26: The Name Game

The rest of the week passed without incident. Alex and Derek continued with their classes. In the last cooking class they built a gingerbread house. The previous week, while Alex was still in the hospital, Derek had begun baking the gingerbread and designing the house as he and Alex had discussed, so that on the last day of class everything was ready to put together. It was a pleasant three hours for Alex, losing himself in something so... domestic. He smiled to himself, wondering what his mom would think if she knew how he was really spending his time. The house was neither the grandest nor the most elaborate, but Alex was pleased by how it came out and Grace approved it.

"I’m glad to see you fully recovered," she told Alex. "Unfortunately, you missed Roy’s famous Hot Chocolate lecture."

"His what?" Alex couldn’t help laughing.

Grace gave him a wide grin. "Roy is fast becoming the world’s expert on the best way and all the ways to make hot chocolate. It’s become a hobby of his. Maybe if you’re extra good, he’ll give you a private lecture."

"Or you could just copy the recipes from me," Derek said with a grin. "The dark and white chocolate one is my favorite."

"Thanks. Next time I see him, I’ll ask him about it."

That evening, he met with Vorondur and Amroth after dinner, using one of the classrooms, to work out the profile on Farrell. There was very little either Alex or Amroth could tell about the man, so Alex explained about the type of training that any agent for the Agency went through and Amroth described the possible missions Farrell could have been given over the years, thereby creating a profile of ‘the Agent’, as Vorondur called it. When asked what the mindset of most agents tended to be as they took on more and more assignments, Amroth described the typical psychological and emotional problems he had seen among various agents that might apply to Farrell. It was not as complete a picture as they would like and there were many blanks and question marks with regards to Farrell himself, but Vorondur assured them that this template would be of use in deciding how best to handle the man. Both Alex and Amroth expressed their doubts over this, but both agreed that probably eighty percent of what they’d discussed applied to just about every agent, so it would have to do for the moment.

Friday, Alex walked into the Sindarin class with some trepidation. It had been easy for him to forget what had happened on Monday as he went about his normal routine. He’d shoved the translation into a drawer and made himself forget about it, but his dreams were still troubled and confused, though, thankfully, none of them had anything to do with the tarn. Still, walking into Gil’s class, he couldn’t help feeling nervous, wondering if just hearing the language would cause another blackout. When Gil entered the room, he stopped at Alex’s desk, giving him a concerned look.

"How are you faring?" he asked quietly.

"Okay," Alex answered. "I haven’t had any... um... flashbacks."

"Good." Gil smiled. "You know you can come to any of us if things become overwhelming."

"I know and thanks."

Gil nodded and went to the front of the room. "Just as a reminder," he said to everyone, "there is no nature walk this afternoon. Everyone is to report to room one-oh-one in the phys. ed. center at one o’clock for some fun and games. Wear comfortable clothing and don’t forget to bring your party face with you."

The students all chuckled at that. "Since we’ll be starting the activities at one, I’m letting you out a half an hour early so you have plenty of time for lunch." There were cheers at that announcement. "But in the meantime," Gil continued, giving them a sly grin, "let’s see how well you remember the archaic nasalized stop mutations." Cheers turned to groans as Gil began handing out the quiz.

****

After lunch Alex and Derek walked over to the physical education building along with the rest of the Academy students, everyone wondering what sort of games they were going to have to endure. He wasn’t surprised to hear one or two grumble about wishing they were doing the nature walk instead, even though the temperature had cooled over the week and it was threatening rain or even snow by the looks of the clouds forming to the west. Alex was happy to be spending the afternoon indoors even if he had to put up with stupid games.

But, he hadn’t taken into account the fact that the games were being overseen by Elves who had their own concept of ‘fun’.

Dropping off their coats in the men's locker room, Alex and Derek made their way to the gym where they discovered that the inner wall had been pushed back so that two gyms were combined as one. The gym was cordoned off by colorful ropes into various sections and each section had a flag on a pole. Alex noticed that all the Elves were present as well as the other teachers. He even saw Zach and his friends and waved at them and they waved back. As each person entered, they were greeted by Phil and Roy holding large baskets with pieces of colored slips of paper inside them. Each student was required to pull a slip out without looking. Alex found himself holding a yellow slip while Derek had a green one.

"Go to the flag that matches the color of your slip," Phil told them, so Alex waved goodbye to Derek and made his way with other students clutching yellow slips of paper to where the yellow flag stood and there he found Amroth and Jud waiting for them. Once everyone had found where they were supposed to go to, Loren, holding a microphone, greeted them.

