Part 20

Next morning

“Do you love Gwanur Eowyn?” asked Melannen.

Silently, Legolas closed the sitting room door and tip-toed across the room. The elfling—still in his nightshirt and slippers—was kneeling on the fireside rug, talking to his cloth rabbit.

“So do I—and Gwanur Legolas and Gwanur Thorkell.”

Legolas smiled.

“So do not be scared,” continued the boy, “because they will take care of us until Nana and Ada can find us.”

Legolas retraced his steps, waited a few moments, then noisily opened the door. “Melannen? Are you there?”

A little face popped up from behind the couch.

“Shall we go and wake your Gwanur Eowyn, nadithen?”

…

“Now,” hissed Legolas.

The two elves ran across the bedchamber. Legolas grabbed the elfling round the waist, lifted him onto the bed, and bounced him up and down.

“Yaaaa!” cried Melannen. “Yaaaa, yaaaa!”

“Oh!” Eowyn awoke with a start. “Oh, you two!”

…

It took a surprisingly long time to wash and dress and when, at last, everyone was ready, it was time to join Hentmirë for breakfast.

The trio crossed the walkway to the woman’s house.

“Look, Melannen,” said Legolas, “a robin.” The elf held out a hand, and the bird fluttered down, and sat upon it, tilting its head to regard the elfling with a beady eye.

The boy laughed, and clapped his hands together, and the robin, untroubled by the noise or by the sudden movement, hopped onto his arm, then onto his shoulder, and up onto his head.

“Ow,” said Melannen, giggling, and wriggling under the bird’s tiny claws, “ow!”

“Now, now, little friend,” said Legolas and he reached out, and gently held a finger against the bird’s legs, and the robin hopped back onto his hand; and the elf lifted it into the air, and let the bird fly back to its branch.

Melannen rubbed his head.

“No harm done,” said Legolas, tousling the elfling’s hair.

And Eowyn, her heart glowing, took both elves by the hand, and led them indoors, before they could get into any more mischief.

…

Legolas and Eowyn spent the rest of the day preparing for the arrival of their distinguished wedding guests, leaving Melannen with Hentmirë, who took the boy to the pleasure gardens (where they played with snowballs), and then to the market (where they each had a bowl of thick lentil soup and a baked apple from one of the kiosks), and then—in her carriage—to the stone quarries (where Gimli fed the boy again, on honey cakes, and showed him how to use a mallet and chisel).

The following morning, at breakfast, Hentmirë presented Eowyn with a gift. “We saw it yesterday, in the market,” she said, “and the colour suited him so well, I just had to buy it.”

Eowyn opened the cloth wrapping. “Oh, Hentmirë,” she cried, “it is perfect! Thank you! What do you say, Melannen?”

“Thank you,” said the elfling, dubiously.