Child of the Woods by Aprilertuile

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Chapter 15: night out

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The twins went with them, and they started to prepare the camp, and Telperinquar’s bed just in case, while Tyelkormo sat with his nephew:

“So, while we’re out there, let’s see if you remember what you need to do if you get lost in a forest and don’t find your way out.”

“I stay in place as long as I can do so safely, and if I have to move, I look for water, and then shelter. Food can wait.” The child recited.

“Very good.”

“And I shouldn’t just scream a lot because sometimes in Oromë’s Woods, it’ll attract big animals that eat elves.” Telperinquar said.

“Hm...”

“But uh... I can otherwise scream a lot for help, if I’m not in there. And I won’t ever be in there cause dad said not to go.”

“I mean, he’s got a point. It’s not like our brothers and parents ever bother to visit the Woods.” One of the twins commented.

“Nevertheless, it’s a good tip to have. Just in case.”

“Also if I’m lost with Huan, then I’m not lost and I need to trust Huan and stay with him. That’s what grand-pa said.”

“Is it me or does dad trust your dog more than he trusts us?” Ambarussa asked deadpan.

Tyelkormo chucked at that.

“Alright, now, let’s build a shelter and light a fire, shall we?”

“Do we really need to? It’s not like...”

“Oh please!” Telperinquar asked excitedly.

Tyelkormo looked at his brothers with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow:

“I don’t know, do we?”

“You’re spoiling that child.”

“Yes, which is why I’m the favourite uncle.” Tyelkormo said smugly.

Ambarto started to collect wood to start a fire but said:

“These woods are terribly clean. I’m afraid the fire won’t last very long unless we want to actually cut a tree and I’m not very happy to try that in the woods near Aulë’s Halls of all places. Pretty sure the only worse thing to do would be to try that in Yavanna’s Pastures directly: Yavanna would most likely murder us for that crime.”

“We don’t need the fire to last long, brother dear.”

“Oh?”

“That’s not really the point of our presence, is it? This will just be a fun little activity while we wait.”

Ambarussa tilted his head to the side, exchanging a look with his twin.

“You did something.” The twins realised at the same time.

Tyelkormo smirked and pulled a finger to his lips, asking them to keep the secret.

The twins showed Telperinquar, sitting in Tyelkormo’s laps, how to light a fire, and promised to teach him to do that when he’d be older.

Which Tyelkormo understood as: ‘When our brother would be less likely to murder us for that.’

Soon enough, an owl flew by, and perched itself on a nearby tree.

“Look up.” Tyelkormo whispered quietly for the child who looked awed at the imposing bird.

“What does it eat?”

The eternal temptation to answer with: ‘Misbehaving children’ took him... However...

“What they can find: insects, rodents, reptiles like snakes and amphibians like frogs, smaller birds.”

“Can I pet it?”

Tyelkormo shook his head.

“No, not that one. He’s beautiful but very distant, just let it be, hm?”

Telperinquar looked mildly disappointed, but Tyelkormo was pretty sure their next visitor would more than make up for that.

Indeed, the next animal they saw was a chinchilla that climbed straight on to Tyelkormo’s shoulder:

“Well, hello little one, and welcome.” Tyelkormo told the animal.

“Can I pet it?” Telperinquar asked with baited breath.

Thankfully, the answer to that was a cautious yes, so long the child was careful. And when the animal had enough, it climbed right back on Tyelkormo’s shoulder, eating the treats that the elf offered it.

A bit later came a couple of hedgehogs.

“Oh! Uncle look! They look... Prickly.” Telperinquar said in a loud whisper, approaching the small creatures.

Tyelkormo chuckled at that.

“They are, but they’re very cute, and they’re a necessary part of the natural world.”

The child nodded along quietly.

Later in the night, Telperinquar fell asleep curled up against Tyelkormo’s side, bringing his thumb to his mouth in a very sleepy gesture.

Only then did a magnificent and glowing horse arrive, bearing on his back a being that exuded power.

Oromë tilted his head to the side, watching Tyelkormo with the child.

“He doesn’t look much like you.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s my nephew, not my child.”

