YULETIDE TALES 2003
"THE TW(ELF) DAYS OF YULE"
This is a series of 12 ficlets, pure fluffy silliness, which will be rated G - PG-13, depending on the day. Gen, het, slash - something for everybody. Beta-read by Eveiya, thanks a lot!
I wish you all a joyful festive season. And if you, between unwrapping presents and digging into the Christmas dinner, should stop a moment to think of those who have less or nothing, you might feel like sharing your happiness, and go here:
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
5 dollars can make a difference - and a donation in honour of somebody rather than presenting him with another tie or ashtrey he or she doesn't need might be a nice idea this Christmas, too...
Thanks!
Erestor
THE SIXTH NIGHT OF YULE
It was the sixth day of Yule, and sure you agree
That this is a most complicated family."
"Haldir, I have to talk to you. No, no, this is the wrong approach... Haldir, please take a seat. Ai Elbereth, this is not working, either..."
Orophin paced up and down Master Erestor's study, wearing out the rug, while Lord Elrond's chief advisor listened patiently to the umpteenth draft of the little speech the Galadhrim intended to give to his - son. Son it was, not brother. Why was this so difficult? Why could he not just go to Haldir and say: "Look, Haldir, I know this must come as a surprise to you, but I am not your brother, but your father, a bit odd, I admit, but stranger things have happened, like to go for a glass of wine in the tavern?"
He couldn't do it because Haldir would most probably drop dead on the spot, so Orophin sighed, looking first at Erestor and then at Rúmil, who had both promised to stay during the upcoming talk with Haldir to provide moral support and medical aid, if it should be required.
"Orophin - just be yourself. Be honest, he is not made out of glass. Why do you assume he will take this news badly? He might equally well be delighted, you cannot know!" Rúmil said, and stretched out his legs.
"Rúmil - you know Haldir just as well as I do. From all you have told me, learning that he is a peredhel has been a great shock to him, and now this - see, I do not want to hurt him. But Yule is also a celebration of family, and I feel he has a right to know."
Erestor got up, and joined Orophin, who stood by the window.
"I know what it is like to be confronted with a so-far unknown fact about oneself. Yes, it can be a shock, but it can also be the key to open a door to a new world. Maybe Haldir will never see you as his father, maybe you will never see him as your son, but you will always see each other as brothers, and nothing will change the love between you. So do not be afraid, Orophin - you care strongly for each other, this bond will not break."
"I wish I was as optimistic as you, Master Erestor," Orophin sighed, and he wanted to add something, but at that very moment, somebody knocked on the door, and the Galadhrim paled.
"It’s him," he gasped, "I know it, only he knocks like this."
Erestor patted him encouragingly on the arm one last time, then he called: "Come in, Haldir!"
The door opened, and a puzzled looking Haldir entered the study.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" he asked, seeing not only Orophin, who he was supposed to meet here, but also Rúmil and Master Erestor, obviously waiting for him.
"No... no not at all," Orophin said, fiddling with his belt, "Rúmil and Master Erestor are here to... they wish to help me to... ai Elbereth!"
Orophin flopped down in a chair, and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He looked up at Haldir, who was now completely confused, and also worried, for he could not remember having seen Orophin this nervous before. His oldest brother used to be calm and rational no matter what the situation.
Haldir knelt down beside the chair, and took Orophin's hand.
"Brother - what is wrong? I see that you are in distress - is there anything I can help you with?"
Orophin cleared his throat and decided that it would be best to get it over and done with it.
"Haldir - I must tell you something, and you must promise me not to get upset, no matter what I tell you, will you promise this?"
"Why - but yes, speak, brother," Haldir said, even more worried, and Orophin thought that he would suffer a heart attack if Haldir used the word "brother" one more time this day.
"It is about - your nana," Orophin began, and Haldir's eyes widened.
"Has anything happened? I thought nothing happened in Valinor?"
"No, no, not Nana Mya - I mean your real nana, Haldir - the... woman who brought you into life."
Haldir jumped up, all excited.
"My real nana? Orophin - how do you know? I never told you... has Lord Celeborn remembered something? Did he tell you? What do you know? Please, brother, do not torture me so, tell me what you know!"
Orophin took a deep breath.
"Haldir - this is not about Lord Celeborn. This is about - me. And you. See, I... I knew your nana."
With that, Orophin got up, and stepped to the window again, turning his back to Haldir. Maybe this was not the most tactful thing to do, but he just couldn't tell Haldir what he had to tell while facing him.
"You knew my nana?" Haldir gasped.
"Yes. Yes, I knew her, very well, actually."
Haldir grabbed Orophin's sleeve.
"What do you know about her? Who was she? What was her name? What was she like?"
Orophin didn't turn around.
"She was a wonderful, generous woman, Haldir. Her name was Lily, and she was the oldest daughter of the blacksmith who... owned me."
The last two words almost made him sick, but it had to be said.
"She was the one who set me free. Without her, I might have spent many more centuries in slavery. She was strong and brave; she had a good heart, and risked falling out with her family by giving me my freedom."
