"Here you are." Elrond crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "Still cooking."
"No, I'm baking," corrected Celebrian. She carefully moved to the counter with the steaming tray. "Remember how I used to bake all the time before I was pregnant?"
Elrond nodded slowly, and said, "But you've said you are tired more often than not and I should not complain if none of that happened for a while. Take note, I have not complained nor even brought up the subject."
"I've had a second wind," proclaimed Celebrian as she slid the cookies from the tray onto a cooling rack. "I suppose the fresh air and sunshine today did me more good than I could have imagined. I'm so glad Erestor wanted to take care of the little ones for the day. He's around here somewhere, but I've not the chance to thank him yet."
"Maybe we should take him up on his offer more often, Ria. You know how good he has always been with elflings, and he was stuck alone with none but Glorfindel all those years in Imladris. I would have gone mad, I do not know how Erestor kept from sending him to Mandos a second time."
"Oh, stop that. You loved Glorfindel being around."
"Everyone loves Glorfindel. In moderation."
Celebrian considered this and said, "I suppose you do have a point. Would you see if there is any milk left downstairs?"
Crossing the room, Elrond stopped to wrap one arm around Celebrian's waist while he pushed back the curtain of golden hair that hung down her back. He nuzzled the back of her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. "If having Erestor take the children away for the day allows me more days like this one, I shall seriously have to think of appointing him Official Elfling Watcher of the First Homely House of Valinor." He kissed her gently before letting her hair fall back into place and going down into the kitchen pantry.
"I'd watch out for that one, I think he's trying to seduce you," said a voice that was quite serious from the doorway.
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Celebrian to Orophin as he wandered over to the counter. She took a step toward the pantry and kicked the door shut before glancing at the door to the kitchen to make sure no one else was there. "I need you to do me a favor," she said quietly. Orophin nodded as he picked up one of the peanut butter cookies and bit into it. "I need you to get Haldir down here. Don't tell him to come into here exactly, just get him to walk past."
Orophin looked at the other side of the counter, where ginger snaps were piled up on a plate. "I see that you're part of the `Haldir Needs to Get Laid Club', too."
Slapping his shoulder, Celebrian handed him two more peanut butter cookies with her other hand. "Go! Elodien's gone to sit in the garden and watch the stars, but I do not know how long she'll be there."
"Consider it done!" Orophin bounded out of the room and up the stairs when he got to the hallway. Moments later, the door to the pantry was pushed open and Elrond emerged holding a large pitcher of milk.
Sniffing at it, he set it down on the table. "I think this is from yesterday, but it is very cold. I hope it isn't spoilt."
Taking two glasses from the cabinet, Celebrian placed one on the table and began to fill the other. Rumil flew past the door on his way to the parlor, and Celebrian was glad Elrond had his back to him so that he did not say anything about her brother running in the hall. As she filled the other glass, she heard a pair scamper into the parlor after him and glanced sideways to see if Elrond had noticed the twins. He had not, or chose to ignore them, for one hand was holding open a book he had left in the kitchen earlier that day, while the other held the cookie he had just bitten into.
There was noisy clomping on the steps and the sound of Orophin talking to someone in a rather loud voice. Celebrian bit her lip as Elrond looked up with a frown and a creased brow at the noise, but breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to his reading.
- - -
"…the twins and I were hoping to find another to join us in the game, it works best with four, and--" Orophin halted at the doorway to the parlor with Haldir and blinked as he noticed Rumil. "Rumil, I did not know you had come to play," he said in a surprised voice, as if he had not just sent his younger brother into the parlor just minutes ago.
"I thought you said we needed one more?" asked Elrohir instead. "You said four, we thought we needed another."
"Oh, that's fine, I can play another time," Rumil said, standing up to move away from the game board, but Haldir shook his head.
"Please, I do not wish to disturb your game."
Elladan made a sound of discontent and waved his hand. "We've not even begun. I'll sit and watch."
"Elladan, peace." Haldir slid his hands into the pocket of his pants, and shook his head once more. "Play your game, the four of you enjoy it more than I. Please," he said, drawing out one of his hands and motioning that Orophin should enter the room. Reluctantly, Orophin did so and Haldir turned to return upstairs.
Celebrian chose this moment to cross the room, and passing the door let an empty cookie tray she carried wave a bit of air out of the kitchen. Haldir walked by not more than a few seconds later and would have continued had the smell of ginger and sugar not wafted into the hallway. Poking his head into the kitchen, he asked, "Are you baking?"
"Oh, good. I had hoped someone might stop by. Elodien's been out stargazing, and I fear the poor dear has not had a thing to eat since supper. Here, take this out to the garden," she said, handing Haldir a tray with a plate of cookies on it. "Better take some milk out there as well, she's bound to be thirsty." Celebrian poured not one, but two glasses, carefully watching Elrond from the corner of her eye, but he paid no attention to his wife and brother-in- law. "Go on then, before the cookies cool and the milk gets warm."
