39: Joining the SCA

“So are you really serious about joining us?” Gwyn asked the Twins as they ate their dessert.

“Yes, of course,” Elladan answered. “Why do you think the Maiar shanghaied our car and brought us to the university to meet with you? You don’t think they did it just for the fun of it, do you?”

Some of the others chuckled and Gwyn raised an eyebrow. “No, I guess not,” he allowed, “but… I don’t know… it just seems like I’m being pushed aside. I mean, who am I compared to you two? Even we’ve heard of you and your exploits, though I suspect half of them are exaggerated as such tales become over time.”

“Only half?” Elrohir quipped. “Try, just about all of them. Believe me, we’re not the superheroes you think we are. We’re just Elves. Hell, we’re not even that, we’re Peredhil, and in the eyes of some that makes us less, not more.”

“And who says you’re being pushed aside?” Elladan countered. “Do you think we’ve been brought here to take over? Sorry, but this is not our gig. Roy and I are planning to return to school and study to become surgeons in the next year or so. We’re in the process of being board certified to practice medicine in Alaska and then we’re gone, at least for the time it will take us to take the necessary courses. Since we’ve already done all the preliminary courses every med student takes, whatever track they choose, it’s really just the surgical side of medicine that we will need to concentrate on, so we should probably be able to finish up our studies and be back in Wiseman in about a year, maybe two. We’ve already been promised residencies at St. Luke’s in Wiseman once we’ve finished our courses.”

“So if that’s true, why are you here?” Jason asked. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to know that there are other Elves about, but if you’re out of the picture for the next couple years, what’s the point?”

“The point is, we know you exist, and that means Loren and Quinn will know as well as soon as we tell them about you,” Elrohir replied. “It’s possible we might be able to set up an SCA group in Wiseman.”

Stacey grinned. “Well, that might be a bit difficult to do.”

“Why?” Serindë asked.

“Well, the barony has a canton situated in Kotzebue,” Stacey explained. “It’s called Ynys Taltraeth. When they were formed they claimed the coastal territories of Winter’s Gate, which basically means all of the coastal lands from just below Nome to the Yukon, including the Islands of Diomede.”

“That’s a hellava lot of territory for one group to claim,” Elrohir commented with amusement.

“Oh, it gets a lot better than that,” Gwyn said with a grin. “They also claimed all of the Russias east of the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea.”

“Do the Russians know that?” Elladan asked with a chuckle.

Gwyn, Gareth and the Mortals all shrugged, smiling back.

“I don’t see where there’s a problem, though,” Jason said. “They’ve been under the minimum for membership this past year or so and there hasn’t been much activity lately. Why shouldn’t there be a group in Wiseman? It’s a lot closer, and if these Elves are involved, then we can pool our resources. Gwyn keeps saying that there’s no guarantee that this Dagor Dagorath will occur in our lifetime, but he’s convinced that it’s coming and he’s convinced us as well or we wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

“All you need is at least five paying members,” Stacey said, “and then you can be an official group. There must be at least that many people in Wiseman who are history buffs and would like to join.”

“Oh, if nothing else, we have a whole household of Elves who will most likely want to join, once we’ve explained what it’s all about,” Elladan said with a chuckle.

“Including Finrod?” Gareth asked.

“Especially Finrod,” Elladan replied. “Dude is really determined to experience life in these Mortal lands as much as possible, which is why he works at a local bookstore.”

“I can’t get over you calling the great Finrod Felagund ‘dude’. It sounds… irreverent or something,” Gwyn said, shaking his head.

The Twins just grinned, though Serindë was seen to roll her eyes and shake her head.

“So, anyway,” Gwyn said, “I printed out membership forms for you. If you three join and you can get a couple of more to do so, then you can be an official canton under the barony. If you have a large enough membership base, you can even petition the Crown to become a shire in your own right, which means you won’t be a part of Winter’s Gate. Get at least twenty-five paying members and you might even be able to petition to become a barony. The SCA is growing all the time. It was founded in 1966 and by 1969 there were three kingdoms and now there are nineteen.”

“That sounds doable,” Elladan said. “We will make sure that there are more than five of us who are members so that when Dan, Sarah and I leave, the group is still above the minimum.”

“Sarah’s leaving, too?” Pam asked, giving the elleth an enquiring look. “Are you a doctor, too? You never said.”

“No, I’m not a doctor, though I do know how to administer herbal remedies,” Sarah answered. “I’m actually a painter when I’m not teaching classes at Elf Academy. I’ll be going with Roy because we’re to be married in April.” She smiled at Roy and he smiled back and the two kissed.

The Mortals all expressed their delight at the news and offered congratulations, but Gareth looked stricken and Gwyn was giving him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, honeg,” he whispered in Sindarin.

Elladan, noticing the exchange between the two brothers, gave them a shrewd look. “You were hoping she was available, weren’t you?”

Gareth sighed. “Something like that.”

