Child of the Stars

He was getting decidedly cranky. Everyone kept waking him up from the nap he was trying to take. They kept saying he slept long enough and seemed to not be really paying attention to the fact he needed to sleep now, so he could be up later. Yes Gilriant understood under typical circumstances that inverting his sleep schedule for a festival wasn’t the best of ideas while he was young. But this was important and they weren’t listening. Incredibly frustrating as typically they did well at it.

To a certain extent he got it. They were trying to do what was best for him. Gilriant was also having trouble articulating just what the issue was. So he probably sounded like a whining kid. He could try taking a nap as a raven, but that had its own set of issues. Atar knew that was him. Eventually they would get worried when they couldn’t find him. What he needed was to find an adult that would understand.

When Hallows started guiding him along, Gilriant realized he should have thought of that to start with. She took him straight to Haldir and as soon as he reached the elf, Harry clung to him. The marchwarden lifted him up, letting the elfing rest his head on the older elf’s shoulder. “They keep waking me up and I need to sleep,” he grumbled.

“Need to?” Haldir asked softly. Gilriant gave a nod, further curling up in his hold. “Stars singing tonight, can’t sleep then. Will be listening.” At that the marchwarden stilled. When Hallows whined leaning into his leg, the older elf exhaled. “Sleep then, we’ll talk when you are ready to be awake again.” There were a few times he half awoke to other’s voices. Thankfully Haldir was keeping ahold of him and not letting anyone else disturb his rest.

When the sun finally left the sky Gilriant could feel it and woke right up. “There you are, I thought that might do it.” Haldir was smiling, but he could see the faint worried line between his eyes. “What’s wrong?” The marchwarden sighed the line smoothing away. “Too perceptive for your own good sometimes. Nothing you need to worry about right now. I promise I will talk to you about it later. First your family wants to get you ready for the festival tonight.”

This was the night where the balance started to tip back towards the day. For a race that was born under starlight, nights were not something to be feared. The longest night of the year was something to be celebrated. Even though it was cold, the stars would be shining brightly.

Of course he ended up having to put up with his brother giving him a quick check up. Thankfully Haldir explained that they shouldn’t worry about the sleeping bout. It was in preparation for the fact that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Nor should they worry if he was still energized into the next day. He would sleep well the following night and get balanced back out. That didn’t completely stop the fussing, but it helped minimize it.

Once they were satisfied that he was fine, there was all the fuss about getting ready. Which, he didn’t totally hate. It was time spent with family. Ones that cared about him and wanted the best for him. They also happened to be ones that listened to him about what that was. At least for the most part.

He insisted on braiding his Atar’s hair tonight. Using both Fawkes and Hedwig’s feathers along with the other items his brother helped him with. The small faceted stones helped reflect the false-fire and glittering sparks of the phoenix feathers. Almost like Maglor had his own set of stars flickering in his braids. All and all he was pretty proud of the look. It went well with the new clothes Elrond had made for him in deep feanorian red.

Whatever his preferences might have been in the past were unknown to Harry. What he did know is now that his Atar spent most of his time dressed simply. Trying not to draw attention to himself. While this might be considered a tad bit of pushing, Maglor needed not to hide in the shadows. “You look beautiful!” The elfling grinned at the bard. “If people keep wanting to call me a prince, they should remember that you are one too.”

“He’s right you know.” Elrond’s voice came from the doorway. “On both points. You look good Atya.” Maglor shot them both exasperated looks. “Don’t plan on me being this dressed up often.” Then his expression softened, “Still, thank you. I know what you are trying to do, and I’ll let you get away with it tonight. Just don’t count on it happening again anytime soon.” Gilriant just grinned and grabbed his hand. “Come on!”

“You certainly have plenty of energy now.” The elfling was practically skipping on the way to the banquet. “Mhmm! The stars are happy and so am I.” Celebrian’s voice was interested. “Happy you say, how do you know that?” Gilriant looked over at his sister-by-marriage. “Because they are singing, all of them. Well, almost all of them are happy songs anyways.”

