The Small and Secret Things by Dawn Felagund

Love in Pearls (a.k.a. "Wet Elves")

Today's tribble (300 words) is dual-purposed. For one, it is inspired by the Word of the Day, bibelot. For another, it is dedicated with fondest wishes to Cheryl, who asked for a birthday drabble called "Wet Elves." Well, it's only one wet Elf and I've chosen a different title, but I hope that it suffices. Happy birthday, my dear!

Eärwen watches her soon-to-be husband construct a special gift for her on the beach of Alqualondë.

He didn't know that she watched and she did her best to hide, ducking behind the drapes in her bedroom overlooking the sea. He was young, just come of age, having only recently lost the awkward boniness of youth. Nay, he was awkward no longer, she thought, watching as he glanced furtively about him. A tiny smile tightened the corner of his mouth and she imagined mischief in his eyes, sparkling like evening light upon the water.

Convinced that no one watched, he let his robes slide away. With a gasp, she ducked out of sight behind the curtain, hiding her eyes. I should not look! … but she did, creeping out by degrees to watch him ease into the warm seawater.

She did not know why he had come to the shores of Eldamar without informing her of his intentions, as he had done--with delight--so many times before. At the last, there had been wine, heady conversation. I always thought, she confided, laughing, in the space between private thought and spoken word, that the man I married would spell his intentions upon the sand of the beach in pearls, where I might see from the highest tower--

He was not long in the sea, for the pearls were plentiful, and as Laurelin began to brighten towards noontide, he emerged, dripping, with golden light sculpting the planes of his body, no longer the familiar form of her childhood friend but someone different. Beloved.

Kneeling naked on the sand, he set to task, returning again and again to the sea for more pearls, until there was a shimmering rainbow upon the beach spelling--what? She eased full from behind the curtain. She knew not. For it was the Elf--not trinkets recovered for her delight--that so captivated her.

Chapter End Notes

Today's Word:

bibelot BEE-buh-loh, noun:

A small decorative object without practical utility; a trinket.

Bibelot is from French, from Old French beubelot, beubelet, "a small jewel, a trinket," from a reduplication of bel, "beautiful," from Latin bellus, "pretty, handsome." It is related to bauble.