Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
We knew when it was because I knew that, in our home calendar, the Dunedan festival of Mettarë fell four days beforehand, I had found it out for a fanfiction I was writing in my first year.
The elves also held Mettarë, but at a different time because they had a different start date to their calendar.
Previously, Ginny and I had held tiny private celebrations in which Miriel had been inaugurated. This year though, we had the opportunity to do something I had been dying to do since I had arrived in Middle Earth.
I wanted to bring Christmas to the elves. Ginny found this almost as amusing as I did.
Ginny and I take the festival very seriously. We had made ourselves fabric advent calendars which we put sweetmeats in every year as replacements for the chocolate ones we had at home. For the time we had the calendars and about 12 days after we would sing Christmas carols non-stop. We couldn’t bring a tree in to decorate though, but we made a wooden carved one that we decorated all the same.
This time we managed to get a potted tree into the Hall of Fire with the help of the twins, who we had let into what we were doing.
They helped us spend the entire time of Advent collecting together buntings and other decorations, getting everything we thought necessary for a really big Christmas together.
We also managed to convince the cooks to make us a vaguely Christmassy meal. There wasn’t roast turkey as I had when I was at home, but instead we had roast goose and some other special meats and some generally hearty Christmassy type foods.
I had also brought back a fair amount of spices from Harad and Umbar so was able to, for the first time, make things like Christmas pudding and a fruitcake.
The night of Christmas Eve, once everyone had gone to bed, the twins, Ginny, Miriel, and I sneaked out and began to stream buntings and other decorations over the Hall of Fire and the dining hall then the main hallways of Rivendell.
The twins brought in the potted tree from where they had hidden it and we decorated that as well.
Then we put up a banner we had sewn proclaiming in red, green and gold: Merry Christmas.
We had also managed to make basic little paper hats for everyone and placed them on all the place settings in the dining hall.
After the decorating was done, we had time to catch some, though not much, sleep before getting up again.
We then fulfilled another personal Christmas tradition from my family. We put on really nice dresses we had made for this occasion, mine crimson and Ginny’s emerald, with our stripy over the knee socks. The look of the gorgeous, gold embroidered gowns, very similar in style with really silly socks was another Kodak moment, though of a rather different sort.
We had got some sort of present for all of our friends and family; the twins and Miriel, let in beforehand, had also got us some presents too.
Those presents we left over the fireplaces in each person’s sitting room with a Christmas card we had made them.
When we got to the dining hall, all the elves were confused.
Elrond quickly worked out who was responsible for the sudden increase in décor and colour in the hall and asked.
All the elves listened for the explanation.
“It’s Christmas Day!” I exclaimed, grinning like a mad woman.
“Christmas being a festival from our world.” Ginny elaborated for the still confused elves, though she was also grinning nuttily.
We looked at each other.
“We will tell you the story later on in the Hall of Fire, as well as introduce you some proper Christmas songs.” I added, to which the elves nodded, apparently eager to hear what brought on this bout of insanity from their princess.
Estel was absolutely delighted with his surprise presents and for one day only, our cats got left alone.
During the afternoon we had a snowball fight. In England a white Christmas was only a dream so we relished it all the more here.
We were very thankful for the hearty meal in the evening and afterwards I was able to make mulled wine, something the elves enjoyed immensely.
Then we sat down on chairs on the performing platform and told the story of Christmas. The total rapture of the elves at the story was rather amusing.
Then we went to the piano and introduced the elves to the musical wonder that is Christmas carols. We struck off modern Christmas pop hits, as we didn’t really want to explain to the elves the commercialisation of the festival, which we knew would shock them.
We did introduce them to some of the silly versions though. Thankfully they decided not to ask what taxis, cars, scooters, cigars, motorways, the M25, or dynamite are. I think they realised that these were non-transferable concepts.
The next day we were rather exhausted, thankfully Elrond was happy to agree to let us keep the decorations up as long as we wanted, probably because Ginny’s present to him had been a book on our world medicine.
I had given him another book, this one explaining Greek and Roman democracy. I had previously found that he was fascinated by these alien concepts and so I wrote down a beginner’s guide type thing for him, complete with diagrams.