“Almost all?” Came from Elladan. They were walking together as a group to the banquet. Hence the questions from multiple family members. “The sad star. At least, it's sorta sad? It sounds different anyways. Not happy, not sure why.” There was a pause as no one seemed to know what to say to that, finally Elrohir ventured. “Well you will have to point it out to us another time. I think we will be a bit too busy tonight.”

They finally reached the Halls of Fire, which were fairly fire free tonight. Very little light shone on this festival. Instead it was one to celebrate the light of the stars themselves. To elvish eyes the night was bright enough that there was no need for extra sources of it. As they got close to their table Arwen moved to scoop Gilriant up. “My turn!” The elfling giggled as the twins immediately protested. “How is it always your turn, what about our turn sister dear?”

“Children,” Elrond admonished, “Share, or it's going to be my turn.” Gilriant was near helpless with giggles as they settled into place. The happy sound brought out smiles from the elves around them. The elfling didn’t mind their antics. Erestor explained some of it one day. They missed out on a portion of his younger years, so had fewer which they could do this with him. Childhood was short, and a thing to be cherished.

Once the main meal was finished more dancing and entertainment was part of the typical order. Gilriant threaded his way through the elves gathered easily dodging around people with a laugh. He was about to slide by Glorfindel when he looked up at the captain's face. Which had a weird expression on it, and he was either stareing or lost in thought. Harry followed his line of sight and nope, nothing too interesting. Just his family. So he reached to grab the old warrior’s hand. “You okay?” The ellon startled and looked down at him. “Fine fine, how are you doing little star? Especially bright tonight I see.” Gilriant gave him a look. “If you are fine, why did you look so weird? Or are you using fine like how my brother says I do?”

That earned him a laugh and Glorfindel shook his head. “I truly am fine, I was just lost in thought.” The elfling shrugged. “If you say so.” The captain just smiled. “I do. Are we on for what I suggested the next time your guards attempt that little game with you?” Gilriant grinned, “Absolutely, it’s going to be fun.” Pulling on the hand he had grabbed, Harry decided it was his duty to make sure his friend was having a good time too. “Come on, do the dancing, you know it's fun.”

Glorfindel made a face but let the little one drag him closer to the group. “How about instead I go sit with your family. I go on the dance floor and it always ends up with someone getting ideas.” Gilriant rolled his eyes. “Just get Erestor to glare at them, he’s your best friend and can get away with it. Lots of them are scared of him.” At the sound of his name, the seneschal appeared at their side. “Who am I scaring now?”

“Teacher!” Gilriant called out happily. “Glorfindel is being weird. Keep an eye on him will you?” The captain sputtered, “I am not being weird.” Erestor gave him a look and then smiled down at the elfling. “Don’t worry I’ll look after him. You go have fun.” At his words a pair of hands scooped up him and started dashing towards the dancing group, his siblings in hot pursuit. Elrohir called back. “Don’t worry Erestor, we’ll make sure he has fun.” He really did have the best family.

He could hear it, in the thrum of the sky and under his skin. The stars were calling. With everyone fully engaged in festivities he slipped through the celebrants reaching out to snag a particular hand. The elf willingly followed along, moving as soon as Gilriant grabbed him. Almost if Haldir was fully expecting it. Hallows and Tindil falling into step with them. Neither had any trouble navigating the darkness anymore than either elf did. The moon-bright wolf carried her own glow, as did the shining silver spots on the fawn.

Gilriant led his friends up the path towards the summoning point of the Starlight Wolves. Not very far up it there was a pause to greet Prongs and Naurcunneth. They stood guard over the path and stepped to the side to let the small group pass. But not before doing their part to greet and nuzzle the elfling and fawn especially. Their antlers shone brightly, the sprinkle of stars over their coat carried their own bright clear shine. Once they passed them, the deer stepped back to block the way of anyone else.

