Vignettes of Elmo by LadyBrooke

Vignettes 1-6

Read Vignettes 1-6

1. Down Memory Lane, One – Staying With Friends

“Elmo will be staying with us,” Morwë said, looking at his children but keeping his hand clasped on Elmo’s shoulder. “I expect you all to treat him well.”

“Why is he staying with us but Elu and Olue aren’t?” Finwë asked. “They lost their parents too.”

“They are old enough to choose where they want to live, and they do not wish to come here. Elmo wished to.” Morwë raised his brow. “This is not up for discussion.”

“He just wants to be close to Nelwë because he likes her,” Finwë said.

“So? She likes him too. Are you jealous that nobody likes you, brother?” Nurwë answered, while Nelwë tugged Elmo free from her father’s grasp before her siblings started screaming at each other.

 

2. Strong Points, One - Patience

“You need to be patient, Celeborn, you’ll meet her soon enough – and you’re not even the father.” Elmo said, stopping his nephew from pacing.  

“I know I’m not the father, because Galathil is off on the borders, where he got stuck with a broken leg a week before his daughter was supposed to be born. Why would he do that?” Celeborn glared at the tent. “And why can’t I meet her now?”

“Because she’s not your child, and you should learn some patience.” Elmo said. “And I don’t think your brother choose to break his leg.”

“Perhaps I don’t want to learn to be patient,” Celeborn said. “That can be your skill.”

“And the stars know I need it to deal with you.” Elmo sighed. “Come along, let’s go find something to eat before my darling granddaughter-in-law opens the flap and strangles you for being a disturbance and probably keeping her awake. You can meet your niece later”

 

3. Home Sweet Home, One – New Lands

“Where are we going?” Nimloth asks, staring up at Elmo as he carries her.

“Valinor,” he answers, staring back over his shoulder at the fires that continue to burn as they leave behind half their people.

“What’s Valinor?” She says, waving over his shoulder at her grandparents.

He stumbles for a moment. He doesn’t want to say that it is some land where Elu thinks all their problems will be solved. (because what will they tell her later, when she asks why she can no longer visit her mother’s family? How is that not a problem?) How can he say what he thinks of this island that he is only going to because both of his brothers are, and he cannot bear to lose what little family he has left? (And he feels guilty, because Galathil is only going because he is going, and this is another family broken because he wants to remain with his brothers, and his grandchildren and their families have chosen to follow him). How can he say anything?

“Do you not know?” Nimloth asks, looking straight at his face.

“It will be your new home, different from this one – depending on where you live, there might not be as much water around, or that might be more trees.”

She wrinkled her nose. “So it could be just about anything.”

“It could.”

“I don’t want to live near the water again. Uncle always tries to throw me into it.”

Elmo laughed. “Then we will make sure you don’t live near the water.”

 

4. What’s On the Menu? – Sweet Tooth

“It’s different,” Elmo finally said, looking around at the caves.

“Good different or bad different?” Elu called back from where was kneeling on the ground, looking at the patterns in the rock.”

Elmo shrugged. “Just different. I like the forest outside – it’ll be a change from how we live growing up, at least. Less fish.” He flashed a grin at the last bit, before tapping on the wall. “This stone is thick.”

“There’s a river a short walk away, if you’re feeling nostalgic to fish.” Elu said.

Elmo laughed. “I think it will be awhile before I try fishing again myself – the dried ones Círdan sends are enough for me.”

“For me as well, but we can try our hand at hunting together soon. And there is a patch of berries near the entrance to the caves, assuming you haven’t lost your sweet tooth.”

“When have I ever lost that?” Elmo said, making for the entrance to the sound of laughter.

 

5. Affiliations, Part One - Brothers

“Olue, I caught a fish today,” he shouts as a child, racing through the camp to his older (though not as old as Elu, who is old in Elmo’s eyes) brother.

“Olue, why did father leave us?” he cries softly, hoping that his mother will not awaken or that Elu will not come from his spot by the fire. Olue has no responsibilities, and Elmo does not feel guilty keeping him awake.

“Olue, how will we handle things if Elu takes off with this Vala into the dark?” he asks, glancing over at the circle where their brother stands with Finwë and Ingwë, talking about the possible journey.

“Olwë? Just because that Vala convinced Elu that he should change his name to fit Finwë and Ingwë’s, doesn’t mean you need to change yours too – you’re not one of them,” he snaps, feeling as though he is losing another brother to this fool’s errand.

“Olwë, I am going to search for food whether you want me to or not – and perhaps I will find Elu as well, and then you will no longer be our leader,” he hisses, readying himself for another argument in front of their whole family.

“Olwë, Olue, please – we will find him soon enough, and we don’t need Valinor to be safe,” he begs, standing on a shore as his brother boards a boat and he loses him too.

“Olwë,” he begins, standing on a shore in front of a brother he has not seen in Ages.  

“Olue,” his brother says. “I’m old enough now to not need new names to be a leader.”

 

6. The Mirror Cliché – A Ghost in the Stream

There are no lights besides the stars, and his reflection is barely distinguishable in the stream. He knows that some of the others bring fire with them when they look down, wanting to see if they really look how their lovers tell them they do.

He has no lover anymore. She’s dead, the same way their son is dead, and his grandchildren are all he has left.

His reflection splatters away as he throws a rock into the stream, and it reminds him of how she vanished when he shot an arrow through her ghost.