Written by
Zhie.
Rated PG. Work In Progress;
The main characters are Thranduil, Legolas, Ilmendin, and Haldir.
"The reports from the pantries is that we are well-stocked for four winters, if need be. With grain to spare for the horses within." Erestor shifted his papers, clearing his throat. "Lastly, Lake Town is asking for an increase in the amount paid per barrel of ale."
Haldir's nose twitched a bit, as it always did when matters of money were being discussed. His chief advisor knew how the topic was ill with him, the need to make such decisions, but after the many years he had spent as King, Haldir was used to it. That did not mean he had to like it. "How much?"
"They ask for an increase of five percent."
Haldir looked up from his notes and regarded Anovariel. "What is our surplus this year?"
Anovariel ran her finger down the list of numbers. "I know we can afford it, if that is what you are asking."
"But…" added Haldir.
"The price is too high." Anovariel tossed a blank pad of scrapped paper onto the desk. She carried one with her for just such occasions, and began to scratch out numbers with the quill from the desk. "They might as well rob us at the point of a knife for charging such a price."
"Mmm." Haldir turned around and retrieved three small glasses from the cabinet behind him, as well as a bottle made of blue glass, stamped with the seal of Lake Town. He poured a glass for each of them, setting the bottle onto the desk before picking up his glass. "You know this liquor?" he asked Anovariel, and she nodded.
"It is brewed in their town as well, Thranduil was fond of it." Anovariel picked up the glass that had been offered to her and sniffed it. "It becomes viler with age."
"Some would say it ages well." Haldir looked across to his other advisor. "How many cases would you wager we have purchased from Lake Town this past year?"
Erestor gave a shrug of one shoulder. "You know I do not keep track of that, I have my own business to attend to." He placed the papers he had had in his hands onto the table and picked up the glass. "Ten, perhaps twenty."
"I regret to tell you that you have guessed wrong, Your Excellency." Erestor sniffed at Haldir's remark, for he enjoyed everything about his position, save the title itself. "In fact, you are off by ten or twenty."
"Thirty, then," replied Erestor, thinking he had read the riddle, but Anovariel shook her head.
"Zero. Not a single bottle has been purchased since Thranduil left."
"Yet they continued to produce it," said Erestor, easily filling in the rest of the pieces of the puzzle, "so now they need to try to supplement the loss."
"Give them ten percent," said Haldir, knowing neither of them would be happy with this. "What are we going to do, bring the treasury with us to Valinor? Ten percent per barrel will not ruin the kingdom; however, make it quite clear that I do not expect them to ask for anything more in the near future."
"Aye. Ten percent," said Anovariel, acting as if it pained her greatly to say the words.
Erestor nodded, though he was not entirely content. "It is the best course of action." He looked around at the various piles of papers scattered about the office. "Well, that is the end of it. Another year and we are still here."
"Still alive, still prospering, and, finally, no spiders!" Anovariel said happily, reaching forward with her glass to clink it against Haldir's. Erestor followed suit, and the three of them met their drinks in the center of the desk.
"Never would have made it this far without both of you. Fifteen years," he reflected. "Let us hope the next fifteen are even better."
"They will be," promised Anovariel. "With you as King-" She cut herself off suddenly, and after a moment, repeated. "With you, as King."
"Remember, he said he could not do it without us," Erestor said with a wink. "To us, all three, and don't be modest, we're the ones doing all the work around here."
"To us," agreed Anovariel and Haldir, and they all drank.
And promptly spat out most of the liquid.
"Ugh! How long has that sat there?" asked Anovariel, grabbing at her throat.
"What an…unpleasant burning sensation…" managed Erestor, loudly setting his glass onto the desk, retrieving a cloth from his pocket which he used to clean up the mess he'd made before handing it to Anovariel.
"Twenty-five years at the least." Haldir picked up the bottle. "3019. I thought that was supposed to have been a good year," he said wickedly.
"It's all gone bad," said Anovariel, but Haldir shook his head.
"Actually, it's quite good, but I don't think we're used to such a thing." He poured a fresh round, sliding the glasses across the desk to his companions. "Shall we try it again?"
Erestor held up his hand to pass on the idea. "You two go on ahead."
"Not I," said Anovariel.
Haldir frowned and picked up his glass. "I forget how unadventurous the two of you are."
"I have had my share of adventures, penneth," Erestor reminded him.
"So have I, but as you have just reminded me, you are an old elf."
Erestor began to stack the papers carefully and shook his head. "You can not goad me into things as you would your younger brothers."
Haldir nodded, not arguing, and Erestor scowled. "One drink."
Smiling, Haldir offered a glass to Anovariel, who shook her head. "I think I shall retire for the evening if we are finished here."
