Friends
(Mid Spring)
Several days later, just before noon, Lothuial and Lothlûn arrived. Adaron introduced them to Lorien, Noldo, and Sindo.
Lothuial, Lothlûn, and Lorien enjoyed each other immediately, and Adaron smiled; he suspected that the three young ladies (Adaron still thought of both himself and Lothuial as very young) would spend a great deal of time together. The three young ladies settled in and washed up, and then went to Lothlûn's room and shut the door. The door didn't muffle the chatting and laughter very well.
Thorontir and Mirthlûn arrived, and they began preparing for an evening meal. Noldo and Sindo learned that all eight members of the original escort were expected; Noldo worried, since Alphaelin and Aergeleb intimidated him so, and Helkaris and Rinloss made him uncomfortable in many ways.
Adaron tried to reassure him. "Alphaelin and Aergeleb have mentored me for many years. And Helkaris and Rinloss have their faults, but they are not dark. They are young."
"Young?"
"Rinloss is Helkaris' son. I think Rinloss took a fancy to Lorien and hoped that Cirdan would permanently separate you from her. But since Cirdan did not, Rinloss will not harp further on the idea. I hope Helkaris is as reasonable. He tends to be more stubborn than his son."
"You sound worried."
"I am more than half afraid that Rinloss will pursue my own daughter, and then I will have to turn down the son of a friend. I do not like the idea. But I would not marry Lothlûn to Rinloss."
Noldo studied Adaron, and wondered who he would approve of, and whether there was a shortage of marriageable male elves, that there were no other, more preferable suitors for Lothlûn. He puzzled over that, and then remembered Alphaelin and Aergeleb, and worried about what they thought of him still, and whether they disliked him, and whether he should care. Too many questions. With an effort he shook off his uneasiness. He and Sindo helped their four friends with the food preparations.
**********
Late that afternoon, the other four elves from the company arrived, and to Noldo's uneasy surprise, there were many more elves with them, and more still followed. The three floors of the house and even the garden began to fill. More food arrived in waves and was set out. A few musicians gathered and played out in the garden, and there was some dancing there and on the roof where the music could be heard as well.
Noldo and Sindo hung back in the kitchen, nervously looking for more things to do. "Adaron, I hardly feel that I shall fit in, or that we are ready to meet all these elves. Perhaps my family should go for a walk, or a ride, " Noldo suggested.
Adaron replied with mock surprise, "Why, I do believe that you are shy!" He smiled. "Do not fear. These are all friends of my family, and they are here to see Lothuial and Lothlûn. Most do not know your story, nor need they learn it. Very few, I think, will ever learn it as we have."
"We needn't be introduced in detail, then, " Noldo said.
Adaron nodded. "We will simply say that you are travelers, and guests in my house. If you wish your story to remain hidden, then do not display too much affection, and no one will ask."
Just as well. Noldo realised he had gotten quite careless about the amount of affection he showed Lorien in public anyway, having gotten used to life in the wild. Society, whether elf or hobbit, had stricter norms. Noldo sighed, and nodded, and took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, and called Lorien. She responded, and he explained as gently as he could what Adaron had just told him.
She laughed softly and sweetly in his mind, and told him Lothuial had already explained all of that, and he needn't have worried.
Just then the three ladies emerged from Lothlûn's room where they had been closeted away for hours.
"Apparently they've been adjusting a dress for Lorien. I should say they are quite finished, " Adaron nodded approvingly.
It was a stunning dress, and Noldo forgot his uneasiness as he watched Lorien. The dress affected her too; her movements became more graceful still, and she stood as tall as she could, and her eyes glittered less and shone more. She was never far from Lothuial or Lothlûn, and the three of them composed one lovely picture after another. Noldo admired Lothuial's elegant grace, and wondered at Lothlûn's slender height. But seeing Lothlûn and Lorien together worried him. Lothlûn towered over Lorien, and he knew they were only two years apart in age. He pulled Adaron aside and asked him about it.
"Gildor mentioned that," Adaron replied. "He thinks it was the stress of losing her original parents, and then her guardians, and Doldo and Mallie; and then the cold winters without fresh fruits and vegetables just made it that much worse."
"What are you saying? That she'll never grow as tall as she should?"
"That is true. She may have reached her full height already."
Lorien was just one inch taller than his four-foot-nine-inch height. "No wonder your people hate me."
"Noldo, all of us are grieved and upset by your story and your early marriage. But none who have taken the time to truly learn your story, hate you. A few of us are even quite fond of you, now."
Noldo blushed, stung by the reminder, but he was still fretting about Lorien's height. "Don't most elves grow to six feet tall?"
"Many do. Not all."
"She is by far the shortest elf here."
"You and your family worked hard to care for her, and did all that you could do. You and Sindo have both paid for your foolishness, and your wife is returned to you. Don't berate yourself. Be at peace and look to the future. But if you do berate yourself, then Sindo will by far bear the heaviest burden since his guilt is the deepest."
That stopped Noldo. Sindo had suffered enough for his misdeeds. In one moment Noldo decisively dismissed the entire subject. Adaron knew he did, and was glad that Sindo had such a brother to look out for him.
A gale of laughter interrupted them, and Adaron smiled. "I had previously noticed that Lorien was overly solemn for a lady her age. I wonder if that is about to change."
"She laughed often with my mother, " Noldo said.
"Perhaps she will learn to laugh again, spending time with Lothuial and Lothlûn."
