Celebor

[Elnara Aldrich]

45 Lairë, 14 July

Well, I can see that Celebor doesn't upkeep his journal very often - but then, with everything that's been happening lately, I suppose he has been very busy. I only feel the duty to write in here now because last night, something happened, and he has been left in capable of writing in here himself. The poor boy, he's in so much pain ...

Apparently last night while we were at the cafe, he was playing a game with Lin, Kara's newest. He was chasing her around. She ducked underneath a table or something, and he grabbed the table as he ran around it, to help him turn - but the table, the table next to him, and a few chairs all crashed down on him, and the vases that were on the tables (flower vases, thankfully) went flying and smashed all over the place.

He cracked the back of his head open, and once Donovan was sure that was it, I healed him up - but now he's so sore, and so bruised, that he can hardly move. I know he'll be all right, but I can't help but worry about him. Perhaps it's motherly instinct. Or perhaps by now it's more than instinct.

According to Donovan, at any rate, he should be back to normal in a few days - but until then, rest and coddling.

Aye, no worries on that score.  

[Elnara Aldrich]

Autumn Nightmares – Part I

Autumn. A season of beauty. Reds and golds fill the air and litter the ground, and a brisk wind brings promise of snows within a matter of time. At the same time it clears the air, leaving is fresh, biting, invigorating. It’s cool enough outside to need a little something more when one goes out, but warm enough that it’s still possible to keep the window open at night.

The early morning sun was bright and warm when I woke that particular morning. I could see from the frost on the edges of the window that it was cold outside, but of course having two blankets and an extra little furnace next to me, I was as warm as ever. Warmer than usual, in fact. I was about to get up when I remembered … I had a second little furnace in bed with me. Celebor.

How could I have forgotten about him? He was still holding my arm with both hands … maybe that was how. I’d lost most of the feeling in that arm. It took me a while to pry him off, mostly because I was trying my best not to wake him. Poor boy … he hadn’t had much sleep. I woke a bit after midnight and heard him sitting just outside my door … crying. He’d had a nightmare, but he hadn’t wanted to wake me … I have to make sure the kids know they can wake me any time.

He wouldn’t say what the nightmare had been about … he didn’t want to talk at all. He just crawled into bed with Idhril and me and refused to let go of my arm. He stayed asleep while I dressed, but I can’t say how peaceful his sleep ended up being. It didn’t look peaceful. Even in the daylight …

It wasn’t until after Idhril was also awake that he finally stirred. I watched him anxiously to see how he was, searching for signs of fear or panic like he had displayed the night before. His eyes were glossy when he opened them, but he blinked it away and soon they were glowing as green as ever. He was facing the wall when he woke up, and he thrashed the blankets around until he turned and saw me standing on the other side of the room. Only then did he calm down – but still he said nothing. He sat up and hugged the blankets tightly to himself for a few moments, rocking back and forth. I was positive that he was still terrified of something, but his face was expressionless and he wasn’t making a sound. I sat next to him and put my arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him. I wanted to pick him up and hold him close, but I was afraid that he would hear my heart pounding and that it would only serve to upset him even further.

“Celebor,” I said softly, trying to remain as calm as possible for both his sake and mine, “is there something you’d like to tell me?”

He shook his head violently, but her grabbed me around the middle and hugged me as he never had before. Something was obviously on his mind … I only wished I knew what it was.

I sighed inwardly, but I didn’t want to press him. The last thing I needed was to push him away from me and make him face his fear – whatever it was – alone.

“Well,” I murmured, smiling and trying to make him feel a bit better, “it’s time for you to get ready for school. Would you like to help me make breakfast?”

He shook his head again and tightened his grip on me. He had never not wanted to help me with breakfast before … something had to be really wrong.

“I don’t want to go to school today,” he squeaked finally.

I was surprised. “But you love school!” I protested before I could stop myself.

He didn’t reply.

I tried everything I could think of. Games, reading, letting him do things that I normally wouldn’t … but nothing helped. I couldn’t bring him out his shell, and he wouldn’t say another word. He just shook his head at everything I suggested.

By the time it came to really get ready for school, I decided to forego it. I was worried about him … something had to be really wrong. A single day of missing classes wouldn’t be too bad for him or Serenity, they would be able to catch up. But if I couldn’t find out what was wrong with him, that was something that could lead to bigger problems.  

[Elnara Aldrich]

Celebor Tries to Talk to his Uncle Ruel

Despite Lore’s warning, Celebor wanted to talk to his uncle again and find out exactly why he was so mean to Elnara. And so it was that, after Lore and Elnara had departed for their trip to the city for the day, Celebor, rather than following his cousin around (as he had been considering) decided to go back to the forge where his uncle could be found so that he could talk to him.

