Chapter 3 - The Second Breakfast of the Elves

"Orophin, up!" Elanor wriggled from her mother’s grasp and ran swiftly down the path to tug at the hem of the elf’s tunic. If she stood on tiptoe and stretched to her very fullest, Elanor had learned that she could just reach to grasp the fabric between her small fingers.

He never forgets to act surprised when she does that, as if he’d been totally unaware of her presence until she was clever enough to draw his attention. She loves that.

Rosie smiled as the elf bent down quickly and put his hands about Elanor’s waist.

"Orophin Up? Is that my new name, Princess? You are not yet tired of your aerie and would still be one of Gwaihir’s eagles?" Laughing, he swung her up onto his shoulders.

For a hobbit child to be perched upon the shoulders of a very tall elf put her suddenly far from the ground that before had been the boundary of her world. He had done that for the first time yesterday and, instead of being afraid as her mother expected, Elanor had crowed with delight. Although, she had also taken a firm grip on Orophin’s braid just to be safe as he had run all around the large garden with her short legs dangling on each side of his neck as he held them and her laughter in his ears.

Already it was among her favorite games, and Rosie hoped the elf would not tire of it soon, for Elanor could be very firm in expressing her choices.

"Hold on tight, Princess, for your mother is coming, and I must help her carry her burdens. For she is a very great lady, and that is my duty." Orophin bent and took the basket from Rosie’s hand before she could even protest.

If this continues, I shall be worth nothing when I return to the Shire. I’ll not be expecting to carry a single thing and somehow I doubt if hobbits will be quite so insistent on helping me.

"Good morrow, Mistress Rose. You are abroad early I think? I hope that you slept well?"

"After a day running after Elanor, I seldom need to worry about sleeping soundly, Orophin! Your brothers told me I’d find you in the garden as usual, so Elanor and I have brought you second breakfast."

"Second breakfast? I know not this term. I am not so versed in the common speech as Haldir."

Rosie laughed. "Haldir didn’t know it either, and Legolas had to explain to him. It seems elves do not eat quite so frequently as we do. Second breakfast is but a meal to keep up our strength between breakfast and elevenses!"

He smiled down at her as he set the basket onto the small table in front of the bench where Rosie best liked to sit in the beautiful garden of Queen Arwen.

"It seems that elves here in Gondor eat even less than usual, or so my Sam tells me. You are still young though, Orophin, and well I remember my brothers and cousins and their appetites. Are you not hungry?"

"Hunger can be ignored if it is necessary, and there was work to be done in this garden." He smiled and turned his face slightly so that he could kiss Elanor’s knee. The child was tugging on his braid as if it were the reins of her horse. He knew she wanted to gallop and not stand talking. Soon, if he did not move, he would feel her little feet kicking softly against his collarbone in impatience.

Bless him. He’s loyal to Arwen and will never say what Sam told me this morning. Poor things! They cannot easily eat the food here. I should have noticed myself. These Gondor cooks have a heavy hand in their cooking. Lady Arwen is still young herself and does not know how to instruct her servants. Mostly, she is afraid to hurt husband if she even makes the attempt. What a mess these elves can bring upon themselves by this courtesy they are trained to observe!

"Well, it isn’t necessary this morning. You know that I am allowed in the kitchens to make proper food and enough for a hobbit child. So I thought I’d see if elves might eat what Elanor loves. Your brothers and Legolas seemed to approve when I fed them just now.Why don’t you just take Elanor for one or two runs around the garden while I set up here? I promise that my apple tarts will soon have her off your shoulders and happily eating!"

*****

"Why are your ears pointed?" Elanor sat comfortably on Orophin’s stomach, leaning back against his bent legs as he lay flat on his back on the grass. Her own stomach was full, and she was very happy. He laughed as her little finger touched the tip of his ear.

"Are your ears not pointed, little one? I thought they were." He softly touched the little pink and white ears that peeked through her golden hair. It amazed him still at how tiny this creature was and that such a little body could contain so much spirit.

"Mine are hobbit ears. They’re normal, not like yours. Yours are pointier than mine."

Oh, what is that child saying. His ears aren’t "normal"! Elanor, you are your father’s daughter. You say the first thing that comes to your head.

Rosie started to remonstrate with her daughter, but stopped before her words came. Orophin had smiled and shook his head slightly at her.

