Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: The Prince and The Shipwright (#738)
Author: Dragon
Chapters: 12

Warning: Undefined variable $retval in /home/httpd/vhosts/openscrolls.net/httpdocs/fanfic/download.php on line 105

Archive: Tolkien
Category: The Silmarillion
Description: A young Ereinion Gil-galad is sent by his father to the Havens for safekeeping during the battles of the First Age. Here he meets Cirdan the Shipwright and struggles to find a home and a family in a very new and strange place.
Published: 24 Mar 2004
Updated: 24 Mar 2004
Warnings:
Type: General
Characters: Ereinion Gil-galad; Fingon; Cirdan


Chapter 1 - News from Afar

Half-obscured by the rails of the banisters, the child crouched on the stairs, fists gripped around the carved vines on the railings. Two toy soldiers lay discarded at his side, but it had been long since they had felt the warmth of his hands.

Peering out from behind the banisters, a bright pair of grey eyes followed a solemn faced soldier as he left the King's study and crossed the hallway. People had been coming and going all morning, all of them equally solemn- faced, although it had been the tone of their voices rather than their expressions that had disturbed the young prince from play.

The words were inaudible through the thick oak of the study doors, but the worry and strain cut easily through the thickest wood. He had been listening to discussion all morning, only a dull rumble carrying up to his hiding place, the distant thunder of an approaching storm.

~*~

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you." A firm hand grabbed the back of the child's tunic and hustled him up the winding stairs, its usual gentleness masked by haste. "Did I not tell you to stay in the playroom? Dinner almost on the table and you not even washed yet!"

The boy cast a backwards glance at his abandoned soldiers, rocking on the steps, then turned to his nanny.

"My hands are not so very dirty, honestly." Small hands were spread as far as they could reach, but the peachy skin was ignored as he was guided into his bedroom and large hands briskly undid the back buttons on his tunic.

"We must not be late." Swift hands moved in steady brushstrokes before rapidly re-braiding the dark hair. "Your father has enough to worry him."

The speed at which the small tunic was being pulled over his head accelerated considerably, until the child was once more visible.

"What does worry Adar exactly?" The boy asked hopefully.

"Nothing to worry you." A warm soapy flannel was passed over his face and hands, causing vigorous face pulling.

But he was worried.

~*~

The King came upstairs in long strides, aware that the family dinner would probably be cold from waiting for him. It had been a worrying morning and he was glad of the interruption - at least he would be if he were allowed some peace. His son had inherited his own easy way with words, and was a natural public speaker - sometimes he wondered if the boy just enjoyed the sound of his own voice.

His foot crunched down onto some scrap of rubbish that had been left on the stairs, and biting back a curse, the King bent down to investigate. One soldier still remained, but his comrade now lay in splintered pieces under the large boot. Carefully the King gathered the remains of the toys and placed them behind a flower vase before proceeding. He must make time to mend the figure before his son missed them.

"Good afternoon." He spoke wearily as he entered the dining room and his son sprung up to greet him.

"Good afternoon, Adar." The child spoke pleasantly enough, but there was a hint of reproach in the grey eyes. It could not have been easy for a hungry child to sit and watch his favourite meal grow cold.

"Did you have a good morning, darling?" His wife smiled up at him as she dished out generous helpings onto the traditionally patterned crockery.

He frowned. It had not, by any stretch of the imagination been a good morning.

"I have received news from afar. If I may have a moment with you alone this afternoon?"

The boy lost interest in his parents' conversation as he began tucking into his midday meal. It was only as his plate became bare, and the table fell into silence, that he remembered what had been said.

"Adar?" He waited for his father to look up before continuing. "What would worry you?"

The King placed his knife and fork back on his plate, and looked at the child with what would later be recalled as interest.

"Why Ereinion, that's a big question! Let me think. Dragons of course, wargs and big scary trolls."

The boy's forehead furrowed into a frown, and with a jolt his father realised that he was not the tiny child that he had once been.

"What worries you today Adar?" The child persisted with a patience that warned that he would not be easily distracted.

"Well Ereinion," the King reached out to stroke his son's hair, "I have not yet told your mother, so to tell you would not be fair. But I will tell you this evening when we play chess."

And with that the child had to be satisfied.

~*~

Once his afternoon's fencing practice had been completed, Ereinion returned his weapon to the rack and before his nanny could catch him, slipped off to his secret place among the trees that grew near the river that flowed through the settlement.

It was peaceful here, and if he scrambled up the third three from the water's edge there was a broad, gently sloping branch that he could sit on. He climbed up there now, and sat back against the gnarled trunk of the tree, partially hidden by the new spring leaves.

It was never peaceful at home, not any more. Or maybe he was just noticing it more now he was older. People were always coming and going, bringing messages or limping up the stairs. His father always seemed cross and busy, hardly having the time to play or talk with him. And although he was not often allowed out of the safety of the palace, the few times that he had managed to escape unnoticed, the town had also been busy. Unhappily busy with crying mothers and hungry children and wounded soldiers.

The sound of voices caused Ereinion to shrink back into the shadow of the tree. Almost invisible among the branches he watched three elves making their way along the track that wound its way through the trees. All three were dressed in armour, bearing the colours of his father's house, and one was being supported between the other two.

Curiously Ereinion wriggled forwards on the branch until he was lying face down along its length. Resting his cheek on a soft patch of moss and inhaling the earthy smell, he peeped down at the elves that were passing beneath him.

He could see now that there was something poking out from the wounded elf's tunic - an arrow. Tiny droplets of blood marked their path through the woods. Rather excited, Ereinion stared openly at the arrow. He had been told before now that in war, people shot arrows at each other rather than targets, but he hadn't known that it would look like that.

Their voices drifted up through the branches, and by listening hard Ereinion could just make out the words. It seemed that they had seen orcs. . . real orcs. Even more interested now, he leant further forwards, almost falling out of the tree in his efforts to catch every word. And then it seemed as if there were more orcs than they had expected, and that these orcs were expected to attack their home. And the soldier on the left didn't think that they would be able to withstand such an attack.

Shivering suddenly, Ereinion sat up and hugged his knees to his chest. Maybe he should go and get his sword, or at least keep it under his bed. He did not know how big orcs were, but surely even the smallest sword was better than none. This time he could help his father.

With this encouraging thought he slid down the tree and leapt to the ground, and started running towards his home.

~*~

Ereinion adjusted the leather straps and settled the belt across his hips, fastening the silver buckles with practised fingers. He admired himself in the mirror for a few minutes, twisting his body to view the effect from every angle. He did not look much like a soldier, not yet. Maybe if he was just a little older and bigger.

The soft noise of footsteps along the corridor outside caused him to hurriedly slip off his sword and sheath. Wrapping them carefully in an old blue cloak, he shoved his bundle under his pillows just as his nanny came in.

To hurry him up. As usual. To scold him for the mud and bits of bark on his clothes. As usual. To reprimand him for sneaking off instead of going on his afternoon walk. As usual. He could not see why they did not give him more freedom. He was quite old enough to do without a nanny. Particularly one that nagged.

With a long-suffering sigh Ereinion sat down and began unlacing the muddy boots that he should have removed at the door.

~*~

When he joined his parents that evening, after a solitary supper, his father was looking particularly grim and his mother's eyes appeared suspiciously bright.

"Have you been crying, Naneth?" The grey eyes widened with concern and he walked over carefully to pat his mother's hand.

Her lips began quivering slightly so she pinched them together, and reached to stroke her son's hair.

"I am not crying, my son. But I am sad."

Ereinion leant his head back into his mother's hand.

"Why are you sad?" He asked solemnly, and when his mother shook her head and did not reply, turned to his father. "Why is Naneth sad, Adar?"

Noticing the note of panic in his son's voice the King set down his book and beckoned him over. Ereinion scrambled eagerly into his father's lap and snuggled against his father, finding comfort from their closeness and the warmth.

"What is the matter, Adar?" Large eyes looked up into his father's unhappy face. He was becoming steadily more frightened the longer the silence lasted. "Is it the orcs? Are they coming? I can get my sword!"

The child wriggled and made to leap from his father's embrace, but a large arm held him back.

"No Ereinion, there is no danger here yet." He almost smiled. He had noticed that his son's small sword had disappeared earlier. He wondered where it was hidden - in his wardrobe, under his soft toy fawn - he had always favoured the pillows himself. "But we must make sure that if there is danger later, you will be nice and safe."

"I am safe, Adar." Ereinion pointed out, wondering where the conversation was going.

"There are places that you could be safer." His father said gravely. Ereinion did not look convinced so he added, "Places where you could play outside as often as you wished."

The child smiled at that, so his mother took over.

"We have a friend -a very very nice elf - called Cirdan." She watched as her son's brow furrowed as he tried to understand what was being said.

"He is the one who builds ships." Ereinion said slowly.

"Yes. And nothing would please him more than if you went to stay with him awhile." She smiled desperately, as if her son's agreement was necessary to avoid the imminent tears.

"I do not like ships." Ereinion said coldly.

"Well, I am sure that Cirdan will help you change your mind." His father said in a strained jovial voice, placing an arm around his wife's shaking shoulders. "He lives near the sea and you shall be able to go swimming."

"I do not like swimming." Ereinion said boldly and untruthfully, then as his parents' words came home to him his voice began to wobble. "I do not want to go. I want to stay here."

"But you must go. To be safe."

Ereinion sniffed and then began crying in earnest.

"No."

But he knew it was a futile argument, so he crawled between his parents, and they both hugged him. He cried for a while, and he thought that his mother and even his father wept as well.

Eventually though, he knew he would have to stop, just as he knew that no matter what he said and did, he would be going to visit Cirdan. And he was the High Prince of the Noldor, and as such he was sure he was expected to be brave and not cry. So he slid down onto the ground, and rubbed his damp cheeks with his sleeve.

"Adar, do you wish to play chess?"

His father smiled gratefully and began setting out the pieces.

"I think that I should choose the colour. Especially if I am to go away soon." Ereinion said earnestly, peeping up through dark lashes to see if this ploy was working.

His father chuckled so that the corners of his eyes crinkled, and he leant to ruffle the boy's hair.

"You know, I think so too."


Chapter 2 - Arassë

The next days passed far too quickly for Ereinion and his family. Time spent together, despite the growing pressures on his parents' time.

They walked together among the trees that grew along the river, and in the evenings sat around the fire and talked. In the last few days he had heard more of his father's tales and history than he could recall being told in a lifetime. Due to the length of the tales, he often drowsed off in his mother's arms during the telling.

Once he woke up in the middle of the night, and it was dark, and the fire was nothing but glowing embers. His mother was asleep, still holding him tightly, and he had wondered why she had stayed down here instead of carrying him up to his bed. But then he had noticed his father watching him, eyes bright through the darkness, and had snuggled down again and had gone to sleep. When morning came he was tucked into his bed, and he was half inclined to believe that he had dreamt it all.

He did not want to say goodbye to his parents, and since there was no way that he could think of to put his feelings into words, he tried not to think of their imminent separation. He had to say goodbye to his nanny too, for she wished to stay with her people, and the guards that stood at the door, his tutor and the soldiers who had taught him of fencing and archery. All the friends he had made and known over the past ten years. And each one he gave a bright smile, and promised to return soon with plenty of stories and gifts of seashells.

He would never, ever let anyone know how scared he was.

~*~

And now it was a bright and sunny afternoon, but instead of being outside collecting pebbles or climbing trees, he was stuck indoors sorting through his books and toys. He had not got so very many, for his mother did not think that it was right for him to have things that he did not need when the other children in the settlement did not even have enough to eat. And for his part he tended to agree with her. On the rare occasions that he had managed to escape for long enough to meet others his own age they had seem drab and dispirited, too hungry or sad to play.

He knelt by his chest and rummaged through the toys inside. He had been told that he could choose three items, for space was limited and much was taken up by boring yet essential items such as undershirts.

Not much sorting was required to find the first item - Arassë, his soft cuddly toy fawn. He was too big for Arassë now really, but he had had him for as long as he could remember, and he was loath to give him up. He still cuddled him close every night, but returned him to the toy box in the morning, before anyone else was up.

He had to take Arassë! Ereinion buried his face against the worn fabric and pressed his fingers deep into the fur. It smelt rather musty, but it made him feel so safe.

"Ereinion!" His father strode into his room, and paused in the middle of the floor, watching his son.

Ereinion jerked his head round to look at his father, then cast Arassë aside in what he hoped was a casual manner. His father smiled at him, a little sadly. It was he who had given the child the toy many years before, when his son had been but a fretful little elfling breaking through some razor sharp incisors. Naturally he would now be becoming too old for the toy, but it still hurt him to see it being cast aside.

"Adar!" Ereinion sprung to his feet and flung himself at his father with a joyful yell. It was only rarely now that his father would abandon his work to spend time with his family.

"You are packing." The King observed looking at the piles of neatly folded clothing. Everything looked so small suddenly, and for a moment he was tempted to put an end to this ridiculous plan and keep his son with him, at least for a little while.

"She is." Ereinion said shortly, hugging his father and keeping his cheek against the soft velvet of his father's regal gowns for longer than was necessary.

"She is, is she?" The older elf's eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked down at his son's dark head, almost enveloped in the deep red fabric. He pitied the nanny sometimes.

"Only boring things." The boy's voice was muffled. "Like shirts and soap."

His father laughed and walked over to sit on the bed, scooping his son up to sit beside him.

"Surely Cirdan has soap of his own, Adar?" Ereinion looked up at his father, his face a picture of puzzlement.

"I am sure that Cirdan has soap in his house, Ereinion. You need not worry." He chuckled, brushing some dark strands back behind a small pointed ear. "But it is a long journey and you will need to wash."

"Oh." Ereinion looked excited suddenly. "Will I ride a horse? Will we camp outside?"

The grey eyes were dancing with anticipation of the adventure, and his father did not have the heart to mention that the journey was likely to be difficult and tiresome rather than a re-enactment of tales of bravery and valour.

"I expect so. Some of my best soldiers will accompany you. And before long you will be with Cirdan." And he would be safe.

"Adar?" Ereinion twisted to lay his head on his father's thigh and gazed up into the familiar face. His father looked at him, his dark eyebrows slightly raised as he waited for the next comment. "Cirdan will not know that I like my bath with bubbles will he?"

The King sighed, recognising in the slow and careful tone the fear that his son would not voice.

"No, he probably will not." He said evenly.

"Or that I do not like turnip and that I like my milk really really cold." Ereinion looked anxious out of all proportion to the problem.

"No." Fingon shook his head. "I do not suppose that he would know that either."

"I do not want to live with Cirdan, Adar." Ereinion said with pleading eyes, wishing in vain for his father to change his mind. "I do not think that he will like me."

"Of course he will like you!" Fingon said briskly, trying to push out the mental image of the shipwright that he knew, and replace it with one that was entirely different. "He will be looking forward to your coming. It will do him good to have a child about the place."

Ereinion sat up again, looking if anything, even more worried. Nobody wanted to do anything that did them good.

"Anyway, you must finish your packing." The King stood up and tidied two piles of shirts that he had accidentally disturbed. Ereinion's face instantly clouded with disappointment. He had wanted his Adar to stay with him.

"Yes Adar." He said in a resigned voice.

"I do not suppose that you have packed your weapons yet?" The King asked in a casual voice, although one corner of his mouth twisted up slightly as Ereinion whirled round to look at him, his face shining in excitement.

"My weapons?"

"You would like to continue your training whilst you are away, would you not?"

Ereinion nodded with a hopeful smile. He loved practising with his sword and bow, pretending he was a warrior marching into battle and defeating orcs left, right and centre.

"Then we must find you some weapons to take with you." The father placed a large hand on his son's bony shoulder. "I cannot have the Prince of my people heading out on his first adventure unarmed."

~*~

"And now we must find you a sword." Fingon stood up and strode past the usual bundles of small swords. Somewhat puzzled, Ereinion struggled after him, rather overwhelmed by his new bow and precariously piled quiver of arrows.

"Am I not to take my own sword with me?" Ereinion queried, trying to keep from sounding as if he was complaining. He liked his sword, and did not have to waste any time in his training getting used to the weight or feel of an unfamiliar implement.

His father did not turn round to look at him, instead striding to the chests where his own weapons resided.

"Adar?" Ereinion dropped to his knees beside the chest that his father was opening, and rubbed his finger in the dust on its surface. "May I not take my sword?"

"You do not need that sword, Ereinion." His father mused absently as he carefully began searching through the assortment of blades inside. "It is far too small for you."

"Oh." Ereinion clearly did not understand, but queried no further. He peered around his father's shoulder into the dark mustiness of the chest.

"Now, here is a sword to be proud of." The King's voice boomed in the sparsely furnished room as he drew out a half-sized sword, sheathed in black leather embedded with silver stars. The light wood hilt was similarly decorated, and when unsheathed the blade was engraved with fine script. "This was my sword once."

Ereinion ran his fingers lightly along the flat of the blade, aware from a nick in his index finger that the blade was far sharper that he was accustomed too. He glanced up at his father, and found that the grey eyes were distant, remembering some events of the days long past.

"It is a nice sword, Adar." Ereinion licked his lips, then gently rested his head against his father's arm. His father was so stressed and worried so much of the time now, and he wanted so badly to help him or make him smile. But even his mother wasn't very good at that anymore.

The King shook himself slightly and turned his mind from his own early attempts at fencing, to his young son. He was a strong healthy child, and was going to be tall. Much like his father at the same age, in fact. However the boy used his weapons with metered calm, unlike the swings that his father had once dealt out with wild abandon.

Ereinion was more quiet and reserved in general, Fingon reflected, maybe a little too quiet for a healthy happy elfling. But then so were all the children that lived here. He tried to visit the families of those captains of his army that had fallen in battle, and each one seemed to have a clutch of lurking children, staring at him from dark distrustful eyes.

It would do good to send the boy elsewhere. It would be a gift - he would get no childhood here. Even when the children played, it was always games of war. A far cry from an indulgent childhood where the largest fears were of being caught in the kitchens or being beaten in swordplay.

"It is yours." The King held the sword out flat, supporting it with both hands. "It is time it passed to you."

"Mine?" Ereinion's voice grew high-pitched in surprise, and his eyes widened. "For me?"

His father gifted him with a rare smile that meant far more to Ereinion than the sword.

"Yes, it is yours. May it serve you well."

Ereinion beamed and wriggled excitedly, already unbuckling the straps.

"Thank you, Adar!" He held his arms above his head as his father rapidly adjusted the straps to fit. The moment that his father had finished, Ereinion took a few steps forwards. The end of the sheath dragged on the floor. Ereinion frowned. "I think that it might be a bit big for me as yet."

His father smiled at the disappointed face and ruffled the child's hair.

"You will grow into it."

"Perhaps. . ." Ereinion shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Perhaps it would be better if I left this sword here for now. It will be too big for me for a long time."

The King said nothing, and did not meet his son's eyes.

"Am I going to stay with Cirdan for a very long time, Adar?" Ereinion asked in a woebegone little voice.

"I do not know, child." Fingon picked up his son, and was rather surprised by the force with which the boy clung to him.

"But until I am big enough to use the sword?"

Fingon sighed, then nodded.

"Probably until you are big enough to use the sword, yes."

Ereinion suddenly felt cold all through and shivered miserably. He suddenly wanted Arassë very badly. The only hope on his horizon, a joyful homecoming with his family and friends delighted to see him, had just vanished. He dropped back down onto the floor, and unsheathed the sword to take an experimental swing.

"Thank you for the sword, Adar. I will keep it with me always."

The King sighed. That was not the point.


Chapter 3 - Ereinion's Soldier

Looking around furtively, Ereinion went over to the window ledge and scrambled up to kneel on the sun-warmed wood. Outside the sun was shining over the settlement, brightening the drab greys and browns and drying up the puddles in the rough roads. He could see mothers collecting eggs and chasing children, and in the distance soldiers patrolling the city walls. They were nothing but toys from here.

The shadow from the window fell slanting across the pale covers of the bed and onto the grey stone of the floor, showing a young child kneeling quietly over whatever he was doing. Eventually the shadow sat up, bent down again to perfect a few points, then brushed at the ledge.

The wood chippings and dust were soon brushed aside, leaving pale markings in the honey-coloured surface. The boy ran his fingers over the grooves gently - it was his name. Although it did not look as brave and strong as a prince should be - maybe he should have been named Finion instead. Satisfied, Ereinion smiled and jumped down from the ledge. They could send him away, they could use the room for whatever purpose they wanted, but now it would always be his.

~*~

"Ereinion! Come, you must dress." The nanny dragged him away from a farewell slide on the polished floor of the corridor, and picked up his boots, letting him scamper after her in only his socks.

"I am dressed!" He ran a few steps and then lunged forwards to slide a few feet with a gleeful smile.

"There are some new clothes that your father would have you wear." She made an effort to keep her voice light and breezy. "We must keep you warm and dry on your adventure!"

"Will I have to wear my cape?" Ereinion spoke the last word with loathing. It was thick, it was an ugly shade of greyish green, and it made his ears itch.

