Day 30 - Birds of a Feather
Aug. 30th, 2024 08:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingTitle: Birds of a Feather
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 first trip to Neldoreth has a few surprises.
Word Count: 1590
Anariel looked around curiously.
She’d been imagining Neldoreth as something like a cross between the Greenwood and Lothlorien.
It was not.
It is also not Doriath, her grandmother informed her.
Anariel glanced at Elwing.
I do remember it, as much as a young child can. Though Grandmother can doubtless tell you more.
She could, but Melian wouldn’t tell it as elves would.
“What do you remember?” Anariel asked.
Elwing smiled.
“The butterfly room was a favorite, and the indoor gardens. By the time I was old enough to walk, the Girdle had fallen, so it wasn’t safe to wander around outside. But the gardens were so beautiful I don’t think I wanted to, at least not very often.”
Anariel glanced behind her, just to make sure Huan wasn’t finding trouble. He’d gone chasing deer earlier, to the annoyance of elves who had probably once been marchwardens but now just counted as nosy.
“Woof!” he informed her.
“You get in trouble, it’s on you,” she warned him.
“Yes, the dog of the Eluchil will face such consequences,” Solo snorted.
“Didn’t he help with the Silmaril quest?” Arador asked. “Wouldn’t that make him a hero of the Lindar in his own right?”
There was the oddest sound from Elwing’s direction. Anariel knew her grandmother was used to thinking of her canine companion/babysitter as belonging to Celegorm. But Arador did have a point.
“Guess we’ll find out,” she shrugged. “If not, we’ll see how much Grandpa Thingol actually likes me.”
Very much, as you well know, Grandmother Melian sniffed. Besides, he can hardly be stern about your dog when your parents and brothers are here as well. If Elrond did not object…
Anariel made sure to keep very deep down the thought that her father didn’t like picking sides between his kin any more than she did, and was probably secretly in agreement with Celegorm about having someone keeping an eye on her at least the first few years, even if he’d never say so out loud.
And…
“WHOA.”
Anariel was only able to follow the hummingbird’s flight because of Slayer (ok, maybe just maiar these days?) senses.
But it looked an awful lot like…
“It has a rainbow crown!!” she exclaimed, grabbing Solo’s arm in her excitement.
The tiny bird perched on a branch and preened, almost like it knew she was his new biggest fan. What she’d initially thought was a crown was more an arrangement of tufts, the sides iridescent red, yellow, and green, with the larger crest in the center blue-green shading to purple. The colorful head was even more striking against the black throat and fluffy white chest.
I thought you would like that one, Melian said smugly. There are several more varieties you may appreciate as well.
There was an air of enticement about that statement, almost as though Melian thought she needed more inducement than ‘meet the rest of the family, also your parents are here’ to stick around.
“Bribery,” Anariel declared, to the boys’ amusement. “Miniature feathery bribery.”
We do not have a beach, Melian said mournfully.
Anariel decided not to point out that she hadn’t lived close to a beach for a long-year, so clearly she didn’t have to spend all her time there. Though she did like the vibe of the sea-Lindar – which seemed to be the distinction made these days, sea-Lindar and inland-Lindar.
It is the one that makes sense, Melian explained. Lindar who live by the sea do not necessarily consider Olu their lord, nor Lindar who live inland Elu. There are still those who look to Nowe or Elmo, and some who wander the southlands with Aiwe. But they are one people still.
Anariel might have taken more time to digest that had another hummingbird not swooped at her little rainbow friend. This one was iridescent green and blue, but its most striking feature was a tail that looked like it had been mugged from a swallow. Half the bird was tail – and it apparently did not like Rainbow Crown, who took flight cheep’ing indignantly.
“You can hide with me,” she offered, and to her delight, the colorful little fluffball took her up on it, perching on her shoulder.
If hummingbirds could make a ‘nyah, try it now’, sound, that was the next peep it let out.
The swallow-tail made a trial dive at her, but found a hand blocking its intended flight path and diverted.
You’ve taken up fighting with jewel-birds now, my sunshine?
“Ada!” she exclaimed.