It was odd to watch the three of them. Tall Lothuial was solemn one moment, and then would burst into elegantly rippling laughter the next. Lothlûn was giggly and chatty and vivacious. Lorien was somewhere between the two, sometimes mischievously alert, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes bubbling and silly. On the surface Lorien and Lothlûn looked closest to each other. But then the conversation would suddenly turn serious, and occasionally Lorien or Lothuial would grow solemn; and then even the laughter had a solemnity about it, though it was no less joyful. But a moment later, Lorien and Lothlûn would be lightheartedly giggling again.
Watching Lorien's rapid mood changes made Noldo's head spin. "Help me, Adaron, " he murmured. "I need all the counsel you can give me."
"Yes, you do, " Adaron replied, having noticed the same thing. "I will be there for you whenever I can. She is formidable. But she does appear to be enjoying their company. I wonder if my wife and daughter will not do more for Lorien than I will do for you, even despite my best intentions."
"She seems to be thriving around them."
"Yes, I think she is."
By keeping the ladies in sight as they wandered about the house, Adaron had succeeded in leading Noldo and Sindo away from the kitchen. Noldo suddenly realised Mirthlûn was by his side, with a glass of wine in his hand, in quite high spirits.
Mirthlûn smiled warmly at Noldo. "Lorien is absolutely radiant. Lovely. The very embodiment of feminine vibrancy and strength. And that dress is an appropriate setting for such an exquisite jewel. Wait 'til she goes outside in the starlight. I wouldn't miss such a sight for all the wine at this table."
"Beware, " Adaron muttered. "He'll name her any second now."
Noldo smiled fondly up at Mirthlûn. "Mirthlûn, how do you say, 'Strong-Willed and Tenacious' in elvish?"
"What did you say?"
"'Strong-Willed and Tenacious'."
The words rolled around in Mirthlûn's mind. "Sindarin for strong-willed... hmmmm ... obstinate would be tarlanc... Or better, strong-spirited, bell-fear; tenacious-- how about dauntless... thalion. Unquenchable would be uluithiad."
Noldo tasted the combination of syllables. "Tarlanc Thalion... Belfear Uluithiad. Hmmm. Yes, those names do sound like her."
Mirthlûn seemed to snap back to reality. "You can't mean to apply those names to Lorien! Noldo, my goodness, this is all much too masculine. Really, Noldo, 'Strong-Willed and Tenacious' is hardly an appropriate name for such a glowing, radiant, heavenly creature!"
"Oh, I don't know, " Noldo shrugged. "Adaron named her that, and I thought it was perfectly appropriate. Quite perceptive of him."
"Oh, but you can't be serious, " Mirthlûn scolded.
Adaron smiled. "I wouldn't argue with him, if I were you. You don't have the rest of the company to rescue you if he turns his will on you now."
Mirthlûn gave Adaron a look of mock-terror, and then turned to Noldo. "His point is well taken; I'd best behave myself, hadn't I, Little Feanor!"
Adaron wilted under sheer guilt, and shot Noldo an apologetic glance. "Sorry."
Noldo laughed.
"In all seriousness, " Mirthlûn continued. "Lorien; dreams, dreamland. Pleasant enough. But hardly a name to do justice to such a beautiful creature. Don't you agree? She really does need another name."
"I'm perfectly happy calling her Lorien, " Noldo admitted.
"Oh, use your imagination!" Mirthlûn cried.
"You've never made such a fuss over Lothlûn," Adaron suddenly interposed.
Mirthlûn actually was at a loss for words, for about five seconds. "I thought you didn't like my names."
"You don't have to name her. But you've never even seemed to notice her."
"Ah... ...Should I?"
Adaron shot Noldo another glance of apology before he proceeded. "Lothlûn is every bit as attractive as Lorien. If you're so comfortable telling Noldo how lovely his wife is, why don't you take a minute and tell me how charming my daughter is?"
Noldo glanced at Lothlûn, and saw Rinloss chatting with her. Suddenly he understood. Mirthlûn, however, clearly had not caught on.
"Lothlûn has a quick sense of humor," Noldo pondered thoughtfully, savoring the words as he spoke, "and a lovely, musical laugh that makes her eyes sparkle like the sun on the river. She's lively, she's intriguing. She is tall and elegant and moves with a delightful shimmering grace, like a birch in the wind. Don't you agree, Mirthlûn?"
Mirthlûn's eyes grew wide, and he studied Noldo with something akin to amazement, and then turned to Adaron, who smiled at him and raised an eyebrow.
Noldo turned towards Lorien, and called her. "Lorien, shall we go outside and listen to the musicians?" She started towards him. He smiled invitingly at the other ladies, and they also smiled, excused themselves, and came laughing toward Noldo. Rinloss looked disappointed.
"I wondered whether the three ladies would be inseparable," Adaron said, smiling gratefully at Noldo.
Mirthlûn filled his glass again, suddenly off-balance, and Adaron waited for him as the ladies went out with Noldo. Mirthlûn studied Adaron, and then tried the edge of his thoughts, but Adaron's mind was closed tight.
"Adaron, what are you thinking? Your daughter is twenty-eight years old."
"I am thinking, " replied Adaron as bluntly as he could manage, "that the next twenty-two years will be over before you know it. Consider that yourself. You know you're tired of being alone. Twenty-two years is not that long to wait."
Adaron turned, and Mirthlûn, struck dumb by amazement, followed him outside where they joined Noldo, Sindo and the three ladies.
No one had any trouble, nor even hardly any discussion, from Mirthlûn for the rest of the night. Some pondered his starry eyes and wondered if he was composing a poem, or perhaps thinking up new names for everyone at the party. And he did make up a few new names. But they remained secret for another twenty-two years.
*******
The Fairy Wife