~Chapter 3 ~ The Little Game of Love~
Elladan selected a dusty book from a high shelf and tossed the hand-bound book on a desk covered with similar such books. He opened it and flipped through the musty pages, pausing occasionally to read a selection.
Realizing this book didn't contain the object he sought, just like the fifty or so other books on the table, he slammed it shut and tossed it on a pile. He looked around the broad circular room, searching the large selection for another prospect. Five or six other tables, with many books stacked high on top, were scattered around the room. One or two chairs accompanied each table. Long, dark violet, velvet drapes hung over each window, which were now drawn open to allow entry to the dwindling light.
Elladan would have to light some candles if he was to continue. Sighing, he found the nearest chair and collapsed into it.
His new friend, Ruintur, had left recently to find some food for them, leaving Elladan alone to scour over the ancient texts. Frustration from the seeming futility of the search was wearing him down; he badly needed a break.
The elf relaxed into a shallow sleep, eyes open, and rested in the way elves do. His mind forgot his mounting irritation, and turned to his newfound love... A blue-clad lady danced across his dreams, her bare feet moving in design over soft green grass.
An unknown amount of time had passed when he became aware of another elf in the room. It was a soft, gentle presence, unfamiliar yet soothing, all at the same time. He glanced through stacks of books until he caught a glimpse of the visitor.
Gasping, he recognized her hair. It was the lady he had been dreaming of, Silluina. A soft dark red dress contrasted with her pale skin and hair. It seemed that they were destined to be in the same places at the same times.
Feeling eyes upon her, she turned and found his. Elladan was suddenly ashamed at his lack of courtesy; he stood with gusto. He noticed her face flush with color.
'She blushes at the sight of me,' he thought with giddy excitement. Calming, he spoke.
"Good evening," he glanced at the window to make sure it was in fact evening before continuing, "My Lady. I trust you have had an enjoyable day?"
If she was irked by the delay in his greeting, she did not show it, "I have, My Lord. Imladris is a fine little haven, quaint and happy."
'He is definitely Elladan,' she thought as her excitement fell, 'But he cannot be the same one I talked to last night... I must know.'
He noticed the light in her eyes change slightly as she looked at him and the pale color of her cheeks returned. Sensing the silence was growing taut, he spoke.
"This is my father's library," he said before he realized how lame it sounded, of course it was his father's library!
She simply smiled, "It is a grand one at that. Many of King Gil-Galad's books came to Lord Elrond at the end of the second age. I see they are well kempt."
Having known Gil-Galad in the way nobles know each other, she respected those whom he had held in esteem, with Elrond being near the top. She brushed her hand across a dusty indigo cover.
"Lays of Beleriand," she murmured.
"Elrohir had pulled that book," Elladan muttered.
His inattentive younger brother had taken to reading lays and poems instead of finding his missing map. Elladan remembered that it was stored as a book mark for safe keeping, but he couldn't remember which book it was. Their own father had requested the map and it was his express duty to find it before the sun rose tomorrow.
He watched as Silluina opened the blue-bound book and glanced over the flowing characters. She looked up at him with a sheepish smile.
"I can't read Quenya," she said, "I can understand spoken words to an extent though."
She closed the book and centered it on the pile it had lain upon, which came nearly to her shoulders. Elladan walked until he was across the table from her.
'I must know...' she thought again.
"May I ask you something, My Lord," she hesitated.
He sensed her embarrassment; perhaps she had become lost or simply sought company.
"Of course," he replied.
She glanced down before returning to his eyes, "I heard the tale of a horse named Morro last night."
Silluina stopped her question when Elladan dropped his head into his hands.
"My Lord," she asked, concerned.
"Morro," he muttered and looked at her, "A name I have not heard in years. Elrohir loves to tell that story but he never adds the length of his garden services after the incident. It was a long time, even for an elf."
'Then it was him!' She thought, with embarrassment first, and then followed by alleviation. At least she knew who was who now.
"Elrohir," she said aloud, a small smile creeping to her lips.
It took Elladan half a second to realize she had mistaken his brother for himself. It was a common thing, though much more usual when they were younger and hadn't yet developed their own personalities.
"Elrohir is my twin, younger by a few minutes," he added, knowing it was boastful.
Her brows furrowed lightly but she smiled, "Perhaps you can ask him to read me some of these Lays? For me?"
He was taken aback. Elladan had predicted that his brother would captivate Silluina. He knew where something like this might go and Elrohir's disregard of his own feelings angered him. Elrohir was too free-spirited and adventurous, even disloyal, for a dignified girl like her. Elladan was much more solid and responsible.
"I...," he hesitated. What could he say to dissuade her from Elrohir?
