THE FORGOTTEN
One Saturday Morning
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings. Or the old One Saturday Morning programming. Kind of miss it though.
Author's Note: The chapter in which – Lothril's parents have a dream and Legolas plays woodcutter. Elvish in italics. Of note – I know I keep tossing around 'time in Valinor runs differently' and I am doing it in this chapter again too. That's plot convenience on my part. The truth of it is, they reckon time differently in Valinor, but time runs as it does wherever. Also - I am going to delve a little into elvish metaphysics again and, believe it or not, I am (for the most part) keeping it canon! In 'Morgoth's Ring' under a part about re-incarnation, Tolkien makes a brief but important mention about exactly how the union of elvish fëar (spirits/souls) works within marriage. I'm just teasing it out a little and drawing what I think are some logical conclusions. As well, you will forgive me if I get a little philosophical and theological in the next few chapters and work some compare and contrast between Christian and elvish philosophy and metaphysics. Teenage Jennifer didn't really have a chance to show the contrast between how she raised as a human and what she was learning about herself as an elf, so now I'm going to allow you all to see just how big a shift it was in retrospect by having Legolas see it for himself.
Saturday morning Lothril woke with the sun, as was now her habit, and spent the quiet morning hours straightening up her room and doing a bit of reading. There were a few books she was going to miss, and tempted though she was to take them with her, she didn't reckon the Valar would provide a moving truck and she didn't want to carry it all. The house was silent, and she supposed it would be a few hours before anyone stirred, as usually nobody got out of bed before ten on a Saturday, so it was much to her surprise when she heard her parents downstairs talking and smelled coffee brewing. She hadn't heard the phone ring, so she didn't suppose anyone was dead, and they didn't have any plans to go anywhere or do anything… Curious, she dressed and headed downstairs.
Her parents were sitting at the island counter and were looking a bit troubled and incredulous. As she entered the kitchen they turned and looked at her like she was ghost.
"What's wrong?" she asked, stopping in the middle of the kitchen.
"Your dad and I had some weird dreams last night," her mom said.
"Must have been real lu-lu's to make you guys look this upset. What were they about?" Lothril asked.
"You," her dad said. "And Avery."
"What about us?" she asked, getting a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Your ears are pointed, aren't they?" her mom said.
Lothril really wasn't sure how to react to that. She tucked her hair behind her ears and said, "Yes."
"And you and Avery don't really belong here, do you?" her mom asked.
"What was your dream?" Lothril asked.
Her parents looked at each other and her dad took a drink of coffee. After a moment or two her mom said, "Up until you said your ears were pointed, I thought the dream might have been just that but the more I look at you, the more you look different."
Lothril stared at her parents and was tempted to look into their minds, but instead reached for Legolas' and asked him to come downstairs quickly. He appeared a moment later and Lothril said to her parents, "How does he look to you?"
Legolas felt a little confused as her parents stared at him like they couldn't believe what they saw.
"He's not Avery," her dad said.
Legolas looked at Lothril. "No, I am not," he said. "My name is Legolas and I am the son of Thranduil king of the Woodland Realm."
"What was your dream?" Lothril asked again.
"Wait, if your father is king, aren't you a prince?" Mr. Erickson asked.
"I try not to throw my title around," Legolas said simply.
"Well, your dad and I both dreamed – well, it was long and kind of crazy, but it kinda boiled down to our family came from somewhere else entirely and that you had gone there and came back here and that you'll go back there and live sooner or later. Something about a job to do first," her mom said.
Lothril nodded. "That's the long and the short of it."
"Where did you go? And when?" her dad asked.
Lothril looked at Legolas who nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, from your perspective, I went to Middle-earth on Tuesday. During study hall."
Her parents looked very unamused.
"It is true," Legolas said. "I was sent for her and we returned to the very moment I fetched her."
"And how long were you gone?" her dad asked.
"A year," Lothril answered. "It was sort of Narnia-esque. I left and was gone a long time and came back to the moment I left."
"Uh-huh," her dad said, looking unconvinced.
She studied their faces a moment then said, "What would you prefer? That I tell you what happened first or show you proofs that I left at all – beyond the fact that both of us have pointed ears, I am now within an inch or two of six foot tall instead of five-foot-four, and that Avery is not Avery at all?"
"Start with the story," her mom said.
"Very well, but I am going to start my story before I left," she said and then began the story with her dreams and how Legolas fetched her and then what happened in Middle-earth. It took a while as she had to explain everything as she told the story as her mom hadn't read the Lord of the Rings in years and her dad had only half watched the movies and kept falling asleep around the Council of Elrond, and neither had ever read the Silmarillion or any of the back lore.
When she finished her mom asked, "So, you weren't going to tell us?"
"I was told to keep it quiet, and if yesterday I had told you I was an elf, would you have believed me?" she answered.
"Probably not," her mom said. "We would have thought you were pulling a gag of some kind."
"And now?" Lothril asked.
"If it wasn't for that dream…" her mom trailed off. "Can you prove any of it?"
