Settling
Above the Ettenmoors
Lorien hummed as she carried armloads of evergreen brush from the woods to the hillside. The hobbits were working on the south side of the hill, scooping out earth from beside a large boulder that Doldo had decided would give them additional protection from the North wind. Mallie was weaving mats of evergreens for a windbreak, and the father and sons were cutting larger poles and binding them together with rawhide thongs cut from the buckskin. The north side of the hill was covered with tall grass which they would use for thatching. The west, south, and east sides had heather and broom. They were clearing an area for a garden as they harvested the heather for bedding.
Sindo smiled at her, but Lorien waited for Noldo's attention, holding her evergreens. "Put them over there, " Noldo pointed, and she smiled at him, and set them down, and returned for more. Sindo averted his eyes, jealous of her smile. Noldo sighed. She was less annoying now that she was learning more words and humming nicer tunes, but still, she grated on him.
Noldo watched her out of the corner of his eye. Mother fretted that she was not eating well. Noldo resented her finicky attitude. She was not the same as when they had found her. She seemed wearied, or weakened, perhaps. But she was as cheerful as ever, or nearly so.
She seemed to learn best from Sindo. He was as endlessly patient as Noldo was short tempered. They played the staring game by the hour. As much as she annoyed him, she enchanted Sindo. Whenever Sindo backed a word with emotion, she learned the word, and she caught on the quickest when Sindo was exasperated or angry with Noldo. The largest part of her vocabulary seemed to be the insults Sindo threw at Noldo when he offended Lorien. Stupid, clumsy, stuck-up, impatient, bullheaded, knucklehead, and silly arrogant fool, had been one day's enlightening new vocabulary. Doldo had had words with Sindo after that.
Still, Lorien doted, smiling and humming, on Noldo. He frowned. Why she refused to dote on Sindo instead, Noldo could not discern, but he heartily wished she would.
The sun was sinking in the west. They had a hollow dug into the hillside, a frame in front of it with a thatched roof up, and all that was left for the most comfortable evening yet, was to thatch the floor. This they did leisurely, bringing in the heather for the beds last, and Doldo declared they were done for the day.
Lorien wandered off into the woods, and Noldo and Sindo watched her go, too tired to deal with it. Doldo noticed too, but the elf-child was wary and wood-wise, and he let her go. Mallie smiled, thinking the child would probably sit out under the stars, and just be an elf for the evening. When would her people come for her?
They built a fire in the newly cleared garden area, scorching the heather roots beneath; they would move the fire daily, until the garden area was as large as needed. Potatoes and venison and dried fruits, thought Noldo, and the dried fruits won't hold out much longer, and the potatoes will run out after that. It would be a long winter. He wondered whether Mother could succeed, over the winter, in growing anything green in this new garden of theirs. He doubted it; this place seemed colder even than home. He suspected that their first green leaves would not come ‘til March or perhaps April. She had already set aside some sprouting potatoes to be planted as soon as the garden was thoroughly burned off.
So they would settle here indefinitely? Noldo thought. He sighed again, glancing over at the pleasant stream, the woods not too far away, the moors stretching northward, eastward, and westward. There was the barest hint of a mountain range to the far north. And southeast to southwest, stretched a long range of hills and ridges, covered with brush, scraggly trees, and occasional thickets.
Noldo did not know its name. That long range of hills and ridges was called The Ettenmoors. It was not considered a hospitable place, and wanderers did not travel there; it was the haunt of trolls and wild things. Nevertheless, Doldo's family had been unmolested. Such quietness in the Ettenmoors would have been taken as an ill omen by anyone familiar with those lands; what kind of enemy would drive cave trolls into hiding?
Doldo and his family remained blissfully ignorant of this, and freely enjoyed the Ettenmoors, hunting there and wandering in the woods. Once in a while they came upon old charred bones and evidence of fire, but the evidence was always old and grown over by fresh new growth. They did not worry unduly about such discoveries, having more immediate concerns.
Noldo was not looking southward, but west, north, and east, all across the moors. As the stars came out and the venison/potato/fruit stew bubbled, he again stood and scanned the horizon as he had the previous evenings, looking for twinkling lights. Bonfires. Fires. Candles. Anything. Any sign that this place was not as barren and lifeless as it looked. His heart sank. Again, as the previous several evenings, all of the horizon was black.
How he longed for civilization. And how settled his father had suddenly become, satisfied with this empty, vacant, barren moor. His mother was being brave, Sindo was too starry-eyed over Lorien to care. But Noldo wanted hobbits. He missed his friends, especially Ned, and he had been thinking about Lily more than usual. He ached for the past summer to return just as it was. He wanted beer, laughter, song, and most of all, he wanted a wife.
