The Small and Secret Things by Dawn Felagund  

A Study of Curufinwë

Fingolfin tries to understand his half-brother's elusive affection. I have tried to use my "Nolofinwë voice" for this one: economical and to-the-point, focusing on physical (versus emotional) observations.

I totally blame Fëanáro for making him that way. ;)

I study it closely, but the concept eludes me. So simple … I wonder: What am I missing?

I watch Curufinwë come through the door. Strides lengthen--one, two, three--and he is in our father's arms, hands clutching the other at the shoulders. He is wrinkling Father's robes.

I try it.

One, two, three--strides so long my legs ache. I cannot reach his shoulders but I clutch the small of his back so hard, trying to make his tunic wrinkle.

He peels me free.

"Nolofinwë! Leave me." Mouth down-turned, displeased.

I do not understand.

What am I missing?

Chapter End Notes

Today's word:

abstruse ab-STROOS; uhb-, adjective:

Difficult to comprehend or understand.

Abstruse comes from Latin abstrusus, past participle of abstrudere, "to push away from any place, to hide," from ab-, abs-, "away from" + trudere, "to push, to thrust."