Estel

By Ar-Elenriel

Sorry I have not updated in awhile. I have been job hunting and just got a new job. P. S I do not own any of the Characters except for the elflings… Tolkien owns all of the others.

Chapter 8. Babysitting Services by King Finarfin and Sir Gimli of Aglarond

It was late afternoon and everything was quiet at New Imladris. Arwen, Galadriel and Celebrian were sitting in Celebrian's solar working on making new quilts for the winter. Elrond, Finarfin, Gimli, and Celeborn were all in the Hall of Fire discussing the days work on Ellessar and Arwen's new home. It had been a long day. Finarfin and Gimli had chosen this day to lay the foundations since it was the first completely dry day in several weeks. The weather had to be just right in order for the cement to dry properly otherwise the foundation could crack and they would have to start over." So me Lord Elrond the foundations are all done today. Tomorrow Frodo, Sam and I will be starting to build the frame. With five elflings, and all of your older children livin with ye it must be getting rather crowded." Gimli stated with a grin at the obviously exhausted Lord Elrond.

"Aye my friend I do indeed love my children but it will be good for all of them to have their own homes." Elrond grinned at his family and poured himself another glass of wine. All of the sudden three rather excited elflings pelted into the room. Elrond tried to calm them down in order to find out what in Aman was going on but, it did not seem to be working.

"Ada, Ada it is a bunny and it is hurt, hewp it hewp It." cried little Lanthiriel (She cannot pronounce l's yet) with a devastated look on her tiny face. Osthalion opened a baby blanket (one of the twins stolen specifically for the purpose of saving the bunny.) to reveal a baby rabbit no more than three weeks old. Elrond grinned for he had been through this several times with his four older children.

"It is alright Osthalion let me see the bunny so that I can check him for injuries. "Lanthiriel go and get Naneth and have her bring my healers kit. Elrond gently took the rabbit from his small son and extending his healing senses began checking for any injuries other than the obvious broken leg. Luckily the rabbit only had the injured leg and it was something that a Master Healer could easily fix without complications. This thought Elrond was a good thing since with his older four children he has on too many occasions had to tell them that a beloved pet could not be healed. "Little one's it will be okay its leg is broken and Ada can easily fix it."

Little Celindrial sighed with relief. "Yay Ada fixed the bunny." shouted all of the elflings merrily. They ran up to their Great Grandfather King Finarfin. "Daeradar can we go to work on the new house with you and Uncle Gimli?" asked Osthalion as he built a small cage out of branches for the little rabbit. Finarfin looked uncertainly at his grandson in law. He and Gimli planned to be working on the house for the greater part of the day and he had not taken the triplets for the whole day before. At least not without the services of his wife Earwen and daughter Galadriel.

Elrond looked uncertainly at his grandfather in law. Uncertain what the High King of the Noldor would say to taking charge of his youngest great grandchildren for the afternoon. Elrond was rather uncertain about leaving them in Gimli's hands for the day as well. The dwarf while being a close friend was not necessarily someone that you should expose impressionable elflings to (especially when it came to things like swearing). "Elrond I would like to take them for the afternoon. I hardly have spent any time with them this visit." stated Finarfin with a grin at Elrond. Elrond sighed, he would probably be asked to go along to make sure that the elflings were safe with Finarfin and Gimli .He knew Celebrian to well. He began to make his way up to the porch to discuss the request with his wife. He also needed to make sure that Erestor added extra food and changes of clothing for the triplets to the basket that would be going with Finarfin and Gimli that day.

"Meleth- nin, your grandfather has requested that he be allowed to take the twins off of our hands this afternoon." said Elrond grinning at his wife who was surrounded by yards of blue fabric that he knew was soon to become a new quilt for their bedroom in his favourite colour. He also knew that the blue was from the robe that he had worn on the ship to Valinor and the cream she was using to make the border with was from the robes he had worn at the wedding of Aragorn and Arwen. He looked pleadingly at his wife. He had so much preparation to do getting New Imladris ready for the winter ahead, and it would be much easier with the children off of his hands.
"I think that the little ones should go Elrond. They may learn something about building from my grandfather, and Gimli will keep them safe and sound." giggled Celebrian merrily. She had a way of making Elrond relax even when he did not want to. This apparently was a family trait since Galadriel was grinning at a very cranky Celeborn as well. Celeborn did not always get along with his father in law. Their were far too many differences between the Telerin Prince and the Noldo High King.