"Of course." She gave him a look that suggested that she did not feel it was appropriate to go sock skating on a day such as this.

Ereinion obediently slowed down to a walk, trotting dispiritedly beside her. She just did not understand. He was not sock skating or sneaking into the kitchens because he felt like it, but because he knew that he should feel like it - and he was afraid that if he did not then he would start crying instead.

~*~

"There now, does that not look nice?" Ereinion's nanny smiled at him - a paper smile, and wearing thin.

Ereinion looked at the small mithril shirt that she held, swallowed nervously, looking at her with scared eyes.

"It is mithril. I am lucky to have it." Ereinion said woodenly.

"Yes." The nanny seized eagerly on the comment. "I bet there is not a single little boy who would not wish to wear this."

Ereinion looked at her, and to his concern the smile faded and she looked as if she was going to cry. She looked at the ceiling for a few minutes, swallowing hard, then carried on as if nothing had happened.

"Here, there is a special tunic for you to wear under it." His nanny said brightly, loosening the ties on a leather tunic and helping Ereinion pull it on. "This will stop you getting sore from the metal."

Ereinion paused, sticking out his elbows to halt the progress of the tunic over his head.

"Does Adar wear one of these?"

"Of course." The nanny smiled, then blinked rapidly to dispel the tears that had pooled in her eyes. "All soldiers do."

Ereinion smiled and straightened his arms to let the sleeves slip down.

Eventually the tunic was on, and the mithril shirt was securely fastened and adjusted to the nanny's satisfaction.

"There, are you comfortable?" She asked fondly, brushing dark hair from Ereinion's cross face.

"No." Ereinion scowled, his arms sticking out uncomfortably from the stiff mail. "I cannot move."

The nanny frowned, looking at the scarecrow pose that Ereinion had adopted.

"I am sure that you will grow into it."

~*~

"Here he is! This is Ereinion." His father said with a smile as Ereinion uncomfortably made his way down the stairs.

Ereinion looked around the hallway curiously. There were so many soldiers. Twenty at least, and all dressed in his father's colours. One was standing apart from the crowd, next to his mother and father, and that was who his father was speaking to.

"Good morning, Adar, Naneth." Ereinion nodded his greetings, then turned curiously to the soldier - a captain for his cloak was a deep blue. He was tall and dark, with his hair hanging loose around his face, and his eyes were merry despite the serious expression on his face. Ereinion had seen him many times, in feasts, meeting with his father, riding out with the armies but they had never met. "Good morning?"

Smiling at the hopeful friendliness in the child's voice, the captain bowed slightly.

"Prince Ereinion, I am Ainon, a friend of your fathers."

"And one of my finest captains." The King broke in cheerfully, winking at Ainon.

Ereinion stared at Ainon dumbly for a few minutes, both his eyes and mouth wide and round. So this was the Ainon that he kept hearing about. It had been said that he and his Ada fought side by side, and would live together or die together.

"Ereinion." Fingon said in a sharp but low voice, placing a hand on the child's shoulder, then withdrawing it slightly as if there was something distasteful to be found there.

"Oh." Ereinion jumped to attention. "It is nice to meet you, Captain Ainon."

His father grinned at Ainon for a second before continuing, "Ainon will be in charge of your travelling party. You are to listen to him, understand?"

"Yes, Adar." Ereinion nodded obediently.

There was a long, fidgeting silence, and then Ainon spoke.

"So, are we ready to leave?"

Ereinion felt his mouth go dry, and his eyes felt hot and began to itch. He felt, rather than saw, his father place an arm around his mother.

"Yes," His father spoke in a strange voice, rather higher pitched and rougher than usual, "It is a fine day to travel."

His mother knelt down and kissed Ereinion's forehead, then, too quietly for any to hear but Ereinion whispered, "Keep faith, my Ereinion. You are my brightest star."

Then she stood, leaving him alone in the shadowy and confusing thigh level view of the room. The King took his son by the shoulder and tilted his chin upwards with two warm fingers.

"Be brave. Listen to Cirdan. And. . ." Fingon looked down into the trusting face of his son. It would be long before he would see it again. "I love you, my son."

"I love you too, Adar." Ereinion moved forwards to hug his parents, but the unfamiliar stiffness of the mail made it difficult and uncomfortable, so instead he nuzzled his cheek against the soft velvet of their robes and let them stroke his hair.

He could have stayed there forever, but then Ainon called out for him, and he turned to find the captain holding out a gloved hand.

Slipping his hand into the larger one, Ereinion looked back at his parents as he was led gently. His father had his arm around his mother, and both were smiling and waving. He suddenly wanted to run back to them and hold onto them, or anything, and not let them take him away. But it was inevitable.

They passed through the door, and looking back through the columns and doorway, he could see his parents standing facing each other, their arms entwined. His mother had her head bent, and her entire body was heaving with silent sobs, but his father was staring straight ahead into space, his face stony.

"Goodbye." Ereinion whispered and watched them until they were nothing but a shadow barely visible through the far off doorway.

~*~

Ereinion's head jogged up and down against the roughness of the mail on Ainon's chest. Unhappily he moved the hood of his cape so it offered some cushioning to his cheek, and leant back against Ainon's body. Tired out by the ceaseless travel, he shut his eyes to blot out the bleak and ruined landscape, and tried to ignore the waves of nausea that had plagued him ever since they had left.

He had thought that the travelling would be exciting - his very first adventure. He had imagined riding among trees and over mountains, admiring the wild flowers and birds. He had thought that they would stop by beautiful clear streams, and sit around a fire at night, telling each other tales and songs.

But they stopped for only short periods of time, and slept little. Unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in when wearing the mithril shirt, Ereinion was in a state of perpetual exhaustion. The soldiers were tense and strained, constantly on guard, with little time to talk to or amuse a little boy. He was not even allowed to ride his own pony, but after a few days of the pace at which they travelled, even Ereinion had to admit that Celeb would not have been able to keep up. Ainon kept him on the saddle in front of him, wrapped inside his cloak. He wondered if the cloak had another purpose other than keeping him warm, for often he wanted to see what the others were talking about, but Ainon would draw it close, preventing him from seeing out.

~*~

One day they rode for hours, far into the darkness of the night. Ereinion spent the day blindfolded by the cloak, and no amount of struggling would persuade Ainon to allow him to even peep out. The air smelt foul, and the horses' hooves sounded heavy over the thin soil. Occasionally they would halt, and there would be low and worried voices.

Somewhere in the dark shadow of the cloak, Ereinion surmised that Ainon did not want to stop, but some others were arguing with him. At first Ainon seemed to win, and Ereinion cheered silently for him as he heard the others remount and they set off again. But then they slowed and he could hear the others dismounting and leading the horses on foot.

Eventually the horse he was seated on came to a halt, and he was lifted down from the horse and set on the ground. His legs still stiff and numb from the ride, he stumbled forward and was only saved from hitting the ground by a hand grasping the back of his tunic.

"Careful, Ereinion." An unknown soldier swept him up, and carried him into the camp. Overwhelmed with sudden nervousness, Ereinion shrunk back from the unfamiliar face and looked around for Ainon, but he was leading the party and talking to several other elves and was too busy to notice his charge.

It was not that he did not like the soldier, it was just that he did not know him, not even his name. At home he had always enjoyed meeting the soldiers, and trying on their gloves or helmets and if he was very lucky, being allowed to examine their swords or better yet their spears. But his Adar had always been there then. He had always felt brave and important and princely when he was standing next to his Adar. Now he just felt like Ereinion, small and unimportant and scared.

~*~

The camp was in the depths of some forest, but it was not a nice forest. Most of the trees had been hewn roughly down and their splintered remains stood like tombstones, pale in the dark. Much of the undergrowth had been trampled or burnt leaving behind mud and ash. The few surviving trees were scarred and dirty, their leaves brown and dusty. The idea of hearing birdsong or watching rabbits here was laughable.

The company of elves gathered in a group in a clearing, several already dispatched to keep watch.

"We shall stop here for the night." Ainon ordered. "We ride again at daybreak."

The soldiers nodded and there was soft murmuring as plans were made. They were all worn, their spirits shadowed from the days of riding through land that was little more than a graveyard. Once he had finished speaking, Ereinion ran to take his hand, pressing his body against the Captain's leg.

"I am hungry."

Ainon looked down wearily and smiled slightly, "We shall soon eat."

He was beginning to think that his friend had left it a little late to transfer his son cross-country safely. The strain was beginning to show on all of them, even the child. His face was pale and his eyes were shadowed.

"What is for dinner?" Ereinion asked, more of a ritual than any real interest. It would be way bread and salted meat, always way bread and always even staler.

"I think that it might be bread and meat." Ainon's eyes crinkled up ever so slightly. "Although it is hard to guess."

Ereinion smiled weakly, then pulled eagerly on the Captain's hand.

"Can we have a fire?" His face shone with anticipation. The dull food always seemed to slip down more easily when it was eaten by firelight, with all the soldiers huddled around in a circle. Sometimes he even would pretend that he was Ainon, and that they were his men.

"Not tonight, Ereinion." Ainon said wearily, and watched the happiness on the child's face fade. He had no idea of the danger they lived in, but for that they all could be glad. No child should know what they knew, or should see what they had seen.

~*~

Ereinion woke in still grey light of dawn, and shivered slightly despite the thick cloak he was wrapped in. It had rained softly during the night and everything was wet, not the fresh cleanliness of water droplets on grass, but thick black mud and dead rotting leaves.

Silently he sat up and looked around him. A handful of elves were lying or sitting around him, but others were wandering around the edge of the camp looking out into the trees, or seeing to the horses. Ainon was sitting on a large stone, apparently lost in thought.

"Ainon?" Ereinion got to his feet and wandered over to the Captain, whispering to avoid disturbing the shifty silence of the woods.

The soldier's head darted upwards and his hand shot to the hilt of his sword, then he relaxed as he saw the child.

"Good morning Ereinion," he motioned with his thumb to the centre of the clearing, "We shall have a small fire this morning."

Suspecting that this was mostly to cheer him up after the events of the previous day, Ereinion made a brave attempt at smiling.

"Good." He frowned at the ground. "May I go exploring?"

"No." Ainon snapped, then regretting his tone as he saw the child cringe, "Not far. Do not go further than Rodhrin there."

Ereinion looked at the blond soldier just visible through the trees and nodded unhappily.

"I will come straight back." He smiled worriedly, eager to make up for whatever he had done to make Ainon angry. "I will not explore for long."

Ainon grimaced and nodded, "Shout if you get lost."

"I shall not get lost!" Ereinion said scornfully, standing up as straight as he could. He was far too old to get lost now, and in any case what did they think he had been doing for the last ten years. Navigating the passageways of his home, especially when avoiding potentially irate nannies was no mean feat.

Ainon chuckled and tilted his head toward the trees, "Run along."

~*~

Ereinion crept through the trees, pretending that he was a soldier and he was hunting evil creatures. Peeking out from behind a tree trunk he surveyed the savaged woodland for any sign of the enemy before darting to the next tree. He carried a stick by his side and would often stop to swipe at an imaginary foe, although he had learnt a few weeks back that adding his own sound effects would tend to lead to the appearance of twenty fully armed soldiers and an exceedingly irate Ainon.

Then he saw tracks, deep and harsh in the dark mud. Carefully he knelt down beside them, trying to remember what his father had told him about tracking. He had been small then, maybe only three, and his father had taken him out to some woods at the edge of the settlement and told him how to identify tracks and herbs. His father had seemed bigger then, but his arm had been bandaged and Ereinion could remember his disappointment when he had not been able to have a piggyback.

He could not identify these tracks though. They were bigger than a deer's, and deeper than those of a fox. Scrambling back to his feet and trailing his stick along the ground, Ereinion began following the tracks. They led deeper into the forest, where the trees seemed to be growing too close together, choking out the sunlight and fresh air. Nothing could be living here.

The tracks joined others like it, and they carried on eastwards, but he had already gone further than Ainon had said he could and he could hear people calling for him. He did not like it here anyway. There were too many flies, and there was a foul putrid smell.

"Ereinion!" A loud angry shout made him whirl around. He had been here for too long and Ainon was angry. Everybody would be looking for him. Through the trees he could distantly see a soldier leaning against a tree, waiting for him.

"I'm coming." He called and guiltily ran towards the soldier and slipped his hand into the large one, but the soldier did not move.

"Come on!" Ereinion tugged forwards towards the camp. The hand felt very cold. The soldier had probably been looking for him for a long time, and probably would be cross. "Come on! Ainon will be angry!"

The soldier did not reply, but toppled from the tree, landing with a thump facedown in the dirt.

Thrown off balance, Ereinion tripped onto his knees, cutting one of his palms on a half-buried bit of metal. Blinking back tears he sat up, bringing his knees close to his chest and cradling his arm against him. The soldier still lay still, and Ereinion noticed that he was dressed differently than his father's troops. And he had always been told how dangerous strange soldiers were.

Scrabbling back, suddenly afraid, Ereinion bellowed, "Ainon!"

There was a crashing through the woods behind him and Ainon appeared, followed by several other soldiers.

"This soldier. I did not know who he was." Ereinion pointed anxiously. "He is sleeping I think."

He was generally ignored as the soldiers swept through the trees, taking in the tracks and other things that Ereinion had missed - discarded weapons and small bits of cloth and leather. Ainon turned over the soldier and slipped a hand inside the collar of his shirt.

"He is very cold." Ereinion crawled to Ainon's side and added helpfully. "Shall I run back and get a blanket."

Ainon did not reply for a moment as he searched some pockets and placed something into his tunic, then grabbed Ereinion roughly, shouting orders as he ran back towards the camp. The soldiers all seemed to come alive, stamping out the fire and gathering up blankets with fearful haste. Within a few minutes the horses were untied and they were proceeding at a run through the woods. Soon the trees became thinner and in one smooth movement the elves mounted and began thundering away from the place.

Scared and not really certain of what was going on, Ereinion did not protest as he was pressed uncomfortably hard against Ainon's armour. He must have done something terribly bad this time judging from the expressions and actions of the soldiers, but as yet nobody had explained exactly what he had done.

Wriggling around with difficulty, Ereinion glanced over Ainon's shoulder and counted the soldiers. Twenty. And all dressed in blue and silver.

"Where is my soldier?" He asked, not taking the hint from the worried concentration on his minder's face. "Did you not wake him?"

Ainon did not answer, eyes focussed only on the path he was travelling.

"Ainon! Where did he go?" Ereinion pestered, tugging on Ainon's sleeve.

Ainon was silent for a while, then as they got onto easier ground looked down and with one hand roughly turned the child around and wrapped him in the cloak, too tightly to allow him to do any more wriggling or tugging.

Scowling, Ereinion spat the woolly fabric out of his mouth and looked up crossly at Ainon. "Where is my soldier?"

He knew that he should let it go, forget all about what he had seen and stop asking questions that Ainon obviously did not want to answer, but there seemed to be some persistant curiosity driving him.

"Ainon!"

Drawing his breath in sharply between his teeth, and clenching his hands tightly to resist the temptation to slap the child, Ainon looked down.

"He is dead, Ereinion. Just like your grandfather."

Shocked by the anger in Ainon's voice, Ereinion shrunk into a small ball and dug his fists into his cheeks. It would not be wise to speak of this again, and in any case he could not put his thoughts into words right yet.

~*~

Then, on one morning in the third week, the horses came to a halt at the summit of a range of hills that they had been climbing for a while. Looking back, Ereinion could see the country they had travelled, a barren land in shades of greys and browns, with burnt trees and felled forests.

"Prince Ereinion." Ainon drew back the cloak and lifted him up to allow him to see.

The road wound on down the hills on the other side, but as it worked its way across country the surrounding land became greener, and meadows and forests sprung up around the track. The road soon became invisible save for a thin thread, but the landscape continued in rich shades of greens and ruddy browns down to the sea.

Ereinion stared at the expanse of water in silence for a few minutes, then turned his face up to question the captain.

"That is the sea."

"That is. And a welcome sight indeed."


Chapter 4 - Remembering

The journey got easier once the sea was in sight. The soldiers began to relax, talking and joking among themselves, and occasionally telling stories that they knew that the young prince would enjoy. They began to make proper camps, and once again were able to eat and wash properly.

The land got flatter, and the forests gradually changed from oaks and willows to great gnarled pine trees. The air began smelling salty and the soil began to look and feel strange in a way that he heard described at sandy. The roadsides were scattered with flowers in wonderful colours that Ereinion had not even known had existed, and the woodland was full of birdsong.

Unfortunately, despite the beautiful surroundings, Ereinion's spirits seemed to have slumped. He wanted Adar and Naneth so badly that even the bright sunny days of early spring seemed clouded over.

"Now, you will like this camp." Ainon smiled at the little boy who was slumped against him. Ereinion had become rather pale and listless of late, showing little outward pleasure in the changing scenery. "There are lots of nice places where you can play."

"Oh." The prince said quietly, not moving his head from it's resting place against Ainon's chest. The soldier knew that his arm must be blocking the child's view of his surroundings, but Ereinion had made no attempt to look around it.

"Those are snowdrops, there." Ainon made his voice enthusiastic as he pointed to the flower. "You do not often see those at home. And look. . . Yavanna's tears."

To Ainon's frustration, the child made no move to look at the tiny red flowers that grew among the pine trees, and continued looking tiredly at the rings of the chain mail on the soldier's sleeve.

"They are very pretty." Ereinion said dully, his voice barely audible. He did not want to look at the flowers. They only made him think of his mother and how much she would have enjoyed them.

"But you have not seen them!" Ainon's voice was sharp with frustration, and he hoisted the child up by the back of his tunic to look at the road. "There. The red flowers."

His eyes filling with tears, Ereinion shrugged and whispered, "They are very pretty, Ainon."

Exhaling in a frustrated sigh, Ainon let go of his handful of tunic, and let the child slip back down into his customary position snuggled against his chest. It would do no good to become angry at the child, since at the slightest cross word the boy would curl up, and frightened and upset, would barely speak for days.

Perhaps his condition would improve before they had to present him to Lord Cirdan.

~*~

The camp was indeed in a pleasant spot, and much as he missed his parents, Ereinion could not help enjoying the sweet scent of the overhanging pines or the evening sunlight filtering through the trees. There were birds singing in the trees, and he sat up straighter, craning his neck around trying to see them.

Glad to see some interest from the boy, Ainon pointed out the nest in the crook of one of the trees, and talked at length of what bird had made which call. He did not know if the child was listening, but anything was better than the depressed silence. He was glad to see some life back in the too solemn grey eyes.

"There will be plenty of birds down on the coast." He helped the child turn around in the saddle to face him. "Gulls and gannets and auks. There are birds that nest on the cliffs. . . ask Lord Cirdan to show you."

"I like birds." Ereinion said simply, smiling at his minder. He was quieter now, and when he did speak he seemed to say as little as possible. Much as he worried about the absence of the little boy who could have chattered for hours about his favourite birds and overwhelmed the listener with questions, Ainon felt that at least this child would get on better with his host. Cirdan would not enjoy the Ereinion that had set out on this journey.

"Aye, and there are more than birds. You will find crabs and fish and shrimp in the rock pools." Ainon tried to pump as much enthusiasm into his voice as possible. He had not spent his childhood by the sea, but he guessed that paddling in the surf and poking sea anemones with bits of driftwood were exactly the kind of thing a child like Ereinion would enjoy. "Perhaps Cirdan will even let you go out in a boat."

Seeing that they had reached the traditional campsite for this journey, Ainon made sure that the child was holding on tightly and dismounted. It was safe here, and the track was smooth and sandy. Checking that there were no obstacles ahead and keeping a firm hand on the bridle to lead, he turned to the child, "Would you like to ride?"

Ainon offered Ereinion the reins, and was gratified when the child's entire face lit up with a whole-hearted beam.

"Ooooh, yes!"

~*~

The pine trees were nice here, unlike the ones in that horrible forest. The needles were long and soft and smelt sweet and green. The trees were neither old and withered, nor young and weak, but stretched up into the blueness of the sky in the fullness of their strength. The ground beneath them was soft and sandy and scattered with fallen needles and small flowers. Even the grass seemed greener.

Ereinion wandered silently between the trees, hands clutched together and one thumb rubbing the other palm rather nervously. Ainon had given him no warning about distance this time, but he no longer had any desire to explore anywhere.

Sometimes he thought he saw the face of his soldier slipping between trees, or in the shadows around the campfire at night. Sometimes he would run to search among the tree trunks, or strain his eyes as he peered into the gloom, but there was never any hint of the reddish orange tunic or ornately sculpted breastplate. But he had to be somewhere. People did not just disappear.

The soldier had been quite young, he thought, certainly the pale face had not had the strained weary look of most soldiers he had met. Beneath the silver of his helm, the soldier's hair had been a chestnut brown, far lighter than Ereinion had ever seen at home. He must have come from some strange city far away.

Ereinion had often heard his father speak of alliances and friendships with elves from other settlements, but he had never really thought about them until now. Once or twice there had been visitors from far off lands, and sometimes he had been allowed to meet them.

