Aredhel and the Marring of Bliss by just_jenni

Chapter 2-When We Were Young

In this chapter Aredhel remembers her youth and begins to recount her adventures with her two favourite cousins.

Three young elves burst into raucous laughter, their three distinctly different voices rising on the air, filling the promising day with youthful, rambunctious sound.  They spilled out of the doorway of Feanaro's house and into the mingling light of the Trees, not caring one whit about anything except their unbounded joy at being allowed to do whatever they wanted on this glorious summer day.  It was early summer, the air gentle with the scent of new blossoms to tickle and tempt their senses.  Droplets of dew still crowned the blades of grass which retained the young peoples' footprints when they ran carelessly across Feanaro's carefully manicured lawn.

"Shh, Turko, keep your voice down!"  The younger of the two boys cried out in annoyance, tossing his mane of rich black hair over his shoulder in order to more clearly glare at his brother.  "We don't want Atar to wake up and think of some chore for us to do."  The two brothers and their female cousin kept running along the pebbled laneway that led to the stables.

Curufin, the fifth son of Feanaro, chased after his brother and their half-cousin Aredhel, and though he was swift, having inherited the long legs and lithe grace of his father, he was not as quick as Tyelkormo or Celegorm, his older brother, who was the most athletic of the Feanorion boys.  Their half-cousin Aredhel, daughter of Feanaro's brother Nolofinwe, was equal in spirit to her favourite cousins.  Although she was not yet fully grown, this being her fortieth year, while Curufin was forty-three and Tyelkormo had just turned seventy-three, she had a love of horses and riding, and possessed an independence of spirit that the boys admired.  She may have been young but she was brave and was more loyal at that time to the two boys than was their own brother Caranthir, fifteen years older than Curufin. And her two cousins thought of her as equal to themselves, which was a tremendous boost to her confidence.  She loved them for it, and they loved her in return.

Aredhel remembered a time in the not so distant past when she, Celegorm and Curufin had gone exploring, wandering too deeply in the woods and since they were on foot and not on horseback, they became lost.  As a result the youngsters had stayed out all night trying to find their way home.  The boys' parents, Feanor and Nerdanel, had been frantically searching for them through the long, dark hours.  At the time Aredhel was a guest in their house, staying for a few days.  Feanor and Nerdanel felt that they had betrayed Fingolfin's trust in letting his daughter wander astray.  Feanor in particular hated to be pressed to feel any sense of shame in regard to his half-brother.  This was something that Aredhel had learned from her cousins and was currently well aware of.  Nerdanel had been particularly upset and had to take to her bed, worn out from hunting all night long for her errant boys and her niece.  Exhaustion had become the poor woman's normal state during her child-bearing years and would overcome her in her later years as well.  Feanor was livid and kept the two boys prisoner in the house for a week, making them do all the menial chores for punishment.  Caranthir laughed and sneered at them and Celegorm had punched him on the nose for it.  Later, when Feanor asked him why his nose was bloody, Caranthir told him without hesitation, "Turko did it. He said he hates me."  The last part of that statement was a lie, which caused both Celegorm and Curufin to decide they could no longer trust their brother.  When they grew older Caranthir became closer to them, but at this point, whether it was because of jealousy or resentment at the closeness between his two brothers at the exclusion of himself, Caranthir was prone to display dislike for them.

Celegorm had told Aredhel that Feanor had taken him out for a ride around the training paddock and had a talk with him, not only regarding the subject of responsibility but also about what people would think if they discovered that the boys had been out all night in the forest with their younger female cousin.  "I know you are a good boy, Tyelkormo," Feanor had said, "but tongues will wag among the Noldor and the Vanyar - especially the Vanyar - if they were aware that that you two boys had your Uncle Nolofinwe's daughter with you all through the night.  "How is it that they lost their way when they know the lands so well?" Feanor said this in a mock, mincing, high-pitched tone to illustrate how the Vanyar might have sounded.

"We did not have the horses that day, Atar.  Do you not remember?  It was punishment for having gone hunting the week before and losing your best bow."

Feanor passed his hand over his eyes at the memory.  "Yes, I do remember, Turko," he told Celegorm.  "Never mind that now.  I wanted to remind you as the oldest of the three and with your coming of age soon approaching, that you have certain responsibilities toward any maiden and must conduct yourself in an appropriate manner accordingly.  While I do trust you and know that Aredhel's father trusts you as well, you cannot assume that because you have our trust that you can go off and do whatever you please, in as wild a manner as possible.  Do you understand me, Turko?"

