56: Getting Acquainted

Alex woke about six hours later to find the camp eerily quiet. Derek was still sleeping, and there didn’t seem to be any of the usual noises associated with a number of people camping out. Peeking out of the tent, he saw that the predicted snow had come while they were sleeping, covering the landscape like a white blanket. It wasn’t deep, only a couple of inches but he was glad for his fleece jacket and warm boots; in spite of the sun, it was colder than it had been earlier.

His first impression, as he crawled out and looked about, was that he and Derek had been abandoned, for there was no sign of anyone, and all the cars but his were missing. Then he realized that wasn’t so. The other cars had been moved at some point while the two Mortals had slept so that they were hidden behind a screen of trees away from the road. Obviously, his car hadn’t been moved as he still had the keys with him. Then, of course, there was the fire merrily going and he saw what he assumed were camp supplies under a protective tarp. Where the Elves were was anyone’s guess.

Even as he was thinking these thoughts, Cennanion stepped out of the woods, giving him a smile. "Good morning."

"Morning. Where did everyone go? I thought for a moment we’d been abandoned."

"Never," Cennanion assured him. "The others are scattered about, reacquainting themselves with Middle-earth, or in a few cases, getting their first real look at it. Now, there’s a hot spring over there on the other side of those rocks where you can wash up, but be careful as it is quite hot, and that screen of trees just beyond it is the latrine. Loren’s decided, unless circumstances warrant it, that we’ll stay here until tomorrow night."

"Oh? Why? Derek and I are missing classes."

"And anything you think you need to know, we can easily teach you," the Elf said. "As it is, this is the last week of formal classes, though the other students don’t know that. Next week will be given over to preparing for your final exam."

"The test tour Zach and Loren told us about," Alex said.

Cennanion nodded. "Yes, but I wouldn’t worry about it. For now, just relax. The others will be back later and you can meet them all properly."

"Okay. I’m going to clean up then," Alex said and went back inside the tent to retrieve his toiletry bag and a towel. As he emerged from the tent again, Cennanion assured him that he would put together some breakfast for him and Derek.

Fifteen minutes later, Alex returned from the hot spring to find Derek had finally roused and was sitting on a log by the fire sipping on a mug of coffee while Cennanion was bending over the fire turning some bacon. Derek looked up and gave Alex a bleary smile.

"I could’ve slept longer but the smell of breakfast woke me," he said in greeting.

"Why don’t you go wash up, and by the time you’re back, everything will be ready?" Cennanion suggested. Derek nodded, drained his mug, setting it down. He went to retrieve his own toiletry bag and a towel and sauntered off. By the time he returned, Alex was enjoying his own breakfast of bacon and eggs and Cennanion handed Derek a plate. When he was satisfied the Mortals were all set, he excused himself, saying he wished to return to the woods.

"I’m afraid you’re on your own for a time," he said apologetically.

"Don’t worry about us," Alex said, waving a fork at him. "We’ll be fine and we promise not to move the camp while you-all are off hugging the trees or whatever."

Derek grinned and Cennanion chuckled and then left them. For a time, the two friends occupied themselves with their breakfast, but as they were finishing, Alex asked, "So, do you think we’ll be stuck with Curly, Larry and Moe again when we leave?"

Derek snorted his coffee, coughing and laughing at the same time. "And which one did you decide was Moe?" he finally asked when he got himself under control.

"The talkative one," Alex retorted with a grin. Derek slapped his knee and practically fell backward off the log he was laughing so hard. Alex just sat there smirking. Then, he happened to look up and saw Glorfindel and Finrod coming towards them from the nearby woods. "Oh, oh. We have company."

The two Mortals watched the Elves approach. Glorfindel seemed different from how they knew him, but neither could quite put their finger on what that difference might be. Finrod had changed his clothes and the flowing robes had been replaced by a plain knee-length tunic of dark green worsted wool over a shirt of blue-dyed linen and suede leather pants also dyed blue tucked into calf-high leather boots. His hair was unbound, caught in a simple gold circlet without any ornamentation and he wore no jewelry save for a curiously wrought ring. As plainly as he was dressed, Finrod exuded an aura of majesty and authority that caused the two Mortals to rise unconsciously and give the two Elf-lords awkward bows.

Both Finrod and Glorfindel smiled. "There be no need for such formalities among us, my friends," Finrod said. "Please sit."

Alex and Derek reluctantly complied as the two Elves joined them by the fire, sitting on another log across from them. "We could hear you laughing," Glorfindel said. "Care to let us in on the joke?"

