Birds, brothers, and a harp by Aprilertuile

Birds, brothers and a harp

Makalaurë was enjoying the good weather, the fair sky and lovely light of Laurelin. He was sitting under a tree, leaning against the trunk of the tree, a small harp on his laps. He was playing random bits of music on the harp…

When a small colorful bird perched above him and started to sing… Very loudly and very pointedly at him.

Makalaurë stopped playing and looked at the animal, surprised, and the bird flew away as soon as Makalaurë’s eyes fell on him.

The young elf shrugged and went back to his music, only to be interrupted again a few notes in, by a bigger, darker bird that came to rest nearby and squawked at him.

“Well, that’s new.”

At the sound of his voice, the bird flew away.

“Hm…”

Makalaurë was starting to get vaguely suspicious at what was happening there.

It’s slightly doubtful that he started to play again, only for the two birds to come back, and perch on his harp directly, looking at him straight and singing at him.

But Makalaurë was far from stupid, and when he heard not really discreet giggles a bit farther away, he was not surprised.

He rolled his eyes at that. Tyelkormo was a little pest far too prompt to try and amuse their littlest brothers and he had far better to do than worry about his latest antics.

Only when he looked back at his harp, to resume playing now that he knew where the _annoying_ birds came from, he noticed that at least one of the birds had left scratches on his harp.

“Tyelkormo Turkafinwë !” Called Makalaurë suddenly angry.

The birds flew away in a panic and there was a sudden gasp where there had been only giggles moment before and the sound of little feets hurrying away.

Makalaurë jumped to his feet and ran after his little brother… And stopped running only when they tripped on Nelyafinwë who was sitting near one of the fountains in the garden, focused as he was on his book, and they fell on him, only to be pushed IN the fountain by their annoyed, older and physically stronger elder brother.

“Are you mad, the both of you?!

-I can speak to birds now, Nelyo! And Carni found it fun! Claimed Tyelkormo with a grin.

-Yes, and he had a couple of them mess with my harp.” Makalaurë hissed in annoyance, while trying to squeeze the water out of his hair as much as possible.

Wet hair and wooden harp? Never in dream. Over his dead body. Possibly after he strangled his little brother with said wet hair.

Nelyafinwë sighed at that.

“That’s… Is that those two birds?”

Both Tyelkormo and Makalaurë looked up to see the two birds in question perched in the tree above, looking at them as if they were actually studying them.

“That’s creepy.” Claimed the young musician.

The biggest of the two birds squawked at them and flew away, for good this time and the second settled on another branch, still close enough to see them.

Silly elves…