"The land can not support so many people!"
"Returning home should be our first priority!" There was a general uproar, as many of those gathered Noldor from the West agreed. Finarfin had called a meeting of his top advisors and councilors to investigate reports of incidents and outright animosity between the Noldor under his command and the peoples of Middle Earth.
"Did we not leave Aman to help our kin here?" Finarfin rose and called for order. "It has come to my attention that many of our people are actively placing the construction of ships above securing these camps and fields, planting, fishing, and hunting. This is not what we agreed upon. What good is our return voyage if we leave those we came to aid to die of starvation?"
"Aranya?" Tarwatirno, the King's chief healer, spoke. "Would they not be better served by returning with us to Aman? Morgoth has been vanquished, but danger still lurks in these lands."
"Many of our Kin will choose to return with us." The King paused to banish his own sorrow at his next observation. "But some of our loved ones will choose to remain here. Like the Avari and Sindar, many elves have known no other home."
"They would willingly embrace such danger? The Valar have decreed that they can return."
"This land is wild, dangerous, and untamed." Lord Alacosir observed, "But I believe now that the war is over, its full beauty will emerge."
"My King," His Seneschal Manveru whispered. "The healers sent word that your son-in-law shows signs of waking." Finarfin rose, and the council fell immediately silent.
"My daughter is among those who will remain." The King disregarded the gasps. Rumors of the Noldor princess' brave feat had spread like wildfire through the camps. Many would happily welcome the headstrong princess home. "I would do everything in my power to leave these lands in a position where their people can enjoy peace and prosperity."
Xxxxxxxxxxx
"Has he reached his majority? He seems so young.'' Lillanlai covered the rhizome her Mother had just planted with dirt.
"He is barely over fifty." The Noldor of Aman would be shocked by the Avari Queen's current enterprise. Her family had for ages nurtured and cared for the land.
"That is of age for an elf or one of the Edain but for a Maiar? I heard Adar say his suffering was partially due to his Maiar heritage." A small shake of her head was enough to convey her doubt.
"What is spoken in confidence should not be repeated. The young elf has spent most of his life at war and has born much prejudice. Naturally, he is apprehensive around strangers and less at ease in social situations, especially since few of our people have made any overtures of friendship."
"But is he not a prince? He does not act like one."
"He shouldered too much responsibility during the war. His spirit suffered deep wounds. Such suffering is bound to make one seem younger than their years. I remember many torturous days of whining after a nameless elleth broke several broken bones." Her daughter cringed slightly.
"He seems so unsure of himself, almost lost and vulnerable. Yet the aura around him is foreign, a light and song apart from elves."
"He is of the elves." Her Mother chided. "We should celebrate our differences, yet it is safer to remain where all are the same. How would you feel being singled out? Our people come just to view him out of curiosity but are afraid to speak with him. If he was not self-conscious of his heritage before, he certainly is now. Have you ever spoken with him?"
"No." She admitted quietly. Her eyes focused squarely on her task of covering and compacting the dirt over the next hole.
"Your Adar is disappointed that you would not deign to speak to the last descendent of his brother Elu. It has not gone unnoticed that only your Adar, I, and the healer have spoken with him." "
"Kalmë guards him." Lillanlai corrected.
"Kalmë is nearly as old as your father and speaks only at great need. Elrond has been among us for almost a week now. Are you not ashamed of our people? He is Elu's heir. The last of his descendants to remain among the elves."
"What can he share with Aran Elu Thingol? He is so far removed. Surely, there is little of that bloodline in him."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Celeborn slept, reveling in the blissfully restored connection to his beloved spouse. He tried to keep his anxiety hidden. "So close. Much too close - I might have lost her!"
"Ion-nin." A voice reverberated through him. It did not sound like his Adar but held unconditional love and acceptance. "Come back to the light. It is time to awaken." Slowly, gradually, his body responded to the gentle but insistent call. Familiar blue eyes surrounded by a curtain of golden hair appeared, but the face was not that of his wife.
"Aran Finarfin," he choked in surprise and struggled to sit up, but the world spun dreadfully, and hands roughened by long years of war gently guided him back to the pillow.