He was ready for the heat of the armoury this time: he had left his cloak upstairs in his bedroom. When the heat washed over him as he entered, he closed his eyes against it, then, when he was used to it again, opened his eyes and stepped inside.

“UNCLE RUEL!” he hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth. “I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!”

The ringing of the hammer stopped, though the roaring of the furnace continued, and a moment later Ruel appeared from around a corner, his face bright red – with anger or heat, Celebor couldn’t tell and didn’t care.

“What do you want?” Ruel asked Celebor, folding his arms across his chest. He was in a foul mood, and he didn’t bother to hide it.

Celebor faced his uncle straight on, folding his own arms across his chest to mimic him. “I want to talk to you,” he repeated, setting his jaw stubbornly. “You’re not very nice to my Nana.”

Ruel raised one eyebrow. “So? You weren’t exactly nice to me, either.” And he rubbed his jaw, were there was a bright purple bruise.

“You deserved it,” Celebor frowned, “for being so mean to her. Why do you have to be like that? You were really nice yesterday when you showed me all this stuff! Why were you mean at dinner?”

“Because your mother deserves nothing different,” Ruel scowled. “She’s a freak – a demon! She doesn’t belong here.” He turned to walk away again, but Celebor grabbed his arm and wouldn’t let him.

“Why do you say that?” he asked, looking angrily up at his uncle. “Just because she’s different from you, that doesn’t mean she’s a freak! That’s a really mean word!”

“Well she is one,” Ruel sneered. “Elves are elves, demons are demons. Demons can change their shape and appearance, elves can’t. It’s that simple.”

Celebor blinked. “But she is an elf!” he protested. “She’s not a demon! Just because she can do something that you can’t do doesn’t mean she’s a demon!”

“It’s not what she can do,” Ruel retorted, “but what she is.”

“And what she is,” Celebor frowned stubbornly, “is an elf, just like you! She even was a natural baby like you! I wasn’t a natural baby, she adopted me – does that mean you’re not going to like me just because I’m different from you? Just because I didn’t come from Nana like you came from Nako?”

Ruel stared at the boy.

“Besides,” Celebor went on, “Nana’s not any different from Nako! Nako can do just the same thing as Nana! And that’s even why Nana can do it in the first place! Because she was a natural baby from Nako!”

Ruel stared at Celebor a moment longer, then chuckled a bit and put one hand on his head. “You’re very defensive of your mother,” he nodded. “That, I can respect. And I give your mother credit for adopting so many children, especially those who are so different from herself and from our kind. However …” His tone took on a cold edge once more. “… she is a freak. A demon. And nothing you say can dissuade me.” And he turned and strode away.

Celebor was furious now. “You’re awful!” he shouted after his uncle, his fists clenched at his sides. “She told me about how she saved Daeron from the bad men! She told me how she brought him back to you!”

“And she was also the one who estranged him from me,” Ruel snapped, whirling to face Celebor again. “Thank you for the reminder! Now get out of here before I throw you out! And don’t come back again!” And he turned and headed deeper into the forge.

Celebor would have followed, but the temperature of the room suddenly rose again, and he found it difficult to breathe. He choked a bit on the air and gasped out the words of his magic spell, more out of desperation, out of instinct, than anything else – since of course he wasn’t underwater. But it worked! He was able to breathe freely again.

Before his spell wore off, he headed for the room’s exit, back to where the air was cooler, and where he could breathe on his own.

As he headed off to find some of the others, he decided that he didn’t like his Uncle Ruel very much.  

[Elnara Aldrich]

Mother’s Log
13 January

Things aren’t exactly normal around here. I know they never were, but now even less so … Serenity, four months younger than Celebor, grew to teenhood before he did, and he was … well, he was happy for her, but crushed. I know I’ve always told him that once he grows, he can go visit my homeland again, but … I’m starting to realize exactly how uncertain the time is when it will happen. I have no idea, especially if Serenity is growing before him. I’ve made up my mind now … he can go today, as an early birthday present, because that way he can be home for his birthday proper. Of course, it’s only a visit, and he’s going with Lin and Donovan, so it’s not as if he’s going alone, and he’ll be back soon.

…


Since writing the above, he has been and come back – and what a shock I received! He grew while he was there! He’s taller than I am now, and quite a handsome devil, and though he still (for the moment) has a child’s mentality … he’s quite grown up. Not only his features (impressive though they are) but also … well, his voice is … quite deep now … quite deep indeed … but smooth, it’s a nice voice to listen to. Odd hearing childish remarks and questions coming from such a voice as his, but there you have it. And … his laugh … is quite grown up as well. He still laughs as much as he ever did, though, and I find that despite the fact that he’s so different, he’s still my little boy.