Once, when he had been very small - although perhaps not quite as small as he would have liked to remember - there had been a visitor that his father had greeted warmly and called brother. It had been quite a long time past his bedtime, but he had been so curious as to who the strange visitor was that he had crept out of bed and made his way downstairs in his nightshirt clutching Arassë to his chest for courage.

He must have been very small then, as he could remember not being able to hold the banister even with his arm stretched far above his head, and had had to descend the stairway by sliding from step to step on his bottom.

He had stood in the dark shadow of the half-open door, looking into the sitting room where some five or six adults had been sitting around a fire. He could not remember now what they had talked about, but he remembered leaning forward a little too far and then the door swinging open with a creak.

He had been afraid that he would be scolded and sent back to bed in disgrace, but instead his father had come and lifted him gently into his arms, safe from the curious glances of the visitors. Then they had gone to sit down beside Naneth, and his father had said so proudly, "This is my Ereinion."

He had been a bit shy and had buried his face against his father's shoulder and chewed on one of Arras's ears. The visitors had laughed, but it had been kind laughter, and one of them had reached across to ruffle his hair.

Later the adults had begun discussing something that he had not understood. His father had needed both hands free to deal with the maps and papers, so he had slipped down off the soft cushions to hide in the dark cavern beneath the seats, occasionally peeping out to smile at his Adar and Naneth.

When he got bored of pretending to be a scary cave creature, he had crawled silently among the maze of legs until he was sitting at the feet of his father's friend. The stranger was wearing muddy boots indoors and had a nice voice, and Ereinion decided immediately that he liked him.

Then came the bit that made him blush to remember it. For some reason he had decided that he liked the stranger so much that he would fiddle with the laces on his boots. And he had unlaced one boot right down to the toes and the other nearly to the ankle before he had tugged a little too hard, and the stranger had looked down at him and the boots. He had curled into a little ball and shrunk back under the chair apprehensively, but the stranger had merely observed his loose bootlaces then had looked straight at him and winked.

He had spent the rest of the evening curled up in loose folds of the stranger's cloak, sucking on the sugared grapes that would periodically be slipped secretly under the table. He had liked that friend a lot.

~*~

Sitting down cross-legged on the ground beneath one of the trees, Ereinion carefully smoothed a flat bit in the bare sandy soil with the palm of his right hand.

It must have been strange to have to leave your family and go and fight in a land far away, a land where the mark on your shield meant nothing. Maybe his soldier had missed his Naneth as much as he did. Maybe when he was small, he too had been worried that one day the soldiers would come home, but that his Adar would not come striding through the door to give his Naneth a hug. Perhaps he was scared of that square half-smile of greeting that people gave when they had terrible news to tell, too.

Ereinion bit his lip and arranged pine needles and a few of last year's tiny pine cones in a circle around his smooth patch, taking care that everything was perfectly symmetrical.

He could not imagine being alone in those woods, deep in the musty dark, and simply ceasing to be. Never again being able to lie in bed half-asleep and have his Naneth come in and bend down to kiss his forehead and tuck the blankets in around him. Never going back to play chess with his father, or roll around in a game of rough and tumble in the privacy of the royal study.

Perhaps when people died they got to go home to their families. It was not fair otherwise. Iluvatar would not allow something so sad to happen.

But his grandfather had not come home yet, and Ainon had said that he was dead. But everyone wanted him back, and everyone was sad. Ereinion wiped an invisible fleck of dust from his eyes with the back of his hand, and kicked his heels angrily against the ground as he thought of his grandfather. It was not fair.

Fingolfin had always seemed busy - busier even than his son - but he had always had time for his tiny grandson, and Ereinion had many fond memories. One of his favourite games when he had just learnt to walk was to toddle at full speed towards his grandfather with his arms held out as wings. He would be grabbed around the waist and swung around a few times before being thrown high in the air, squealing in delight. Fingolfin had always tossed him much higher than anyone else dared risk, but had never dropped him.

Apparently, once, his father had let him fall in a similar game. Ever since, his mother had held a rather dim view of such antics, but he could not remember falling himself - only being cuddled afterwards. His grandfather had never paid much attention to Naneth's disapproval anyway - it was he who had taught him how to slide down banisters and shoot down stairs perched on a tray, too.

Fingolfin had always encouraged Ereinion in his ambition to be a fearsome warrior had relished telling him bloodthirsty bedtime stories after his bath, when the whole family was gathered around the fire. It had also been his grandfather who had provided a tiny wooden shield and sword when he had been unable to stop sucking his thumb. Ereinion could remember sitting on his grandfather's lap as Fingolfin had placed the blue and silver painted shield in his left hand and solemnly explained that he could not possibly be a soldier if his sword hand was in his mouth.

He had not been told of his grandfather's death before, but somehow he had realised that he would never come home again. He had watched his father sit for hours by the window, staring out into the sunset without really seeing, his eyes red-rimmed. He had seen his mother try to comfort Adar, at the same time knowing that no real comfort could be offered.

He had knelt on the cold stone paving of the floor for hours during that long day. Nobody had noticed him sitting in the corner and he had arranged his blue and silver soldiers into lines and knocked them down like dominoes again and again.

~*~

Ereinion picked up a fallen pine needle and pressed an end against the flesh of his palm. A small red dot appeared and he rubbed his hand against his chin with a rather sulky expression.

Carefully he took the needle between his finger and thumb and scratched out his name in the smooth patch of dirt, forming the letters as carefully as he could manage. The fine soil was easily marked into tiny troughs, and the evening sun filled the inside of the furrows with blue-grey shadow along their western edge.

Ereinion.

It looked even smaller and insignificant among these trees than it had on the window ledge at home. When he had first managed to write it, his small hand guided by his father's larger one, it had meant the world to him.

Looking around carefully, and not quite sure whether he was allowed to do what he was about to do, Ereinion added the names of his father and grandfather to the smooth patch. It felt wrong somehow to list the names of such brave warriors side-by-side with his name, but his name had looked awfully lonely by itself. Now it looked like he was part of something.

"Ereinion!" An agitated bellow reminded him that he was also part of this camp, and that he had offered to help collect firewood.

Feeling a little braver Ereinion threaded the pine needle into the pattern around his name and got to his feet, wandering back into the camp seeking Ainon.


Chapter 5 - The Havens

As they continued westwards the air began smelling salty, especially in the evenings, and the soil began to look and feel strange in a way that he heard described at sandy. The roads and byways became busier and often they would pass people herding cows or groups of soldiers of unfamiliar mark.

One dark and windy night they rode on until they saw tiny slits of light through the lashing rain. As they got closer Ereinion could make out great walls of pale coloured stone and small figures moving in front of them. His curiosity overcoming his sleepiness, he looked up eagerly to question Ainon. Unfortunately the captain did not seem too eager to answer Ereinion's queries at this moment in time, and the prince soon found himself bundled up in tight folds of thick wool.

Rather disgruntled at this treatment, Ereinion wriggled ferociously, trying to find some way to see out even if he was not allowed to speak. They had not seen any sign of civilisation for so long that even the high walls and the thick line of trees before them seemed like a great palace or city.

"Be still. Keep quiet." Ainon hissed so sharply that Ereinion obeyed instantly and without question.

The cloak muffled most of the sounds of the night, but Ereinion could hear the horses' hooves clatter to a halt on the paving, and after some anxious voices, the sound of someone hammering on thick oak doors.

Ainon dismounted without revealing his burden from underneath the cloak, and he held the prince so tightly that Ereinion began to wonder if the elves that manned the gates were unfriendly. He had once heard his Adar talk of elves fighting elves, although he had not really understood. He would never get to understand anything at this rate. Whenever anyone saw him listening to anything interesting they immediately nudged each other and stopped talking.

The soldiers made their way up some steep steps, their footsteps echoing inside the narrow passageway. As Ainon hurried up the stairs two or three at a time, Ereinion was jolted violently up and down until he was nearly crying. Even elves became stiff and sore after weeks of riding and although Ainon eventually came to a halt, his aching stomach still continued churning.

Struggling desperately, Ereinion tried to fight his way clear of Ainon's cloak before he was sick. At first Ainon held him painfully tightly, but then the cloak was ripped aside and somebody grabbed him and pulled him out into the room.

Squinting in the sudden brightness of lanterns and firelight, Ereinion confusedly made out Ainon's dismayed face and the smug satisfaction of a strange soldier that was holding him. Like many of the soldiers that they had passed recently he was dressed in grey-green and his armour was of a rather coppery colour.

"I need. . ." Ereinion managed to gasp out in a small voice, but he was ignored as the strange captain's eyebrows shot up.

"It is a strange package indeed that you bring, Ainon." Ereinion swallowed desperately as he was swung upside down and playfully examined. "I have not seen one before that blinked."

Ainon grimaced at his counterpart and made to grab the prince back, but was restrained by two other soldiers.

"A child is unusual enough, but to be smuggled through in the dead of night. . ." The words hung heavily in the air and the captain looked enquiringly at Ainon.

"I have to. . ." Ereinion whimpered, trying to fight his way out of the strange captain's grasp.

Ainon appeared to be struggling to keep his words civil, and he held out his arms to receive the prince. "Leave the boy be. I can explain."

The arms holding Ereinion tightened around him, and the strange captain took a step back. The child was obviously extraordinarily precious for reasons that were not yet clear, and he had the advantage in negotiations whilst he held him.

"I am waiting." The captain began calmly, only to recoil slightly as much of the contents of Ereinion's stomach splashed down his tunic. Wrinkling his nose he held the elfling away from him with an expression of disgust, and spoke rather wryly. "This is yours?"

Ainon began to speak, his usual measured manner rather strained by anger, but Ereinion was no longer listening to him. He had been sick before now, but never without Naneth being there. There was nobody to give him a cuddle or help him wipe his face or change his tunic. Nobody had come with a beaker of the sweet gingery drink that would take the taste away, and Arassë was packed deep in one of the saddlebags.

The child's first cry was more of a gasp, but then he began to sob quietly and so pitifully that the soldiers surrounding him began to look awkward and drift away to the fire or to offer food to the newcomers.

"This is the son of the King?" The captain's eyebrows curled upwards again, and his face held a hint of amusement. "This is the High Prince of the Noldor?"

"Aye." Ainon met the mocking eyes with an inscrutable glare. "That is Ereinion, son of Fingon. He is here at the invitation of Lord Cirdan."

The captain nearly dropped the child with surprise. Apparently his counterpart was entirely serious. Flushing rather awkwardly he set the child down on his feet, releasing him to return to his minder, but the boy merely crumpled to the floor gasping out words between sobs.

"He appears distressed." The captain remarked guiltily. Should this story find its way back to the Lord of the Havens, he would probably find himself rewarded by heading an army against Angband.

"He wants his Naneth." Ainon answered grimly, surprising himself with the ease with which he had managed to decipher the child's wails. "She is not here."

The two captains looked at each other worriedly for a few moments. The child was showing no sign of calming down - if anything his sobs were increasing in frequency. Deciding that the best option was to delegate the task, the sea-elf slapped Ainon's shoulder with feigned merriness.

"Come, let us talk. Linendil shall see to his needs." He motioned across a kind looking elf with silver hair and whispered conspiratorially to Ainon. "He has one of his own."

~*~

"Shh. It is nothing that a bath cannot solve." Linendil knelt down and tried to take the limp little boy into his arms. He was aware that his friends were watching him curiously, and probably placing bets on his chances of success. Children were not common, even in the relative safety of the Havens, and one in such obvious distress was almost unheard of. "A nice warm bath, and then some food."

To his horror the child seemed little more than cold pale skin over tiny fragile bones. The only part of him of any substance was the hard mail of his mithril shirt, and even that was soaking wet and icy cold. A child should never have been travelling in such conditions.

Scooping him effortlessly into his arms, Linendil carried Ereinion through to the bathhouse, and sat him on a stone ledge beside the fire.

"You shall soon be warm and cosy." He promised, helping the child out of the stiff shirt and soggy woollens. Ereinion did not respond and simply cried harder, whimpering for his Naneth.

"Your Naneth is not here, little one." Linendil slipped his hands under the child's arms and lifted him into the tub of steaming water. "But I am sure that she is thinking of you."

He had a son of his own, back at home. He imagined that the two boys were much the same age judging by their height, but his Nénar was strong and healthy looking and his rosy face was nearly always smiling.

"I have a son, about your age." Linendil filled a jug with warm water and poured it over Ereinion's huddled form, using one hand to shield the child's eyes from stinging soapy water. "He is fond of scrambling on the cliffs. I think he goes much too high, but he has not yet fallen."

Ereinion did not respond but his crying did ease, although it was not apparent whether this was due to comfort or simply having realised that however hard he cried his Naneth could do nothing to help him.

"Whenever I come home he likes to play with my shield. He sits on it and slides down the sand dunes." The elf's eyes crinkled up happily at the memory. "He also likes to paddle in the surf and go crabbing from the north quay."

Ereinion shivered despite the warmth of the water. He knew that the nice soldier was only trying to cheer him up, but he was reminding him of all the fun things that he had done with his Adar. Even if he knew what crabbing was, there would be nobody to play with him or make him feel special in the Havens.

"There." Linendil rinsed off the last of the soap, wiped away the stray tears from Ereinion's cheeks, and wrapped him in a huge towel. "Is that not better?"

Ereinion sniffed and muttered something so quietly that the soldier had to bend his head to hear it.

"You want Arassë? Who is Arassë?"

Ereinion whispered something else, no longer caring who knew that he needed a stuffed fawn however close he was to eleven.

"Ah. My Nénar has a special blanket. He will not go to sleep without it." Linendil grinned and strolled through to the main room where the two groups of soldiers had gathered, and enquired as to the whereabouts of the small fluffy toy. "He shall soon be found."

Ereinion watched with big eyes as the bag that contained his personal belongings was emptied, and the contents strewn across the floor. He paid little attention to having his hair combed or someone pulling a huge undershirt over his head, all his concentration being on the helpful soldiers as they alternately held up possible items and made suggestions. Eventually the child grew tired of shaking his head at cases of mistaken identity and looked on with increasing anxiety as his belongings were packed back into the bag, and some soldiers began rummaging through bags of shirts and tunics.

"Arassë?" Ereinion queried in a woebegone little voice at last. The soldiers looked at him uncomfortably and Ainon sighed.

"I am sorry Ereinion, he must have got left behind somewhere."

This time he did not even have the spirit to cry.

~*~

They stayed the night there, sheltered from the storm and sleeping in narrow wooden bunks that felt impossibly soft after the weeks of camping. The next morning, after a good meal they set off again, although this time Ereinion was not required to wear the armour.

He had wanted to throw it away for the magpies that would surely flock to claim so shiny a thing, but as usual Ainon had intervened. Apparently it was valuable and his father would be most cross if it were lost. He would have much rather had Arassë than a stupid metal shirt, but Ainon had scowled when informed of this opinion, and had told him that precious though Arassë had been, he would have offered little protection against a poisoned arrow or a thrown spear.

So the nasty mithril shirt came with them anyway. Ereinion could not see the point of having it. It was not even as if he would be allowed to do anything fun with it like seeing if he sank if he jumped into the bath with it on. But Ainon had insisted. And then given him a long lecture about how important it was for soldiers to be prepared. As if he did not know.

They rode past ploughed fields and small farms, and once or twice had to slow to avoid hens or lambs that had wandered onto the road. By late morning the countryside merged into houses and stables built of pale yellow stone and thatched with some sort of thick sea grass. Nice though the spires and arches were, Ereinion could not help thinking them slightly inferior to the heavy grey fortified buildings of his home. These would never stand up to an attack.

There were so many elves here. Ainon pointed out people smoking fish, a dog with a litter of puppies, and busy markets. They even stopped at one stall to buy some fresh bread and apples, and sat on the edge of a fountain in the middle of a square to eat them. Ereinion barely remembered to swallow as he stared openly at everyone and everything with huge eyes.

Most interesting were the other children - chasing each other around the square, sailing tiny boats in the icy waters of the fountain and playing with some kittens. He had never seen so many other elflings before, and these all seemed so full of life. He would have dearly liked to go and play with them, but despite Ainon saying that he could and even pointing out one boy who was playing alone and surely would not mind company, Ereinion could not bring himself to go over and say hello. He had always wanted a friend, but right now the other elflings seemed awfully loud and really a bit frightening.

In any case, he was quite happy to sit and watch for the moment. People seemed to smile and laugh so much here, and all the colours seemed brighter. He began to wish even more strongly that his parents were with him, to allow them to see the wonderful world that existed beyond the hills. Perhaps his father could even come to live here, with all his people, and they could all live happily ever after.

Presently they remounted and followed a wide paved road through the town and grassy dunes, up to a huge house of pale coloured stone, and came to a halt in a large courtyard. The soldiers dismounted and handed the reins of their tired horses to stable hands that appeared from behind some trees. Ainon lifted him down from the saddle and placed him on the ground before turning to remove some bundles from the packs.

Rather overcome by their sudden arrival, Ereinion wandered into a small grassy patch shaded by some trees and sat down, hidden behind a tree trunk. It was everything he had ever dreamed of. Trees to climb, shrubberies to hide in, large grassy lawns to run around on, and stables to sneak into. He knew that he should be busy exploring before someone caught him and made him do something boring, but he suddenly did not feel like moving at all. He would be quite happy to sit here for a very long time.


Chapter 6 - Shields

Ereinion had wondered what Cirdan would be like, of course. Worried about it.

At first he had wanted someone young and exciting - maybe a captain or a master archer - someone who would take him for rambles and picnics, or take him fencing or riding. It would be nice to be able to return home already a fully trained warrior, ready to go to battle for his father.

But at the moment he seemed to be more of a worrier than a warrior. He was not sure that he even wanted someone who would let him stay up late, or allow him to eat his pudding without finishing his vegetables, or let him choose exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted someone just like his Adar.

He hoped that Cirdan would be kind and understanding. His father and grandfather had a warm safe feeling about them, and when he had been scared, he had leant against their legs and felt braver. He wanted his Adar to give him a cuddle right now, very badly.

He needed someone to talk to, someone who would answer his questions, someone who would explain things. There was so much that he did not understand. He needed someone that he could trust to tell him the truth, even if it hurt. Maybe if he told Cirdan that he was older than he really was, the shipwright would tell him more. But that would be lying, and his Naneth had always told him that lying was wrong.

Although it would be nice to have a big brother who would make him feel special and let him do all the things that he liked to do best, he would rather have someone who would give him a cuddle and tell him that it would all be all right. Someone who would sit down with him and tell him that he had been mistaken, and show him that the terrible things that he had heard and seen were not really real.

He had sometimes heard his father speak of Cirdan, and he had never really been that intrigued by the shipwright. Not like his Uncle Turgon who had made a hidden city up in the mountains somewhere, or his father's friend, Maedhros, who slayed things. It sounded much more interesting to go to war and battle orcs, than to build boat after boat.

But he was sure that all would be well. Nobody could spend all their time building ships after all.

~*~

The sound of voices calling for him brought Ereinion back to the present, and he unwillingly got to his feet, and wandered back to the paved expanse of the courtyard. Everyone was milling around, unloading packs and saddlebags, greeting strangers, or walking stiffly around to stretch their legs.

He quite liked the look of Cirdan's house. It seemed more solid than those of the townsfolk, with thick walls and roofs of stone. It was set apart slightly from the rest of the town - maybe ten or fifteen minutes walk to reach the other houses - and was higher on the hill, closer to the sheer cliffs than the harbour and quays at the far end of the bay. It would not be the first place for the enemy to attack, and if they did he would have plenty of time to run and hide in the dunes or the pine forests that extended almost to the shore.

"There you are." A soldier grabbed him, and gave him a none too gentle shove towards the front of the building where several members of Cirdan's household had gathered to meet them. He would be none too glad to see the last of the cumbersome child. It was not that he disliked the prince, but he brought danger to their company, and had slowed down their progress across the lands. His neighbour had a child too - a little girl, not yet past her fourth begetting day. Too young to travel, her family's only hope lay in trusting the strength of the walls and the bravery of the soldiers.

As Ereinion stumbled forwards, Ainon took him by the shoulder and led him forward, squeezing comfortingly as they approached the small gathering. He could sense the child's pounding heart beat, and a small hand was grasping a handful of his leggings with fearful tightness.

Kneeling down, he straightened Ereinion's tunic and dusted down the child's leggings. The captain doubted somehow that he would ever see the child again. As he tidied the dark braids, he bent his head close to the child's ear and spoke softly.

"You are the future of our people, Ereinion. Represent us well."

Ereinion nodded earnestly, and Ainon felt a slight pang. He wanted to warn him not to take the shipwright's rough words and uneven temper seriously. To let him know that adults did not always mean what they say

He gave Ereinion a small push forwards and spoke up clearly. "This is Ereinion, High Prince of the Noldor."

Swallowing hard, Ereinion looked around nervously at the strangers, trying to guess which one was Cirdan. Eager to make a good impression he approached a tall dark-haired elf, and nodded his head in greeting.