"Next week will be the second term," he told them, "and you will be switching classes. To give you a break from your routine and to celebrate making it to the halfway mark, we’re spending the afternoon having fun. You’ll all have a chance to move to the different areas of the gym and try your luck at various games. For now, listen to your instructors and... let the games begin."

He gave them a cheeky grin and there was spontaneous clapping and whistling among the students as they turned their attention to their instructors. Alex looked at Amroth, who grinned at them. "Find a partner," he ordered them and they took a few minutes to sort themselves out. Alex found himself partnering with Lucy Barton. Jud, meanwhile was going around and tying rope around their legs.

"We’re doing a three-legged race?" someone asked, sounding rather disgusted. "That’s pretty lame."

Amroth’s grin only broadened and Alex, recognizing the look, turned to Lucy. "Oh-oh. We are so screwed."

She just gave him a disbelieving look, not understanding. Amroth ordered everyone to line up along the perimeter of the cordoned off area facing all in the same direction. "This is not your usual three-legged race," he said. "If you’re the one standing next to the rope, hold on to it. Now, starting with Lindsey and Mike, here, you will walk backwards WITHOUT looking over your shoulder. It will be the responsibility of the person next to the rope to guide you."

"You’re kidding!" someone exclaimed.

"If you trip and fall, you’re out," Amroth continued as if he’d not heard the person’s protest. "And if you manage to trip the people behind you, they’re out as well. Jud will go around and tap your shoulder and that’s the signal for you to go. Everyone ready?" There were shouts of ‘No!’ and Amroth just chuckled, nodding at Jud who went to Lindsey and Mike to get them started.

Alex, who was by the rope, held Lucy tight and bent down to whisper in her ear, "Follow my count. On one, move back with your right foot and on two we move back with our bound feet, okay?"

Lucy nodded. "It’s not going to help that we’re not the same height."

"And that’s just part of the fun," Alex said with a grin even as Jud came by them and tapped Lucy on the shoulder. "Here we go. One." They stepped back rather awkwardly and Alex tightened his hold on Lucy. "Two." Trying to coordinate their movements was even more difficult with the bound legs, but as Alex continued counting out in a whisper they seemed to find a rhythm. He was grateful for the rope; it not only guided their route but gave him extra support.

"No looking over the shoulder," Amroth reminded them and then somewhere behind them Alex heard someone shouting in surprise and then there was the sound of bodies falling and several curses turning the air blue around them. "Hold up," Amroth called out. "Let’s get these people out of the way first." Alex sneaked a peek behind him to see two couples tangled with one another while Jud and Amroth endeavored to untie them so they could move out of the line. It took a few minutes and then the four students were made to go into the center and sit. "All right, on the count of three. One, two, three, go!"

Alex gave Lucy a grin and they set off again. Alex kept an eye on the couple before them, hoping to keep out of their way. He had no idea how close or far they were from the couple behind them and decided he couldn’t worry about it. Three more times couples tripped and were disqualified until only a few remained standing, including Alex and Lucy.

"You okay?" Alex asked her at one point when they had stopped so Amroth and Jud could disentangle three couples who had managed to collide with one another. Lucy gave him a brave smile, sweat dripping from her forehead. "I almost wish we would trip. I’m getting tired."

"Me, too," Alex said. "So, should we trip on purpose or see if we can make it to the end?"

"Tripping on purpose would be cheating," Lucy said with all seriousness.

Alex nodded. "Then we’ll continue as long as we can."

The signal came for them to start again. Those sitting in the middle had begun playing their own game. Someone started humming the jack-in-the-box song and the others picked up on it, humming it over and over again and when someone fell, there would be a chorus of "Pop goes the weasel" followed by much laughter and clapping as they welcomed the hapless victims to their exalted group of losers. Alex ignored it, letting his training take over. He happened to catch Amroth’s gaze at one point and noticed the amused smile on the Elf’s face as the students sitting in the middle continued their humming. He wasn’t at all surprised that Amroth had not told the students to remain silent, suspecting that that was part of the game. Lucy, however, did not have his training and when someone called out her name, she stumbled. Alex grabbed her tightly, hoping to save them from a fall just as a whistle blew and Amroth yelled for them all to stop. Alex let go of the rope and allowed himself and Lucy to fall.

"Sorry," she said. "Damn that Chris!"

"Don’t worry about it," Alex said with a laugh as he attempted to undo the knot on the ropes around their legs. "We held out longer than most."