Looking down at the tray, Haldir blinked a few times, slid a look at the unnoticing Elrond, and then turned to go to the side exit that led to the garden. Celebrian quickly loaded up another tray with cookies, placed the pitcher on it, and hastily retrieved four glasses from the cabinet. Elrond looked up and closed his book. "What are you doing now?" The sudden noise caused Celebrian to nearly drop the glasses. "Here, Ria, let me help you." Despite her protests, Elrond was soon out of his seat and holding the tray so that there was no fear it would fall over. "Is this to be taken to the parlor?"
"Well… yes, but I can take it," she said, trying to snatch the tray from him, but Elrond shook his head as if it were complete nonsense.
"I can take it to them. Sit, Ria, I will be right back. Relax, you've done enough today." As Elrond left the room, relaxing was the last thing on Celebrian's mind.
- - -
"I don't see him yet."
"Is that—no, just the wind."
"Oh, no! I think she's standing up!"
"Is that—no, wind again."
"Orophin, hush!"
Elrond silently entered the room, but began to speak almost immediately. "Freshly baked cookies and not quite so fresh milk, but it is cold. I--" He paused to see his sons along with Rumil and Orophin crowded at the window, though they had turned in fright and were looking at him now. "What are the four of you doing over there?"
An audible gulp from Elrohir caught Elrond's attention, but Orophin quickly covered. "Just look at the dust on this panel!" He swiped his finger across the glass and scowled at the imaginary grime on his finger. "Someone get me a rag, I'm going to clean it now!" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement in the garden, movement that was most definitely another elf approaching the one already there. "On second thought, I've changed my mind! Close the curtain, Elladan, I can stomach none of this at the present!" He waved at the elder of the twins in a manner that his order should be carried out immediately, and it was.
"Look, cookies!" Rumil was suddenly at Elrond's side, relieving him of the tray. "Thank you so much – please send our regards to my sister for the unexpected snack. Elrohir, have you set the board yet?"
Standing numbly by the window yet, Elrohir swallowed again, and scurried to the game board, keeping his eyes low. Elrond regarded those in the room a few seconds more before shaking his head and leaving. As soon as he was back in the kitchen, the quartet was back at the window.
- - -
"Your brothers are quite strange sometimes. You don't think that will negatively affect our sons, do you?" he whispered when he had come back into the kitchen. Celebrian was sitting at the table, her hands in her lap and hidden by the tablecloth so that Elrond could not see her wringing them.
"Whatever were they doing?" she asked as her husband sat.
Elrond rolled his eyes. "They were by the window, and I do not know why, but I do not think I wish to know. Obviously, something is going on. I cannot always tell with Elladan, but Elrohir is incapable of lying directly, and he said nothing. I'm sure whatever it is most likely is harmless, but perhaps you should stop in there after a minute or two."
"I think," said Celebrian as she stood, picking up a washrag from the counter, "I should go in right now and put a stop to it before it starts."
"Excellent idea," nodded Elrond.
Celebrian was able to march right up into the group at the window before they took notice of her, and then began smacking each of them with the damp towel that she carried along with her. "One of you should be watching the door!" she hissed quietly, furiously shaking her rag at them. "The rest of you, move your game to the window table so that you don't look so damned obvious!" Each of them was smacked at again, before Celebrian turned around. As an afterthought, she added, "I want details!" before leaving.
- - -
"All taken care of," announced Celebrian as she returned and sat down next to Elrond.
Nodding, Elrond asked, "What were they up to?"
Celebrian took a few moments before answering, "Well, they aren't doing it any more." Elrond stopped reading and considered her statement before looking up at her, one eyebrow rising while the other sunk lower. "Ginger snap?" she offered with a smile.
- - -
"Good… yes… sit down next to her, good idea," nodded Orophin as he watched the scene unfold outside.
"He should have taken her into the alcove," suggested Rumil. He was rewarded with a slap to the back of his head.
"If they were in the alcove, we would not be able to see them right now!"
"Oh."
"Sure we could. We'd just have to use that window over there."
"Mmm." Orophin paused, realizing the voice was not that of his brother or either of the twins. Swiftly he turned around, finding himself face to face with Glorfindel. "Elrohir!" he hissed, "You weren't supposed to let anyone else in here!"
"You said `Don't let the balrog in'! You didn't say a thing about the balrog slayer!"
Sighing heavily, Orophin stomped his foot. "Well, I hope you're happy. We have to tell him what's going on now, and if he's not agreeable to it, it'll be your job to tie him up and stuff him in the closet."
"Why me?" questioned Elrohir. "You had the easy job, just sitting by the window watching those two in the garden!"
