It was not Celegorm, nor Aredhel, who planted the idea of running away. It began with a suggestion from Melkor, though they would never say that was how it began. Their intention was to find Argon, and to clear Celegorm of all blame. They were last into the forest, for they took extra caution in checking beneath the tables and chairs set up on the lawn. By the time they did reach the woods, Aredhel was frantic, and Celegorm quite angered.
“I would never do anything to hurt your little brother,” Celegorm assured her as they treaded through the first fallen leaves, crouched down so as to better search for what they sought. “He must be close; I think we are already too far away. We should return to the lawn – did anyone look inside the tent?”
“I looked there twice.” Aredhel wrung her hands in front of her. “This is not good. He is so little. I bet he is scared. Why is he not crying? He should be crying by now.”
Behind them, Melkor walked slowly and carefully, keeping an eye on the path they were taking, and on how close they were to others searching in the woods. “Perhaps someone has already found him and he is safely with them.”
“Someone would shout that they had discovered where he is if that were the case,” argued Celegorm. He looked at Aredhel and said, “Your father is going to have my hide if anything has happened. Even one scratch will be the death of me – and I should not even have been the one watching him!”
“I will talk to father. Surely, he will be happy once Argon is safely found. His bark is much worse than his bite,” she told him.
Celegorm shook his head. “Your father hates me. He will probably ban you and your brothers from talking to me ever again.”
“He hates no one.”
“He hates my father.”
To that, Aredhel had no answer. Melkor’s smile went unseen. “It seems a shame, that your fathers rule your lives. I would wager you are both adults by now, are you not?”
“Of course we are,” snapped Celegorm. “Do we look like children to you?”
“All of your kind look like children to me,” answered Melkor. He crouched down beside Celegorm and said, “I bet sometimes you wish you could be the master of your own destiny.”
Celegorm snorted. “I am the master of my own destiny.”
“I mean, I suppose sometimes you wish your father did not control your life quite so much as he does.”
“The thought has crossed my mind from time to time,” admitted Aredhel. “Father means well, but he seems to think he must keep me on a leash shorter than the one he keeps our hounds on.”
“Mark my words, he is going to deny you from seeing me,” warned Celegorm. “Even though I had nothing to do with Argon disappearing, he is not going to believe that.”
Aredhel shrugged. “You do not know that.”
“It is really too bad that the two of you could not just... run away from it all. It would be nice if you could be free from their rule, do what you want to do. Oh, but you are both still young – that would be much too much for you both.” Melkor fell back again, and straightened himself up.
“We should do that. It would teach our parents a lesson,” said Celegorm confidently. “We should just go for a few days and see just how much they appreciate us when we return.”
Aredhel normally would not have agreed to such a foolhardy idea, but for some reason she felt quite independent at the moment. “We should. It would serve them right.”
Melkor suddenly turned his head and looked at a spot under some trees twice. “My friends, I believe I see something over there.” He hurried over, and Aredhel and Celegorm both cautiously followed him.
Sleeping peacefully, protected by the bushes and trees, they found Argon quite safe and sound. “There he is,” cooed Melkor as he picked up the elfling. “I hope you have not caused too much drama, little one. Your cousin is going to be in a heap of trouble over all of this.”
Celegorm glanced at Aredhel, and then down a path that quickly disappeared amongst the trees. He made a motion with his head, and quietly crept down the path.
Aredhel took one final look at her brother, safe with the Ainu. She bit her lip, and then hurried to catch up to Celegorm.
Melkor smiled to himself as he heard them leave, and when he turned around, swept his free arm toward the ground. Their tracks scattered in the wind, all knowledge of where they had gone lost to all.
---
The pair spent the first few nights traveling through the forest. Another day was spent in the mountains, but the rocky terrain was more difficult and open than they would have liked. It was Aredhel who had suggested the possibility of the sea, to blend into one of the seaports. Celegorm furthered the idea, and planned for them to sneak aboard one of the sailing ships as it departed. Neither had been on a boat larger than a canoe before, and it was an adventure they could not pass up.
They had reached Alqualonde a few days later, and scouted out which ships were leaving, and when, and for how long. Once they chose the ship they wanted, they needed only wait. It was leaving the soonest of those that looked accommodating enough for their needs. They found a spot behind some barrels that would allow them a good look at the ship. It took only an hour before they crew climbed aboard and began to ready for departure.
When the coast was clear, Aredhel motioned for Celegorm to join her. They hurried towards the ships, where the Teleri readied to sail. All of the ropes had been untied on one side of their chosen vessel, and Aredhel easily climbed the side and then helped Celegorm climb up as well.
“This is the best idea!” exclaimed Aredhel in a hushed voice once they were aboard. She was shushed by her partner in crime, and the two of them navigated their way around the deck to the ladder that led below.
Once they saw that the coast was clear, the pair scampered to the ladder and climbed down. They immediately slid around a doorway to keep out of sight as one of the members of the crew passed by. “This way,” whispered Celegorm, and he led Aredhel down to the galley of the ship. It was a small kitchen area, which joined to a room for emergency healing to be done. “No one is going to disturb us here until the ship sets sail, and by then, it will be too late. They follow the currents to fish, and the ship will not set back for the dock for at least three days.”
