Annual race and a new friend by Aprilertuile

Annual race and a new friend

The summer festival had started, and Tyelkormo spent it with the Hunters of Oromë. Every year was a bit different, but the activity that Tyelkormo enjoyed that year was a race. They all had the same path to follow, on foot, running.

It wasn’t that often they organized those, for practical reasons, and it was always a lot of fun.

He was running, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face, avoiding the traps of the land around him. Roots in his way, rocks…

Of course, there were other hunters. Maiar clothed in flesh and elves. Better runners, faster runners. But he enjoyed it for the sheer pleasure of it. And behind him he heard something running on four legs.

A quick look at his side and he found one of Oromë’s young new hounds. Young looking, of course, and quite gangly. He was utterly adorable.

“Hey there.”

The animal barked at him, with a surprisingly deep voice for its size, and together they ran the rest of the way.

Others had arrived first and had already started celebrating the first to cross the finish line, more yet had to arrive, even as the light of Laurelin was gone already, letting Telperion give everything that eerie forest look that Tyelkormo positively adored.

Tyelkormo welcomed with a grin and a hug, one of his fellow hunters who came with refreshment, and took a big sip of his water, before looking at the hound at his side, who was panting but looking like it was grinning, despite his fur full of leaves and twigs and… Was that a broken egg on his back?

The young elf blinked at that and in front of the sorry state of the dog, he couldn’t help but laugh, and offer him some of his water.

Oromë saw them, and raised an eyebrow at the state of the hound and the apparently fast friendship between the two.

Tyelcormo started to try to pick out twigs and leave and… Everything he could, from the animal’s fur, and he was quite sure that if he could, the animal would have started to purr.

“You’re such a cat.”

The dog emitted a vexed sound of protestation and Tyelkormo laughed in good humor.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. And wow, that really was an egg. How did you end up with an egg breaking in your fur? It wasn’t even a hunt! It was a race and the path was clear!

-That one escaped its caretaker by climbing out of his and his sibling’s fence and passed under a nest when an egg fell, that’s how. Noted Oromë amused.

-Oh, clever boy! Cooed Tyelkormo petting the young dog.  

-Do you want him?

-Do you mean it?

-Of course. You look like you’re already friends. And you look so similar already…”

Saying so, Oromë picked up a leaf out of Tyelkormo’s hair, looking vaguely amused. The elf blushed bright red and the dog barked in what sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

“Yes, I think you’ll be perfect together.

-I’ll gladly accept.” Tyelkormo smiled.

It was almost morning when Tyelkormo got back home…

Only to cross path with a half awake Fëanàro nursing a cup of tea. The younger elf wondered briefly if his father had awoken early for a project or hadn’t yet gone to sleep… Which seemed more likely considering the state of Fëanàro’s hair and soot covered clothing.

His father turned to look at him. His eyes fell on the dog in a sorry state, back to Tyelkormo in a similar sorry state back to the dog and then back to his son… And he sighed, pinching the base of his nose with his fingers.

“Father…

-I don’t want to know. Just… No mess inside.”

Tyelkormo whooped in joy, hugged his father and left running outside, to the stable to find what he needed to try and bring some order to Huan’s fur.

Chapter End Notes

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