If only the elves would come and claim their confounded nuisance of a girl.
Mother had only packed four bowls, so somebody usually had to wait their turn. Tonight Lorien's absence made dinner rather pleasant, like old times, and the only person to really miss Lorien was Sindo; not that he mentioned it, but his glance strayed often towards the woods.
Suddenly Sindo set his bowl aside and struggled to his feet, mouth open, eyes glowing. The others listened, straining, but heard nothing for a few moments. Then they heard it too. They listened for a while, glowing. The gentle breeze was bringing a song their way.
"Why, " Mallie whispered, "That's the Lay of Nimrodel!" It had been her father's favorite lullaby, and childhood memories mingled with the ethereal sweetness of the breeze-borne song. Tears trickled down her face.
Doldo leaped to his feet. "They've come for her, and she's not here! We've got to find her. Mallie, you stay here, and if they find you, keep them here! We'll bring her back! Come on, lads. No time to waste. Noldo, you find the elves, we'll find the girl!"
The thought of getting rid of Lorien gave Noldo new strength, and he ran towards the singer with joyous abandon. It was quite far away, he thought, three minutes into a sprint, and he slowed to a steadier pace. He jogged for a while longer, as the song got louder, and clearer. And then suddenly it began to fade.
He skidded to a halt, desperately hoping that these elves wanted to be found. He looked up but saw nothing in the trees. He stopped, listening; the song was behind him. He turned and tracked the sound until he was underneath it. He looked up, but saw nothing. He called.
The song only continued, lovely and wandering and sweet and peircing, but his urgency did not let him enjoy it. He called again. And then he heard a giggle.
"Silly Noldo."
His heart sank. "Lorien??"
"Stupid Noldo." More giggles. She came climbing swiftly down, and sat on a branch, dangling her feet over his head and laughing at him. "Bullheaded Noldo..."
"That's enough!"
She lapsed into her infuriating chant, only this time, stringing all his insults together. He jumped for the branches and climbed up beside her, livid.
"Do you mean to tell me, you can sing songs like-- like that, and you've been mocking us, annoying us instead? You've been singing these absurd prattling tunes instead of talking-- like that?? You've been able to talk all along!!" His rage, suddenly in her face, frightened her, and that only made her more obstinate.
"You talk stupid, " she said, climbing away from him. "You word stupid. No learn stupid talk."
She climbed higher, singing something else now. Something lovely, lilting, elvish, and grammatically much more refined that what she had just mangled in the common tongue.
So, she didn't want to be bothered with learning the hobbits' speech. Excuse us, the stupid hobbits' speech. Well, fine.
He detested her. And the sooner he got out of this tree the better. He jumped down, jogging away, but the wind brought her song to him, so he cut across the wind until he lost the sound. And then he stopped, hating her even for her songs, and not wanting to go back to his father and tell him that it was Lorien singing and there was no relief in sight. But there was nothing for it. He found his father and broke the news, and together they found Sindo. Sindo looked decidedly relieved.
They went home. No, Noldo thought, not home; to the little hut in the hillside. It wasn't home. Mallie was crushed by the news, but amazed that Lorien had done the singing. Mallie, Doldo, and Sindo sat for a while discussing the songs. Noldo re-warmed his venison stew, ate it, and went to bed, but lay awake, fuming.
Lorien came home late that night, and when she entered the little hut, he left it, and slept out by the ponies in the long grass.
The next day dawned cold and dewy, and Noldo sneezed himself awake, startling the ponies. He struggled to his feet, shaking out his blanket and cloak, and stumbled to the hut. The rest of the family was asleep. He rekindled the fire.
The crackling cheered him, and he drew a pan of water, and wandered about hoping to find something to make a tea out of. Eventually he found a patch of sorrel and picked some. Lorien emerged from the hut, followed by Sindo.
"Good morning, Sindo, " Noldo said pointedly, ignoring Lorien, and Sindo privately thought his smile resembled bared fangs. He wondered what had happened. His brother was usually polite. Lorien approached Noldo smiling and humming, and he shoved her away roughly. Sindo gaped as he dodged forward to help her, and glared at his brother.
"You want her, you worry about her. I'm done with her, " growled Noldo. He busied himself heating the water for tea. Lorien, however, spotted the green sorrel leaves and stepping daintily behind him, collected them before he could pour the hot water. He looked up and saw her taste them, savoring them, chewing appreciatively, and smiling a mischievous thank-you.