The two Mortals exchanged sheepish looks. "Ah, it was nothing important," Alex said.

Finrod gave them a bright smile and there was a knowing look in his eyes. "My son is very young and unused to Mortals, so you must forgive him and his companions."

"Your son?" Alex asked, giving the Elf a quizzical look, trying to remember if he’d met anyone who resembled Finrod.

"The talkative one," Finrod answered slyly and both Mortals blushed.

"Damn elvish hearing," Derek muttered into his coffee mug.

Finrod and Glorfindel laughed even as Alex was stammering an apology. "Peace, Alex. I am not upset. I am afraid my son hath much to learn of Mortals and their ways. He is, as I said, quite young, in experience if not in years."

"He appeared to be a bit... um... upset when we saw him rushing to you to complain," Derek said.

"I don’t know what he had to complain about," Alex groused. "It’s not as if we treated them badly or anything and if he was upset about having to put his precious sword in the trunk, well, too bad."

"You need to give them a bit of slack," Glorfindel said gently. "They’re suffering from culture shock."

Derek snorted. "If they’re suffering culture shock now, just wait until we introduce them to McDonald’s and NFL football."

Glorfindel laughed. "Nevertheless, do try to keep in mind that neither Findalaurë nor his two companions have ever met Mortals. You are as much a legend to them as Elves were for you."

"And the first humans they meet turn out to be us," Alex said with a sigh, unconsciously pulling down his hat.

Finrod reached over and gently removed the hat from Alex’s head. "I have been told of thine adventures, young Alex. Thou art shamed yet there be no need for it, for thou didst come to this state honestly. Thou’rt a warrior, my friend, and thy baldness a badge of honor for thou didst win against a foe even greater than the Enemy whose name I shall not utter here."

Alex gave him a puzzled look. "What foe? All I did was finish the stupid race."

"Thou didst fight against thy very self," Finrod replied. "Thou didst not give in to defeat. Thou didst battle with thine inner demons and prevailed against despair. Thou hast no need to hide behind this." He lifted the hat in his hand.

"Except that it’s bloody cold and I’m freezing my ears off," Alex retorted, grabbing the hat and shoving it back on his head. Finrod laughed, the sound of it light and gay and full of gentle mirth. Glorfindel grinned and the Mortals found themselves grinning in return.

"I think it time for thee and Derek to be introduced to my son," Finrod said when he’d calmed down.

Both Alex and Derek sighed almost as one, much to the amusement of the Elves. Almost at the same time, several Elves came out of the woods and made their way to the fire. Alex saw the three ellyn who had ridden with him and Derek. The one with bright golden hair must be Finrod’s son, he thought. The other two were darker in color, one with hair the color of chestnuts, while the other was more a sandy brown with gold highlights. While Finrod’s son had blue eyes, theirs were more grey. Unlike Finrod, they were carrying swords and the dark-haired ellon had a bow across his back.

"Why are they armed?" Alex asked in a whisper, clearly puzzled.

"Must be those ninja squirrels," Derek replied with a straight face.

Alex gave him a sly grin. "Beware of killer rabbit," he retorted and Derek smothered a laugh. Finrod gave them both a bemused look but Glorfindel simply rolled his eyes. Besides the three ellyn, two others also approached. From their demeanor, Alex sensed that these two were much, much older, for there was a gravity about them that was missing from the younger Elves. Neither was armed.

"You called us, Atto?"

"Yes, my son. Come and join us. The time is meet for making proper introductions among you."

Alex saw the wary looks the three younger ellyn gave him and Derek as they found seats on another log. He plastered a smile on his face, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The two older ellyn spoke quietly in what he was beginning to recognize was Quenya and Glorfindel answered in kind. Finrod shot them a question and they both shrugged, giving him amused smiles. Alex found it interesting that all three of the younger ellyn looked somewhat abashed and wondered what had happened. Apparently whatever it was, Finrod found it more amusing than anything and cast a fond look at his son and his two companions. Then he turned to Alex and Derek.

"Alex Grant, Derek Lowell, be pleased to meet my son, Findalaurë, and his two gwedyr, Calandil Calaldundilion and Elennen Ingalindarion."

"Uh... hello," Alex said, not quite sure what else to say. Derek echoed him.

Findalaurë nodded in greeting but the other two merely stared at them. Before things got too awkward, Finrod turned to the two older ellyn. "And let me introduce Laurendil Rialcarion, who is the great-grandsire of Calandil, and Valandur Voronwion, who hath the keeping of young Elennen, who is my cousin Ingwion’s great-grandson."

