Day 27 - Rest and Recharge
Aug. 27th, 2024 11:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingTitle: Rest and Recharge
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: Lindarin parties are pretty good.
Word Count: 1850
Anariel decided from her very comfortable spot on a blanket spread on the almost-dry section of sand that Lindarin beach parties were definitely a thing she wanted more of in her life.
Everyone here was very chill. If she joined in the singing and dancing, there was plenty of enthusiasm. It wasn’t like people were entirely missing the braids or circlet. They knew who she was, because if they didn’t recognize her, someone who did told them.
But when she wanted to just hang with her kin, no one bugged her or them. No crowd gathered, nobody started murmuring about who she was or what she was doing. And anyone she talked to was completely normal about it. No ‘princess’ this or ‘Eluchil’ that all the time.
She, Arador, Legolas, and Solo had eaten, drunk, talked, sang, and danced the night away. Not long before dawn, swimming had been added to the activity list – mostly so Solo could show her the bioluminescent fish that gathered just offshore, but it wasn’t as if they were the only ones. (If anything, they were probably among the more sober sea-bathers.)
She’d been fascinated by them, and somewhat surprised her sister hadn’t mentioned them at any point. Then again, Tinu’d had a lot to catch her up on and introduce, and only so much time to talk to her.
Best of all, since ‘rock and roll all night’ was apparently how these celebrations went, very few people had taken time out to sleep, so her staying awake didn’t stand out in any way. She couldn’t put off sleeping forever, but she could probably wait until she got back to her grandparents’ house and had a little more privacy.
By her reckoning, she had at least half a dozen Morgoth dreams to look forward to. And she hadn’t really been counting all the new-to-her people in the dance circles or wondering whether they were begotten here, sailed, or arrived via that interesting gate in Mandos she wasn’t really supposed to muck around with. It might well be considerably more.
For now, she was happy to lounge on the beach – and by the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one, plenty of revelers were losing steam and finding themselves nice spots to catch forty winks. Most were staking out space safely above the high-tide line, but a few daring or possibly cunning souls were aiming somewhat below it, possibly on the theory that the incoming tide would wake them up at the right time for round two of partying.
Arador was already racked out, and Solo was in that drowsy state of not quite fully asleep yet but most of the way there.
Anariel could only look forward to the day when she could be so casual about naps. She didn’t dare close her eyes, lest tiredness catch up with her. The last thing she wanted was for her secret to get out because she started thrashing around if something was just that aggravating or upsetting. She didn’t particularly want to find out what the Lindar reaction to Morgoth’s parting shot would be.
Somehow she didn’t think it would be quite so chill. The Noldor seemed to lack chill in general, but the Lindar struck her as more like Nana and Ada – chill until the occasion called for going off. That whole ‘sea and storm’ analogy Grandpa Olwë had used…
“Not tired out, are you?”
She looked over to find Legolas setting up a beach blanket of his own, his tone teasing.
“I am, since you ask,” she sighed. “But still too keyed up to sleep. This has been a lot, but in a good way.”
He grinned.
“It is, isn’t it? Wait until you get to Neldoreth. That’ll be even more.”
He hesitated a moment, and she got the sense he was checking that the boys weren’t listening in.
“Sorry about the matchmaking attempt,” he said. “My grandmother and mother listened to your mother’s hopes in that direction.”
“If she’s where Aunt Lothuial got it from, shouldn’t it be me apologizing to you?” Anariel sighed. “I know Tinu told Nana she’s off base about that. Heck, I’m pretty sure I told her at least once before they sailed. It’s not as if she doesn’t know about having fun with Mr. Right Now until you find Mr. Right.”
Legolas needed a moment to digest that, but for once the California concept translated clearly enough that she didn’t need to explain.
“I suppose you can no more get your mother to give up on her fond ideas than I can mine,” he laughed. “Though… if you would not mind, perhaps the fun should not be quite as intimate as it was in Ennor?”
She barely needed to brush his mind to understand his reasoning.
It was all well and good for them to sleep with each other – or join, as the Sindar termed it – at the occasional festival in the Greenwood or on his visits to Imladris or hers to Ithilien. Everyone who mattered (except apparently her mother) knew there was nothing more to it than that. They were friends and could trust each other to take it no further.
But here, with so many elves new to them, and the tantalizing possibility that the Right one for either or both of them might be nearby…
Well, the math was different now.
“I don’t mind,” she replied easily, noting how he relaxed slightly at her lack of negative reaction. “It’s not like I’ve really been in the mood lately anyway. I feel like I’m still in recovery mode.”