"Easy now, ion-nin." The name was repeated with love and respect. "You have slept long, perhaps in a shared healing sleep, and it has done you both much good. But I think your body is in need of sustenance." He positioned pillows to raise Celeborn's head and then guided a warm cup of tea generously sweetened with honey into unsteady hands.
"Thank you," Celeborn whispered after several sips.
"No thanks are necessary. I was deeply humbled by the depth of your love for my daughter. I would be most honored if you also called me Adar."
"Galadriel!" He turned swiftly to see if his beloved was well. She rested motionless beside him, deep in healing sleep.
"Do not fear. The worst is passed. The healers predict she will make a full albeit slow recovery. I doubt the next few weeks will be easy. Artanis was never one to endure confinement well." Finarfin smiled at the choked cough his daughter's husband emitted in agreement. "Finish the tea. Then, perhaps you will feel well enough to join me at the table for a small repast." Celeborn complied and slowly drank the sweetened brew. Energy spread through him as his stomach protested against the lack of solid food. He endured a thorough check of his state of health from Master Tarwatirno before the Healer and King helped him to the nearby table.
"You have been in healing sleep for nearly two days. Come replenish your strength. Some stew will do you good." The healer motioned to the table where an assistant had just placed several steaming bowls. Celeborn hesitated as he turned back to where his wife lay.
"She has regained some color." He grasped her hand momentarily. It was thankfully warm.
"It would seem that the two of you have staved off the effects of the black breath," Tarwatirno observed. "Your Lady no longer fades and grows stronger with each passing hour."
"It was her bravery. Its effects were uncanny as it seemed to interweave this dark foe into her own memories, changing the battle to other times and places."
"You aided her."
"I would give my life for hers. But I do not know how I assisted her in this fight. It seems as if I merely provided a connection to reality. I know not how we overcame this darkness."
"You must tell us what you remember. Perhaps it will help us to aid others."
Xxxxxxxx
"Why do you lurk in the shadows, son of Earendil?" Kalmë laughed
"I," He paused, not willing to share his uncertainty of whether or not he was welcome.
"She noticed your presence a while ago. Were you not welcome, you would have known it well before now." Kalmë pushed him gently forward towards the princess.
"Lady Lillanlai." Elrond began hesitantly. "May I join you?"
"How polite. Of course, you may join me, Lord Elrond." Lillanlai laughed at the blush of embarrassment that spread over the young Peredhel's cheeks. "Have you never whittled wood before?"
"No, I have not. It is fascinating to watch the piece take shape. What kind of bird will it be?"
"The wood calls out to me. I think I will fashion a copper Nightingale. It seems the tree sheltered a pair years ago and longs for their return."
"I knew several children who would have delighted in such a figurine."
"Knew?"
"They are all grown now."
"You are barely passed your majority. How could any child you knew be grown already?"
"They are of the Edain," Elrond murmured an apology at the fear that rose in the elf maiden's eye upon mention of the other kindred. "There is naught to fear. In some ways, they are much like us."
"Like you, perhaps." She quickly regained her poise.
"Perhaps so." He conceded. "Perhaps my perspectives are skewed by my mixed blood. But still, I think there are similarities between Elves and Men. I beg your pardon if my opinion displeases you." Silver eyes looked awkwardly away as the silence stretched out.
"Perhaps my perceptions are distorted because our people have only ever observed the Edain that allied themselves with Morgoth. They desecrated our forests and drove us from our ancestral homes."
"Were many hurt?" Lillanlai recognized genuine concern in the disturbingly bright silver eyes.
"We were fortunate that the casualties were few." She smiled inwardly at the youth's insecurity. "I thought I heard the soft song of a harp last night."
"It was I. I hope it did not disturb you, my Lady."
"Nay, nothing of the sort. I quite enjoyed it. Maybe we can strike a deal." Her eyes lit mischievously.
"What do you propose, my Lady?"
"Perhaps you could instruct me on the harp in exchange for some woodworking lessons." She watched a smile of relief spread across the youth's noble face.
"That would be most agreeable."
Xxxxxxxxxx
"If we are blessed with rain, we should have an ample harvest in the summer and fall, enough to feed our people and send extra to the elves." Beleford squeezed his wife's hand. They had both put in long hours to coordinate large numbers of workers to prepare many fields for the month's first planting.
