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grundyscribbling) wrote2024-01-03 08:08 pm
12 Days of Christmas 10 - Looking Forward
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Summary: Mahtan and Rilmë reflect on their unexpected visitor(s).
Word Count: 1080
Rilmë was surprised when Yúlon turned up first thing in the morning. Two unexpected visits in as many days?
It had been a shock to have Anariel arrive out of the blue the day before, nevermind Huan.
She had bitten her tongue on the questions that sprang to mind at that and taken Huan’s presence as a clue to treat the girl as she would have Tyelko – taken her through to the garden, fussed over her, and brought out whatever little baked goods she had to hand.
Gentle questions had elicited the unsurprising information that Anariel, much like her younger sister at first, really knew only their names, and that Mahtan was a smith. Mahtan was the one she’d come hoping to see.
Rilmë hadn’t known what to make of that. Elrond’s middle daughter was known for several things in Tirion, but smithcraft wasn’t one of them.
Mahtan was in a meeting with one of his apprentices due to sit their mastery soon, so she didn’t dare interrupt them too early. Instead, she started showing Anariel some of her favorite plants while slipping in questions about the girl and her brothers where she could.
Rilmë discovered that Anariel knew more about plants than she thought, particularly those that were useful to healers. Unlike Tindomiel, who simply accepted that marvelous gardens were a feature of elven life in Aman, Anariel’s quick eyes missed nothing. Their conversation had been slightly stilted at first, but Anariel warmed quickly once Rilmë began pointing out various flowers by name.
She hadn’t been able to hold back her smile when Anariel enthusiastically repeated a story her father had told her about Aulë’s beard – she recognized the phrases as her own, told to her grandsons when they were small. So she shared a few stories about plants Anariel would not have seen in Middle-earth, and not just ones that were good for wounds. It couldn’t be healthy for the child to be speaking only about battle and wounds so constantly.
The brilliant grin that got made her hope this would not be a one-off visit. By all appearances, Anariel had Elrond’s sunny disposition. But everything Rilmë had heard about the girl suggested her temper had a bit more of an edge than her father’s. Sunny did not hunt down valaraukar…
She left Anariel and young Arador nibbling almond cookies while she went to drag her husband out of his office.
The rest of the afternoon was Anariel explaining a project she wanted to undertake to Mahtan while Rilmë threw together the best dinner she could manage on short notice. (Neither Anariel nor Mahtan noticed when young Arador quietly joined her.)
Rilmë didn’t ask after the project at dinner. She had enough experience of her mate and his many apprentices to know she’d hear about it eventually.
She just hadn’t expected ‘eventually’ would be over breakfast with Yúlon. He’d arrived early enough that Mahtan was still in the kitchen, not even as far as setting things out on the table yet.
Mahtan was pleased to see him – Yúlon had been one of his first apprentices Ages ago, and remained one of his favorites – and still more pleased when he discovered Anariel had found her way to him as well.
“I’d have made the introduction before too long, I expect. But all the better if she discovered you on her own.”
Rilmë sighed. By ‘better’, he actually meant ‘less for Naro to complain about later.’
“You might be of some help to her with the project she’s just starting. I’ve a notion at some point she’s going to need some of your expertise with springs.”
“Oh?” Yúlon asked curiously. “What is she up to, then?”
“Pranking Fëanáro,” Mahtan grinned.
Rilmë sighed as Yúlon lit up.
“Terrible, both of you,” she chided. “And you shouldn’t encourage her.”
“He deserves it!” Yúlon snapped.
He’d always been more her daughter’s friend than Fëanáro’s, and hadn’t even considered leaving Tirion once he’d heard she was staying. If Fëanáro ever returned, Rilmë expected there would be a brawl between the two. Yúlon wasn’t likely to stop at just one punch, and Fëanáro was not the type to concede he might have deserved it.
“If I’d known that, I’d have given her more than just the star map,” Yúlon chuckled. “I have one or two pieces she might have found more illuminating if she wants to learn how it all works.”
He frowned.
“But whose is she? I thought for a moment I was hosting Prince Tyelkormo’s daughter.”
Mahtan was seized by a coughing fit at that.
“She’s Elrond’s older girl,” Rilmë explained. “And it seems she’s finding Finwë’s House a bit confining.”
It took Yúlon only a moment to place her once he had that to go on.
“The one that went dragon hunting?” he spluttered.
“It seems to be the valaraukar hunting that really upset most of her kin,” Mahtan observed. “But yes, that’s her.”
Rilmë could practically see the springs and gears whirring in Yúlon’s head.
“If you want to know more, you’ll do better to ask Istarnië,” she told him. “She’s seen more of the girl than we have.”
“I will, but not today I think.”
Mahtan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m fairly certain she went on to Istarnië’s house when she left my shop,” Yúlon explained. “I don’t want to intrude on their time.”
Rilmë waited until Yúlon had left half an hour later to ask Mahtan just what was so amusing about that statement.
“I’m fairly sure that she intended to appropriate Naro’s workshop,” Mahtan told her. “I suspect Yúlon would enjoy seeing that.”
Rilmë sighed.
At least he’d had sense not to start that trouble right away. There was potential for things to go badly enough as it was, once Fëanáro found out his granddaughter had Yúlon’s help in whatever prank she was planning.
“Don’t worry yourself, my love,” Mahtan advised. “I don’t think he’ll be back all that quickly. She may well have other ideas about how to pull his leg by then. Actually, she may well be in danger of having too many ideas. Artanis is her grandmother too, and I suspect she’ll very much enjoy seeing poor Naro discomfited…”
“All four of them will,” Rilmë corrected. Where Artanis led, Irissë, Pityo, and Telvo wouldn’t be far behind. And they’d surely be back soon if Moryo was.
“True,” Mahtan chuckled. “Think on that, my love – it will be like old times. But with a few new wrinkles!”
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“Pranking Fëanáro,” Mahtan grinned.
XD I approve
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