To Glorfindel I gave a book of our world military strategy, something I had done as a second year university module as part of the politics section of my degree.
To Erestor I gave some pictures of Ginny when she was younger that I had got the twins to paint from photos I had (don’t ask me why I took them on our world tour with us, but I did) then made a little scrap book of. When she finds out about that she will probably kill me, but I know he cherished having a bit more of his ward’s life available to him.
For the twins, I made a build-it-yourself wooden castle with a few figurines, something to share as it was rather a large present. Ginny helped me with this.
For Estel, Ginny and I also jointly made a train set with pieces of rails that could be rearranged and two brightly painted trains. We had learnt working with wood when decorating our home in Eriador.
I don’t think Maedhren quite got the joke when we gave him a crystal ball and a tea set.
For Gilraen, Ginny, and Miriel, I had nice jewellery sets made by the jeweller in residence. Gilraen’s were silver and diamonds, Ginny’s were amethyst and silver, and Miriel’s were emerald and gold.
I received from Ginny a writing set, from Miriel book of elfin legends (a subject she knew I was interested in); from Elladan a glass swan, and Elrohir gave me a porcelain dragon incense holder. The final present was the result of me describing a similar one my dad had at home in England. When there was a lit incense cone in it the smoke came out of its nose, something both the twins and I found pretty entertaining.
Once the rest of my family realised that it was tradition to send gifts at this holiday, several more turned up.
The arrival of several late presents was very entertaining.
I received a picture frame with a picture of Gondolin, my home city, in it from Glorfindel.
Elrond gave me a Russian doll, elfin style, which contained all the members of my family. This was the result of my description of the ornaments during my previous stay I think.
Maedhren and Erestor had apparently been listening to our stories of the place we grew up as Maedhren gave me an elfin Faberge egg (not real obviously) that was decorated with jewels and Erestor gave me a silver fan (I had mentioned that I collected fans at home).
Gilraen gave me a handmade puppet of a goat, apparently remembering how much I enjoyed playing with the ones she had made to entertain Estel. I named her Geraldine Anne Gora. I am pretty sure only Ginny got what was funny about that name.
Ginny’s POV
For once in a very long time, we will be celebrating Christmas in style!
Ellie and I had introduced Miriel to Christmas during our travels, but we could hardly do the full works whilst running about the wilds of Middle Earth. So it’s nice to be able to have a pull-out-all-the-stops, no-expense-spared, full-bells-and-whistles celebration.
Part of the fun this time around is that we plan to really surprise everyone in Rivendell.
During the preparations, Ellie and I have many a quiet laugh to ourselves when we think that we are actually bringing Christmas to the elves!
Knowing that Elladan and Elrohir love to play jokes on people, we decide to let them in on the secret. They’re a bit surprised at first, but they soon see the fun in the thing and get really excited to think that, should this become a regular occurrence, they will have even more excuses for partying.
During the run up to Christmas, we spend every spare minute planning as well as making decorations. It’s only at this point that we realise just how hard it is to keep a secret in a place like Rivendell. Well, you try organising something like Christmas in secret; it’s bad enough when everyone actually knows what’s coming.
Nevertheless, we manage to fulfil every tradition, even going so far as to get up in the middle of the nights during Advent to leave sweetmeats tied to everyone’s door handle. The uninitiated ones are most astonished by this.
We don’t get a lot of sleep on Christmas Eve night for we all get up to decorate the palace. Whilst Ellie and the twins set to work decorating the banqueting hall and the main hallways, Miriel and I hang wreaths and garlands on all the main doors to everyone’s quarters as well as putting everyone’s present and card into a stocking and hanging it over the fireplace.
We then all joined together to decorate the Hall of Fire and the Christmas tree. This took slightly longer than intended as the cats had woken up and had decided to ‘help’ us.
Actually, they were more of a hindrance than a help because they seemed to find to find the garlands and shiny baubles most entertaining.
The next morning, Ellie and I shock our maids by bringing out slightly shorter dresses than the ones we usually wear. They come up to mid-calf level; this ensures that our identical green and red striped socks are on full view. The top-half of the dresses are most conservative, so they can hardly complain when we remind them what our ball dresses are usually like round here.
