23: Initiation

"The delegation from Tol Eressëa has arrived."

Glorfindel looked up from his book to see Finrod standing at the door of Arafinwë’s library. Placing a thin strip of silk into the book to mark his page, he closed it and stood up.

"Let’s go greet them then."

The two ellyn made their way to the formal audience chamber where Arafinwë often greeted embassies. Both were in formal dress. Finrod had on a tunic of deep blue watered silk over which he wore a tabard of white velvet stiffly embroidered with his atar’s device: a diamond-shaped panel, also white, with an eight-rayed golden star on a blue roundel, the rays extending beyond the roundel to the edge of the panel. On both sleeves of the tabard was embroidered Finrod’s personal device of a harp and torch set in a teal-blue diamond-shaped panel. He wore a circlet of gold with a single emerald on his head. His hair was carefully braided in gems, mostly diamonds and emeralds, with Sindarin warrior braids in the front and his house braid flowing down his back. The warrior braids were done in the pattern for Nargothrond.

Glorfindel was also richly dressed, but his watered silk tunic was the green of a field in spring over which he wore a tabard of blue velvet embroidered along the hem and neck with small golden flowers. In the center was a shield-shaped panel the same shade of green as his tunic charged with a rayed sun, the formal emblem of the House of the Golden Flower of Gondolin. He wore no circlet on his head, but his golden locks were as carefully braided as Finrod’s.

If anything, Glorfindel’s hair was even more intricately braided than Finrod’s, for he had included not only warrior braids denoting his allegiance to Gondolin and his house braid, entwined with the usual mix of emeralds, sapphires and gold and silver beads, but also two braids behind the warrior braids entwined with diamonds, rubies and gold beads, the ‘colors’ of the king’s House. His king. In addition, he had two eagle feathers braided into his hair in memory of the Lord of Eagles who had carried his broken body to its final resting place.

The feathers had been a gift from Finrod, who had discovered them lying on the path of one of the gardens one day, and knew to whom they had belonged. He had looked up in hopes of seeing Thorondor, King of Eagles, but there was no sign. Still, Finrod had no doubt for whom the feathers had been meant. When he had given them to Glorfindel that night at dinner, the ellon had burst into tears and it was some time before Finrod and his parents could calm him.

"You look positively barbaric," Finrod had told him when they had seen each other earlier. Glorfindel had laughed.

"I certainly hope so. Do you know how long it took me to get this effect?" and he twirled around so his braids flashed in the morning sun.

Indeed, the Noldor who saw the two ellyn that day looked somewhat askance at them, for, while it was common for ellyn to braid their hair, it was usually into a single braid in the particular pattern of their house. The addition of the warrior braids that these two sported was unknown to the elves of Aman, they having been a custom of the Sindar and Nandor of Beleriand.

As they reached the door that led to the audience chamber they found Sador waiting for them. Glorfindel looked upon the younger ellon with approval. His dress was less ornate than theirs but quite fine. The Sinda wore a tunic of grey watered silk. His velvet tabard was also grey though several shades darker than his tunic. Upon the tabard were two panels embroidered with emblems. On the right was the one for Arafinwë and on the left was the one for Findaráto. The Sinda wore no warrior braids, only a single house braid plainly adorned with different colored clay beads.

Sador bowed to the two Noldor as they approached. "You look splendid my lords," he said with a smile. "Let’s hope we can keep you that way for the rest of the day."

Finrod gave Glorfindel a jaundiced look. "Was that a challenge I heard from our young Sindarin friend?"

"Sounded like it to me," Glorfindel agreed with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

"I do so love challenges," Finrod said, his eyes taking on their own gleam of mischief.

Sador’s grin was unrepentant. "Don’t look at me. That sentiment comes from Atar. I overheard him and Lord Rialcar laying bets on how long before either of you ends up without a stitch on."

Lord Rialcar was one of Arafinwë’s most trusted councillors. His only son, Laurendil, had recently sailed from Endórë and resided now in Tol Eressëa. Glorfindel understood the Noldo was part of the delegation whom they would shortly meet. Finrod, in particular, was eager to meet with him, for Laurendil had been the captain of Orod-nuin-elenath Company, one of a group of the King of Nargothrond’s rangers who had patrolled the fiefdom of Ladros in the forested highlands of Dorthonion before the Dagor Bragollach. Finrod had held the lordship of Dorthonion, and in particular, Ladros, though his brothers Angrod and Aegnor had ruled there in his name.