It turned out that only three couples, including Alex and Lucy, had managed to make it to the end. Everyone cheered and Alex gratefully accepted a towel from Jud to wipe the sweat from his face. Someone else came around with bottles of water for everyone and then, after a brief rest, each group began to migrate to another area where they found another game to play. They were all popular games but there was always a subtle twist to them that made them more challenging. And so the afternoon progressed. Around three, there was a general recess while snacks were distributed and people were allowed to attend to personal needs if necessary. Music played in the background and in spite of the challenges which the games presented, the overall mood of the students was lighthearted and there was much laughter and joking.

It turned out that whoever they had teamed up with in the first game remained their partner for all the others. Sometimes he and Lucy managed to finish, other times they didn’t, but Alex didn’t mind as much as Lucy seemed to; he was simply enjoying himself. By the time they had participated in all the various games, though, even Alex was feeling wobbly and he welcomed the hot shower that followed, finally meeting up with Derek in the locker room.

"How did you do?" he asked his roommate as they were getting dressed.

"Fair to middling," Derek replied, shutting the locker door and turning the lock. "I think I managed to survive two or three to the end." He shrugged, giving Alex a smile. "Don’t really care. I was having fun."

"So, who was your partner?" Alex asked.

"Mick Sanford. He’s from the other section, taking the courses we’ll be taking starting next week. When we ended up sitting games out, we spent the time filling each other in on the courses we’ve been taking. Sounds like the wilderness survival and nature studies will be pretty interesting and we’ll be able to do some hands-on stuff in those classes."

"You’ll have to tell me about it later. Right now, there’s a cafeteria seat with my name on it. I’m starved."

"I hear you, mate. Let’s go get some chow. The name lottery they’re having after dinner should be pretty interesting."

"So long as I don’t get the name Bregdal," Alex muttered to himself.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," Alex said, forcing a grin. "Let’s get back to the Academy before all the food is gone."

****

When they arrived at the cafeteria they were surprised to see it decorated with balloons and streamers. On each table there was a box with slips of paper and another with pens. Alex and Derek gave each other shrugs, not knowing their purpose. There had been a general announcement at the gym before people were dismissed reminding everyone to be at the cafeteria by seven for those who chose not to eat there, which usually meant the students who lived off campus. Apparently, many of them decided it was easier to eat at the cafeteria rather than make another trip to the campus so the place was more crowded than usual, especially for a Friday night.

As they were eating, Alex noticed that a couple of tables were being set up along one wall of the room where there was a platform. Then it appeared as if all the Elves trooped in. He saw the Twins carrying boxes that were set on the tables while Daeron and Mithrellas sat on either end, each with a pad of paper. Glorfindel stood in front of the tables and shouted to get their attention, which came rather quickly given the number of people there.

"I hope you all enjoyed the games," he said with a grin and there was a round of applause and cheering. He raised his hands and quiet resumed. "You will see on the tables some paper and pens. Take a moment to write your name on the paper, then if you’re male, put your slip in this box." He held up one of the boxes and they could all see it was labeled ‘Men’. "And if you’re female, you put your name in this box." He held up another labeled ‘Women’. "And if you’ve taken too many shots in the head today and can’t figure out which box is which, just come to one of us and we’ll straighten you out."

There was a roar of laughter at that and then people were grabbing slips of paper and writing out their names, getting up and shoving the slips into the appropriate box. By now, most had finished their dinners and were clearing off the tables. The kitchen staff had set up another table with various kinds of dessert, as well as a fruit punch, though coffee, tea and soda were also available. Alex grabbed some coffee and a brownie. Once they were all settled, Glorfindel spoke again.

"How this works is this: we’ll alternate starting with the ladies. Della will draw a name from the women’s box at the same time as Holly draws a name from this box." He picked up a box that they could see was labeled ‘Ellith’. "They will hand me the two names and when I call your name out, you come and get your Elvish name. Then go to Misty and she’ll make a record of it. Then Roy and Dan will pull out names for the men and you will go to Darren and he’ll record your name. These lists will be given to a local embroidery store where they will make name tags for you. You may wish to use the slip with the Elvish name as a temporary name tag and wear it from now on so you and your fellow students get used to them. You will find a pronunciation guide and the meaning of the name on the slip. Any questions? Then let us begin. First, we’ll shake up all the boxes to make it fair."

The Elves handling the boxes dutifully shook them, then uncovered them. At a nod from Glorfindel, Della and Holly pulled out slips of paper and handed them to him. He took a moment to glance at the names, then called out. "Michelle Henderson."

Michelle jumped up, looking both excited and embarrassed at being the first to be called. Glorfindel gave her a warm smile. "Congratulations. You are now ‘Finduilas."

