~oOo~

Aikanáro reigned in his horse to a stop once they crested the hill and waited as his brother rode up beside him. He arched an eyebrow as Angaráto's horse snorted and shook its head as if in a huff.

"You know," said Angaráto, a bit in a huff himself, "it does not count when you take off without warning like that."

"And just what are you implying?" asked Aikanáro with mock indignation.

"Play fair and I would not have to imply anything," answered Angaráto with honest annoyance.

Aikanáro chuckled as he looked down at the sprawling settlement before them.

"Who are we meeting this day?"

"Ah, Boromir I believe, and his kin."

Boromir, grandson to Bëor, Findaráto's mortal friend, thought Aikanáro. It seems the torch has been passed.

"Is Ingoldo already here?"

Angaráto made a tsk sound. "Yes Aegnor, Finrod is already here."

Aikanáro did not miss how Angaráto stressed the names.

"Come now, you are not going to look to cause trouble are you?"

Aikanáro sighed and gave his brother a sideways glance. He loved his brothers dearly and would follow them into the black of the void itself, and indeed he may already have. But he could not help but be annoyed with them at times. What with their incessant need for formality and daily affirmations from their great-uncle. He did not understand the need. Their names were not even Noldorin they were Telerin in form. But anything remotely resembling Quenya had been banned and he and the rest of his family had respectfully acquiesced to keep the peace. Findaráto was quite fond of this tribe of Men and causing strife by trying to annoy his brothers by calling them by their epessë or speaking in a forbidden tongue would not be very appropriate nor appreciated.

No, it would do no good to aggravate them, which was unfortunate since there would not be much to do period. Whatever kind of trouble his brother thought he would be looking for here was beyond him.

"No Angrod, if there is trouble to be found, it shall not be found by me."

~oOo~

The sun's bright morning light began to break through the cold gray of morning, his skin as it rays shone through the window where he stood, staring down at the street. Life was beginning to buzz below. Men and women starting their morning commute. Traffic began to move and pick up, the rumble of cars and trucks increasing as more and more began to wake and settle in the familiar rhythm of routine. It was the one thing about Men that never seemed to change. Their need in their minds for purpose, for the routine and their strange resistance to change countered by their need for progress. And progress always brought about change.

Normally Aegnor was amused by this. Under normal circumstances, Aegnor would watch the small theatre unfold below and chuckle at how flustered the players would become if something shook up the routine, staggering the rhythm. Their frustration would come off in waves at any delay or change as they made their way to their destination. And oh how they hated delays.

Perhaps if they had not been so preoccupied with their own self perceived importance they would have taken the time to observe their surroundings. Perhaps they would have taken the time to notice that the figure in the fourth story window in the large apartment in King Street had not moved in three days. But then perhaps they did notice and took it for some mannequin or a play of shadows on the window from the sun, because certainly no human being could stand for three days, stock-still and motionless, frozen in place.

And they would be right. No human being could.

For three days he stood there looking out the window. For three days he stood inert, transfixed by what had transpired in that little shop. For three days hazel eyes haunted him, staring back at him in the reflection of the window. Was this some torment from the Valar? Some delay in punishment for his arrogance all those ages ago? Had she been sent back to remind of all that had been lost and all he could never have? And why now? Why here?

But then again, was it even truly her? Yes, she had Andreth's face and eyes, yes it was as if she had stepped out of some long lost dream, but this was not Andreth. At least not his Andreth. This was a mortal woman called Andrea. A student of anthropology and history. A young woman of this age and not from the past.

Or is she? Could she be some reincarnation of Andreth? Were there not ancient religions devoted to such beliefs? No one, not even Mandos knew what happened to a human soul once it left the halls, if they even came to his halls in the first place. Could their souls be re-embodied, recycled to walk the earth again and again for some higher purpose? Perhaps her soul had been walking alongside him all throughout the ages and he had never known. Reborn into some other body and life till she had finally come across him again, drawn together once more by fate? In that moment when he touched her hand he could have sworn he saw . . . something!

Not that it changed anything. She was still of Men and he Eldar. She would age and die while he remained.

Yes, this was most definitely some torment sent by the Valar.

And it changed nothing.

Aegnor snapped back to life and in what seemed like one smooth motion he grabbed a coat and snatched up his keys. Three days had passed and Wednesday was here. He left his apartment and walked brusquely down the street.