"You do not like my pointy ears, Princess? That is a sorrow to me if it be true."

"Oh, I like them, but I don’t know why they are so different from hobbit ears." She bent to kiss one of his ears. She did not want him to be sad because she wanted to know.

"Because they are elf ears. You know that I am an elf, Princess. So are my brothers and Legolas and Arwen. We are all elves, just as you and your parents are hobbits."

"But, what is an elf, Orophin? Is it better to be an elf than a hobbit or worse?"

"I have never been a hobbit, but I do not think it is either better or worse, just different, Princess. You are a hobbit, and you are my best friend, aren’t you? Did we not pledge our friendship before the Prince of Ithilien last night when I brought you to him to hear stories before bed?"

Now that was something. Nightly bedtime stories from Legolas have become a fixed star in my Elanor’s life. If he’s strong enough, she crawls into bed with the prince himself and snuggles against him. If Haldir tells her gently not to do so, she will sit just as happily upon Orophin’s lap. From either perch, she drinks in the stories of the First Born that Legolas spins for her.

Last night it had been the tale of Finrod and his great love for Beren, for whom he gave his life. It gave me shivers did that one. I never heard it before. Elanor’s eyes had widened as Finrod went bravely out to meet his doom, and she had cried when the wolf slew him. Then, Legolas had explained to her that friendship was not always easy and must never be given lightly. I think my little one understood that being a friend was something very special. To make her laugh, Rúmil had told her how a young Orophin had heard the same story from Haldir and insisted that his two brothers pledge their love and loyalty to him by a mingling of their blood. To Haldir’s complete horror, he had promptly cut himself upon Haldir’s warrior knife and made them all do the same.

Of course, that would set my Elanor down a path of her own! She announced that she and Orophin must do the same and would not be dissuaded. Orophin finally persuaded her that they would use Haldir’s knife when she was older, and she was satisfied with the smallest prick from the needle with which I was sewing. Her eyes had been huge as she watched as her elf dipped first the needle into his wine to cleanse it and then swiftly into her tiny finger before she had time to grow afraid. He cut himself more, so that Elanor would be satisfied with the seriousness of their blood oath.

Ah, and my brave little Elanor did not cry! She pressed her tiny finger to that of Orophin, and let their blood mingle as the prince bound their hands together. Legolas pronounced that their friendship was now bound by the spilling of their blood together. Then, Orophin dipped two pieces of the fine linen with which Legolas had wrapped their hands into the mingled blood and gave one piece to Elanor to keep as his pledge. The other he had folded carefully and put inside his own tunic as her own pledge. What a grown-up my Elanor felt then! She had babbled about it continually as Sam gave her a bath and tucked her into bed. When Orophin came for his final kiss, Elanor made the poor lad show her that he still had his piece of linen safe, before she would let him sing her to sleep.

"So, Princess, I think that being a hobbit is a very fine thing, for my best friend is one."

"And elves, Orophin, are they very fine things as well?"

"I think that they are, Princess." He looked down at her suddenly serious face "Why do you ask this of me, Elanor?"

"Orophin, the children of the women who work in the kitchen. . ." She looked at him, and a tear fell slowly down her cheek. "The children say that elves are evil, and that they will put a spell on you, so you will sicken and die if you cross their paths and. . ." She began to cry, and he sat up suddenly and pulled her close into his arms. "They say that the elves will cook and eat children if the winters are cold, and they are hungry."

I cannot believe what I am hearing. Look at their faces! I don’t know who needs my comfort most. He seems as if he can scarcely breathe, and I have no words to comfort him. I am not good with words! What shall I do?

"An elf would never hurt you or any child, Elanor. We shall talk of this later I promise. I promise I will come back later and speak with you. You have the blood pledge of Orophin in your keeping, and you know he cannot lie to you because you are his friend. Now, my Princess, I must seek my own family, and you must stay with your lady mother. Please, do not cry.  I love you. I always will, my little friend." He kissed her softly and gave her into her mother’s arms. Then he walked quickly away.

He’s trying to walk calmly, so he won’t frighten her more than she already is, and all he wants to do is run. I can see that. What evil has my little one heard today? How could I have left her alone to play with those children? They are only children! Where did they learn such hate?