Value of Education

TITLE:  The Napping Elfling

AUTHOR: Carrie (Minerva Ann McGonagall)

RATING: PG, if not G

CHARACTERS:  Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Cirithon (OMC) and a little Orophin and Rúmil.  Told from Haldir’s POV.

DISLCAIMER:  I don’t own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with.  This takes place right after “Too Noisy to Sleep” from the Fifth JFA Challenge.

SUMMARY:  Cirithon FINALLY takes his nap.

NOTES:  I know that elflings more than likely mature at a faster rate than human children, but bear with me on this one.  

 

The Napping Elfling

The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.  ~Joe Houldsworth

 

   

Later that afternoon, I was out searching for my son, Cirithon.  It was time for the evening meal, and I could not find him anywhere.  I looked in all of his favourite hiding spots, but nothing.  He was nowhere.  I finally ran into one of my brothers.

 

“Rúmil, have you ran across Ciri at any point this afternoon?”  I asked him.

 

“No, but apparently he has just as much aptitude for hiding from his Ada as we did.”  Rúmil answered me.  “I will continue to look for him, and if I find him I will bring him home.”

 

“Hannon le.”  I said as I nodded at my brother and turned to go on my way.

 

Several minutes later, and I had exhausted all of Cirithon’s hiding spots.  I finally made my way back to the talan trying to figure out how I was going to tell Lindariel about our missing elfling.  My wife startled me out of my thoughts as I walked through the open door.

 

“Haldir, did you find Ciri?”  She asked me, her voiced tinged with a hint of uneasiness.

 

“No, but I am confident that he will come to no harm, and I know that none of the Wardens or Sentinels would let him go very far.”  I said trying to convince myself of that fact.

 

“You are right.”  Lindariel said.  “We can go out looking for him again after we partake in the meal.”  She said as she walked into the dining area.

 

We ate rather quickly, so that we could both set out looking for our missing elfling.  As we wandered through the trees I couldn’t help but remember the night that we found out we were expecting him.

 

~~~~flashback~~~

 

“Are you sure that everything is alright?”  I asked Lindariel.

 

“Yes, you silly, silly, silly elfling.”  She told me as she took my head in her hands and brought my face close to hers.  She then leaned into kiss my lips very tenderly.

 

“I am not an elfling.”  I answered a little mischieviously.

 

“Well, you can act like it sometimes.”  She said.

 

“Are you sure that everything…?”  I left off because she had silenced me once again with a kiss.

 

“The Lady has said that everything is as it should be.  Our family is growing right on schedule.”  Lindariel answered as she kissed me again.

 

“Oh, that is good then.”  I said not really processing what she had told me.  “Wait a minute…what do you mean by growing?”

 

“Just that…our family is growing.” Lindariel smiled as she gestured to her abdomen.

 

“A little one?”  I asked suddenly a little scared of this.

 

“Yes, a little one.”  She answered me with a little kiss on my cheek.

 

“A little one.  Our own little one.”  I said a little awed by this fact. 

 

“Yes, fairly soon we will have our own little one to show off.”  Lindariel said laughing at my pleasure.

  

“What shall we name him?”  I asked, suddenly sure that it would be a he.

 

“Oh, you are convinced then, that it will be a he.”  Lindariel asked.

 

“Yes.”  I answered matter of factly.

 

“Well, I was thinking that maybe we could name her Aerlinniel if it is a girl and Cirithon if it is a boy.”  She asked me with a hint of a question in the air.

 

“Well, since I know he is going to be a he then I guess his name will be Cirithon.”  I said pulling Lindariel into a hug and kissing her on the lips very gently.  “I am very happy, you know?”

 

“Yes I know.”  She answered me back whispering into my neck.  “Now let us go home and celebrate.”

 

“Your wish is my command óre nîn.”  I said kissing her once more before leading her back to our talan.

  

~~~end of flashback~~~

 

“Haldir, we have been searching for so long.  What happens if we do not find him?  I want him back.”  Lindariel said bringing me out of my remembering.

 

“We will, óre nîn, we will.”  I said pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the forehead.   

 

“Let us go check with Orophin.  You know how Ciri gets sometimes.  Maybe he is hiding out there.”  I said suddenly getting an idea of the one place I had not checked earlier.

 

“I thought that you had checked everywhere?”  She asked me.

 

“Orophin was not home when I checked, but he may be now.”  I said leading her off towards his talan.

 

Once there I did not even get the chance to knock before the door opened and Orophin was waiting for us.

 

“Shhhh…please be quiet.”  Orophin motioned us towards the pallet in the corner of the room.

 

“Haldir…”  Lindariel left off hurrying to the pallet on which the sleeping form of Cirithon was.

  

“Orophin?”  I asked.

 

“Yes, brother o’ mine.”  He answered me.

 

“Why is it that he would not let me take my nap earlier, but you want me to let him continue playing the sleeping elfling?”  I asked him while trying to suppress my laughter that threatened to break through.

 

“Haldir.”  Lindariel said coming back over to us.  “Why do we not just leave Cirithon here and go home and work on another little one?”

 

“What an excellent idea.”  I said as I walked her out of Orophin’s talan.

 

“Hey!  You cannot just leave him here.”  Orophin said to our retreating backs.  “I have an elleth coming over later.”

 

“Well, at least we know you will not be fathering a little one of your own tonight now.”  Lindariel called back over her shoulder, and I could not hold back any longer.  All Orophin heard for several minutes was the sound of my laugher.

---

óre nîn – translates roughly as my heart in elvish.