Haldir gave a nod. "Thank you for putting up with this evening. I just thought it would be best to finish the books for the year in one sitting instead of drawing things out like usual."
"It was a good idea. I shall see you both in the morrow at breakfast?" Both elves nodded, and Anovariel excused herself from the room.
Erestor waited until he was sure she was not coming back before slipping his boots off of his feet.
"How unseemly, councilor," chided Haldir, taking the full glasses to the small table next to the couch and chair in the back of the room.
"New boots," explained Erestor, kicking them under the desk and joining Haldir, who knew it made little difference whether the boots were old or new, they were always off his feet at the first chance of it. Erestor half-lounged on the couch while Haldir took up residence in the chair. He had brought the open bottle with him, and set it on the table, picking up one of the glasses. "How it is that you can provoke me into such things, I do not know." Erestor pinched his nose and poured the liquid down his throat swiftly before he had time to rethink his words. He set the glass onto the table, and Haldir promptly refilled it. "Oh, no. One drink."
"That was only a practice shot," countered Haldir, lifting his own drink.
Erestor rolled his eyes, but picked up the small glass of vile tasting liquid. "Here, then, fill it all the way up. Best to do it proper."
Haldir did as he was instructed with a grin. "What shall we drink to?" he asked.
"To ridding ourselves of one more bottle of this useless drink."
Haldir frowned. "Seriously, Erestor."
"Seriously, then, why must we have a reason?"
Shrugging, Haldir lowered his glass. "I suppose it gives justification to imbibing for reasons other than thirst."
Erestor gave him a sidelong glance and finally shook his head. "Silly elf," he mumbled. "Alright." Erestor gave some thought to the matter. "Let us drink to that lovely elleth that has desperately been trying to catch your eye since ten years past. May you both find what is missing in your lives." Erestor threw back this drink as well, setting the empty glass heavily upon the table. "Now, no more of those," he said, pointing to the glass.
Haldir had not moved, and still held his drink in his hand. "What are you talking about?" He had never quite heard Erestor speak in such a bold manner, and wondered if the advisor had a low tolerance for the drink. "Who is this elleth?"
"Perhaps I should have taken a drink that you would not be so blind to her."
Haldir blinked, and then placed his glass on the table. Turning in his chair, he leaned over the arm. "You're drunk."
"I should like to think so," Erestor answered, repositioning himself on the couch. He lounged on his stomach, resting his elbows on the arm of the sofa and his head onto his hands. Haldir nearly laughed at the image – he imagined this, quite possibly, was the only glimpse he would ever get of the councilor as he might have been as an elfling. Erestor had a very knowing smirk on his face, the kind that screamed, `I know something you don't know', and Haldir intended to be told what it was.
"So who is it?"
"It's no fun just to tell you. You have to guess." Erestor looked down over the side of the couch at his empty glass, which Haldir filled for him. Erestor reached out with one hand and took the drink, draining it slowly. Once started, the liquor didn't taste that bad, decided Erestor, and placed his empty glass down, only to be offered a fifth portion.
"Does she live here or has she visited from another realm?"
"I can't answer that," said Erestor.
Haldir raised a brow. "And why can you not?"
"Yes or no questions, that's how this game is played." Erestor sipped at his drink as Haldir sighed.
"Fine. Does she live in Greenwood?"
"Yes."
"Is she light or dark haired? Wait – Is she light haired?"
"Yes."
"Is she older than I am?"
"No."
"Younger, then." Haldir began to slowly rule out various elleths based on the information he had. "Is she in the guard?"
"No."
"Was she ever in the guard?"
Erestor closed his eyes to think about this question, realizing Haldir must now have some idea of who it was. "Yes."
"Don't tell me it's Anovariel." Haldir paused, but Erestor said nothing. "It is Anovariel, isn't it?"
Erestor nodded his head. "Yes."
Haldir picked up the bottle and drank long from it. When he finally set it down, he looked at Erestor. "How long has it been and why did you not say anything?"
"Those aren't yes or no questions," answered Erestor, but one look from Haldir told him the game was over. "Almost ten years, I saw it easily, but I thought you were aware of it. It was only just now that I realized you had no idea."
Haldir walked over to the desk and sat down upon it, facing Erestor, who was still draped over the couch and intently fiddling with the empty glass on the table. "Does she know that you know?"
"I do not believe that she does," answered Erestor.
Haldir chewed his lip. "She is a capable advisor, and I think of her as I would a sister." He said finally, and a little regretfully.
"Does that mean you think of me as your brother?" wondered Erestor, and Haldir did not know if it was truly a question being asked or some alcohol-induced remark, but he shot his chief advisor a look and said, "Yes, an older brother without the decency to mention a matter of such importance when it first came to his attention."
