Chapter Nine
She did not understand fully what was happening around her. Only that no one was smiling as they had been when her Ada had returned. Isildur was dead. The way Erestor said it made her realise it was something quite different to how her Naneth was gone. Dead and gone were two different things. Elves could be gone, but only Men died.
Valandil was nowhere to be seen, holed up with Rinbereth. Her uncles were busy as well although they took the time to hold her more often than they had done, almost as often as when she had first arrived when Glorfindel refused to let go of her at times until Erestor told him not to cry in front of her and she was taken away. They were not crying now, merely quiet and she felt that they were expecting her to be upset rather than her being there as a comfort to them. So Edweniel and Lindir occupied her days, each frustrating her more and more. Edweniel did not understand anything, she decided. Not the idea of someone never coming back home, which Yarna could grasp, or the idea of a Man dying. Admittedly, even Lindir in his elder child wisdom could not offer a suitable explanation and Erestor's merely gave her more questions. Lindir did not understand either. He said that he wished his parents would go away and never return, at which she had promptly thrown a book at him and stormed out. It was a horrid thing to say, she decided. No matter how terrible parents could be, she wanted her Naneth back and her Ada to love her again and Lindir could not wish his away.
"Have I offended you?" he asked her, climbing up into the cherry tree that had become her favourite hiding place. If she climbed to the very top she could reach the balcony and crawl into her uncles' office and from almost any angle she could see the bridge and the courtyard. Lindir's legs were long enough to make the jump to the stable roof and run along it but she was too small for such a leap.
"Why do you wish them away?" she called back, swinging herself up so that she was still above him. "I wanted to ask for Naneth to come back, just as her brother did but Erestor said that does not happen. I do not understand how you can long to be rid of them. It is not fair that you should!" Lindir sighed and looked very old all of a sudden.
"They wish me away as well," he said quietly and came to rest on the same branch she was sitting on, their legs dangling into the lower leaves. "They do not want me, I do not think they ever did. Here all children are raised by everyone, I saw how it was in Mithlond, being around your parents all day and only them. Erestor taught me as he teaches you, but it was him I ran to when I fell and it was Glorfindel who held my hand when I made my first steps. My parents have each other and they are content with that. What use to they have for a minstrel? They need not take much note of me, only to correct my mistakes. Erestor took me to see you when you were younger, did you never ask why I stopped coming?" She shook her head slowly. "I said I did not want to see someone like your Naneth being happy with you. That was not fair either." They were silent for a while and she slowly edged along the branch until she could put one tiny arm halfway around his shoulders. Lindir laughed. "You are a dear little thing."
"I still want my Naneth back."
"Of course you do, and Valandil wants his Ada back too."
"If she came back," Yarna said with firm conviction. "She could be your Naneth too. I had to share with Gandir and Alsea, so I should not mind sharing with you as well." That made him laugh even more. "Stop it! I mean it! Stop laughing!"
"I am sorry, tithen pen. Hannon le, but I think not. One day you will see her again."
"Not until I am big and sad like my uncles," she muttered.
"Do not be ridiculous! You are never going to be big! Why, there will never come a day when you are too large to climb here. Always you will have trouble reaching the roof from here. You are never going to be tall or big and I hope not sad. If you are, I shall tickle you until you laugh and forget to be sad." His fingers jabbed her ribs and sent her squealing into a ball, very nearly falling off of the branch.
"Lindir?" Erestor's voice came from the window directly above the tree. "Please cease before she drops out of the tree." Reluctantly he withdrew and she was allowed to gain her breath. They climbed further up to the balcony and Lindir pushed her through the window so that she was sitting on the floor by Erestor's desk. "I was preventing you from falling out of a tree, not inviting you in."
"Is there any march-pane left?" she asked, ignoring his comment.
"No, you ate it all."
"Uncle, what is happening?" She had climbed under his desk and was in the process of clambering onto his lap as he sat there working. Lindir joined her in crowding him, too large to get away with invading laps.
"A great many things, tithen pen," he answered. "The King of Arnor is dead, Valandil must take his place."
"Valandil is only small! And silly. I would not trust him with something as important as a King, even if it is only Arnor." Erestor sighed, patting her head.
"That is why we must work hard. Valandil is only a little boy and there are many things to do, which fall to me and Elrond. Therefore, be good and perhaps you can help Valandil, when Rinbereth lets you see him."
"Can I help?" Lindir asked. "I can read and my writing is legible, mostly. You know what I mean to write. I can help you."
"Hannon le, Lindir, but you cannot help with this. Perhaps you would note this down and make something pleasing for Rinbereth to hear. A lay, a mighty tale of Isildur's feats."
"You do not mean that," he said sourly. "There are better lyricists than I and I would not dare presume to do that."
"There are none better than you, tithen pen. Of that I am certain. Presume to and perhaps someone will listen." Lindir sat down on Glorfindel's desk opposite, legs crossed as he sulked. Erestor had managed to position Yarna so that he could work around her and they were quiet, even if Lindir was sulking.
"There you are," Glorfindel sighed as he appeared in the doorway. He was in full armour, glittering in red and gold metal, his helm under one arm.
"Where are you going, uncle?" she asked him.
"To bring the news to Arnor, and accompany Rinbereth back to her people."
"But you said Valandil would stay here!" she cried, staring accusingly at Erestor.
"Indeed he shall, tithen pen. It is just Rinbereth and I who must briefly go." Glorfindel patted her head.
"She has agreed then." Erestor had stood up, holding her on his hip.
"She did not want to waste another day. We are leaving immediately. Elrond is sending me on to Lórien once Rinbereth is safely in Arnor. I am charged with finding the- heirloom." She frowned, looking up at them. Lindir had told her that Valandil now had his father's sword as an heirloom. She decided that her uncles meant a crown or something similar, Valandil could hardly be king without a crown.
"There will be others looking for it," said Erestor.
"I know." She bit her lip at their serious tones, snuggling her head into the crook of Erestor's shoulder as if that would stop them using the same voices her parents had used before they left and did not come back. "Come now, Yarna, will you not say farewell?" She was coaxed out and kissed her uncle on the cheek. "I shall be back before the winter and we shall have dancing and snow fights to celebrate your name day." She nodded slowly before being lowered back down to the ground. Glorfindel then turned to Lindir. "Keep an eye on these two for me, soldier." Lindir's sulk vanished and he grinned.
"I will," he promised.
"Especially this one." Glorfindel had reached over her to put one hand gently on Erestor's face. It was brushed off and she watched as Lindir rolled his eyes.
"Rinbereth will be waiting for you," said Erestor.
"Undoubtedly." With one last kiss to each child, Glorfindel bounded out, holding the door for Erestor to follow. They were then left alone and Yarna clambered back out onto the tiny balcony.
"Naneth promised she would come back too," she murmured.
"Do not say things like that." Lindir pushed her back up into the tree branches. "Glorfindel always comes back. That is the point of him."
"Can I help watch Erestor with you? He does not move much, it will not be hard." Lindir laughed.
"We shall both watch and take good care of him." They waited for the two elves to appear in the courtyard where half a dozen guards were already forming up and saying farewell. Glorfindel mounted Asfaloth as Elrond helped Rinbereth up into her saddle. The contingent then trotted around in one full circle of the courtyard and Lindir stood up to sing for them as they went out across the bridge.
"Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.
Tree and flower, leaf and grass,
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!"