Yeesh, this chapter is long. *sheepish laughter* Well, I hope that means that you'll enjoy it. ;) Thank you for all of the reviews, and please, enjoy! X3
Amroth, for those who care to know, was the former King of Lothlòrien. However, he had a true love named Nimrodel, who, in the book LOTR, had a river nearby the golden woods named after her. She went to the sea to catch a boat, however, and when Amroth went to follow her, she was already out at sea. Supposedly he leaped in after her... And then we know no more of his fate... It was a tragedy, the love of Amroth and the fair lady of the river, Nimrodel.
Ivrinel Elmoiel does not belong to me, she is the sole property of Peregrin Took the Falcon, who has so graciously allowed me to borrow her. :)
As for Beleg being the nephew of Olwë of Alqualondë, that is not canonical, for Beleg's heritage is unknown. It was an idea presented by the author Fiondil in one of his stories. Elmo is uncanonical as well, an OC of Fiondil. All credit goes to him.
Chapter 11
The Elf known by the name of Ambrose Wood stared at Glorfindel, eyes wide. "Lord Glorfindel!?" He exclaimed. "What is- how are you- who is-" he stammered, face ashen, and I stepped forwards. His hair was a light brown and his eyes grey.
"Please, why don't we sit down and calm down?" I asked with a sympathetic smile, helping him into a chair and handing him a glass of water. He didn't question where it had come from (as if I'd answer anyway), and regained some color. Glorfindel and Lark and. Lyric stood nearby while the rest either sat or leaned against the walls.
"Now, why don't we start again?" I asked with a smile. "You, my lord, are Amroth, once King of Lothlòrien, am I correct?" I asked.
He nodded faintly. "I am." He answered quietly.
Glorfindel placed a hand on Amroth's shoulder. "I did not know you did not leave the shores of Arda, my friend." He said. Amroth shook his head.
"Nimrodel..." He answered quietly, and we gave him sympathetic looks.
"Ah. I see." Glorfindel replied. "Well then. Looks like we have a story to tell, don't we?" He asked dryly, and everyone smiled to some degree of amusement.
So he did, as Amroth listened intently and smiled and laughed with us. Then he finally leaned back in his chair when the tale was over.
"I see. So this is why you have come. It is the right time." He said, eyes distant as he absorbed the information.
"The ones who are in control of the Ohtar en Oionaaru, what are they called?" I asked abruptly.
He gave me a look. "Guinahiroo." He answered, a faint smile on his face. I sucked in a breath, standing up and going to the window.
"Elladan and Elrohir Peredhil." I murmured. "That makes... Perfect sense." I said.
"Yes, you are correct." Amroth answered.
"So you three are the only ones here?" Glorfindel asked.
"Yes, we are, as far as I know, along with Ivy Elm- that is, Ivrinel Elmoiel." He said. I turned, a curious look on my face.
"Truly? That's interesting. That means she's the niece of Olwë of Alqualondë." I murmured thoughtfully.
"My cousin." Beleg piped up. "My mother was Olwen, sister of Uncle Olwë. Elmo was also my uncle, therefore we are cousins." He said matter-of-factly. There was a pause.
"Too many names and relations." Lyric groaned, and we all laughed.
"We have been together for all these years, actually." Amroth said. "But nonetheless, we will meet them in due time. You have come here for a house." He looked at me with a faint smile. "And there's a perfect place." He said.
I grinned. "Okay, Mr. Ambrose. Tell us." I answered cheerfully, and he smiled.
"There's a very old mansion that's in great condition not far from the college, about a ten-minute walk. It was bought by a millionaire who turned it into a more modernized house with running water and upgraded bathrooms, but he moved out not long ago on complaints of the place being 'haunted' so he said." He gave us a thin smile as I snickered.
"Oh I bet Manveru and Erúnaro had a heyday with that one." I said, and Lark and Lyric snorted in agreement as the rest rolled their eyes. Amroth gave us a startled look then shook it off.