“This is brilliant,” said Aredhel as she happily surveyed their surroundings. “How upset do you think they are going to be when they discover they have stowaways?”
Celegorm shrugged. “Hopefully they will not be too upset,” he said. “In fact, I am hoping that they will be inviting and welcoming and not throw us overboard.”
About an hour later, they were dragged up to the deck by the quartermaster. “Captain, we have a couple of mice in the kitchen,” he announced as he let go of the two stowaways.
“Mice, are they?” The tall elf who was obviously in charge looked down at the pair. “Now what were the two of you doing, hiding on my ship?”
Aredhel took a moment to look back toward the shore. The lights on the ends of the Alqualonde piers glittered far away. “We made it!” she exclaimed. She tugged on Celegorm’s sleeve and pointed toward the docks, and he smiled when he saw the expanse of water between them and land.
“Just what is going on here?” demanded the captain. “What sort of trouble are the two of you in?”
“None, sir,” answered Celegorm craftily. “We just wanted a little excitement on our honeymoon. What could be more exciting than jumping onto a ship heading out for a place you have never been before?”
The captain looked a little skeptical about the explanation. There were rings on their hands, and in the right places, thanks to the ones that Celegorm had been wearing for the celebration. He had found one that would fit Aredhel perfectly while they hatched their cover-up plan in the galley. Both of them were still wearing their finery from the planned event, too. Although less than what one might expect someone in the royal family to wear to a wedding, they were aptly dressed for a commoner celebrating such an occasion. “It seems odd that you would both agree on such a strange location for your wedding night.”
“Oh, we already did that part,” said Aredhel a little too matter-of-factly, and Celegorm hoped she could remedy her acting so that they were believed. “I mean, my… husband and I are very adventurous, and we wanted to be sure we could enjoy our time on your lovely ship without interruption.”
“I do not know what sort of enjoyment you hope to get out of being here,” admitted the captain. “We are a simple fishing boat in search of tuna. This vessel will likely stink of fish by the end of the day. Are you sure you would not be better transferred to a ship returning for the harbor when we pass one?”
“We really want to be here,” insisted Celegorm. “It is all my wife has been talking about all night.”
“Well… if you really know what you are getting into…” said the captain uncertainly.
Aredhel giggled. “That is precisely the point! We have no idea what we are getting into – but it sure seems like fun.”
The majority of the crew laughed at this, and the captain nodded. “Alright, then. If you are going to be on my ship, it shall be as a part of my crew. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” they both replied.
“Good.” The captain stepped in front of Aredhel. “Our cook happened to be called back ashore just before we set off. What sort of delicacies can you make, darling?”
“Umm… well…” Aredhel fidgeted with the ring on her finger. It was a little loose, and she hoped it would not accidentally slip off. “I know how to roast venison. I can boil eggs, too.” She pointed to Celegorm. “He knows how to make a lot of things.”
“Really?” The captain looked at Celegorm with interest.
“He knows how to make dinner, and breakfast. He has made breakfast for me a number of times,” added Aredhel, and this was true. Some of the hunts that went on for days required meals to be made in the forest. Unlike his brothers, who would have sustained themselves upon salted meat and dried fruit, Celegorm had learned a few culinary arts that could be utilized even in the middle of nowhere. “He can dress a deer and make a stew of it, or from rabbit, or even chipmunk. The chipmunk was surprisingly delicious.”
Celegorm shrugged at the compliments his cousin gave him. “It was nothing. Just need the right spices.”
“Spice we have in ample supply,” promised the quartermaster. “There are some vegetables in the galley, and a little fruit. Most of what we have for meat we catch while we sail. How are you with cooking fish?”
“If I can cook deer, I can make fish,” answered Celegorm. “I was cooking fish when I was a child. I used to catch them in the river with my bare hands and smoke them on shore.”
The captain chuckled. “Did you hear that, boys?” he asked the rest of the crew. “Maybe we should just toss him over the side and let him grab the fish for us!”
The crew had a good laugh over the comment, while Celegorm looked away and snorted. “Be nice, or I will add hot peppers to everything I cook,” he warned.
“You will be cooking, but not with hot peppers. There are none aboard.” The captain laughed at the look on Celegorm’s face, and then turned to Aredhel and sized her up. “Now, what shall we have you do, darling? Or, should a pretty thing like you just be here for your pretty looks?”
Celegorm dutifully glared at the captain and pulled Aredhel close to him, his arm around her waist. “Get your own lady; this one is taken,” he warned. The crew members laughed again.
Aredhel blushed at the reaction that Celegorm had, and wondered if maybe some of what he was doing was not acting. “I have very few skills which would be of use on your ship, sir. I do know how to climb a tree, though, and I noticed that you do have a position for a lookout up at the top of the mast.”
“That we do,” confirmed the captain. “I would not wish to take you so far from your newly wedded husband, and it is very high up. Are you sure you would want to be up there for hours at a time?”
“What would I have to do up there?” she asked.