Sindo bristled as his brother slowly boiled into a rage, but Noldo only took her by the wrist and dragged her away from the fire towards the sorrel patch. Sindo followed angrily. Arriving at the sorrel patch, Noldo picked another handful for his tea, and then shoved her towards it. "Eat all you want! Only leave me alone!"
Sindo stood by her as Noldo stalked back to his fire, sat down with his back to the sorrel patch, and made his tea, this time uninterrupted. But he didn't enjoy it at all. Eventually he turned, and saw Sindo holding Lorien protectively and tenderly. That was the good news. The bad news was that Lorien was leaning her head on Sindo's shoulder, but gazing soulfully at Noldo. Sindo's face was a tangle of emotions, jealousy not the least.
He looked from Lorien to Sindo, and looked away, wondering if he should also hate the girl for being cruel to his brother. It was tempting.
Doldo emerged from the hut, yawning and stretching, but as soon as he saw his younger son, he called him. Sindo released Lorien with a gentle kiss to the forehead, and ever so reluctantly obeyed. It seemed to take forever to cross the hillside. Doldo's hand finally fell on his son's shoulder, and Sindo received the gentlest lecture he'd ever heard his father give. He listened as well as he could.
"I know she's enchanting, I know she's vulnerable and more beautiful than anything you've ever seen. But she must go home to her people. She cannot belong to a mortal. It's not to be. Don't think about her that way, lad."
Sindo nodded numbly, leaning against his father's hand, drawing strength from him as best he could. His father's lecture finished too soon, Sindo thought with some surprise, wishing his father could somehow talk him out of his heartache.
Doldo wished the elves would hurry up and come and get her, and he began to worry about his sons.
They turned, and saw Lorien approaching Noldo, who was sitting, trying to enjoy his tea. They both started forward.
Bending, she climbed into his lap. Exasperated as to why a nearly grown elf would do such a thing, he set the tea down and began to push her away. Doldo growled something at Noldo and he stopped, loathing the girl, and not terribly fond of his father at the moment.
She focused those annoying blue eyes on him, and began to plead. "Sorry. Want learn."
He glared at his father.
"Sorry. Learn talk, " she persisted, in his face, invading closer and closer. He finally just stood up out from underneath her, dropping her in an awkward tangle of limbs, and tried to walk away. She sprang to her feet and dodged in front of him. "Lorien want learn."
Noldo, exasperated, turned to his father, pleading for refuge. "Will you please get her away from me?"
"I think, " said Doldo wryly, "she's trying to apologize." He folded his arms, trying not to smile.
"Will you forgive her!?" Sindo exploded.
On cue, Lorien seized Sindo's latest word. "Forgive. Forgive? Forgive! Sorry, forgive?"
"Oh, get away from me, for heaven's sake! Leave me alone!" The dance continued.
Mallie emerged from the hut, took in the situation for a few moments, and suddenly called, "Lorien, come here."
"No. Noldo forgive Lorien."
"Lorien," snapped Doldo. "Obey your Mother."
"No Mother. Mallie," Lorien replied primly. "Noldo forgive."
Doldo was stumped for a second, but she was correct. "Obey Mallie." Doldo glared at her.
Lorien, for the first time, stood still and struggled with laying aside her own will. To Noldo it seemed like minutes before she turned, the picture of reluctance, and inched towards Mallie, casting numerous glances over her shoulder.
Noldo exhaled, smoldering, and ran his hands through his hair, and distantly surveyed his father and brother. "I've lost you both to that girl, haven't I?" he said flatly, and turned and walked towards the woods.
Sindo looked at his father, angry and baffled.
Doldo returned his hand to Sindo's shoulder. "Tell him I said, No, he hasn't lost me. I love him still. And they'll come and get the girl, and we'll move on then. Tell him that for me," Doldo gave his son a gentle push towards the disappearing Noldo, and turned toward the fire and his wife and the frustrating elvish girl.
Sindo dragged himself towards his fuming brother as Noldo disappeared into the woods. He didn't want to have to track him. He started jogging.
Too late. Noldo had sprinted ahead, and it became a chase. Cresting ridge after ridge, Sindo caught occasional fleeting glimpses of Noldo. He ran on in dogged pursuit, burning lungs and aching legs notwithstanding. Noldo was stronger than he, but he was running on temper and Sindo was running on orders. Sindo hoped that as he slowed Noldo would slow too, and that Noldo would run out of temper soon.
Forty-five minutes later, he did. Sindo found him on his stomach drinking face-first from a stream. He had no idea how far they'd come. He struggled the last dozen yards, gulping air, and sat exhausted by his brother, who looked up, and half angry, half playful, gave him a backwards shove. Sindo fell slowly backwards, and Noldo scooped some cold water his way.