"It's got modern bathrooms, all containing a bathtub; a modern kitchen with a breakfast bar; a living room complete with a wood fireplace topped with green Carrara marble; a dining room with a large table that seats ten people, an all-wood staircase leading to the second floor that has a sunroom; and the first floor has three rooms and two bathrooms while the second has three bathrooms and eight bedrooms. The third floor has another five bedrooms, a library and study, and three bathrooms. There's a final fourth floor that is really a large attic, but it's been separated into four rooms. There's a single bedroom on the far end while there's a good-sized workroom in the center and the other end has a storage room and a smaller bathroom that only contains a shower stall, sink, and toilet." He finished, shuffling through a drawer and pulling out a file.
I took it and opened it while Lark stood next to me and the rest of the family squeezed their way around us to get a look at the pictures.
"We've been wishing to get that house for a while for some things we wanted to do, but the price is beyond what we can afford." Amroth shook his head.
"It's true that the list price is heavy." Lark said, tapping the $300,000 dollar price tag. "We can afford it, but this should be a unanimous decision for all of us." She said, shaking her head.
"It sounds good." Nerdanel said immediately, and everyone was quick to agree.
"It feels right." Maeglin pointed out. I nodded.
"Mmhm. That's more than enough rooms for all of us plus more-" I nodded to Amroth- "and close to the college." I said.
"Well now that that's taken care of- we need to find a place to put the café." Lyric said.
"Here. This one should do well. It was a bar originally called The Rusty Nail, but it sold out not long ago because of the complaints of violence that went on there. It's in an ideal location next to a small bookstore that opened recently called the Aurora Borealis BookShop." He said, and Lyric took the file.
"Yep." She said after a moment. "He's right. It's still got all the bar elements, with a kitchen in the back and bar counter in the front, just like we wanted. We do need to do renovations, but that can be handled." She said. We nodded.
"We can also expand it to be big enough to hold booths on either side of the walls and hold tables in the center while still having an aisle down the middle too." Nelyo pointed to the picture.
"And one final place- my jewelry shop." Uncle Jonathan finished.
"Where do you want it?" Amroth asked.
"It would be probably good to have it on a street where a lot of tourists go." He answered.
Amroth went on. "Then there are several places. There's this one old bookstore that shut down a year ago on Pearl Street. It's a popular place to go to for souvenirs, but it's always rather crowded. Then again, there's the former glass-blowing shop on Market Square street-"
"Wait, Wait back up. Glass blowing factory?" Tyelko said, and got the file, showing it to Jonathan. "Look, it's already got a really good display section and everything. It's perfect- and come on, Market Square street? Didn't you work in that jewel-smith's shop in the Market Square back in Tirion?" He asked Jonathan, who nodded absently.
"Yes, it's not a coincidence. That's the place." He said setting the file down.
We stood there for a moment, looking at all three files. Then I looked up at the clock. "Wow. It's been three hours. Why don't we wrap up this legal stuff and then go out to grab a meal?" I asked.
Everyone nodded, and we sat down to begin the legal work. "Hey, I'll take the others out to find a restaurant and look around town." Dad said. "We can go walk the pups." He said, and everyone agreed. I handed him the keys to the van and he smiled, taking them. I grinned back.
"Have fun." I said with a smirk, and he chuckled before heading out with the others.
"So, Ambrose, what have you been doing throughout history as we know it?" Lark asked as we started the signing of the papers. He chuckled.
"Well, when the ice age hit, I moved to the southern areas with the twins, whom I had met by that time. It was then that we met Ivrinel as well." He said. Glorfindel, me, Lyric, Lark, Ecthelion, Nerdanel, Nelyo, and Káno had opted to stay behind.
"Together we outlasted the ice age until it melted and everything went to relative normalcy- and then came the ages of the flood because of all of the melted glaciers. We were spared as we made boats, and finally when the waters receded we found ourselves in Sumerian society, obviously descendants of the wild men of the north, highly diluted." He went on. The he gave us a smirk.
"You might be familiar with the epic of Gilgamesh... It was created by me in a fit of amusement and became a hit among their society." He grinned as we gaped.
"After they died out, we continued to move on, finding out that the periannaith had become what you call pygmies. They're quite different now after all the years of hardships. Then after that we made it to the Americas, where we stayed and joined the Cherokee Indians." He said. I started.
"Really? My great grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee Indian" I said thoughtfully, and they gave me considering looks. I grinned. "Look for it in my skin." I answered their silent scrutiny. "My skin tans well but hardly ever burns and my eyes are big like theirs were." I smirked.