“If there is fog, you would need to see over it to be sure we do not crash into another ship. You can also see down into the water from above and determine where the fish are schooling so we can catch them,” the captain explained.
“Can I go up and try?” she asked.
The captain moved aside and allowed her to pass by. Aredhel gave Celegorm’s hand a squeeze and then moved across the deck to the mast of the swan ship. As she took hold of the grips on the mast and began to climb, Celegorm ran over and whispered something to her. She blushed and he turned and said, “Please, allow a little decency. I ask you all to look away for a moment.”
“Spoilsport,” mumbled one of the fishers, but all of them, including the captain, turned their backs to the mast so that Aredhel could climb without fear that the wind would lift her dress higher than was seemly.
“I am at the top!” she announced when she was safely in the crow’s nest. She became breathless as she looked out over the expanse of the ocean, and back around to the land behind them. When she looked down toward the water, she was unable to hold back her joyful outburst. “This is wonderful! I can see to the coral on the bottom! There are schools of every kind of fish you can imagine!”
“When you see the tuna, young lady, let the rest of the crew know.” The captain turned to Celegorm now, who had been watching Aredhel with caution, concerned she might fall. “We have a task for you, too, lad, and I have no doubt you already know it.”
“How many am I cooking for?” he asked as he looked around the deck and counted the crew.
“Twelve, plus your wife, and yourself. Three meals a day, and there is no need to feed that tabby cat,” added the captain as he pointed out a cat who was sleeping on top of a tackle box. “There are more than enough mice for him to catch.”
“Yes, sir,” said Celegorm, though he knew he would fall victim to the cat’s begging anyhow.
They spent the day apart, which was not exactly what Celegorm had had in mind, but it beat having to fight to keep his horse beside her while they were hunting with their brothers, or getting dark glares from her father each and every time he came to the house. Meals were eaten on the deck due to lack of a large space elsewhere, and at dinner the crew convinced Aredhel to sing for them. She did so willingly, and Celegorm delighted in the impromptu concert, even if he had to share the sound with a dozen strangers.
“I suppose we need to find you a suitable honeymoon suite,” said the captain as the rest of the crew began to drift either to their beds or their evening posts. “It would be crude to have you share the cook’s bed in the middle of the sleeping berth for everyone to watch.” The captain gave them a wink as he led the way down the ladder into the lower part of the ship.
“What about the rope room?” suggested the quartermaster. “We have ample room there to string up a hammock for them.”
“A hammock for two – there is an adventurous way to spend a honeymoon!” shouted one of the crewmembers. The others laughed as well. Someone brought out a hammock from a storage chest, and the room was quickly readied by the other sailors. Someone even found a few extra candles to place on a ledge, and some dried herbs were placed into a mug and turned into a makeshift vase.
“This is so cute,” decided Aredhel as she looked into the room once it was vacated. “Thank you all so much.”
In the few hours that they had been aboard, Aredhel had managed to charm all of the fishers, from the cabin boy to the captain. Celegorm, though known to keep more to himself, had been able to win their appreciation through his cooking. “Thank you,” he said, echoing Aredhel’s sentiment. His eyes focused on the single hammock in the room, and he smiled in spite of himself to know that he and Aredhel would have to cuddle up together on the swaying bed.
“Off you go, then,” shooed the captain. “I am sure you want time to rest before we rise tomorrow.”
Before Celegorm could get Aredhel into the room and get the door closed, one of the crewmembers said, “Give her a kiss for us, then!”
“Hush, there, that is no way to go about it. Allow them their privacy,” scolded the captain.
The quartermaster sided with the crew. “Come now, the boys just want a little romance on the ship. Anyway, I am sure these newlyweds can hardly keep their hands from one another.”
Not wishing to ruin the guise, Celegorm slid his arm around Aredhel’s waist. “If you insist,” he said, and without warning roughly pulled Aredhel close and kissed her hard before she knew just what was happening. The crew hooted and hollered, and seemed generally appeased when Celegorm let Aredhel up for air. “Good night!” he announced as he pushed Aredhel into the room and quickly closed the door behind them.
Aredhel wandered to the hammock in a daze, blush coloring her cheeks. When it sounded like the captain had chased the last of the crewmembers away from the door, she said, “I think you convinced everyone that we are married. You nearly could have fooled me!”
“Is that such a bad thing?” asked Celegorm.
“What do you mean?”
Celegorm settled onto the hammock next to her. “Never mind. I think you should sleep on the side closer to the wall.”
Aredhel looked around at their meager accommodations. “Why?”
“I want to make sure that no one comes in and does anything. If I am on the outside, I can protect you,” he explained. “There is no lock on the door. I do not trust those sailors. Get comfortable, and I will join you in a moment.”
There were no chairs to sit on, and mostly the piles of rope were too low to the ground to be sat upon, so Aredhel sat on the hammock and removed her shoes while Celegorm swept through the room. “What are you doing?”
“I want to be sure that there are no bugs or mice or anything.” Amid the ropes, he found a crumpled note detailing a fishing route and a set of slightly rusted fishing hooks. “Looks clean enough,” he decided. He blew out all but one of the candles, plunging the room into near darkness, and then carefully joined Aredhel on the hammock.
