At breakfast the next morning, the atmosphere was a little warmer, and the family a little closer. For Haldir, the day had begun when he climbed out of bed, readied himself for the day, and knocked upon the door to his sister’s room. Meaning to ask her just what Erestor had been talking about congratulating her for, he was unsure of what to say when it was his brother-in-law who answered.
He stared at Elrond for some time. Ever since finding out about Elessar, the two had said little to one another. After thinking of his horrible behavior the last few days, Haldir settled on delivering an apology. The most he was able to come up with was, "I’m sorry, Elrond... I’m just... so very sorry." It was not clear who initiated the hug, nor which of them was more in need of it. They stood in the doorway, Celebrian dashing back into the library when she saw them there, deciding they likely did need the moment alone.
It was only when the door opened across the hall that Haldir and Elrond both stepped back. Three elves stood, snickering none too quietly. "We saw that," announced Elladan. "Your reputations of being two of the most stoic elves in Valinor will be ruined by lunch."
"Funny," mused Haldir as he walked past them to get to the stairs, brow raised high. "I would have thought my sleeping habits would have done that for me by now."
"Sleeping habits, or sleeping rabbits?" joked Celebdreth behind him.
"Habits, rabbits, it’s all the same, is it not?"
Elrohir sighed and smiled. "Finally, he is coming back to us."
- - -
After the meal, Haldir found himself attempting to corner Celebrian, to no avail. First, it was Elrond who occupied her time, discussing with her the plans for the various events Thranduil had been planning. Next, her sons plagued her with reasons why they should not be forced to attend the various events Thranduil had been planning, but each issue came to an end with the response of "Go ask your adar."
When the twins finally left the parlor, Haldir tossed the book of poems he had been updating into the chair and climbed over the back of the couch, much to the surprise of Celebrian. "I didn’t know you were still here," she admitted.
Haldir waved this off. "I have to ask you something."
"Celebrian! My dearest, I wish to speak with you." Galadriel glided into the room just as Haldir was about to ask his question. Celebrian beamed with delight, standing up to embrace her mother. Haldir fumed, arms crossed, a scowl spreading across his face. "Haldir, darling child, would you kindly see what mischief your father is making on the beach? He has been there since breakfast."
"Nana, I am much of the mind to speak with my sister."
Galadriel motioned for Celebrian to sit once again, and approached Haldir, drawing him up into an embrace as well. "As am I to speak with her, my little warrior. Have patience. Come back later." Haldir, quite obviously defeated, kissed his mother’s cheek and left the room.
- - -
On the beach, Celeborn had spread a quilt out on the ground. He was lounging on one side, and there was not only room enough for another to take up residence beside him, but it appeared that someone had indeed been there from how the blanket was settled on the ground. Celeborn regarded Haldir was a look of surprise. "I thought your mother was going to return. Come, sit with me and listen to the sea."
Haldir sat down, but the urge to lie and absorb the rays of the sun proved too much. Soon he was resting his head on his arms above him, legs resting on the quilt - one knee up, one knee down. "Nana seemed to think you might get into trouble out here by yourself."
"Your nana is a wise elleth," smirked Celeborn. From his robes, he removed a quill, jar of ink, and a pad of paper. "Haldir, there is something I want to talk to you about, and I think I shall hurt your feelings, but if I say nothing, it is my feelings which shall be hurt. Although I have always thought it a father’s duty to place their own feelings second to those of their children, this is one matter of which I feel strongly."
"You want to name the elfling."
Celeborn sat up, looking offended. "I had an entire speech planned, the least you might have done was allowed me to finish."
Haldir sat up as well and brushed the stray grains of sand from his pants. "By all means."
Celeborn’s gaze drifted here and there, across the sea, to the house. By the time his eyes settled back upon his son, he had forgotten the entirety of his oration. "I would like to name one of my children, yes."
Haldir nodded. "It is your right. You are the father, are you not?"
"If I am not, there is more of an issue than naming rights involved in this situation," grinned Celeborn. "But I do not wish to hurt your feelings, my son."
"If you are happy, I am happy. I am overjoyed by the thought of this elfling. I am already looking forward to all I shall teach her." Haldir placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. "Name her as you wish, any name you decide will be perfect."
"Well that’s just the trouble," sighed Celeborn. "It appears all of the truly splendid names have been taken. So I have been attempting to come up with one and nothing seems to fit. If you wouldn’t mind, what name had you come up with?"
Haldir frowned. "Do not do this. You should decide upon the name yourself."
"I will, I will," promised Celeborn. "I only wonder, what had you suggested?"
"Paptalasselinde."
Celeborn sat in silence. "The poor child, can you imagine the frustration of trying to write that?" Celeborn paused. "Let alone trying to say it. It sounds beautiful, do not mistake me, but... I don’t think even I would be able to master that one. I had enough trouble with you throwing ‘Orophin’ at me."
"Paptalasselinde. The music of leaves falling. It seemed appropriate, regarding Lothlorien."
"Yes, even the sound of saying it reminds me of the falling leaves." Celeborn looked across the sea again. "I think more than anything it would make me sad to say it."
"Do not think to say it, then, Ada, think of what you shall name her."
"Your mother doesn’t know." Celeborn glanced over his shoulder at the house. "At least, I do not think she does. It is difficult to tell sometimes with her. But I would like to keep this a secret, about the name. If you do not mind."
"Yes, of course," Haldir agreed.
