Carleen Luckstone and Shawn Daysleeper
Elenwe opens her eyes slowly, aware she has been sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Her back is stiff where she leaned against the stone near the waterfall. She groans quietly as she stretches. "I always seem to nap when I'm here," she thinks, "even though I come here to think. Ah, well, as least I have spent a time of peace and solitude here." As she rises and reaches for her sword, Vanima, Elenwe looks instinctively to the sea, looking out over the placid waves. As she buckles Vanima in its usual place, her steps take her toward the palace.
Having learned some of the art of cooking from Nole, Estelin decides to try to cook lunch for Olwe and the other Teleri. His grip on the utensils has gradually improved as his understanding of how to cope with his physical body has waxed. Irmo the Valar was beginning to understand the beauty of the Teleri in this form. His attempt at cooking consists of a bunch of things thrown together in a pot that he has seen Nole use for cooking: chocolate, vegetables, fish, and ... noodles.
Walking through the quiet grounds outside the palace, Elenwe wonders briefly where the other Teleri are. Not that there is much bustle here, but things are quiet. However, an unusual smell drifts on the breeze. She sniffs the air, trying to decide if anything is amiss. "I wonder...." she thinks. "Could someone be trying to.....cook.....again?" Elenwe's steps quicken, and she hastens to the palace kitchens.
He stirs the mixture, the aroma from the food did not affect the Vala in disguise. Smiling, he hoped Nole and the others would appreciate his latest attempt at cooking. He looks at his hands, feeling their warmth. This feeling, which he had rejected and was afraid of when he first accepted this mission was now welcomed. He smiles as he continues to mix the concoction in the pot.
"Oh, Estelin, it is you!" Elenwe exclaims as she appears in the kitchen door and sees him mixing something in a pot. "Are you, um, ah, cooking, by chance?" She looks about, trying to decipher what Estelin has put into the pot. "I thought we had harvested all the noodles in the garden. Did you find more?" Elenwe removes Vanima and her cloak, preparing somewhat timidly to assist Estelin in cooking. Her previous attempts had been so disastrous, she had stayed far away from the kitchen ever since.
Turns and smiles as Elenwe enters the kitchen, he replies. "Yes, I have been studying the art of cooking from the wisest sailor, Nole." He dips the laddle carefully into the pot, bringing up a piece of fish with some semi-melted chocolate on it. He nudges the chocolate off the fish, and some noodles were underneath. "The noodles here seem to grow very quickly in the king's gardens. I found quite a few in his garden last day." He nods to the chocolate. "This is my first time adding this ingredient, I watched Nole bake this in what he called a pie shell, so I thought, why not try it with the noodles?" he smiles.
"I have seen that used in pie, but had not realized it was also used with soup or stew. Have you tasted it? Were you preparing this for Lord Olwe?" Elenwe looks around for bowls and utensils.
"Yes, for our Lord Olwe and his people. He and Nole are in the archery range practicing." He nods towards the window. "I have not tasted it yet; perhaps you would and see if it would meet their tastes?"
"Oh, ah, I seem to have lost my sense of taste. I seem to have developed a cough." Elenwe coughs several times for effect and follows Estelin's nod toward the window. In case he asks again, Elenwe moves to the window and gazes out, keeping her eyes fixed in the distance, hoping he himself will taste that concoction.
Estelin nods. "I hope you recover from your cough," he says as he returns the ladle to the pot. He looks onto the grounds below and notices Olwe and Nole looking skywards. Estelin scans the skies and notices a dark blotch there. "Wha--" He grips the window case. "What could that be?"
Elenwe tries to look out the window, but Estelin is blocking most of the window, and she can only see a distant spot in the sky. Moving to look over one of his shoulders, and then the other, she says, "What? Where? I can't tell. Are we under attack? Could the King be in danger? I need to defend him!!!" Whirling without waiting for an answer, Elenwe grabs her cloak and sword and prepares to rush out of the palace. She does not know what caused Estelin's reaction, but her instincts have come to be protection of her valiant King before anything else.