"Lord Cirdan, I am Ereinion."

The dark haired elf smiled, and the audience began laughing kindly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Ereinion." The dark haired elf looked amused, but spoke seriously. "But I regret to tell you that I am not Lord Cirdan himself. My name is Andir, and I keep the library."

"Oh." Ereinion's cheeks went red. "Well met, Andir."

Feeling rather silly, the prince blinked away the tears in his eyes and looked around desperately at the other faces. All looked pleasant enough, eyes both curious and kind, most of them with a smile for him - but not one came forwards. How was he to know which one was Lord Cirdan? Could it be some sort of test? Was Cirdan standing at the back somewhere, becoming angry with him for his rudeness?

He could feel a lump growing in his throat, and his eyes were stinging angrily. The more he thought about it, the more sure he was that he would cry. Unhappily he looked back over his shoulder at Ainon. The captain was watching him with an encouraging smile, but his face gave no hint as to who the Lord of the Havens was.

But he was High Prince of the Noldor, and Ainon expected him to represent his people well. So did his Adar and Naneth, and his grandfather would do too. And greeting the wrong person then bursting into tears on the steps of Lord Cirdan's house would hardly make people think well of the Noldor. He did not want his Adar to think that he had shamed his people.

Swallowing hard, Ereinion lifted his head arrogantly high, and looked around at his hosts.

"Greetings to you all."

His voice was a little more wobbly than he would have liked, but anything was better than crying. They smiled at him again, but none of them said anything. Ereinion licked his lips anxiously, wondering what he should do. His Naneth had always told him to be polite, even if other people were rude.

"Thank you for letting me come. I am glad to be here."

Naneth had told him never to lie too, but he was sure that this was a kind lie, and was not really bad. There was a moment more silence, then the members of the household looked gratefully behind them into the house at a slight noise. Ereinion braced himself for meeting Lord Cirdan, but instead of a tall majestic elf-lord, a smiling lady hurried down the steps and placed her arm around Ereinion's shoulders. The prince leant back into her arm, subconsciously seeking more comfort. She was not his Naneth, but it had been so long since anyone had given him anything approaching a cuddle.

"Welcome to the Havens, Ereinion." She smiled again and began leading him into the house. Ereinion cast a last desperate look back at the soldiers who had escorted him and especially Ainon, and let himself be taken in through the doorway.

~*~

The House of Cirdan did not appear so very different from home at first. The entrance hall was huge and echoing, with a wide curving staircase sweeping up to higher levels, and there were seemingly endless passageways and corridors. All was built from the same pale stone, with wooden floors, and high arching windows made up of several panes of glass. There were pictures on the walls, of ships and cliffs and the sea, and occasionally displays of arms and shields.

"There, that is Lord Cirdan's shield." She pointed out a shield the deep green-grey colour of a stormy sea. Crossed behind it were a sword and a spear. Ereinion stood still for a while, looking at them. He did not understand.

His Adar had always said that any elf that was fit and able should take up his sword against the enemy, to protect their people. It was cowardly not to. It was wrong. But here Lord Cirdan had his weapons hanging from the wall alongside tapestries and paintings. There was even a little dust on the curved surface of the shield.

"Is everything all right, Ereinion?" The housekeeper asked at last. The boy seemed more interested in the weapons than any child she had ever known - almost transfixed by the blades.

Perhaps that was the fault of his upbringing. She had heard that the Noldor made toys of swords, and their children played games of death.

Blushing guiltily, Ereinion tore his eyes away from the display and smiled at his guide, "Oh yes. I was just interested."

As they carried on down the hallway she continued to point out objects she thought would be of interest to the young prince, but his answers were brief in the extreme and it was obvious that he was not really listening. Eventually they passed through a doorway and immediately the air seemed warmer and the rooms more lived in. The floor was scattered with rugs in shades of blue and grey, and there were brass lanterns mounted on the walls. He could hear the crackle of a fire in one of the rooms, and he could smell something good cooking.

After weeks of hasty and poorly cooked meals, this cheered him immensely, and his stomach rumbled loudly. His guide smiled down at him at this.

"You are hungry. Well, you go and meet Cirdan and I shall bring you in something."

Ereinion gave her a whole-hearted smile, and gladly followed her when she turned down a side corridor and rapped sharply on a thick panelled door.

There was no answer, and after the third knock there was still no response. Ereinion began to feel sick again, and nervous tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Lord Cirdan?" She opened the door and peered inside, then looked down at Ereinion with an expression of regret. "He is out at the moment. Why do you not wait here?"

She indicated a window seat with a wonderful view over the sea and the path down to the town. Ereinion glanced worriedly at the beautiful view from the window, but fidgeted and did not move.

"First you will be wanting to wash your hands, I expect." She smiled down at Ereinion and led him to another doorway. "Now, go back and sit in the study when you've finished. Lord Cirdan shall soon return"

"Thank you." Ereinion said very properly, then as she turned to leave, blurted out, "I. . . I do not know your name."

He suddenly wanted her to stay very badly. However new a friend she was, she was still a friend, and he did not want to be alone in this strange and new world.

"My name is Thatharien." She smiled sadly at him then sighed. "I am just the housekeeper."

~*~

His hands and face washed, and his hair tidied in a manner that would make his nanny proud, the prince made his way back along the corridor. It was quite dark in the little passageway, the only light being from the paned window that was high on the end wall. At first he could see little in the gloom, but after a few moments he was able to focus on the unlit lantern hanging above the doors and concentrate on the small hints as to the shipwright's character. A picture of a great white ship sailing over a stormy sea, and - far too high for Ereinion to reach - a row of carved wooden hooks hung with great blankets of cloaks, and a collection of boots neatly standing below them. Thatharien had taken his cloak and hung it on one of those hooks, but he could not see it even when he craned his head back as far as he could manage.

He probably should take his boots off too, to avoid trampling mud over the polished wooden floors, but he liked his boots and he was not sure that he would ever get them back if they were tidied away to some high and inaccessible place. It made him feel braver to wear them anyway. Soldiers and kings wore boots.

Ereinion tiptoed into the study, half hoping that Cirdan had come back while he had been out, half-hoping that he would never come. The room was still empty, and feeling surprisingly disappointed, Ereinion made his way over to the window seat and sat down. There was a small fire burning in the grate and he was tempted to go and warm himself by the flames, but he knew that it probably would not help the cause of the cold that gripped his body.

The study was a large room, furnished only by an enormous desk and chair, the window seat and the fireplace. The two walls that were without windows were covered in bookshelves, and with a hint of his previous curiosity, Ereinion went over to inspect them. To his disappointment, all looked boring - annals and histories, and none of the beautifully illustrated tales of adventure that he favoured. Perhaps Cirdan kept his interesting books up in his bedroom to read before going to sleep. If he were a Lord that was exactly what he would do. Books were much more fun when you were tucked warm and comfortable into your blankets, far away from painted monsters and imaginary dragons.

Anxious to please his new guardian, Ereinon decided to follow Thatharien's instructions to the letter and scrambled onto the window seat. The cushions were soft and warm, and after his long journey, incredibly comfortable. He curled up against the high wooden back of the seat and hugged one of the cushions to him as his eyes eagerly explored the landscape outside the window.

The gardens extended around the back of the house to some rather scrubby windswept trees, before the land broke into grassy hillocks covered in rabbit holes, and then into sandy dunes with tufts of coarse marram grass. The wide expanse of the bay was visible over the dunes, stretching from the tall craggy cliffs on his right to the flat winding coastline on his left.

If he leant forwards he could see a paved path making its way down to the town and a long grey stone quayside with wooden jetties jutting out into the water. There were boats bobbing around on the blue waters of the bay, and people hauling in nets and lines. The tide was out and he could see people digging around in the wet sand with sticks, and further up the beach, smaller silhouettes chasing each other and jumping into pools of water with giant splashes.

If he had to stay here, he should at least try to enjoy himself. His parents would want that, and time always passed more quickly when he was having fun. With all this to explore it should not be difficult - if only he could forget how much he missed Naneth and Adar for a few hours.


Chapter 7 - Cirdan

Lord Cirdan of the Havens strode briskly up the sandy cliff path that led from the cobbled quaysides to the back of his home, listening to the distant crash of the waves against the cliffs as he mentally constructed frameworks and bows. The improved beam joints would allow them to bear a heavier load and withstand more strain, so there were many new design possibilities.

"Hail, Lord Cirdan." A soldier dressed in the deep blue and silver of the High King's army came striding towards him, out of the tall Scots pines that grew around the southern reaches of his gardens. As he drew closer, the shipwright recognised him as Ainon, one of Fingolfin's captains. One of Fingon's captains now, of course.

"Hail!" Cirdan turned and waited for the newcomer, raising his arm in a friendly greeting. "What news?"

The two elves stood side by side, heads bent slightly as they spoke rapidly of what had passed, and Ainon handed over several letters and other documents that he had been consigned to carry.

"We have delivered the High Prince to your care." Ainon tilted his head towards the house with a slight grimace. "He will do well, I hope. There is a letter. . ."

"Aye, thank you." Cirdan fingered the thick parchment with its wax seal, and raised his silvery brows slightly. He had received the news that the young prince - now the High Prince - would be entrusted to his care with some surprise. It seemed but a moment since they heard that the then High Prince of the Noldor and his wife had been blessed with a healthy infant son. "Time passes quickly."

"Aye." Ainon said doubtfully, not quite sure what the shipwright was referring to. "That is does."

~*~

The party from Hithlum seen on its way - heading towards the barracks where they would linger a few days before riding out with some of the sea elves, taking advantage of the protection of increased numbers for as long as possible - Cirdan strode into the house, using the main entrance rather than the back door as was his habit for everyday matters.

Thatharien was at his side the moment he entered his personal quarters, and he slowed his pace to allow her to walk comfortably rather than scurry after him.

"Good day, Thatharien." The Shipwright's tense shoulders relaxed slightly as he entered the familiar surroundings, despite the worrying news that he had been given. He really wished for some time to himself, to mull over the information and read the letters at his leisure, but he could tell that his housekeeper wished to discuss things, although she would not speak out of turn.

"Good day, my Lord." The silvery head dipped briefly in greeting, then she began speaking, touching each finger of her left hand in turn as she dealt with the matters in hand. Cirdan was not one to become overly bothered about laundry and linen, as long as his needs were not left wanting, but he did expect to be told of all that happened in his household. "We have been gifted with herbs and spices from the east, they are now in the lower kitchens being bottled and dried. There are also a selection of ornaments and trinkets that I have dusted and left for your perusal in the northern reception chambers. There were also a number of garments and belongings for our guest. I have placed those in his prepared room. And. . ."

The housekeeper paused, as if wondering if she should speak her mind.

"The Prince?" Cirdan prompted impatiently, noting absently that Thatharien was now wringing her fingers together.

The housekeeper looked at him with a small smile that he had neither the time nor the inclination to decipher, then returned to her normal slightly worried expression. "He is a little young, my Lord."

Cirdan grunted. That he had expected. He would not enjoy sharing his time and quarters with a young elf - having to listen to him lusting after his first loves, or pretend to be interested in the self-important propounding of whatever theories or ideas he thought he was an expert in that particular evening. And to have impressed his extreme youth on his kind and understanding housekeeper so soon, he must be immature indeed. He could always begin eating in the shipyards should his home life become too trying.

"Perhaps. . ." Thatharien hesitated slightly then ventured a little nervously. "Some arrangements have been changed."

"Aye?" The bushy silver brows arched upwards, and Cirdan looked in surprise at the female elf. He had not known her to do such a thing without lengthy discussion since she had come to his household, and he could not help but wonder what had disturbed her to this degree.

"It can be quickly rectified, my Lord." Thatharien spoke with nervous haste, the repetitive use of the formal title making Cirdan a little wary. She had not even been this apologetic when there had been an accident with the ink in his study.

"And what is this rectifiable change?" The shipwright queried brusquely. Thatharien had enabled him to keep his home running smoothly and to a tight routine for nearly a hundred years, and he trusted that this change - whatever it was - was absolutely unavoidable.

"I felt it best to move the young prince from his allotted rooms to the guest chamber opposite your bedchamber." Thatharien spoke quickly, and did not meet his eyes as she took a deep breath before continuing. "I have prepared the room with furnishings I feel that he will enjoy."

Cirdan nodded. His housekeeper had an undeniable gift at making his guests feel welcome with the individual touches she gave their rooms, but that did not explain the move in the first place.

"Why my guest rooms?" The shipwright scowled and then, realising that the comment sounded rather peevish attempted to qualify it with, "The set of rooms we picked out is far more suitable. He will have space to entertain his own guests, and he may even eat in them if he wishes."

He hoped that the prince would manage to cultivate a desire to eat breakfast in them, at least. He was fond of his solitary breakfasts where he would ponder the matters of the day in peace, and had no desire to share them with a chattering young elf. He could see no reason for his housekeeper's sudden change of heart. Only a few days ago she had been busily preparing his finest guest suite for the arrival of his guest. Why anyone would want to move from the luxurious suite of bedchamber, study and sitting room was beyond him.

Anyway it was his guest room, in his private quarters, in his house. He did not want anyone whose company he did not enjoy there, High Prince of the Noldor or not.

"I am sure that he will find the room quite spacious, my Lord." Thatharien murmured, surprisingly still holding her ground, although her hands had begun to quiver slightly. "It is quite fitting for his size."

Cirdan gave her a puzzled look, and swept off his cloak in a whirl of dark blue cloth.

"If I find the arrangements unsuitable, he may move at the end of the week." The shipwright hung up the cloak on one of the many crowded hooks, and bent down to unlace his damp sea boots.

Thatharien nodded with a disapproving look that warned him that he would be happier if he found the arrangements suitable. "Very well, my Lord."

~*~

Ereinion's heart leapt nervously as the door to the study opened with a dull rasp, and he clutched the cushion tightly to his body for comfort. His stomach had begun feeling funny too, but more in a fluttery excited way than before. He tugged nervously at one of his braids, winding it in- between his squirming fingers and thumb, and gave the door his best smile.

Cirdan strode into the room, somehow managing to look imposing despite standing in only a pair of thick woollen socks with damp toes. Ereinion's first impression of him was of someone very tall and angular, with skin bronzed by the sun and wind. His hair was silver and was drawn loosely back from his face and tied back with a series of leather thongs. He did not look much like a Lord of anywhere, for he was wearing a rough tunic covered in tar and wood shavings over his shirt and leggings, and he carried no jewels or brooches. Even more strangely, his hair did not seem to know where it should live, and had grown all over his face like the hedgehog that he and his Naneth had once found in the woods. Although he knew that it was rude to stare, Ereinion could not take his eyes from it.

The pair looked long and hard at each other for a few minutes, each maintaining a breathless silence.

"Prince Ereinion of the Noldor." Cirdan made a barely perceptible motion with his head, and let his eyes travel over his guest. He was so obviously Fingon's son, with rapidly blinking grey eyes and dark hair pulled back into painfully tight braids fastened with a silver star at each temple. He was so obviously a child, his muddy boots on the cushions for no other reason than that his legs were too short to extend over the broad seat of the bench. He had never imagined that the boy would be so small, or that he would be sent here whilst still so young. He could not be more than a dozen years past babyhood at most.

"Lord Cirdan of the. . . um. . . I. . . um. . . Teleri." Ereinion's smile was bright in spite of his confused look as he battled with the title. He had meant to say Havens, but then he had been called of the Noldor, so maybe Lord Cirdan would want to be called one of the Teleri.

Pausing in his examination of the child at the stumbling greeting, Cirdan gave the child a rather late and rusty smile.

Ereinion responded to the grimace with a quivering lip and chattering teeth. He had not even done anything and already Cirdan seemed displeased with him. Judging from the way the shipwright was staring at him, maybe he should not have sat down. His boots had dropped some dirt onto the deep green cloth of the cushions. Covertly, Ereinion tried to brush some of the caked bits of mud away, but this only served to smear them further on the fabric.

Blinking back the unwelcome tears began to fill his eyes, threatening to spill out from his lashes and run in hot streams down his cheeks, Ereinion got to his feet, clutching onto the wooden edge of the seat for longer than was strictly necessary to give him confidence. Surely Thatharien would explain that he had only been doing what he had been told, that he had been trying to be good.

"Sit." Cirdan said suddenly, as usual his voice taking a commanding tone. He had no desire to have his people stand and bow before him, especially a child such as this. The shipwright's keen eyes had not missed the pale face, shadowed eyes or thin little body. He could surely count the child's ribs through the tiny tunic and shirt.

Ereinion sat. The shipwright sounded very stern and very grave, and he did not wish to anger him.

"On the seat." Cirdan's voice was harsh with confusion. The last time he had been in council with leaders of the Noldor it had still been customary for them to sit in chairs rather than squat uncomfortably on the floor. Perhaps children liked to do such things, but he had no desire to have to stick his head between his knees in order to speak to his guest.

Shaking slightly in spite of his efforts to appear brave, Ereinion scrambled back onto the bench, ignoring the hand that was offered to him. Although the shipwright was less substantial looking than his father or grandfather, when he towered above him like this, Ereinion was more than a little afraid.

"Here we are!" Thatharien bustled in with a loaded tray, and set it down on the bench beside the elfling. "You shall soon feel better with this inside of you."

"Thank you." Ereinion murmured quietly, eyeing the plates of biscuits, bread and butter, cheese and slices of smoked fish eagerly. Simple though the snack was, it looked and smelt delicious and he was so very hungry.

"Aye, my thanks." Cirdan smiled at his housekeeper, and strode over to the other end of the bench and sat down, trying hard not to notice the way the elfling stiffened and edged away. "We shall enjoy this."

With Thatharien gone, the room lapsed momentarily into silence as Cirdan poured out some very hot sweet tea into one mug and handed a large glass of milk to Ereinion. Too thirsty to even stutter his thanks, Ereinion drank lustily, watching Cirdan over the rim of the glass with big eyes. The shipwright appeared disinterested in him, apparently looking out of the window as he took gulps from his mug, but actually watching the child's reflection as it moved in the glass.

This changed everything. Instead of an inexperienced yet independent young elf, he was now in sole charge of a child, and a small one and that. No wonder Thatharien had been so insistent on the room - her maternal instincts and quiet yet steadfast determination seemed to have been reawakened rather suddenly.

Cirdan set down his empty mug with a rather unnecessarily loud chink of pottery against wood, trying to bring some distraction into the awkward silence. What was one supposed to say to such an infant anyway? There was little point enquiring after his journey or health, for those were obvious at a glance, and the shipwright was not a fan of words without worth.

"You are now the High Prince." Cirdan stated, watching the child intently as he drank. A large milk moustache was forming above his small pale lips, and the earnest grey eyes were still watching him anxiously.

The child nodded, not removing the glass from his lips. He had been named as High Prince on the same day as his father had been sworn in as the High King, but he was not going to speak about that with the shipwright.

It had been a long day, full of lengthy ceremonies and uncomfortable clothes. There had been a great sense of sadness in the halls, and the celebrations had not managed to cheer anyone up. Adar had been given his grandfather's crown, and he had had to wear Adar's circlet. It had been too big of course. He had once enjoyed dressing up in a trailing silk shirt as he peeped out from between the silver and mithril bands of the crown - but this had been different.

The only things that had really changed were that his mother now spent long hours in the study, and his father had less time for him. He had not even sat next to his father at the coronation feast, so there had been nobody to help him with his meat, but he had still been told off when his duck had landed in another guest's lap.

"I trust that you will enjoy the Havens." Cirdan said sombrely, giving his usual greeting for visiting dignitaries. "You are very welcome here."

Ereinion nodded again, but his milk was finished and he had no choice but to put down the glass and speak politely, as he had always been taught to do for such greetings. "Thank you, I am honoured."

The child reached for a napkin and wiped his face thoroughly, taking such a long time that Cirdan began to suspect that being able to hide his mouth behind the linen gave him some comfort.

There was an awkward silence, for Cirdan had nothing else he was inclined to say and his mind had drifted off to think of the as yet unopened letters and document, and Ereinion was feeling rather shy.

The shipwright reached absently for a slice of bread and piled cheese and fish onto it before folding it over, creating a makeshift sandwich. As he took a large bite, he noticed a worried pair of eyes watching him anxiously. The child had not touched the food at all so far, although his housekeeper clearly had thought that he needed it for she seldom provided food under normal circumstances.

"Do you not like. . ." Cirdan spoke with his mouth full and grunted as he nodded down at the tray. Ereinion nodded earnestly, then shook his head rapidly as he looked longingly at the plates of food. He wanted some so badly, but he did not know if he was allowed any. And the shipwright's question had been confusing, and now he would probably not be left any.

"Then perhaps if you could manage some," Cirdan nudged the tray over towards the child as he took another bite and chewed it thoughtfully. "Thatharien will be offended if you do not."