Finarfin grinned as Elrond exited the house carrying a heavy basket filled with enough food to keep the hard working Noldo King and Dwarven Lord and three little elflings fed for the entire day. Elrond also carried a bundle with swimming clothes for the triplets and a change of clean clothes each. Finarfin quickly took charge tying the baskets and bundles to the saddle of the horse. He then helped each of the twins and Gimli mount their ponies and they rode off into the afternoon sun.

When they arrived at the site of Aragorn and Arwen's new home Finarfin took the lunch basket into the completed kitchen. "Gimli why don't you check on the progress of the dining hall while I find tasks that the elflings can easily do in order to help out. Osthalion, this is Danroval, he is working on mixing the mortar to go between the bricks. Child, I know that you never turn down the opportunity to play in the mud so here is your chance." Osthalion happily went over to the large bucket and began helping Danroval mix mortar. His daeradar knew him to well.

"Let me see what do I have for two little elleths to do this afternoon?' mused Finarfin. I know the two of you can keep the craftspeople supplied with fresh water. Building a house is thirsty work. Lanthiriel and Celindrial went and got the water bucket. They knew from trips down here with Aragorn and Elrond that the older elves generally had sweets on hand for the elflings that took on the duty of water carrier and that they would receive many treats while on duty. Both little elleths had quite a sweet tooth that they had inherited from Elrond's side of the family, and gladly participated in any activity that gained them candy or cookies.. Finarfin figured that he would have the elflings help out for a half hour or so while he and Gimli explained the new plans to the Carpenter in charge of building the house, then he would take the elflings swimming, or on a nature hike. Elflings in his experience generally enjoyed such things. Gimli would probably stay late drinking with the workers after Finarfin took the elflings home. He usually did in order to get their input on the building plans and a better sense of how things were coming along.

One half hour later Lanthiriel and Celindrial were sharing the bag of sweets that they had collected with Osthalion and Osthalion was talking about how he wanted to become a builder when he grew up. Finarfin smiled at the thought that the Noldor heritage was rather obvious in this small son of his granddaughter. Finarfin grinned at Gimli. "Mellon-nin I leave you to the tender mercies of the workers and their Aqualonde Ale." With that Finarfin led the little elflings down the path to the nearest safe swimming hole.

"Yay Daeradars is taking us swimming." shouted little Celindrial who was eager to show off the dive her father had just taught her to her great grandfather. All three of the little elflings were quickly changed into their suits, as was Finarfin. He played in the water with the elflings for awhile and then got out and towelled off. "Daeradar, stay and pway wif us shouted Lanthiriel.

"Calm yourself ellith I am just setting up the lovely picnic dinner that your Naneth sent for us. Gimli took his share before we left Aragorn and Arwen's house. Finarfin began to place the fried chicken, salad, and strawberry shortcakes on the picnic blanket. The sight of the fresh strawberries and crispy fried chicken quickly drew the hungry elflings out of the water. They swiftly ravaged the basket and full from their dinners leaned against Finarfin, ready for their naps.

"Daeradar teww us a stowy.' said Lanthiriel snuggling against Finarfin's shoulder. So Finarfin told the sleepy elflings a tale of a long ago age when the light of Valinor was provided by two beautiful trees and the thirteen elflings of Finarfin, Fingolfin and Feanor played merrily in the fields, and forests of Valinor, and of all the mischief they got into. He grinned when he looked down to see that all three elflings were asleep. He gently woke each of them and got them into their clean clothes. At that moment Gimli walked up.

'So ye are wantin help getting the little ones onto their ponies." Gimli stated taking little Celindrial and placing her on her horse. Once the sleeping elflings had been placed on their ponies and strapped into the saddle with the straps provided solely for the purpose of holding sleeping elflings in their saddles on the way home Finarfin whistled to the ponies and they headed for New Imladris. When they reached the stables Elrond was waiting there to help carry the sleeping triplets to the house.

"So how was babysitting Lord Finarfin?" Elrond said, grinning at his Grandfather in law. He gently loosed Osthalions' had from one of his braids. The triplets liked to hold onto the braids of whoever was holding them while asleep.

'It went well, Gimli and the drunken elven workers were more of a handful than the triplets but, I have a feeling they were on their best behaviour today." With that Finarfin tucked the blankets up around his sleeping granddaughters and strode out of the nursery.