Legolas frowned slightly.
“What happened? Your ship was to be right behind mine, but Ada didn’t arrive for months.”
At the top of his mind was that Celeborn and Thranduil had given no clear explanation for the delay. What they’d had to say about the state she was in had been for kin only – and that information had been incomplete, for the twins hadn’t been in a particularly talkative mood during the voyage, and had retreated to Elwing’s immediately. They knew about Morgoth, of course – that smackdown at the border of Aman had not been subtle - but not the details.
“Arwen’s dying didn’t go as planned,” she said glumly. “Estel laid down his life the way the kings of Numenor did, but he forgot to explain the trick to her.”
She couldn’t quite bring herself to put into words what that had meant, so she showed him instead.
Legolas, once he understood that Arwen had needed to make her body give out on her to release her spirit, looked angry. He’d been Arwen’s friend, too – and known her as a child, long-years before Estel’s grandfather’s grandfather had been a gleam in anyone’s eye.
“That was extremely careless of him,” Legolas said stonily. “I am sorry. I should have checked that all was well before taking ship instead of assuming. I greatly wanted to sail, but a few months more would not have been too much to ask. And you three – you four – should have had friends with you.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. “But don’t be too hard on yourself. Besides, if you’d stayed, poor Gimli would have told Grandmother all. You know he could never hold anything back from her.”
Legolas winced at the thought.
“There is that,” he sighed. “Aunt Galadriel is probably happier not hearing all the details.”
Unspoken was the understanding that of course she and her brothers had edited for their grandparents’ and parents’ peace of mind. Ada could probably imagine, but he also had enough self-control to simply not allow his mind to start down that path. He had more experience living with the Choice and what it demanded of them than she or her brothers did.
“Where is Gimli now?” she asked.
“Studying at the forge of the Smith,” Legolas grinned. “It’s hard to say which of them is more taken with the other.”
“I guess it’s unique for both of them,” she mused. “Kind of unfair on Aulë to not get to have any of his children here.”
“Yes, so he’s making the most of the one he has met. I told him I would return for him at the end of the year. I doubt he’ll miss me before then. He may even want to stay longer.”
“I imagine he’ll want to visit Grandmother at some point – maybe you can use that to pry him away for a bit?”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” he laughed. “Though if you will not take it amiss – I think for now I will rest mind and body. You are not the only one who thought this ‘a lot’.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” she said with a smile.
Something on the horizon caught her eye.
“Huh. I think that’s my grandparents.”
The boat – the small one, not Vingilot – was coming closer. Then her grandmother’s voice reached her.
If the festivities have gone as usual, you will not miss much if we steal you away now, Elwing said. We are all invited to Uncle Olwë’s to dine tomorrow, so you should rest tonight – and I suspect you won’t if you’re still with your new favorite accomplices.
Anariel grinned.
“I think I’m going to skip out on you,” she said to Legolas. “Will you tell Arador and Solo I’ve gone back to my grandparents? I don’t know what their plan is, but if they’re heading into town from here, I’ll probably see them tomorrow.”
Legolas nodded, and waved politely in the direction of the ship.
“Will you be able to reach the boat?” he asked. “I don’t think one that size can come all the way in to shore.”
He’s a good lad. Assure him we can come close enough, Elwing told her. Certainly for such an able swimmer.
Anariel could also beg an assist if need be. But she wasn’t getting into that with Legolas.
“They’ll meet me partway. It’ll be fine,” she said. “Except… can you ask Arador if he'll bring my bag back?”
She wasn’t wrecking her things in salt water.
“If he doesn’t, someone else will. Or we’ll take it on to Neldoreth,” Legolas shrugged. “You’ll get it one way or another.”
“Good enough,” she declared, shucking off her clothes and packing them away neatly. “Catch you on the flip side. Pleasant dreams.”
After years of swimming without a swimsuit, it was a relief to no longer play by Tirion rules. She was in the water before Legolas could ask about ‘the flip side’.
It was only a few moments before her grandfather was hauling her up and into the boat Gramma Elwing had said was for daytrips.
“Good morning,” he smiled. “Did you have a fun time?”
Her grandmother handed her a lowkey tunic and loose-fitting trousers, perfect for laying around doing nothing.
“It was great!” she exclaimed. “Definitely want to do it again sometime. Kinda want a nap now, though.”
“In that case, we timed this perfectly,” Eärendil said cheerfully. “The only thing you need to decide is if you want to sleep here on deck or below.”
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: Lindarin parties are pretty good.
