Yay! My fanficcy account is working again! Sorry, would have posted this earlier ut my account (or possibly computer) was playing up when i last tried posting this. Also, sorry for not replying to reviews, i had deadline problems but i've got it up now anyway.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 7
Both Thranduil and Galion grinned as they watched several young ellyn compete in an unofficial archery competition. Galadhion was by far the youngest, but most of the Elves were closer to the age of Meriliel, who had grown into a very pretty young lady. Both she and the ellyn in question were getting to the age when they were becoming aware of the other gender and the boys were apparently trying to impress the young lady.
Unfortunately for them, Galadhion had been taught by Thranduil himself and had started earlier than the rest. The attempts at impressing Meriliel were somewhat overshadowed by the fact her little brother out shot all of them. There was also the minor factor that Meriliel could out shoot all of them herself.
Thranduil smiled slightly sadly. There had only been a couple of trips between Lindon and the Greenwood since that first one but the three elflings had become fast friends and Oropher had been delighted. Galion and Thranduil had simply continued to ensure both could defend themselves on the dangerous journeys between realms and carefully didn't mention the things Elrond shared with them while they were there. On every visit, for at least one night, they would meet up and compare notes on all the little slips and comments the children made about their parents. Eventually, they would solve the mystery of what was going on with the children.
XXX
The three Elves walked into the sitting room to see Fea curled in a chair with a board, paper and her paints. Over the years, she had become a good little artist, though her main produce seemed to be pictures of her mother. Though she occasionally painted her father, she seemed to have a particular thing for the auburn-haired lady that was her mother. Elrond always wondered whether it had something to do with the fact that she was brought up by a single father and so the blood-mother filled in a part of her life in a way her father didn't. It might have had something to do with the fact that, when her parents contacted her by dreams, it was usually her mother that was the main subject of the dream.
As always, Gil-galad smiled at his unofficial niece and asked to see her picture. She held up what was undoubtedly another picture of her mother. This one was better than the last one by some way, and was actually good enough to recognise the lady from.
The High-King looked a bit startled at the picture and nodded slightly dazedly at Fea when she asked if he liked it.
"It's very nice, Fëa; tell me, do you know your mother's name?" he asked carefully. Erestor looked at Elrond with a raised eyebrow, the King had never asked that before and neither of them had thought to ask, though now it seemed like the most obvious thing they should have done. The girl nodded at Gil-galad earnestly. "Was it 'Riona' by any chance?"
Both the other Elf-lords in the room gave their King a startled look. The name was no more than vaguely familiar at best, obviously not elven in any shape or form and he'd pronounced it with a strange accent. Fea nodded enthusiastically, however, smiling benignly up at them. The High-King ploughed on with the questioning that only seemed to make sense to him and the young Peredhel.
"Do you by chance know someone called 'Daffyd'?" he asked, another vaguely familiar name pronounced with a strange accent. Once again, Fea smiled and nodded.
"Cousin Daffyd, he was Arallë's Ada." She tilted he head to the side a little. "I can't wait to see Uncle Daffyd again. He's funny and makes Mama go pink all the time." Elrond smiled sadly, Fea had absolute faith that she would be reunited with her family. None of them had the heart to tell her that they thought there was little chance of it. Then what she else had said registered. So that explained how she knew the adopted children of Galion. It made things a little clearer.
Gil-galad had a strange expression on his face, however, and simply nodded at the statement.
XXX
Manwë glared at the auburn-haired Maia who sat on the lawn, grinning maliciously at him. There was quite a large part of the great and good of Valinor (all of whom she had gained acquaintance with during the War of Wrath) sitting with her, quietly laughing at the Valar's predicament.
Riona had never forgiven him for taking her daughter away and everyone knew who was responsible for 'Manwë's Misfortunes' as they were referred to, but she never left enough evidence to prove it.
Her smile turned into a wicked smirk as he walked into earshot.
"I thought you might wish to know that her carers now know exactly who she is." Riona sent another insincere smile at him before turning back to Finarfin and totally ignoring the King of the Valar. He ground his teeth together, knowing she was trying to annoy him.
XXX
Fea had been put to bed and the three Elf-lords sat around swigging Dorwinion like there was no tomorrow. Eventually Elrond asked about the strange exchange of the morning. His King looked at him with a twenty-yard stare, silent for so long that Elrond thought he wasn't going to answer.
"I once knew Riona, during the War of Wrath." Two eyebrows shot up. They both knew Riona to be the non-elven part of Fea's parentage, so how could she have been around in the War of Wrath? Gil-galad smiled at them. "Fea is not part elven, whatever she looks like; she is half-Maia, half-human. It was no secret as to what Riona's relationship with Eönwë was and that they would marry once in Valinor."
"But if she was human, what was she doing in Valinor? Mortals aren't allowed there," Erestor asked. Their King just smiled sadly at them.
"Did either of you hear from your parts of the camp about those two prisoners they found? The woman and little boy who didn't speak any language we could understand?" Both nodded, they vaguely remembered that. "Well, they were Riona and Daffyd, her nephew. Eönwë took the pair under his wing and they grew very close even though they could only communicate with signs and pictures she drew on a little wax tablet of hers. She was an excellent Healer, I remember, she used to tend all our wounds after battle and is the reason we know to use fungus extract on wounds that have gone rancid." Elrond was more than slightly surprised by that information, though he had known that particular piece of wisdom had turned up during the War of Wrath.
"She used it to clean out an infected wound on one of the generals from the race of Men. Shortly after, Eönwë actually contacted Estë about them and she explained it. She also passed on an order that both should be brought to Valinor once the War was over. They must have been given immortality or something there, though I wouldn't know how. It would explain a lot, though." They were silent for a moment.
"So, her father really did lead the army of the Valar then?" Elrond asked. His King grinned at him and nodded over his goblet. They all remembered Fea telling them that her Ada had led a big army to defeat Morgoth – or 'Mor-gof' as she had pronounced it then.
XXX
In the two respective realms, similar conversations were going on.
Elrond stood before Gil-galad's desk, while Thranduil and Galion were before King Oropher's being told about the upcoming diplomatic trip between the realms. The news was greeted cordially, if a bit coolly, in the Greenwood. Neither Thranduil nor Galion ever missed an opportunity to let Oropher know exactly what they felt about taking two children with them - thankfully the Elves of Lindon had long given up commenting but still, it was not likes whatever Oropher felt like.
When Elrond heard the news, he raised a single eyebrow at his King.
"How do you think the Sinda Prince will take the news about the children's parentage?" The smile Gil-galad bestowed on the younger Elf was almost predatory.
"I don't know, but it will be fun to see now, won't it?"
