Faded Light: Book II

(For additional notes and disclaimers please see top of Chapter 1.)


Chapter 6

Family Matters


“I was thinking,” said Feredir taking a seat beside his wife on the settee, as she finished unbraiding her long dark hair, “that we could take a detour through Lorien on our way home next month.

“Perhaps with the Lady’s help we could uncover more of Benain’s past.

“Half-Elves aren’t exactly an everyday occurrence.”

“My Love, I know how important it is to you to know more about the Little One," she smiled, "I have also grown quite fond to him. He is such a sweet child.

“However, you will not use it as an excuse to avoid returning to Mirkwood,” she gently scolded, meeting his eyes firmly. “And you know it would make certain parties very happy if you were not there."

In the weeks since Feredir had brought the Elfling to their small home outside Edoras, they had been glad to see him slowly adjusting to his new surroundings; he had even begun to pick up a few Elvish phrases. Much of it thanks to Ithilhen, who seemed to have eagerly stepped into the role of older sibling.

Indeed, the two boys seemed so like brothers Feredir sometimes found it almost painful to watch.

Unfortunately, uncovering much of the boy’s past life had proven quite difficult. Lord Elrond knew of no missing half-Elflings matching the description Feredir had given him for at least the last century.

And it appeared Benain had been quite young when brought to Rohan. Though from his vague descriptions of where he had lived before, it seemed likely that it had been Umbar or Harad...

He had hazy memories of an old dark woman called Amalda, who had looked after him when he was very small...when she died he was left in the hands of a Man who sold him to the slave dealer who brought him to Rohan and eventually traded him to the innkeeper...

In spite of his unhappy circumstances, he was a bright, endearing child, and he and Alatariel had both become quickly attached.

Still, Feredir worried that he was too young to be so solemn. No Elfling that age should behave as maturely as Benain did constantly.

Often, the Elfling would look at Feredir with all the seriousness of an Elf a score of decades older...and there were the nightmares, which Feredir was convinced were not merely about the destruction of his village...

“Learning more of the child’s past," she said, "will have to wait until after Ethiel and Glaerwen’s marriage."

He made a sound somewhere between pain and deep annoyance.

“Besides, I’m sure the Lord and Lady will also be in attendance for the wedding of King Thranduil’s nephew, so any detour would not be helpful.

“How long has it been already, Melindo, since you were home?” she asked.

He took a deep breath, and placed an arm around her shoulders even as he looked away. It had been too long since he had seen his father...

Nothing had ever been the same at home after Legolas was gone and a great distance seemed to have grown between the King and his adopted elder son.

After many months of futile searching, their father had realized he could no longer afford the manpower to continue looking for the young Crown-Prince and had called all the search parties back; though it had wounded him deeply to do so. That was the first time the King began to fade.

But Feredir had been angry, unable to accept that his brother might not be found. And more like a thoughtless adolescent than the warrior he was, he had left in anger and grief.

From Rhun to Horondor, he had spent years trying to find some trace of Legolas; he had even gone as far as Khand once, leaving that vile place almost as quickly as he arrived.

Until one day, his way led him once more to the Golden Wood; where he encountered a beautiful and wise Elleth...

“I know it is not easy, but you cannot keep running,” she was saying, turning to wrap her arm around his waist. “Perhaps you will be able to seek the Lady’s guidance while we are in Mirkwood.

“And if you like we can still stop in Lorien for a few days after the wedding. The children would surely enjoy it.”

“What would I ever do without you, Nin Melisse?” He smiled, giving in, in the face of her sensible words and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“Do you think Saelbeth will be there?” he asked after a moment forcing his thoughts back to the distasteful subject of the wedding.

“I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully, entwining her fingers in his. “He has never been the same since that dreadful incident.

"It has not been easy for him, fighting his own lingering demons and having a child made infirm by the same ordeal...but perhaps Leralonde or Erestor can persuade him to return to Mirkwood for a while with the little Princess."

”I still can’t understand why Ruthlagor finally agreed, after all this time, to allow Ethiel and Glaerwen to wed,” he said. “He had been so firm in forever delaying it...”

“He is reacting out of being angry with Leralonde. But he may eventually come to regret it.

“You can bet someone had a hand in the manner of Ruthlagor finding out...and in other things...they were so careful in keeping their relationship a secret for so long...

“Though it is a hopeful sign, at least, that Ruthlagor has not actually disinherited his elder son.”

“Even if he did, I am sure that he could not persuade Adar to do so.”

She smiled, then. “And by the way, do not worry about Benain. There’s time enough for him to become more comfortable with us; before he has to endure the rest of the family.”


TBC...


Elvish Translations:

Melindo (Quenya) / Male lover
Melisse (Quenya) / Female lover
Adar, Ada / Father, dad, daddy