Word Count: 1850
Anariel decided from her very comfortable spot on a blanket spread on the almost-dry section of sand that Lindarin beach parties were definitely a thing she wanted more of in her life.
Everyone here was very chill. If she joined in the singing and dancing, there was plenty of enthusiasm. It wasn’t like people were entirely missing the braids or circlet. They knew who she was, because if they didn’t recognize her, someone who did told them.
But when she wanted to just hang with her kin, no one bugged her or them. No crowd gathered, nobody started murmuring about who she was or what she was doing. And anyone she talked to was completely normal about it. No ‘princess’ this or ‘Eluchil’ that all the time.
She, Arador, Legolas, and Solo had eaten, drunk, talked, sang, and danced the night away. Not long before dawn, swimming had been added to the activity list – mostly so Solo could show her the bioluminescent fish that gathered just offshore, but it wasn’t as if they were the only ones. (If anything, they were probably among the more sober sea-bathers.)
She’d been fascinated by them, and somewhat surprised her sister hadn’t mentioned them at any point. Then again, Tinu’d had a lot to catch her up on and introduce, and only so much time to talk to her.
Best of all, since ‘rock and roll all night’ was apparently how these celebrations went, very few people had taken time out to sleep, so her staying awake didn’t stand out in any way. She couldn’t put off sleeping forever, but she could probably wait until she got back to her grandparents’ house and had a little more privacy.
By her reckoning, she had at least half a dozen Morgoth dreams to look forward to. And she hadn’t really been counting all the new-to-her people in the dance circles or wondering whether they were begotten here, sailed, or arrived via that interesting gate in Mandos she wasn’t really supposed to muck around with. It might well be considerably more.
For now, she was happy to lounge on the beach – and by the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one, plenty of revelers were losing steam and finding themselves nice spots to catch forty winks. Most were staking out space safely above the high-tide line, but a few daring or possibly cunning souls were aiming somewhat below it, possibly on the theory that the incoming tide would wake them up at the right time for round two of partying.
Arador was already racked out, and Solo was in that drowsy state of not quite fully asleep yet but most of the way there.
Anariel could only look forward to the day when she could be so casual about naps. She didn’t dare close her eyes, lest tiredness catch up with her. The last thing she wanted was for her secret to get out because she started thrashing around if something was just that aggravating or upsetting. She didn’t particularly want to find out what the Lindar reaction to Morgoth’s parting shot would be.
Somehow she didn’t think it would be quite so chill. The Noldor seemed to lack chill in general, but the Lindar struck her as more like Nana and Ada – chill until the occasion called for going off. That whole ‘sea and storm’ analogy Grandpa Olwë had used…
“Not tired out, are you?”
She looked over to find Legolas setting up a beach blanket of his own, his tone teasing.
“I am, since you ask,” she sighed. “But still too keyed up to sleep. This has been a lot, but in a good way.”
He grinned.
“It is, isn’t it? Wait until you get to Neldoreth. That’ll be even more.”
He hesitated a moment, and she got the sense he was checking that the boys weren’t listening in.
“Sorry about the matchmaking attempt,” he said. “My grandmother and mother listened to your mother’s hopes in that direction.”
“If she’s where Aunt Lothuial got it from, shouldn’t it be me apologizing to you?” Anariel sighed. “I know Tinu told Nana she’s off base about that. Heck, I’m pretty sure I told her at least once before they sailed. It’s not as if she doesn’t know about having fun with Mr. Right Now until you find Mr. Right.”
Legolas needed a moment to digest that, but for once the California concept translated clearly enough that she didn’t need to explain.
“I suppose you can no more get your mother to give up on her fond ideas than I can mine,” he laughed. “Though… if you would not mind, perhaps the fun should not be quite as intimate as it was in Ennor?”
She barely needed to brush his mind to understand his reasoning.
It was all well and good for them to sleep with each other – or join, as the Sindar termed it – at the occasional festival in the Greenwood or on his visits to Imladris or hers to Ithilien. Everyone who mattered (except apparently her mother) knew there was nothing more to it than that. They were friends and could trust each other to take it no further.
But here, with so many elves new to them, and the tantalizing possibility that the Right one for either or both of them might be nearby…
Well, the math was different now.
“I don’t mind,” she replied easily, noting how he relaxed slightly at her lack of negative reaction. “It’s not like I’ve really been in the mood lately anyway. I feel like I’m still in recovery mode.”
Legolas frowned slightly.
“What happened? Your ship was to be right behind mine, but Ada didn’t arrive for months.”