"Are you done being mad yet?"
"I don't know."
"Well when you are, could you please let me know?"
Noldo chuckled sardonically. "Maybe."
"Well, I suppose I can figure it out."
"How?"
"By chanting your name. If you kill me, you're still mad."
Noldo let out a mock growl, seized his brother, and soused his head in the stream.
"Right. You're still mad, " Sindo spluttered, "I understand." He shook the water out of his hair, a little, and sat up. His brother was staring at the stream, so he did likewise. It bubbled along, oblivious, and they watched it for a while.
"Look," Noldo said suddenly. "I miss you. I don't know why I should have to miss you, and Dad too, when you're both beside me all day and all night."
That was fast. "Dad gave me a message for you," Sindo began.
"Do I have to bribe you to hear it?" Noldo prompted.
"He says, No, you haven't lost him. He still loves you. And when they come and get Lorien, and take her home, then we'll move on."
Noldo thought it over. "He told you to tell me that?"
Sindo nodded.
"Do you think he's right?" Noldo asked.
"You mean, about them coming to get her?"
Noldo nodded.
Sindo looked back at the stream, and didn't answer.
"Well?"
He's still mad, remember, Sindo thought. He took a deep breath. "Well, I... well... no. No, I don't, really."
"You don't think that they will come and get her. Or do you mean, you hope that they won't come and get her?"
"Yes, and yes."
"Why ever wouldn't they come and get her?"
Sindo procrastinated, and then hedged. "I don't know. I just don't think so."
Noldo glowered. "You know something we don't. Out with it. It's that staring game, isn't it? You learn things too."
"I... maybe it's just a feeling."
"Well, then tell me what this 'just a feeling' is."
Sindo turned toward his brother, and pleaded with him. "First can you promise me that we'll still be friends? And stop hating me? And not be mad at me anymore?"
Noldo nodded. "I'm sorry. It's not really you. I mean, not all the time, not... I don't want to be mad at you."
Sindo nodded. "Okay, I'll take that." He sighed. "I don't want to be mad at you either." He took another deep breath, and met Noldo's eyes. "I don't think the elves are going to come for her, because I don't think she wants them to."
Noldo waited.
"I think she has her little elvish heart set on you, and that's all there is to it, " Sindo said, trying to say it neutrally, but he couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.
Noldo studied his brother. "You're... you're just saying that, because of how she acts."
"No, " Sindo replied. "I know it. I've known it for a couple of weeks now. "
"But she's a child, " Noldo replied.
"Not for much longer, " Sindo said, awkwardly.
"How do you know that?"
"She's kind of playacting. And she's frightened, and lonely. And I can't be angry about it," said Sindo. "That whole scene with the apple, where Dad was trying to learn her name... she was really frightened. I mean, she really has those childish moments. But it's because she was so scared, not because she's young."
"You've lost me."
"The fire, " Sindo said. "It frightened her half out of her wits. It changed her inside. She's gone back, in some ways, to being a little girl. And in some ways we reward her for it. I know I do. Because...."
Noldo waited.
"...because I can be her uncle, or her big brother, even if I can't ever... marry her."
Noldo thought this through, and then objected again. "But why can't you just win her heart and marry her then?"
"Because it's too late for that," Sindo said. "She's chosen you. And that's that."
"You know this."
"Yes, " Sindo said numbly. "I know this. That's why I don't think the elves will come. She's not about to call to them. She's happy with you."
"Maybe she'll call to them now, " Noldo reflected on his earlier behavior over the leaves of sorrel.
"No, " replied Sindo, "she won't."
"Stubborn."
"Yes, she is."
"Well, we knew that."
"Yes, we did."
"Are you all right?"
"No."
"Sindo, I'm sorry." Noldo studied him. "I really am."
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"I know."
They sat watching the stream bubble past for quite some time before Noldo broke the murmuring stillness.
"You know what we each need, " Noldo said, thinking of Lily, and her brother Ned Fairbanks.
"What."
"A nice, pleasant, gentle, brown-haired, brown-eyed, rosy-cheeked hobbit-girl. We each get married, settle down, raise families, live regular lives. We could live within a stone's throw of each other. Tell jokes and sing songs at the inn. Go hunting together." Noldo clapped his brother's shoulder. "Get past all this stuff, and be happy. Like Mother and Dad. Really, truly happy."
Sindo nodded, but didn't reply.
They sat and watched the stream for hours, shifting occasionally, until Noldo got really, really hungry.
"I'm hungry."
"Let's go then."
"Right. Venison for breakfast."
"Ah, yes, right."
*******
The Fairy Wife