Andrea sat on the train and flipped through phone. She had her earbuds in but was not listening to any music. She just put on the appearance that she was to avoid unwanted conversation. She was not normally such an introvert but you never who you were going to meet on the train. She was too tired and way too irritated to be polite today anyway.

Kate had bailed on her at the last minute. At least according to Andrea she did. Kate on the other hand insisted that she was coming, just that she was going to be a little late and while Kate never gave Andrea a reason why, Andrea knew. Gabe, yet again. Andrea just could not understand what the allure was. Kate is so bright and smart and just has so many things going for her, Andrea could not understand why she would screw all that up for some meaningless moments with someone who had no real appreciation for her at all. Needless to say that Andrea did not hide her irritation with her roommate. This was her gig after all, Andrea was just helping her out. She should not even be here honestly. She had a paper due on Friday along with a dissertation to finish. She should be home studying. Damn Kate and her peniobsession. She refused to put the s at the end when referring to Gabe due to the fact that she did not believe his peni warranted the full word.

But while it was easy to blame Gabe, it was really Kate she was upset with. Andrea hoped she would hurry up and get her priorities straight.

Andrea stood up as she heard Houston Street call over the speaker and made her way off the train. The sun was starting to set by the time she reached the little shop. She knocked as she slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" she called out. It was not dark inside but the light was dim and coming from the back. The owner Mrs. Patel was obviously closing up and must be in the back somewhere. Andrea closed the door behind her and continued inside.

"Helloooo, Mrs. Patel?"

Still no answer. Andrea wondered if Mrs. Patel would even be here. Didn't the norse god say he was going to come and babysit?

"Mr. Aeluin?"

Still no answer. Andrea stamped down the little flicker of disappointment in the back of her mind with an irritated eye roll. She did not give a damn who was here because she was here for the items, not him.

And yet, she could not help but notice how her thoughts had turned to him a quite a few times lately. It was getting embarrassing. Andrea tried to chalk it up to fact that she was sure she had met him or seen him somewhere before. Most likely a magazine cover or something. She found herself wanting to dislike him out of principle. She would get more done without him around anyway.

Andrea came up on the table in the back with several items laid out on it. A large lamp lit the table and couple more cast a dim light from behind. There was a large magnifying glass and some gloves set on the table. Andrea walked up and rested her hands on the table as she chewed on her lip absentmindedly and smiled down at the items. Yes this was why she was here after all. She pulled the gloves on and got to work.

Aegnor watched the young woman from the shadows. She never saw him as she entered the shop and went to the table. He was just some other obscure object lining the store and he was very good at blending into the shadows and right now he was as far back as he could get. His back against the wall, he watched her as she gazed down at the table, chewing at her lip and every so often tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He thought his heart would seize in his chest. The back of his head pressed against the wall as he tore his eyes away from her to look up at the ceiling. He squeezed them shut as he took in a slow breath.

Yes this was undoubtedly some torment sent by the Valar.

She was Andreth in every way. From the way she immersed herself in the artifacts to the arch of her brow and curve of her lips. It was as if his stomach had folded in on itself as his blood rushed to his face, causing it to feel as if it burned. Pull it together damn you, he hissed at himself. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his side as the old pain threatened to pull him under again. She only looks like Andreth is all! She is not her, not Andreth! Not your Andreth! Her name is Andrea damn you! He focused on his breathing and fought the tide of emotion that threatened to drown him.

Once his had regained some semblance of control he looked back to the table and the young women sitting there. Andrea was picking up pieces and taking pictures and notes on each with her ipad and phone. She muttered under breath about a particular piece and Aegnor realized she was uncertain of its origins. Aegnor exhaled slowly and stepped out of the shadows.

"Turkey."

To say he may have startled her would be a bit of an understatement. Andrea shot back from the table with a gasp, knocking over one of the lamps as she did. Aegnor moves swiftly to catch the item she had been holding before it hit the ground, the lamp though was not so lucky. It fell to the floor with a crash and Andrea gave a little yelp and jumped again. Aegnor could not help but feel guilty while Andrea felt furious.

"What is wrong with you?!" she shouted at him in flustered indignation. "You scare the holy shit out of me!"