"You have all done a tremendous job. I think you impressed even the elves with your efficiency!" Elros declared much to the joy of his people.
"Our efforts can only be declared a success if no child complains of hunger this winter." Selina's eyes flashed purposely. Elros noted the silver strands glistening in her chestnut hair. He and Beleford were the same age, fifty-seven, and his wife was several years younger than them.
"Will your brother visit soon? Can I send him a list of healing supplies? We are running short." Halverad had worked with Elrond in the village healing house some years before. His wife Analise had a crush on the peredhel throughout her girlhood. At her father's urging, Elros had several lengthy talks with Analise about his brother. She had long since outgrown her infatuation. The young couple had just become parents. Beleford was a grandfather. Bergil, Beleford's son, now shadowed his father like an apprentice learning his father's responsibilities and council politics.
"Elrond is enjoying a well-earned convalescence among the Avari. I was planning on visiting him for a few days next month to see how he is doing."
"And make sure that the elves are treating him well!" Selina had been righteously angry when she had heard that female elves were wary of interacting with Elrond because of his peredhel heritage.
"Be assured I will do all within my power to make sure they treat my brother with respect."
"But the chances of you witnessing your brother's marriage before we sail." Selina began, but Elros interrupted her.
"Are the same as the chances of me marrying anyone before we set out for Númenor. Absolutely zero!" He grinned as Beleford affectionately tousled his hair.
"And I thought we were the same age. I will be lucky to live long enough to see you married, hopefully not long after we arrive in Númenor."
"I trust you will stand with me at my wedding. You are as a brother to me."
"But I will look like your grandfather if you wait that long!"
Xxxxxxxxx
"Make no sound. Let us test the watchfulness of your Adar's guard." His amusement rang clearly in her mind as he lifted her as gently as a feather. Her head immediately fell against his muscular arm as he carefully positioned her legs over his other arm. He would take no chances with her health. Her vision was still foggy, and she suffered dizziness at times, a lingering consequence of her injury and the battle against the black breath. But her spirit was dimmed by the long days away from nature.
"It is her Naneth's heritage." Her Adar had clarified days earlier. Celeborn had thought long about assuaging this growing feeling of disconnection from the forest. Unfortunately, her injuries prevented any action in the last long days. But healer Tarwatirno gave his approval this morning for a small sojourn. He had spent the afternoon making all the arrangements. No one would interrupt them.
"What do you have planned?" Her voice carried anticipation and quiet joy that never failed to excite him.
"Watch and wait. It is a surprise." The words barely left his mind before he felt her spirit soar with excitement. He moved soundlessly out of the tent. The guards were conversing softly. Their attention was somehow drawn in the opposite direction, where Finarfin's Seneschal was discussing security with a small group of elves. His noiseless footfalls were sure. His bearing had a clear objective as they weaved around tents, moving into the darkened areas between the rows of makeshift homes. His smile was palpable as he felt her insatiable curiosity, which was only slightly dampened by her inability to predict his actions, so hampered she was yet by her injury.
"What game are you playing, beloved?" She teased, but soon, the canopy of trees hid their shadows. The song of the trees, coupled with Celeborn's encompassing loving spirit and the placid swaying motion of his steps, lulled her into a contented daze. She hardly responded when he eased her gently to settle against a warm, velvety quilt. He felt her spirit thrum contentedly as he set about worshipping her with his lips. Tantalizingly slowly, his lips slid down her neck to lick her collarbone as he untied the belt that held her wrap closed.
"But what about you?" Her plaintiff cry grew louder as he worshipped the perfect round globes and their golden brown pinnacles.
"Not this day, beloved." His hands slid lower, carefully avoiding contact with her injured side. "This day, you must lie still and rest. Is that not what the healer ordered?" Her laugh ended in a screech as his hands reached their target.
Xxxxxxxxx
"You summoned me, my King?" Healer Tarwatirno bowed to the Aran Finarfin. "Do I correctly assume it is safe to check on my patient?" The King laughed in response.
"You assume correctly. I am glad you are well prepared." Finarfin pointed to the healer's bags.
"Do we have a far journey?"
"It is just a short walk into the forest. Celeborn sent word that she was resting peacefully."