"Interesting." Amroth muttered. Then he rolled his eyes. "Then the French traders came along and were rather dismayed to find that we knew fluent French." He said dryly as we shook our heads in amazement.
"Later on we left the Americas and instead went to Europe and Italy in particular. We were, erm, involved in the wars of the Crusades- that is, we didn't fight with them but were caught up in it. And I forgot to mention that we also lived in Greece and Ancient Rome for a time." He added.
"Anyone we know?" Lark drawled as he chuckled.
"I'm afraid not." He answered amusedly. "I begged to leave the Roman Empire." He groaned. "A whole nation dressed in bed sheets... I still have nightmares..." He shuddered as we howled with laughter, shaking in our chairs.
"Oh that was good." I sighed, wiping my eyes. He rolled his eyes.
"Easy for you to say." He answered good-naturedly. "Well, after that we went through the English Empire as well, and many minor things until the World Wars. Well, I'll admit we were involved in the American War for Independence as well." He said. "We stayed out of both world wars, though, and here we are now." He gestured. "Elladan and Elrohir took up the names Roy and Dan Ronaldson, and they're surgeons in the medical field. I'm Ambrose Wood, as you see, and I just founded this business as a means to support us and the Ohtar en Oionaaru." He shrugged.
"Well, obviously the Valar had something to do with it." Glorfindel said, and he nodded.
"Indeed." He answered. "Sign this please." He pushed a piece of paper towards Lark. We had decided that the house would be in her name, since she was the financier. The café would be in my name, while the jewelry shop would be in Lyric's name at Uncle Jonathan's insistence that he was 'no good at that stuff.'
"You'll have to tell us about the Ohtar en Oionaaru at dinner." I noted, signing the last of the Elf Café papers.
"And I will." He answered, and signed the last of his own papers. "Well, we just need to settle the bills and then tomorrow do the last of the paperwork and local things before they're all yours." He finished, and we nodded and stood.
"Thank you, Ambrose." I said with a smile, and he bowed.
"My pleasure to serve, my lady." He answered, and I shook my head.
"Maia I may be, but also I am a child of Eru just like you. Just call me Celine." I said with a wink, and he smiled in acquiescence.
"So what hotel do you recommend around here?" Lyric asked as we walked out.
"Definitely the Arctic Getaway Bed and Breakfast. It's the best one around and very well spoken of." He answered promptly. "I would offer you our apartment but there's not enough room." He said with an apologetic look, and we shook our heads.
"You and the sons of Elrond will surely live in the new house, won't you?" Nerdanel asked. Amroth had been rather nonplused when he had been introduced to the Feänorians. Amroth looked startled, but before he answered Lark piped up.
"Oh yes, surely they will, after all that's what the house is for." She waved it off as we nodded.
"I thank you." Amroth said with a faint smile which we returned.
"I'm beginning to wonder now, how many elves will we come across now that we are here?" I asked, and we fell into contemplative silence until I called Tyelko to ask where they were.
...
By the time we finally arrived at the restaurant they had chosen- which happened to be a small grill joint- we were hungry and more than ready for a meal.
"Ah, there you are!" Uncle Jonathan called with a wave, bringing us to their table, which was actually several tables out together.
"We already ordered, so let's learn more about this Ohtar en Oionaaru." Tyelko suggested as everyone else nodded. Since trained pets were allowed in the restaurant, Drago sat at my feet and Saphira at Lark's, while the pups stayed safely under the table, growling and playing together under careful supervision of their parents.
"Of course." Amroth took a drink and then sat back, beginning. "Well, when we first came here, it was because of the tourist academy." He said. "The college had extended a branch to invite people who would want to become a tour guide, since the resorts are getting more visitors nowadays now that they've upgraded and made themselves better. We joined in just for the fun of it, actually rather desperate for jobs because we had been unexplainably dumped from our jobs, and therefore needed something to do."
He gave us a significant look, to which we smiled knowingly. "Fault of someone by the name of Manwë, hmmm?" Lyric asked, and we nodded.
"Anyway-" Amroth looked a little uncomfortable at the way we addressed the Elder King- "so we joined and got accepted. We were learning to become tour guides and had made some mortal friends, and then it came time for 'final exams.'" He crooked his fingers over the final exams.