"Forgive me I -"

"What, were you hiding back there or something?!"

"No, of course not. I -"

"What the hell man! I mean really!"

"Please, I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. Please."

Hazel eyes studied him and Aegnor found himself fighting for control once more.

"Whatever," Andrea said with a shrug and a shake of her head. "You didn't frighten me. I mean, you frightened me but didn't scare me you just, I mean I wasn't looking and, well, I mean . . . just whatever."

Aegnor watcher her now as she turned towards the floor and looked at the broken lamp in dismay.

"Ugh, that lady is going to kill me." She squatted down and began to collect the pieces of broken glass. "She will totally make me pay for this." Aegnor knelt down next to her.

"No, do not concern yourself with that, I will take care of it. I will compensate Mrs. Patel for the lamp as well."

Andrea gave him a sharp look.

"I can pay for it," she snapped, "just not today."

Aegnor suddenly felt as if he were walking a very treacherous line.

"Of course, I never meant -"

"It's not like I can't afford it."

"No, no, I simply -"

"It's just really expensive and I would never buy something like this."

"Yes I understand completely, ple-"

"So for you to imply that I can't afford it is just-"

"Miss Bealor please!"

That came out a little louder than Aegnor had intended, but it seemed to do the trick. Hazel eyes regarded him silently once more.

"Please," his said, his tone much softer this time around, "please, I never meant to imply anything. I was simply suggesting you let me handle this as I am far more accustomed to dealing with Darshna than you. And it was my fault anyway. Had I simply announced my presence then you would never had been startled in the first place and the lamp would still be here with us. Please, allow me to take care of this. Please. I really must insist."

Hazel eyes held his and it seemed to Aegnor that she stared into him. Does she know him at all? Could she know him at all?

"What did you say?"

Aegnor blinked. "I said to please allow me to -"

"No," she interrupted, "before that."

"I should have announced my presence?"

"No," she said again, a little exasperated this time, "before you jumped out of the dark."

"Ah," exclaimed Aegnor, "Turkey! I was saying that piece was from Turkey."

Aegnor went on to explain how the pieces came from the ancient city of Doliche, now the modern city of Dülük. He believed the pieces to be late Babylonian and Levantine. Andrea began to write information down and take more pictures while asking him a constant stream of questions at the same time.

The evening wore on like this and Aegnor found himself almost giddy at times. It was as if they were back in the library of Bëor the Old's great house, pouring over parchment after parchment and talking of the Valar and Eldar and the legacy of Men. They worked on well into the evening this way. Cataloging and discussing the various histories of the pieces. She seemed impressed with his knowledge of ancient history and Aegnor smiled at what he thought her reaction would be if he told her it was because he had been there. He would watch how she scrutinized each piece, pouring over them, dissecting his information and filling in the gaps. He could have easily lost himself, sitting there with her, it was as if he had been transported back in time and he found himself longing once more for the company of his brothers. He would have even settled for several of his cousins. But this moment right here was perfect, for in his heart he began to believe that on some level, she had begun to enjoy his company.

It was the string of swear words that pulled him from his reverie. It seemed that time did not stop for the hour had become late.

"I can't believe I did this damn it! And of course Kate never showed! Damn! It!" Andrea began to stuff her belongings into her bag furiously. "I am sorry but I have to go. I only have about three million things to finish before Friday and twice that much to get done by Monday. I can't believe how late it is. Time flies when you're having fun eh?"

"Yes," he said, "it was fun."

"I'm sorry Kate didn't make it. You shouldn't have to worry about paying her you know. She should have been here. I will start looking up the pieces we have and get back to Mrs. Patel about how much they are worth. Ugh, if I hurry I might be able to make the next train."

"Wait, no, let me get you a cab," Aegnor said as he turned off the lights and moved them towards the door. "We should be able to get one at the square. It is the least I can do for keeping you so late, when I am not terrifying you that is."

"Ha! Right?!" Andrea laughed. "A cab would be nice."

Aegnor smiled as he closed the door behind him and turned to lock it. "I insist."

"You do a lot of insisting. You must get your way a lot."

Aegnor paused for a moment. "Actually, no. I do not."

