~Thranduil and Aerneth enjoy a day at the beach and he meets her mother.~

oOo

By Elena Kukanova

Beach Date

Thranduil went back to the guest house in a daze. Aerneth had told him to meet her by the western city gate in an hour. She wanted to be alone with him! He would have a chance to talk to her again! He could not believe his luck, all notions of acting calm and unconcerned were completely forgotten.

He left his room after only a quick check in the mirror. He looked flustered but found that a little colour to his cheeks suited him, he had never liked the paleness of his features.

The western gate was easy to find, it was on the opposite side of the city from where he had come in, located near the shore. Thranduil was early but did not mind waiting, especially since the rain had finally subsided.

He went out on one of the piers to look at the boats. They were shaped to look like swans, some very big, obviously to transport warriors in, but most of them small with nets and barrels in them for fishing. Maybe someday he could try riding in one of them.

All around the boats white birds swooped about, moaning and crying in shrill voices. They were called gulls, he knew, he had seen pictures of them in books back home but this was the first time he saw them live. They were larger than he had expected, the biggest almost an arm's length from beak to tail, and seemed not at all afraid of him.

When he reached the edge of the pier, Thranduil curiously peered down. A flock of translucent, round animals were floating here, contracting and relaxing rhythmically, and further out a school of tiny fish came swimming at a slow pace. Suddenly they turned, impossibly synchronised, and disappeared into the deep as a larger fish began to chase them. On the stones of the pier grew other creatures, these were mussels he knew, he had tried one during lunch but did not like the taste. Between them sat a violet star-shaped thing, which Thranduil thought was a flower until it began to move. It slowly crawled up to cover a tiny mussel entirely, wrapping its five arms around it.

It was all very fascinating, but he had not the patience to stay for more than a few minutes, there was a nervous restlessness in him at the prospect of soon meeting Aerneth on more friendly terms.

The wind was strong out on the pier, and as he walked back towards the gate it caught his hair, whipping his face almost painfully. There went his careful brushing.

He spotted a small elfling by the waterside, maybe in her thirties or so, who looked to be fishing. Next to her was a leather bucket with some water. He peered curiously inside, noticing several shelled animals crawling around, threatening each other with sharp looking claws.

"What are those," he asked.

"Crabs." The elleth did not look up, her eyes intent on the end of her twine where she had tied a broken mussel. Thranduil sat down on his haunches and looked too. Soon there was movement under a bush of brown, leaflike water plants and another crab emerged, pouncing on the mussel and starting to tear meat from it with its claws, greedily stuffing its little mouth. The elleth carefully began to haul in the twine, and the crab was so busy eating it would not let go even when it was lifted above the surface. Not until the elfling shook it over her bucket did it lose its grip and drop down to its fellows.

"Well done!" Thranduil clapped his hands.

"Thank you." The elleth looked up for the first time and peered at him curiously. "I don't know you."

"I am a visitor from Doriath."

"Really?" The elleth's eyes popped wide open and her little face lit up excitedly. "Have you met the king?"

"Aye." He smiled. Elflings were so cute.

"What does his crown look like?"

"He has four of them."

"Four...?" the elfling breathed, awed that an elf might own more than one such marvellous item.

"Four. The one he uses now is his summer crown, it is made of gold with painted green leaves and rubies symbolising red berries, but soon he will change to his autumn crown with yellow sapphires, golden leaves and acorns. In the winter he wears a silver circlet with a blue stone and white gold snowflakes, and in the spring also one of silver with pearls symbolising snowdrops and catkins."

"Whoa... He must be very rich! I only own one pearl, but I am looking for more in every mussel I crack. When I find another my Ada promised to make me a pair of earrings."

"I bet those will look lovely on you." He ruffled her shoulder length brown hair.

The hour had nearly passed, and Thranduil returned to the gate, eagerly looking up the road in the direction of Círdan's house.

Suddenly he felt two hands covering his eyes from behind. "Guess who?"

How embarrassing, a warrior caught unawares! He excused himself with not being in his right frame of mind at the moment.

Turning around, he was face to face with Aerneth, of course. She smiled sweetly. "Come, follow me." She took his hand and pulled him with her. Her hand felt so soft and small, he loved how perfectly it fit in his.

They walked for a while along the shore in silence. Thranduil first felt he ought to think of something clever to say, but figured he did not have the energy. It was such a lovely day and he enjoyed simply being with Aerneth.

Soon however, he began to feel intimidated by the openness surrounding him. The way nothing separated him from the endless sky above and the vast ocean to his right was nauseating, making his stomach churn uncomfortably. He was very grateful for Aerneth's warm hand in his, it soothed and protected him, like she was an anchor preventing the empty air from sucking him up and away.

