas did say there was no hurry for me to return, my training under him being quite complete. Perhaps I could stay until fall or maybe spring…"

"That's a terrific idea! I have not been in these parts before, and I am sure Cousin Mornel will show us the wild and untamed north…" Arakano beamed.

"It is possible," Mornel mentally ran through the many valleys around the north of Aman. Most of the local tribes were friendly to her but there were a handful of places they forbade outsiders from entering at certain times. They could also explore parts of the upper Pelori none of the Nandor or Avari had colonized yet.

"I don't understand why we cannot go to that valley with the beautiful crystal cave you told me about…" Arakano complained. He tucked his foot out of the way just in time to avoid Fearocco's teeth.

"You saw the alder pole with the antlers and squirrel tails," Mornel explained patiently. "That particular totem is a sign the tribe does not wish to have visitors as one of theirs is undergoing training in that cave to be a seer." The Avari who lived there carried out secretive rites to complete the initiation of their seers into Lord Irmo's service. "If we trespass at this time, we might be seen off by a hail of arrows."

"Seriously? Wouldn't that be a Kinslaying?"

"Don't worry. They will not aim to kill, just enough to incapacitate us and have us carried off to a healing tent outside the valley until we recover," Glorfindel shrugged. He urged Asfaloth into a trot, away from the forbidden valley.

"Trust him. Our dear cousin made that mistake once and caught an arrow in the rear," Mornel jested. Glorfindel made a face which had Arakano laughing. "We could come by next year to see the cave. They hold the initiations every five cycles of the sun, for it is a demanding ritual on everyone in the tribe. A week of fasting is sure to turn anyone cranky."

They had stopped for a few days at the farmstead of Glorfindel's parents before setting off on their adventure. Aunt Lalwen had cried for joy and fussed over her nephew. She had not made the journey to Tirion until after Arakano had left the city to wander with the Nandor. Away from the royal court, Aunt Lalwen and her husband had mended their marriage between them. Glorfindel would be a big brother soon, judging by the swell of Lalwen's belly under her apron.

"I hope it is a little girl. Lord Manwe knows we have too few girl-cousins…" Arakano murmured.

"I would prefer a brother to spar with…" Glorfindel admitted.

"What's wrong with sparring with one's sister? I sparred with you both…" Mornel blurted.

"You are right. An elleth can be as much a follower of Lord Tulkas as any ellon," Glorfindel conceded. "And Irisse was more than a match for Findekano in the training yard… Is there another valley we can visit?"

"Well, I heard from a crow that about five miles east from here is a valley with a small waterfall. I doubt it has been mapped before. Who knows what awaits us there?" Mornel laughed and pointed Fearocco down a natural trail leading in that general direction.

Author's Notes:

I let Glorfindel and Arakano spend some time in Formenos with Mornel before heading off on adventures further afield. Arakano probably used the Sindarin version of his name when hanging out with the Nandor, Sindar, and Avari.