This chapter diverges from the Celebrin storyline, telling a subplot of the occurances in the West. These are somewhat used as a gauge for relevance of time but are also prevelant to the storyline. Enjoy this gentle tug at your attention as it is intended, and as always please review.
Gently fell the falls of the Bruinen as the shouts of adolescent elves filled the grand chambers of Imladris and one she-elf walked, smiling in her matronly joy at the jests of her only sons. They traipsed around the corridors as though they were in the wild, riding horses or some unknown activity that required space and ever-moving terrain. Carpenters and masons dashed for cover as the twin elves chased one another through the newly built guest quarters in the east of Elrond's house. Such a sight was not uncommon in those days, the Lord of Imladris had spent much to expand his household, and his city, for often from the west came many elves wishing for a more "civilized" existence, away from their rougher counterparts in the east. Silence was never an option, even then, so life went on, only a little louder when the twins were present and away from their studies.
The Lady of Imladris entered the Hall of Fire as others began to return to their homes, she bid them a soft farewell and sat beside a young maiden in scarlet garb, reading a book bound in green leather.
"What are you reading now, my dear?"
Said the lady, as the raven haired daughter turned the pages with a sense of reverence, though she was far older than the book before her. The musicality of her voice left her young lips as though they left a flute,
"Tis nothing mother…nothing but the same stories, the same…histories…"
"Ahh, you are reading the newest Erestor…Honestly Arwen, I know not why you read it if it bores you…"
"It does not bore me mother…it only…"
the young maiden twists her hands around the trinket that regally hung from her neck, guarding it with the same reverence that she did with the letters upon the pages of the book.
"It is only the same thing over and over, as though no one else has ever experienced the days of old…"
Celebrian looked upon her daughter with new eyes, she had never taken that young maiden to be dissatisfied with her husband's library collection, even if it was the largest west of Minas Tirith. Taking up her needlework the Lady of Imladris contemplated the thoughts her daughter raised in her mind; at birth she was raised to be both Teler and Noldo in mind and action, yet even so the signs of Daeron she seldom read and the garb of the Noldor she took upon her self most often. She spoke in reply,
"Arwen… it is true that few write of the elder days, even fewer wish to remember them…they were darker, filled with grief and doubt, why would you wish to hear of them?…"
"Because they were filled with light undimmed, worthy of song and heraldry, yet now we treat them as though we wish not to remember them, not to remember those who fell in battles and wars, those who loved with utmost passion and those…who had no gold or silver to their name."
"Common elves! Why would you ever wish to hear of their lot?"
This interjection came from Elladan who at this time ceased his playing with his twin; the twins of Celebrian found it easiest to dress in blue and green so that others could distinguish them apart. The eldest, Elladan, often wore blue embroidered with silver stars and vines of deep forest green; yet ever often he wore the green of his brother to confuse even his teachers. The younger, Elrohir, maintained this code to the chagrin of his more zestful elder, causing little mayhem in the sense of trickery, words were his plaything, not tricks of the eye. The young elleth turned to her brother and with a scowl upon her ivory face spoke in a voice that seemed as though she became insulted by his actions,
"They are not common…they live and breathe as we do…they have stories to tell, others wish not to read them and so they are forgotten!"
"Their stories are nothing to tell, that is why no one writes of them…they are in all accounts dull and not worth mentioning…"
And with that the elf maiden's hand flew across her brother's face and resounded throughout the chamber and for a small instant the hammering of the carpenters and masons ceased and then quickly returned to their work. The raven haired lady stood and, having thrown the book with another loud crash, thrust herself through the chamber not paying attention to the shocked cries of her mother, who shouted her daughter's name in vain.
With a scolding look thrust upon her son the Lady of Imladris stood to follow her youngest child yet was held back by the sound of a voice familiar to her,
"Lady Celebrian?"
She turned and with a frustrated tone upon her voice addressed the speaker,
"Forgive me Master Glorfindel, I cannot stay to discuss the vine growth upon the terraces again, if you seek council my husband is in his study."
"I dare say he is…"
The voice of the Lord of Imladris entered the halls surrounded by his counselors, the chief of which was Erestor, who bore a look of shock upon his face as the first thing he witnessed upon entering the Hall of Fire was his book being thrown in a fit of anger, almost landing upon the glimmering hearth that had yet to be relit by suitable fuel. He rushed to retrieve it and placed it firmly in his embrace, surrounded by the protective barrier his deep red robe provided. The Lord of Imladris walked to his wife and after greeting her spoke in a slight whisper,
"Is it her flows again?"
"Why must you assume it is her flows? Anger for an elleth is not the only sign of such things my love… Your chief counselor's books apparently were the culprit, that and your elder son's wild mouth."