Looking ahead eagerly, she realized they were reaching a cluster of what would be called telain in Lothlorien or the Greenwood, situated around –
“They have caves here too?” she gaped.
The cliff face had waterfalls to either side of what was clearly a cave entrance, the hall within lit with lanterns in many colors.
“It is not possible to recreate Menegroth,” Elwing informed her. “But there was time and many hands willing to help create something new and just as beautiful."
The cave system here is far more extensive than the one in Eglador. Any who miss their cavern homes can dwell there, while those who prefer the trees have the forest above.
If Anariel had to guess, the ainur had enjoyed making a place the inland Lindar would feel at home in. She could sense that her grandmother wasn’t the only maia in the vicinity curious to see her reaction.
“You’re getting a following,” Arador murmured.
She looked around and realized he meant that she was gathering a hummingbird cloud around her as she walked. Another rainbow tufted specimen took up position on her other shoulder. Huan gave a whuff of canine laughter, but Anariel didn’t care. Melian could have nightingales if she wanted, this was much cooler.
She quickened her pace, because she could tell her parents and brothers were somewhere up there. Her father’s amusement at her grand entrance was growing along with the hummingbird numbers. Most of the Lindar seemed to be taking it as some sort of line of Lúthien thing – or maybe they just took the Eluchil more seriously here in Thingol’s seat.
Either way, she knew for sure this was going to wind up in a song.
Her brothers popped out of the crowd ahead of her, and she started toward them, intending to give them hugs and tell them all the fun they’d missed in Alqualondë when –
“Wait. You’re not Elrohir and Ellodan!”
She frowned in confusion, having caught only at the last minute that while this was a pair of dark-haired twins the right general height, build, and hair color, the faces weren’t quite right and their eyes were not the grey of Lúthien that all her older siblings had inherited from Ada and Gramma Elwing, but a darker, more silvery shade.
“Easy to see how this one found all the trouble in Ennor,” one said to the other. “Sharp senses like this.”
“Mmm,” the second one agreed. “But I do not think she had the birds with her then. Imagine if she’d had flying minions when she fought dragons.”
“I… hey!” she said indignantly.
That sentence had started out so well. Hummingbird would have made awesome allies – it was easy to underestimate their dive-bombing tactics from a safe distance. But then they had to go and throw in the Dragon Incident. Because that was definitely the dragons they meant.
“Darling, I don’t think you’ve met my brothers before,” Gramma Elwing said smoothly. “That is Eluréd and Elurín, and as your face is giving you away, I don’t think the birds will attack any of Grandmother’s descendants.”
Her rainbow guard gave a cheep that was halfway considering it.
“Woof,” Huan barked sharply.
“Why is everyone picking on me?” Anariel sighed. “I’m behaving! They’re not!”
“So well behaved you’re considering indulging your little feathered friends by sticking up for them if they fly at our heads,” Elurín smirked.
That was when her brothers joined the party.
“Ah, you’ve met them,” Elrohir said with a grin.
“We’ve been here several days, so we already had the pleasure,” Elladan informed her.
There was a silent and very tightly focused dubious modifier there, more for her sake than for his own. She gave him a look that meant ‘later’. After all those years relying on each other, they didn’t even need silent speech for such basics.
There might be kin here that would give her a bad night, but any dreams for these two would at least be over quickly – if there were any at all. Morgoth did not like Lúthien or her line, but he’d given most of them a wide berth. She was wondering if he’d even noticed when the Girdle fell, or if he’d been as sloppy in Beleriand as he had been in California.
He’d totally missed her death, after all. Not to mention, failed to kill her a second time.
Competence was not exactly his jam.
“Woof.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” she murmured, ignoring the looks of confusion from cousins, great-uncles, and brothers.
She was going to sleep tonight.
Then she’ll party with her great-uncles and other kin tomorrow. After that, she’d meet the whole damn kingdom – no, make that all of Aman – if that’s what she needed to do to be able to go where she wanted, when she wanted, without fear. She was over tip-toeing around. She wasn’t doing this or anything else on Morgoth’s terms.
That’s my sunbird, Melian said in the deeply satisfied tone of one who knew perfectly well her granddaughter was going to kick his incompetent ass.