"It's where we have a family here in the town volunteer to take a 'tour' and determine how well we did in entertaining them and making them feel comfortable and all those things." He sighed. "We were doing well until a whiteout came up- and one of our friends was caught out in it with his group. No one could go out- it was freezing cold and impossible for any of the mortals- so we revealed ourselves to the mortals and went out to rescue the others, which we did successfully." He said, and we listened, spell-bound.
"When we got back, we were caught in there, the whole tourist school and teachers and staff and the ranger guide who taught us the necessary wood lore for animal identification, first aid, and general safety." He said. A frisson of premonition went through me.
"So we had to explain everything. We told them that the books known as The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit and Silmarillion were real, and proved to them that we were elves. Long story short, all of them believed, many of them enthusiastically as fans of the book, and we have kept it a secret among the people of the school. Actually, we've formed a sort of secret society of people who know and support the elves under the name of Ohtar en Oionaaru, which is how it was formed. The school turned into an elite club of sorts that supports chivalry and teaches all of the elven customs, history, and also ranger skills, martial arts, all of those things. All those who are admitted are people who know and believe in us. Anyone who wants to join has to sign up, and Roy and Dan actually have the final say who gets in and who doesn't..." He pursed his lips.
"Dan has these dreams where he sits in front of the person in an interview and determines wether or not they should join. If they fail, he rejects their applications, and if they succeed then they are admitted and learn the secret. A lot, about half, of the town knows about us and is part of the group. We keep it a close secret." He finished, taking another sip of water as we sat there, absorbing all of it.
"And this restaurant..." Nerdanel suddenly spoke up.
"They are all part of it." He nodded, smiling at the waitress, who waved and trotted over.
"Hey there! Hi Ambrose, you good today?" She bubbled cheerfully.
"I'm doing better than I have in a long time, Clara." Amroth answered. "These are my friends, who are... Like me." He smiled, and Clara looked at us in awe.
"You are Elves as well? How exciting!" She said, and smiled brightly.
"We are- well, most of us." Dad chuckled. "My name is Suiadan, although you can call me David Ravid, and this is my wife Alassiel or Joy Ravid, and my son Annatar Fair Ravid." He motioned to them, and she nodded, sending a curious look to Mairon.
"Annatar Fair?" She asked warily. Mairon smiled sunnily.
"I was called Sauron, yes, but I was brainwashed and all that... I'm Mairon again now." He said blithely. "Celine's my adopted sister, so they're my parents." He waved at me, and I smiled, wriggling my fingers.
"Hey! My name is Celine DelaFiore, daughter of the Ravids and actually a Maia, not elf." I said with a smile. She stared at me.
"Wait, Maia?" She asked faintly. "Isn't that... An Angel?" She asked. I nodded.
"Yes, that's true. Please, though, just call me Celine." I answered. She nodded thoughtfully, then gave me a shy look.
"D-do you know any of the biblical angels?" She asked shyly. I giggled.
"Yes. In fact, you know of them by other names too. For example, Gandalf, also known as Olòrin, is the same one who appeared to the shepherds in Luke to announce the birth of Christ, while my friend Fionwë was the one to appear to encourage Joseph earthly father of Jesus, and also there's Melian, who appeared to Mary as Gabriel." I said. She looked nonplused.
"Oh... I see.." She answered and then shook her head. "That reshapes my view of the world." She said wryly as I laughed.
"It does." Lyric agreed with a smile. "My name is Lyric Finn Russ and I'm sister in the thought of Eru to Celine and Lark. I'm also a Maia." She winked.
"I'm Lark Cartelion and sister to Celine and Lyric in the thought of Eru, also a Maia, and don't worry, we're the only Maia besides Mairon." Lark winked at Clara, who laughed lightly.
"Oh good. Don't know if I could handle more than four angels." She said sarcastically as we laughed.
"I am Jonathan Pond, father of Lark, and my wife, Carrie Pond." Uncle Jonathan said with a smile and nod, and Clara looked confused.
"Father?" She asked.
"Ah... Long story short, we were originally humans but we were chosen by the Valar to go to Valinor and therefore became Maiar. Our parents joined us later as elves." Lark explained, and she nodded.
