Fic A Day - Day 11 - Food and Thought
Aug. 11th, 2021 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingTitle: Food and Thought
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All belongs to Whedon & Tolkien. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Anariel's relieved to have the Maeglin dream behind her. She didn't realize there would be more to it...
Word Count: 1230
Anariel was somewhat surprised to see it was still the twilight before sunrise when she woke. The way she could see hundreds of years in one night still bent her brain ever so slightly, even though she’d seen it work enough times by now to expect it.
Maeglin clearly hadn’t believed that she would wake on her own – he nearly jumped out of his skin when she sat up.
“You didn’t wake the twins?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“They need the sleep even more than you did,” he said quietly.
“Figures,” she sighed. “Too busy being the big brothers to remember to take care of themselves. And no Ada or Grandfather here to make them.”
“True, but they’re sleeping all the same,” Maeglin replied with a smile.
She snickered quietly and poked at the campfire, coaxing it back into life.
They had scavenged eggs while walking yesterday, and Tindomiel had some small onions in her pack. She started hollowing out the onions before cracking the eggs into them. Maeglin observed for a few moments before digging through his pack and coming up with some dried thyme. He sprinkled some over the top of each egg, then they put the tops back on the onions and wrapped them in nasturtium leaves.
Anariel sank the small bundles into the coals of the fire. By the time her brothers and sister woke up, breakfast would be ready.
Which just left her to ponder what she’d seen.
How long did it take you to figure out Sauron lied?
She had to ask – though she did keep a wary eye on her little sister as she did.
“I didn’t,” he replied.
For all she knows, we have been discussing this since whenever you woke up because you were curious about my return, he added.
“But if you didn’t,” she began, only to trail off.
“I did not know until I trailed Tindomiel out of the Halls on one of her visits. And even then, I was unaware of where I had been until she told me.”
“Where did you think you were?” she asked in confusion.
“Angband,” he said matter of factly. “I hid myself in the deepest levels when I first arrived. Morgoth does not like the dark.”
“Angband.”
If Tindomiel had been awake, she would have realized instantly how dangerous her sister’s utter lack of tone was. But she was asleep, and Maeglin had only just met Anariel a few days ago, so he had no idea.
Thus he was caught entirely by surprise when she turned and walked off in to the forest with a stride so precisely measured that it would have been instantly recognizable to anyone who had seen his grandfather immediately prior to his famous ride.
When she hadn’t reappeared half an hour later, he checked the eggs.
By the time his mate and her brothers awoke as the sun was at a point one might call properly up, he was worried.
“I'm sure we had another sister here when we went to sleep,” Elladan said.
“Where did she go?” Tindomiel asked.
That left Maeglin to explain the conversation they’d been having as he handed them all breakfast.
Tindomiel’s jaw dropped when he got to the part where Anariel had marched off without a word.
“Great. Who knows how long it will be before we see her again?” she sighed.
“I don’t understand. You believed you were in Angband? Even though you had died?” Elrohir asked in confusion.
“Yes,” Maeglin replied to the question he was actually able to answer.
The twins exchanged a glance.
“That is… very disturbing,” Elladan said at last. “I think I can understand why she was so upset.”
“No kidding,” Tindomiel snapped. “But you didn’t go running off into woods you don’t know your way around. Any ideas on where we should be looking for the missing musketeer? There are no orcs here for her take out her temper on, and last I checked, no Sauron handy either.”
“There have not been non-peaceable orcs for her to slay for some time in Ennor either, little one,” Elrohir snorted. “Which begs the question where exactly she was going, there being nothing convenient to hit. Or what was it you called it?”
“Slayer smash,” Tindomiel said wryly. “And no, there isn’t anything here for that. Which means whenever she shows up, she’ll be in the same rotten mood as when she bugged out in the first place.”
“I am sorry,” Maeglin assured them.
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” Tindomiel sighed. “You couldn’t know she’d react like that.”
“You didn’t,” he murmured, still looking toward the trees as if hoping his sister-in-law would reappear.
“Yeah, but I was never the one whose solution to enemies was ‘slay’. I was the one who generally screamed and ran away.”
“Which is very sensible of you,” Elladan sighed, patting her on the back. “Please continue to do so if the occasion calls for it. And as there’s no telling how long it may be before Anariel rejoins us, we might as well have breakfast.”
Breakfast was a rather subdued affair.
It was close to mid-day before Anariel wandered back in, looking like she’d lost a fight with something.
