Day 22 - Those Left Behind
Title: Those Left Behind
Author: Grundy (jerseyfabulous)
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien and Whedon. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: After Anariel's departure for Lorien with her father, the rest of her family remain in Alqualondë.
Word Count: 945
Note: Long day, tired author, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Celebrían tried not to sigh as her daughter and husband disappeared. It felt like there were a thousand worries screaming in her mind, each trying to be the one that claimed her attention.
She put them all aside for the moment to focus on her sons.
“My boys,” she said warmly, gathering them into a hug.
The way they melted into her told her that they too were exhausted and on the verge of collapse. Anariel hadn’t been the only one putting on a show.
She held them for a long moment, doing her best to wrap them in love and reassurance.
We do not have to meet all those people on the other dock today, do we? Elladan asked.
She was somewhat surprised. Normally it was Elrohir who would avoid company when upset.
It is not upset so much as just not ready for people, Elrohir told her.
There was a firmness in his voice that told her there was no room for discussion on this one.
“Of course not, my darlings,” she replied. “I will stay here until Mother arrives, but if you ask Tindomiel, she can explain to you how to get to your grandmother’s. She’s waiting there.”
“Grandmother lives in Alqualondë?” Elrohir asked in surprise.
“That is not what we expected,” Elladan murmured.
“My mother visits Alqualondë from time to time,” Celebrían clarified. “But your father’s parents make their home just south of the city.”
The boys traded one of those speaking glances that compressed a whole conversation into a heartbeat or two.
“Very well,” Elladan agreed reluctantly.
“You will find Elwing’s house is much more private than any other place you might stay tonight,” Celebrían assured them. “And as Eärendil has been following your ship the entire voyage, there will be no need for you to explain anything to anyone.”
They did brighten somewhat at that, which was one more thing for the list Celebrían was keeping of reasons Morgoth was going to pay. Their first meeting with their father’s parents should have been as joyful as Tindomiel’s.
“I will be only a few minutes behind you,” Celebrían told her sons.
“No need to rush, Nana,” Elrohir said, with an attempt at a smile that only just missed being a grimace.
“We understand perfectly wanting to see your father.”
Her answering smile was both proud of her sons and aching for them.
“I know.”
The twins set off, and she dearly hoped they would actually ask their baby sister rather than trust that they would somehow find the right house on their own. It wouldn’t take very long for the Lindar of Alqualondë to work out who a pair of dark-haired twins dressed in a style not currently in fashion in any of the Amanyar cities were.
She looked up to find her father waiting patiently. His eyes too bore traces of the harrowing voyage.
“Daughter,” he greeted her, his tone warm despite his obvious tiredness.
This time, she was the one wrapped in a hug, her father’s arms giving her the illusion just for a moment that all was right with the world.
She will be all right, won’t she?
Celebrían didn’t dare say the words aloud.
“I believe only time and rest are needed before Anariel will be her usual self again,” Celeborn reassured her.
“But?” Celebrían demanded, sure there must be more.
“There is no but. Unless you would have me add ‘but I believe I understand now as I did not then why you told Elrond he had yet to truly meet his daughter.’”
Celebrían peered at her father, unsure what he meant.
“It was not long after she had returned from the Battle of Five Armies,” Celeborn reminded her.
It took her a moment to recall what he was talking about - though when she did, she felt sick. Elrond had ‘met’ Anariel soaked from head to toe in orc blood after taking on a band of mountain uruks singlehandedly with nothing more than a small dagger.
What had Celeborn’s ‘full Buffy experience’ looked like?
“I may not have been able to see the fight, Rian,” Celeborn said slowly. “But I certainly heard it - part of it, at least. And from what I could see and hear, Anariel was able to leverage what you and she call ‘the Slayer’ to drive Belegurth back.”
He paused.
“I need more time and reflection before I share much more than that. But I will say I begin to think Thranduil has the right of it - if we speak of one of your daughters and Luthien in the same breath, it should be Anariel, not Arwen.”
Celebrían’s breath caught.
From Thranduil the statement always carried at least a tinge of exasperation. From her father, it was more like a mark of respect. Celeborn had also known his cousin Luthien much better than Thranduil, who had been only a youth when Luthien ran away from Doriath to aid Beren in his quest…
“It is a compliment,” her father assured her. “Now, make yourself scarce if you don’t wish to hear your mother’s comments on your role in the nefarious plot to keep her away from her husband and grandchildren.”
He kissed her forehead and turned her to face the same direction the twins had gone.
She hesitated only a moment.
Her father was well able for her mother’s temper, especially when most of it wouldn’t be directed at him.
And as reassuring as it was to have her father hold her and tell her all would be well, she had three children who probably wouldn’t mind having their mother do the same for them.