I can’t imagine how tall he’s going to be when he grows again … he’s taller than me, taller than Feng or Ryu, or Yue or Yukito (and that’s saying something!) and he still has one growth left. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up taller than Lore.

On the other hand he has also requested more studies, and at more advanced levels, in anything that I can offer him. He’s quite advanced in his schooling, his elvish (High Elven at least) is perfect … I should teach him Common Elvish. He was in the Borderlands, at the Ranch there, and it’s made up primarily of Westland Elves, and Common Elvish would be the language that they would know (except of course that everyone there speaks the Common Tongue, English, as well).

I should visit. Celebor tells me that Aliya has a son, Ulani and Ulrich have another son, and Elrohir and Haradhel have a son and a daughter of their own. So many changes in such a short time … what else will have changed by the time I finally make it back there?

Still, I would be comfortable letting Celebor go alone now, or at least to the Southland where he ends up directly in the castle and there’s no chance of being attacked. I would still like him to have a guide if he goes to the Borderlands, at least until he’s been trained more.

Or … I could let him take care of the children here (or Serenity could, I know she likes to take care of everyone) and go for a visit on my own. It would be nice to take Lore along, just the two of us, but he does have his work to do. Maybe I’ll talk to him about it.

Ah … there’s an idea, I should take Celebor to meet Gion and his family. He and Seeker are quite alike, I’m sure they would get along. Not to mention, there’s Galdor, who is probably an adult by now but still, they are Celebor’s cousins and it’s good for him to know his extended family. I’ll take the others once they’re bigger, too, but I don’t want to risk taking Storm yet, especially – since of course he was the one who got sunstroke the first time we went to the Southland, and he hadn’t even been outside much then.

Well, we’ll see what happens. I just can’t believe it … my little Celebor’s growing up …  

[Elnara Aldrich]

A Year in Training – Winter

For months, Celebor had been looking forward to the time he was going to spend in Tor Karad, training under his cousin and his cousin’s uncle. He had been only a Surprise when his mother had promised him he could come, and as a Child they had finally made it. The boy’s experience with his mother’s family had been varied indeed. He had gotten along splendidly with most of them, hero-worshipped his cousin Daeron, but had actually come to blows with his uncle Ruel.

Now he and Serenity were there for an entire year on their own, and while Celebor didn’t really care one way or the other how his uncle acted towards him, he knew that if his uncle was rude to Serenity, she would be devastated and want to return home.

Their first several hours there were spent with their great grandmother, but before dinner came they were shown to their rooms so that they could drop off their bags, change their clothes and wash before the meal.

Celebor was ready first, but, ever the mindful elder brother, he waited in the hallway for Serenity to be ready as well so that he could escort her down.

They arrived at the door to the Dining Hall just as Ruel and Lúthien were also arriving, and while Lúthien greeted both of them with a warm smile, Ruel only glared. Serenity looked away uncomfortably, but Celebor’s temper flared, and he put one hand on his uncle’s shoulder, stopping him from continuing into the Hall. His uncle looked at him in surprise.

“A word before dinner,” Celebor said firmly, tightening his fingers slightly on Ruel’s shoulder. Lúthien looked at the both of them, and a worried expression flickered across her face, but she followed Serenity into the Dining Hall without a word.

Ruel followed Celebor a few steps down the hall, and when they stopped he took a moment to examine his nephew.

“You’ve grown up quite a bit,” he commented, raising one eyebrow.

“At least one of us has,” Celebor retorted with a frown. He jabbed one finger against Ruel’s chest, his expression severe. “Look,” he said flatly, “I know that since Nako was forced to leave and Neko died and you came to live here, you’ve been able to do just about whatever you want and act however you want. I don’t know how old you are and to be honest, I really don’t care. You’re married and have adult kids, so obviously you’re pretty old, but you still act like a spoiled kid, needing to have everything your way. I’ve read about people like you, people who don’t care about anyone but themselves, who think that they’re always right and that anyone who thinks differently or looks different or acts different or likes different things is a freak. I’m not going to mess with your life and tell you what to do or how to act when you’re by yourself, but understand this.”

He leaned close, his green eyes blazing with fury. “If you do anything to make Serenity feel uncomfortable, or say anything rude about our mother, either when we’re here or when we’re not, I will not let you get away with it, do you understand me?”

Ruel swallowed hardly, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face. He had never felt so intimidated, not once, even when he had been caught spying on Lúthien by her brother, Eldrin. He nodded, more to get out of the situation than anything else, and Celebor released his shoulder and pushed him away.

“Good,” he nodded. “Don’t forget it.”

And with that, he headed into the Dining Hall, smiling as if nothing at all had happened.