There were a number of bruises visible in various stages of healing, and she was limping slightly.
Elrohir and Elladan sighed.
Maeglin’s jaw dropped.
“What did you do to yourself?” Tindomiel demanded, aghast.
Anariel gave her a confused glance as if she’d said something odd.
“Some sparring with Uncle Tulkas,” Anariel shrugged. “Is there any breakfast left? I’m starving.”
Elladan handed her the egg and onion that had been left untouched for her, while Elrohir busied himself packing up what little was left of the campsite.
“Eat while you walk?” he suggested.
Anariel nodded.
“Yeah. Looking forward to home.”
“Are you going to explain that ‘sparring with Uncle Tulkas’ thing?” Tindomiel demanded.
“What’s to explain?” Anariel shrugged. “I couldn’t hit Sauron, so I went to hit someone who wouldn’t mind and might have some tips on hitting Sauron more effectively. And now I feel better.”
GRANDMOTHER!
Anariel stopped mid-bite.
“There’s no need to tattle,” she protested indignantly as Melian appeared.
“Jewelbird, what under the stars are you so fussed about?” she asked. “Your sister is right here!”
Tindomiel gaped at both of them.
“Yes, just look at her!” she exclaimed, pointing indignantly.
“Mm. Your mother would be rather upset, I think,” Melian sighed.
“Understatement,” Tindomiel muttered.
“I don’t understand quite why she finds Tulkas so delightful, but she does,” Melian replied with a bemused wave that seemed to indicate the vagaries of her smallest granddaughter didn’t particularly concern her. “All the same, little sunbird, I would not recommend letting your aunts see you like this. He’s only just out of trouble.”
Tindomiel gave her grandmother and her sister alike a deeply disgusted look.
“If this is what being Uncle Tulkas’ favorite looks like, you can have it,” she announced.
“Did you need anything else, jewelbird? Or you, my tanagers?”
Elladan and Elrohir blinked at being addressed thus by the grandmother they had only previously seen aboard their ship.
Tindomiel stifled a snicker.
“In that case, I suggest you not take your way home, jewelbird. Let them walk, give your sister a chance to pretty up.”
Melian vanished.
“Right, now that we settled that and I’ve eaten, which way is home?” Anariel asked.
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All belongs to Whedon & Tolkien. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Anariel's relieved to have the Maeglin dream behind her. She didn't realize there would be more to it...
Word Count: 1230
Anariel was somewhat surprised to see it was still the twilight before sunrise when she woke. The way she could see hundreds of years in one night still bent her brain ever so slightly, even though she’d seen it work enough times by now to expect it.
Maeglin clearly hadn’t believed that she would wake on her own – he nearly jumped out of his skin when she sat up.
“You didn’t wake the twins?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“They need the sleep even more than you did,” he said quietly.
“Figures,” she sighed. “Too busy being the big brothers to remember to take care of themselves. And no Ada or Grandfather here to make them.”
“True, but they’re sleeping all the same,” Maeglin replied with a smile.
She snickered quietly and poked at the campfire, coaxing it back into life.
They had scavenged eggs while walking yesterday, and Tindomiel had some small onions in her pack. She started hollowing out the onions before cracking the eggs into them. Maeglin observed for a few moments before digging through his pack and coming up with some dried thyme. He sprinkled some over the top of each egg, then they put the tops back on the onions and wrapped them in nasturtium leaves.
Anariel sank the small bundles into the coals of the fire. By the time her brothers and sister woke up, breakfast would be ready.
Which just left her to ponder what she’d seen.
How long did it take you to figure out Sauron lied?
She had to ask – though she did keep a wary eye on her little sister as she did.
“I didn’t,” he replied.
For all she knows, we have been discussing this since whenever you woke up because you were curious about my return, he added.
“But if you didn’t,” she began, only to trail off.
“I did not know until I trailed Tindomiel out of the Halls on one of her visits. And even then, I was unaware of where I had been until she told me.”
“Where did you think you were?” she asked in confusion.
“Angband,” he said matter of factly. “I hid myself in the deepest levels when I first arrived. Morgoth does not like the dark.”
“Angband.”
If Tindomiel had been awake, she would have realized instantly how dangerous her sister’s utter lack of tone was. But she was asleep, and Maeglin had only just met Anariel a few days ago, so he had no idea.