Celeborn nodded. "Right, then. A name for my daughter..." They sat in quiet contemplation for some time. "Do you know, your mother was of a mind to name your sister Celebriel."
Haldir laughed. "That would not have been so strange. It would seem there are other cases of such a naming."
"Aye, but the name did not seem to fit. I was happy when she decided on Celebrian. I think there is not another such name close to it at all." Celeborn smirked. "And then there is Rumil, a name that was blatantly plagiarized."
"I was young and liked the name very much," defended Haldir. "And it suits him well."
"That is does," admitted Celeborn. "What of Orophin? How came you to settle on that?"
"You do not know?" Haldir leaned over the side of the quilt and wrote a number of lines in the sand. After each subsequent line, Celeborn’s smile widened. Sitting back up, Haldir pointed to the words as he read through them. "Glorfindel – Orfindel – Orfin – Orphin – Orophin."
"That is quite clever."
"Thank you."
"Is Glorfindel aware of this?"
"Yes, that he is. Did you never notice his fondness of Orophin?" asked Haldir.
"I must say, I always did think he had an extra sort of affection for him. Just as Elrond was quite fond of Rumil, and dare I say, I think Erestor very much treated you like the son he never had."
"I spoke to him last night," admitted Haldir. "Far-spoke to him. He seems to have been worried about me."
Celeborn dipped his quill into the ink. "We all worried about you. Some of us are still worrying. And do not-" said Celeborn, raising his voice slightly in a commanding tone, "-do not tell me not to worry over you. I will worry about you as long as you are my son."
Haldir crossed his arms in front of himself. "Fine. Worry about me if you like. I shall do my best to ignore you."
"Good. Glad to know nothing has changed between us, then." Celeborn scratched something else onto the paper. "Raasarin."
"Raasarin." Haldir spoke it again a few times, letting the name roll back and forth like the sea. "We could call her Sari for short, but I think it is too harsh a name. She is not destined to be a tough little elleth."
"No?" Celeborn made a few more notes. "Quesseth, then?"
"Quesseth. How did you come up with that?"
"What is wrong with it?" Celeborn looked slightly hurt. "Quessien…Quesseheri…Quessewen…"
"Please, stop." Haldir leaned back on the quilt. "There are some words that an elf is just not meant to be called by."
"What do you think of the name Celebriel?"
"I think now you are just being silly." Haldir closed his eyes. "How did you come to name me?"
"I didn’t name you, your mother did that."
"How did she come to name me, then."
Celeborn tilted his head up to the sky, remembering back many long years. "Your mother and I spoke of having a second child soon after Celebrian’s birth. No matter what, she wanted our son, our heir, to have a special name. She also knew somehow that if we indeed did have a son that he would walk much among men. Your name, while common among them, was certainly rare among elves."
"How so is such a simple name so rare?"
"How many other elves do you know of whose name begins as does yours?" asked Celeborn.
For the next few minutes, Haldir began to sort through the names of each and every elf he had ever met. Everyone he had met in Valinor, everyone he knew in Lothlorien and Rivendell. The traveling elves, he thought of, and the elves of old, those awakened. "Here, all this time, I thought Orophin’s name was a clever one."
"It is still a clever name. Yours is unique. Among elves." Celeborn scribbled something more on the paper. "What say you to Losuial?"
"It is a nice name," Haldir said.
"Hmm. ‘Losuial, it is time for bed.’ No, that won’t do." Celeborn dipped the quill into the ink once more. "You know, she and I had always took your name to mean different things."
"That I knew long," Haldir said. "You and Glorfindel used to call me the ‘Hidden Hero’, but Nana opted for ‘Tall Watcher’. In some ways, I suppose parts of both suited me."
Celeborn raised a brow. "Only parts?"
"Of course. I am neither tall nor a hero, though I spent a great deal of time watching things and hiding in trees," insisted Haldir.
"I cannot argue the fact you are not tall," admitted Celeborn, "but you are a hero to some."
"Not in comparison to many others, whose deeds cause anything I may have accomplished to look like small tasks."
Celeborn continued to write. "You are stubborn, and I refuse to further discuss this topic." Celeborn paused. "If you do not think you name suits you, perhaps you would like a new name."
"No, thank you. I have grown used to Haldir. I would not wish to be called something else. Besides, my sword is engraved with my name already, to change the imprint now would be folly."
"Why then do you allow your siblings to call you Halli?" Celeborn had almost always referred to his children by their full names, so using the abbreviated forms seemed odd to him.
"Because Halli is just a more... intimate version of Haldir," he explained. "I do not let just anyone call me that. Just as very few can call Orophin ‘Oro’ and fewer still can refer to Celebrian as ‘Clebri’."
Celeborn considered this. "Interesting."
"Think of it like this. Would you rather I called you Celeborn, or Ada?"
"I wish you would never again call me Celeborn. I heard that far too many times from you back in Lothlorien." Celeborn put down the quill and set to closing the ink bottle. "You grew up too fast, and I should never have allowed you to use my proper name when you spoke to me. I should have been your father first, and not your lord."
Sitting up, Haldir moved so that he was sitting next to Celeborn, and wrapped his arms around his father. "You wish is my command, my lord. Consider it done, Ada." He kissed his father on the temple, and then noticed the name that was underlined on the paper. "Ada, truly, you don’t have to do that."
"No, Haldir, I really like it. Please? I think it is perfect."
Haldir smiled. "As you wish, Ada, as you wish."
