Hidden and Warm by Elrond's Library  

Was Erestor hiding? Perhaps. Would he ever admit it? Fuck no.

The first snow fell over the valley, and with it came a slow softness, a muffled cleansing. The precious hours in which nothing moved, and the wind sighed gently between the trees, before the sun rose and turned everything into a muddy slush that would leave everyone cursing for weeks.

And since Erestor was in charge of the grounds of the Last Homely House, it would be his problem to organize shovel brigades and melt-water drainage, dodging thrown snowballs all the while. Elrond’s twin sons were worse than Elrond and Elros had ever been as children in Amon Ereb. By an exponential factor.

So yes, Erestor was hiding.

The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace, the stones radiating warmth and light and the astringent scent of pine. He sat before his spinning wheel, a basket of carded roving at his side. He fed the fibers from the basket into the flyer with a steady, practiced hand. At regular intervals he would card his fingers through the long and incredibly soft fur of the sleepy rabbit in his lap, adding the tufts that came away into his project.

The rabbit fur would provide comfort, would make the final product fluffier and softer than just sheep’s wool. But blending it with a stronger fiber would let it last longer, and provide more elasticity to the thread.

He wasn’t sure what he would make with this particular batch. Perhaps ply it, and naalbind a pair of socks with it. Or dye it for a pair of knitted mittens. Or just hoard it for a future project.

A knock at the door interrupted his musing. The rabbit snuffled and settled even more heavily in his lap, as if to forbid Erestor from getting up and disturbing the little creature’s rest. He obliged, of course, calling “Come in,” with an aggrieved sigh. “This better be important.”

It was Lindir, who both was and wasn’t his uncle.

“Are you hiding?” he asked with a conspiratorial grin, raven hair falling loose and free about his shoulders. “Mind if I join you?”

Erestor scowled, but shrugged. “On the conditions of no singing or noise-making or caterwauling or dancing or any such nonsense.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Lindir murmured, as if he was not known primarily for his musical talents. He closed the door behind him and grabbed a pillow before settling onto the floor in front of the fire. Another rabbit came out from under the couch, small nose sniffing at Lindir’s knee.

“How many of the little ones do you have, Morofinwion?” Lindir asked with a laugh. Only Lindir could call him that, and it still rankled, just a bit. “Surely your collection outmatches my brother’s by this point.”

Erestor, having taken up another handful of roving, rolled his eyes. “There are thirty-four that I consider mine, between the hutches and my rooms. I’m not the only rabbit fiber maker in this valley.” He paused, digging up memories of a childhood Ages past. “Caranthir had nearly fifty, as I recall.”

Lindir sighed. “He made me the softest sweater I owned, for the cold winters of the Gap.”

Erestor shook his head. “I’m not making you a sweater this year.”

“I didn’t ask!”

“You were going to.”

Lindir looked like he wanted to protest further, but the rabbit at his knee had started bunting into his hand, looking for food. “I don’t have anything for you,” he murmured softly, showing his empty palms. The scar from the Silmaril was shiny and silver, long since healed, an artifact of the past that had taken so much from the both of them.

Erestor kept spinning, and Lindir hummed and pet the five rabbits that were soon all begging for treats. Erestor was sure Lindir didn’t even realize he was humming, so used to the sound of his own voice that it didn’t even register. They sat quietly for a time, hiding from the rest of the world.

Another knock. Elrond’s voice came through the door. “Erestor, I need you. The roof on the squash storehouse collapsed.”

“Fine,” Erestor groaned, calling through the door. “Give me a minute.”

Lindir looked amused as Erestor slowed, then stopped the spinning wheel, put away the roving, and regretfully dislodged his lap companion, who was looking rather bedraggled, having had about half his apparent mass combed off of him.

Erestor opened the door cautiously and closed it quickly behind him to keep the rabbits inside his apartments, leaving Lindir behind to feed the little creatures.

Elrond had the absolute gall to look sheepish. Erestor frowned.

“Does the roof collapsing have anything to do with, say, a certain set of twins?” Erestor asked sarcastically.

“You … really don’t want to know the answer to that.”

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