"Hush!" Rumil bounded to the door and then shut it. Glorfindel was looking around with quite an amused look on his face. Rumil quietly explained the situation, causing the golden haired elf to nod a number of times. "Are you in?"
"Besides not wanting to be found tied up and stuffed into a closet, I think your goal a noble one. I shall join you on your quest," he said, bowing slightly as he grinned.
"Wonderful! Back to keeping an eye on things, then," said Orophin.
Elladan cringed, being the closest to the window and the first to look out of it again. "They've either turned invisible or they've walked off."
"They're gone?!" cried Orophin in disbelief, looking out of the window.
"I am afraid they are."
Just at that moment, the door opened. Elrond looked around, settling his eyes on Elrohir, deciding it was always best to go for the weakest link. "What's going on in here? Why was the door closed?"
"As you can see, the windows are just filthy!" Orophin said loudly, waving an arm up and down the length of the panel. Glorfindel nodded, each nod more enthusiastic than the previous.
"Obviously, something must be done. We cannot have it kept as such in this house. Think of the ellith and elflings! Now, Erestor uses some sort of a citrus soap – I can find out from him what the composition is and we can nip this problem in the bud before--" Glorfindel turned slightly to regard Elrond, as if he only just now realized the former elf lord had entered. "Ah, Elrond, good evening to you. We're just discussing the state of the windows. Care to join the conversation?"
Elrond took one look at Glorfindel, shook his head, and left the room, closing the doors behind him.
"Still got it," Glorfindel said proudly as he crossed his arms.
- - -
They talked about Gondor, they talked about Lothlorien. They talked about men, and of elves; of history and of legend, and of war and love. At first, Haldir had politely offered his arm, and Elodien had taken it without hesitation, but somewhere along the way, he had felt her hand in his. They took one of the longer and less trodden paths, both hoping not to come across anyone as they strolled in the moonlight beneath glittering silver stars.
"Do you hear that?" Elodien asked, interrupting the conversation they had been having.
Haldir listened and then smiled. "Erestor." He lifted his free hand to his lips, motioning her to stay quiet. Silently, they crept around the nearby barn. Pointing to a high window just out of reach for them to see into, Haldir firmly grasped Elodien around the waist and with little difficulty lifted her into the air. She took hold of the bottom of the open window and peered into the barely lit enclosure.
Inside, a dark elf sat on an overturned bucket in the goat pen, surrounded not only by the animals kept in the barn, but also a few rabbits and a doe that had wandered into the place. He sang, but not in a language she had ever heard, and the animals listened, entranced. Elodien had no idea how it was that Erestor could run his fingers over the head of the doe as she nuzzled his shoulder and neck, nor could she explain it when one of the goats stopping feeding and came to put her head in his lap.
"Extraordinary," she finally whispered after being lifted down and taken away from the barn and back down the path. "How can he do that? I know gentle creatures seem to trust elves more than men, but I have seen no other elf with such a way with animals."
Haldir grinned. "He's had a special affinity with them. Perhaps because he sees them as equals and not as a source of food, they trust him in ways they do not trust the rest of us. Perhaps he knows things we do not, for he is older and I daresay wiser than any other of us living on the beach, and more so than most in all of Valinor. He lived here for a long time before he came to Middle-earth."
"I do not think I would have left, and I know I shall never leave now. This place is wonderful." Elodien looked around at the house in the distance, the stables, the gardens, and the sea, over which the moon continued to rise. "There is one thing here more wonderful than anything else."
"Oh? What is that?" queried Haldir. They had taken pause near a large maple, Haldir leaning against the trunk, with Elodien before him, and close to him as well. He had wrapped his arms around her waist without giving it the proper thought, and she now turned in those arms and pressed herself to him with unseemly familiarity.
"You." Elodien's hands curled around Haldir's hips and he gasped as if he had never felt such a thing before. His own hands moved up quickly, settling uncomfortably on Elodien's shoulders. "More than anything else here, it is you who have made me happy." Her hands began to roam, her boldness further surprising Haldir. "Let me make you happy."
Haldir's eyes widened as he realized what she meant, but he kept his composure best he could, letting his hands move down Elodien's arms, pulling her hands away from him and into his own. Bringing them to his chest, he simply held her hands, caressing them soothingly with his thumbs as he stared into her eyes. "I think…" He looked off in the distance to some faraway point. "I think I…"
Drawing her close to him, Haldir held her tight, memorizing how it felt, taking a deep breath of her scent, and holding her tighter. If he didn't do it now, he decided, he would never do it. His strength and will were waning, and he feared he would not have the courage to accept his fate if he waited much longer. Leaning his cheek against hers he said in a choked voice, "Remember me," then pulled away and walked to the house without looking back.