Once they reached the top they were greeted. Fawkes and Hedwig were already there, flying from perch to perch, or just around trilling happy songs. The Starlight wolves were playing with the phoenixes and each other. Once Gilriant spotted them he dropped Haldir’s hand to dive into their play. The moon-bright wolf and fawn followed. Haldir slowly moved further in. While he did not join in the chase, he did sit down in the middle of the stone circle, watching with a small smile. The Starlight Wolves needed no charging on this night. They shone brightly with the light of the stars themselves and needed no other. They were there to celebrate with the elfling.

When the play stopped, Gilriant moved between them. Giving each starlight wolf a hug and whispering in their ears. When he had finished with the last one they flashed away and the elfling came over and sat down in Haldir’s lap with his back against the older elf’s chest. Head tilted back towards the stars and a small smile on his face. Fawkes settled on the marchwarden’s shoulder and Hedwig in their laps. “They are going to go say hi to Legolas and Thranduil and sing to the stars for them.” The thought brought a faint smile to the marchwarden’s face. “But not for you?” Harry shook his head. “Don’t need them too. I can hear the stars singing to me, can’t you?”

Now Haldir looked troubled, even as he looked up at the stars. “An echo of it, through you, but I do not know why. The bond between teacher and student shouldn’t be this deep, not yet, not without us already having some sort of bond. I meant to give you more time so that you could choose if you wanted a deeper bond.”

Now Gilriant looked confused as he twisted to look up at Haldir, “Going to get back to that point in a moment but . . . Hallows claimed you, and you didn’t dispute it.” It was the marchwarden’s turn to give the elfling a confused look. “Yes, I remember that quite clearly.” Harry’s look of confusion was slipping into something much more despondent. “I thought you understood. Hallows is a piece of my magic, a piece of me, and she laid claim to you and you did not say no.” Both phoenixes gave comforting croons.

The older elf slipped an arm around the young one in response to the obvious signs of distress. “She did, and I agreed with her claim.” Haldir responded, slowly thinking through the possible implications. Which admittedly he should have done before now. Then it clicked. “Oh, is that why you were arguing with her?” Gilriant nodded miserably, “Yes. I didn’t want you to be stuck with me. I don’t think I can undo it now.” The marchwarden wrapped the second arm around the elfling. “Nor should you. I stand by my decision. Here I was thinking I may have pushed things too much. Well, now I don’t have to find another teacher and make that offer. I don’t have to leave.” He smiled.

“Teachers for students that work with the energies like you have are typically between kin because they can go so deep.” Haldir explained. “Past a certain point it's not something that can be walked away from. The strongly gifted end up needing that someone, in part so they don’t get lost in it. Which requires a deep bond to help. Especially with a gift like yours. I don’t think anyone does have it to your extent. I am willing to stay your teacher. Whatever that ends up entailing.” Gilriant thought that over, starting to relax. “So you don’t know what will happen, but you are okay with it?”

“Most of the potential ramifications won’t come into play until you are much older. Like if you do find a romantic partner, they are going to have to be okay with the fact I am part of your life. That is what I get out of it. It's no small thing, knowing someone needs you and will be at your side in turn.” Now the elfling just looked at him. “Well yeah, if anyone didn’t like that they wouldn’t be the right person anyways. You anchor me so I don’t get blown away. So you are like a built-in best friend?” Haldir thought about it and inclined his head. “That would certainly fit, which suits me quite well.” The marchwarden looked over at the fawn. “I admit I had considered that if I link to Hallows, that someone else would link to Tindil for you.”

Assured that everything was going to be okay, Gilriant leaned back again, hands on the arms around him as he looked up at the stars. “Maybe. Tindil is too young to really know.” Haldir let amusement color his voice. “You are too young for any of it, but apparently part of your magic is not.”

“That’s because I was an adult, if barely, in the other world. My magic was mature there. Some of it, and the role I accepted, still is. Some of my mind is.” Harry explained quietly. “I know,” came the quiet reply. “It is easy to allow that knowledge to slip to the back of my mind when I look at you with just my eyes.” Hallows came up, resting against them on their right side while Tindil took the left.