“I know it’s difficult, but I think things will be changing soon,” Elladan said. “Finrod’s coming has opened the floodgates, you might say, and I suspect that in due time others will follow.” He offered the younger Elf a sympathetic smile. “Maybe one of them will be an elleth who’s waiting for the one true one to come along and it might be you. Don’t give up hope just yet.”

“But who bothers to marry or have children in a time of war?” Gareth asked. “At least, that’s what our parents have told us.”

“Yet, that is merely a custom and not necessarily a law,” Elladan pointed out. “You should know that two of those who live in Wiseman are expecting twins later in the year. They told us that they decided to let Mortals dictate their decision, for Mortals marry and have children in all circumstances, whether in times of peace or war, and always with hope that their children will know a better life than they. They have no choice in the matter, for if they do not bear children, they will eventually become extinct as a species. Finrod told us that no child has been born in Valinor since before the last ice age. Elves may afford not to bear children, for they are immortal, but their civilization is then in danger of becoming stagnant and that is a different kind of death than extinction.”

“I can’t believe that there have been no children born in Valinor for the last, what, hundred thousand years!” Gwyn exclaimed in shock, and Gareth looked almost ill at the thought.

Elladan shrugged. “According to Finrod, the prevailing belief is that when Arda comes to an end, we Elves will, too, since our lives are bound to the life of Arda, and there is no guarantee that there is anything for us beyond that, so why bring children into the world knowing that they will not survive the Dagor Dagorath?”

“But do they know this for sure?” Henry asked.

Elrohir answered, shaking his head. “We have no more sure knowledge of our ultimate fate than you Mortals. I think the uncertainty and the fact that even we Elves may grow weary of our long existence has left them with little or no hope in Eru’s love for us. I think the people of Valinor have fallen into despair and I believe that in the end, it will be Mortals who will lead the way, for they still retain hope and do not easily fall into despair. You may be the saving of us all.”

The Mortals all had thoughtful looks on their faces. After another moment or two, Gwyn stirred. “Getting back to the SCA, you’ll need a slate of officers. At a minimum you will need a Seneschal and an Exchequer and either a Herald, a Marshal or an Arts and Science Officer. There are other offices but they may not be necessary at this time. You’ll need to come up with a name for your group, a device, and it’s a good idea for anyone who is an officer to register their persona names and create their own device. Those have to be approved by the College of Heralds and whoever your herald is should be knowledgeable about heraldry. For now, consult with Matt about it as he has all the necessary information and can tell you what’s legal and what isn’t.”

“Well, that sounds clear enough,” Elrohir said. “Of course, now we have to go back to Wiseman and convince them that all this is necessary. Loren and Quinn may think it isn’t, but I know that the Maiar didn’t bring us together just so we could have a nice home-cooked meal and a pleasant evening with friends.”

“And we were actually running away,” Elladan put in, sighing. “I don’t fancy having to go back to Wiseman any time soon.”

“Why were you running away?” Henry asked and the others gave the Wiseman Elves curious looks.

“Long story,” Elladan replied dismissively.

“You knew we would have to go back sooner or later,” Elrohir said, “if for no other reason than our wedding.”

“Yes, I know, but I was hoping we could hang out here for a while longer, but we’ve been here one whole day and already we’ve been given marching orders from above.”

“Funny, I don’t remember receiving any,” Elrohir countered.

“Oh, come on, Brother,” Elladan retorted in exasperation. “Were you expecting an engraved declaration?”

“No, but until and unless I hear directly from someone that that is indeed our mandate, then I will enjoy myself in Fairbanks for a few more days at least. Nothing need be done this instant. There will be plenty of time for all that later. In the meantime, I’m more interested in having Gwyn and Gareth tell us more about Gwaith-en-Angbor, how it’s set up, how the fighters are trained, what criteria is used to select the fighters and so on. As soon as we are back in Wiseman, I want to set up something similar and we can certainly do that easily enough under the guise of being part of the SCA.”

“And I’m thinking we should recruit some of our Mortal friends to form the group,” Serindë said.

They all gave her puzzled looks. “Why do you suggest that?” Stacey asked.

“Not everyone in Wiseman is behind us,” the elleth replied. “If it is known that we Elves are forming the group there may be a lot of suspicion as to our motives, but if Mortals are seen as the ones forming the group, then it may be accepted as something… um… normal.”

“It would be even better if the people who form the group are not known to be our special friends,” Elrohir said, catching on to what his beloved was saying. “Then, if some of the Elves decide to join, it’s not seen as an elvish plot.”

“But won’t that take away your own power of control over the group?” Jason asked.

“To some extent, but the Elves can’t and shouldn’t be handling everything to do with the training,” Elladan answered. “Mortals need to take up their own share of the responsibility. We’ll get the ball rolling and then let others take over. Remember, the people of Wiseman know who we are and why we’re there. Once they realize that this is just another form of recruitment and training other than Elf Academy, they will be behind it, because this will give the populace the opportunity to be trained. Right now, we hold classes at the adult education center but it is very limiting and our primary focus is on the students at Elf Academy.”