They walked in silence most of the way to Demo Square. She talked a little about her roommate and her lack of responsibility lately. Upon reaching the square Aegnor was able to flag down a cab relatively easily to his dismay. He opened the door for her to climb in. She paused before entering and turned to him.

"Do you have Mrs. Patel's information or do I just show up at the shop? I would call but I don't have her number. I guess I could look up the shop number though. I just thought that . . . I don't know, don't worry about it. Kate must have the info."

"Wait," he said, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder, "here." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a card and then grabbed a pen from the cab driver who was becoming annoyed. "This is my number. Just call me with when you find something. Or I could call you if you prefer?"

"Oh no this is fine. I will call you when I have something. Well, later."

He watched as she climbed in the cab and drove away.

~oOo~

Aegnor stood a step behind Angrod as their eldest brother walked over to greet them. Aegnor could not help but grin as he watched him. His long fair hair flowing behind him and in his fine silk clothes he cut quite the impressive figure. And while he may seem very formal, Aegnor could tell he was relaxed and at ease here. Finrod enjoyed spending time within this House. He truly believed in the valor and future of Men. While Aegnor agreed with some of Finrod's views, he still did not believe that the race of Men were key to the future of this land.

After his brother finished greeting them, he turned and introduced their host and his family. Lord Boromir was a large man even by Aegnor's standards. His wife, the lady Eirian in contrast was tiny and fair, a seemingly delicate wisp of a woman heavy with child with two more young children at her feet.

Aegnor could not help but be slightly annoyed at such impudent behavior. To bring children in to such dark times, to have ones family in harm's way, it was irresponsible and selfish to Aegnor. It was unacceptable.

But, as Finrod had reminded him on many occasions, it was also no their customs. Men's lives were fleeting compared to theirs, and if they were to wait for times of peace then the race of Man would not survive. But no matter how many times Finrod would explain this, and he liked to explain things a lot, it was still something that Aegnor could simply not understand.

He was greeted by his host graciously and thanked his hostess for her roof and board. As Angrod made his introductions Aegnor stepped aside to wait only to feel a small tug on his cloak. He looked down and saw one of the small children that had been at the lady Eirian's feet inspecting the embroidery on his cloak. Aegnor looked up and saw that the child's (a girl he believed) parents were still preoccupied with their guests. Aegnor looked back down at the small head at his feet.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat gently. The little head at his feet continued her inspection of the cloak.

"Ahem," he said again only slightly louder.

This time the little head looked up at him with bright and curious eyes and Aegnor could not help but be struck by the color. They were a shade he had not seen before and seemed to be a mix of every eye color imaginable. They were set into a little round face framed by dark blonde hair, or perhaps light brown hair, or maybe somewhere in between. She could not be any older than two maybe three seasons of the sun. The little face looked up at him and unflinchingly stared into his eyes. Aegnor was impressed, there were not many of her kind who could do such a thing for very long.

He knelt down in front of her, crouching so as to get as close to her level as he could. Her gaze never broke from his. Aegnor was very impressed.

A little hand reached up and gently touched a lock of his hair and Aegnor watched as the child's bright gaze began to study the strands of hair in her hand. She was brave this one. Aegnor was curious to know what she thought but would never delve in to her mind uninvited, especially with one so young. Almost as if she could hear his thoughts her hand let go the lock of hair and she met his gaze once more.

"You shine, like him," she said pointing to FInrod.

Aegnor blinked and then smiled.

"What is your name little one?"

But before she could answer her mother was there, sweeping her up and apologizing profusely.

"Forgive me my lord, I hope she did not trouble you."

"No, no," soothed Aegnor, "she was no trouble, only curious."

The lady Eirian laughed. "Her curiosity will be the death of me I am afraid, for she has no fear."

"Traits that will serve her well I am sure. May I ask her name?"

"Yes of course, it is Andreth. Andreth, say hello to the lord Aegnor. He is a prince."

The child in the lady Eirian's arms said nothing, only laid her head on her mother's shoulder as she stared at him. Her mother laughed and shook her head.

"Oh now she is shy! I am sure that will change soon enough. If you will excuse me my lord," the lady apologized once more. Aegnor bowed over her hand.

"Of course my lady and thank you once again for you hospitality. Lady Andreth," he said with an incline of his head, "till we meet again."

The child said nothing as Aegnor turned to go but continued to stare at him, following him with bright eyes.