Xxxxxxxxx
Several weeks later, Elros, Indiriel, and Ereinion journeyed into the forest to check on Elrond.
"I think Elrond may have the harder task." Elros sighed and shook his head. "I doubt that most elves will ever fully accept him."
"His generous heart and loyal nature will ultimately win them over." Ereinion predicted. The Noldor royal guards were made to wait at the border of the Avari camp. As a people, the Avari were very insular and suspicious of outsiders. Elros was shocked when Herutaurë, the leader of Avari, came to greet them. They spoke about Elrond's slow but steady recovery. Then the Herutaurë bid them farewell, and Kalmë led them further.
"You look much improved from the last time we met." Kalmë greeted Elros.
"Thank you for watching over me until Glorfindel and Beleford arrived. The Maiar cared for me and helped me heal." Elros returned. The ancient Avari guard bowed respectfully but said little else as they traversed the forest. Indeed, it was nearly ten minutes later before the reticent guard spoke again, only to introduce them to the Avari healer.
"He is in the meadow about ten minutes west."
"No one guards him?" Elros blurted out.
"The meadow is surrounded by our people, Penneth." Healer Sanidan's eyes bore into him as if the elder elf could see into his soul.
"Forgive my undiplomatic words." Elros placed his hand over his heart in a sign of respect. "I only worry for my brother's welfare." The healer nodded and then continued serenely.
"The Maiar approach is different than ours. Reach out with your senses as you wander closer. You will feel the joy of the forest in your brother's presence. As he learns to meditate on the remnants of the Ainulindalë, his fëa slowly responds to the song. True healing is a slow process, but as the peace of his soul increases, part of it is transmitted back to the forest.
"How will I find him?"
"Follow the songs of the trees, they will lead you to your brother. Remember, he is still healing. Keep your thoughts soothing."
Elrond was facing away, staring intently at something beyond their view. His unfettered hair floated around his head in a breeze that seemed concentrated only in Elrond's vicinity. The effect softened and blurred his beloved silhouette.
"Perhaps, I will approach alone so as not to startle him." Elros' whisper seemed somehow appropriate for the quiet meadow. Ereinion and Indiriel nodded in agreement and stepped back to observe the reunion. As Elros drew closer, he noted the excited chirping and singing. Elrond appeared to be studying a small group of birds perched in the majestic oak at the far side of the meadow. Elros knelt next to his brother and guided the stray mist of hair behind a delicately pointed ear.
"Gwadur (brother), are you well?" Elros called softly. "What has captured your attention?"
"Do you think she understood them?" Elrond whispered, not taking his eyes off the birds. "Did she hear them like we hear the trees? The wind whispers to me sometimes."
"The wind?"
"It tells me of where it has been. Perhaps she heard the birds in the same way. But I can not understand them."
"Mother," Elros whispered as he considered the question. He remembered that no matter how angry or agitated his Mother might have been about one of their misdeeds, a simple reference to the birds could help him defer or mitigate his punishment. "Perhaps you are correct. She seemed to spend much time with them. She was at peace there. They seemed to allay her loneliness."
"She was younger than we are now," Elrond noted.
"She missed Father and was burdened with two terrible toddlers." Elros saw his brother grimace. "Well, at least one terror." He amended with a smile.
"She was an orphan, married very young to a husband forever traveling."
"I could not image being married at our age, let alone parenting a child." Elros brushed the escaping strands of his brother's wayward hair again.
"We at least have each other. We were fortunate to be surrounded by others who recognized our suffering."
"You think Naneth might have begun to feel this call of the Maiar? That she also had begun to hear the Maiar songs?"
"It might explain her deep distress."
"I think she enjoyed Ossë and Uinen's songs. They are wild and joyful, impatient and turbulent. My spirit rejoices in their melodies." Elros paused thoughtfully at his brother's astonishment. "She would always bring us to the beach to listen to the sea."
"Like us, I do not think she would have confided these feelings to her councilors. I thought I might be going mad."
"She is safe now where she can always hear the Maiar songs."
"I hope she is happy. Perhaps she and Adar will have another child?"
"A daughter might prove less troublesome." Ereinion teased as he and his wife stepped forward to embrace the brothers.