Dear nephew,

I know, I don't have the right, to ask you a favour, but on the other hand, I have no choice. It wasn't under the best circumstances, that we last parted (kinslaying in Doriath, I think, you remember), and I'm terribly sorry for that. The favour I ask for is for you to come for Christmas and celebrate with us. It's the time of forgiving and familyreunion (though this certainly didn't go well the last few times). But I have two elflings, who – according to them – will die, if they don't get to know you. I told them to much about your skill in crafting and now the won't stop talking about you.

Yours,

Maglor

"Adar! Adar!" It was – of course – Elros running into the dining room, with his cheeks red as a ripe apple. When starting to cook, Maglor had sent them and his brother out for a snowfight, since he couldn not endure anyone in his kitchen, when preparing the Chistmas-dinner. Still, even though he had access to very different ingredients than there had been in Valinor, Maglor considered himself a good cook. It had also been him, who had been baking Christmas cookies with the kids. But only until Elros had dropped the fluor, making the three of them look like particular creepy ghosts. However, even if Maglor had sent them away to prevent such an accident, the two squirrels were storming his kitchen again. This time leaving wet spots and melting snowflakes on the floor.

"Are you already tired of snowfighting?"

The musician asked, hoping to distract them from the open fire.

"Of course not," Elrond said indignantly, "we're only having a break."

"Yeah, Adar said, he had to care for things. He wouldn't let us cover him in snow any more."

The idea of Maedhros half-buried in a mound of snow indeed was amusing. No wonder the eldest of the feanorians had taken the excuse of preparing the childrens' presents, to escape the situation.

"We also built a snowman," the younger one went on, "and we gave him your harp, so that he looks very noble. You shall come and see him."

Maglor closed his eyes, took a deep breath and – the door rang.

"That's cousin Tyelpe!" Elros screamed, "can we go greet him, Adar, please!"

"Hurry up, you two," Maglor agreed, "welcome him, while I take care of the turkey. But don't you talk him to death with your questions."

Though that last request had been useless, since the boy were out as soon as he had allowed them. In the hallway he could hear two very excited elflings and the quite confused voice of his nephew. Soon, Maedhros' voice joined the conversation, and, when he left the kitchen Maglor saw the twins eagerly escorting Tyelpe to the dining room. With a smile he entered and hugged his nephew tightly. He looked – if that was possible – even thinner, than he had at their last meeting. His hair and clothes were a mess (as usual), and his hands were covered with burning marks (also as usual). Still, his eyes were shining with what could only described as happiness, when he sat down with his family.

"Welcome, Tyelpe," Maglor said, meaning it, "we missed you dearly."

The younger stared at the table.

"I missed you too," then, suddenly, another idea seemed to push away whatever depressing thought he had had, "hey, I never knew, you had sons! Or are this Nelyos? If anything, they look like uncle Turgon, I'd say..."

He glanced suspiciously at the brothers.

"Well," Maglor couldn't help chuckling, "all three of it, I think," Tyelpes confused face was worth all three Silmaril, "It's a long story, and probably not fitting for christmas."

Fortunately, Tyelpe stopped asking. Perhaps he suspected, that the story – concerning their family – involved some kind of kinslaying and would rather have been forgotten by them.

Soon their talk turned to lighter matters. It appeared, that Tyelpe had started working on a new project with the dwarves and had tried to build something he called *dwarfish word for cave-digger*. Also, the boys were thrilled about the idea of a pair of wings that would – or rather were supposed to – make elves fly for a little time. During the whole dinner, they shot questions at the poor elf, who seemed to be half amused, half delighted about answering them. At least, he promised, to allow them to test his new inventions, which made the boys cheer in excitement. Both Maedhros and Maglor it caused a worried frown. They remembered very well how the experiments of Kurvo usually had ended. Maybe this was a matter they would have to discuss later.

They were still talking after the dinner and Maglor was glad to see, that Tyelpe seemed to enjoy listening to the boys. He wondered, when his nephew had last been talking to someone other than a dwarf. It was only after a while, that he noticed, how the twins became nervous. Elros was moving on his chair impatiently and Elrond – who apparently tried, but not fully succeeded to hide his excitement – played with his cutlery.

Obviously, Maedhros had noticed it too, for he looked at the boys with a smile.

"The twins seem tired," he said to Maglor, "we should send them to bed."

Elros' head shot up. "Adar," he began to protest, glaring at his father angrily, "You..."

"It's allright," Maglor interrupted with a chuckle, "let's go to the living room and see, what we find for you."

He had hardly finished his sentence, when the boys were up and running over to the great Christmas tree. When the grownups – and Tyelpe, for beside his age he didn't really count as an adult – had reached the living room, half of the presents were already opened. It seemed, that both of the boys had found their favourites immediately. A little bow and arrows for Elros and a book about herb lore for Elrond. Already, the boys were hunting each other through the room with two wooden swords, both of them had found under the Christmas tree.