"O-kay." She said.
"I'm Brian or Bane Cad DelaFiore by adoption, and Celine is my Naneth- my mom. I'm also known as Beleg Cúthalion, newly Reborn." Beleg piped up, and Clara opened her mouth.
"Really!? Wow, you're so... Legendary!" She cried, and Beleg blushed.
"He is." I said with a fond smile in his direction.
"I'm G-Galen Marek Ravid, little b-brother to Celine and o-older brother to A-Annatar. I'm also known as M-Maeglin, Reborn." Maeglin stuttered shyly. Clara looked startled.
"Oh. You're so cute." She blurted, then blushed as we roared and Maeglin blushed. "I mean, after learning about you I just didn't..." She gave us a sheepish look.
"We know. But being reborn... Changes people." Lyric winked as Clara nodded.
"I'm Nadie Russ, also known as Nerdanel." Nerdanel said with a kindly smile, and Clara inclined her head politely.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Nadie. I've always respected you." She said, and Nerdanel merely smiled.
"I'm Mark Finnel Russ, also known as Maedhros by the Silmarillion, though I prefer Nelyafinwë or Nelyo for short." Nelyo smiled slightly as Clara nodded mutely.
"Not a kinslayer, he's reborn." Lark dead-panned as we laughed and Clara smiled.
"I'm Marion Finn Russ, also known as Maglor though I prefer Kanafinwë or Káno for short. Lyric is my wife." Káno smiled slightly as Clara nodded and looked at Lyric, startled.
"You just... Look so young." She apologized as we smirked.
"Don't we all?" Lyric asked amusedly.
"Some of us." Moryo dead-panned, and I smacked him.
"Behave, Moryo." I scolded as he flashed a smirk my way, reaching over to ruffle my hair.
"Of course, little sister. My name is Carl Morfinn Russ, also known as Caranthir though I prefer Morifinwë or Moryo for short. Celine is my adopted sister." He drawled as Clara smiled lightly at me as I rolled my eyes good-naturedly.
"And he loves his only little sister very, very much though he refuses to admit it. See?" I asked, pointing to Moryo who was glaring holes at me.
"I see." Clara giggled.
"I'm Theodore or Teddy Kaflan Russ, also known as Celegorm though I prefer Tyelkormo, Turkafinwë, or Tyelko for short." Celegorm shrugged.
"I'm Wulf Russ, also known as Amrod or Pityafinwë, Pityo for short!" Pityo chirped.
"And I'm Aiden Russ, also known as Amras or Telyafinwë, Telvo for short!" Telvo echoed.
"I'm Eric Cartelion, also known as Ecthelion of the Fountain." Ecthelion smiled politely. "Lark is my wife." He added, and Clara smiled.
"Congrats." She said with a smile, and they nodded.
"And last but not least-" Glorfindel smirked at us as we laughed- "I am Loren DelaFiore, also known as Glorfindel, adopted father of Beleg. Celine is my better half." He smiled at me as I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and Clara looked awed.
"Wow, I just never expected to see such legendary elves..." She shook her head as we smiled.
"Well, here we are." Lark spread her arms. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." She joked as we laughed.
"Oh, excuse me, looks like your food is ready. Mr. Ambrose, are the Ronaldson's coming today?" Clara asked, and Amroth shook his head. She nodded and scurried off.
"Well, looks like all of you have made good names." He said amusedly as we smiled.
"Indeed we have- as well as stories." Lyric answered enigmatically.
He raised an eyebrow. "I see. That's good. I'm assuming you have legal papers?" He queried.
Everyone looked to me. "Yes, we do. We have identification papers, believable and flawless backgrounds, as well as necessary drivers licenses and other such security issues, car ownership papers, and pet vaccination and ownership papers as well." I said with a faint smile. "Having a Vala as your Atto helps, I'm sure." I added wickedly as Amroth started and the rest laughed.
"You have a-" He blinked.
"Yes, we are children of the Valar. We three are known among the Maiar as the Feänturi daughters, actually." Lark explained. "I owe my allegiance to Irmo and he is my Atto." She said.
"I am daughter and servant of Nienna, Lady of Pity." Lyric disclosed.
