Friends.
At the time of the festival the Teleri held every year to celebrate their arrival in the Blessed Realm found Celegorm dressed in his best. He didn't wear the colours of his father's house for the reason that he wanted to appear different from his brothers today, so he wore green and brown, the colours of the forest and the huntsman.
Celegorm walked, for he felt restless and wished the exercise. Huan trotted next to him, the great hound always attended festivals too. To his disgust, he'd been thoroughly washed that morning, and now wore a brand new decorated leather collar that Aredhel had made for him, as it wasn't only Celegorm that stayed friends with the White Lady of the Noldor as she was now known, for her pale skin and habit of wearing clothes of white and silver.
It was some years since Huan and Celegorm had found Aredhel huddling frighted in the forest, and in those years she had grown from a girl into a graceful, strong woman. She'd had no further trouble with Turgon, for after the fright he'd had when no one could find his sister and the talking to from Celegorm who'd promised to leave him alone in a very distant forest if he was ever so tough on his sister again, Turgon had realised having a sister wasn't so bad. Treated decently she was quite good company, and prepared to look up to her older brother. Another advantage as she grew up was that she had some very attractive friends, and Turgon was seriously courting a lady introduced to him by Aredhel.
Now Aredhel and her family had arrived ahead of Celegorm and Huan, and the hound had bounded ahead of his master on scenting her, and almost knocked the lady over before Celegorm stopped him. Aredhel laughed and slipped her arm through Celegorm's and they walked together, the lady's other hand resting on the hound's back.
'Where are the rest of your family?' Aredhel questioned Celegorm.
'I snuck off early while father was still organising who was carrying which gifts for the Teleri lords and ladies. I see Caranthir managed to get away too,' he said indicating the next youngest of his brothers talking to some of the guests, female guests, Celegorm noticed.
'I see Caranthir is still a dreadful flirt. When will he settle down and marry one of those maidens that flock around him,' giggled Aredhel.
'Of all the unmarried ladies, only you seem immune to him,' Celegorm replied as he watched his brother now trying to fight his way clear of the admiring women.
'True, but I have seen his less appealing side, and I have no doubt but all those ladies would flee like deer before Huan if they saw Caranthir in a temper.'
Celegorm laughed at that mental image, and Huan, who of course understood all speech looked as if he was tempted to scatter the ladies himself. If it wasn't a festival Celegorm would have been tempted to see Huan indulge himself but thoughts of the last time Huan had seen off people the family hadn't wanted around still made Nerdanel angry. In vain Celegorm had tried to explain that he hadn't ordered or even asked Huan to chase Uncle Finarfin away, the hound had obviously taken comments made by Feanor to be meant literally, and like all dogs he had a tendency to go overboard in defence of his 'family.'
'Let's get something to eat,' Celegorm suggested. 'The Teleri cooks have busy preparing this feast, it would be rude not to sample everything.'
'Everything!' Aredhel laughed.
'Oh yes, and I'll probably go back for seconds too.'
'You will be sick if you do that,' said Aredhel, 'or does Huan intend to help you?'
The black and tan hound turned liquid brown eyes up to the elves and wagged his tail happily. 'He certainly intends to try everything too, don't you my friend,' said Celegorm.
Help Celegorm sample all the food Huan did, and discovered of all the delicious sea foods the Teleri had prepared for their land living friends of the Vanyar and Noldor that he really liked crab best. Like all good dogs that attend festivals and picnics, he had a wonderful time clearing up all the odds and ends and scraps offered to him, and then found he had eaten too much and now felt ill. So he lay under a shady tree and watched his master dance with Aredhel, and occasionally with another of the ladies.
After some time, Huan was feeling better, and rather bored. So he trotted over to Celegorm and Aredhel, and barked twice, which Celegorm correctly interpreted as meaning it was time to go. 'What do you think, Aredhel? We've done our duty by the Teleri, and our families; no one is likely to miss Fingolfin's daughter or Feanor's third son.'
She thought for a second, and then agreed, 'let's go, you are right, no one will miss us, especially now that Maglor's started to sing. He really does sound glorious, doesn't he?'
'You wouldn't say that if you lived with him,' grumbled Celegorm.
Wisely Aredhel ignored that, if she'd spoken in Maglor's defence Celegorm would think she favoured his brother over himself, and she didn't want to upset her best friend.
Giggling like children, the two slipped away from the feast, to go to Aredhel's home and collect camping gear and their bows, knives and other hunting equipment. Yes, they knew they'd be in trouble with their families, most of all grandfather Finwe but they didn't care. After all, their families should be used to them disappearing unexpectedly.
Huan trotted behind, things were looking up again. Exercise was just what he needed after eating all that food, and the hunt was the best way for a big hound to exercise. Running on the beach or playing with his master's family just wasn't enough. But today another thought kept intruding on his mind pushing away the thoughts of hunting, and it was this: when was his master going to marry Aredhel?
