EP - Elrond Peredhil (age 6)

[starrydome]

Before this (oom)


The door slams open and a small figure darts across the floor, skidding to a halt just before colliding with a table. He turns quickly, the way you do when there is danger of someone sneaking up behind you. And stares.

It's a child, pale and pointy-faced, dressed in grey and black. The arms are a little too skinny, the skin beneath the eyes is a little too dark. The eyes are far, far too cautious. His age is hard to gauge, in part due to those eyes.

The Bar is clearly not what he expected, judging from the look of confusion and mounting concern on his face. Concern that is slowly edging its way towards panic. 

His hands move across the tabletop behind him and one hand closes on the handle of a used butter knife. 

Come what may - he will be ready for it.



(occ: I was a bit feverish last night and this is the result. This Elrond is a child of six (and although elven children mature faster than human ones, he is still very much a small child in some respects), who has already spent some time in Feanorian captivity.) ETA: open forever!

Comments

[starrydome]

He hesitates and then he says, "Peredhil. No, Peredhel. Peredhil is when it is my brother and I."

So not really a proper name.

[onceholyknight]

"I'm Michael. Is Peredhel what you like to be called, or something else?"

[starrydome]

He shrugs a little. Uncertain. "It's the name of my line. I - I had a name that Mother gave me, but I've forgotten it."

He manages to say the last part without his bottom lip quivering. Much.

[onceholyknight]

"Oh, child. It's all right, I'll call you Peredhel if you don't mind it. Would you like something to eat?"

[starrydome]

He is not supposed to. But he is hungry and the Man looks kind. The way some of the sailors did. Back home.

So he nods a little.



(ooc: and bedtime for me - I'll pick this up tomorrow)

[onceholyknight]

Michael smiles at him kindly. "What's your favourite food?"

[starrydome]

He hesitates - then he says, "Baked apples." They're a treat and not really proper food, but they are his favorite. With butter and spices.

He looks at the Man, a little cautiously. Was that a correct answer?

[onceholyknight]

"Then you shall have the best baked apple you've ever tasted", Michael promises him, and gets up carefully, holding out his free hand.

[starrydome]

He takes it by reflex. Even though he really is far too old to hold hands.

He is fine-boned, but his little hand already has archer callouses.

[onceholyknight]

The bigger hand holding his is calloused too, both from swordmanship and just hard manual work. Michael leads him towards the Bar and says, "Bar, your finest baked apple for young Peredhel here."

[starrydome]

And they appear. As if by magic. And a much better magic than he's ever heard of.

He looks up, his eyes full of wonder.

[onceholyknight]

Michael smiles down at him.

"This bar is a kind of magic. You just need to ask for any food or drink you want, and you'll have it. Other things, too, clothes or toys or any other object you like."

[starrydome]

Weapons. A rope long enough to reach the ground.

These things are what his brother would ask for. But he isn't certain that they would actually be able to escape. And what about th ewolves? And things worse than wolves?

"Can I take on efor my brother?" he asks, quietly. One apple he might be able to hide.

[onceholyknight]

"Of course you can." He glances back at the door the boy came in through, as another apple appears on the Bartop. "Is he older or younger than you?"

[starrydome]

"We are twins. So we promised Mother we would look after each other." Again, he almost manages the sentence without his lips trembling.

[onceholyknight]

"Quite right." Stiffly and with minimal signs of pain, he crouches down to look the boy in the face. "Did something happen to your mother, Peredhel?"

[starrydome]

He nods. A tiny, little gesture.

"She fled," he says. "They laid siege to our city and she fled and when she reached the top of the cliff - she fell." Jumped.

"So we are tokens now. Of the wrong done to the Sons of Feanor, called the Dispossessed, and to be kept until that wrong is set aright and their possessions returned to them or until they decide, of their own accord, to set us free." He has memorized it well.

[onceholyknight]

Michael's jaw tightens, but he keeps his visible anger to that, not wanting to frighten Peredhel.

"Hostages. For a wrong you had no part in."

[starrydome]

"It is because they have taken a oath," he says.
It's not that he wants to defend them. He should hate them. But Maglor is kind, and Maedhros tries to be. Sometimes. And this is what Maglor says. That it is because of the Oath.

"When the Jewels were stolen their father took an oath and so did they. They became kinslayers because of it.

[onceholyknight]

"To get back these jewels by any means?" he guesses.

[starrydome]

He nods.

"And they were very angry when the seized the city and it was gone."

Very.

[onceholyknight]

"Do they hurt you?" he asks very gently. "You and your brother?"

[starrydome]

He shakes his head. "No. Maedhros wanted to kill us when they found us but his brother told him no. We have to get out of the way if he gets angry, but that goes for everyone I think."

He sniffs.

"I'd rather be home."

[onceholyknight]

"Of course you would." He looks at Peredhel for a long moment, then straightens to help the boy up onto a stool. "I'm glad they don't hurt you, it speaks for something at least... but how do they treat you otherwise?"

[starrydome]

He's featherlight. Slender, bordering on skinny.

"Not unkindly. Maglor teaches us lessons. In music and writing and reading. And we get to practice archery."

He takes a cautious bite of his apple.

"There is not much food but we always get something. And Maglor sings for us. I think he would have liked to have had children."