It wasn't long before he understood that he would have to compete for Silluina's affections. Considering that they were really just an acquaintances, Elladan felt their relationship was much too young to move past friendship yet. Moreover, he knew his brother better than Silluina did, and almost more than Elrohir knew his own self, which gave an advantage in Elladan's part.
'I can play this game too,' he thought.
He gave a sympathetic smile, "I'm not sure if Elrohir has much time for reading of Lays. He is usually busy with other things, like Mellelin and Loslien. They are his two favorite ladies."
He then smiled to himself when Silluina was rendered speechless for a few moments. She had probably never been turned down by a potential suitor before, much less through his own brother. Though he felt badly about hurting the woman's feelings, she needed to know who was the more favorable suitor.
"He will break your heart," he added softly for good measure.
Elladan was sure it was what would happen anyway. How many other ladies had run from his brother while he followed with a red hand-print on his cheek?
In that moment, he decided to become the comforter while Elrohir would become the provoker. It was the strangest feeling; almost out-of-body and surreal. The plan congealed in his mind before he even knew it was there.
He reached across the table and touched her hand reassuringly. The blue stone was dull; sadness was evident in her blue eyes and it hurt him. But before he realized the wrongness of the plan, before he could speak to take it all back, she pulled away and took the book. Her red dress billowing and hair flowing in the sudden breeze of her departure, she left the library in a few short steps.
Left with a tight pain of shame in his chest, Elladan sank slowly to the chair behind him. His eyes blurred a moment before he noticed a sheet of yellowed parchment hanging from a book. He carefully pulled the book from the pile and removed the sheet.
The elation he should have felt at the discovery was weighed down by the remorse of his slander. He resolved to apologize to the Blue Lady, but in that moment, Ruintur and Elrond came into the library. Elladan rose in respect to the older elves.
"Ah," Ruintur exclaimed, "Have you found it?"
Realizing the elf was referring to the flimsy parchment dangling from his hand, he gently opened it. Indeed it was the ancient map, older than Elrond himself.
"Good work, my son," Elrond clapped his shoulder and smiled until he noticed the strange look in his eldest's eyes.
"Thank you, Adar," he said, at least grateful for the praise, "I think I will retire though. I've been at work so long that all the words and books have blended into one."
The two elder elves bid Elladan good night. Elladan stepped purposefully down the hall in search of Silluina.
Elladan selected a dusty book from a high shelf and tossed the hand-bound book on a desk covered with similar such books. He opened it and flipped through the musty pages, pausing occasionally to read a selection.
Realizing this book didn't contain the object he sought, just like the fifty or so other books on the table, he slammed it shut and tossed it on a pile. He looked around the broad circular room, searching the large selection for another prospect. Five or six other tables, with many books stacked high on top, were scattered around the room. One or two chairs accompanied each table. Long, dark violet, velvet drapes hung over each window, which were now drawn open to allow entry to the dwindling light.
Elladan would have to light some candles if he was to continue. Sighing, he found the nearest chair and collapsed into it.
His new friend, Ruintur, had left recently to find some food for them, leaving Elladan alone to scour over the ancient texts. Frustration from the seeming futility of the search was wearing him down; he badly needed a break.
The elf relaxed into a shallow sleep, eyes open, and rested in the way elves do. His mind forgot his mounting irritation, and turned to his newfound love... A blue-clad lady danced across his dreams, her bare feet moving in design over soft green grass.
An unknown amount of time had passed when he became aware of another elf in the room. It was a soft, gentle presence, unfamiliar yet soothing, all at the same time. He glanced through stacks of books until he caught a glimpse of the visitor.
Gasping, he recognized her hair. It was the lady he had been dreaming of, Silluina. A soft dark red dress contrasted with her pale skin and hair. It seemed that they were destined to be in the same places at the same times.
Feeling eyes upon her, she turned and found his. Elladan was suddenly ashamed at his lack of courtesy; he stood with gusto. He noticed her face flush with color.
'She blushes at the sight of me,' he thought with giddy excitement. Calming, he spoke.
"Good evening," he glanced at the window to make sure it was in fact evening before continuing, "My Lady. I trust you have had an enjoyable day?"
If she was irked by the delay in his greeting, she did not show it, "I have, My Lord. Imladris is a fine little haven, quaint and happy."
'He is definitely Elladan,' she thought as her excitement fell, 'But he cannot be the same one I talked to last night... I must know.'
He noticed the light in her eyes change slightly as she looked at him and the pale color of her cheeks returned. Sensing the silence was growing taut, he spoke.
"This is my father's library," he said before he realized how lame it sounded, of course it was his father's library!