Everyone clapped and cheered as Michelle thanked Glorfindel and made her way to where Misty was sitting even as Roy and Dan pulled out slips from the men’s boxes, handing them to Glorfindel. "Jason Long."

Alex saw a young man of oriental extraction rise from his seat and move towards Glorfindel who smiled at him as he handed him the slips of paper. "Congratulations, Jason. You are now Damrod."

Jason grinned as he took the slips and headed to Daeron even as Della and Holly were handing Glorfindel the next set of names....

****

The lottery had been going on for nearly an hour and neither Alex nor Derek had been called as yet. All around them, those who’d been called were quietly mouthing their new names and showing the name to their friends. Lucy Barton had gotten Lindessë and Jack Whitman, another friend of theirs, was now Ragnor. Alex was not paying much attention to any of it, his mind on other matters, thinking back to the conversation he’d had with Glorfindel, Amroth and Vorondur on Monday. So many questions had been left unanswered, leaving him feeling frustrated and no longer in control. He kept thinking of Bregdal, wondering what it had to have been like to lie in a dungeon, knowing your days were numbered, watching as your companions were being murdered one-by-one.

So lost in his thoughts he was that he almost missed hearing his name being called. He fairly leapt from his chair, causing some tittering among the other students. He tried not to blush as he walked towards Glorfindel, whose expression seemed troubled as he stood there staring at the slips of paper. When Alex reached him, he looked up. "Congratulations, Alex. Your new name is... um... Elurín." Alex was surprised to hear all the Elves gasp at that announcement and he gave Glorfindel a puzzled look as he accepted the slips of paper. Glorfindel leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I’ll explain later," was all he said.

Alex nodded, acutely aware that the rest of the room had gone a bit quiet, as if the students sensed something wasn’t quite right without understanding what it was. Alex plastered a smile on his face, pretending to be looking at the name on the slip. "Oh, good," he said in a loud voice, turning to face the crowd, waving the slips. "So that means if my roommate Derek gets Eluréd we can be twins and only our naneth will be able to tell us apart."

Everyone started laughing and applauding, the people at the table where Derek was sitting joking with him, causing the young man to turn red in embarrassment. Alex turned around to look at Glorfindel who nodded his approval, gesturing for him to go to Daeron while Della and Holly handed him the next set of slips.

Derek eventually was called and received the name Celepharn and after two more names were called, the lottery ended and everyone started milling around, introducing themselves to their friends amidst much laughter. Alex excused himself to Derek and their friends, feigning a need to use the men’s room but taking a detour to where all the Elves were huddled together. As he neared them, he could hear the Sindarin flowing fast and furious between them, catching only a word or two....

****

"Who put that name in the box?" Glorfindel demanded, giving the other Elves a piercing look.

"None of us," Daeron assured him. "Why would we?"

"Well someone did," Glorfindel retorted, glowering at them. "And it just so happens that Alex is the one to receive it? That’s not coincidental." He stopped as he saw Elladan’s eyes widening, giving him a silent warning, and turned to see Alex making a beeline to them.

"All right," the agent said, "just what the hell is going on and why is everyone upset because I got this name?" He waved the slip of paper at them.

"Do you know who Elurín is?" Glorfindel asked.

"Sure, the twin brother of Eluréd, sons of Dior. Apparently died or disappeared or something when Doriath fell. And so? What’s the big deal?"

"The big deal, Alex, is that that name should not have been in the box," Glorfindel retorted. "There are a handful of names that are reserved, not to be used."

"Why?" Alex asked, giving them a puzzled look.

"Because the names are associated with great misfortune," Daeron replied. "That’s why you’ll not find anyone running around with the name Fëanor or those of his sons. Eluréd and Elurín were just children who died in horrible circumstances and Glorfindel felt that having their names used by unsuspecting or uncaring Mortals would be dishonoring them."

"I’m not sure I agree with that assessment of us Mortals," Alex said with a frown. "We’ve learned their history. I would think most of us would treat the names with respect."

"Perhaps," Glorfindel said, "but it was my decision not to include their names for reasons of my own. Yet, the question remains: how did that name get in the box? And why that name and not Eluréd’s?"

"Well, I promise you, none of us put the name in," Daeron insisted and everyone else nodded.

"Elurín means ‘Remembrance of Elu’," Vorondur said. "I think this is someone’s not too subtle message confirming Alex’s bloodline."

Glorfindel frowned. "By ‘someone’ you mean the Valar."