“And when you look with more than your eyes?” Of course his curiosity kicked in. Especially now with the reassurance given that no matter what, he’d have Haldir to help him. It made it easy to let go of the little voices of doubt. “I see the older part of you blending in. Eventually you will catch up. It must be difficult right now when you have two different maturity levels inside you.” The nod Gilriant gave was more felt than seen as the marchwarden had joined him in looking up. “Sometimes. It helps you always listen. You always seem to know when I need that.”

“It is the bond, as your teacher it is a safeguard to help me know if you are struggling. For it is my responsibility to guard you from harm your gift can cause you. Which leads me to be able to also pick up on other things.” The amusement was back in Haldir’s voice. “It is also Hallows, your magic sometimes knows what you need. With her claim on me, it can act as a guide. As the bond strengthens and you get older you will be able to do similar things for me.” That earned him a pleased hum from the elfling. “Good, I’m glad. That’s what it should be.”

“Now shush, I brought us up here to listen to the stars.”

“As you wish.”

***

Crabandil kept his beak clamped shut as he waited in the shrubbery. As much as he wanted to quork out a laugh it was more fun to wait and startle his guards as they hunted for him. They were the ones with the bright idea to ‘train’ him with a game where they didn’t specify too many rules. The goal was that they were his pursuers, and he was supposed to evade them. Their first run though they pretty much lost him immediately. Apparently they thought it was a fluke, or poorly chosen environment to try it in. Too many places for him to immediately hide. This immediate space was far more open. Gonben was the only one to give him a real rule which was no serious injury. He was also the only one that bothered to adorn even light armor and a practice stave. Definitely smarter than his name implied.

Maethel was the one to come up with it. Explaining that while they didn’t expect him to be attacked here in Imladris, it was a good skill to have for when they left the city. At least she had been paying attention enough to determine he was going to want to leave and explore sooner or later. So a smart idea that if they did run into trouble, making sure he could run away. To be fair he had a few advantages they were not aware of. Eventually they would figure it out but he didn’t intend to tell them before he could have some fun with it.

As soon as he was clear on the parameters of the game, he immediately took off. Why would he want to wait for them to be ready? With a giggle he dove and wove between them. Taking advantage of the confusion he made it far enough to slip between some larger plants. Once he was out of sight Gilriant shifted into his raven form and hid in the shrubs. They were a little upset that he had lost them once again pretty much immediately. They had spread out methodically searching for him and moving in the direction they last saw him. Which just fell right into line with the plan he had previously made.

He started leading them in the direction Crabandil wanted them to go. In his raven form he found a good spot where they would be able to see him, but he could easily get away before they got there. Popping into his elven form Gilriant just grinned when they spotted him and started moving in his direction. Ferdil was surprised enough to clue him in that he had been spotted with a startled sound. With a laugh he drew the rest of their attention and dashed off. Well aware that they were attempting to flank him. He just gave another laugh and dove out of sight. Promptly shifting back into the raven to confuse them.

Keeping his end destination in mind, Gilriant led them on a zig zag pattern in that direction, even doubling back at one point. He didn’t want to make it blindingly obvious he had a plan. More that he was reacting more like a child would. Finally he was close enough to enact the final part stage. Shifting into the elven child, he made sure they got a good look and took off straight towards the practice salle. Just as he expected, two fighters were in a practice bout and he called out to them making sure to use humor in his tone. He didn’t want to alarm them too much after all. “Atar! Shiny! Help!”

The two fighters instantly sprang apart and pivoted in his direction. Swords were held to the side but at the ready. Slipping through the fence before the guards could grab him, Gilriant dashed between the pair. Then turned back around with a huge grin. “I found defenders, I win!”

“Defenders?” Glorfindel played along and asked as the six guards came to an abrupt stop outside the fence. “Yes! The game was evasion practice. The goal was for me to get away. The only rule that any of them gave me was no serious injury. So I decided that meant I could lead them to you.” Gilriant explained with a happy tone. His Atar gave out a bark of laughter. “I suppose you used some of your tricks to confuse them?” The elfling laughed, “I just needed the one, it was pretty effective.” Shifting his sword in his grip the captain turned to face the guards. “So, going to try to take him from us are you?”

