From Crystal Fountains Unfailing by Lindariel

From Party to Party

This 500-word ficlet was inspired by the Holiday Challenge for 15 November, "You're Invited!"

Year of the Sun 20, the day after the Mereth Aderthad

Teleporno stood in the doorway of his tent, watching the grey-cloaked and -hooded Elves walk away. Alatáriel rounded the tent from the other direction. "Who are they?" she asked, following his eyes.

"Those are the emissaries from Lestanórë," he said. "Daeron and Mablung."

Alatáriel's curiosity spiked. "They came to see you? What did they want?"

"Come in, and I will show you," he said.

Inside Teleporno gestured her to a chair next to the table. A silver washbasin stood there, half-full of water. Sitting in the other chair, he held out a folded sheet of paper and said, "they brought me this."

Alatáriel took it, brushing her fingertips across the linen paper to the broken wax seal. It was square, with a device of silver wings arranged in a circle to make a great eight-pointed star. She unfolded the paper, recognizing the cirth it was written in although the signature looked like a handful of twigs. Teleporno watched her frown as she worked her way through the dialect of the great northern kingdom.

"'Unto his kinsman Teleporno comes greeting from Elu Thingol, King of Doriath. I invite you to open the Gates of Summer with me at my capital in the Forest of Region.'" She put down the invitation. "The rest looks like directions. Exactly how are you related to King Elwë, again?" she asked.

"He is my great-uncle," he said quietly.

"Will you go, then?" she asked.

"I do not want to go alone," he replied, "but we could go together."

The words hung in the air between them for a moment. Alatáriel felt more than saw the words drop into the washbasin at her elbow; but then the surface of the water shimmered, stilled, and began to flicker with images. Alatáriel watched the images intently as Teleporno regarded her just as intently.

"Did it happen again?" he asked when she finally turned her gaze away from the basin. "Did you see things in the water?"

"Yes," she said, shutting her eyes the better to recall. "I saw a cave full of beeches, a bright figure obscured behind soft shadows, a white flower bobbing in a grove of holly, and someone with silver hair who looks like you. And I knew we would both be welcomed, and I would meet a teacher there."

"Is that how it works?" he pressed. "You see things and then you know things?"

"Usually it is not so straightforward, and I have to ponder the images for a long time. But this seems very clear. I think you should accept the king's invitation, and I will accompany you," Alatáriel concluded.

"Círdan says his queen is enswathed in magic," Teleporno recalled, "and their daughter is beautiful beyond all words." He reached out and clasped Alatáriel's hand lying on the table. "Elves speechless in the face of beauty? Unlikely."

"I am hoping it is true," replied Alatáriel, heeding only his first words, "and that she will teach me some of it." She smiled brightly at him.

Chapter End Notes

In the strain of canon this series follows, Celeborn is the grandson of Olwë.