"I can show my things from Middle-earth," she answered.
"Alright," her mom said standing.
They all went upstairs and Lothril pulled out her pack and her weapons from her closet and showed them things like her weapons, her first-aid box Elrond have given her, and her elvish clothes and her ring showing she was of the house of Elrond as well as the circlet Thranduil had given her when she first arrived.
"Well, I suppose that proves it as much as anything can," her dad said as he put one of her long knives back in its sheath.
"So, why did they send Legolas back here with you?" her mom asked.
"They promised I would have aid and the letter said he is part of it," Lothril said.
"You should consider telling them," Legolas said mentally. "This is your chance to share our betrothal with them."
"What if they disapprove?" she asked in kind.
"What if they approve? This is a gamble, but I think it one you should consider taking. It is up to you," he replied. "If nothing else, let it suffice that our friends and my kin and Elrond and your sworn sister and brothers approve of it fully regardless of your decision and their reaction."
She took a deep breath. "As well," she said slowly. "We are betrothed."
"You're what?!" her mom exclaimed, her dad looked in denial.
"We are betrothed," Legolas said. "We have been so for a little over a month."
"Anybody else know about it?" her mom asked.
"All my family and our friends including Lord Elrond," Legolas replied. "They were all very approving and excited for us."
"And they all know-?"
"All of everything," Lothril replied. "Most of them were there for the better part of our relationship."
"And how long did you know him before you decided to get engaged or betrothed or whatever?" her dad asked.
"About five months, but we did not get betrothed for another six. Which, as I recall, is about as long as it took you and mom to go from just met to just married," Lothril answered. "And to be perfectly honest, he probably knows me better now than you do. He has seen me as the girl that I was and as the elf that I am. We have endured great hardships together, gone to war together, and been at peace and rest together. I do not think there is a much wider spectrum of life one could hope to see one's future spouse in that what we have lived the last year."
Her parents were quiet for a few minutes, trying to process everything. "You're still a teenager," her mom protested.
Lothril shook her head. "No, I am not. Remember that part about going to Valinor? I was there a long time. Time runs differently there altogether. I can't give you a count of years, but I promise you I spent a very long time learning to do many things."
"Like what?" Mr. Erickson asked.
"I can make the flowers bloom and gardens grow with song. I can change my shape and appearance. I can lend power and strength to my weapons to allow me to splinter shields with a single blow, and more besides. These are not things that are learned quickly," she said.
Her dad looked at Legolas as if seeking confirmation. "It is true. It takes years for elves to learn how to make things bloom and grow. I have never learned how to change shape though, as I am not so high a bloodline. However, it is said it is not an easy thing and that is why only elves of great renown are known for doing it. At most, I can change my appearance to hide scars until they have healed, but I cannot do what she can do, nor can I lend extra strength to my weapons except for a short time at great need. She did so throughout the day long battle of Pelannor," Legolas answered. "It took me years to master what little skill I have in these things. I cannot imagine how long it took her to master them to the degree she can use them."
Her parents looked on their daughter with renewed wonder. Could this be true? Could any of this be true? But those dreams… She had never put much stock in dreams before, but she couldn't just write off this one. And before them on her bed was proof. There was no way she could have found or made clothes like that, never mind her finding and buying such weapons, which were undoubtedly real and quite sharp.
Mrs. Erickson huffed a little then said, "Well, as all of this seems to be done without us, how long until you're married?"
Legolas answered, "Our tradition is to let the betrothal stand for a year, so assuming we return to the same day we left, it shall be a year and a month from then, for we were betrothed in July, departed in August, and if we return to that same day, it shall be a year later in the autumn. We are thinking near our mid-year celebrations."
"Mid-year is in June," her dad said, sounding a little sarcastic.
"Elvish new year is in March," Lothril answered. "So their mid-year is September."
"I see," he said.
"I can't say I'm happy about all this," her mom said.
"I am sorry, Mom. I had no idea when I woke up Tuesday morning that those dreams were actually messages. If I had understood my whole life that you don't hear a counter melody in the breeze and you don't feel a horrible pull to find a ship and sail home every time you hear gulls, I would have told you. I would have said something. You can still come back with me," Lothril said. "I am very certain Thranduil would be pleased to have you live with us."
"We can't do that," her mom said. "We can't just up and leave our… our whole world."
Lothril looked sad but resigned. "I suppose you can't. It is why I was born here and not there. Otherwise, I think you would have gone there years ago." She paused then added, "Well, you believe me. All I ask is that you do not tell anyone or else it could cause problems. And if you will permit us to leave at the end of the school year to go hunting the orcs, that is all I can ask. I must hunt down the orcs before they start killing people."
"Well, we certainly can't let people die. When will you leave for Middle-earth?" her mom asked.
Lothril shook her head. "I don't know, to be honest."
"Could you both stay here?"
Lothril shook her head. "No, Legolas certainly cannot and I do not belong here anymore. I never really did in the first place."
Her mom frowned. "You always have marched to your own drum. I guess it must have been an elvish one."
"Can I count on you to not tell anyone?" Lothril asked.
