“Dolenir, I have a message among the ones going to Mirkwood that needs to be handled with special care.” Lindir handed the leather sack to the scout. “Please be sure nothing happens to it.”
“I understand, sir. You can count on me.” The Sinda bowed his head as he took the bundled packages. “Anything else I can assist with?”
Lindir shook his head. “Thank you, that is all.” The steward waited until his office was empty before walking to the door that attached his to Elrond’s. He knocked, waited, and knocked again. Turning the knob, he frowned when he saw the room was dark and appeared to have been deserted for some time.
Closing the door, Lindir sat back down and tried to concentrate on one of his many projects, but eventually his mind wandered too many times and he took it to be a sign that he was not supposed to be working late this evening.
His path home, with the fluffy white cat trailing after him, took him past a number of closed doors, some of which he paused at. First, there was a door of some unknown couple; behind it he could hear their amorous preludes. He stood there until it was beyond seemly for him to stay any longer before moving on.
The next door to intrigue him belonged to Dolenir, one of Elrond’s most trusted scouts, and a messenger besides. Lindir had to listen a little more closely, but he could hear the continuous strings of questions being asked from a wee little voice.
“Addi, where are you going?”
“Not far away, bubu. Be good for Nanni, and I will bring back something that sparkles for you!”
“Addi, how long will you be away?”
“Not long, bubu. You will never notice I am gone.”
“Yes, I will,” pouted the little voice.
“Oh, come here. Shall I read to you?”
“Yes, Addi!”
The voices drifted away, presumably to another room. Lindir strolled on.
He heard movement coming from what was promising to become a familiar suite. Now and then a very patient voice would praise his silent student.
“Very good! That is excellent, Erestor! Now, try this one.”
Lindir noticed a clump of yellow flowers that had fallen to the ground, mostly for the fact that his cat was stalking them. Bending down, he picked them up and reattached them to the door.
“Here, hold your quill like this. Good. Very good. Wonderful, dear – yes, that is very excellent!”
Wistfully, Lindir sighed, unheard, and moved on. There were three doors that lead into Elrond’s grand suite; Lindir could hear nothing behind the first. At the second, Elrond was explaining the merits of eloquent speech.
“Furthermore, if you think before you speak now, chances are later in life you shall be prepared to speak with a practiced elegance which will awe everyone.”
A loud sigh from the other party. “Ada, I know that. I am sorry. I TOLD Elrohir I was sorry-“
“But do you mean it?”
“YES!” At this point, Elrond must have given his elder son a stern look, for the youth quieted, and answered meekly, “If Nana would stop saying things like-“
“Your Nana is not going about saying those things in public, nor is she using them as personal insults.”
“Well... what about when she says them to you?”
“That is none of your concern! I can see we are going nowhere with this – get to bed.”
“But... Ada!”
“Now!”
Lindir raised his hand, but lowered it almost immediately. He placed his palm on the door, frowning, wishing he could do something, and he felt helpless. Muffled voices a little further away caught his attention, and he walked a few paces down the hall.
“He hates me! He hates me, he hates me! And I hate him!”
“Elrohir,” came Celebrian’s comforting voice, “surely, you are mistaken. Your brother-“
“Not him!” The young elf could be heard sobbing now. “I just wanted him to... to... never mind, I hate him!”
“Oh, sweetheart...”
Lindir heard footsteps, and a door open. Elrond’s voice again.
“Celebrian. We need to talk.”
“A-alright.” A pause. “Elrohir, I will be back.”
The weeping continued, and Lindir realized that Elladan was crying himself to sleep as well. Shoulders slumped, the steward made it to his own door.
After standing outside of it for several minutes, knowing he could not sleep after all he had heard, he picked up his cat and retraced his steps. Back in his office, he relit the candles and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment.