Grinning, Maglor reached for another present and offered it to his nephew. He and Maedhros had agreed on a beautifully carved feather and a notebook of leather, in which he could note and structure his ideas. From Tyelpe he got a silver music stand, ornated with astonishing flowers and leaves, which could be folded so small, that it would fit into his pocket. For Maedhros the young elf had made a claw arm to use instead of his right hand. Actually, very practical.

He was just about to thank Tyelpe properly, when an unfamiliar sound made him turn.

Elros stood next to the Christmas tree, cursing and holding something, that appeared to be a broken Christmas ball.

"Elros!" Maglor reminded him, "not in that language. What happened?" he then added more softly.

"It was the bow," the elfling muttered crossly, "the arrow hit one of the Christmas balls. But if the armchair hadn't been in it's way..."

"Never mind," Maglor interrupted quickly, not being in a mood for a long discussion, "just remember, to use the bow only with one of us."

"But..."

Tyelpe chuckled quietly.

"And out of sight of a window," Maedhros added, what caused such an expression of disappointment on the boys' faces, that Tyelpe laughed again.

"Don't you give us that look," he begged, "Maybe I have something to cheer you up."

He added, then ran into the floor and appeared half a minute later, carrying another box.

"I had something prepared for you," he grinned apologetically, "I almost forgot."

The boys' curiosity was stronger then their disappointment and they opened the present.

"Cousin Tyelpe..." Elrond looked at his cousin with wide, astonished eyes, then back to the present, "that's incredible. Thank you!"

"Well, I did my best..."

Did my best, was strongly understated, Maglor thought, when looking with admiration at two beautifully made trees, one silver the other golden.

"It's nothing," Tyelpe insisted, "but look."

For a second there was the same light in his eyes, Kurvo had had, when presenting his creations. Pride and admiration and pure joy of having made someone happy.

Kneeling down he turned a nearly invisible handle. Immediately the trees started to shine. No, Maglor noticed, they didn't shine. Tiny metal plates had moved and revealed flowers of gold and diamond. It was the light of the candles reflected in thousands of filigree facets, that covered the walls and their faces with shining sparkles and that seemed to reflect the very light of the two trees of Valinor.

"This is brilliant," Maglor whispered in awe, "how did you..."

"I thought, since Maglor told me you liked the stories from Valinor, you would like to play with this," it was obvious, that Tyelpe on the one hand was prod as anything, but that the praise was to much for him, "I also made little figures."

Suspiciously Maedhros lifted the tiny, wooden figure of an elvenmaiden raising a sword.

"This one looks like cousin Artanis," he commented.

"Sure," Maglor teased him, looking at another figure, that appeared to be a lawmaster, "and that's supposed to be you. Only with one hand to much."

Maedhros rolled his eyes, then looked at the boys, who had started playing immediately. Apparently, the law master was just transforming into some kind of bookmonster and tried to steel the trees' light for his library. Or at least this was, what Maglor could tell of their shouting and laughing.

"It's enchanting," he said to Tyelpe again, "thank you, nephew."

The smith grinned in embarrassment: "Well, I had to make sure, you'd also invite me next year." It obviously was meant as a joke, but Maglor had known his nephew long enough to hear real uncertainty behind it.

"Tyelpe," he said seriously, "you know, you are always welcome here. Not only at Christmas. You are part of our family, for all it matters. It's only that we thought, you wouldn't want to have anything to do with us."

"No," Tyelpe stared at the floor vehemently, "I... I would like to have a family. I didn't have one for so long, and..." he didn't finish his sentence, but gladly received the hug Maglor gave him.

"Well, thank you," an uncertain laugh, "I don't think, many people can say, they got a family for Christmas."

"Me neither," Maglor smiled, "but do you know, what I think? I think it's time for my secret provision of Christmas cookies, don't you agree?"

So, he was passing round the box of cookies, just as his mother had done every Christmas eve. Back then, there had been nine of them. The five people in the room were now all, that was left of their family, but still it felt, as if they all were with them. As if their little family was for one moment complete. They missed their brothers and fathers, but this Christmas eve they had each other and it was enough. They were sitting by the fireside, laughing and telling stories. Maglor had gotten his harp back from the snowman and at some point, they would start to sing the old Christmas carols grandpa Finwe had once taught them. It nearly felt as it had back home in Valinor. It definitely felt like family.

The promissed Silmarillion/Christmas-Projection-thing. Whatever it is. I have to admit, I wasn't really thinking about what I wanted to write before, so it's a bit confused and a bit long. And maybe with some gramma mistakes. I like it anyways. Don't know, why I am thinking about Celebrimbor that much, lately (meaning Celebrimbor we know from fanarts and FFs, not the rings of power-Celebrimbor, though I have to admit, the actor isn't bad). Maybe it's just because he is another brilliant part of this complex and amazing world. 

Have a great christmas time, all of you!

You'll read from me,

Alice 🙃