Ereinion smiled shyly at this, and reached forwards eagerly to construct a sandwich the exact mirror of the shipwright's - matching each ingredient slice for slice, afraid to appear greedy if he ate too much. Cirdan sighed and picked out a handful of thick oatmeal biscuits, hoping to encourage the child to eat a little more and reward Thatharien's efforts. The child was chewing quickly, almost as if he was starving and afraid that the food would disappear. His eyes were focused only on the bread between his fingers, and his face appeared so solemn that Cirdan was tempted to laugh.

"Biscuits?" Cirdan shoved the platter under the child's nose the moment he had swallowed the last mouthful of his sandwich, ensuring that he had little choice to accept.

Ereinion gave him an anxious look, quickly counting the number that the shipwright held, then gathering his own handful. "Thank you. They are nice."

Cirdan nodded, then feeling some strange need to keep the conversation flowing, followed the child's eyes to his desk. The earnest grey gaze was now focused on his paperweight - a carved wooden ship sailing in a thick glass bottle.

"That is my paperweight." Cirdan nodded towards his desk, the corners of his lips twitching upwards. "A good friend once gave it to me."

Ereinion's eyes widened, and he leant forwards slightly, trying to gain a better look. He had noticed it as he had waited for Cirdan, but his Adar had always told him it was rude to read other people's letters, and the shipwright's desk was covered in letters and documents. If he had got close enough to examine the ship then he might have accidentally seen some of the precise and cramped script.

Cirdan looked at him, one bushy brow quirking upwards. The boy obviously wanted to see the ornament, for his mind and body were bent as far towards the paperweight as possible without actually moving or speaking, but he seemed unwilling to actually take any action.

Grunting, the shipwright got to his feet and fetched the paperweight before returning to his seat and cradling the bottle gently in his hands. It was very old now, even by the standards of the elves, and the thick green tinted glass was becoming rather cloudy. Inside the scraps of sailcloth were yellowing, but the thin threads that made up the minute rigging were still taut. If one looked close enough it was even possibly to see tiny painted figures and admire the delicate brass fittings set in the woodwork.

Ereinion scrambled around on the seat until he was crouching on his knees, and leant forwards eagerly to look at the ship - his lower lip sucked in slightly, and his eyes large. Gratified by the child's interest, Cirdan launched into a long and extremely detailed explanation of the various sections of the ship, and the various considerations that had to be made when building them. Ereinion listened with interest, nodding occasionally and sucking on the first two fingers of his right hand. Then, as Cirdan continued to explain how to test beams to ensure that they would stand the strain, he reached out a hand to touch the curved glass.

"Do not touch!" Cirdan said sharply, instinctively jerking the paperweight from Ereinion's reach. He had no intention of letting little elfling fingers make sticky marks over his belongings. Damp sucked little fingers that would leave damp slobbery little marks. Even if he was to protect the young prince, he had no intention of allowing his home to become any less ordered.

Ereinion's hand shot back as if he had been scorched, and he hastily placed the biscuits back on the plate with excessive care. He shuffled around to face the window, sitting on his hands lest he accidentally touch something else. Sighing loudly, the shipwright replaced the paperweight on the desk, moving across the room in a manner that left Ereinion no need to guess as to his temper. He had not meant to upset the child, but that seemed to matter little.

"I will not tolerate disorder." Cirdan said sternly, hoping that this explanation would comfort the child. It did not seem to, but Ereinion nodded anxiously, biting one quivering lip. The shipwright shuffled awkwardly and looked down towards the beach, his blue eyes troubled. The least he could do was to treat the boy as any other visiting dignitary. "When you have readied yourself, perhaps you would wish to see the gardens?"

Ereinion sprang to his feet instantly. The air inside Cirdan's house seemed to have become awfully tight and difficult to breathe suddenly. "I am ready, Lord Cirdan."

Stifling a groan, Cirdan turned back to the prince with what he hoped would look like a pleased smile. It had been his intention to quickly read Fingon's remarks at least before proceeding any further. Surely the child could take a hint.

The shipwright grunted and stepped back to allow Ereinion to lead the way out of the room, adding absently in recognition of his guest's youth, "There is a beach where you shall play."


Chapter 8 - Swimming

The shipwright strode down the rough trail through the dunes to the shore, followed at a small distance by Ereinion. The elfling's legs were very much shorter than his host's, and Ereinion was hard pressed to keep up, even when walking as fast as he could manage. The dunes closest to the house were covered with scrubby grass, brambles and dried thistles, but as they approached the shoreline much of the greenery faded away into bare white sand and windswept marram grass.

There were so many interesting things to do here. Ereinion could see a prickly dry head of some plant that was just begging to be picked, small blue and purple flowers amidst the grass, and there were small footprints running up and down some of the steepest slopes. But there was no time to stop and explore today. Cirdan was walking a great pace, and Ereinion was afraid that if he became lost he would never find his way back home. The green dunes all looked amazingly similar compared with the hills and mountains back home, and the paths and hollows held no memories for him.

"Here." Cirdan stopped so suddenly that Ereinion nearly ran into him, and pointed down a small sandy incline to an expanse of damp sand and, beyond that, the sea.

Peeping out from behind Cirdan's legs, afraid that it might be rude to push ahead to have a better look, Ereinion took a deep breath and let his mouth hang open. He had never expected the sea to be this big. The sands seemed to stretch on forever, but beyond that the pewter sea went on and on until it seemed to blend into the skyline. Even the sky seemed bigger here, and if he looked up he could nearly see a full sphere of grey overcast skies.

Suddenly feeling very small and alone, Ereinion instinctively reached upwards, fumbling to find a reassuring hand as he craned his neck to try and find an edge to the sky. The shipwright seemed so tall next to him, his face shadowed against the brightness of the sky.

As the cold fingers brushed against his thumb, Cirdan's arm jerked backwards with a start. The shipwright looked down at the small hand with great distaste, and suddenly found need to move his hand up rub his hand against his beard.

Ereinion's hand fumbled anxiously in mid air, trying to grasp the fingers that he had been so sure were there, then slipped towards the embroidered trim of the shipwright's tunic.

His bushy silver eyebrows rising into a surprised angular line, Cirdan hurriedly sidestepped out of the reach of such a short arm, once again frustrating the elfling's efforts. This time Ereinion seemed to realise what had happened, and looked up at him in confusion, the grey eyes wide with surprise. He had never met such a stupid elf before. His Naneth and Adar always knew when he wanted to hold hands before he even reached for them, and his grandfather always knew - always had known, Ereinion corrected himself very properly - when he needed a cuddle. His Adar had told him that Cirdan was very wise, but perhaps he had made a mistake.

Smiling his best smile at the shipwright, Ereinion stretched out his hand for Cirdan to take. Perhaps he just did not know what he was supposed to do. He had once heard Ainon speaking with one of the other soldiers, and he had said that Cirdan did not have children of his own - not even grown up ones. Maybe the shipwright was so old that he had forgotten how to hold hands. It must have been so long since he had been an elfling.

Cirdan coughed rather awkwardly and pushed roughly past the child to stride rapidly down onto the flat of the sands, leaving the child stumbling behind him. The tide was going out, and the sand was damp, smooth and firm. As they got closer to the shoreline, each step that Ereinion took made the sand underneath his feet lighten momentarily, and he found that if he hopped as fast as he could manage then he could make a third pale patch before the first completely faded. The retreating sea had left several large pools in the endless expanse of sand, and as they passed one close by, Ereinion was sure that he could see the shadows of tiny fish flashing in groups across the submerged sands.

Oblivious of his young guest's eager glances towards the waves and rock pools, Cirdan strode across the beach with a speed brought about by deep thought. He had little idea what the High King had been thinking when he had decided to send this child into his care, but this had certainly not been what he had intended when he had offered his hospitality to the House of Fingolfin all those years ago. The child was but a handful of years past infancy, and would yet need the care and nurturing of his parents. Fingon had always stuck him as impulsive - reckless even - but Cirdan doubted that this decision would have been made without great thought and pain. What courage his previous deeds had shown, double would have been needed to let his son go.

Sighing deeply, the shipwright came to pause beside the first rocks uncovered by the lazy waves and hoisted himself onto a large, flat boulder to stare morosely out to sea.

"Lord Cirdan?" A high-pitched voice cut across his thoughts, and he looked down to find the child staring impatiently at him. "May I please go and explore?"

Cirdan stared at him for a few seconds, prompting an earnest assertion of, "I promise that I will not go far."

He had never come across anyone who would ask permission for so simple a thing as a chance to walk on the beach before, and the mere words filled the shipwright with doubts. Presumably the child's father would sometimes fail to provide such permission, but the reasons that one should choose to do so were beyond him. The boy was in no danger, and while he was painfully thin, Cirdan doubted that he would wilt from starvation in the short distance to the waterline. Each morning, noon and evening he would walk back from the shipyards, and each time there would be children playing - shrieking as the chased and splashed each other, gathering into games, and throwing pebbles at circles drawn in the sand. Surely he would not be required to give permission each time he wished his guest to conveniently disappear.

"Aye. Whenever you wish." Cirdan said and then, feeling that this betrayed a certain amount of his disinterest in the child added, "Do not go further than the city walls."

"Yes, Lord Cirdan." Ereinion's dark head bobbed down obediently, and he turned and walked quickly down to the very edge of the sea. He did not want to appear too eager by running or leaping, but it was wonderful to be so free after the weeks of travel. The sea looked different when you were this close to it, more like an endless grey-green lake than the thin blue line that they had ridden towards, and he had not expected it to chase in and out across the sand.

With the immediate irritation dealt with, Cirdan turned to his letters, resting the parchment against his knees to prevent the strong wind from whipping the papers out to sea. Fingon had always been rather less tidy than his father, and while he had now adopted the same seal, the wax was smeared in such a way that he could distinguish the two. Frowning slightly at the elaborate precision with which his name had been inscribed on the envelope, Cirdan flipped it over and roughly slit open the seal.

The news was worrying to say the least, and the shipwright could well see why the High King felt that this had been the last opportunity to allow his son to escape safely. While an adult elf might be able to manage a gruelling ride to safety should their stronghold come under siege, it would be too much for a child. Even this journey had taken a toll that was far too great on the young prince.

Cirdan looked up from the document for a few brief seconds, watching as Ereinion leapt in the air in an attempt to dodge a wave that was foaming up the beach behind him. The child's clothes were loose on him, and his eyes had an empty, dull look about them. Although he felt that he was far from a suitable father for the boy, it was evident that he could not be sent back from whence he came. Perhaps a suitable family could be found to host the child. There were plenty of pleasant couples that had grown children, and would not object to caring for one so small.

He had once met the lady that Fingon had taken to wife, and he had known then that the new Queen of the Noldor would never desert her people whilst she yet had a choice. To desert their stronghold now, when the hope of their people grew weak, would never have been an option for her. But the separation could not have been easy, and Cirdan did not even dare to think that he might imagine what it had cost her. She had added her own words to the letter, and while there was much written in the way of greetings and instructions as to the boy's care, the slight wobble to her script and the faint smudging of the ink where tears had fallen told a different story.

Sighing heavily, Cirdan looked up to watch Ereinion as he waded out into the surf. The salt water would not be good for the soft leather of those tiny boots, but before he could issue a warning, the child stumbled backwards and was knocked over by an incoming wave.

Rising to his feet with a hint of anxiety, Cirdan surveyed the foaming surf, wondering if he need go in and rescue the child. He had not asked the boy if he could swim, he berated himself - a simple mistake that could cost the child's life. The elflings of the Havens learnt to swim before they could walk, and he had forgotten for a moment that the child would not have similar skills.

Ereinion surfaced, blinking and spluttering, as the wave rushed back to join the rest of the sea and hurriedly scrambled to his feet. Unnoticed back on the shore, Cirdan relaxed with a sigh of relief, and fastened his cloak back around his shoulders. The child was unharmed, and after catching his breath and wiping his face with a sodden sleeve was soon back skipping along the shoreline, now venturing even deeper into the water.

Cirdan sat back down, his face creased in worry as he watched the boy's progress. Ereinion had been brought up by those that loved and cherished him. It was the least that he could do to ensure that the child was kept safe.

"Ereinion!" Cirdan bellowed over the wind and, when Ereinion turned, made various violent movements with his hands to indicate that the child should hurry over.

Looking rather worried, Ereinion squelched over, his wet hair free from its braids and being blown every which ways across his face. "I did not mean to, Lord Cirdan. The sand sucked away."

Waving away the breathless excuses, Cirdan looked severely at the child. "Do you swim, Ereinion?"

Sagging a little with relief that he did not seem to be in trouble, Ereinion nodded earnestly. "Yes, Lord Cirdan."

In the summer months his grandfather had often taken him to a deep pool where the river had meandered slowly under the trees. He had enjoyed splashing around and learning the different strokes, and having his father and grandfather play rough-and-tumble with him in the water.

"How far?" Cirdan asked shortly, looking appraisingly at the child. Ereinion looked rather like a weed that had grown up too fast in a dark and shadowy place, and he doubted that the child would have much stamina.

"Oh." Ereinion bit his lower lip slightly as he thought. The pool was the biggest that he had seen - big enough that both his father and grandfather had been able to swim at once - but it did not compare with the size of the sea. "From about here to there."

Cirdan looked from Ereinion's pointing finger to a rock-pool some small distance away. Not far enough to be sure of his safety when playing in the sea. The children of the Havens were never far from the water, and they were not always watched.

"Aye." The shipwright stroked his beard in a rather worried fashion then looked back at the waves crashing against the rocks. "I shall see how well you swim presently. You are not to go near the sea until I do so."

"Yes, Lord Cirdan." Ereinion nodded rather sadly. He had enjoyed playing with the waves, and although there were plenty of other things to do on the beach he would miss them. The shipwright had turned back to his bundle of parchment, without any suggestions on what he was allowed to do. He would have loved to climb the cliffs or try and capture the crabs and jellyfish in the rock-pools, but he was not sure if he would be scolded if he did so. "What may I do, Lord Cirdan?"

"Play." Cirdan looked up from the letter with an expression of great irritation, and racked his brain for some activity that would occupy the child. "Throw stones into a circle."

Cringing at the shipwright's frustrated tone, Ereinion looked down miserably at the sand and wrapped his arms around his body for comfort. The sun was sinking quite low in the sky by now, and he felt cold in his wet things. Back home his Naneth and Adar would be gathered around the fire, talking about interesting things and eating the special cakes that he liked so much. Even when his parents were at their most busy, all the family would gather together for a little while and eat and drink as they spoke about the happenings of the day. When he had been younger, only four or five, he had often pretended that his Adar and grandfather were there even when they were away fighting things. He was much too old to do something that stupid now of course, but suddenly he wished that he could be somewhere warm and cosy, imagining that all his family were around him.

Cirdan grunted as he settled back down to finish off the letter, swung his legs up onto the boulder and leant back against the sea-smoothed surface of the cliff. Neither mother nor father had mentioned swimming in their missives, but the child apparently needed tuition in fencing and archery, and was well able to ride a pony. He apparently spoke Quenya well, and to the shipwright's dismay, could recite poetry and play the flute. Cirdan valued the silence of his evenings greatly - and for that matter, the mornings and afternoons too. Both parents were sure that the boy would enjoy himself, and treasure the shipwright's company. Both parents had chosen to have a child.

A dull plop made the shipwright's head rise from the letter, and he looked up to find the prince sitting cross-legged on the damp sand, a small pile of wet and sandy pebbles beside him. The boy wore an expression of dejected misery, and every so often he would toss a pebble into a large circle that had been drawn very carefully in the sand.

Bending his head closer to the parchment to avoid having to see the little picture of despondency before him, Cirdan re-read the letter, musing over the words. He had once offered to keep this child safe, and he would not break his promise now.

There was another plop, this time accompanied by a quiet sniff, and Cirdan tucked the letter into his pocket and rose to his feet in one smooth and rapid movement.

"Oh very well, I shall see that you swim."

~*~

Swimming, Ereinion found, was much easier when someone you trusted was nearby, than when the shipwright was stalking disinterestedly through the water beside you and making critical comments as to your ability. The waves kept splashing him in the face, and made it more difficult to do the strokes, and the water was bitterly cold. The sea tasted different from drinking water, and in a different way from which the river water had. When he swallowed too much of it, it made him want to choke, and it hurt when it went down his nose.

"Not like that." Cirdan shivered in spite of himself as he waited for the child to wade back over to him, and looked longingly back at the bundle of clothes on the shore. His shirt was soaked through, and the cold north wind was whipping down the coast, chilling him to the bone. They had been in the water for a couple of hours now, and he was beginning to think that this was a problem that could not be addressed in a single day. While the child could swim, he would need much practice before he would happy in allowing him to go off alone. The other elflings could well lead him into danger that they did not understand.

Ereinion walked tiredly back over to him, shivering with cold now that the exercise was not warming him. His legs were not working properly anymore, and he kept stumbling into the water, and each time it was harder to get up. "Lord Cirdan."

"You must breathe when you turn your head." The shipwright looked hard at the child and sighed. He did not know how to teach a child to swim. He had seen many fathers out in the bay during the summer months, teaching their younglings how to swim. None of the happy, laughing elflings had borne any resemblance to the weary, blank look that Ereinion now wore. Maybe now was the right time to broach the subject of moving to a more suitable family.

"Yes, Lord Cirdan." Ereinion nodded weakly at his guardian and tried to remember exactly when he should be turning his head. The shipwright had shown him at the start of the lesson, but that had been long ago, and Ereinion did not like to ask him again.

"Perhaps," Cirdan looked down sternly at the little boy who was standing chest-deep in the grey water, his dark hair plastered to his face, "you might like to stay with some friends of mine."

Ereinion stared at him for a moment, blinking the last of the stinging salt water from his eyes. "Adar said that I was to stay with you."

The child's voice was firm, but had an uneasy hollowness to it. Frowning slightly, Cirdan knelt down in the icy water until he could look at the child eye-to-eye. "They would be very pleased to have you to stay."

"No." Ereinion said as loudly as he could, beginning to shake nervously. His Naneth and Adar had told him that Cirdan would look after him, and that he was to be trusted, but now he was going to make him live with strangers that he did not know - that his parents did not know even. "Do you not want me to stay with you?"

The child's voice was so lonely and lost that Cirdan nearly buckled on his good intentions. He had invited the child after all, and he should at least treat him with the hospitality that he would offer to a visiting dignitary. Perhaps after a week the boy would be more settled, and more agreeable to a move.

"Aye. But you would be happier elsewhere." Cirdan warned then, on seeing the frightened and woebegone look that Ereinion gave him added briskly, "We shall see."

Ereinion did not respond and looked down at the sea as it swelled and fell as each new wave passed them. If Lord Cirdan did not want him, then he did not know what he should do. Everybody had always said that he was to live with the shipwright, and his Naneth and Adar were too far away to go back and ask. And then if Cirdan's friends did not want him then what would become of him?

"Ereinion. . ." Cirdan looked down at the child with a note of anxiety. He was sure that the boy's cheeks were now rather more damp than they had been a few seconds ago, and the child seemed to have gone rather limp. "Are you. . ."

His cheekbones reddening, Cirdan gestured roughly towards the tears that were pooling around the child's dark lashes and trickling down his cold, wet face.

"No." Ereinion said loudly and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes and cheeks.

"Good." Cirdan said shortly, and averted his eyes as the young prince took a deep, and not particularly steady breath. "Now, we have wasted enough time."

Nodding rapidly to try and distract attention from his wobbling lips, Ereinion plunged into the water with a mighty splash and began swimming away from the shipwright as fast as he could while still maintaining the stroke.

~*~

Finally, with Ereinion swimming close enough to Cirdan's satisfaction that the shipwright decided to call it a day, the pair dressed and made their way across the beach and up the steps onto the cobbled roads and quaysides. Both were bitterly cold and rather uncomfortable due to their wet and clinging clothes, and Cirdan was in no mood to make allowances for the child.

It was market day down in the courtyards, and the narrow streets were swarming with elves of all ages and descriptions, buying and selling wool, cloths, vegetables, animal, bread and anything else imaginable. Terrified that he would become lost amidst the pushing and shoving forest of boots, knees and thighs, Ereinion scurried after Cirdan, his hand orbiting around the shipwright's fingers in a perpetual cycle of trying to grab a hold, only to have Cirdan move aside at the last moment.

Eventually the shipwright stepped off the street, and Ereinion gratefully followed him into a rather dark little shop, with great lanterns hanging from high beams. The stone walls were covered with shelves containing tools and blades and measuring sticks, and in the corners were great barrels of nails, hinges and tacks. Everyone in the shop smelt of salt and fish and tar, and more than a little frightened, Ereinion shrunk closer to Cirdan's legs.

Conversations were being held far above his head, but he could not make out the words over the low rumble of many others speaking at the same time. Someone had dropped a little brass tack on the floor, and it was rolling around, glinting gold in the lantern light. He wanted to pick it up and keep it for himself, but it was too far away to reach without losing contact with his guardian, and before he could do anything someone with great heavy sea boots had stepped on it, flattening the head against the point.

"My thanks." Cirdan carefully tipped the tiny brass hinges into his cupped hand and transferred them to the depths of one of the square pockets on his tunic. His hand lingered for a moment as he bid farewell to the storekeeper, and as he turned to leave he felt a cold and damp little hand curl around his smallest finger.