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 first trip to Neldoreth has a few surprises.
Word Count: 1590
Anariel looked around curiously.
She’d been imagining Neldoreth as something like a cross between the Greenwood and Lothlorien.
It was not.
It is also not Doriath, her grandmother informed her.
Anariel glanced at Elwing.
I do remember it, as much as a young child can. Though Grandmother can doubtless tell you more.
She could, but Melian wouldn’t tell it as elves would.
“What do you remember?” Anariel asked.
Elwing smiled.
“The butterfly room was a favorite, and the indoor gardens. By the time I was old enough to walk, the Girdle had fallen, so it wasn’t safe to wander around outside. But the gardens were so beautiful I don’t think I wanted to, at least not very often.”
Anariel glanced behind her, just to make sure Huan wasn’t finding trouble. He’d gone chasing deer earlier, to the annoyance of elves who had probably once been marchwardens but now just counted as nosy.
“Woof!” he informed her.
“You get in trouble, it’s on you,” she warned him.
“Yes, the dog of the Eluchil will face such consequences,” Solo snorted.
“Didn’t he help with the Silmaril quest?” Arador asked. “Wouldn’t that make him a hero of the Lindar in his own right?”
There was the oddest sound from Elwing’s direction. Anariel knew her grandmother was used to thinking of her canine companion/babysitter as belonging to Celegorm. But Arador did have a point.
“Guess we’ll find out,” she shrugged. “If not, we’ll see how much Grandpa Thingol actually likes me.”
Very much, as you well know, Grandmother Melian sniffed. Besides, he can hardly be stern about your dog when your parents and brothers are here as well. If Elrond did not object…
Anariel made sure to keep very deep down the thought that her father didn’t like picking sides between his kin any more than she did, and was probably secretly in agreement with Celegorm about having someone keeping an eye on her at least the first few years, even if he’d never say so out loud.
And…
“WHOA.”
Anariel was only able to follow the hummingbird’s flight because of Slayer (ok, maybe just maiar these days?) senses.
But it looked an awful lot like…
“It has a rainbow crown!!” she exclaimed, grabbing Solo’s arm in her excitement.
The tiny bird perched on a branch and preened, almost like it knew she was his new biggest fan. What she’d initially thought was a crown was more an arrangement of tufts, the sides iridescent red, yellow, and green, with the larger crest in the center blue-green shading to purple. The colorful head was even more striking against the black throat and fluffy white chest.
I thought you would like that one, Melian said smugly. There are several more varieties you may appreciate as well.
There was an air of enticement about that statement, almost as though Melian thought she needed more inducement than ‘meet the rest of the family, also your parents are here’ to stick around.
“Bribery,” Anariel declared, to the boys’ amusement. “Miniature feathery bribery.”
We do not have a beach, Melian said mournfully.
Anariel decided not to point out that she hadn’t lived close to a beach for a long-year, so clearly she didn’t have to spend all her time there. Though she did like the vibe of the sea-Lindar – which seemed to be the distinction made these days, sea-Lindar and inland-Lindar.
It is the one that makes sense, Melian explained. Lindar who live by the sea do not necessarily consider Olu their lord, nor Lindar who live inland Elu. There are still those who look to Nowe or Elmo, and some who wander the southlands with Aiwe. But they are one people still.
Anariel might have taken more time to digest that had another hummingbird not swooped at her little rainbow friend. This one was iridescent green and blue, but its most striking feature was a tail that looked like it had been mugged from a swallow. Half the bird was tail – and it apparently did not like Rainbow Crown, who took flight cheep’ing indignantly.
“You can hide with me,” she offered, and to her delight, the colorful little fluffball took her up on it, perching on her shoulder.
If hummingbirds could make a ‘nyah, try it now’, sound, that was the next peep it let out.
The swallow-tail made a trial dive at her, but found a hand blocking its intended flight path and diverted.
You’ve taken up fighting with jewel-birds now, my sunshine?
“Ada!” she exclaimed.
Looking ahead eagerly, she realized they were reaching a cluster of what would be called telain in Lothlorien or the Greenwood, situated around –
“They have caves here too?” she gaped.