At the time of the festival the Teleri held every year to celebrate their arrival in the Blessed Realm found Celegorm dressed in his best. He didn't wear the colours of his father's house for the reason that he wanted to appear different from his brothers today, so he wore green and brown, the colours of the forest and the huntsman.
Celegorm walked, for he felt restless and wished the exercise. Huan trotted next to him, the great hound always attended festivals too. To his disgust, he'd been thoroughly washed that morning, and now wore a brand new decorated leather collar that Aredhel had made for him, as it wasn't only Celegorm that stayed friends with the White Lady of the Noldor as she was now known, for her pale skin and habit of wearing clothes of white and silver.
It was some years since Huan and Celegorm had found Aredhel huddling frighted in the forest, and in those years she had grown from a girl into a graceful, strong woman. She'd had no further trouble with Turgon, for after the fright he'd had when no one could find his sister and the talking to from Celegorm who'd promised to leave him alone in a very distant forest if he was ever so tough on his sister again, Turgon had realised having a sister wasn't so bad. Treated decently she was quite good company, and prepared to look up to her older brother. Another advantage as she grew up was that she had some very attractive friends, and Turgon was seriously courting a lady introduced to him by Aredhel.
Now Aredhel and her family had arrived ahead of Celegorm and Huan, and the hound had bounded ahead of his master on scenting her, and almost knocked the lady over before Celegorm stopped him. Aredhel laughed and slipped her arm through Celegorm's and they walked together, the lady's other hand resting on the hound's back.
'Where are the rest of your family?' Aredhel questioned Celegorm.
'I snuck off early while father was still organising who was carrying which gifts for the Teleri lords and ladies. I see Caranthir managed to get away too,' he said indicating the next youngest of his brothers talking to some of the guests, female guests, Celegorm noticed.
'I see Caranthir is still a dreadful flirt. When will he settle down and marry one of those maidens that flock around him,' giggled Aredhel.
'Of all the unmarried ladies, only you seem immune to him,' Celegorm replied as he watched his brother now trying to fight his way clear of the admiring women.
'True, but I have seen his less appealing side, and I have no doubt but all those ladies would flee like deer before Huan if they saw Caranthir in a temper.'
Celegorm laughed at that mental image, and Huan, who of course understood all speech looked as if he was tempted to scatter the ladies himself. If it wasn't a festival Celegorm would have been tempted to see Huan indulge himself but thoughts of the last time Huan had seen off people the family hadn't wanted around still made Nerdanel angry. In vain Celegorm had tried to explain that he hadn't ordered or even asked Huan to chase Uncle Finarfin away, the hound had obviously taken comments made by Feanor to be meant literally, and like all dogs he had a tendency to go overboard in defence of his 'family.'
'Let's get something to eat,' Celegorm suggested. 'The Teleri cooks have busy preparing this feast, it would be rude not to sample everything.'
'Everything!' Aredhel laughed.
'Oh yes, and I'll probably go back for seconds too.'
'You will be sick if you do that,' said Aredhel, 'or does Huan intend to help you?'
The black and tan hound turned liquid brown eyes up to the elves and wagged his tail happily. 'He certainly intends to try everything too, don't you my friend,' said Celegorm.
Help Celegorm sample all the food Huan did, and discovered of all the delicious sea foods the Teleri had prepared for their land living friends of the Vanyar and Noldor that he really liked crab best. Like all good dogs that attend festivals and picnics, he had a wonderful time clearing up all the odds and ends and scraps offered to him, and then found he had eaten too much and now felt ill. So he lay under a shady tree and watched his master dance with Aredhel, and occasionally with another of the ladies.
After some time, Huan was feeling better, and rather bored. So he trotted over to Celegorm and Aredhel, and barked twice, which Celegorm correctly interpreted as meaning it was time to go. 'What do you think, Aredhel? We've done our duty by the Teleri, and our families; no one is likely to miss Fingolfin's daughter or Feanor's third son.'
She thought for a second, and then agreed, 'let's go, you are right, no one will miss us, especially now that Maglor's started to sing. He really does sound glorious, doesn't he?'
'You wouldn't say that if you lived with him,' grumbled Celegorm.
Wisely Aredhel ignored that, if she'd spoken in Maglor's defence Celegorm would think she favoured his brother over himself, and she didn't want to upset her best friend.
Giggling like children, the two slipped away from the feast, to go to Aredhel's home and collect camping gear and their bows, knives and other hunting equipment. Yes, they knew they'd be in trouble with their families, most of all grandfather Finwe but they didn't care. After all, their families should be used to them disappearing unexpectedly.
Huan trotted behind, things were looking up again. Exercise was just what he needed after eating all that food, and the hunt was the best way for a big hound to exercise. Running on the beach or playing with his master's family just wasn't enough. But today another thought kept intruding on his mind pushing away the thoughts of hunting, and it was this: when was his master going to marry Aredhel?