She did hope the boys hadn’t gotten lost.
Author: Grundy (jerseyfabulous)
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien and Whedon. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: After Anariel's departure for Lorien with her father, the rest of her family remain in Alqualondë.
Word Count: 945
Note: Long day, tired author, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Celebrían tried not to sigh as her daughter and husband disappeared. It felt like there were a thousand worries screaming in her mind, each trying to be the one that claimed her attention.
She put them all aside for the moment to focus on her sons.
“My boys,” she said warmly, gathering them into a hug.
The way they melted into her told her that they too were exhausted and on the verge of collapse. Anariel hadn’t been the only one putting on a show.
She held them for a long moment, doing her best to wrap them in love and reassurance.
We do not have to meet all those people on the other dock today, do we? Elladan asked.
She was somewhat surprised. Normally it was Elrohir who would avoid company when upset.
It is not upset so much as just not ready for people, Elrohir told her.
There was a firmness in his voice that told her there was no room for discussion on this one.
“Of course not, my darlings,” she replied. “I will stay here until Mother arrives, but if you ask Tindomiel, she can explain to you how to get to your grandmother’s. She’s waiting there.”
“Grandmother lives in Alqualondë?” Elrohir asked in surprise.
“That is not what we expected,” Elladan murmured.
“My mother visits Alqualondë from time to time,” Celebrían clarified. “But your father’s parents make their home just south of the city.”
The boys traded one of those speaking glances that compressed a whole conversation into a heartbeat or two.
“Very well,” Elladan agreed reluctantly.
“You will find Elwing’s house is much more private than any other place you might stay tonight,” Celebrían assured them. “And as Eärendil has been following your ship the entire voyage, there will be no need for you to explain anything to anyone.”
They did brighten somewhat at that, which was one more thing for the list Celebrían was keeping of reasons Morgoth was going to pay. Their first meeting with their father’s parents should have been as joyful as Tindomiel’s.
“I will be only a few minutes behind you,” Celebrían told her sons.
“No need to rush, Nana,” Elrohir said, with an attempt at a smile that only just missed being a grimace.
“We understand perfectly wanting to see your father.”
Her answering smile was both proud of her sons and aching for them.
“I know.”
The twins set off, and she dearly hoped they would actually ask their baby sister rather than trust that they would somehow find the right house on their own. It wouldn’t take very long for the Lindar of Alqualondë to work out who a pair of dark-haired twins dressed in a style not currently in fashion in any of the Amanyar cities were.
She looked up to find her father waiting patiently. His eyes too bore traces of the harrowing voyage.
“Daughter,” he greeted her, his tone warm despite his obvious tiredness.
This time, she was the one wrapped in a hug, her father’s arms giving her the illusion just for a moment that all was right with the world.
She will be all right, won’t she?
Celebrían didn’t dare say the words aloud.
“I believe only time and rest are needed before Anariel will be her usual self again,” Celeborn reassured her.
“But?” Celebrían demanded, sure there must be more.
“There is no but. Unless you would have me add ‘but I believe I understand now as I did not then why you told Elrond he had yet to truly meet his daughter.’”
Celebrían peered at her father, unsure what he meant.
“It was not long after she had returned from the Battle of Five Armies,” Celeborn reminded her.
It took her a moment to recall what he was talking about - though when she did, she felt sick. Elrond had ‘met’ Anariel soaked from head to toe in orc blood after taking on a band of mountain uruks singlehandedly with nothing more than a small dagger.
What had Celeborn’s ‘full Buffy experience’ looked like?
“I may not have been able to see the fight, Rian,” Celeborn said slowly. “But I certainly heard it - part of it, at least. And from what I could see and hear, Anariel was able to leverage what you and she call ‘the Slayer’ to drive Belegurth back.”
He paused.
“I need more time and reflection before I share much more than that. But I will say I begin to think Thranduil has the right of it - if we speak of one of your daughters and Luthien in the same breath, it should be Anariel, not Arwen.”
Celebrían’s breath caught.
From Thranduil the statement always carried at least a tinge of exasperation. From her father, it was more like a mark of respect. Celeborn had also known his cousin Luthien much better than Thranduil, who had been only a youth when Luthien ran away from Doriath to aid Beren in his quest…
“It is a compliment,” her father assured her. “Now, make yourself scarce if you don’t wish to hear your mother’s comments on your role in the nefarious plot to keep her away from her husband and grandchildren.”
He kissed her forehead and turned her to face the same direction the twins had gone.
She hesitated only a moment.
Her father was well able for her mother’s temper, especially when most of it wouldn’t be directed at him.
And as reassuring as it was to have her father hold her and tell her all would be well, she had three children who probably wouldn’t mind having their mother do the same for them.
She did hope the boys hadn’t gotten lost.