Finrod sighed and Glorfindel had a put-upon expression on his face.

"I don’t think we’re ever going to live that down, do you?" Finrod asked Glorfindel.

"Probably not," he frowned, then gave Finrod a sly look. "I’d hate to disappoint them, though."

Sador snorted at that and the two Noldor looked at him. "What’s so amusing?" Glorfindel asked in his haughtiest tone.

Sador merely grinned. "Lord Rialcar thinks one of you’ll be naked before noon. Atar has more faith in you. He’s betting you’ll be able to keep decent at least until the welcoming feast."

The two Noldor exchanged glances and something passed between them for they both nodded once before turning back to Sador. Finrod grinned as he faced his new diplomatic aide. "Shall we go?"

Sador gave them both an appraising look but said nothing, merely bowed, then opened the door leading into the audience chamber. As the three ellyn entered, they saw that most of the Noldorin councillors were there, as were Arafinwë and Eärwen, both dressed formally, standing together near the throne dais. The King of the Noldor saw his firstborn and the two he now thought of as his foster sons and beckoned them forward, smiling.

"You two look positively barbaric," he said with a laugh and both Finrod and Glorfindel obliged him by spinning around, letting the gems from their braids catch the light.

The others in the room stared at them unabashedly. Some of the older courtiers who had fought in the War of Wrath smiled at the sight, well remembering their own encounters with the Sindar. Many of the younger courtiers, however, were not sure how to react, though one or two seemed to have envious looks on their faces. Arafinwë noticed the reactions of his court and hid a smile. He would not be surprised to see the younger set sporting warrior braids in the near future and almost looked forward to having to tell them that such braids were earned and they would have to undo them. He had learned that much from his son and Glorfindel.

The Queen laughed and turned to Sador standing to one side. "You look lovely, too, dear. That tabard fits you well."

Glorfindel and Finrod had stopped twirling by then. "Yes, he does, my lady," Glorfindel said, "but he’s not completely dressed."

"You’re right, brother. I should have realized," Finrod said, with feigned shock, for he and Glorfindel had planned this earlier, though they had told no one, not even Arafinwë. He took a bemused Sador by the arm. "Where are your warrior braids, penneth?"

Sador raised an eyebrow at that and shook his head in denial. "I-I don’t deserve..."

"Nonsense," Finrod stated flatly. "You fought against my cousins’ armies, twice. Don’t think I don’t know about what you did in Doriath, young Sador. You’ve earned those braids and you will wear them."

"B-but I died!" was the only thing Sador could think of in protest.

Both Finrod and Glorfindel laughed, their faces lit with not only humor but with joy. "So did we," they said almost simultaneously and laughed even harder.

Arafinwë glanced at his son in consternation. He had no idea what was going on and was none too pleased with Findaráto at that moment. "What are you talking about, Findaráto?" he spoke somewhat sharply. "What did Sador do in Doriath? I understand he was only an elfling at the time."

Finrod shook his head. "Later, Atar. Can you stall the embassy long enough for Glorfindel and me to finish getting this youngling properly dressed? It won’t take long with both of us doing it."

Arafinwë glanced at his wife with a bemused look but she merely raised an eyebrow and gave a small shrug. He sighed, wondering what his atar-in-law’s reaction would have been. Probably he would have laughed himself silly, then done exactly what you’re about to do, he thought wryly.

"I think I can manage that. Calandil," he motioned to his chief guard. "My regrets to Lord Laurendil and his people, but there will be a brief delay. Have some refreshments brought to the delegation."

Calandil bowed and left to fulfill his lord’s orders, while Arawfinwë and the rest of his court stood and watched as Glorfindel and Finrod began deftly braiding Sador’s side locks in spite of the ellon’s protestations.

"Do you remember what Doriathrin warrior braids look like?" Glorfindel asked Finrod, ignoring Sador completely.

Finrod nodded. "I should, considering how often I visited my sister in Doriath. Celeborn showed me once how the braiding was done. When I founded Nargothrond, I designed my own pattern based on the Doriathrin one for the warriors who served me. I even brought the right colored beads and gems. Here. There’s enough for us both." He reached into a pouch under his tabard and handed Glorfindel a handful of silver beads, along with pearls, black opals and ithilhern. Then he preceded to give the ellon instructions.