Thus he was caught entirely by surprise when she turned and walked off in to the forest with a stride so precisely measured that it would have been instantly recognizable to anyone who had seen his grandfather immediately prior to his famous ride.
When she hadn’t reappeared half an hour later, he checked the eggs.
By the time his mate and her brothers awoke as the sun was at a point one might call properly up, he was worried.
“I'm sure we had another sister here when we went to sleep,” Elladan said.
“Where did she go?” Tindomiel asked.
That left Maeglin to explain the conversation they’d been having as he handed them all breakfast.
Tindomiel’s jaw dropped when he got to the part where Anariel had marched off without a word.
“Great. Who knows how long it will be before we see her again?” she sighed.
“I don’t understand. You believed you were in Angband? Even though you had died?” Elrohir asked in confusion.
“Yes,” Maeglin replied to the question he was actually able to answer.
The twins exchanged a glance.
“That is… very disturbing,” Elladan said at last. “I think I can understand why she was so upset.”
“No kidding,” Tindomiel snapped. “But you didn’t go running off into woods you don’t know your way around. Any ideas on where we should be looking for the missing musketeer? There are no orcs here for her take out her temper on, and last I checked, no Sauron handy either.”
“There have not been non-peaceable orcs for her to slay for some time in Ennor either, little one,” Elrohir snorted. “Which begs the question where exactly she was going, there being nothing convenient to hit. Or what was it you called it?”
“Slayer smash,” Tindomiel said wryly. “And no, there isn’t anything here for that. Which means whenever she shows up, she’ll be in the same rotten mood as when she bugged out in the first place.”
“I am sorry,” Maeglin assured them.
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” Tindomiel sighed. “You couldn’t know she’d react like that.”
“You didn’t,” he murmured, still looking toward the trees as if hoping his sister-in-law would reappear.
“Yeah, but I was never the one whose solution to enemies was ‘slay’. I was the one who generally screamed and ran away.”
“Which is very sensible of you,” Elladan sighed, patting her on the back. “Please continue to do so if the occasion calls for it. And as there’s no telling how long it may be before Anariel rejoins us, we might as well have breakfast.”
Breakfast was a rather subdued affair.
It was close to mid-day before Anariel wandered back in, looking like she’d lost a fight with something.
There were a number of bruises visible in various stages of healing, and she was limping slightly.
Elrohir and Elladan sighed.
Maeglin’s jaw dropped.
“What did you do to yourself?” Tindomiel demanded, aghast.
Anariel gave her a confused glance as if she’d said something odd.
“Some sparring with Uncle Tulkas,” Anariel shrugged. “Is there any breakfast left? I’m starving.”
Elladan handed her the egg and onion that had been left untouched for her, while Elrohir busied himself packing up what little was left of the campsite.
“Eat while you walk?” he suggested.
Anariel nodded.
“Yeah. Looking forward to home.”
“Are you going to explain that ‘sparring with Uncle Tulkas’ thing?” Tindomiel demanded.
“What’s to explain?” Anariel shrugged. “I couldn’t hit Sauron, so I went to hit someone who wouldn’t mind and might have some tips on hitting Sauron more effectively. And now I feel better.”
GRANDMOTHER!
Anariel stopped mid-bite.
“There’s no need to tattle,” she protested indignantly as Melian appeared.
“Jewelbird, what under the stars are you so fussed about?” she asked. “Your sister is right here!”
Tindomiel gaped at both of them.
“Yes, just look at her!” she exclaimed, pointing indignantly.
“Mm. Your mother would be rather upset, I think,” Melian sighed.
“Understatement,” Tindomiel muttered.
“I don’t understand quite why she finds Tulkas so delightful, but she does,” Melian replied with a bemused wave that seemed to indicate the vagaries of her smallest granddaughter didn’t particularly concern her. “All the same, little sunbird, I would not recommend letting your aunts see you like this. He’s only just out of trouble.”
Tindomiel gave her grandmother and her sister alike a deeply disgusted look.
“If this is what being Uncle Tulkas’ favorite looks like, you can have it,” she announced.
“Did you need anything else, jewelbird? Or you, my tanagers?”
Elladan and Elrohir blinked at being addressed thus by the grandmother they had only previously seen aboard their ship.
Tindomiel stifled a snicker.
“In that case, I suggest you not take your way home, jewelbird. Let them walk, give your sister a chance to pretty up.”
Melian vanished.
“Right, now that we settled that and I’ve eaten, which way is home?” Anariel asked.
