The Staring Game
The western foothills of the Misty Mountains, above the Ettenmoors
Not too far from the bubbling little stream, the family lounged in a clearing, weary of traveling and enjoying an unseasonably warm afternoon. The ponies nosed about, drinking from the stream and grazing on whatever they could find. They had done well crossing the mountains, but there wasn't much to eat on this side, and Sindo fretted, feeling for their ribs and worrying about the approaching winter. He hoped they would come on some good grazing soon.
Mallie gave Lorien the last apple, and fretted about the dwindling supply of bread. She had packed plenty of dried fruit, which the elf reluctantly gnawed through, asking "Apple?" between every bite. Lorien did like potatoes roasted in the hot coals of a campfire; they had only lit one so far, afraid of unwelcome visitors in this new land. There were plenty of potatoes, but Mallie wanted to save some for planting in the spring.
Lorien did not relish meat, and ate as little as she could, wrinkling her nose with distaste. "Until her own people find us," Doldo growled, "she'll have to eat it. That's all we'll have this winter. She'll either eat meat, or go hungry." The family fretted over this, but saw no alternative, unless they found civilization soon. They had seen no signs of civilization so far. Mallie was immensely glad that she had impulsively seized the garden seeds on her way out the door and stowed them in her saddlebags. She shuddered to think what they would have done in the spring without them.
Doldo, too, was beginning to worry about finding a settlement. He had hoped to find other hobbits, but this did not strike him as Hobbit countryside, nor elvish, nor mannish either. He hoped that they had not crossed the mountains only to die on the other side. Now that their home was left behind, Doldo's love for his wife became his only anchor, and the boys noticed as the days wore on, that Doldo's eyes lingered on Mallie more and more.
While the sun streamed down on them, Doldo watched Mallie, and Mallie watched Lorien eating her apple, and Lorien, crunching, watched Noldo, and Sindo watched Lorien watching Noldo; Noldo in turn, was watching his parents, mostly, although Lorien occasionally drew his glance. The silence grew until Lorien finished her apple. Tossing the core into nearby bushes, she began wandering, softly lapsing into her singsong chant again.
"Nol-do, Hun-ter, Nol-do, Hun-ter..."
Noldo covered his ears, desperately wishing he could roar in anguish. Sindo laughed.
"I'm going hunting, " Noldo said, catching up his bow and quiver.
"Don't lose any arrows, " Doldo said. "And why are you going? We're not nearly done with that buck carcass yet." They had not dared to light many fires, and it had been cold enough. The meat would keep for quite a while yet. Sindo pitied the pony carrying it, but the pony did not seem to mind. It had frosted and there were no flies.
"I'm going, " Noldo said, "because I am sick and tired of that song of hers."
"She loves you, " said Sindo, darkly. "True, devoted and dedicated love."
Noldo churned, pacing. "Can't you woo her away from me, please?"
"I don't want you to go, son, " Doldo said. "I know she's irritating. But we don't know this countryside yet."
"Then let me scout it out, " Noldo said, his voice edgy with frustration. "I need some time away."
"Nol-do, Hun-ter..."
Noldo turned on her, on the very edge of control. "Will you STOP IT? Can't you sing something else???"
"Son, quiet! Calm down!"
"Then let me go for a while!"
"You've hurt her, " scolded Sindo, rising and walking to Lorien, and putting an arm protectively across her shoulders. She looked up at him with those huge blue eyes, and calmed down. Sindo stared back at her.
There they go again with the staring game, thought Noldo. He's got more patience than I do, that's for sure.
"Sing something else for a while, " Sindo prodded gently. "Just change the song, please?"
Suddenly she brightened.
"Nol-do, Lo-rien..."
Sindo's smirks grew uncontrollable, despite his father's attempts to hush him, and he was soon collapsed on the ground holding his sides. Noldo, torn between humor and rage, stalked out of the clearing. Sindo's laughter followed him until he crested the nearest ridge.
"You don't make it easy, that's for sure, " Doldo grumbled at Lorien, who pouted a little and changed her song again to "Dol-do, Ma-llie..."
"She does it to torment us, " Doldo grumbled, reaching for Mallie's hand.
"I think it's sweet, " Mallie purred.
"After three weeks?" Sindo sighed. "She could come up with another tune."
"Tune, " Lorien echoed seriously, turning their heads. "Tune." She approached Sindo, and started the staring game again.
"Tune, " he agreed, and stared back. She pondered, and began to hum softly, a rather pleasant wandering melody, and meandered off. They gaped.
"I wonder," Doldo said. "What do you do when she stares at you like that?"
"Nothing, " shrugged Sindo. "Stare back."
"She certainly seems to learn from it, " Mallie pondered. "You suggested another tune, and there it is."
"Well, I don't-- Hey, Lorien! Wait!" Sindo jumped up, and caught up his bow and quiver. Lorien was heading off in pursuit of Noldo.
Mallie worried, and Doldo shrugged, and chuckled, and reached for her hand.
"They'll be all right. The elf has obviously grown up in the woods. And our boys can take care of themselves."
"That's not what worries me."
"What then, my Mallie, my queen?"
She smiled gratefully at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "It's Noldo. He's almost twenty-nine. He's been getting restless."
"They both have been."
"You've seen it too."
"Of course I have, my love, " he murmured. "Once this elf-child returns to an elf-settlement somewhere, we'll find a hobbit settlement, and the boys can get back to normal."
She nodded. "How are we going to find the elves? Elves find you, you don't find them."
"They'll come, " Doldo said with complete confidence.
"Why?"
"I've been thinking about this. Elves always know, " he said. "They'll come and find her. They'll know."
She studied him, uncertain.
"Anytime they are missing one of their own, " Doldo continued, "they find him. They know where to look."
"You think that she will draw them to herself."
"I'm sure of it. Like that staring game. There's more to that than just who looks down first."
"Oh, they never do look down. It's not like that."
"That's what I mean. Sindo is onto something. Funny that she only plays the game with him."
"She's tried with the rest of us, " Mallie said. "She tried for the first whole week, with Noldo."
"And he had no patience with her, " Doldo snorted. "Young hothead. His temper worries me." Mallie bit her tongue. "But Sindo kept at it, and there's an understanding of sorts there, I think."
"And you think that she'll draw the elves to herself, like that. Calling them somehow?"
"I'm sure of it. They'll be here."
She stroked his hand, wondering.
"We could look for them for the rest of our lives, and never find them. You know that. They can't be tracked like other races can."
She nodded.
"We'll settle somewhere, then, and wait. We'll plant your seeds and your potatoes, and we'll hunt, and build a small shelter. And she'll call them, and they'll come."
She wanted to trust his judgment, but somehow she was uneasy, as if she was missing something.
She looked into his eyes, and forgot her uneasiness. She had thought him devoted before, but she was in awe of him now, in awe of his love for her. They stood and walked to the stream, and he drew her to sit close beside him on the bank, his arm around her. She watched the stream and he watched her, overflowing with tenderness.
Two hours later, when Noldo, Sindo, and the still-humming elf-maiden returned, Mallie had gently fallen asleep listening to the stream, and Doldo held her, stroking her hair. The three silently watched them for a few minutes, and then quietly turned again, and wandered aimlessly back into the woods, the hobbits staring at the ground or the sky, the maid chasing the leaves as they blew down from the trees.
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The Fairy Wife