Photosynthesis by Himring

Chapter 1

‘These old stories seem very much preoccupied with light, don’t they?’ commented Bilbo thoughtfully.

He and Elrond were taking a tea break. That afternoon Elrond had been checking over the latest of Bilbo’s translations and discussing them with him.

‘If you are hinting the Elves are so preoccupied with light, sometimes, that they overlook the importance of other things,’ answered Elrond, ‘you could be right.’

‘However, consider this nice, warming cup of tea!’ Elrond lifted his cup, smiling. A little steam curled up. ‘That seems like a more hobbit-like preoccupation! But do you realize how much light went into it?’

Chapter End Notes

Your mileage might vary on how much Elrond knows about photosynthesis as a process, but as far as I can tell, in Middle-earth plants do also need light to grow and fuel (for heating a pot of tea) is usually plant-based, apart from the tea leaves themselves.