The cliff face had waterfalls to either side of what was clearly a cave entrance, the hall within lit with lanterns in many colors.
“It is not possible to recreate Menegroth,” Elwing informed her. “But there was time and many hands willing to help create something new and just as beautiful."
The cave system here is far more extensive than the one in Eglador. Any who miss their cavern homes can dwell there, while those who prefer the trees have the forest above.
If Anariel had to guess, the ainur had enjoyed making a place the inland Lindar would feel at home in. She could sense that her grandmother wasn’t the only maia in the vicinity curious to see her reaction.
“You’re getting a following,” Arador murmured.
She looked around and realized he meant that she was gathering a hummingbird cloud around her as she walked. Another rainbow tufted specimen took up position on her other shoulder. Huan gave a whuff of canine laughter, but Anariel didn’t care. Melian could have nightingales if she wanted, this was much cooler.
She quickened her pace, because she could tell her parents and brothers were somewhere up there. Her father’s amusement at her grand entrance was growing along with the hummingbird numbers. Most of the Lindar seemed to be taking it as some sort of line of Lúthien thing – or maybe they just took the Eluchil more seriously here in Thingol’s seat.
Either way, she knew for sure this was going to wind up in a song.
Her brothers popped out of the crowd ahead of her, and she started toward them, intending to give them hugs and tell them all the fun they’d missed in Alqualondë when –
“Wait. You’re not Elrohir and Ellodan!”
She frowned in confusion, having caught only at the last minute that while this was a pair of dark-haired twins the right general height, build, and hair color, the faces weren’t quite right and their eyes were not the grey of Lúthien that all her older siblings had inherited from Ada and Gramma Elwing, but a darker, more silvery shade.
“Easy to see how this one found all the trouble in Ennor,” one said to the other. “Sharp senses like this.”
“Mmm,” the second one agreed. “But I do not think she had the birds with her then. Imagine if she’d had flying minions when she fought dragons.”
“I… hey!” she said indignantly.
That sentence had started out so well. Hummingbird would have made awesome allies – it was easy to underestimate their dive-bombing tactics from a safe distance. But then they had to go and throw in the Dragon Incident. Because that was definitely the dragons they meant.
“Darling, I don’t think you’ve met my brothers before,” Gramma Elwing said smoothly. “That is Eluréd and Elurín, and as your face is giving you away, I don’t think the birds will attack any of Grandmother’s descendants.”
Her rainbow guard gave a cheep that was halfway considering it.
“Woof,” Huan barked sharply.
“Why is everyone picking on me?” Anariel sighed. “I’m behaving! They’re not!”
“So well behaved you’re considering indulging your little feathered friends by sticking up for them if they fly at our heads,” Elurín smirked.
That was when her brothers joined the party.
“Ah, you’ve met them,” Elrohir said with a grin.
“We’ve been here several days, so we already had the pleasure,” Elladan informed her.
There was a silent and very tightly focused dubious modifier there, more for her sake than for his own. She gave him a look that meant ‘later’. After all those years relying on each other, they didn’t even need silent speech for such basics.
There might be kin here that would give her a bad night, but any dreams for these two would at least be over quickly – if there were any at all. Morgoth did not like Lúthien or her line, but he’d given most of them a wide berth. She was wondering if he’d even noticed when the Girdle fell, or if he’d been as sloppy in Beleriand as he had been in California.
He’d totally missed her death, after all. Not to mention, failed to kill her a second time.
Competence was not exactly his jam.
“Woof.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” she murmured, ignoring the looks of confusion from cousins, great-uncles, and brothers.
She was going to sleep tonight.
Then she’ll party with her great-uncles and other kin tomorrow. After that, she’d meet the whole damn kingdom – no, make that all of Aman – if that’s what she needed to do to be able to go where she wanted, when she wanted, without fear. She was over tip-toeing around. She wasn’t doing this or anything else on Morgoth’s terms.
That’s my sunbird, Melian said in the deeply satisfied tone of one who knew perfectly well her granddaughter was going to kick his incompetent ass.