“No, not physically, physically you lot all look alike somewhat. No. His Fëa. He resembles his father and grand-father more than you.”

“Ah. That.”

Tyelkormo shook his head.

“Most likely he’ll be another great inventor. He laughs in Aulë’s arms and keeps trying to borrow his parents’ tools and is obsessed with metal.”

“Then why this?”

“Children are curious by nature. All of us born instead of created, need to learn. And in the process, we get curious about a variety of things. Things that, most of the time, won’t fascinate us later on. At his age I was constantly underfoot with our father. Went to the forge every day I could, made quite a number of messes in dad’s office, and look at me today. You couldn’t pay me enough to spend one hour in there.” Tyelkormo answered with a smile.

“I see. Which of your little friends did he like the most?”

“I think my brand new shoulder ornament remained the favourite through the night.”

“Hm... Yes, Telperinquar kept going back to it, didn’t he?” Ambarussa said with a thoughtful tilt of the head.

“And do you plan to keep that little chinchilla?”

“No. He’ll leave soon.”

The Vala tilted his head to the side, and Tyelkormo soon imitated Him.

“Shall I go?”

“No. I’ll take care of it. Stay with your family.”

The Vala went, Nahar galloping away, a Hunt forming in his wake, maiar, hounds, they were soon out of sight.

“Dare I ask?”

“Hm... A bear with a nasty temper in the mountains apparently.”

“I have no idea how you do that.”

“Do what? It’s all information that lord Oromë is spreading among the Hunt. I only listen to his information.”

The twins sighed at that.

They spent the night there and spent so long waiting for little Telperinquar the next morning that Curufinwë came to find them, led by a maia of Aulë.

The elf looked at his siblings with a judgemental look:

“Hi brother.”

“You’re late.”

“I don’t recall setting an hour for us to come back. Telperinquar fell asleep near the middle of Telperion’s hours, and we decided to let him sleep.”

Seeing the state of the place, Curufinwë raised an eyebrow.

“You made a fire? Was it that cold?”

“It was more for the entertainment value.”

“Hm... Did he have fun?”

“Yes.”

Curufinwë turned toward the twins:

“Were all the animals reasonably appropriate?”

“All in all we met an owl, hedgehogs, a chinchilla that played at being tamed for a while, a few rats, a racoon and a fox.”

“All right then.”

Curufinwë sat with them. When Telperinquar awoke, he went happily to his father to be carried, and told him all about the animals and the fire, and the noises of the forest at night and his dream where a rider came on a glowing horse.

Tyelkormo grimaced at that.

“We had Oromë’s visit briefly.”

“Dare I ask why?”

“Because he wondered why a child that was so clearly inclined toward Aulë was visiting with animals with the guidance of one of his Hunters.” The twins answered.

“There’s nothing mysterious in that, it’s just natural curiosity. I think all of us younger than Tyelko did the same at some point or another.” Curufinwë pointed out.

“And yet lord Oromë only asked now.”

They went back home to find Fëanáro working on the kitchen table.

“Ah, mom is very busy today then.” Tyelkormo said with a laugh, knowing the small ‘war’ his parents made to each other over Fëanáro’s habit to work everywhere, including in the kitchen and Nerdanel’s desire to keep her kitchen clean of working tools, grease and whatnot.

“Not even. She broke her favourite necklace and asked me to repair it. The light is great in this room.”

“Hm...”

Telperinquar ran to his grand-father, and climbed on his laps, just like that, forgetting all about the night out, observing curiously what the elf was doing with the necklace.

Tyelkormo smiled. His father had moved to accommodate the child and had dropped a set of _oversized_ jeweller glasses on his head.

He looked at the room’s window, toward the forest.

One day he’d teach Telperinquar how to build a proper shelter too. And he’d always be available to teach him more about the forest, plants and animals alike whenever he’d ask, but the child was back in his favourite element.

He, on the other hand, was starting to severely miss Oromë’s Woods and the Hunt. He’d soon join them again.

Forests out there were peaceful. But Oromë’s Woods was both fun and interesting, and it was there that he belonged.