Both ellyn bowed to the Mortals, which surprised them. "A star shineth at the hour of our meeting," Valandur said in slightly accented English. "I have long hoped to meet with Mortals and am right glad of this opportunity."

"Oh," was all Alex could think to say. "I hope you’re not too disappointed."

"Not at all," Valandur said with a laugh.

"Alex, you and Valandur have something in common," Glorfindel said with a smile.

"Really? What’s that?"

"Valandur is mine uncle’s spymaster," Finrod answered for Glorfindel, smiling slyly.

"Is that a fact?" Alex asked, giving the Vanyarin Elf a shrewd look.

"I have heard that thou’rt an accomplished spy," Valandur said.

"Intelligence officer," Alex corrected. "I’m still alive, so I guess I am."

Findalaurë gave him a disbelieving look. "Thou art a spymaster? Thou seemeth over-young for such an important position. Uncle Valandur spent yéni upon yéni learning his craft before ever Uncle Ingwë made him his chief loremaster and spymaster. I cannot think thou hast learnt much in thy short years."

No one commented and from the closed expressions on the faces of the older Elves, Alex had the feeling that they were interested in seeing how he handled himself with the arrogant little brat, as he thought of the young prince. He glanced at Derek, who gave him a shrug and a ‘go-for-it’ look.

"I have spent the last ten years infiltrating terrorist groups here and around the world," he finally said. "I’ve brought a number of people to justice, people who were bent on destroying our civilization and way of life, people whose greatest pleasures were in torturing helpless men, women and children and seeking ways to sow confusion, pain and despair among the innocent. I’ve stared into the heart of darkness and have exposed it to the light. I’ve been battling evil, boy, while you’ve been sitting around pretending to be someone special because your daddy is Finrod and you carry a pretty sword."

"You dare!" the young ellon shouted even as he leapt to his feet, drawing the sword from its sheath. His two friends leapt to their feet as well but did not draw their swords. Alex had half-expected the move and before anyone else could react, he was on the Elf, knocking the sword from his hand with a single thrust, then grabbing the now empty hand and throwing the helpless ellon over his shoulder, forcing him to the ground, ready to strike him again. Glorfindel reached out and grabbed his arm, staying him.

"You really need to stop doing that, you know," the Elf-lord said conversationally.

Alex merely grinned and stepped away, resuming his seat beside Derek, who raised an eyebrow at him but did not make any comment. Valandur and Laurendil gave him nods while Finrod was busy helping his son to his feet. The two other youngsters just stared at Alex with wide eyes. Several Elves came boiling out of the woods, apparently attracted by the shouting. Glorfindel barked something in Quenya that sent them all scurrying back. He gave them a satisfied grin.

"Guess I still have it," he said and both Valandur and Laurendil chuckled.

"Sorry about that," Alex said to Finrod as he was helping his son retrieve his sword, but the Elf waved a hand in dismissal.

"The only one who should be sorry is my son who hath dared to draw steel upon one who is unarmed."

"Unarmed but not defenseless," Laurendil corrected. "A rather useful trick."

"Mortals developed a means of defense using one’s body as a weapon," Glorfindel explained. "It’s rather handy when you are weaponless but your opponent is not. The Valar know I’ve had reason to be grateful for learning such skills over the years."

"Works well on unsuspecting Maiar, too," Alex couldn’t help saying.

"Indeed," Glorfindel said with a laugh.

"And thou, Derek," Finrod said, "what hast thou done with thy life before coming here?"

Derek raised an eyebrow and Alex half-suspected that Finrod already knew the answer but wished for the Mortal to speak for the benefit of the three young ellyn. "I was in the Navy for six years," Derek answered readily enough, "though I didn’t see any action. Like Alex, I was in the intelligence field, but not as an agent. I helped to collect and analyze sensitive information which was gathered by others to secure the safety of our country and our allies against those who would bring darkness over all."

"A worthy endeavor," Finrod said. "It doth pain me to know that peace is as fragile as ever in these Mortal lands."

"Morgoth and Sauron are no more but their legacy lives on," Glorfindel said. "Yet, is this not what we are all about? Is this not why the Valar wished for us to establish Elf Academy and begin training the Mortals for the ultimate battle?"

"Indeed, and we have come to give thee our aid, Brother," Finrod said soberly. "And others there will be who will also come in due time, but we are the vanguard and it is for us to help thee and thy fellows to secure this outpost of the Light against the encroaching Darkness."