Now that Ereinion had managed to get a hold on him, he seemed unwilling to give it up, and his fist was clenched fearsomely tightly around the larger finger. Snorting through his nose, Cirdan stepped back out into the brightness of the street with Ereinion hurrying behind him. Each step that the child took tugged gently at his hand, and the angle at which each was required to hold their arms was far from natural. In short, he could not think of a less comfortable way to proceed.

Frowning, Cirdan gave his hand a slight shake and tried to pull free from the child's grasp. They were returning to the crowds near the market and he moved quickly between the hoards, hoping that they would become so far apart that Ereinion would have no choice but to release his finger.

Unfortunately, Ereinion did not seem aware of this plan, or the role that he was to play in it, and he scurried after the shipwright, his eyes wide with panic lest he lose his way home. His irritation rising rapidly, Cirdan increased his pace until Ereinion tripped over a cobblestone and dragged down heavily on his finger, after which point Cirdan decided that trying to detach the child in the this manner was more likely to cause pain than success.

They slowed to a walk as they left the streets behind and started up the lonely cliff path to the shipwright's home, and taking advantage of the solitude chance to experiment without curious glances or whispered comments. Very slowly he moved his hand backwards and then forwards, frowning a little as Ereinion's hand followed him, never once releasing the firm hold. He supposed that the boy would let go eventually, but for the moment there seemed to be no relaxation of the grip.

Whistling casually and apparently admiring the windswept gorse and rough wooden fencing by the cliff edge, Cirdan slowly raised his arm higher and higher. Ereinion followed suit, reaching skywards until he had to stand on his tiptoes and stretch his arms as high as he could manage just to retain his grip. Turning to look at him with silver brows slightly raised, Cirdan briefly considered lifting his arm still higher to shake the child off then saw the look on the child's face. He had seen that expression before, on young sailors during their first storm as they held desperately to the ropes as the ship plunged over waves and swayed in the gale.

Cirdan relaxed his arm with a sigh, and paused in the middle of the sandy path. Ereinion seemed to be irrevocably attached to him, and no amount of persuasion would make him choose otherwise. The shipwright shut his eyes for a moment then closed his hand around the child's fist. Ereinion had been sent to him for safekeeping, and for better or worse that was where he would stay.


Chapter 9 - Arguments

It was not until they were standing damply in the storm-porch outside the backdoor that Ereinion released his hold on the shipwright's finger, and even that offered Cirdan little relief, for now he had a problem of an entirely different magnitude on his hands. Thatharien had greeted them at the door and seemed to have taken exception to methods of ensuring the boy's safety. He had scarcely had time for a greeting before the young prince had been bundled up into his housekeeper's arms and she had launched into a lengthy diatribe on care and kindness to elflings. Thatharien had a surprisingly penetrating and high-pitched voice when annoyed, and she spoke so quickly that the shipwright had little chance to defend himself.

Even Ereinion, despite the time he had devoted to him this afternoon, was rather unkindly not speaking up on his behalf. Perched on the housekeeper's hip and held safely under her arm, his eyes moved from face to face with an expression of sheer terror. Every so often, in a move that Cirdan was sure was designed only to further condemn him, he would quiver violently and cling desperately to Thatharien.

"He is soaked through and bitterly cold!" Thatharien hovered her finger in the air, jolting ever closer to the shipwright's chest with each criticism. "It is not yet springtime and you take him swimming!"

"The child needs. . ." Cirdan began, looking down at the criticising finger with an affronted expression and rather providently took a step backwards.

"The child needs warmth and comfort!" Thatharien's bony arms closed protectively around Ereinion's body. "He is shivering, Cirdan!"

"Perhaps he. . ." Cirdan peered down at the boy who stared back up at him with dark eyes like saucers. The child had been in the water for but a couple of hours, he could not be that cold. He had often spent hours on deck in howling winds and driving rain, and he had never once felt any desire to shiver.

"Perhaps?" Thatharien shifted the child to a more comfortable position and looked at the shipwright, one thin eyebrow raised enquiringly.

"Well. . ." Rather more daunted than he felt he should be at the elf's tone, Cirdan frowned and took another step back. His housekeeper barely reached halfway up his chest in height, and she wielded nothing more fearsome than her acerbic comments, yet at the present time he would much rather face an army of orcs than have to try and explain his actions to her. "He cannot be that cold. He was in the water for but a few hours. . ."

Thatharien's brows shot up angularly, and to prevent any possible misunderstanding, Cirdan added a little reluctantly. "Four hours at most. Perhaps five. . ."

"Five hours!" Thatharien's eyes widened and her face came increasingly grim and the pitch of her voice leapt up several octaves. "Five hours?"

Terrified by the loud voices and the housekeeper's obvious anger, Ereinion clung to the closest thing to him. He did not feel very safe being so close to someone who was so very annoyed, but she had picked him up and he did not feel like moving or wriggling to be put down. It was all his fault that they were being cross with each other, and if they noticed him then he would be shouted at and punished too. Everyone here was so much bigger than he was and all those who loved him were too far away to come and help and protect him it he needed them.

Shuddering violently, Ereinion squirmed to bury his face against Thatharien's body, trying to press his ears against her arm and gown so that he would not be able to hear the angry voices. Even Lord Cirdan's calm voice was becoming tinged with a warning tone. His Adar and Naneth had never shouted and screamed at each other like this, and although Adar had sometimes argued with Fingolfin, they had ended up laughing and hugging each other when they had finished. He did not think that Lord Cirdan was going to hug Thatharien. The housekeeper had been screeching ever since they had come in, and even though she was telling Cirdan off for making him cold and wet it did not make him feel any better. In fact he was beginning to feel as if he might be sick again.

"I. . ." Cirdan frowned deeply and thrust his hands deep in the pockets of his tunic. Despite the fact that he knew it was not anatomically possible to survive without drawing breath, Thatharien did not seem to have halted in her shrill protests in the past few minutes. While she had turned pink in the face, she apparently still had a great store of words still inside her for she had shown no sign of slowing or moderating her tone. Concerning though the gradual deepening of the colour of her face was, he was more worried about the boy. The child was now completely limp except for the frequent tremors that would shake his body, and he had gone rather pale. Grimacing a little he nudged his wrist towards Ereinion's huddled form and added gruffly. "You are frightening the little one."

Thatharien's vocal accusation was cut off abruptly as she looked down at the child, then she gathered him up to her chest with a long-suffering huff that left Cirdan in no doubt that this too was to be considered entirely of his doing. At least the boy had been standing by himself when he had brought him home. Now he was more floppy than anything.

"He needs to get warm and dry." Thatharien told him severely, glaring at him as she stroked and picked stray bits of seaweed from the child's hair with a gentleness that was far from in keeping with her tone and expression. "I shall take him to the kitchens."

Cirdan grunted noncommittally and waited for Thatharien to pass through the doorway before heading for his study to finish some documents that yet needed some work. The warmth from the fire would soon dry his damp clothing. He did not need to be mollycoddled in such a manner.

~*~

Ereinion shut his eyes tightly as he was carried through some unfamiliar passageways and through a squeaking door. They were not shouting anymore, but he did not want to look at anyone yet. The room they were in now was warm and smelt of herbs and roasting meat and he had been set down on a hard wooden chair - one too high for him to touch his toes against the bar even when he kicked.

"Ereinion."

Thatharien's voice was calm and soft and understanding again, and he thought that he could smell the soap on her clothes so she must be standing very close to him. She sounded sorry, as if she wanted to talk to him, but he did not want to open his eyes yet.

"Will you not open your eyes for me, little one?"

It was rude not to reply. Adar had always spoken to everyone who spoke to him, even when he was busy. But he did not want to. If he opened his eyes then he would be back in the kitchen in Lord Cirdan's house with someone that he did not know. It was quite nice here in the dark, and the water pooling in the toe of his left boot was not as cold as it had been before.

Eyes still tightly shut, Ereinion shook his head slightly and clenched his hands around the polished wood edges of the seat. It was a nice chair. Someone had shaped it carefully so that there were no corners to bang yourself on, and it dipped a little in the middle so that you did not slide off. There had been one quite like it in one of the rooms close to the kitchens at home. It had been very warm in there, for it was used to dry sheets and blankets during the winter, and when he had been too small to even remember things clearly he and Arassë had liked exploring in the caves and tunnels under the racks.

Sniffling a little, Ereinion lifted an arm to rub his palm against his cheek, only half-noticing that someone was tucking a thick dry towel around him and fashioning a floppy hood from its many folds. He missed Arassë. Arassë would be scared all alone in a strange place without him, and Arassë had never been very good at making new friends without Ereinion there to help him. He hoped that somewhere, someone was looking after Arassë.

Sometimes when he woke in the middle of the night and was scared, his grandfather would take him into the kitchens. He could remember waking up one night in the dark and being scared and alone. Adar and Naneth's door had been shut, and his grandfather's room had been empty, but when he had tiptoed downstairs he had seen a crack of light under the door of the study. It had been his grandfather's study then of course. He had hurried towards it rather too fast, for he had tripped on one of the steps and fallen quite a long way onto the floor of the great hallway.

He had been winded by the fall and had banged his head on one of the banisters, but before he had had time to cry he could remember the study door being flung open letting a great beam of light fall across the stone floor and then his grandfather running to his side. Fingolfin had picked him up and taken him into the study and shut the door so that if he cried he would not wake anyone else, but then he was feeling so much braver because his Agi was with him that he did not need to cry. Although he had sniffled a bit because it had hurt and he had scraped all the skin from one of his knees and another of his elbows.

Then they had gone into the kitchens and he had sat on the tall chair in the corner as he had watched his grandfather get cloths and ointments from the small chest on the high shelf. The ointment had stung a bit, but since he had been sucking on a whole lump of sugar he had not been able to cry about that either. Then when all his grazes had been clean and tidy again, Fingolfin had got two beakers of really cold milk - just the way that they liked it best - and they had gone back to the study and sat on the rug in front of the fire and had a picnic. His grandfather had told him a story about a time when he had once been a child, and how he and his brother had made a tree house high up in a great oak tree.

He felt almost as uncomfortable now as he had done then, and if he kept his eyes tightly shut he could imagine that the noises were not Thatharien moving around after all, but his grandfather fetching the big wooden beakers from the third shelf of the dresser and setting them down on the table. The clatter would be him tripping over one of the cats - his Agi had often forgotten that there were other things smaller than him below what his eyes could see - and Ereinion could almost hear the familiar voice muttering a short exclamation. That creak would be when he opened the door of the pantry and soon he would return with a pitcher of milk for them to share.

"It will be a wild night. There is a storm brewing." An unfamiliar voice with the same strange accent as Lord Cirdan and the soldiers spoke loudly, dragging Ereinion from his daydreams. He opened his eyes rather unwillingly and was disappointed to find that instead of his grandfather, the elf standing in front of him was tall and fair and smelt of horse. The kitchens were not like the ones back home at all. The herbs hanging from the beams were different and smelt strange, the water barrel was in the wrong place, the plates and cups were glazed a deep grey, and even the canisters standing on the shelves were made of glass and metal rather than pottery. The storeroom door was open and through it he could see more barrels, pots and crates than he had yet seen in his life. It seemed quite a long while since his snack now, and he felt as if he could manage to do some exploring and tasting in there if he was given the chance. Although he did not know how he could get down from the chair unnoticed. He was wrapped in an old battered towel, one so big that it was trailing almost to the floor, and it smelt of salt and the little shipbuilding store that they had gone into. The hem had come loose in one corner and he absently began pulling pale strands of cotton from the woven cloth.

"There." Thatharien bustled over, beaming at him, obviously delighted that he had decided to open his eyes. "Eithelin, have you met our guest? This is Ereinion, son of Fingon."

Ereinion briefly considered shutting his eyes again to avoid having to meet someone else new, then decided against it. He liked horses, and all the elves that worked in the stables at home had always been kind to him. In any case, Eithelin was looking at him now and was smiling.

"Well met." Ereinion quickly flashed his teeth at the strange elf then added with more interest. "Does Lord Cirdan have a lot of horses?"

Eithelin and Thatharien exchanged a quick look, and the stable-master chuckled a little and leant back against the table with a grin.

"Well met indeed, Prince Ereinion." The elf inclined his head in a gesture that made Ereinion feel a little embarrassed. It seemed silly for anybody to greet him as if he was important when he was so small. He had not minded being greeted so when his Adar and Naneth were holding his hands and his grandfather was leading the proceedings, but now when he was just Ereinion it sounded meaningless. "And aye, Lord Cirdan has many horses. Have you yet seen them?"

"No." Ereinion spoke quietly and shook his head to emphasize the fact. He wanted to see the horses, but he did not want to ask in case they said no and then he would know that he was not wanted.

"They are fine beasts." Eithelin said cheerfully, wondering at the child's sudden apparent disinterest. But a minute ago he had been sure that he would be forcefully propositioned with an offer of company on a trip to the stables, but now the boy seemed to be doing his best to avoid eye contact. "Do you ride?"

"Yes." Ereinion nodded and looked up at the elf with a hint of hopefulness. Perhaps he would be allowed to visit the horses sometimes. He missed his pony, Celeb, and he had always enjoyed balancing on the wooden bars of the gates of the stalls to greet his father and grandfather's horses. "But I left my pony at home."

"Ah." The strange elf nodded sagely and smiled reassuringly at the little boy. He had seen many of the horses that had arrived from Hithlum, and however fine a mount could be found for the son of the High King, he doubted that any pony would keep up with such beasts. "It will be missing you, I should not wonder."

Ereinion's face shadowed over and he nodded sadly. He missed Celeb too and the little pony would probably not understand why he had had to go away.

"And you miss him too." Eithelin added understandingly, regretting mentioning the pony so sad the expression on the child's face had become. "Maybe there will be a pony here that you may ride."

Ereinion looked up questioningly at him, dark eyes wide in curiosity. He had not thought that Lord Cirdan would have a pony that he could borrow, for neither his Adar nor grandfather had ever wished to ride Celeb, but then Ainon had said that the sea-elves had strange customs. Lord Cirdan would look silly on a little pony though, but he should not laugh.

"Tomorrow we shall go down into the stables so that all the horses may meet you, and then we shall find a pony for you to ride. There are some nice tracks along the cliffs where we could go. . ."

"If Lord Cirdan agrees." Thatharien broke in firmly, giving Eithelin a warning look. Ereinion had perked up at the mention of ponies, that was true, but she had no idea of whether he would be allowed to keep one for himself. The stable-master had taken to the idea with all his enthusiasm and Ereinion was now smiling and bobbing up and down on his chair with excitement. She did not wish to be the one to break the news that the plan had been forbidden, or that Cirdan considered that he could not spare even one pony from those that worked on the land.

"Aye. . ." The elf wrinkled his nose as he broke off his cheerful promises. Although he considered that one pony would not be missed, his lord seemed intent on stockpiling grain and seeds and sending them down the coast, and this occupied many hands. In any case he did not know whether any would be able to find some free hours to accompany the child on his explorations. It was unwise to ramble along the cliffs unless one knew of the dangerous overhangs and windy clefts. "But I am sure that before long, we shall find a pony for you."

Ereinion beamed at Eithelin even when, at Thatharien's look he added, "Even if only for a little while."

If he had a pony if he was very unhappy and he needed his Naneth and Adar very badly he could always ride back home. Lord Cirdan would be angry if he stole a horse, he was sure, but if he was back at home then nothing bad could happen to him. Adar had always been good at sorting things out when things happened that were too big for an elfling to solve.

"I shall ask Lord Cirdan."

Bolstered by the thought of a chance of escape and returning home, Ereinion leapt down from the chair. The shipwright would not say no, surely - not if Thatharien had no objection to the plan. He did not even have to ride away. Just the thought that he could go if he really needed to was more than enough.


Chapter 10 - Threats

Ereinion hurried along the corridor, eager to find Lord Cirdan and ask his permission to be allowed to ride a pony before he could forget or anyone could change their minds. No pony could ever be nice as Celeb of course, for his grandfather had chosen Celeb specially for him when he had been still a little child, but any horse would be better than none.

The sight of another cloak on the pegs by Cirdan's study door made him halt abruptly. It was not Lord Cirdan's cloak certainly, for it was too short, and had a brightly coloured lining under the thick grey wool. He did not think that Lord Cirdan was the kind of person to wear a cloak with a lining of a different colour.

Moving as silently as he could manage with his boots on, Ereinion crept up to the doorway and pressed his ear against to wooden panelling. It may have just been the cloak of the stable-master, but if Lord Cirdan had a guest then he did not wish to interrupt them. It would be rude to intrude without being invited, and Adar often spoke of things not meant for little ears when alone.

To Ereinion's disappointment, the owner of the cloak did seem to be in Cirdan's company, unless the shipwright was talking to himself in two different voices. They were discussing boring things like storms and storing grain, and Ereinion was just about to scuttle back to the kitchens when he heard his own name mentioned. Curious even though he knew that it was wrong to listen to other people's conversations, he lingered by the doorway, fiddling guiltily with the damp leather ties of his boots. They had been coming loose anyway.

~*~

"If he had been but any other age." Cirdan lamented, leaning back into his chair with a deep sigh. "But instead we have a ten-year-old nuisance, too old to be handed to a wet-nurse but to young to be useful."

"I am told that little elflings can be most endearing." His companion said sceptically. He was unfortunate enough to have to try an maintain an orchard close to a house in which had dwelt five such endearing little souls, and it was possible that this may have tainted his views.

"He is too young to be reasoned with even. But a foolish infant." The shipwright took a long draught from his tankard, before setting it down as he again prepared to speak. Unfortunately he was cut off by a small and very angry whirlwind charging through the door.

"I am not! I can be reasoned with!" A travel-worn boot stamped on the floor with enough force to cause the angry red face to screw up in pain. Taking a deep breath that shuddered with self-righteous rage, Ereinion turned to address the shipwright at the top of his voice. "I do reason with people. You just aren't reasoning right! You have to reason yourself round to my reasoning and you will not do it right!"

Cirdan was not yet familiar enough with children to recognise just how tired and close to tears the little prince was. Unfortunately he chose to catch his companion's eye halfway through the diatribe, and both elves burst into laughter. Ereinion paused, unsure of how to deal with this response, then marched round to halt stiffly before the chuckling shipwright.

"Stop! Stop laughing!" The first angry demands had no effect on the friends' mirth, causing a raise of voice for the further comments. "Stop. Or I shall kick you!"

The shouted threat caused the laughter to stop, and to Ereinion it seemed that for a moment the room was filled with silence. All of a sudden it seemed a terrible thing to say, and as the silence grew in length he couldn't help wondering what he was to do if they were to laugh again. The shipwright suddenly seemed an awful lot bigger, and while this afternoon he had been dismissed as old and weary, Ereinion couldn't help but notice how muscular he was and how large the rough, callused hands were. Swallowing hard at a lump that seemed to be growing in his throat, he suddenly wanted to be home very badly. He was not sure how much longer he could go without blinking to dispel the tears that were pooling in his eyes and he would not let them see him cry. He could not. In any case it would not do for the High Prince of the Noldor to cry.

Luckily this time Cirdan did recognise the brightness of the child's eyes for what it was. Sighing slightly he shifted in his chair to face the child, his mind working furiously to find a way of getting them out of this impossible situation without one or both of them ending up in tears.

"Now you could kick me." Cirdan spoke carefully, trying to avoid mentioning his assailant's diminutive size - something he guessed would offend the child. "But then I may have to punish you. For I do not allow kicking. Nor eavesdropping."

The grey eyes opened wide, and stared up at him silently for a minute. At first Cirdan thought with great satisfaction that he had managed to shame the child by mentioning his deceit, but as the child began to back away never once taking his eyes from his hands, he recognised the emotion in those eyes not as embarrassment but fear.

For a moment the shipwright was silent, effectively winded by the invisible tree trunk that seemed to have just made rapid and heavy contact with his stomach. The boy thought that he meant to hurt him. He had realised of course that every child in the Havens was more than a little afraid of his brisk attitude and blunt manner of speech, but it had never even crossed his mind that they would think that he would raise his hand to them.

Moving slowly to avoid further frightening the child, Cirdan knelt down beside the boy who was eyeing the door nervously, only later realising that in doing so he had cornered the child against the desk. The small legging- clad knees immediately began knocking together as the child's entire body began to tremble, although to Cirdan's evident relief after an awkward minute the boy took a shuddering breath and managed to pull himself together, bringing his chin up in a gesture that was both arrogant and defiant. For all the world as if he already were a King ready to face death for his people, Cirdan thought wryly.

"In this house, Ereinion, we do not get our apologies through threats or violence." The shipwright said, glad that with Ereinion at his full height and him kneeling, they could see eye to eye. "Do you understand?"

"Why yes, Lord Cirdan." The child's voice sounded unnaturally high and breathless as he rushed through his words. "I am most sorry for eavesdropping and kicking."