He noticed a darker shade near the horizon, and his heart beat faster when he realised it must be Aman, home of the Valar. His great grandparents whom he had never met lived there. They had followed Ulmo west across the sea during the Great Journey of the Elves a very long time ago, but their son had decided to remain with Thingol in Doriath where he later married Thranduil's grandmother and became father to Oropher and his two brothers. Only Oropher remained of that family now; the others had perished four centuries earlier in the First Battle of Beleriand. His mother Eiriendîs had lost her family too in that war. She was of the Laegrim and had lived in eastern Beleriand, but moved to Doriath after her parents died.

Those who had later travelled back to Middle-earth, such as Galadriel, claimed that all who died were reborn into Aman eventually, after spending some time in the Halls of Mandos. Did that mean his grandparents and uncles also lived on that distant shore now, together with Thranduil's great grandparents? And his mother's relatives as well? 

Yet, even if all the deceased lived across the sea, it would take a long time until Thranduil could meet them. After Ulmo and his followers departed during the Great Journey, nobody else had managed to sail there; the sea was too wild and treacherous, with hidden reefs and angry waves. And dying was out of the question, he did not quite dare trust Galadriel's word about rebirth. Besides, if he went there, he could never come back to Beleriand.

No, he would try his best to survive, and protect his loved ones so that they would stay in Middle-earth as well.

oOo

When Aerneth and Thranduil had passed the last pier they came to a stretch of bare, desolate sand beach that followed the bay for miles ahead. A group of elflings were bathing some way off and it looked like they had a lot of fun, splashing water on each other, diving and swimming. Aerneth dropped his hand and removed her leather sandals, giving them for him to hold while she went closer to the water. She let the waves brush over her bare feet as she walked, every now and then bending down to pick up a pretty shell which she made Thranduil carry as well.

"This is great, my own pack horse."

Thranduil smiled at her antics, not at all minding to carry anything she liked. She was beginning to be more like when he first had met her, playful and whimsical, and her cheerfulness effectively chased away his somber thoughts from before. Even the open sky was beginning to lose its edge.

"When we come to our cabin I shall show you my seashell collection."

"Cabin?"

"There." She pointed at a small wooden hut a couple of miles ahead. "Nana and I spend a lot of time in it during the summer. It's much nicer than in the city."

"Why were you in town today then?"

"Because it's been raining. The cabin leaks." She took his hand again, apparently done with the shell picking.

The afternoon sunshine was strong. Thranduil soon felt steaming hot in his woolen tunic, and since Aerneth only wore a light linen dress he figured it was alright for him to strip to his shirt. She looked at him with appreciation as he removed his outer garment, and he revelled in the pleasant feeling of her eyes on him. He enjoyed being desired.

A seagull landed by Thranduil's feet. It regarded him calmly with a red rimmed, yellow eye.

"Hello," he said to it, beginning to feel whimsical just like Aerneth. It was apparently contagious.

The bird opened its beak, it sounded like it replied. "Nín. Nín. Ca-ca-ca mee-ah!"

"First you say I am yours, and then you laugh at me. Rude." His grin widened when Aerneth laughed.

"Aye, Master Gull, he is taken already." She squeezed his hand and he looked at her, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. He wanted to kiss her but did not dare. 

"Well?" she said, a challenge in her voice as she tilted her head slightly upwards.

That was all the invitation he needed. Thranduil bent down, brushing over her lips with his. When she did not protest, he repeated the action, closer now. Her hand came up to cup his cheek and he buried his fingers in her soft hair.

"Mee-ah! Ca-ca-ca," said the gull, ruining the moment. They broke the kiss, laughing.

"I prefer to do that without an audience," said Thranduil.

"Indeed, one can do so many more fun things when alone together." Aerneth laughed again as Thranduil hid his flushing face behind his hair. "You are such an innocent little elfling," she teased.

"Because you are so experienced?" he returned, secretly wondering if she was. They seemed to be less rigid in this city, the little he had seen so far, perhaps ellyn and elltih associated more freely here.

"I am. I have practiced in the bath."

"Valar!" He pulled his hair to cover his face completely while he tried to not picture Aerneth in a bath, a particularly difficult feat because he had seen it once.

"Are you going to walk like that all the way to the cabin?"

"Aye."

"I shall lead you then." She pulled on his hand.

When they arrived at the building, Thranduil found he recognised its insides. Aerneth had called him from there many times. Her room was tiny, with only a narrow bed and a shelf where she kept her shell collection, and a glassless window covered by a wooden shutter.

"Where is your naneth?" Thranduil asked, trying to sound innocent. He very much wanted to kiss Aerneth again, but like he had said, preferably not with an audience. He realised he had not paid attention to Falasiel at all during lunch earlier, and could not even remember what she looked like.

"Out. She takes long walks in the summer, or works in her studio. I don't see her much this season." Aerneth closed the door, and now the room felt even smaller.

