Short stories of Valinor by Aprilertuile

Fëanàro was in the garden of their house, watching his youngest sons play loudly with Tyelkormo’s dog, when Nerdanel joined him:

“You look pensive, beloved. She noted, passing her arm around his shoulders.

-Our wedding anniversary is approaching. Fëanàro answered.

-I’m aware. What do you have in mind?

-What would you say to leave the children with Nelyo, and go, you and me, alone, back to that mountain lodge, with view on the bay? Fëanàro asked.

-Together only? That’s an idea. I missed travelling alone with you, husband mine. Nerdanel answered with a charming smile.

-When do you want to leave?

-How about in nineteen days? We’ll need time to warn Nelyo to start with, warn our customers that we’re taking off, and… Warn my people to see with Nelyo or Curufinwë if they have anything to report.”

One of the twins shrieked as Huan made him fall on the floor, and his brother threw a branch… Right into the nearest window, making it come down with a crash of broken glass.

“Nineteen days.” Fëanàro whispered with longing even as his beloved wife went to deal with the twins.

Makalaurë was in a corner of the room, standing with Findaràto and regretting all his life-choices. And regretting at least one of his cousins. The Ball in honor of the latest grand-child of the family was going… Well so far.

The music was… nice enough, he supposed, if only that harpist hadn’t butchered one of his own pieces to start with… Findaràto was still laughing at him for that one.

But really it was all a bit boring. Everything in the room was symmetrically arranged, up to the bread on the table! Who was stuck up to the point of caring about how bread was arranged on a table?

Anyway… In a corner a flash of red drew his head, and Makalaurë could help rolling his eyes. Of course, where his eldest brother was, so was cousin Findekàno with his golden ribbons and annoyingly cheerful personality.

No really that evening was going well, a perfect little disaster and if Findaràto didn’t stop laughing at him for that atrocious murder of his music, family gathering, baby celebration, diplomatic incident and late fall chilly weather or not, he’d push him in the nearest fountain!

For once, the whole family of Fëanàro was in the palace of Tirion.

Maitimo, Findarato, Makalaurë and Findekàno were gathered together and chatting about the history lesson Makalaurë was trying to draw inspiration from for a new piece, when they heard a yelp in the young voices of the Ambarussa, followed by a crash, the sound of broken glass, and the angry voice of Fëanàro coming closer.

“Shall we go and see? Makalaurë asked his brother.

-A brave ellon would go… Findekàno started amused.

-I’m firmly of the opinion that a brave ellon knows when it’s time for a strategic retreat, until enough insight is gathered.” Findaràto intervened with barely veiled amusement.

Makalaurë pretended to think for a minute and then nodded.

Findekàno rolled his eyes and pulled Maitimo’s hand toward the nearest window, until they heard noise bellow and one of the twin call to them :

“Brother! Lift us up so we can get inside before atar finds us!

-What did you break? Maitimo sighed, pulling them up toward him.

-It wasn’t much…

-Really, it was perhaps the vase.

-You know the one,

-It was ugly anyway.

-Very ugly.

-It won’t be missed.

-By anyone.”

Findekàno barely managed to muffle his laughter at that even as Maitimo looked like he was developing the headache of this yen.

The group of young elves was gathering in the clearing near the makeshift bridge for their picnic. The hunting didn’t go well, but well, it wasn’t really a surprise, as they Makalaurë and Findaràto had started the day by getting into a song contest.

There was nothing better to 1) distract the rest of the party and 2) warn the animals away.

The serious hunters of the group had had no illusions on the matter, so they didn’t really care either. They’d go on their own soon enough anyway.

However, as they sat down suddenly Makalaurë, who had gotten a bit farther away from them, came back running through the green foliage, toward them, followed by an angry swan.

Makalaurë jumped on a branch over his head, the swan arching his head to look at him with an angry squawk.

“Laurë, what have you done this time? Sighed Maitimo.

-Nothing! I just wanted to see its babies!”

Tyelkormo couldn’t help it and started laughing, even as Maitimo looked like he couldn’t believe the situation.

