Child of the Woods by Aprilertuile

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Chapter 13: Telperinquar

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Telperinquar was not quite one year old when the family went back on the road. Nerdanel had been talking about Aulë’s Halls for a while, and that seemed to have given Curufinwë and his wife the desire to go there.

So they went, Fëanáro, Nerdanel, Curufinwë, his wife Anwindë, their son Telperinquar, Carnistir, the twins, Tyelkormo and Huan.

Telperinquar was lively and keeping him safe on the cart was an exercise in patience and fast reflexes. Tyelkormo could swear that taking his eyes off the child for one moment was long enough for an accident to happen. Alas, being on Valinor didn’t prevent that sort of thing from happening.

As they stopped for a night break in their travel, and to let the horses rest, Tyelkormo went into the forest along the road, to find something to eat that was fresher than travel bread.  It was strangely easy to catch a prey in this forest. It took away all the interest of hunting, so Tyelkormo didn’t even try.

The forests of Valinor, outside of Oromë’s Woods, were... Safe. Clean looking. The animals were friendly enough that just being calm, one could stand nearby and observe them. Hunting was not a true exercise around here. It was a massacre of innocent animals with barely a survival instinct.

He was just coming back with a basket full of berries, a bag full of nuts and a contented Huan when he was jumped on by his brother: “haveyouseenmyson?”

Tyelkormo blinked, taking the time to understand this sentence:

“Last I saw him was in your arms so...”

“NothelpingTyelko!”

“Alright, alright, it’s a child, he can’t be too far gone. Come on, let’s go back to the cart, Huan and I will look for my nephew.”

Tyelkormo was calm, compared to his brother. Certainly, it wasn’t his child that disappeared, so that helped, but also he was well aware that in this forest, the most that could happen would be the child getting lost for a few hours.

Once at the cart, he found his parents looking tired, Anwindë crying her heart out, Carnistir was looking around and the twins had... Disappeared.

“The twins are gone to look for Telpe!” Nerdanel told them.

“And I’ll join the search. The kid can’t have gone far.”

And he, for one, had the advantage over the twins of having Huan AND of being able to chat with every passing animal to ask for direction or listen to terribly distorted rumours.

Some animals were terrible gossips.

“Don’t worry, your brother will find your son.” Nerdanel told Curufinwë, even as Tyelkormo turned to follow Huan who was already tracking the child by scent.

Clever, dependable Huan. Perhaps he should assign him to watch the child on this journey.

“He’s my son and he’s lost, how can I not worry?!”

“Every child needs a bit of rebellion, my dear, it’s healthy for them, or so I’m told.” Fëanáro told him with a comforting pat on his arm.

Tyelkormo snorted softly at that: without turning back he could imagine very well the unimpressed stressed out face his brother would be making.

“Tyelko will find Tyelpe, and he’ll be fine.” Fëanáro’s voice rose again.

Well, that was certainly good to know he had his father’s trust on that point.

“How do you know?” Curufinwë asked, quietly hopeful.

Well, that was flattering, brother...

“I know because I share a bound to all my children, the same way you share a bound to your child and you would KNOW if he was hurt or in trouble. So long your child isn’t in trouble, your brother and his dog will find him, and so he’ll be fine.”

Tyelkormo nodded at that, following Huan, noticing the traces of the child’s passing in the bushes, and soft steps on the moss and mud of the floor.

Huan had his nose on the floor and was leading Tyelkormo to... Telperinquar, not quite a one year old baby, trying to climb a tree...

Illuvatar on high! Was he that bad as a child? Curufinwë had certainly not been that adventurous!

He only needed a few steps to be next to his nephew and grab him before he could get anywhere:

“Uncle Tyelko! There are squirrels!”

“Yes, and we’ll leave the squirrels in peace.”

The child pouted at that: “But they’re pretty.”

“They’re not toys even if they’re pretty, leave them in peace.”

Tyelkormo made the mistake of looking at his nephew, who was looking at him pleadingly, eyes full of tears.

He sighed at that, even as Huan snorted, amused, and laid down on the floor at his feet.

“Fine.”

Tyelkormo looked up and asked the squirrels if they were willing to come down to be petted by the child, gently, he promised.

He eyed the child in question and sighed. Well, it would be easier said than done as Telperinquar was nearly vibrating with excitement.

“If they come, you must be gentle. If you’re not gentle, I’ll take the squirrels back, and I’ll never again call one for you!”

Telperinquar nodded seriously, taking his uncle’s words more seriously than any of his little brothers ever did.

Little nephews are the best.

The squirrels were seemingly uninterested.

“I have nuts?” Tyelkormo offered the squirrels, hopeful, taking a couple of nuts from his side pouch, raising his hand with them as an offering.

The squirrels just ignored him, but for one that climbed down to Tyelkormo’s raised hand, and let himself be lowered down to the level of the child, eating the nuts.

Huan was looking far too amused for Tyelkormo’s tastes, but he chose to pretend to not notice his companion.

“Can I touch it?” Telperinquar whispered.

Tyelkormo looked particularly amused at that: with their discussion that had been at full voice volume, now the child was whispering?!

“Certainly. BUT you must be gentle, careful, delicate.”

The child nodded and raised a hand to the squirrel.

And the animal was patient, and let the child’s untrained hands pet it for a few moments, until Ambarussa arrived.

The squirrel jumped on the tree in alarm and ran back up to a higher branch and Tyelkormo turned toward his brothers:

“You only arrive now? I’m disappointed.”

“Hey! You cheated! You have Huan!”

“Little brothers... This is a not even one year old child. Don’t try to tell me he didn’t leave tracks a blind hunter could follow. It’s a clear area, it’s not Oromë’s Woods with its own tricks. So... How could you not find his tracks sooner?”

The twins grumbled at that.

“Perhaps but at least we warned Curufinwë that Telperinquar’s with you.”

Tyelkormo winced at that.

“That... Is certainly a point.”

“Come on, Telperinquar, let’s get you back to your dad.” One of the twins said with a smile, offering a hand to his nephew.

However, Telperinquar glared at him and hid himself in Tyelkormo’s legs.

“Ah! I knew I was the favourite uncle!” Tyelkormo said smugly, taking the child in his arms to carry him back to camp, walking happily through the clear, simple forest, to their camp a couple of minutes away only.

Honestly, how his brothers and parents had not noticed them talking so close to the cart was a mystery to Tyelkormo.

“Child delivery!”

“A bit late, the delivery!” Curufinwë commented coldly.

“... Not that much? Besides, what were you afraid of? The risks around here are minimal. There are very few predators and none of them hunt elves willingly. The closest cliffs and caves are kilometres away, and your kid isn’t yet old enough to get anywhere truly far on his own, we’d have heard him if he had cried for any reason at any point.”

Curufinwë grumbled at that and picked his son from his brother’s arms.

Brothers were the worst!