Five of the guards turned to the only one that had any type of armor and a practice weapon. “Are you crazy?” Gonben held up both his hands. “I’m not going to take one of them on solo, let alone both of them. I say our little prince wins this round.” The pair inside the salle exchanged an amused look. “Well, I say they need some practice, should we give them the chance to put on some armor?” Maglor looked over at his practice partner. “Give them at least a chance of getting past us?”

Glorfindel twirled his sword in his hand. “Why not, even though they underestimated little star, they do seem to be aware of what they are up against now.” Maglor gave him a slight smile. “And we have back up.” He tipped his head towards Elladan and Ellrohir who had been watching the entire thing with highly amused expressions. “Gilriant can get some lessons while they attempt to make it past us.” Which had the added bonus of keeping the elfling entertained and close by.

With a hint of glee, Gilriant went to grab his practice sword as his nephews entered the salle. They kept to one side, leaving the main space for the lesson that was about to commence. They could still keep one eye on the proceedings, while the young one got in practice drills. These were not exactly the most entertaining of things but necessary to start to build a foundation. The rest of training would be built upon these. So the skills needed to be solid and known all the way down to the bones.

Now armored and armed the group fanned out around Glorfindel and Maglor. While they were highly skilled and more than a match against most they might come up against these two opponents were far more skilled than anything they would face. The only advantage they had were numbers, and that they had been training to work together.

“Now,” Glorfindel started, “What did you first do wrong?” He settled into a ready stance as did Maglor at the side. Each slightly angled out to catch one half of their arch. It was Erecthel that answered them, a hint of charinge in her tone. “We underestimated the little prince. We should have gotten a better idea of his capabilities before instigating the game.” The attackers rushed in, to see if they could overwhelm with a quick strike. They swiftly learned that it would not be easy. Amathleg was disarmed and Ferdil took a disabling blow to one arm. They continued to circle as one was covered as he attempted to get his weapon back and the other tucked the ‘injured’ arm behind him. “Correct,” Maglor answered. “What was your second mistake?”

There was another flurry of blows without any of them getting past the defenders. They did manage to recover the lost weapon but it was difficult to say if that had been allowed to happen or not. “We let him lead us in a direction of his choosing.” Maethel answered grimly. “It is clear now that he baited us to follow him towards you.” Looking to either side she must have given them another signal as they rushed them again.

While they were indeed skilled and coordinated, it still wasn’t enough. Roitaro had taken what would have been a fatal blow and was forced to bow out to the side. Maglor took advantage of Ferdil’s ‘injury and gave him a solid kick making him stumble back. Glorfindel easily disarmed Amathleg again, this time kicking the weapon back behind him. The guard did pull out a dagger but that wasn’t enough to go up against the pair. Only guard the other attacker’s backs. There was a hint of pride in the bard’s voice. “Indeed. While your idea is not a bad one, you were not prepared. So what will you do next time?”

It was Roitario’s answer from the side that made Glorfindel laugh. “Perhaps we should help the little prince with some sort of mischief. It would give us a better understanding of his capabilities.” In a swift move, Maglor and the captain twisted and turned to force the attackers to retreat instinctively into each other. Which did lead to them getting into somewhat of a tangle leaving them vulnerable. That allowed the defenders to finish taking them out.

Stepping back to give them a moment to recoup, Glorfindel smiled. “Good thinking. However, that will not save you today. We do not stop until you are exhausted or at least one of you gets past us.” The guard didn’t protest, they simply picked themselves up and took a moment to strategize. Which the captain approved of. They were learning. It still wouldn’t win them the game. It would make them better protectors in the long run.

To the side Gilriant kept up his practice forms. His nephews taking turns letting him try each against them. Not only so he would know the form, but know what it felt like to strike something with it. While they could have gone to pells, this was more interactive and fun for the elfling. Okay it was more fun and entertaining for all three of them. Harry was determined to learn how to defend himself. While he knew it would take time, in the long run it would be worth it. After all, he didn’t want to have a full guard following him around when he finally got to be of age.