When we get to the banqueting hall, Ellie starts off the explanations,
“It’s Christmas Day!” The poor elves are still confused so I elaborate,
“Christmas being a festival from our world.”
Ellie continues,
“We will tell you the story later on in the Hall of Fire, as well as introduce you some proper Christmas songs.” At this, everyone grins and nods enthusiastically.
“Did you all find your presents?” I ask cheerily and everyone holds up their stockings. “Excellent! Let’s open them then.”
In return for his teaching us all about elfin medicine, I give Elrond a book of medicine from our old home.
On second thoughts, this might not have been the best plan as I spend the rest of the day explaining things like paracetamol and x-ray machines – not very easy when people around here haven’t even heard of pain receptors or electricity.
Ellie and I banded together to make the twins a wooden castle and Estel a train set. We were quite amused to see the two elfin princes play soldiers in the exact same manner as a pair of seven year olds would.
To Ellie herself, I give a beautiful writing set complete with pens, ink, and a leaning board.
One of the presents I’m most proud of is the handmade book of fairy tales which I give to Miriel. I worked late into many nights in order to get my writing at its neatest and the gilt-edged pictures precise.
Like Ellie, I also give Gilraen jewellery, but mine is a delicate, filigree pendant inset with the twelve different birthstones, Gilraen’s (a sapphire) is largest and drops down on to her chest.
To Glorfindel, I give a brand new leather belt. It’s very thick and sturdy and is decorated with elfin battle motifs. It’s also filled with spaces for any weapons that the best warrior in Middle Earth might care to carry around.
Ada’s present from me is a silver goblet etched all over with vines and leaves. It also bears my family’s motto: ‘Nulli praeda sumus’, which is Latin for: ‘We are deterred by nothing’.
Following Ellie’s lead, I give Maedhren a marble hand with all the different lines used in palmistry painted on – this he was equally confused about.
Naturally, I don’t get many presents in return, but those I do get are just as wonderful: I get a set of necklace and earrings from Ellie; they’re made of silver and amethysts and seem to be modelled on the same Celtic-knot that’s on my circlet.
Miriel gives me a purple silk cushion embroidered with paw prints. From Elladan, I receive a miniature jet black crystal in the shape of a cat; and his brother gives me a little stuffed replica of Murrlin. Hmmm, are they trying to tell me something?
During Christmas dinner, we were hurriedly joined by Falathiel, Nyx, and Murrlin. They wind themselves around everyone’s legs and mew themselves hoarse. They only shut up when I try what we did in England and had three more seats set at the table so the kittens could join us.
I’m quite a fast eater so, when I finish my first course, I put back my chair and allow Murrlin to jump on to my lap, whereupon, she immediately gets as close to the edge of the chair as she can and stares with big eyes at the meat still on Glorfindel’s plate.
After dinner, Ellie and I tell the Christmas story, which follow up with our own renditions of Christmas songs, modern and traditional. It was rather amusing to the see the elves faces when we sing the student version of ‘We Three Kings’.
Once everyone else realises that it’s tradition to send gifts at Christmas, several more turn up: Elrond gives me a delightful wind chime that has multi-coloured crystals hanging from the ends so, when I wake up in the mornings, my bedroom will be filled with a rainbow of different colours.
Gilraen gives me a warm winter cloak made of dove-grey velvet and a matching pair of gloves – very handy for the daily snowball fights.
In return, I think, for the belt I gave him, Glorfindel gives me a new pair of pearl-handled long knives. These are designed to be worn behind my quiver of arrows so I can reach behind me and whip them out at a moment’s notice.
My present from Maedhren is the same as what he gives to Ellie, but where hers is blue and gold and contains a golden horse, mine is violet and silver and opens to reveal, you guessed it, a cat!
Ada’s present to me is a very special one indeed: a delicate heart locket pendant which opens to reveal a miniature portrait of him and me – so he’ll always be with me he says.
I hope that’s true because we girls are planning another little trip and we not sure when we will be back...