"My, you have a lot of history books for an elfling your age," remarked Elrond, taking one of the tomes from the long, low shelves. Paging through it he asked cautiously, "Do you read these, or does someone read them to you?"
Arranging his menagerie of stuffed animals along the side of his bed, Haldir answered, "Nana tells me stories, but she does not read. Adar reads sometimes when he is not busy, but he makes Celebrian read to me a lot." In a lower voice, Haldir added, "I do not think she likes to read to me."
"No? Why not?"
"I do not know," replied the elfling. "I try to read them to Orophin sometimes, but he fusses a lot."
"He is just a baby now, correct?" Elrond pulled one of the thinner volumes from the shelf, opening it to discover it to be a book of illustrations from great battles.
Nodding, Haldir crawled up onto the mattress and pulled up the covers. "I suppose it is to be expected," he answered with a sigh. Elrond smirked and could not help but think the young one had perhaps learned the phrase in some other context. Taking the book along, he flipped through it as he sat down on the rocking chair near the bed. Haldir frowned.
"Something wrong?"
"Nana always sits on the bed when she reads to me," he said with a pout.
Elrond stood up from the chair and sat down on the end of the bed, minding the elfling's feet. He reopened the book to a picture he had marked with his finger and looked up to see the elfling frowning again. "What now?"
"Nothing," answered Haldir quickly, slumping against the pillows. Elrond waited as patiently as possible for the elfling to tell him truly before he let out a low sigh. Haldir shrugged and said, "Nana sits up here by me. I can not see the pictures if you are down there."
"The story is more important," reasoned Elrond, but he was repositioning himself as he said this.
"You can even put your legs up if you want," offered Haldir, pushing a few stuffed animals aside to give himself more room. Elrond kicked his boots off and did just that, repositioning the book in his lap. The page was open to a majestic figure dressed in blues and gold with a half-crown around the back of his head, peeking out up over his ears. In his left hand was a shield, and a spear was in his right.
"Ereinion," said Elrond, pointing to the figure in the picture.
Haldir shifted his gaze upwards and said in a slightly haughty manner, "Yes, I know, he is Gil-Galad Ereinion. Star of radiance, scion of kings. Born in Hithlum and made high king when Turgon died in Gondolin. Gil-Galad did not rule Gondolin, the hidden city in the Valley of Tumladen, because it fell in 511 of the First Age after the return of the Noldor. Instead, he was the ruler of Lindon. Shall I continue?"
Elrond shifted one brow up while the other narrowed his eye - Haldir merely mimicked the expression. "No, thank you, that is quite enough. I think you already know all there is to know about him," answered Elrond, closing the book.
Haldir's little hand shot forward, keeping the book wedged open. "How-did-his-spear-get-known-as-Aiglos?" he asked quickly. Elrond looked down to see a pair of large liquid grey eyes looking up at him. "Would you tell me, please?"
"Aiglos. The icicle. That is all there is to it."
Haldir floundered for the words, but ended up sitting with his mouth open. Elrond picked up the youngster's hand, set it onto the bed sheets, and closed the book. "Good evening," he said, standing up to leave. He made it to the door before a little voice called out,
"I do not know what an icicle is!"
Elrond turned to see the large grey eyes spilled over with fallen tears. Frowning, he walked back and sat back down on the bed, watching as the elfling wiped his sleeve across his face and sniffled. Elrond pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to the elfling, waiting until Haldir blew his nose to speak. "In winter, when the snow comes, the water drips from trees and homes and makes thin trails of frozen water that hang down."
"What is snow?" asked Haldir.
Elrond crossed his arms. "Snow. In winter, it falls from the sky. Cold, frozen rain."
Haldir scratched his head, trying to recall all of the winters he knew. "We do not have that. At least, I do not think we do."
Elrond opened his mouth to object, but remembering Nenya and her bearer, he answered, "Of course not." Opening the book once more, Elrond flipped through the pages until he reached the image of Gil-Galad once more. "Let me tell you the story of Aiglos," he said, and Haldir smiled and cuddled his stuffed horse as Elrond began the tale.