Her parents both nodded. "It sounds too goofy to be believed, for one thing," her dad said. "And we believe you for another. You never could lie."
"No, you definitely couldn't. And this has proof," she said, picking up a tin with a beautiful label written out in elvish. "And we'll let you go orc hunting at the end of the school year, like you asked," her mom added.
"That is more than I had hoped," Lothril said. Without another word, her parents left her room and went downstairs. She shut the door behind them and slumped onto the floor. "Well, that certainly could have been worse."
Legolas nodded. "I thought they took it rather well, all things considered."
"At least they did not try to forbid me from marrying you or anything like that," she said.
"I think they are still thinking that one through, but they are good people and fair. I think if they can come to terms with all that was told them this morning, they will be happy for you in time. My only hope is that they are before we must leave," Legolas said.
"What if they are not happy for us? What if they disapprove?" Lothril asked, her head sinking down to her drawn up knees.
He sat down beside her on the floor. "The answer to that is solely up to you. You have said over and over that you shall return to Middle-earth, but you still have one last chance to turn aside and stay. Shall you return with me or stay here? And if you return, shall you keep your betrothal to me or break it?" Legolas replied.
"Oh, I am definitely marrying you, but what do I do with them? I am going for a walk," she said.
"Would you like me to come with you?" he asked.
"No, I need to be alone," she said as she stood up and went over to her window and climbed out.
Legolas sighed. Perhaps she should have remained silent and he was wrong to suggest telling them of their betrothal. Still, he greatly disliked the idea of concealing such an important thing from them after the truth was revealed to them. Where else could such a dream come from if not the Valar or The Name? If they deemed it was best to allow them to see the truth after they had been blinded, then should they conceal a large part of that truth from them? He said what he said on an impulse. Perhaps he had erred, but right or wrong, it was said and now they had to deal with it and he would be right beside her the entire time. He sighed and stood up and returned to his room.
A few hours later, her parents came back upstairs and knocked on her door. There was no answer and Legolas could feel she was not there and so he went into the hall and said to her parents, "She is not in her room. She went out for a walk shortly after you left this morning."
They looked a bit dismayed at this. "That's not like her," Mrs. Erickson said.
"Perhaps it was not, but it has been her habit for a while now to walk and think," Legolas said.
"Do you know where she went?" Mr. Erickson asked.
"She did not say, but if I had to guess, I would say she is in the woods," answered Legolas. "Would you like me to go fetch her?"
"No, we want to talk to her alone," Mrs. Erickson said.
Legolas nodded and closed his eyes which the Ericksons thought was a little strange. Suddenly he opened his eyes and said, "She is that way," and pointed off towards the north eastern corner of the property.
"How do you know that?" Mr. Erickson asked.
Legolas replied very simply, "I can feel her spirit."
They looked a bit befuddled at that answer, but decided that was a riddle to figure out later and headed outside in the direction Legolas had pointed. They were getting ready to cross the little creek when Lothril called out to them.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you," her dad answered, looking around. "Where are you?"
"Up here," she said.
They looked up and saw her high up in a tree, sitting on a limb. "We want to talk to you," her mom called up.
Without a word, she stood up on the branch and jumped down to a lower branch and then down the last twelve feet to the ground, landing lightly and easily on the ground a few feet from them.
"Are you okay? That was a really high jump!" her mom asked, sounding worried.
"Of course! I wouldn't have jumped down from there if I thought I was going to hurt myself," she answered.
"Are you just showing off?" she asked.
Lothril looked at her with an arched brow. "When have you known me to show off? Now, what do you want to speak with me about?"
"Well, we've been thinking over and talking about everything and well, we've been trying to raise you to be an independent adult. You've always proven yourself to be trustworthy and circumspect and thoughtful, certainly not impulsive or rash, and – we're not thrilled with the idea of you leaving the world permanently, but after thinking and talking everything over, we think you've made the right decision," her mom said. "We love you dearly, but you never did really fit in here, and seeing you as an elf and next to an elf, honestly, that just fit. That looked right. As weird as that is to say…We never figured you would live at home forever, but we also never figured we'd be saying good bye to you after just sixteen years, but – we can't be selfish. We've always wanted what is best for you and if what you told us is true, and we do believe it is, then yeah, we think you need to be there."
Lothril burst into tears and threw her arms around her parents. "I cannot tell you how glad I am to hear you say that! I have never been so happy or at peace as when I was there. Here I have always felt a strange tension like trying to hold two magnets together when they want to repel, but there it ceased. I feel it again even now. I don't think I could endure a lifetime of this feeling! I will miss you all dearly and I will love you until the breaking of the world, but I could not live like this for long. But for the next few weeks, I am here and let us make the most of it!"
Her parents cried too and for a long time they all stood together and cried and comforted each other. At length they all pulled themselves together and headed back towards the house.
"Oh, and about you and Legolas," Mrs. Erickson said, "We realize we don't know him very well and that three or four weeks probably isn't enough time to get to know him, but well, we are going to trust your judgement, as you've always been a pretty good judge of character, and really at the end of the day, it was always going to be your decision."