Looking one instant longer at the object, the musician exclaims "Mi'lady! That could be a dragon. If it is a dragon, let us hope it is friendly. We do not stand a chance if it is such a beast."
Elenwe stops short and turns once again to Estelin. "What did you say? A dragon? Why would a dragon be here? In all my travels, I have never seen one." She cautiously approaches the window, still ready to dash out to face the dragon should it prove hostile. "Why might think you this might be a friendly beast?" she asks of Estelin.
"A dragon," he repeats, but he decides not to speak of the dragons of lore. Hideous and violent beasts that served the Fallen One. He did not wish to bring fear to the Teleri. "Well, let's think about it: why would a dragon come here on it's own free will, and alone it seems? This one is also... blue." He confirms as he looks at the dragon outside the window, now much closer than before. "It's flight pattern also seems to be quite erratic, as if searching for something, not to incinerate everyone."
"Where did you say our King and Nole are?" asks Elenwe as she gazes doubtfully at the blue creature. "Shall I go to them, until this beast's intentions are known? I don't want to leave them with no means of defending themselves." Her hand reaches once more to draw her sword.
Estelin waits a moment before answering. "I think it would be a good idea to go to our lord's side. I just hope we do not appear intimidating and force the dragon to attack out of defence..." At that moment, a loud splash echoes into the room.
Elenwe hears the splash, but she is already speeding out the door and toward the archery range, her boots ringing on the stones as she grips her sword firmly.
Estelin quickly follows Elenwe out of the palace. The waves from the splash radiating out from a central point that seemed to hold, the dragon? Olwe and Nole were already running towards the beach.
Elenwe catches sight of Olwe, on the beach, and she swerves in that direction. She hears Estelin behind her. Nearing her king, she sees him with bow in hand but, as she approaches, he kneels beside what must be the dragon. Oh, what if she is too late, and fails her king as his loyal defender? She runs as fast as she can, hoping the dragon does no harm to Olwe before she can slay it.
Estelin watches the scene unfold as he proceeded to the beach. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he understood what he saw. "Olwe!" he says aloud, "is extending his hand to a dragon?" This is certainly one of the most amazing things he has ever seen.
> Next
Having learned some of the art of cooking from Nole, Estelin decides to try to cook lunch for Olwe and the other Teleri. His grip on the utensils has gradually improved as his understanding of how to cope with his physical body has waxed. Irmo the Valar was beginning to understand the beauty of the Teleri in this form. His attempt at cooking consists of a bunch of things thrown together in a pot that he has seen Nole use for cooking: chocolate, vegetables, fish, and ... noodles.
Walking through the quiet grounds outside the palace, Elenwe wonders briefly where the other Teleri are. Not that there is much bustle here, but things are quiet. However, an unusual smell drifts on the breeze. She sniffs the air, trying to decide if anything is amiss. "I wonder...." she thinks. "Could someone be trying to.....cook.....again?" Elenwe's steps quicken, and she hastens to the palace kitchens.
He stirs the mixture, the aroma from the food did not affect the Vala in disguise. Smiling, he hoped Nole and the others would appreciate his latest attempt at cooking. He looks at his hands, feeling their warmth. This feeling, which he had rejected and was afraid of when he first accepted this mission was now welcomed. He smiles as he continues to mix the concoction in the pot.
"Oh, Estelin, it is you!" Elenwe exclaims as she appears in the kitchen door and sees him mixing something in a pot. "Are you, um, ah, cooking, by chance?" She looks about, trying to decipher what Estelin has put into the pot. "I thought we had harvested all the noodles in the garden. Did you find more?" Elenwe removes Vanima and her cloak, preparing somewhat timidly to assist Estelin in cooking. Her previous attempts had been so disastrous, she had stayed far away from the kitchen ever since.