Celegorm met his father's piercing gaze in all serious attentiveness, although his mind was on an upcoming hunting trip and not on what Feanor had just been telling him.  He wanted to please his father nevertheless.  "Yes, I do, Atar.  Truly I do.  I shall go with your leave to apologize to Uncle Nolofinwe for treating his daughter improperly. I promise I shall not let it happen again."

"Fine," Feanor replied, searching Celegorm's face for any sign of deviousness, but sighed resignedly when he realized that his fourth son was not the kind of person to possess that quality.  "Please see that you don't.  Now be off with you.  I can see that you are beyond restless and wish to be off."  With that Feanor moved to the paddock gate, dismounted and opened it so that Celegorm could ride through.  With a wave and broad grin Celegorm rode away to rendezvous with his brother and cousin.  Feanor watched him go, closing the gate with a rare smile lighting up his face.

0o00o0

Aredhel, Celegorm and Curufin picked out the horses they would ride that day.  Aredhel chose an appaloosa mare while Curufin picked out a jet horse so black that it rivalled a raven's feathers, and Celegorm immediately chose his father's prize pure white stallion, the strongest and fastest horse in Feanor's stables.

"You cannot take that new horse of Atar's, Turko!"  Curufin stood staring aghast while Celegorm hastily saddled the spirited horse, which was practically jumping up and down in its urge to run.

"Why ever not?"  A twinkle of mischief appeared in Celegorm's bright eyes.  "Atar won't mind.  This horse looks as if he needs a good run.  Look at him trying to buck!"  The older youth sprang into the saddle once he had prepared the stallion for riding and galloped way, expertly controlling the horse.

Curufin uttered a snort of exasperation, shook his mane of jet-black hair and said nothing more, finishing strapping on his horse's saddle.  Aredhel slid over to him, leading her horse by the reins and laid a soft hand upon Curufin's tanned arm.  "Don't be worried, Kurvo," she whispered, tilting her head sideways so she could peer into his downturned face and holding his thick hair aside to see him better.  "Turko is a good rider.  He will not let anything happen to Calimo."

Curufin lifted his head and smiled at her.  She was struck by how much he resembled his father, even at this young age.  The same bright eyes, thick black hair, straight nose and when he smiled, the same disarmingly charming smile.  "You are right, Nell," he said, using the nickname he had coined for her.  "Let nothing mar this glorious day.  Come, let's chase after him."

They leapt onto their horses, galloping after Celegorm who was well ahead of them.  Exchanging quick glances which made them both burst into simultaneous laughter, they soon caught up to the older youth who had pulled Calimo into a canter rather than a full-blown gallop.

Any observers of the three would have naturally assumed that Celegorm might have had more than a cousinly interest in Aredhel.  Her chestnut brown hair, worn long almost to her waist, was offset by her father's eyes, twinkling pale grey and sparkling in the sunlight.  She was pretty with a pleasant smile and already her figure was showing signs of burgeoning womanhood.

Celegorm was tall and handsome, with a strong masculinity about him.  His arms and chest were well-muscled and he bore the strength and grace of an athlete.  Many maidens of Tirion admired him and would giggle and whisper favourably about him when he rode by, almost as much as they commented on his oldest brother Maitimo, or Maedhros.

Curufin, not of age yet, did not much resemble his brother except for some slight facial similarity.  Quieter in nature, Curufin was not prone to smiling very often and would not look directly at the ladies of Tirion.  Still a youth, his build was lanky, his limbs long and lean, but his resemblance to his father would soon have the maidens either flocking to his dark, dangerous side or send them running away from him in fear.  Curufin's greatest strengths were in crafting and forge work.  When he took off his shirt, one could already see that his arms, chest and shoulders were becoming strong and hard-muscled from all the hammering and heavy lifting that his craft required.

If Aredhel had a preference for one brother over the other it would be Celegorm, although she did not yet realize this since she loved them both dearly and equally at present.  As for Curufin, he was beginning to feel something more for her than mere friendship.  When she had placed her hand on his arm in the stables and looked into his eyes he had felt a strange tingle stir inside his stomach, then his loins, but had dismissed it as the effect of something he had eaten, not understanding what it actually meant.  He began watching her in silence and for much longer than he had ever done before.