"Well… fair enough," Lothril said.
"But don't be messin' around with him or anything," her dad said.
"Dad! Really!"
"Well you don't know how guys can be and-"
"Dad - I have spent every day of the last year almost exclusively in the company of male Hobbits, Elves, and Men. And two armies. I think I have an idea. But besides all that, I can read minds. I have been in his head. I know exactly how he can be and what he's about," she answered.
"Yeah, but when you're involved with someone sometimes it's easy to get carried away," he countered.
She shook her head. "I understand that full well, but first of all, I have never been impulsive. Second, you both raised me better than that. Third, I am not mortal anymore. That part of me is gone. I am an elf and I don't have that conflicting nature anymore. We aren't driven by physical impulse or compulsion."
"That must make their marriages boring," Mrs. Erickson said under her breath.
Lothril got a funny look on her face, "Not as I understand it."
"And how would you know that?" her mom asked with a raised brow.
She took a deep breath and her eyes grew a little wide as she thought back. "You know, I asked a simple question and the next thing I knew I was having a three day discussion on elvish sexual philosophy, conception, and the mystical nature of the union of two elven fëar, or souls through the union of hröar, or bodies. Long story short, two humans will never be as close as two elves, and elves spend years just um… having fun before having a child is even considered. Elves are also very intuitive, subtle, patient, detail oriented, and live for figuring out all the little nuances and subtleties of things."
Her mom looked at her and said, "You do fit in there, don't you?"
She nodded. "Surprisingly well for someone not born there. But anyway Dad, addressing your concerns – you don't have to worry because we don't want to because we want to wait until we can perform the ring exchange ceremony with his family first."
"What does the ring exchange ceremony entail?" her mom asked, sounding very interested.
Lothril frowned, "Well, you would have to ask Legolas for details. I know little more than what I've said."
They talked the rest of the way to the house, and it mostly her parents asking questions and her answering. It was strange, because in so many ways Lothril felt like she knew next to nothing, but then as she kept having answers, she realized she had learned and changed quite a bit. They reached the yard and the discussion continued as they stopped walking and stood around in the driveway.
Legolas had been sitting on her bed playing guitar and watching for their return. He saw them walking up and nobody looked upset or angry and he smiled. Perhaps he had been right after all. He watched them walk up towards the house and when they stopped to talk in the driveway, he opened up the window so he could listen for a minute and then decide if he should go down or not. They were having quite the interesting discussion on the nature of the relationship between body, soul, and will and how it differs between elves and men. He had finished reading her sacred book and so had an idea, but was surprised at how well she understood both sides of it. Watching her now speak openly as herself with her parents highlighted to him how much she had changed since he had met her. They were still trying to interact with her like she was the sixteen year old girl who was stumbling her way through life and trying not to be a bother; not as the self-assured elleth who had proven herself in battle and won renown, honor, and respect. She was being very patient with them however. How could they understand? Up until last night she had been the former. He pitied her parents. How could they understand? She had told them her story, but could anyone who had not seen these things for themselves understand them?
As was usual with conversations with her, the topic drifted from the deep and philosophical to the decidedly more frivolous in a blink and her mom was asking her if she could help revive her sad raised garden box. Legolas laughed and decided it was time he join them, so he set down the guitar and quietly dropped down from the window. Her parents' backs were to it so they didn't notice what he had done.
Lothril looked over at Legolas. "What do you think? Is there any hope for the garden?"
He looked over at the raised garden box and said, "I do not think it should be much of a problem. Though, it would probably be best served if a few branches were trimmed. There are some dying branches I can see that if they were taken out would allow more light and that would aid things."
Mr. Erickson looked up in the tree and said, "Well, it might but you'd be hard pressed to get at them without a cherry picker."
"I know nothing of cherry pickers, but if you have a saw, some rope, and a weight I think I could cut them down for you," Legolas said.
Mr. Erickson looked skeptical. "And what's your plan with that?"
"Very simple! I climb the tree and cut off the branches for you. And if the branch is too big to let it just fall, I can tie one end to the branch and toss the weight back down to Jennifer and she can pull it to some place safe for it to land."
"How would you get up there?" her dad asked.
"With these trees growing together like that? Very easily!" Legolas answered.
He looked skeptical, but Mr. Erickson went into the garage and came out a minute later with an old red bow saw, a long coil of rope, and a small weight from his barbells. Legolas quickly threaded the rope through the hole in the weight then tied the coil so it wouldn't unravel and so he could sling it over one arm and he slung the bow saw over the other. With a light jump he was about seven feet up where the trunks of the two trees began to split apart from each other and bounced back and forth for little while until he reached a branch. Lightly and quickly he climbed until he reached the highest of the dead branches and called down for everyone below to watch out. A couple minutes later they heard the last bit of the wood crack and the branch came crashing down through the trees. The next one was a bit bigger, so he tied the rope to it and mentally told Lothril which way she should pull it as he tossed the weighted rope down. Her parents watched from a safe distance as the two worked in tandem and easily managed to cut down and move the dead branches. Once done, and that particular corner of the yard looked suitably brighter for the vegetable garden, Legolas lightly jumped from branch to branch down the tree and landed where he had leapt from.
