Black on white, stark and honest by Fiamma Galathon  

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Ataressi

Some Curvo, Lómion and Aredhel interactions for your soul.

Curvo is leagues better at naming things than Tyleko. He does also steal Lómion.

Anway, this happens some three months after Riders in the Rain let off? So Lómion is like, half a year old in there.

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Aredhel looked up from where she was braiding a string for her new bow, frowning. 

Come to think of it, it had been suspiciously quiet for a bit already. Tyleko was out with a regiment, Curvo was down in the forges, and Tylepe was socializing, apparently. But it was too quiet still. 

She looked out of the window at the sundial on the opposite wall, and blinked. Four hours?!? Had she been at this for four hours?

Oh, fuck, Lómion.

She got up, and went to check on her son, who she left sleeping in the nursery. While there was neither wailing nor any distress in their bond, it was better to check anyway. 

He was not there. 

She swallowed down the immediate bout of panic, noticing the red card had been flipped up on the crib. So Curvo took him somewhere. 

They had four colorful cards stacked at the side of the crib, and if any of them took Lómion with themselves they were meant to put their color up on it, so as not to cause unneeded panic. 

That had been the best invention of Tylepe ever. 

Aredhel breathed out in relief. All right. 

Wait. Wasn’t Curvo in the throes of a project again? 

She swore, sprinting down the stairs, jumping off the balustrade to skip two flights. While she trusted him completely, a forge was not exactly child-friendly. Dashing through the fortress she absentmindedly waved off the concern of a few servants, slalomed between the hounds lying around on the sun-warm cobbles of the courtyard, and skidded to a stop before the entrance to the forges built into the mountain walls, slightly winded.

Not in top shape yet, but getting there. She nodded at herself, taking a few gasping breaths. A month or two and she would be back in form. 

Aredhel steadied her breath before pushing open the doors, and was greeted by an unusually silent forge, no banging hammers or blowing bellows in sight. It was nearly deserted, even. 

Weird. 

A forge-helper slithered under the far wall, muttering something under her breath as she rearranged the materials in the crates. 

-Hello?- Aredhel called out softly, and the girl turned around, cocking one eyebrow, before she apparently recognized her and bowed shallowly. 

-Hello, Lady Aredhel. What can I help you with?- she asked politely, weighing a slab of copper in her hands. 

-Have you perhaps seen Lord Curufin? Perhaps with my son with him, since he seems to have kidnapped him.- Aredhel smiled, stepping into the quiet forge. 

The girl made a face. -Yeah, of course. He came in some two hours ago, threw everybody out and went into his private studio. Was even slightly polite, which was alarming.-

-Could you show me there?- 

-Why not, not like he can yell at you.- she shrugged, and put the copper slab down into one crate, dusting her hands off. -Right this way, My Lady. Sorry for the soot.- 

-Oh, do not worry, some dirt never hurt anyone.- Aredhel laughed softly, walking after her into the bowels of the mountain. Curvo’s workshop was on the lowest level, with an impressive blast-resistant door and his name etched into the stone above it with some glowing metal. 

It fit him, honestly. 

The girl scurried away as soon as they got there, excusing herself on the basis of work, leaving her alone before the door.

Aredhel snorted and opened her mind, reaching out to Curvo on the other side. He indeed was accompanied by Lómion, who was both content and excited. 

She sent her cousin the best approximation of a questioningly raised eyebrow and the image of his door. Shuffling could be heard from the other side and it opened after six separate locks clicked open. Her eyebrows truly rode up her forehead at that. Paranoid bastard.

Curvo peeked out, hair disheveled and eyes glittering, grinning at her madly. -Oh, hello ‘Risse. - he greeted her, opening the door wider and beckoning her inside. 

-Ahahmamah!- Lómion also greeted her cheerfully from the place on his hip, smiling gummily at her. 

She stepped into the chamber, rolling her eyes at them. - So what were you two doing there? - she inquired, looking around curiously. There were odd contraptions hanging on the walls, that looked somewhere between elaborate torture mechanisms and…was that a palantir prototype? Aredhel blinked, and decided not to ask.

-Ah well. - Curvo shrugged, walking over to his work desk on which glittering gems were strewn around, along some scraps of leather and wood. - Since he will be teething soon I thought I would make him a nice teething ring, so I brought him there to decide on the design.- he smiled at the boy, and Lómion smiled back at him, ears quivering excitedly. - He has opinions on the gems! Ai, you will be a great smith when you get bigger, pityonya. - he bopped him on the nose, earning a happy giggle. 

Aredhel melted a bit at the sight. -That’s very considerate of you, Curvo.- She picked up one aquamarine the length of her pinky, with a beautiful blue color, and held it up to the light. It was beautiful. It would make for a really nice hair-bead. 

She was slowly building back her collection.

Maybe she could sneakily ask Tylepe for a nice carved one out of a gem or another. He was the family jewelsmith after all. 

-What has the little smith chosen then?- she asked, setting the stone back and taking Lómion into her arms. Curvo grinned, gray eyes sparkling like Tyleko’s did after a successful hunt for a particularly big beast, and held up three gems in his palm. One was crafted, she could tell, and the two others were natural, but besides that she didn’t know what they were, except for pretty and sparkly. 

- He has excellent taste, don’t you, nolpainkë? Yes, yes you do. That’s a really nice Illmarin Night here, the best I have currently. - Curvo held up the crafted gemstone, a deep black with speckles of glittering something that made it look like a starry sky. - And those two are shards of one smoky quartz with a tourmaline intrusion, look, there, see? Those will be just great for the handle.- 

Aredhel smiled indulgently at him, understanding only a few words out of what was said, but Lómion clapped his hands happily, nodding along. 

- Nolpainkë? That’s what we are going with?- she chuckled, realizing Lómion was positively covered in both dirt and gemstone dust. 

-Oh, uh, well.- Curvo stuttered, looking at her with wide eyes. - Doesn’t it make sense? But. It’s just a nickname, not, well.- he gestured helplessly, and she shook her head at him. 

-Well, nobody said he cannot have two ataressi. - she reminded him gently, catching his hand in her own . - And don’t tell him I said that, but Tyleko is. Not the best at naming things.-

Curvo looked at her with blazing eyes, swallowing harshly, before dragging her and Lómion into a hug. - Írissë . - he breathed out, voice trembling. 

-Ababa. Bah.- Lómion patted his shoulder, and Aredhel just pressed a kiss to the top of his head. When he next looked at her from where he had pressed his face into the side of her head his eyes were shiny with tears as well as Treelight.

-I will strive to find the best name possible to counteract my brother’s foolishness.- he murmured, smiling through tears. - Let's not be hasty, tiny mole may be quite fitting for now, but he will grow tall yet and what will people say about that? Ai, ‘Risse.- Curufin shook his head, covering his eyes. - Do not spring those revelations on me like this, I beg you. -

She only smiled warmly at him, Lómion in her arms smiling even brighter. 

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Chapter End Notes

I hope you enjoyed!