"Just doing my duty," pointed out Erestor. "I meddle with all affairs except matters of the heart."
"I will have to explain things to her," Haldir finally said, moving around the desk to sit at it.
Erestor sat up, sobering. "That did not sound very positive.
Haldir ignored the comment the comment and drew one of the tall peacock feathers from the jar on the desk. A fresh sheet of parchment was on the desk before him as Erestor came to sit in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.
"She's a bright one, and quite devoted as well. Excellent sense of humor, not too dull like Elrond or too dark like…" Erestor played with one of the rings he wore on his left hand and finished with, "…well, dark like your brothers." Erestor cleared his throat and placed a hand atop Haldir's which held the quill. "Wait until the morrow, at least. Think on this knowledge you have."
Haldir conceded easily, for he truly did not know what he would say, even if he knew what answer to give. "I just…"
"This is a lot to absorb so quickly, and I apologize for not mentioning it sooner," said Erestor.
"I just don't think she's the one," Haldir said.
"Why is that?" asked Erestor.
"I…" Haldir lowered his voice and leaned across the desk. Erestor did likewise, sensing they were about to discuss something very secret. "You know I knew how to use the mirror. Well, I wasn’t supposed to, Nana never actually taught me to use it. When she wasn’t around, when she was away from Lothlorien, I would look into it. I dared not go to it when she was close; she was very protective of it and of the power of it. Most could not use it without her; in fact, I am under the impression that I am the only one in Lothlorien, other than her, who could use it. I know for a fact that Celebrian and my brothers could not, nor would it show anything to the twins, or even to my Adar."
"What did you see in the mirror?"
"Many things," admitted the elf solemnly. "But once, not too long ago, I saw an elleth. Only for a moment, someone I have never seen before. I do not even think she lives here, perhaps she is in Valinor. But I saw her eyes, and they have haunted me ever since. I feel a need to seek her out, to find her."
"Just from seeing her eyes?" wondered Erestor.
"They were most beautiful, and I could easily have drowned in them." Haldir relaxed a little, sitting back in his chair. "They were amber, a rich honey color, with flecks of brown that sparkled in the light."
"All that from just a brief moment of looking in the mirror," remarked Erestor in awe, then he raised his hand from where he had held it over Haldir's and the quill and snapped his fingers. "Anovariel's eyes are light-brown, and I do believe they are flecked with a darker hue." But Haldir shook his head.
"The elleth I saw had dark hair, with silver strands here and there."
"Oh." Erestor sat back in his chair. "That is a most unusual combination."
Haldir sighed. "Someday, I shall meet her and find out who she is."
Erestor nodded and stifled a yawn, causing Haldir to make a shooing motion at him. "Get yourself to bed, Erestor. I promise not to write any letters until I have rested. In fact, I shall likely speak with her about it, for she deserves that much of a courtesy."
"Excellent plan," Erestor said with a nod, retrieving his boots from beneath the desk. As he stood and steadied himself, he swayed a bit and grasped the back of the chair for support. He vowed not to touch the drink in the blue glass bottles from Lake Town ever again as he walked across the room.
"Erestor?"
The advisor turned around at the sound of his name, waiting patiently by the door for whatever was required of him.
"Why did you not stay in Greenwood?" asked Haldir. He doubted such an opportunity where both he and his chief advisor would be so relaxed to speak so freely would present itself again for some time. The question had hounded at him for years, long before he came to rule Greenwood, in fact.
"Oh, I happened to be in Lothlorien, where I, too, was shown a vision of a dark-haired elleth in the mirror, and was quite taken with her."
Haldir sat straight up, fully focusing his attention on Erestor. "An elleth?" He was intrigued, for he had never heard Erestor mention such things before.
Erestor nodded. "I fell in love with her instantly, but not in the way you are thinking. I was told by Artanis of a vision she had, that though I would have no wife, I would have a child."
"I'm confused," Haldir said finally. "I was never all that good with my mother's riddles."
"Nenniach," said Erestor simply. "She was in need of guidance, and of a family. In many ways, so was I," he admitted softly. "You might say we saved one another." Erestor smiled a little, but Haldir could tell he was recalling the sad memories of his past in Doriath and Gondolin.
"I did not mean to-"
Erestor raised his hand in askance for silence. "I am glad you did. For the evils are countered by the good that came after, and my regrets in life are few. However, I do regret drinking half the bottle of that very potent drink, and I must retire."
Haldir smiled. "In the morning, then?"
"Perhaps," smiled Erestor ruefully. "Let me see how great a headache is upon me come the morrow."Continued...
Notes