Turns and smiles as Elenwe enters the kitchen, he replies. "Yes, I have been studying the art of cooking from the wisest sailor, Nole." He dips the laddle carefully into the pot, bringing up a piece of fish with some semi-melted chocolate on it. He nudges the chocolate off the fish, and some noodles were underneath. "The noodles here seem to grow very quickly in the king's gardens. I found quite a few in his garden last day." He nods to the chocolate. "This is my first time adding this ingredient, I watched Nole bake this in what he called a pie shell, so I thought, why not try it with the noodles?" he smiles.
"I have seen that used in pie, but had not realized it was also used with soup or stew. Have you tasted it? Were you preparing this for Lord Olwe?" Elenwe looks around for bowls and utensils.
"Yes, for our Lord Olwe and his people. He and Nole are in the archery range practicing." He nods towards the window. "I have not tasted it yet; perhaps you would and see if it would meet their tastes?"
"Oh, ah, I seem to have lost my sense of taste. I seem to have developed a cough." Elenwe coughs several times for effect and follows Estelin's nod toward the window. In case he asks again, Elenwe moves to the window and gazes out, keeping her eyes fixed in the distance, hoping he himself will taste that concoction.
Estelin nods. "I hope you recover from your cough," he says as he returns the ladle to the pot. He looks onto the grounds below and notices Olwe and Nole looking skywards. Estelin scans the skies and notices a dark blotch there. "Wha--" He grips the window case. "What could that be?"
Elenwe tries to look out the window, but Estelin is blocking most of the window, and she can only see a distant spot in the sky. Moving to look over one of his shoulders, and then the other, she says, "What? Where? I can't tell. Are we under attack? Could the King be in danger? I need to defend him!!!" Whirling without waiting for an answer, Elenwe grabs her cloak and sword and prepares to rush out of the palace. She does not know what caused Estelin's reaction, but her instincts have come to be protection of her valiant King before anything else.
Looking one instant longer at the object, the musician exclaims "Mi'lady! That could be a dragon. If it is a dragon, let us hope it is friendly. We do not stand a chance if it is such a beast."
Elenwe stops short and turns once again to Estelin. "What did you say? A dragon? Why would a dragon be here? In all my travels, I have never seen one." She cautiously approaches the window, still ready to dash out to face the dragon should it prove hostile. "Why might think you this might be a friendly beast?" she asks of Estelin.
"A dragon," he repeats, but he decides not to speak of the dragons of lore. Hideous and violent beasts that served the Fallen One. He did not wish to bring fear to the Teleri. "Well, let's think about it: why would a dragon come here on it's own free will, and alone it seems? This one is also... blue." He confirms as he looks at the dragon outside the window, now much closer than before. "It's flight pattern also seems to be quite erratic, as if searching for something, not to incinerate everyone."
"Where did you say our King and Nole are?" asks Elenwe as she gazes doubtfully at the blue creature. "Shall I go to them, until this beast's intentions are known? I don't want to leave them with no means of defending themselves." Her hand reaches once more to draw her sword.
Estelin waits a moment before answering. "I think it would be a good idea to go to our lord's side. I just hope we do not appear intimidating and force the dragon to attack out of defence..." At that moment, a loud splash echoes into the room.
Elenwe hears the splash, but she is already speeding out the door and toward the archery range, her boots ringing on the stones as she grips her sword firmly.
Estelin quickly follows Elenwe out of the palace. The waves from the splash radiating out from a central point that seemed to hold, the dragon? Olwe and Nole were already running towards the beach.
Elenwe catches sight of Olwe, on the beach, and she swerves in that direction. She hears Estelin behind her. Nearing her king, she sees him with bow in hand but, as she approaches, he kneels beside what must be the dragon. Oh, what if she is too late, and fails her king as his loyal defender? She runs as fast as she can, hoping the dragon does no harm to Olwe before she can slay it.
Estelin watches the scene unfold as he proceeded to the beach. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he understood what he saw. "Olwe!" he says aloud, "is extending his hand to a dragon?" This is certainly one of the most amazing things he has ever seen.
> Next