She simply smiled, "It is a grand one at that. Many of King Gil-Galad's books came to Lord Elrond at the end of the second age. I see they are well kempt."
Having known Gil-Galad in the way nobles know each other, she respected those whom he had held in esteem, with Elrond being near the top. She brushed her hand across a dusty indigo cover.
"Lays of Beleriand," she murmured.
"Elrohir had pulled that book," Elladan muttered.
His inattentive younger brother had taken to reading lays and poems instead of finding his missing map. Elladan remembered that it was stored as a book mark for safe keeping, but he couldn't remember which book it was. Their own father had requested the map and it was his express duty to find it before the sun rose tomorrow.
He watched as Silluina opened the blue-bound book and glanced over the flowing characters. She looked up at him with a sheepish smile.
"I can't read Quenya," she said, "I can understand spoken words to an extent though."
She closed the book and centered it on the pile it had lain upon, which came nearly to her shoulders. Elladan walked until he was across the table from her.
'I must know...' she thought again.
"May I ask you something, My Lord," she hesitated.
He sensed her embarrassment; perhaps she had become lost or simply sought company.
"Of course," he replied.
She glanced down before returning to his eyes, "I heard the tale of a horse named Morro last night."
Silluina stopped her question when Elladan dropped his head into his hands.
"My Lord," she asked, concerned.
"Morro," he muttered and looked at her, "A name I have not heard in years. Elrohir loves to tell that story but he never adds the length of his garden services after the incident. It was a long time, even for an elf."
'Then it was him!' She thought, with embarrassment first, and then followed by alleviation. At least she knew who was who now.
"Elrohir," she said aloud, a small smile creeping to her lips.
It took Elladan half a second to realize she had mistaken his brother for himself. It was a common thing, though much more usual when they were younger and hadn't yet developed their own personalities.
"Elrohir is my twin, younger by a few minutes," he added, knowing it was boastful.
Her brows furrowed lightly but she smiled, "Perhaps you can ask him to read me some of these Lays? For me?"
He was taken aback. Elladan had predicted that his brother would captivate Silluina. He knew where something like this might go and Elrohir's disregard of his own feelings angered him. Elrohir was too free-spirited and adventurous, even disloyal, for a dignified girl like her. Elladan was much more solid and responsible.
"I...," he hesitated. What could he say to dissuade her from Elrohir?
It wasn't long before he understood that he would have to compete for Silluina's affections. Considering that they were really just an acquaintances, Elladan felt their relationship was much too young to move past friendship yet. Moreover, he knew his brother better than Silluina did, and almost more than Elrohir knew his own self, which gave an advantage in Elladan's part.
'I can play this game too,' he thought.
He gave a sympathetic smile, "I'm not sure if Elrohir has much time for reading of Lays. He is usually busy with other things, like Mellelin and Loslien. They are his two favorite ladies."
He then smiled to himself when Silluina was rendered speechless for a few moments. She had probably never been turned down by a potential suitor before, much less through his own brother. Though he felt badly about hurting the woman's feelings, she needed to know who was the more favorable suitor.
"He will break your heart," he added softly for good measure.
Elladan was sure it was what would happen anyway. How many other ladies had run from his brother while he followed with a red hand-print on his cheek?
In that moment, he decided to become the comforter while Elrohir would become the provoker. It was the strangest feeling; almost out-of-body and surreal. The plan congealed in his mind before he even knew it was there.
He reached across the table and touched her hand reassuringly. The blue stone was dull; sadness was evident in her blue eyes and it hurt him. But before he realized the wrongness of the plan, before he could speak to take it all back, she pulled away and took the book. Her red dress billowing and hair flowing in the sudden breeze of her departure, she left the library in a few short steps.
Left with a tight pain of shame in his chest, Elladan sank slowly to the chair behind him. His eyes blurred a moment before he noticed a sheet of yellowed parchment hanging from a book. He carefully pulled the book from the pile and removed the sheet.
The elation he should have felt at the discovery was weighed down by the remorse of his slander. He resolved to apologize to the Blue Lady, but in that moment, Ruintur and Elrond came into the library. Elladan rose in respect to the older elves.
"Ah," Ruintur exclaimed, "Have you found it?"
Realizing the elf was referring to the flimsy parchment dangling from his hand, he gently opened it. Indeed it was the ancient map, older than Elrond himself.
"Good work, my son," Elrond clapped his shoulder and smiled until he noticed the strange look in his eldest's eyes.
"Thank you, Adar," he said, at least grateful for the praise, "I think I will retire though. I've been at work so long that all the words and books have blended into one."
The two elder elves bid Elladan good night. Elladan stepped purposefully down the hall in search of Silluina.