"You know," Mr. Erickson said as he walked up to Legolas, "If you wanted to take out a few more dead branches while you were here, I'd be appreciative."
Legolas laughed. "Certainly! I do not mind playing woodcutter. Besides, you would be hard pressed to find a means of taking down some of these without risking your neck or the house. But I think as long as I have someone on the ground to aid me, I shall be able to get up there to do it."
"Legolas, would you like to help me turn this into firewood?" Lothril asked.
"Of course! Mr. Erickson, do you have an axe?" Legolas asked.
"I've got an axe or two or a chainsaw if you prefer. That one branch is pretty big," he answered.
"Dad, he doesn't know what a chainsaw is," Lothril told him.
"Oh yeah, I guess he wouldn't," her dad said with a thoughtful look.
"What is a chainsaw?" Legolas asked, honestly feeling relieved he could voice his questions aloud.
Mr. Erickson nodded for Legolas to follow him and he took him over to the small barn where he kept the chainsaw. After a thorough explanation of what it is, what it does, how the motors work, how chainsaws work, and how to operate one (which Legolas found very fascinating), Mr. Erickson took it over to the large branch and pulled the cord until it roared to life and gave a demonstration then shut it off.
"It certainly seems efficient," Legolas said. "But it is a little too loud for my taste. If it is all the same to you, I should prefer to use an axe."
"As ya like," Mr. Erickson said as he casually sauntered back to the little barn and put the chainsaw away and then went into the garage again and pulled out two axes, a wedge, and a hammer. He inspected the edges and said, "I think they might need sharpened.
"I'll go get my whetting stone," Lothril said quickly. "I know right where it is." With that she jogged into the house and came out again less than a minute later with it. Lothril grabbed the single headed axe and sharpened it quickly before handing the stone to Legolas and said to her parents, "I know I said I do not show off, but I will a little here, since you were asking how 'elven magic' works. It is easier to show than explain. Observe." She went over the largest fallen branch that was between a foot and eighteen inches in diameter and held the axe in her hand and began to sing. The air around her seemed to shimmer or get brighter, they weren't sure which, or if it at all. Maybe it was just a trick of the light? Then she changed her stance so she could take a swing and with what looked like one solid, but not particularly forceful swing, the axe whipped down in a graceful arch with a thunderous crack the branch cut clean through. Easily she pulled the axe up, moved down a foot or so and brought the axe down again and crack! Another clean split. "And for comparisons sake – Legolas, if you don't mind?"
He nodded and walked over and in three strokes he cut through. "When she is not cheating and using her skills, we are evenly matched for strength," he said, giving her a teasing grin.
Her parents stared at them wide eyed. "I've seen some things, but that's…wow." Her dad said.
"How many swings does it take you, hon?" Mrs. Erickson asked her husband.
"For a branch that big – more than three," he answered.
"Then we shall clear up these branches for you and split the wood," Legolas said. "Where would you like it stacked?"
"Behind the garage there," Mr. Erickson said.
Legolas nodded. "Very well."
"I'm going to head in now and start dinner in about half an hour," Mrs. Erickson said.
"What are we having?" Lothril asked.
"I was thinking maybe burgers and sweet corn," she answered.
"What is a burger?" Legolas asked.
"I think you will like it," Lothril said to him then turned to her mom and said, "We'll try to make quick work of this." And with that she swung again and split off another foot or so of the branch.
Her parents headed inside and the two of them worked away on cutting up and splitting wood and then stacking it behind the garage. It really did not take them very long, especially after they decided they were going to cut off the smaller branches and haul them over to the fire pit and worry about making them smaller later. Possibly after dinner. After an hour or so, the only things left where the branches had been were some wood chips and twigs. The bulk of the chips and splinters they gathered up and decided they could be used as kindling. Once they were done, they headed over to the other side of the house where the grill and the fire pit were and settled down on the lawn chairs.
"What did your parents speak to you about when they sought you in the woods?" Legolas asked.
"Mostly they wished to tell me that they can see that I truly do not belong here and that they have come to terms with my choice to dwell in Middle-earth. They also told me that they are going to trust in my judgement on marrying you, for they do not suppose that three weeks shall be enough time for them to get to know you and they have had no time to form an opinion of you. However, after this afternoon, I think my father may be warming up to you. If for no other reason than you are doing him a great service by taking out some of these old limbs," she answered.
"Perhaps I shall give them a favorable opinion of me yet!" he replied with a smile.
"Perhaps. Oh, and do not be surprised later if my mother asks you about the ring ceremony. I mentioned it and she asked about it, but as we did not discuss it in detail, I did not want to tell her the wrong thing and told her to ask you," Lothril said.
"Should I explain the entire wedding ceremony?" he asked.
"Only if asked," Lothril answered.