"And I am probably the most feared of us all- at least, among the Eruhíní- I am daughter and servant of lord Nàmo, Judge of the Dead." I said with a thin smile, as Amroth went white and shook his head.
"There is nothing to fear here, Amroth. I am not here to judge or pronounce doom on you." I patted his hand gently. "For though we may help lord Nàmo in his work, we are also the comforters of feä, and our master and my Atto is the also known as the comforter of feär." I said, and he regained some color as he nodded mutely.
"Scary? I never thought her so..." Mairon said thoughtfully.
"Because there's no need for me to be around you, dear brother." I drawled. "Although I'm sure that Carl and Garen would disagree." I added dryly as they nodded.
"I've never been so afraid of anyone in my life." Moryo muttered. I sighed.
"I was talking about my work in Mandos, Carl, not my displays of open affection." I said with no little annoyance, causing the others to roar as he sighed and Amroth was filled in on the joke.
"Muinthel can be scary, but it's always for a good reason." Maeglin said with conviction as I sent a fond smile his way.
"Thank you, hanno." I raised my glass to him as Glorfindel chuckled.
"Getting back to more relevant and may I say important matters-" Dad raised an eyebrow at us. "We need to figure out where to stay in the meantime." He said.
"Already settled." Lark answered. "I made reservations for one night at the Arctic Getaway Bed and Breakfast." She declared.
"That's good then. We've got a lot to do." Dad sighed.
"Let's make a list." I said, and Lyric pulled out the iPad. "We need to first meet with Dan and Roy and get them caught up with what's going on, make plans with how Elf Café is going to fit in with Ohtar en Oionaaru, settle the deal with our house and other two places, settle into the house, make plans for necessary renovations for the jewelry shops and Elf Café, and then put them into action." I finished. "Does that about cover it?" I asked.
"You have the necessary papers to open the two businesses?" Amroth queried, and I nodded absently.
"Yes, that's already covered. I actually think- Ambrose, what is the name of the head Ranger?" I asked, feeling unaccountably uncomfortable.
He gave me a puzzled look. "Gordon Phillips." He answered. I stared at him, and then my face went ashen. I could feel color draining out of my lips too, and closed my eyes, taking a breath. Silence settled.
"Someone you know, Celine?" Mom asked quietly. I gave her a thin smile and opened my mouth when Moryo beat me to it.
"You mean that half-witted seren-en-orch of a boy?" He snarled, and I gave him a sharp look.
"Morifinwë Feänorion, that was unnecessary and uncalled for." I said coldly, the light of Mandos in my eyes. He subsided with a murmured apology though he still looked rebellious.
I sighed. "Yes, I knew him when I was fourteen... In school. He was my worst tormentor in the whole school because of my Heterochromia." I answered, raking a hand through my hair as Glorfindel slipped a hand around my waist comfortingly.
"I never hated him, but it brings back... Not so good memories." I said uncomfortably as Lark stared at the table, lips thinned in displeasure. "Although I am glad that he supports the Elves, now." I said with a smile.
"I see. That explains much." Amroth said, giving me a thoughtful look. "From the very start Gordon always treated us with respect. He worked in the military for quite a few years and was a heir to a tidy sum of money. However, when we revealed ourselves, he seemed to be the least startled of them all. He would often make remarks that confused us, as though he had dealings with elves before- as though he had faced their wrath before. Now I begin to guess what has happened." He gave Caranthir a considering look as I smiled slightly.
"Well. Moryo, I told you to fight fire with water, not fire." I said dryly as he rolled his eyes good-naturedly and the rest smiled slightly, though still confused.
"We were at the store once when Gordon came around the corner and basically told Celine off for 'humiliating' him in front of the cafeteria, reminding her that he was richer and better than she ever would be. That... Didn't sit so well with Moryo, so in return Moryo told him off until Celine told them to cut it out." Lark informed the rest as I looked down, embarrassed.
"She said, and I quote, 'a soft answer turned away wrath. It would be better to just let me turn his own accusations against himself instead of turning to his own method. Fight fire with water, not fire.' So she said." She continued.
"Lark, please!" I said, turning into Glorfindel's shoulder as he rubbed my back softly.
"Aww Celine, you were pretty awesome then too!" Lyric teased. I glared at her half-heartedly.