The elf in question looked to his brother when the eyes of his father were directed toward him, no solace, however, was given by his younger sibling; and he rose to meet the disapproving gaze of his father, who in a silent voice scolded the youth,
"And what did you say?"
"Nothing…"
"I see…"
Deeply the Lord of Imladris looked upon his son until the ellon lowered his head and in the ear of his father reluctantly spoke the words he had uttered not but a few seconds ago. As father held council with his son the Lady slowly walked to where the Chief Counselor stood and opening her hands in a sign of pardon she spoke to the old, but proud elf.
"Dear Erestor, you must forgive my daughter's actions she is not feeling well and meant no harm to your work…I know they are a pride and joy to you, is it damaged at all?"
"Nay dear lady, naught but covered in soot and dust, nothing needing remedy."
As the chief counselor turned to return to his peers the golden haired Noldo of ancient fame remained beside the Lady, in a silent whisper they spoke; since he had arrived in Imladris he often took solace in the kindness of the Lady of Elrond's House, she being one of the few elves upon Middle-Earth who did not badger him with requests for tales from his former life, as a result she, ironically was given the most interesting of them.
"Be not worried about your daughter's temperament, I myself have wished to throw the counselor's works in the fire also from boredom, just to see them do something entertaining."
The chuckle of the lady lightened the mood that had fallen upon the Hall of Fire. She turned her head toward the corridor down which her daughter had escaped; the other held her back by stating in comforting words,
"Leave her be, it is often that young ellhyn wish to be by themselves in thought and to their own musings…She is of kind heart, there is little need to reprimand her…"
"This I know, friend…though I cannot help but worry about her…she is not as composed as I was at her age, of course I have not raised her as my own mother did me…"
"Why do you choose to do your needle work here in the quiet hall, when the other maids and their brood are eating their meals?"
"I suppose it oft reminds me of older times, my mother never enjoyed doing 'maiden's work', and so never became altogether good at it…keep this to yourself of course."
"Every word."
"She used to make Celebrin find her an isolated place to perform needlework and force me to sit and help her, knowing full well her maids would have to correct her if she did something wrong…she can hold together an entire city during war and peace, she can speak to dignitaries and kings and bring them to awe, but needle and thread are her undoing…I suppose it is good in that sense…I oft remember this one time when Celebrin built a talan for her in Lorien upon the highest of pines and she told him to build it upon the pinnacle so that only the birds could see her weaving…it took him five months but he actually did it…I wonder if it is still intact."
"Perhaps you should visit there, see your comrade and your parents again."
"My parents yes, but I doubt Celebrin is there…"
Her voice dropped to a tone of bitter sorrow, one that the golden-haired elf had hardly ever heard the lady use, and he would have asked her yet the exit of the twins took his attention and the Gentle Lord smiled little, a sign that he had just finished governing his two full-grown children. The Lady walked down to her husband and held a silent council with him, to the eyes of the Noldo, they seemed the most loving couple upon Ennor, similar to Tuor and Idril in their youth. He shook from his mind the thought of those ancient days and noticed a slender elf, in the garb of Lindon, one he had seen long ago at the shores of Mithlond, the elf nodded to him politely until Elrond bade him enter and from the slender elf came words that seemed cryptic and unforeseen to the Lord of Imladris,
"Gentle Lord and Lady of Imladris, I am Gildor Inglorion of Forlindon beneath the banner of Cullofea Helkatil, chiefregent of Cirdan Lord of Mithlond. I bear news from my lords concerning business for the ears of Elrond Peredhel alone."
Elrond a tad shaken by this sudden and official message from Cirdan, bid his counselors to leave them yet with a lilt of his eye bade Glorfindel stay and hear the message in full; authoritatively he bade the erect elf speak his message with his lady and chief captian present, the message the elf gave was in the speech of the Noldor, an odd thing for Cirdan of the Havens to send, considering his insistance on using the language of his own people in all communications, it followed thus,
"Elrond, dear friend and fellow lord among the elves in Ennor; I send word to you concerning news of utmost folly upon my part. Known to me is your personal wishes concerning the estate of the late High King of the Noldor, Erenion Gil-Galad; yet now it has come to me that such unforeseen artifacts of his familial estate remain and require you to acknowledge them and decide what is to be done of them. Again my utmost apologies and fair stars upon your home."
The face of Elrond became heavy with some unknown pain and Celebrian nodded for Glorfindel to escort the elf from the Hall of Fire. When the Lord and Lady of Imladris were at last alone one phrase left the mouth of Elrond,
"I thought it was over…how foolish of me to think so."
Cullofea Helkatil - minor character first introduced in the earlier chapters, full name means, red-spirit ice-horn. Chief regent of Forlindon is a made up position for the person to whom rule of the land of Forlindon fell after Gil-galad's death.