Owl by curufinweatarinke

Chapter 4

Owl requires washing

 Finwë stares at the beleaguered Owl, which looks solemnly back. It is certainly worse for wear now, its wings tattered and its soft body stained, the fine embroidery uprooted in places.

“It needs washing,” Finwë declares, looking down at Finwion, who is clinging to his leg, “and mending.”

“No!” he says, mutinously, “Owl is fine! Give me!”

“Owl is not fine, Finwion! It’s all sticky, look at it! What did you even do to it?”

“Owl needs juice too!”

Ah. Finwë loves juice, he does. Never could they have imagined in Cuivienen the sheer wealth of foods in Valinor. Their hunter-gatherer lifestyle was completely different to their current stable one, which allows for cultivation of all the fruits and crops that Yavanna has created, and more seem to come about every day as inventive farmers experiment with crossbreeds. There is just so much variety of food now, and Finwë loves it. Finwion particularly likes the sweet, sweet pomegranate juice from Alqualondë, and Finwë ensures that any trade agreements include those pomegranates.

He knows he’s probably too indulgent but he can never quite bring himself to care. All it takes is one look at Finwion’s redstained happy grin to know that anything is worth it. But this...

Finwion has been copying Finwë for a while now, since before he could walk and talk, and he seems to have latched onto Owl in a way that none of his other toys quite match. Finwë has noticed it before, that Finwion would pretend to feed Owl, or tell it stories as Finwë does for him, but recently Finwë has noticed his son putting Owl to sleep, and insisting that ‘Ta’ kiss Owl too. And now this. It’s adorable, Finwë just wishes it wasn’t so messy.

Having been presented with Owl once more to kiss, Finwë had blanched at the battered and sticky status of the toy, leading to their current situation.

Holding Owl gingerly in one hand, he picks up Finwion in his other arm, who squeals at the sudden change in altitude.

“Come on, will you let Owl be cleaned if you can ensure the good character of the elf doing it?” he says, allowing Finwion’s grasping hands to take hold of one of Owl’s ears.

Finwion stares back at him, then smiles. “Owl needs a bath! I bath, so Owl does too!”

Finwë is so proud of him for understanding that he hugs him to his chest, ignoring the indignant squawk of “Ta!!”

“Alright then, we’ll take it to the laundry,” he says. Usually their washing is taken from their rooms, but Finwë feels that this needs a more personal touch.

-

Later, after Owl has been washed and dried, and a nervous Finwion has presided over a seamstress mending it, Finwë hands back the beloved toy.

“Ta! Kiss!” Finwion demands, as is his custom, and Finwe lifts him to press his lips to his forehead. Then, “And Owl too!”

Finwë laughs and obligingly kisses Owl too.

Chapter End Notes

Art by the incredible alackofghosts, original can be seen here: http://curufins-smile.tumblr.com/post/172761136871/alackofghosts-tiny-fëanor-for-curufins-smile