Let's Play a Game

The elflings' ages range from about 3 (Eleniel's daughter) to 13 (Eldarion)

Eleniel had expected to walk into the room and smile at the perfect, well-behaved elflings, sitting on the floor drawing pictures on parchment, or reading in a corner, or playing quietly with each other while Glorfindel sat at his desk, working. What she hadn't expected was to walk into the room and have to step out again because of what could only really be described as manic elflings running wild around the room.

She stared, wide-eyed, as Glorfindel tried desperately to keep the children from breaking something or injuring themselves.

"Glorfy, what's this?"

"That would be the swan paper-weight your daerada gave me almost two thousand years ago."

"Glorfy, can I touch this?"

"No!"

"Glorfy, Eldarion ripped my parchment!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Was, too!"

"Glorfy, can I draw on this?"

"On the couch? You most certainly can not! Hey, Eruanna, put that down!"

"Glorfy, I'm bored!"

"Do something then, Raunion."

"But I am doing something, Glorfy."

"Glorfy, read to me!"

"Glorfy, draw with me!"

"Hey, I asked first!"

"Eruanna, I told you to put it down."

"But I want to know what it is!"

"It is a priceless ornament, that's what it is. Now, put it down!"

Eleniel blinked. The poor warrior was running all over the place!

"That's enough!" she shouted, and the room fell silent.

"Eleniel, thank the Valar," Glorfindel sighed with relief, rushing over to the elleth, "these elflings are a nightmare."

"I can see that," the Peredhel said. "What on Middle-earth happened?"

She looked at the balrog-slayer, and suddenly felt a huge sack of guilt weigh her down. She shouldn't have done this. She shouldn't have given her beloved Fin the responsibility of looking after seven elflings the day after he had returned from a three-month gruelling patrol. She could see the pleading and exhausted look in his eyes, and could tell that last night had been the first time he had slept peacefully for weeks. But she hadn't thought about that, and had woken him up much earlier than he should have been woken and asked him if he could look after her two children, her nephew, and their four friends while she helped prepare the hall for the annual summer feast that would be held that night.

"Right," she said assertively, "let us play a game. It is called 'who can stay the quietest the longest'. If you make a sound, you are out. The winner gets my dessert at the feast tonight."

The elflings immediately plonked themselves on the ground and busied themselves with reading or drawing, bringing their fingers up to their lips once in a while if they thought someone was about to speak.

Eleniel turned to look at Glorfindel and took his hands in hers. "I am so sorry for this, Fin. Please forgive me."

Glorfindel chuckled and pulled the elleth forward, embracing her in a tight hug. "There is nothing to forgive. Had I not been so tired I would have been able to handle them."

"But that is my point!" Eleniel protested. "I knew you were tired, yet I still made you look after these rambunctious little things."

"Rambunctious, indeed. They are little imps, all of them, but they are only elflings," Glorfindel told her with a slight raise of his eyebrow. "You were exactly the same."

He kissed Eleniel on the forehead and then walked out of the room after she assured him she could look after the elflings, intending to go straight to bed so that he was ready for the feast, dancing and activities that would be held later that day.

Valar, did she love her Fin.

Elvish used:

Daerada - Grandad