"I see." Thranduil took a step towards her. She tilted up her face, her eyes inviting him to repeat what he had done on the beach. As his lips again found hers she snuggled close, her hands starting to explore his back and shoulders over the thin fabric of his shirt. She tasted so good and smelled so good, his senses were overwhelmed by her. He fondled the silky tresses of her hair and trailed her neck down to her shoulder with his fingertips. He wanted to feel her breasts but knew that was too early, they were not even courting officially yet! Instead he stroked her back, slowly working his way down to the interesting curve of her hips.

A sound from the other room made them both start guiltily and jump apart. Someone had entered the cabin.

"I'm home, my love!"

"It is Nana!" Aerneth's cheeks were pink and her hair a bit tousled but she seemed not to care, for she opened the door and hurried to meet her mother, giving her a hug. Thranduil followed, feeling extremely uncomfortable about coming out from an elleth's bedroom wearing only his shirt.

Círdan's wife was a tall, thin elleth with golden brown hair, darker than her daughter's. The two were very unlike each other; the mother had none of the soft curves and ample loveliness that he liked so much in Aerneth. Her face was long, her nose a little too big and her chin pointed, making her look almost like an ellon. She was dressed in a simple linen dress, rather wrinkled and covered with odd, grey smudges and her feet were bare.

"Oh, you brought your friend. Greetings, Thranduil." She bowed, one hand across her heart. Her fingers had the same grey smudges as her dress. There was something dreamy over both her soft voice and the distant look in her pale eyes. "I'm glad to finally meet the ellon my daughter has talked so much about over the decades. I can see why she likes you; you are very beautiful."

"Nana!" Aerneth blushed furiously.

Ignoring her daughter, Falasiel took Thranduil's hand between her own and her strange gaze penetrated him, like she was looking at something far away but yet within him, reading his mind, or perhaps analysing it.

"Your temper is violent, but you have a kind soul and your heart is pure," she said at last. "Forgiveness is the cure; learn to forgive, learn to ask forgiveness – then your anger will never get the better of you."

Thranduil stared back at her, not knowing what to answer or how to react. Could she really see those things in his eyes? Forgiveness is the cure. He had said sorry to Aerneth today and it had worked, she had forgiven him easily. It should not be so hard to do the same again, if need be.

"I will try," he said.

"Then you have my blessing to marry Aerneth." She pressed his hand, smearing off some of the grey matter. He wondered fleetingly what it was and how he could wipe it off discreetly without offending her.

The elleth turned to her daughter. "I will be sorry to see you go, my love." Then she changed the subject completely. "Have you shown him my studio yet?"

"Nay Nana, I figured you would want to do that yourself. I will make us something to eat meanwhile. Don't forget to wash your hands before you come back." The way she spoke, it sounded like Aerneth was the mother and not the other way around.

Falasiel took Thranduil to an octagonal building behind the cabin. "See how light here is," she said as she showed him in. It was, sunshine poured through many large windows facing in all directions, making the room almost as bright as the beach outside. In the middle stood a table, laden with grey mounds of clay and several molded sculptures. So that was what the grey stains came from.

Thranduil went closer, curiously examining the figurines. All of them were sea creatures; fish, seals, seagulls, crabs and those strange star animals he had seen below the pier. The detail put into the artwork was incredible, from the tiny bead eyes of the crabs to the individual feathers of the birds' wings.

"These are beautiful!" He lightly touched one of the gulls. It smudged his fingertip.

"They are not hardened yet, I have an oven in our city house where I finish them." She took his arm. "Now look at the paintings!"

The pictures were even more outstanding than the clay animals. They covered the walls between the windows, all of them variations of the same theme: the sea. Water in every imaginable colour, sometimes meeting the sandy beach of the bay, sometimes licking the stones of the pier. Many portrayed water alone, close studies of a rippling wave or sunlight playing on the surface. Thranduil imagined they would feel wet to the touch, that was how realistic they were.

"I love them. They are amazing," he said earnestly, and was rewarded with a wide smile from Falasiel making her androgyne face light up from within.

"I know. Now, we must eat. Come!"

❈ ❦ ❈

A/N:

Of seagulls: "Nín", as the gull says, means "my/mine" in Sindarin. ;)

Of elvish races: The first elves who awakened became four clans; Avari, Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri. The Teleri were later divided into Falmari, Sindar, Falathrim and Nandor (who in turn were divided into Silvan and Laegrim (Laiquendi)).  (se family tree below)

King Thingol's adversity towards the Noldor originated from the first kinslaying, where Noldorin elves assaulted the Falmari in Aman, stealing their ships to chase after Morgoth and the Silmarils he had stolen. Since the Falmari were Teleri like Thingol, he never forgave the Noldor for killing his kinsmen.

Image Credits:

Chapter Image: Elf by Elena Kukanova.

Map source: http://fortmarinus.com/projecttolkien.shtml