Flame of Gondolin, novella: A Christmas Carol

Winter, 1 TA
Imladris

The two wolf cubs made such a racket the next morning that Anárië woke with a start, sitting up at the same time as Glorfindel did. They exchanged a look, and then her husband threw off the covers and went to see what all the noise was about in the next room.

Anárië was half-expecting to see a troop of Orcs come marching in when she heard murmured voices; a sharp retort from her husband silenced the cubs, and then all was quiet.

Glorfindel returned to find her sitting and looking at the entrance wit mistrust.

"Just Erestor," he whispered as he rested a knee on the edge of the bed to be able to slip in better.

She groaned and fell back against the pillow: "You cannot be serious – does he have an honest problem staying in his own bed until respectable hours in the morning?"

"I believe the proper term you’re looking for is insomnia," her husband commented, amusement evident in his voice.

Anárië rolled onto her stomach and burrowed in under the covers: "I don’t care about the term, I care about the fact that we’ll never get any sleep with him walking around like he’s prone on doing."

"It’s not my fault the little ones love his ankles!"

She buried her head into the pillow to stop herself from laughing outright, especially considering the fact that it was honestly true. Her shoulders still shook with it, however.

Glorfindel watched with an indulgent smile while Anárië pulled herself together again and turned so that she was facing him, lying on her side.

"What do you have to do today?"

He thought for a moment: "Elrond asked me to ride with him to the outer ridges and inspect some of the outposts, but if I know him it might just be an excuse to ask me about my proposal scheme."

Anárië had almost forgotten all about that, but now her eyes shone lightly: "Things are finally moving ahead!"

"They may," Glorfindel agreed, "or they might just be coming to another impasse."

She huffed, sighing and shaking her head: "Men."

Her husband’s low chuckle brought a smile to her lips while she tried to figure out whether or not she would be catching some wayward sleep still. It didn’t look like it since she was fully awake now, but who knew?

His fingers were gentle against her cheek and Anárië could feel her lips turning upwards ever so slightly, even though her shoulders still pulled back involuntarily. It seemed to be a sort of inherent reaction where he was concerned.

"You spoke in your sleep tonight."

Her eyes flew open and she regarded him quizzically: "I beg your pardon?"

Glorfindel had also rolled over so that they now lay facing each other, and his hand continued its gentle stroking of her cheek: "I couldn’t sleep and went to make sure the fire wouldn’t burn out completely when you called out."

She blinked, trying to imagine the scene, but failed more than miserably: "What did I say?"

His voice turned even gentler than it already was: "You called Ereinion."

Her heart felt like someone had just stabbed it, but not with a sharp knife; the knife turning slowly in the old wound was rusty and blunt, causing all the more pain while it revolved.

Anárië closed her eyes again and turned her head slightly more into the pillow: "I don’t remember having any nightmares tonight."

Glorfindel’s touch became firmer, offering support: "Most of us don’t have many memories of any kind of dream in the morning; but I know what I heard, and saw."

Her eyes flew open again: "Saw?"

"You were fighting a very heavy battle with the sheets by the time I returned to bed."

Her lips pressed together and she felt her face become slightly hotter, but at the same time she knew nothing could really be done to help all in all.

Her husband gently moved his hand down the length of her arm in a soothing gesture, staying quiet for the time being.

Finally, she sighed: "I’m sorry; I didn’t want to wake you or cause you any kind of discomfort."

"You didn’t wake me, Anárië," he chided gently, "I was already awake by the time the nightmare began."

She could see he was having a hard time believing that she didn’t remember it, and so she bit her lip. He continued waiting, and rubbing her arm.

"I was back on Orodruin."

Glorfindel sighed: "I thought as much."

She looked at him: "Did I say anything else?"

He shook his head: "Just bits and pieces, enough for me to realize what was happening. You quieted some once I got a good enough hold on you."

This time, there was no mistaking the blush creeping up into her cheeks.

Glorfindel’s smile was very gentle: "It would seem that my presence soothes you, if nothing else; you burrowed against me like I was some sort of nest for you to hide into."

He didn’t tell her how his heart broke seeing her like that, nor that she had been crying when she finally calmed down enough to allow both of them rest for the remainder of the night. If she knew about these details, she gave no indication.

"You know it does," her voice was low and muffled into the pillow. His smile grew as he gently cupped her cheek, smoothing his thumb across it.

"By the way, you already got your present today."

She looked at him questioningly.