Brothers sometimes…

That had Findaràto and Artanis giggling like the teenagers they were, and Maitimo look at the nearby riverbed like it held all the answers to life.

Possibly answers like: “how to get away with drowning your siblings for a peaceful uneventful life”

Fëanàro entered the kitchen of the house only to find Maitimo alone trying to encourage Tyelkormo, Curufinwë, and Carnistir to eat without involving a food-fight.

By the look of it, his eldest was just so close to throw one or all three of them outside, as the dispute was going strong.

“Where is your mother?

-In her workshop.

-Ah. And Makalaurë?

-In an artistic mood, if you plan to bother him, beware of flying tuning tools and inkpad.” The red-head answered showing him the ink-pad size stain on his hand.

Fëanàro frowned at that even as he put distractedly a couple of new rings on the kitchen counter, balancing on the side of a well placed dish, moving to open a cupboard next to the dish to grab a glass.

“Careful atar…”

Despite Curufinwë’s warning, the door of the cupboard hit the balance and the rings tumbled from it, down to the floor.

Makalaurë was trying to leave the house quietly and hence to avoid the truly horrifying duty of babysitting.

One baby was hard enough, but twins?

No, he needed someplace calm to finish his latest piece.

That is, some place calm where Maitimo couldn’t interrupt him to borrow ink or paper or something and had he seen his lost book somewhere (did he eat his own supply or…?), where Tyelkormo couldn’t barge in because “I need to go, keep an eye on the twins”, and so on, because apart from his eldest brother, everyone of his siblings shared his opinion on twins.

But alas, he was caught at the garden door by his mother:

“Since you’re going out anyway, stop by the market place and bring back a couple lemons will you? Oh and buy more of the red string, you know which one, it’s for Carnistir’s project, he’s running low and I forgot to buy enough last time. And while you’re at it, can you bring that letter to your uncle Finarfin? He ordered a statue but I’m a bit late on my order. Thank you darling.”

His mother disappeared as fast as she had arrived, a twin in each arm and Makalaurë sighed.

Well, it seemed that his ill fortune where working on his project was concerned wasn’t over yet. That piece was apparently cursed!

But at least it wasn’t babysitting. There was that.

Much to their siblings and cousins amusement, Makalaurë and Findaràto looked a bit flummoxed at the turn of event.

The evening was supposed to be clear of clouds… Supposed being a key word there.

So they had gathered with every one of their siblings and cousins interested in a night out and there they were, all gathered outside, instruments very much included, under the very much drenching celestial vault with their cloaks for all protection.

Tyelkormo, Pityafinwë and Telufinwë and Irissë seemed to find it all far more funny than it really was, Artanis looked between mildly annoyed and endlessly entertained at her brother’s desperate attempt to protect his beloved harp from the rain.

Indeed, both Makalaurë and Findaràto’s sudden attempts to protect their instruments were becoming fast entertainment for their siblings and cousins.

Findekàno on the other hand looked absorbed by the sight as the rain fell. Indeed, raindrops all around them were sparkling silver from the radiance of Telperion, giving the area a magical silver look.

Maitimo and Findekàno were enjoying the ride alongside a river not too far from their respective houses.

They had both been talking about their respective studies and activities. Findekàno was telling his cousin about what he had learnt of the rigging of the teleri ships, a little thing he had learnt from messing it all up on an outing with Arafinwë’s family recently. .

For once they had managed to escape without sibling or cousins tagging along, a true feat.

“It’s starting to get hot, shall we go for a swim? Findekàno suggested enthusiastically, changing suddenly the subject of conversation.

-Sure, why not?”

They stopped and dismounted and freed their horses, and then rushed toward the water, undressing in a hurry.

However, Findekàno, in the process of getting rid of his tunic had lost his balance on a wet river stone, falling against Maitimo who found himself suddenly airborne as he lost his own balance and found himself somewhat thrown accidentally into the river, cousin slipping in after him.

They ended in the water in a mess of limbs, the younger of the two kicking his cousin in the head, himself narrowly missing hitting his head against another stone.

They both sat in the river looking vaguely shocked at what just happened, and as they exchanged a look they suddenly found the situation hilarious and started laughing together.

Chapter End Notes

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