Haldir moved to stand in front of Orophin, and now there as no way to avoid his questioning gaze anymore - in fact Haldir's whole face was one big question mark.
"Do you... I mean, did you... did you know my ada, too? Is he still alive? Who was he?" he whispered, and Orophin's heart contracted when he saw tears in eyes of the other Elf.
He took Haldir's hand gently in his, careful, as if he were holding a bird or a butterfly.
"I know your ada, yes. He is alive, Haldir, and he loves you very, very much, and he would never want you to be sad or hurt. He only found out about... about this recently, and could not find the courage to tell you."
Haldir looked at Orophin, then down at the hand that held his own, looked up again - and then he understood. He felt as if he were seeing Orophin for the first time, noticed the shape of the eyebrows, a certain line around Orophin's nose, and memories flashed up in his mind, like lightning in a storm. Walking through the Golden Woods holding Orophin's hand, running crying to him when he was frightened, getting his first bow, carved by Orophin... his father?
The younger elf moved his hand away as if he had touched into fire.
"You are my father? You? And you all knew this? And did not tell me?" he said, looking at Rúmil and Erestor accusingly.
"It was not our place to tell you, penneth," Rúmil said, using the loving nickname for the first time in many millennia.
"Haldir, I..." Orophin began, trying to hug the other Elf, but Haldir pushed him away, violently, his eyes blazing.
"You! Do not dare to touch me! All these years I have pitied you for your harsh youth - some slavery that must have been! Bedding a mortal - leave me be, I never want to see you again!"
With that, Haldir stormed out, and Orophin, who tried to follow him, was held back by Erestor.
"No, stay here, my friend. Let him sort out his thoughts and feelings, it will only cause harm if you try to talk to him now."
Rúmil got up and hugged Orophin, kissing him on the cheek; his brother's sad expression cut deep into his heart.
"Do not cry, Orophin - he will understand. Give him time."
Orophin didn't move, he just stared at the open door through which Haldir had left.
* * *
It was already late at night when Orophin finally found Haldir. He sat in the shadow of the fountain, staring at the large Yule tree, the same they had decorated only a few days ago.
He looked up when he saw Orophin, and from his puffy eyes, he could tell that his brother had been crying.
Brother - no, not his brother. His father. Haldir closed his eyes for a moment; they burnt, for Orophin had not been the only one shedding tears today.
"Can I... do you mind if I keep you... company?" Orophin shyly asked, and after a moment of hesitation, Haldir nodded, so Orophin sat down beside the younger Elf, careful not to touch him, and simply waited. The lights on the large tree were somehow comforting, and he almost started when Haldir whispered: "I am sorry."
The two Elves looked at each other, and Orophin dared a small smile. It was so tiny, in fact, that one would not have seen it, normally, but Haldir noticed well.
"Do not be - I understand..." Orophin began, but Haldir shook his head.
"I should not have said such mean and hurtful things. I just... never expected such a thing."
"Nor did I, Haldir," Orophin quietly said.
For a while, the two sat in silence, gazing at the tree, then Haldir asked:
"Did you love her?"
Orophin nodded.
"Yes - yes, I did. She was the only one who treated me like a being with a soul, who told me that I was - fair. And she gave me my freedom. She made me feel like I was equal, not a - merchandise."
He looked at Haldir and blushed. "It was... you know... the first..."
He broke off.
"I see," Haldir said, "all the more must I ask for your forgiveness. It was a shock to learn that you are my ada, and I do not know yet if I will ever see you in another way than I did all those years - as my brother."
"It was a shock for me, too, Haldir - to realize that I was Bramble's grandfather..."
The two looked at each other, then they smiled, grinned, and finally burst out in loud laughter. The ban was broken, and they hugged each other, laughing and crying at the same time.
"Ai, Orophin! You are Bramble's great ada! And not to forget, Rabbit's father-in-law!"
"A scary thought," Orophin snickered, "but not half as scary as the fact that, theoretically, you are Lord Elrond's grandchild."
Haldir paled.
"I am? No. Yes?"
"Of course you are - I am married to his son, which makes Elladan your stepfather, and hence you are Lord Elrond's step grandchild."
Haldir frowned.
"This is terrible - it means that Lady Arwen is my aunt and Estel my uncle."
"Do not complain - I have a son-in-law who howls to the moon and a grand child who eats raw crayfish."
"You know what the most terrifying thing is, Orophin?"
"What?"
"That I will probably not be able to resist the temptation to greet the Lady Galadriel tomorrow with 'dearest great grandmother'...."
The laughter of the two Elves echoed from the mountain walls of the valley, and the stars above tried to outshine the lights on the Yule tree, while Galadriel was deeply asleep, safely cradled in Rúmil's arms and blissfully unaware of the latest addition to her family.
Which, coming to think of it, was probably a good thing.
* * *
"Day six has passed,
day seven is near,
with some strange gifts arriving
and some trouble, I fear."