Glorfindel’s smile was slightly impish: "It took five kisses to calm you."

Anárië was saved from continuing that conversation by a soft knock on the door that meant they were needed in the real world again. Glorfindel’s face betrayed his annoyance at the disruption, but she quickly turned to press a kiss against his open palm before slipping out of bed to go see what this intrusion was all about.

Her husband groaned as he rolled onto his back, but he had enough on his hands within moments as there was a pattering of paws and both cubs jumped onto the bed in greeting, since their mistress had let them loose.

She followed them within moments: "Elrond wants to know whether or not you’ll be ready to ride within the hour."

"Valar have mercy, can’t he sleep either?" came the answering grumble, making her smother a laugh.

"Time to get up, I’m afraid."

Glorfindel made a sound, but did as she suggested, stretching and letting his joints pop lightly as he did so. Anárië busied herself with prying the covers out of Alana’s mouth.

"What will you be doing?" he asked her.

"I promised Erestor I would help with the finishing touches to that centre-hall he’s been working on," she replied, "and then I think tonight the fire will be lit for the first time."

"That," Glorfindel said, "is very good news. I’ll see you tonight then."

"Don’t slip on ice!" she called after him cheekily, earning herself a laugh, and she smiled as she listened to him move about before he left their chambers.

As she said, she spent most of her day down in the hall helping to clear out the last bits of tools and waste, but managed to excuse herself with time to spare, quickly making her way to the rooms allotted the healers. She found Berien rolling up bandages.

"Anná!" the other elleth greeted her with a smile.

"I need your help," she admitted, which brought a quizzical expression onto Berien’s face.

"Of course; what is it?"

Explaining the situation, and her predicament, brought the smile back to her friend’s face.

"Just like old times in Lindon. Come with me."

Elrond and Glorfindel were late in returning and only had moments in which they had to change clothes and join the others in the lighting of the fire, so Glorfindel knew he wouldn’t find Anárië in their chambers. But when he came into the hall where most of the others were already gathered, he was confused when he couldn’t see her.

"Have you seen Anárië?" he asked Erestor, who frowned and glanced about.

"I did, but not for a little while now. I’m sure she’ll come."

He went his own way, leaving Glorfindel to his own devices, which mostly consisted of frowning.

A gentle touch to his arm brought him out of his own thoughts.

Anárië was certain she would never forget the expression on his face when he looked at her, and she had to admit to herself that it was a very good kind of feeling. She gave a hesitant smile.

Glorfindel forced words past the sudden lump in his throat: "I was beginning to worry you weren’t here."

She chuckled, and shook her head; he watched the loose waves of her hair shift and fall freely down her back, some spilling across her shoulders. The raiment she wore was plain, a simple grey with loose sleeves, but he was fairly sure he hadn’t seen her in a dress since Gondolin. And she had been a girl then; not so now, with the surety of a proven warrior and counsellor.

Anárië shifted her attention from the look in his eyes to where Elrond had stepped up to the fireplace. They all hushed as he brought the flames to light and thus lit the whole hall.

"Behold, the Hall of Fire!"

The call was met with cheers and applause, and voices rose into song to thank the Valar for this blessing.

Anárië found herself beaming when Elrond came to where they were standing, and they embraced.

"I came to ask you if you would sing for us," he said, which immediately erased the smile from her face.

Glorfindel spoke before she could: "She’d love to."

There was no time to argue since both men seemed to be in agreement, but she promised murder with her eyes as Elrond made the announcement. Berien’s amusement told her a story as well, but as silence fell, Anárië found herself the centre of attention. She swallowed thickly.

A hand slowly wrapped itself around hers, and applied gentle pressure.

She took a breath:

"Said the night wind to the little lamb – do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb? Do you see what I see? A star, a star, dancing in the night, with a tail as big as a kite; with a tail as big as a kite …"

***

Note: the song at the end is, of course, Do You Hear What I Hear?, written in 1962 by Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker. I enclose the rest of the lyrics below; obviously, they do not really mesh well with the Elven-world, but the beginning which Anárië sings could quite easily have been Eärendil, high in the sky.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy – do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy – do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees, with a voice as a big as the sea,
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king – do you know what I know?
In your palace wall mighty king – do you know what I know?
A child, a child, shivers in the cold, let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere – listen to what I say!
Pray for peace people everywhere – listen to what I say!
The child, the child, sleeping in the night, he will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light;
He will bring us goodness and light …