"No. I was completely insane." I answered with an amused look. "Wasn't I, Loren?" I turned to Glorfindel. He gave me a lop-sided smile.
"Perhaps, but you know I'm biased." He answered, smiling tenderly at me as I blushed and Lark and Lyric giggled.
"I ship Glorfindeth." They chimed as I face-palmed and sighed and the rest chuckled.
"I want to ship Moryo with someone." I whined, and said elf spluttered and everyone roared. "I mean, that would be so romaaaantic." I went on dreamily as he threw an empty cup at me with red cheeks and a scowl as I laughed myself silly.
"Or what about Nelyo?" Lark asked with a grin. "I mean, he's so tall... It would be so cute with a short elleth..." She snickered as we howled in amusement and Nelyo shook his head with a good-natured sigh.
Our conversation was cut short as the food came out and we concentrated on finishing it all off. After we were finished and sitting back with groans, Amroth finally spoke.
"I'll call Dan and Roy and Ivy tonight and tell them that we have an important meeting tomorrow at- what time is good with you?" He asked, looking to us.
Lyric shook her head. "After breakfast would be fine." She answered. "We should meet then and finish off the house business while filling the other three in." She said.
"After that we can go have lunch and try to hash out details for the connection with the Elf Café and Ohtar en Oionaaru." Lark nodded, and everyone agreed.
"Then say- nine o clock fine for you all?" He asked, checking his phone. We nodded.
"Sure." I answered. Then we stood, and paying the bill, went out to the car. Drago and Saphira herded their litter into the van while we stood outside and talked.
"I guess we'll meet at your office then, or did you have somewhere else in mind?" Lark asked Amroth with a quizzical look.
He nodded. "Yes, my office will be fine." He answered. "I'll see you all then." He said with a smile, and we waved as he got into his car. I shook my head.
"Somehow, seeing the former King of Lothlòrien in a business suit, tie, and modern car just doesn't do it for me." I said mournfully as they laughed. It was getting dark, and there was just about half an hour left before it would get completely dark. Since it was June, there wasn't too much snow and not yet dark during the daytime.
"Okay, looks like we head for the B&B." Lyric said cheerfully, crawling into the van.
"We'll follow you, Celine." Dad said, and I nodded before climbing into the driver's seat. Lark slid the door shut, and there was the clicking of seat belts fastening as I adjusted the mirrors and turned on the van, carefully pulling out of the parking lot as Glorfindel set the GPS for the motel.
We arrived after a few minutes, and by then everyone was half-asleep and more than ready to collapse in bed. Lark checked us in (Amroth had told us that the B&B wasn't aware of the Elves), and we scattered in threes and fours to find our cabins.
Glorfindel, me, Lir and Maglor, Drago, Saphira, and their pups ended up in one room with two double beds, and with a shrug we said good-night and began to prepare for bed. That is, began to.
*Padawan, please come to Ilmarin when you can.* Nàmo spoke, and I inclined my head.
*Of course, master. I'll be there in a moment.* I answered, and after giving Glorfindel a kiss good-night, thought myself away along with Lir and Elíl to the room in Ilmarin where we first received our orders.
"Ah, Míleth, Elíl, Lir. We have a new development, it seems." Manwë greeted us as we bowed. I took my place by Nàmo as my sisters took their own places by their own masters.
"There are a few mortals, as you know, who are descendants of several different prominent mortals. Such as Aragorn, Éomer, and other such men." He began, and we nodded, giving each other glances.
"However, some of them are ancestral throwbacks. They are mirror images of their ancestors." Manwë went on, and I started slightly. "As a result, some of them also have some diluted racial memories. This in itself isn't a problem, but what is troubling is the manner of- erm- business in which they are involved." He gave us a wry look.
"Some are sailors, soldiers, mariners, businessmen, you name it. However, the three in particular that will come to you are the ones that are the most important." Then Manwë looked at us gravely. "We merely wish to warn you of this. The knowledge might help you in the future." He said.
Lyric smiled slightly sourly. "Of course. Thank you, lord Manwë. We will keep that in mind. She said, and we bowed before he nodded and we thought ourselves back. It didn't take long to fall asleep into a dreamless sleep.