Cirdan sat back and rested on his hands, observing his charge with an exasperated half-smile, wondering how one so small could at once look both so terrified and defiant. He almost wanted to embrace the child, except that Cirdan never embraced small children and in any case he did not think the child's nerves would stand to such an attack as yet.

"Cirdan. For I have no desire to call you by your titles and so it would not be fair to lumber you with mine." He thought he detected a hint of a smile at that. Maybe the thought of being treated as an equal appealed to the boy. Warmed at the thought, the shipwright continued. "And I promise that I shall never hurt you."

"On your honour?" Cirdan was relieved that the pitch was now more suitable for a young boy.

"On my honour." Cirdan promised solemnly and watched as the child's entire body relaxed, although the distrustful look remained.

"In that case, I also promise not to hurt you." The child informed him with a trace of his former cockiness.

"I am grateful." Cirdan made a conscious effort to avoid his friend's eye as he returned to his seat. He had managed to make his tone so meek it would be a pity to spoil it now by laughing.

~*~

Much to Cirdan's dismay, before long his visitor left, leaving him along with the awkward task of occupying an upset, over-tired and very annoyed elfling. Not that he blamed his companion, for the young prince had decided to sit on the window seat and glare balefully at the newcomer with an expression of utter hatred. Left alone the pair had sat in unrelenting silence for a while, Ereinion sitting stiffly on the window seat watching the darkening sky, and Cirdan working determinedly on some letters that he had been carefully ignoring for the past few months. Dreary though the task was, if was far easier to find suitable words for even his least welcome correspondents than think of something to speak to the child about.

Eventually Thatharien knocked on the door and with a cheerful smile, and informed the pair that supper was served and ready for them. She had hoped that the prince and the shipwright would appear a little better acquainted after their time together, but unfortunately the atmosphere in the study seemed far from congenial. Indeed it even appeared as if the Lord of the Havens was replying to a note to one of the Sons of Fëanor that she had careful dusted around for the previous five months.

My thanks," Cirdan let out a great sigh of relief and got to his feet, glad of an excuse - any excuse - to avoid having to spend any moment longer in the strained silence. Smiling quickly at his housekeeper, he then turned to Ereinion and waved him towards the door with a quick flick of his hand, adding briskly, "Come along."

Biting his lip slightly and his eyes wide with anxiety, Ereinion scampered along behind the shipwright, trying to keep up with his long strides. He thought that he had been this way before, but he was not quite sure, and the things that caught his attention were still so new and interesting. There were pictures of sand dunes and some pretty shells arranged on a desk. The rugs were woven with wavy lines, just like the shape of the sea as it brushed against the sand. Through an open doorway he could see a big room with a huge round table and padded chairs.

"In here, Ereinion." Cirdan stopped at the doorway and turned sharply round to watch the elfling gazing dreamily round at his surroundings. The council hall seemed to have grasped his attention at the present time, and with a thought to preventing future misunderstanding, Cirdan added, "That is my council hall. You may not go in there."

Ereinion looked at him for a moment with wide eyes, then nodded quickly and hurried to stand at his host's heels.

Cirdan grunted in satisfaction and led the way into the dining room. It was a large room - it could easily have seated six or seven in addition to the shipwright - and was dominated by a polished table made from dark wood and several cupboards filled with silver and glassware. There was no tablecloth, but two plates and a number of dishes were arranged at one end of the table. Cirdan strode to the big chair with arms at the head of the table, and gave the chair to his left side a little nudge. Smiling a little, Ereinion hurried over. He always sat on his Adar's left side at home.

"Lord Cirdan?" Ereinion ventured, hovering close to his chair, unsure about how to proceed.

"Cirdan." Cirdan said firmly.

"Should I not wash my hands, Cirdan?" Ereinion looked at him in puzzlement. His nanny had always made him wash his hands before meals, and usually his face too. She had always said that dirty elflings that did not wash their hands before eating would get ill and be sick.

Cirdan paused and looked at him with an expression that seemed more suitable for a query as to whether he should eat from a trough than a simple manner of cleanliness. Finally Cirdan looked Ereinion up and down and spoke with elaborate patience. "Are your hands dirty, child?"

Ereinion glared at him and then turned to carefully examine his hands. Cirdan had spoken to him as if he was a small and stupid baby rather than a High Prince of very nearly eleven. "They are not dirty, Cirdan, but. . ."

"Then you need not wash them, Ereinion." Cirdan said sharply, taking his seat and serving himself a large portion of vegetable soup. "And do sit down, child! The food is growing cold."

Stung at this undeserved reprimand, Ereinion clambered onto his chair, glad that at least Thatharien had remembered that elflings needed cushions if they were to see over the tabletop. He would not wash his hands in future. Or his face. Especially not on cold mornings. And if anyone minded he would blame Cirdan. It would serve the grumpy old shipwright right if someone scolded him.

~*~

The meal proceeded in silence save for the chink of metal on china and the occasional irritated request to pass the pepper. The shipwright was evidently not used to having to wait or reach for anything, especially not anything removed by a sulky elfling for the sole purpose of disguising a spoonful of turnip too large to fit under even the most artfully arranged knife. Ignored and unwanted, Ereinion picked at his fish, trying to get some tasty morsels out without getting a mouthful of bones - something he seemed much less good at than the shipwright, tried to disguise his turnip and poked suspiciously at something pale and soft that smelt a little of cheese. He did not usually mind trying new things at home, especially if his Naneth and Adar seemed to be enjoying them, but Cirdan seemed to be enjoying this, and Cirdan was the kind of elf that liked turnip. Ereinion was not sure that he entirely trusted anyone who liked turnip.

"More. . ." Cirdan spoke with his mouth full, glanced briefly at Ereinion's plate and on seeing it full served himself the last fried fish.

Bitterly disappointed, Ereinion scowled as he watched the shipwright slit open the fish and somehow managed to get all the bones out in one go. It was not fair! He was hungry because the fish was the only thing that he liked, but he could not eat fast enough to finish in time to get seconds. He had only managed to get a few fragments to eat from his own fish - the difficult task made near impossible by the heavy and unwieldy cutlery.

"I do not like you!" The child spoke at last with surprising vehemence, digging his fork viciously into his untouched mound of potato while he watched Cirdan. Grey eyes bright with defiance, pride and a hint of apprehension, he waited to see what the shipwright would do next.

Cirdan looked up looking, to Ereinion's disappointment, not particularly interested and finished his forkful of fish without haste.

"And nor I you." The shipwright spoke calmly, meeting the challenging eyes briefly before returning his attentions to his plate where he was sculpting a carrot into a possible new design for a load-bearing beam. If he could only move the notch a little to the left. . .

A very small and unwilling sniff disturbed him, and it was with some annoyance that he tore his mind away from his vegetables to turn once again to the newcomer. The young prince was now sitting perfectly upright, his chin stuck out at a ferocious angle, and his cheeks flushed angrily. Flickering light from the hanging lantern highlighted tears at the edges of dark and troubled eyes. Tears that he could not or would not shed.

"Of course," Cirdan added hesitantly, "I do not yet know you. When we have got to know each other, I am sure that I will like you very much."

The rigid and rather bony shoulders relaxed slightly and the boy peeped out of the corner of his eyes for a few seconds before allowing Cirdan an incredibly tiny smile.

"Yes. I think that I might like you very much too."


Chapter 11 - Buttons

It was raining outside. The howling wind brought great sheets of water crashing against the windows and tugged and pulled at the bent and gnarled trees that sheltered the western side of the house. Inside though, it was warm and cosy, especially in the small room where Ereinion was now seated.

Much as Ereinion hated to admit it, he liked Lord Cirdan's sitting room very much indeed. Far more than he liked the shipwright, in fact. It was very warm and had lots of colourful rugs on the floor. There was a wide window seat running around the room, a number of tall bookcases, a few chairs scattered with soft cushions and a large fireplace dominating one wall. He felt safe in here, and it reminded him a little of home.

It had only taken him a few minutes to gather an armful of cushions and create a little nest for himself in one corner of the window seat, and he was sitting there now, staring out into the storm and pretending that he was not interested into whatever Cirdan had gone to fetch.

A thin trail of water was running from a hinge of the paned glass, trickling down to a pool on the window ledge. He had dabbled his fingers in the cold puddle and traced his name on the pale stone of the window ledge before becoming afraid that Cirdan would notice and would mind. He had wiped out his name now, and was racing drops of water as they hurried down the windowpanes. Sometimes a soggy dead leaf would come flying through the storm and stick to the window for a little while before being washed away by the rainstorm, and sometimes he could see the branches of the pine tree catch the light from an upstairs window as they were whipped this way and that in the gale. It was not boring, even if it was lonely, and he was still trying to imagine names for the shadow shapes in the shrubbery when Cirdan strode back into the room.

Frowning slightly, Cirdan paused with his woodwork box in hand and looked hard at Ereinion. In feasts and celebrations those elves with families usually managed to dispose of the smaller and messier guests by this time in the evening. Indeed he had rarely, if ever, seen a child at a formal dinner. Rather cunningly their parents must have developed a method of disposing of them before anyone wished to move onto more serious topics of conversation.

"Ereinion," Cirdan looked sternly at his guest, "Should you not be in bed?"

"No. . ." Ereinion spoke instinctively then paused. He was tired enough for it to be his bedtime, but it was warm and safe down here, and he did not even know where he was to sleep or if there would be anyone nearby. He licked his lips nervously and glanced up at the ornately carved wooden and brass clock that stood on the shelf above the fire. The golden and amber inlays of the sun had curved far below the level, and the tiny silver and mithril stars were visible above the notches that indicated the hours of dawn and dusk. Back at home he had been allowed to stay up for two hours after his supper before having to retire for his bath. Since he had been sent away to a place where he did not know anyone and nobody liked him, perhaps it would be all right to stay up a little longer. Just to make it fair. Maybe his father had meant him to. "Adar said that I was to stay up two hours after dinner."

It was a lie, however much Ereinion tried to reason himself into thinking that his supper and formal meals were very almost the same thing, and he flushed a violent shade of pink. It seemed even worse to lie with his Adar's name, so Ereinion quickly amended himself. "I am to stay up for two hours, Lord Cirdan."

Cirdan grunted and nodded slightly at Ereinion as he set down the box and began unpacking saws, knifes and drills in tiny sizes. Fingon had always been fond of dining and dancing late into the night, and it seemed that his small son had been brought up in a similar manner. While the prospect of having to share his peaceful evenings with the prince did not endear him in Cirdan's mind, it would be hoped that the boy also shared the High King's fondness for slumbering late in the mornings. He did not think that he could endure a guest similar to the running and squealing children that so often disturbed the silence of his early morning swims.

Rather surprised at the shipwright's easy acceptance of this untruth, Ereinion walked quietly and precisely over to the part of the window seat furthest from the fire in the hope that the cooler temperatures would ease his burning cheeks. He turned his back on the shipwright to scramble up onto the seat and when he turned back to the high-backed bench opposite him, Cirdan was frowning down at a small block of wood as he turned it in his hands. He had clearly already forgotten that his young guest even existed.

~*~

Ereinion watched Cirdan from a distance, entranced by the way a small figurehead in the shape of a swan had been formed, but too proud to ask to have a closer look. It was lonely sitting here by himself, watching the shipwright in silence. He felt tired and alone, and although he did not want to admit it even to himself, would much rather have been warm and cosy tucked up under his quilt. Back at home his Adar or grandfather would often take it in turns to come in before going down to dinner, and they would read to him or tell him tales of life in Aman or their childhoods. The formal gowns that they wore for the evenings were made of deeply coloured silk and velvet, and they were gloriously warm and soft to snuggle into. Being cuddled always made him feel safe and sleepy.

Still watching Cirdan intently Ereinion slithered along the windowseat, using his hands to propel himself along the polished wood until he was sitting next to the bookcase. There were no interesting books here either, at least as far as he could see - which was not very high. Just volume upon volume of history of the Havens. Not something that anyone would want to read. They did not even have any thicker pages for pictures.

He sat alone on the edge of the bench awhile, watching as the shipwright neatly set out some tools and bits of wood on the bench beside him. Then, when the sea-elf bent his head to seek out a particular tin of tiny nails, Ereinion slipped from the bench and padded silently over to the next bench and scrambled up onto the seat to slither further around the room.

~*~

Cirdan carefully adjusted the fastening of the figurehead, balancing the ship between two fingers to ensure that it would float level. Making model ships had been a hobby of his for many hundreds of years, something that he had begun after despairing of the quality of the toys that the children played with on the shore. At first he had been satisfied with creating small ships in perfect working order, but soon he had begun experimenting with new designs or making decorative ships for special occasions. Nodding in satisfaction, Cirdan set the ship back down in his lap and reached for a knife to carve the final details to the swan's eyes and beak.

"Can I see?" A plaintive voice from his right side caused the shipwright to turn around with an exclamation of surprise. He had completely forgotten the presence of his guest, and to find that the elfling was now perched inches from his elbow was more than a little disconcerting.

"Please, Lord Cirdan." Ereinion added hastily, somewhat taken aback by the shipwright's reaction to his request.

"Cirdan." Cirdan reminded him brusquely.

"Can I see then?" Ereinion squirmed onto his knees and leant closer to the shipwright. "Why were you balancing it? What are you doing now?"

Cirdan shuffled a few inches further down the seat and spoke gruffly. "I am using a sharp knife, Ereinion."

"Oh." Ereinion watched as Cirdan settled the ship into his left hand and made a few strokes with the blade. "What is that bit for?"

Fortunately Cirdan was able to stop the knife just before it took a slice from two small pink fingers. "Do not do that, Ereinion!"

Flinching at the shipwright's bellow, Ereinion scooted back across the seat, his eyes wide in fear.

"You must be careful when I am using knifes," Cirdan explained, feeling a little guilty at how seriously the elfling took his reprimands. "I slice off fingers or toes as easily as I carve wood."

Ereinion's eyes became even wider, but he inched back to his original position where he could see what the shipwright was doing more closely although he did not attempt to touch the ship again.

Grunting a vague expression of satisfaction, Cirdan resumed his craftwork, explaining what he was doing slowly and carefully as he worked. Ereinion watched intently, at first sitting as stiffly as he could in order to avoid an accidental wrongdoing, but then as the evening wore on and the room got warmer and cosier he let his head droop closer and closer to the shipwright's arm.

The moment the boy's cheek touched against his shirt-sleeve, Cirdan started violently, his knife jumping so quickly that he nearly sliced his own fingers off. Glaring down at the small dark head that was leaning against his arm, the shipwright awkwardly shuffled a little further down the seat - just far enough for it no longer to be comfortable for Ereinion to rest his head in such a manner. Displeasing though the thought of a self-important young elven prince had been, it held no comparison to a sleepy child in search of a substitute for its mother. Shuddering at the thought, Cirdan ignored the bewildered look that Ereinion gave him and resumed carving with a vengeance.

A little confused, Ereinion stared at Cirdan for a moment, wondering if the sea-elf was so stupid that he did not know how to cuddle elflings any more than he knew how to hold hands. Certainly the shipwright was not the cuddliest elf that he had ever seen, especially with all his nasty prickly hedgehoggy bits, bit surely everyone knew how to cuddle someone. Perhaps he just wanted to be sure that he could reach his tools. And he was nearly sitting on his thumbtacks by now, so that would not be a problem any more. Satisfied by this explanation, Ereinion wriggled closer to Cirdan's taut body and once again leant his head against the rough fabric of the shipwright's sleeve.

Trapped between a snuggling elfling and a selection of sharp and dangerous implements, Cirdan resigned himself to the inevitable and shifted his elbow to allow Ereinion to squirm into a more comfortable position, all the while speaking smoothly to ensure that any watchers would not mistake this as an admission of defeat.

"Now, here I have to make sure that all the notches are in the right place before I fit the deck."

~*~

"I think Adar's ship got broken once." Ereinion said knowledgeably, kicking his feet against the wooden panelling of the seat. "He and Agi. . . my grandfather talked about it sometimes."

One of Cirdan's brows twitched slightly but he did not speak, merely frowning as he tested the strength of a piece of wood.

"I think that my grandfather made it for him." Ereinion sucked on the tip of his middle finger as he considered the fragments that he had heard over the years. He did not think that his grandfather would have got angry about a toy being spoilt unless someone had been careless and he had spent a lot of time making it. "He did not like it being broken, I think."

Cirdan's frown deepened and his hand brushed against a round tin of tiny brass tacks sending them tumbling from the bench onto the ground. Before he even had time to react Ereinion had sprung to his feet and was chasing about after the gleaming tacks.

"It was an accident though, I think Adar said." Ereinion carefully knelt down on a clear bit of floor to pick up the tacks and drop them one by one into the tin. He had never been allowed to play with sharp things like this at home, although his Adar had often spun the short nails that fastened the leather folders of parchment skitzing across the tabletop. Surely Cirdan would not mind if he kept one little tack to himself.

"An accident?" The shipwright's voice held a strange tone, but Ereinion paid little attention as he gathered the last few tacks together and dropped all but one of them into the tin.

"Yes," Ereinion straightened up and handed the tin to Cirdan with a wavering smile. The little tack that he had clenched in his fist felt a lot bigger now than it had when he had picked it up from the floor. "It was his friend that broke it."

Cirdan was silent a moment after this matter-of-fact statement, but then nodded slowly and nudged the lid back onto the tin with one hand. "Aye, my thanks."

Ereinion looked at the shut tin and then back at the shipwright. He should say something polite about it being his pleasure to help or just smile helpfully but the words stuck in his throat. Cirdan should not be thanking him when he had taken something without asking. The tack had become warm in his grasp, and its point was digging into his palm a little.

Surprised by the hesitant silence, Cirdan looked up from his carpentry and surveyed the child critically. Ereinion had gone very red and he looked so terribly unhappy and guilty that Cirdan did not feel that it could be ignored.

"Ereinion?" The shipwright's bushy brows lowered slightly as he tried to guess what had caused such a sudden change in the child's demeanour.

Ereinion gulped and patted his clenched fist against his thigh. Cirdan did not seem to have noticed the missing tack and did not sound angry, but he had stolen. His Adar did not allow thieves in his household, and if he told Cirdan what he would done then he might be sent away to someone else. But who would want a thief to stay with them?

"Ereinion," Cirdan's voice became tinged with alarm as he noticed a single unwelcome tear slip down the child's flushed cheek, "What is wrong?"

"I. . ." Ereinion swallowed hard and pressed his lips tightly together to hold back the imminent tears. Moving slowly he held out his hand and unfurled his fist to reveal the stolen tack. It was smaller than it had become in his mind, and he suddenly wanted to throw it away.

"Ah. Thank you." Cirdan held out his cupped hand beneath Ereinion's palm to allow him to tip the tack into his hand, then deposited it into the tin. "Is that all of them?"

Ereinion looked down at the floor, keen eyes scanning the polished planks of wood for any sign of more of the little tacks then nodded. It felt better now that he was not holding the tack, but he did not see how Cirdan could let his stolen tack join the others as if nothing had happened. His eyes were beginning to get hot and itchy and his nose was starting to snuffle.

The comments on the ships had not been tactful to say the least, but that was little cause for tears. Indeed the child seemed to have little idea of what he was speaking.

"Did you. . ." Cirdan took the small hand in his own and examined it carefully. It would take an extraordinarily stupid child to manage to hurt himself on such a blunt object, and he could see no sign of a puncture wound, but something had upset the young prince badly.

"I am sorry." Ereinion whispered unhappily, speaking primarily to the shipwright's feet. There was a hole wearing through at the toe of one of the large socks and the grey wool had worn through to scuffed and linty matted fabric. "I only wanted to keep one to be like Adar."

Cirdan looked at him with an expression of great puzzlement and then turned back to the tin with a thoughtful expression. "Like your Adar. . ."

Ereinion shifted miserably from foot to foot then as a terrible thought occurred to him, burst out, "Adar would never steal, Lord Cirdan! I wanted to spin it like Adar does."

"Cirdan." Cirdan reminded him shortly then frowned as he pondered what the boy had said. Presumably he had meant to keep one for himself, but he would not have considered that a misdemeanour worthy of tears. They were only small, and he had more than he would need. "Do you want a tack, child?"

Ereinion cast the tin with all the little shiny tacks a last longing glance then shook his head. He would never feel big and grown-up and important now, even if he had a whole tin of tacks. It would just be a reminder of his naughtiness.

"No." Cirdan confirmed, his voice still holding a note of confusion. But a minute ago the boy had wanted one enough to steal, and now he would not taken one even when offered. "No matter. It would not have spun in any case."

"It would not?" Ereinion echoed, tentatively scrambling back onto the bench. He had tried spinning pegs and pins but they had not worked either.

"No." Cirdan shook his head in a preoccupied manner, secretly pleased by the child's interest. Perhaps tomorrow if he had a spare moment he might gather a few screws, nails and bolts in different sizes to demonstrate the lesson. "It is too long, and the head too small."

For the moment though, whether or not the promised two hours had passed, it was high time that tearful, grumpy little elves were sent to their beds. Cirdan set down the little ship, absently extended a hand towards a spot on the bench several feet from the boy and was surprised when he took it without question or fuss.