"But swords?" Alex couldn’t help asking. "Any Mortal with the proper weapon could kill you at fifty feet. In all these ages you haven’t advanced beyond swords and bows?"

"I wouldn’t call it an advancement," Glorfindel said.

Alex shrugged. "Maybe yes, maybe no. The point is, if you are gathering an army together, do you think this Enemy you-all are gabbling about isn’t doing the same? And if so, do you think he would ignore the weapons of modern warfare and stick to swords and spears and other so-called more honorable weapons? I don’t think so. He’s going to look to every advantage, up to and including using dirty bombs and other terrorist toys."

There was an uneasy silence as they digested what he’d told them. Finally Valandur spoke. "Thou speakest wisely, Alex, yet only from thy limited perspective. I do not say that what thou hast said is untrue, merely not the whole of it. There are aspects of this war of which thou’rt ignorant. But we shall speak more of this, thou and I."

"And Amroth," Alex said. "He’s more the spymaster than I am, since he’s the one who trained me, while I’m just an agent."

Valandur nodded. "Indeed. I am eager to meet with him as well."

"In the meantime, we need to address the situation which hath arisen between us," Finrod said. "Thou shouldst know, Alex, that I deliberately asked Glorfindel to pair thee and Derek with my son and his two gwedyr."

"Oh?" Alex gave him a shrewd look. "Let me guess. This was a test, wasn’t it? So, which one of us failed?"

"Thou art correct in that I wished to see how my son reacted to his first encounter with Mortals, but it was not meant to be a test for either of you, merely a form of instruction." He turned to Findalaurë. "My son, tell us of thine impressions, and you, also, Calandil and Elennen. Speak as your hearts bid."

Findalaurë gave his father a sour look tinged with hurt. "Why dost thou test us, Atto, and not the ellith who are also new to these shores?"

"A fair question," Finrod answered, "yet, they are not my concern at the moment. My concern lieth with thee, my son, thou and thy brothers. I will speak unto the ellith anon. So, let us have thy thoughts."

The three younger Elves shifted nervously, not quite looking at anyone. Then, Findalaurë muttered something.

"Speak up, my son," Finrod commanded, his tone somewhat sharp, "and in English."

Findalaurë looked up in defiance. "They smell funny."

Alex blinked in disbelief, then looked at Derek, who, for his part, mimed sniffing his underarms, shaking his head. "It’s got to be you, then."

"Get out!" Alex said, trying not to laugh, feeling embarrassed. It was the first time anyone had accused him of smelling.

The older Elves looked on in amusement, but the three younger ones were frowning. "Thou hast asked for our impressions, Atto, and that is the one most apparent to us," Findalaurë complained. "I regret if it causeth embarrassment, but I speak only the truth."

"And I asked for the truth," Finrod said in agreement. "Yet, what other thoughts have you about these two Mortals?"

"They are not what we expected," Elennen said.

"What did you expect?" Alex asked, his tone curious rather than confrontational.

"All our lives, we have heard the tales of the Atani," Findalaurë answered. "You are not Beren or Tuor."

"No. I’m just their descendant," Alex retorted. "I don’t claim to be a hero or have super powers or anything. I’m just me. Maybe the Men your father knew were heroes, and they seem larger than life when you read about them, but I’m not them, nor do I pretend to be. If you were expecting to be greeted by another Beren or Tuor or even Túrin, you’re out of luck. And I do not smell funny!" He stood up and bent over the fire, picking up the coffee pot that was warming beside it and pouring himself another cup before resuming his seat.

"Would you share with us what your first impressions were?" Glorfindel asked him and Derek.

"Of these three or of the Valinórean Gang as a whole?" Derek asked.

"The Valinórean Gang?" Glorfindel repeated, giving him an amused look.

Derek shrugged. "Well, that’s sort of how I think of them, to differentiate them from you Wiseman Elves."

"An interesting phrase," Finrod said, "but please, do tell us your impressions."

"Well, I can’t speak for Alex," Derek said, "but I thought your son and his friends rather amusing. When Alan here just stood there staring at the car door wondering why it wouldn’t open for him, it was all I could do not to laugh out loud. His expression was so funny and Alex running around... well that was even funnier."

"Thanks," Alex groused. "Who’s side are you on, anyway?"

"I’m just saying that it was all rather amusing."