Legolas laughed. "Oh come, Lothril! I do not think they shall be half so shocked as you were. They are already married for one thing, and have had three children."
"No, no! I meant only explain things if she asks, as in do not just sit down and volunteer it," she said.
"Why not, if I may ask?"
"This might sound silly, but I want to see if she is truly curious or was just trying to make conversation," she answered.
There was more behind her words than what she said, but the feelings were vague and he wasn't sure if she even knew what they were. He told her he would wait to be asked and their conversation drifted onto more questions Legolas had about modern living.
Half an hour or so later, Mrs. Erickson came to the side door and called out, "Hey guys, come here!"
They went over and Lothril asked, "What do you need?"
"Listen, Grandma Sue, that's Avery's grandma," she explained to Legolas, "is on the phone and wants to talk to her grandson."
The elves stared at each other. "Well this ought to be interesting," Lothril said. "Ready for your first phone conversation?" she asked Legolas.
"What do I need to do?" he asked.
"Just hold it up to your ear and talk and I will tell you what to say," she answered.
He nodded. "Where is the phone?"
"On the table," Mrs. Erickson said pointing with her thumb over her shoulder.
He went over and picked it up and said, "Hello?"
"Oh Avery! Is that you?" came a spunky but mature voice of a lady over the phone.
"Yes, Grandma. How are you?" he said.
"Oh I'm fine. How are you, kiddo?"
"I am good," he answered, giving Lothril a funny look as he said it.
"Listen, I know you just got back, but I was wondering if you would want to come up here and spend some time with me this summer? I haven't seen you in ages and I could use a little help around the property. I've got a couple projects that need done this year before winter. Nothing crazy, just a few little things I can't quite do on my own, and if I hire someone, well, I'd just as soon pay you to do it and give you a little spending money. Of course, if you need to work all summer for college next fall, I understand," she explained.
"Say yes! This is perfect! She lives almost exactly where we need to be!" Lothril said mentally.
"Of course! I would be happy to come up and help," he replied.
"Are you sure? 'Cause if you need to work-"
"No, no. I would love to come up to visit and help you," Legolas assured.
"Oh good!" she said, sounding relieved. Lothril puzzled at that a little, because she hadn't really sounded anxious, but how relieved she sounded made her think she was. "Well, I know you don't have your license or a car, and I wouldn't dream of putting the Erickson's out, such nice people! So I'll come down and get you. When you wanna come up?"
"Anytime after Memorial Day weekend," he answered, glancing at Lothril.
"That sounds great. Hey listen, is Jenny handy?" Grandma Sue asked.
"Yes, she is," Legolas replied.
"Can you hand her the phone?"
"Cer-Sure," Legolas said.
"Thanks,"
Legolas handed her the phone. "Hey Grandma Sue," Lothril said.
"Hey dearie, how are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. You?"
"Oh I'm fine. Listen, I asked Avery if he would mind coming up for a few weeks this summer to help me out with a few projects, but really I could probably use two extra sets of hands. Would you like to come up and spend a week or two with me and help out? I told Avery I either hire you or I hire someone else, and I would just as soon give my grandkids my money as some stranger, so I will definitely make it worth your while. Are you interested?"
"Yeah, sure," Lothril answered.
"Great! Hey, give the phone back to your mother and tell Avery I love him, 'kay?" Grandma Sue said.
"Sure thing," Lothril said.
"See you soon!" she said.
"See you soon," Lothril replied then handed the phone back to her mom who was in the kitchen cutting onions. "Grandma Sue wants to talk to you again. I'll finish the onions."
"Thanks," her mom replied as Lothril handed her the phone.
Legolas joined her in the kitchen. "That was fortuitous," he said.
She nodded in agreement as she sliced the onion. "Very much so."
"See? You were fretting all those weeks in Middle-earth for nothing," Legolas said with a smile.
"So it seems. Now I shall fret about how we shall get away from Grandma Sue. I am certain if she has not told Mom of her idea already, she is now, and pledging to not let us out of her sight. But perhaps I shall be able to put her deep asleep at night and then we can go out hunting them," Lothril said.
"Perhaps," he said. "Are you and Avery related? You called her Grandma Sue also."
"No, no. Dad is very close friends with her son Don, Avery's dad. They grew up together and he affectionately calls her Ma, and as we grew up we just started calling her Grandma. She is like a third grandmother to us," Lothril explained.
"What of her husband?" Legolas asked.
"He died a few years back. Massive heart attack. She said one minute he was fine and commenting on what a nice day it was outside and the next minute he winced a little and slumped over in his chair and was gone," Lothril answered.
"So quickly?" Legolas asked, wide eyed.
Lothril nodded. "Sometimes it's just like that. That is about how it was when my great grandfather died."
"And Men live and work and play knowing at any moment they could just fall over dead?" Legolas asked.