"I shall show you where you will sleep."

~*~

Ereinion's new bedroom was large, far larger than his bedroom and playroom combined back home. The floor was made of wood and the walls were of pale stone. Large paned windows stared into the darkness outside, and a door led out onto a balcony. Several brass lanterns were hung from hooks about the room, lighting it with a pleasant golden glow.

Somebody had clearly made an effort to make the room welcoming for a child. A striped blanket in shades of blues and sandy yellows was spread over the overlarge bed, and a small vase of colourful sea pinks was arranged on the desk. A model boat had been placed on the shelf above the fireplace, along with a dried starfish and some pretty shells.

"It is a big room." Ereinion said with his eyes on the floor, only stirring to give the huge bed a miserable look.

Cirdan gave him a puzzled look. Surely a child would appreciate extra play space. In any case it was one of his finest guestrooms, and only chosen due to the assertions of his housekeeper that he could not shut a little boy off in some lonely room at the other end of the house.

"I hope that you find it comfortable." Cirdan said absently as he passed through a doorway into the bathroom. "Here Ereinion, this is where you shall wash."

The boy trotted obediently into the room, and looked sadly at the large tub. Seeing the gloomy expression Cirdan drew in his breath in an annoyed hiss.

"What is wrong, Ereinion?"

Ereinion looked up at him doubtfully then concentrated on drilling the toe of his boot into the floorboards.

"I. . . I do not wish to disturb you, Cirdan." He murmured unhappily, his hand moving up towards his mouth, "If I shout loudly in here, will you be disturbed in your room?"

Cirdan looked into the fire for a while then stretched, bringing his shoulders back.

"I think that you might disturb me, Ereinion," Cirdan said thoughtfully. "Then I might have to come and find out what cause you have for making such a noise."

His smile was so sudden and so large that Ereinion had little chance to hide it, and to his surprise Cirdan found himself smiling too.

"Hurry now, get to bed."

Ereinion allowed himself to be shooed towards the bathroom and its large steaming bathtub and started taking off his boots. Satisfied that the prince would be all right, Cirdan turned to leave.

"I cannot undo my buttons." Ereinion looked at him, his eyes half challenging and half ashamed.

"Now. . ." Cirdan turned back to the boy, giving him a searching look. "I am sure that a boy who is ten years old is quite capable of undoing his buttons by himself."

Ereinion's cheeks turned pink and he looked down at the floor. Cirdan was almost sure that he could see the dark eyes brimming with tears.

"Well. . . where are these buttons?" Cirdan asked in a frustrated voice. Ereinion flinched and took a deep breath in.

"My back. I cannot reach them." He was now speaking in such a small and timid voice that Cirdan had difficulty believing that it was the same child that had threatened him with violence a few hours earlier.

Without a word Cirdan knelt down, and brushed the dark hair aside to undo the buttons. The child's small body froze rigid the second that his fingers made contact with the bony shoulders, and he could see from the movement of Ereinion's chest that his breathing rate had increased.

"I will not hurt you, child." Cirdan's voice was tinged with frustration, a fact that Ereinion did not miss. The moment that Cirdan had finished fumbling with the tiny buttons, the boy shot forwards a few feet. Hissing in irritation, Cirdan got to his feet and strode silently from the room, leaving Ereinion to finish undressing and scramble with difficulty into his bath.

~*~

With the High Prince dismissed until the morning, Cirdan hurried downstairs to his council room where Thatharien had left the remainder of the letters and packages that had been sent from Hithlum. He was eager to finish such business tonight, since the arrival of an infant prince seemed set to leave him with little time to call his own for tomorrow at least.

He would have to see Andir, the keeper of his library, about finding some suitable books for the child. It was sure to be a difficult task, for Fingon had requested that the child was to continue his study of Quenya and there were few who would be prepared to teach him. In addition he would not be quite at peace until he had had the boy seen by the healers. Ereinion was thin enough to cause anyone alarm, but there was something in the child's eyes that worried Cirdan yet more. Those of his soldiers with elflings as small as this were assigned carefully, and he could remember being told of children that had escaped from attack only to have their spirits fade. It had been many weeks since he had seen Ranlhach in any case, for the healers had been busy of late, and knowing that the child was well would put his mind at rest.

Putting the child from his mind, Cirdan stirred the fire back into life and sat down on the rug amidst the piles of papers and packages that Thatharien had arranged for him. The letters were for the most part rather boring, and did not merit an uncharacteristically prompt response. Others, especially those sent by the High King himself, were rather more thought-provoking, and a good few hours had passed before he moved on to investigate the parcels.

As usual there were a number of bundles of the brightly coloured fabrics favoured by the Noldor, copies of maps and important documents, an unwanted gift of an intricate wire brooch, and rather more interesting a further package containing a number of additional items for his guest. It did not take long for Cirdan to deduce why these belongings had not been grouped with the others - many of these were breathtakingly beautiful and with a value greater than large sections of his city.

There were tiny brooches shaped as leaves or stars, jewelled pendants, and ridiculously small circlets. A thin leather pouch held a flute of silver and mithril, and a half-sized sword lay bundled with a wooden bow adorned with inlays of gold and emerald. A small bundle wrapped in layer upon layer of grey silk revealed a flat wooden box, the gold script that had once decorated the polished surface having been rubbed off many hundreds of years earlier. Resting the box in the palms of both hands, Cirdan closed his eyes for a moment before slowly opening the lid and confirming what he had feared. Nestled in soft velvet was a mithril circlet, adorned with jewels and adorned with Quenya script.

Fingon did not expect Ereinion to return then.

Shutting the box with a snap, Cirdan hurriedly re-wrapped the box in tight folds of silk. For a brief moment he thought of the little elf upstairs, a strange feeling growing inside his chest. Ereinion did not know that this had been sent with him, and Cirdan found himself making a silent pledge that he would never find out. The child may be small, but he was not stupid, and the significance of such a finding would not pass him by.

Finally, with the package hidden deep in a locked drawer in his desk, Cirdan returned to his council room, hastily unpacking the final items and stowing them away in cupboards or on shelves. He no longer had any wish to read or reply to his letters. The storm had grown steadily worse throughout the evening, but he did not think that it was yet bad enough that it would be dangerous to walk on the shore. He needed the cold loneliness of the beach to allow his thoughts to form. Only a few hours ago he had been expecting to host a young elf for a number of years; now he faced bringing up a child alone - a child who, if Fingon's fears were founded, would before long inherit the High Kingship of the Noldor.

It was not a responsibility that he would have ever accepted.

Sighing, Cirdan shook out and folded the leather packs, and stacked them neatly on a chair. As he picked up the last empty pack something small and floppy fell from a pocket and landed on the floor with a soft thud. Puzzled, Cirdan shifted it to-and-fro with a toe. It was undoubtedly meant to be an approximation at some sort of animal, for it had two bead eyes and a patch of black leather for a nose, but the shapeless body was made from well worn patches of a soft fluffy material in shades of brown and cream. One of the pink ears was especially threadbare, and the tail had recently been sewn back on with thread of a different colour.

Presumably it was one of the child's toys, but Cirdan was sure that he had already seen a small pile of playthings in Ereinion's room. Although he did not know a great deal about toys, an infant's stuffed animal did not seem to fit with the painted wooden soldiers, carved horses and pouch of marbles that he had seen. Wondering why Fingon had packed such an unappealing and worthless object along with the most precious of Ereinion's possessions, Cirdan placed the last pack on the chair, grabbed the creature from the floor and headed upstairs to deposit it with its rightful owner. There would never be a place for such an item in his council chamber.


Chapter 12 - Bedtime

The bed was empty and the door that led out onto the terrace was open and banging in the wind. Quite a large puddle of water had formed on the floor by the open door, indicating that wherever the boy had gone, he had been for quite some time.

"Ereinion?" Círdan entered the room and placed the stuffed animal down on the dresser by the doorway and peered into the shadowy corners and dark nooks and crannies. "Ereinion!"

Even his sharp and irritated call did not bring the elfling scurrying out of wherever he had hidden himself, and now becoming rather worried, Círdan walked over to the open doorway with a speed that spoke of an anxiety that even his face did not betray.

It was a wild night outside, with the wind howling in from the sea and the rain beating harshly against the side of the house. The moon and stars were covered with thick cloud, but he could just make out the dark silhouette of the trees thrashing in the storm.

"Ereinion!" Círdan raised his voice to a mighty bellow in an effort to be heard above the noise of the storm. The wind was howling mournfully around the house and the wind and rain whipped some loose strands of silver hair against his face. The balustrades were high at this point, so it was unlikely that the boy had been blown down to the ground or had gone further than the east facing terrace, but it was dark and stormy and he was not entirely happy with the idea that one so small should be out here alone.

There was no reply, but as he peered into the deeper shadows in the corner he thought that he could make out a small crouched figure with its face turned up to the stars. Perhaps the boy had thought it a good hiding place, but then he was of the Noldor. Those that had long dwelt in Aman often forgot what light there might still be in darkness.

"Ereinion!" Círdan strode over to the child's side and looked down at him to bellow in a voice sure to be heard even over the most terrible gale. "Why are you not in bed?"

There was an anguished yelp and a pale shape shot back across the stonework from under the wet tread of his socks. Moving quickly, Círdan caught a rather rough hold of the boy's wrist, instantly regretting the action when he felt how thin the child's arm was under the clinging cloth of his sleeve.

"Inside!" Círdan pulled the boy to his feet, and glared down at him with obvious frustration. "What in Arda possessed you, Ereinion?"

Gulping, Ereinion fumbled a hand towards the smooth wood of the balustrades and held on with all his strength. He had not seen the stars yet, and if he did not then maybe Naneth would not and she would think that he had forgotten her. But he had not. He wanted Naneth now more than anyone.

"Ereinion." Círdan stopped and turned to Ereinion as the boy attempted to fasten his hold on the railings. His voice held a distinct warning tone by now, and he had come to except complete obedience whenever he felt he had to speak in such a manner. He had never truly believed that a child was completely without thought or reason before, rather considering them as a small and not particularly wise elves, but now he had to agree that his companion had been correct. And shipwrights did not like being proven wrong.

"I cannot see the stars." Ereinion explained in a frustrated voice that was verging on tears as he tried to resist the pull of Círdan's hand. "Naneth promised that she and I should see the same stars."

"It is cloudy, child!" Círdan jerked his arm forward angrily, sending the child stumbling down onto his hands and knees. "You shall see no stars tonight."

Crouching on the wet stonework Ereinion scowled at the shipwright's damp socks and gulped back tears. He had grazed his knees, his left palm was stinging and he must have been outside for longer than he had thought for his soaked nightshirt was clinging to his legs and arms. "But Naneth promised. . ."

Realising that he was whining, Ereinion made a determined but unsuccessful attempt to sound more reasonable. "I want to stay."

"Ereinion!" Círdan snapped, grabbing hold of the child's shoulder and pulling him into a sitting position. "Inside. You are not to come out here at night again."

He had not meant to sound so angry, but it did seem to have a number of desirable effects for after a moment or two of quivering, Ereinion scrambled to his feet and stood silently by his side, ignoring the hand that was offered to help him up.

They marched quickly inside, the young prince scurrying and tripping after the shipwright's long strides. It was bitter night, still closer to the winter frosts than the mild of spring, and the child had felt worryingly chill. He should have never have let it be possible for him to sneak outside in such a manner. The boy was so light that he might have been blown from the walls and had he not found him, Círdan suspected that he would still have been there in the grey of the morning.

Ereinion skipped smartly inside when Círdan halted by the door, taking the opportunity to give the shipwright a long worried glance. Círdan was scowling ferociously which probably meant that he was very angry with him. Although he wanted to explain that he had not meant to make him angry and that he was sorry and that he had only wanted to see the stars that his Naneth was seeing too, the words did not seem to be there. He did not feel like saying anything at all any more. And now Círdan had placed the storm- bolt across the door and it was too heavy for him to move by himself. Maybe he was not supposed to think of his Naneth and Adar anymore.

"Come now, get to bed." Círdan said briskly, patting the mattress firmly and tugging the child forward with his other hand. The sheets were rather rumpled and bundled up but he had little intention of remaking it at this hour. Children would probably not notice such things in any case. "It is late, Ereinion!"

The note of frustration in the last comment seemed to break through the child's despondence, and Ereinion increased his pace and scurried to the side of the bed where he made a few pitiful and extremely slow attempts to scramble up onto the mattress.

"Here." Making his voice deliberately grumpy to avoid the child mistaking his actions for kindness rather than impatience, Círdan closed his hands around the child's ribcage and swung him roughly up onto the bed. The boy was lighter than he had thought a child could be, and his bones felt so small and fragile that the shipwright placed the child down carefully amidst the sheets rather than dropping him as he had intended. He could feel the child's heart beating frantically inside his chest, and his breathing was far from regular.

"Am I to sleep now?" Ereinion asked quietly, wriggling in his soaked nightshirt to try and get rid of a crease that was bothering him.

"Aye. . . no," Círdan hesitated as he plucked some of the wet garment between his finger and thumb. Tempting though it was to ignore the problem for Thatharien had long retired to her own chambers, the boy was too cold and miserable to be neglected. "You are too wet."

"I am sorry, Lord Círdan." Ereinion spoke in a meek little voice, looking up at him with a painfully sad expression. Someone had unpacked all his clothes onto shelves that he could not reach, pushing the chair across the room would make too much noise at this time of night, and he did not know where Thatharien was.

"Círdan." Círdan corrected roughly, hoisting the child back into his arms and standing up straight. The shelves to the left of the fireplace were filled with small piles of folded cloth in a variety of colours, and surmising that they were his guest's garments, the shipwright strode rapidly across the room to stand before them.

Feeling rather uncertain at the sudden and unfamiliar motion, Ereinion fumbled for a handhold, eventually curling his arm around the shipwright's neck. Círdan did not seem to be very good at carrying people either, for he had forgotten to put a hand on his back or wrap his hand around his knees to keep him steady. Naneth would not have liked that much, and in truth he had felt much safer when his grandfather was throwing him in the air than now when he was perched on Círdan's arm.

"Now, have you more nightshirts?" Círdan stopped abruptly, nearly sending the child off balance, and ran an eye over the contents of the shelves. Everything seemed incredibly small even for a young boy, and he had little idea of where to start.

"They are. . ." Ereinion moved his head from side to side as he looked at the objects on the shelves, giving each a barely perceptible nod as he checked them off. "There."

The prince stretched out a thin arm to pat a bundle of soft cream coloured cloth, then smiled approvingly as Círdan picked one off the top of the pile. Nodding his thanks, Círdan shook out the fabric to check that it was indeed the desired nightgown, inwardly marvelling that anyone would take the time to stitch stars and leaves around the hems and cuffs of so tiny a garment.

"Oh." Ereinion's voice was full of disappointment, and looking up from his silent contemplation of the embroidery Círdan noticed that the boy's lower lip was quivering.

"Ereinion?" Círdan arched a bushy silver brow at the boy and waited, nightshirt on one arm and child on the other. The child was clearly over- tired and perilously close to tears, and he did not wish to provide an excuse for any such outburst.

"I. . . I. . ." Now paying little attention to his safety, Ereinion wriggled around to reach across and rummage through the remaining nightshirts. "I thought it was another one."

"They are different?" Círdan looked more closely at the pile. The boy clearly thought this of heartbreaking importance, but each looked identical to him.

"Naneth made me a special one." The child continued shuffling through the garments, moving too fast to properly examine each one, and making a fine mess of Thatharien's tidy stack. "With little grey eagles and special gold stars. . ."

The last nightshirt was discarded untidily on the shelf and Ereinion's face crumpled in dismay, despite his efforts to control himself by taking deep breaths, ". . .I think that she might have forgotten it."

Finally defeated by the happenings of the day, the small body sagged against Círdan's own. Worried that he might drop the child, the shipwright wrapped both arms around Ereinion's shaking body and awkwardly patted his hand against the boy's back. The child could not begin sobbing now - not when they had successfully navigated through the day without incident. He had no idea how to deal with or comfort a crying child. He had seen them cry for a bruised knee or a bruised elbow, or for hunger or fear or want of some fancy, but Ereinion was not hurting and needed nothing. Fortunately for both of them though, this motion snagged the very edge of one dangling nightshirt, and moving rapidly to catch it as it fell, Círdan caught a glimpse of a border of painstakingly embroidered eagle chicks and gold and silver stars.

"Here, Ereinion!" Rather embarrassed by the amount of triumph in his voice, Círdan shook the child's shoulder for attention. "Is this not it?"

Ereinion looked bleakly up at him then smiled a little, the tears in his eyes disappearing as quickly as they had come. "Naneth made it."

"Aye." The shipwright nodded slowly then briskly shifted Ereinion in his arms, took the favoured nightshirt in one hand and carried the boy through to the bathing chamber where he sat down on the stool and proceeded to roughly dry the child with a spare bath towel. Huddled limply in Círdan's lap, Ereinion let himself be pushed to-and-fro as the shipwright rubbed his hair and limbs. He was rubbing more vigorously than other people did and it was pulling and tangling his hair, but Ereinion did not like to complain in case Círdan became cross. The shipwright obviously thought him a nuisance for his body was taut and what words he spoke were curt and impatient.

Huffing with exaggerated impatience, Círdan gave the damp hair a last rub and threw the towel into a wooden box by the door. Ereinion turned to look doubtfully at him, rumpled tangles of damp hair falling down over his dark eyes, and stretched his arms up into the air. The shipwright looked at him with a perplexed air for a moment before realising what was intended and slipping the nightshirt over the child's head. Dressing a child was rather more difficult than it looked, even with Ereinion doing his best to help. The moment that the garment was over his arms the boy seemed to turn into a mass of bony elbows and shoulders that would hinder the progress of the soft fabric, and small fingers that would catch in the cuffs or collar. Eventually though they managed to get all the relevant holes and sleeves in the right place and emerging from the garment, Ereinion shook his head vigorously to shake the hair from his face.

"Thank you." Ereinion whispered meekly, closing his fist around one of the baby eagles on the hem and holding on so tightly that his knuckles went pale.

Círdan grunted uncomfortably and stood up, boosting Ereinion up so that he could get a hold around his neck when the boy began fumbling at his chest in something of a panic in an effort to steady himself. He did not like being thanked by others, especially when he did not feel that he had done anything worthy of recognition and praise.

"It is time to sleep now." Círdan carried the boy over to the bed and placed him down on the mattress, standing over the bed as Ereinion wriggled under the blankets. That done, Círdan turned abruptly and headed for the doorway where an oil lamp was filling the room with a soft glow. Despite the nuisance of this evening he should still have time to read a little of his book before he wished to sleep.

"Oh, and I found this among some things that your father sent me." Remembering the reason for the late night visit in the first place, Círdan half-turned at the door to absently touch the stuffed animal on the dresser. "Does this belong to you?"

"Arassë!"

The delighted yelp caused Círdan to spin round to find Ereinion sitting up in bed, arms outstretched, and beaming at him with an expression of awe more suitable for an omnipotent power or one mighty among the Valar than a humble shipwright. Something seemed to have been rekindled in the child's eyes, and despite his obvious tiredness he suddenly seemed more alive.

"It is yours?" Embarrassed by the boy's obvious thankfulness, Círdan picked up the small creature and tossed it casually across the room to land lightly at Ereinion's side. "Catch!"

Still smiling, Ereinion grabbed at the little fawn and rubbed its nose against his cheek. Suddenly the room did not seem so big and lonely, and the frightening big bed actually looked rather cosy, and he was so very tired. It was just that nobody was here to read to him and the blankets were all screwed up and difficult to smooth out.

"Come now, it is time for you to sleep." Seeing that the child would not settle without his aid, Círdan crossed the room and drew back the covers, shaking out the rumples and smoothing out the sheets. Smiling now, Ereinion obediently squirmed into a laying position and carefully moved Arassë so the black bead eyes could see out.

Círdan lowered the sheets down over the child, pulling the covers up the Ereinion's chin. "Are you warm?"

Ereinion nodded rather sleepily, wriggling so that the wool of the blanket would not tickle his chin then remembering his manners, added politely. "Goodnight, Círdan."

Grunting a response, Círdan walked over to the lamp by the door and dimmed it into darkness. He pulled open the door, ready to retire to his own chambers then feeling a sudden desire to offer what comfort he could to the child added, "I shall be in my room."

Holding the door open to allow a narrow slit of light to fall down across the bed, Círdan paused for a moment looking down severely at Ereinion, giving him a chance to say if he was still uncomfortable. The child certainly looked happier and more relaxed than he had been since his arrival, although in truth he was probably too sleepy to do anything else. Frowning a little, he suddenly nodded sharply and began turning when a quiet voice interrupted him.

"I like you, Círdan." Ereinion smiled briefly at him and wrapped his arms around Arassë, snuggling the toy fawn close to him with a blissful expression. "You find things."
------------------------------------------------------------------

Printed from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) on Sat Nov 14, 2026 8:12 pm