"Well it wasn’t from my standpoint," Alex snarled. "I couldn’t believe anyone as old as they are acting so... I don’t know... asking us if we were Mortals like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing and what they were seeing obviously didn’t impress them. Frankly, when they all practically screamed like girls when I started up the car, I felt rather superior to them, something that’s hard to do when surrounded by you lot."

"We did not scream," Findalaurë protested, giving the two Mortals a dark look. "We were merely taken by surprise."

"And my name is Elennen, not Alan," the great-grandson of Ingwion added with a disdainful sniff. "Thou canst not even speak our names correctly."

"Alan is a Mortal name," Glorfindel said, "and very close in sound, if not in meaning, to your own. You had all better get used to having such names in order to blend in with the Mortals."

"That’s going to be a neat trick," Alex said. "You and the other Wiseman Elves have had ages to learn to do just that, but these others are going to be harder to hide in plain sight, as it were. They’re too... ethereal or something. I noticed last night that you had a sort of golden glow that was muted and most people would not really notice it or put it down to a trick of the light, but Finrod practically glowed like a supernova in comparison. People are definitely going to take notice of that."

"How many of you are there, anyway?" Derek asked. "I never could figure it out."

"There be twice twelve of us who have come," Finrod answered.

"That many?" Derek retorted with a whistle. "So where are you going to put them all? On the ceiling?"

Glorfindel laughed. "We’ll figure something out, never fear. I suspect that some of us... er... Wiseman Elves will move out of Edhellond. I know Amroth and Nimrodel would like to and Elrohir certainly will, once he and Serindë are married. We’ll worry about it later. For now, let us just concentrate on you five youngsters."

"Derek and I are anything but," Alex said. "We’re responsible adults with our own concerns, and I don’t appreciate being volunteered for child-minding duties without being asked."

"We are not children," Findalaurë said heatedly.

"So how old are you?" Derek asked.

"The counting of time is different in Aman than in the Mortal lands," Finrod explained. "Yet, it is counted. My son was born three yéni before Círdan did Sail. Calandil and Elennen were born not long after."

"And that was just before the last ice age," Glorfindel said, "which makes them older than Serindë who has seen not quite three thousand years of the Sun."

"You say that as if being almost three thousand years old is the equivalent of being only ten," Alex said in a somewhat awed tone.

"The Eldar as a race is older than humankind, Alex," Glorfindel said gently. "Serindë is indeed young in comparison to her elders, as are these three, however many millennia they have seen. Finrod, Laurendil, Valandur and I have seen ten times as many. Indeed, Valandur is nearly as old as Daeron, for they both remember the stars above Cuiviénen at the very dawn of our existence."

"That’s too much to wrap my mind around," Derek admitted, "especially when none of you look to be older than twenty. I can see why even these youngsters, as you call them, look upon Alex and me as if we were mere infants. Funny, I never had that impression from you or the others at the Academy."

"As you pointed out, we have lived among you for millennia and have come to respect your worth as Children of Ilúvatar, even as we are," Glorfindel said. "We see Mortals as our younger brothers and sisters, to be accorded the same respect as we would grant to our own kin."

"And you will find that those of us who once lived upon these shores feel the same," Finrod added. "I remember my first sight of your ancestors and how I fell in love with them and marveled at their ways. I spent a year among Bëor and his people, teaching them much even as they taught me and I have ever been a friend unto Mortals. And now, I hope my son will also learn of your worth. I apologize for... um... what is the phrase?"

"Setting us up?" Alex asked, giving Finrod a cheeky grin.

Finrod laughed. "Yea, that be an apt phrase, indeed."

"I guess it’s all right." Alex said. "I’m sorry if I did or said anything to offend anyone, but I guess we all had expectations, some less realistic than others, and when they didn’t pan out...." He shrugged. "Anyway, maybe we can just start over." Derek nodded in agreement.

"And thou, my son," Finrod said. "Art thou right willing to see past thy preconceived notions of what thou thinkest Mortals should be and see them as they truly are, Children of Ilúvatar and beloved by Him and the Valar, even as thou’rt?"

Findalaurë glanced at his two friends and some sort of silent communication passed between them before he nodded and the other two copied him.

"Then we rejoice and sing hosannas," Finrod said.

Alex and Derek glanced at one another and started grinning. "Hosanna, heysanna, sanna, sanna ho, sanna hey, sanna hosanna," they sang almost at the same time and then broke out laughing while the Valinórean Elves stared at them in bemusement and Glorfindel rolled his eyes.

****

Words are Quenya: 

Yéni: Plural of yén: an elvish century equal to 144 solar years.

Atani: Plural of atan: Man.