"Well, most don't die so quickly, or so young. Some die in accidents, some get sick and slowly decline, some die of old age, some have massive heart attacks. It gives one a different perspective on life knowing at any moment something could go horribly awry and your life could end. At the same time though, most do not think about it. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, but always assumed. Do you know how strange it is to me knowing I shall remain largely unchanged for thousands of years to come? Or that I needn't worry about sickness or disease or decay? I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at my grandparents and wondered how long it would be until my hair turned grey and arthritis set in. Do you know often I have counted the years of my forebears and wondered how many I could reasonably expect to see?"
Legolas stared at his beloved – pointed ears, eyes glittering, a picture of elven beauty that shall never know the ravages of time. Just then her mother walked in and put the phone back on the charging dock. She did not look old by any means, but she no longer looked youthful either. Lothril had told him months ago that her mother had started going grey young and colored her hair. He could see the first traces of fine lines around the eyes. He could see where she was sometimes a little stiff when she moved in certain ways. "How long did you suppose you would live?" he asked in elvish.
"My great grandparents largely made it into their eighties, so I supposed eighty years or perhaps a little more." She answered.
"So short a time? Are the lives of Men so brief?" he asked.
She nodded. "We count that a life long lived."
He looked very thoughtful at this but said nothing.
"Is that elvish?" Mrs. Erickson asked.
"Yes," Lothril answered.
"That sounds very pretty," she said.
"Thank you," Legolas said.
Just then Eddie came into the kitchen. "Hey Sparky, where have you been hiding all day? Hi Avery. Hey Ma, when's dinner?"
"In about half an hour. I'm just about to put the burgers on the grill," she answered.
"We're having burgers?" he asked, sounding excited.
"What did I just say?" she answered, shaking her head.
"Sweet!" he said and then turned around and left.
"He and Julie haven't noticed anything, have they?" Lothril asked.
Her mom shook her head. "Doesn't seem so."
"Indeed, I was around a little earlier and neither of them seemed to notice anything," Legolas said.
"Then I guess we shouldn't say anything to them," Lothril said.
Mrs. Erickson shrugged. "I won't if you won't. And I'll tell your dad not to either."
"Thanks," Lothril answered. "Are we going to eat at the table or outside tonight?"
"At the table," Mrs. Erickson said. "I don't feel like scrubbing off the patio table. I think it's got about an inch of pollen on it."
Lothril laughed. "It probably does at that. One of these days you should get a cover for it."
"I know, I know," her mom replied. "Ooh! I better go check the burgers."
That evening they lit a bonfire and after a couple hours, Mrs. Erickson sent the younger kids to bed and the Erickson's told Legolas if he didn't want to go to church three times a week, they wouldn't hold it against him, but for the sake of appearances, he should probably at least go to morning services. He laughed and told them he would certainly go to morning service as he was very curious about it. Then Mrs. Erickson asked about the ring exchange ceremony which led into a discussion of the whole marriage process from betrothal to consummation, which Lothril was happy to let Legolas explain.
"Well you've been quiet for a while, Jenny," her dad said.
"I have nothing to add, and Legolas understands the ins and outs of the ceremonies better than I do," she answered.
"I thought you said you learned all that," her mom said.
"About the ceremonies? No. Not beyond what Legolas explained. The particulars I am going to worry about when I return. What I was telling you about earlier wasn't about the ceremony or the vows; it was more the philosophy and metaphysics behind it. So like, Adam and the whole 'bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh' thing. It's more or less metaphorical, positional, and symbolic, right? No actual altering of your DNA occurred after you guys got married. It's very different for elves. The union of spirits is quite literal and creates a permanent change to the spirits of both spouses," she explained.
"Like how?" Mrs. Erickson asked.
Her parents watched as the two of them looked at each other and were silent for a moment. Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but it looked like they were holding a silent conversation. Then Lothril said, "Well, the best word we could think of is 'mingled'. Our spirits become mingled and though we always remain ourselves, we shall always be able to feel the spirit of the other within ourselves. Even if we are sundered by distance, we shall always be able to feel it to some degree, but more so when we are dwelling together."
"Is that why you said you could feel her spirit earlier?" Mr. Erickson asked.
Legolas shook his head. "That is different altogether. Any elf can feel the presence of any other elf from the time we are elflings. It is more like feeling the heat of the sun on a cloudy day or the warmth of a fire in a room before you see it, and it is affected by distance. The only reason I can feel her from such a distance is because I know her so well, but I did have to focus quite a bit at that distance. For your reference, at that distance, I could also feel my family members and my closest friends with an equal amount of effort."
He nodded. "I see."
"So what happens if a married elf dies?" Mrs. Erickson asked.
"The dead partner sees if he can be reborn," Legolas answered.
The Ericksons looked a bit shocked at that.
"It's not what you're thinking," Lothril said very quickly. "Our spirits do not die until the world ends and our bodies are merely a shell. It's supposed to be a permanent one, but things happen. So, if I were to die, I could petition Mandos, the keeper of the dead, and ask him if I can be reincarnated. If that happens, we are born as ourselves and after a certain age we remember what happened and basically pick up where we left off."
"What if you don't reincarnate?" her mom asked.