At the top of his mind was that Celeborn and Thranduil had given no clear explanation for the delay. What they’d had to say about the state she was in had been for kin only – and that information had been incomplete, for the twins hadn’t been in a particularly talkative mood during the voyage, and had retreated to Elwing’s immediately. They knew about Morgoth, of course – that smackdown at the border of Aman had not been subtle - but not the details.
“Arwen’s dying didn’t go as planned,” she said glumly. “Estel laid down his life the way the kings of Numenor did, but he forgot to explain the trick to her.”
She couldn’t quite bring herself to put into words what that had meant, so she showed him instead.
Legolas, once he understood that Arwen had needed to make her body give out on her to release her spirit, looked angry. He’d been Arwen’s friend, too – and known her as a child, long-years before Estel’s grandfather’s grandfather had been a gleam in anyone’s eye.
“That was extremely careless of him,” Legolas said stonily. “I am sorry. I should have checked that all was well before taking ship instead of assuming. I greatly wanted to sail, but a few months more would not have been too much to ask. And you three – you four – should have had friends with you.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. “But don’t be too hard on yourself. Besides, if you’d stayed, poor Gimli would have told Grandmother all. You know he could never hold anything back from her.”
Legolas winced at the thought.
“There is that,” he sighed. “Aunt Galadriel is probably happier not hearing all the details.”
Unspoken was the understanding that of course she and her brothers had edited for their grandparents’ and parents’ peace of mind. Ada could probably imagine, but he also had enough self-control to simply not allow his mind to start down that path. He had more experience living with the Choice and what it demanded of them than she or her brothers did.
“Where is Gimli now?” she asked.
“Studying at the forge of the Smith,” Legolas grinned. “It’s hard to say which of them is more taken with the other.”
“I guess it’s unique for both of them,” she mused. “Kind of unfair on Aulë to not get to have any of his children here.”
“Yes, so he’s making the most of the one he has met. I told him I would return for him at the end of the year. I doubt he’ll miss me before then. He may even want to stay longer.”
“I imagine he’ll want to visit Grandmother at some point – maybe you can use that to pry him away for a bit?”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” he laughed. “Though if you will not take it amiss – I think for now I will rest mind and body. You are not the only one who thought this ‘a lot’.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” she said with a smile.
Something on the horizon caught her eye.
“Huh. I think that’s my grandparents.”
The boat – the small one, not Vingilot – was coming closer. Then her grandmother’s voice reached her.
If the festivities have gone as usual, you will not miss much if we steal you away now, Elwing said. We are all invited to Uncle Olwë’s to dine tomorrow, so you should rest tonight – and I suspect you won’t if you’re still with your new favorite accomplices.
Anariel grinned.
“I think I’m going to skip out on you,” she said to Legolas. “Will you tell Arador and Solo I’ve gone back to my grandparents? I don’t know what their plan is, but if they’re heading into town from here, I’ll probably see them tomorrow.”
Legolas nodded, and waved politely in the direction of the ship.
“Will you be able to reach the boat?” he asked. “I don’t think one that size can come all the way in to shore.”
He’s a good lad. Assure him we can come close enough, Elwing told her. Certainly for such an able swimmer.
Anariel could also beg an assist if need be. But she wasn’t getting into that with Legolas.
“They’ll meet me partway. It’ll be fine,” she said. “Except… can you ask Arador if he'll bring my bag back?”
She wasn’t wrecking her things in salt water.
“If he doesn’t, someone else will. Or we’ll take it on to Neldoreth,” Legolas shrugged. “You’ll get it one way or another.”
“Good enough,” she declared, shucking off her clothes and packing them away neatly. “Catch you on the flip side. Pleasant dreams.”
After years of swimming without a swimsuit, it was a relief to no longer play by Tirion rules. She was in the water before Legolas could ask about ‘the flip side’.
It was only a few moments before her grandfather was hauling her up and into the boat Gramma Elwing had said was for daytrips.
“Good morning,” he smiled. “Did you have a fun time?”
Her grandmother handed her a lowkey tunic and loose-fitting trousers, perfect for laying around doing nothing.
“It was great!” she exclaimed. “Definitely want to do it again sometime. Kinda want a nap now, though.”
“In that case, we timed this perfectly,” Eärendil said cheerfully. “The only thing you need to decide is if you want to sleep here on deck or below.”
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 03:16 am (UTC)Thank you for the story.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-28 01:11 am (UTC)Anariel and Legolas were overdue some time to chat without an audience, and this was their first opportunity.