"More like someone a little closer to home," Vorondur said with a grim smile. "I have a certain Maia in mind."

"Fionwë," Glorfindel said between gritted teeth.

Alex startled at the sound of gentle laughter ringing through his mind, his eyes widening, feeling the blood drain from his head and nearly reeling from the shock. Barahir, standing next to him, grabbed him by the arm to steady him.

"Alex, stay calm," he said softly. "There’s nothing to fear."

The air became redolent with the scent of apples and mint and then slowly someone appeared in their midst. Alex felt his eyes bugging out and his heart racing as someone more beautiful than any of the Elves materialized before him. His golden-red hair was long and intricately braided and he wore a blue surcoat with an eagle embroidered on it.

"Be at peace, my children," the apparition said, his voice sounding of bells. "None can see or hear me but you. Greetings, Alex Grant, I am Fionwë of the People of Manwë."

Alex could only stand there and stare, gaping, trying to breathe, wondering if he was hallucinating or even dreaming. As if Fionwë could read his mind, the Maia smiled. "I am no hallucination or dream, child. I am a Maia."

"You... you’re an angel?" Alex managed to say at last.

"Something like that," Fionwë replied. "Fear not, child. All is well. Gilvegil, perhaps something to drink for our young friend."

Gil nodded and left to go to the dessert table. Fionwë, meanwhile, was addressing Glorfindel. "I put the name in the box and made sure it was Alex who received it and for the reason suspected. You’ve all been wondering about Alex’s heritage and why he’s having these memory flashes. Well, as to that, Vorondur was also correct in believing that when Alex died, certain barriers were eroded. I can assure you that it was not planned. The Valar were as mystified by it as you but apparently my Lord Manwë consulted with Eru and was assured that all was as Eru willed. On Lord Manwë’s orders, I planted the name for Alex to receive."

By now, Gil had returned with a glass of punch and Alex gratefully drank it, its sweetness steadying him. "So does that mean I really am descended from Beren?" he asked.

"Yes," Fionwë replied with a smile. "You are descended from Beren through Elwing’s son, Elros, and thus, you and Elrohir and Elladan are cousins, very distant cousins, it is true, but the blood of Beren, Lúthien and ultimately of Elu and Melian flows in your veins, however diluted it may be. The Elvish and Maiarin strains are what has allowed you to tap into the racial memories of the Edain."

"So... what does that make me, besides very confused?" Alex asked.

"It makes you no more special than the thousands of other Mortals who could claim kinship to Beren and Lúthien if they only knew. The real difference is that you do know and there is a reason for you being here, you and not someone else. Now, I must go. Do not be dismayed, my children, at what is happening or will happen. All is in Eru’s loving hands and we are but His servants." He gave them a bow, fading from their sight.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Alex felt weak in the knees and wished for a chair to sit in before he collapsed completely. Barry continued holding him up. "Steady on, Alex," he said. "Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. That’s it. Keep breathing."

"Well, that certainly makes things more interesting," Elrohir said.

"To say the least," Glorfindel retorted with a snort of disgust. "All right. Let’s get this party over with. Alex, are you going to be okay? I’ll have Barry see you to your room. Or would you rather come home with us?"

"No, I’m okay," Alex said, taking a deep breath. "I... I really need to be alone right now, think things through and I still feel uneasy about leaving Derek alone."

"Fine. You go on with Barry and I’ll find Derek and tell him you weren’t feeling too well and decided to go to bed early. We’ll talk some more about this tomorrow, or no, we’ll have to wait until Sunday. Can you manage until then? You can always call any of us in the meantime if you need to talk."

"No problem, and thanks. I’ll see you later, okay?"

The Elves all nodded and Barry, still holding on to him, led him away. They walked in silence until they reached Alex’s room. Barry saw him inside and then bid him good night. For a long moment, Alex just stood there in the middle of the room trying to grasp what had happened but his mind kept shying away from it and finally he decided to just go to bed. Out of habit, he opened his laptop to check his messages. There was only one. Opening it, he saw it was from Farrell. There was only a single line:

"No more games. Meet me at the Gold Nugget Café tomorrow 9 a.m. Don’t be late."

Alex muttered an oath as he shut the computer down. Well, no sense wondering what Farrell was up to now, so he put it out of his mind and got ready for bed. Derek came in just as he was about to turn off the light, asking how he was feeling.

"A little out of it," Alex answered truthfully.

"Maybe a good night’s sleep will help," Derek offered as he got himself ready for bed. Alex grunted in agreement and ten minutes later the lights were out, but it was a long time before he finally fell asleep.