"Well, unless I choose to remain in the Halls of Mandos until the breaking of Arda when we all die, or else Mandos declares I am unfit to reincarnate for whatever reason, then we remained married. The only way Legolas could remarry is if one of those things happened and Manwë judged the case and declared he could. So far as I know, it has only happened once," she answered.
"So in other words, we don't have to worry about him jilting you for a younger model in a few centuries," her dad said.
"Jilting you for a younger model?" Legolas asked looking at Lothril quite confused.
"Abandoning our marriage in favor of a younger woman," she explained.
Legolas looked horrified at the thought. "I should think not!" He looked at Mr. Erickson and said, "That would be quite impossible and against our very natures, to say nothing of my honor. Man nauth naer! Man pen-sadron faeg benn awartha i hervess în? Cara nautha othgarthon aen na cin?" (What a horrible thought! What faith-less mean/bad man/husband abandons his wife? Does he think I would do wrong to you?)
"No! No! Here the very thing he said is a thing that happens all too often. I think he is glad to know he need not worry about that happening to me. He is glad he need not worry and so he made that comment," Lothril quickly explained.
Legolas nodded. "I am glad he does not think so ill of me."
"Hey, you think they come with subtitles?" Mr. Erickson asked his wife while Legolas and his daughter spoke in elvish. His only response was a very unamused look from his wife.
"Sorry," Lothril said to her parents. "Sometimes it's easier to say things in elvish."
"I understand," her mom said. "But going back a little, you said the mother of the bride gives a gift during the ceremony – how is that going to work with us not there?"
Legolas looked at Lothril who fidgeted a little then said, "Well, I uh, was adopted by Elrond. At the time we had no idea if I'd ever come back and Legolas and I were just friends and he – well, he's gotten to know me pretty well and he decided to adopt me and give me a home and family, so he'll be acting as my family during the ceremony as his wife Celebrían sailed a while ago and is waiting for him in Valinor."
She had been hesitant to mention that because how does one look at one's own parents and tell them that you've been adopted into someone else's family while simultaneously knowing you're loved and wanted by your own family who is sitting right in front of you. To her relief and surprise though, they actually looked pleased at the news.
"I wish you had told us that sooner," her mom said. "We've been worrying a little bit about that. We assumed Legolas wouldn't leave you high and dry until your wedding, but still."
"To be honest, I wasn't sure how you'd take it," Lothril said.
"Look, we knew sooner or later you'd move out and our only hope has ever been that you would be safe and happy. Knowing you have adopted family there to watch out for you and that Legolas makes you happy is… well, it's a bit strange, but at the same time, it's reassuring," her mom replied. "It actually makes it all a little easier."
Lothril really wasn't sure what to say how to react or even how to feel so she didn't say or do anything. Why were they so okay with this? Why wasn't she okay that they were okay with this?
Mr. Erickson yawned. "It's getting late."
"If you wish to go to bed, I will make sure the fire is put out," Legolas said.
"Aren't you tired?" Mr. Erickson asked. -
Legolas shook his head. "We do not need as much sleep as you do and I have a wish to go down to the lake and see the stars."
"Well, you won't see too many around here these days, but when you get up north to where Ma Sue is, you'll see a few more," Mr. Erickson replied.
"I have noticed there are few to be seen, but as summer is nigh, I cannot help but wish to see some. Will you come with me, Lothril?"
"I think I shall. We have not walked beneath the stars since we arrived at Edoras," she answered.
"We did at Helm's Deep," he reminded her.
"Yes, but there was only rock there. Here the trees are old and the night wind is singing," she replied.
"Singing?" her mom asked.
Lothril nodded. "Listen." There was silence for a few long moments and the only sounds were the fire and the wind. "Do you hear it?"
"Not really," her mom said.
"Here, let me try something," Lothril said as she stood and went to the other side of the fire where her mother stood and placed her hands on her ears and sang. "Now listen."
Her mother sat very still and cocked her head like she was trying to hear something. "I almost… it sounds like the wind but more musical."
Lothril nodded. "Do you hear the counter melody?"
"No, just a repetitive sort of run of notes," she said then sang the notes she heard.
Lothril smiled. "That is the song in the wind. The counter melody though is what I have heard also that drew me to Middle-earth. But if you cannot hear it even with your ears opened, then I suppose you really cannot at all."
"Hey, I want to hear the wind," he dad said.
Lothril laughed. "Of course! Here," she said as she put her hands on his ears and sang again then removed her hands.
He listened with a very serious face for a minute then said, "I can hear it! Do you hear it all the time?"
"Always have," she replied.
He nodded but didn't say anything for a minute then said, "Well, if you two are going to go down to the lake, be careful and don't stay out too late and lock the door when you come inside."
"Will do," Lothril said.
"Shall we go?" Legolas asked, standing. Lothril nodded. "If you want we can put out the fire first," he said to her parents.
"Nah, you guys go ahead," her dad said.
With that the elves turned and began to sing as they went down the hill and down the drive and onto the street.
"Is it just me, or did it look like they were walking in moonlight? Like around their feet?" her mom asked.
"I think it's just you," her husband replied.