Sailing Lesson

"One would think you've never been in a boat before, Arafinwë."  Olwë trimmed the sail of the small craft, adjusted the tiller, and tilted his face up to the sky. 

The Noldo flushed, but didn't let go of his death grip on the edge of his seat.  When Olwë looked directly at his passenger, he could easily see the poorly hidden unease in Arafinwë's grey eyes.  "You haven't," he stated. 

"No."  Arafinwë dropped his gaze to the smooth white deck of the sailboat, embarrassed. 

Olwë took pity on the younger elf and adjusted the sails so the sleek wooden hull wasn't racing quite so fast across the sea-green swells, and turned their course towards the more sheltered waters of the harbour.  "Out of curiosity, why didn't you say anything before we set out?" 

He couldn't help chuckling when Arafinwë admitted, "I didn't want Eärwen to think me completely inept." 

"Well, then, my son in law to be, let me be your teacher.  Come, sit next to me."  Olwë pointed to the empty bench on the other side of the helm.  "Now, the winds draw us forward as they flow across the sails, but we use this, the tiller, to make our direction…"