“Of course, you realize that some of the naysayers may end up joining,” Elrohir pointed out.

His brother shrugged. “That can’t be helped, but perhaps it will enable those naysayers to see us in a different, less threatening light. We’ll just have to see.”

“Well, I’ll be glad to tell you all I can about the Iron Fist of the North, as we call ourselves,” Gwyn interjected, “and Gareth can give you some pointers about training since our training regimen is his creation.”

“Oh?” Elladan gave the younger ellon a considering look and Gareth blushed under his regard.

Gwyn smiled fondly at his brother. “Oh, Gareth has a flair for turning my dreams into reality.”

“Well, that’s settled then,” Elladan said. “I know all of you have jobs to go to in the morning, so we should be on our way. You have my number, so call me when you want to get together again. Our time is our own so we’re very flexible.”

“The next fight practice is on Sunday,” Gwyn said. “You can join us there and talk with people and get an idea of what’s what. You missed the Midwinter Coronet event, that was last weekend, but coming up in February is our Heart’s Revel which is held the weekend closest to Valentine’s Day. You should plan to bring your group to that, or even if you don’t have a group set up, bring anyone who’s interested to see what we’re all about. Pam can get you all the information about it. You’ll need to get in your reservations by the weekend before.”

“Maybe you can bring Finrod and Glorfindel with you,” Gareth suggested somewhat shyly.

“We’ll see what we can do about that,” Elladan said with a smile. “Can you email the information we’ll need?” he asked Pam.

“Sure. In fact that would make it easier for me. Give me an email address and I’ll send it to you tomorrow.”

With that, everyone offered to help with the cleaning up and fifteen minutes later they were wishing each other a good night. It had snowed while they were having dinner so they all had to spend a few minutes warming up their cars and brushing off the snow before they could drive off. Once in the car and on their way back to the hotel, the three discussed what they should do next.

“We should plan to attend this fight practice on Sunday and then I guess we should head back to Wiseman,” Elladan suggested. He didn’t sound too happy about it.

“You know we can’t stay here forever,” his brother pointed out, “and I bet certain people are even now planning a mission to bring us home.”

“They have to find us first, though,” Elladan countered.

“With today’s technology, that shouldn’t be hard,” Elrohir retorted. “Darren can trace us by our credit cards and ATM withdrawals. I think our smartphones are even GPS-enabled. Amroth or even Alex could triangulate our position from that alone.” He sighed somewhat dramatically. “Not like the old days when we could just disappear into the wilderness with no one the wiser.”

“How long do you think it’ll be before they come after us?” Serindë asked.

“That depends on how Loren is doing, I think,” Elrohir answered. “No one’s going to come after us until and unless they know Loren is fully recovered or nearly so. You didn’t see him when he was in surgery, but he was really in a bad way. He could easily have died.”

“Well, we’ve only been gone for a couple of days and we know Loren’s out of healing sleep unless they managed to put him back under, which I doubt,” Elladan said as he drove through a residential area, making his way to University Avenue, “so I give them maybe another couple of days before they organize a posse and come after us. You’re right, Roy, that it’s inevitable that they do so, so we might as well sit back and enjoy ourselves until they find us. Hopefully we can convince them to let us stay at least through the weekend. I should be sufficiently cooled down by then.”

Elrohir grinned. “We can only hope,” he said, giving Serindë a wink.

“Who do you think will come after us?” she asked.

“Your adar for sure,” Elrohir answered, “and possibly Loren if he can bully them all into releasing him from durance vile.”

They all chuckled at that as Elladan turned into the hotel parking lot and found a space to park. Soon they were back in their room. Serindë opened her iPad to check her email while Elladan decided to take a shower and Elrohir turned on the TV to catch the news.

“Hey! Ada’s sent an email,” Serindë exclaimed.

“What does he have to say?” Elrohir asked as he removed his shoes and stretched out on the bed, using the remote to switch on the TV and turn it to CNN.

She took a moment to read through the email, snorting with derision as she did so. “He says to stay where we are and not try to hide. He’s coming down tomorrow or the next day.”

“Does he specifically say that he knows where we’re staying or is it just a general order not to leave Fairbanks?”

“No, he doesn’t say anything specific, just, and I quote, ‘If you know what’s good for you, you will remain where you are and not attempt to flee to Anchorage or elsewhere in the world.’”

“Ron sounds totally pissed,” Elladan said in a matter-of-fact voice as he grabbed a pair of lounging pants and a T-shirt before heading for the bathroom.

Elrohir snorted. “That’s an understatement if there ever was one. Well, I guess we’ll just stay here and wait. Anyone want to bet on who comes with him?”

“I’m going to take a shower,” Elladan announced unnecessarily, as he went to the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind him.

“I’ll go get more ice,” Serindë said, picking up the ice bucket and one of the key cards and left, throwing Elrohir a kiss as she did.

“Cowards,” Elrohir muttered good-naturedly as he turned his attention to the news.

****

Honeg: (Sindarin) Little brother.