"You start with a twist to the left and then insert a silver bead and a pearl, then two twists to the right followed by another to the left. Insert an opal between two moonstones, then..."

The court stood there fascinated as they watched their prince finish off one braid and carefully inspect the one Glorfindel was doing, pointing out where there should have been a right twist instead of a left at one point. The error was quickly corrected and in short order Sador stood there, the pearls, opals and moonstones in his hair glittering in the light of the sun. He looked stunned and Arafinwë had unobtrusively come behind him to place a comforting hand on the ellon’s back for support.

"Now, for the finishing touch," Finrod said and motioned to a page who approached with a small box. The page also carried three strips of white linen across his arm. While the page held the box Finrod opened it and pulled out a beautifully wrought knife made of silver and mithril.

Glorfindel recognized it and gave a short whistle. "Wherever did you find one?" he asked in an awed tone and many there looked upon him and the knife in wonder, for they did not understand its significance. All there saw Sador turn white at the sight of the knife, and try to back away, but Arafinwë blocked him and Glorfindel grabbed his arm to hold him.

Finrod shrugged. "I made it myself, when I was in Lórien. I did not know why at the time, for I did not think it would be needed. Yet..."

Glorfindel nodded and held out his right hand. Then to the utter surprise of the Noldor, Finrod grabbed the proffered hand and neatly sliced the palm so that a thin bead of blood welled. Glorfindel never flinched. Before anyone could react Finrod flipped the knife into his left hand and did the same to his own right hand. Both warriors then placed their bleeding hands on the braids they had just done and wiped the blood from their hands onto the braids, staining both hair and gems.

"Sereg e-maethor af finnil e-maethor," Finrod intoned and Glorfindel echoed him. Then for the sake of those listening, Finrod repeated the words in Quenya: "Sercë ohtar’ ohtaro findin. Wear them well, son of Doriath."

Finrod then took one of the strips of linen which the page held out to him, wiped the blade clean of blood and returned it to the box. The page handed the two warriors the other strips of linen to wrap around their hands. When that was done, Finrod placed his hands on either side of Sador’s face and gave him the three kisses of the warrior, one each on eyes and mouth, before stepping back to allow Glorfindel to do the same. Sador never moved but there were tears streaming down his face.

Eärwen fished out a handkerchief and handed it to the ellon who nodded his thanks. Glorfindel and Finrod stood there beaming. "Maethor onnen, gwador onen," Glorfindel said.

Finrod nodded. "Onnen ah onen," he said and then translated it into Quenya. "Ohtar ontaina, otorno antaina."

"Ontain' ar antaina," Glorfindel repeated.

That seemed to be the end of the ceremony, for Finrod looked at Arafinwë and said, "I think we’ve kept our guests waiting long enough, Atar."

"But what about Sador’s braids, dear?" Eärwen asked in distress, for they were obviously bloodstained, though both Glorfindel and Finrod had been careful not to get any blood on the ellon’s clothes. "Whatever will Lord Laurendil and the other members of the embassy say?"

Finrod’s smile was enigmatic. "Why don’t we wait and see?"

****

Orod-nuin-elenath: (Sindarin) Mountain-under-stars; the name of one of Finrod’s company of rangers patrolling Dorthonion.

Dagor Bragollach: (Sindarin) Battle of Sudden Flame, First Age 455, in which the Siege of Angband was broken and much of northern Beleriand, especially Dorthonion, was overrun by Morgoth’s troops and lost to the elves. Dorthonion afterwards became known as Taur-na-Fuin, or "Forest-under-Nightshade", the original "Mirkwood".

Penneth: (Sindarin) Young one.

Ithilhern: (Sindarin) Moonstones; the singular would be ithilharn. The Quenya equivalent would be isilsar/isilsardi.

Sereg e-maethor af finnil e-maethor: (Sindarin) "Warrior’s blood for warrior’s braids". The Quenya translates the same way.

Maethor onnen, gwador onen: (Sindarin) "A warrior is born, a (sworn) brother is given". The Quenya translates the same way.

Onnen ah onen: (Sindarin) "Born and given". The Quenya translates the same way.

A note on Sador’s warrior initiation ceremony: The knife of silver and mithril was called the sigil e-hereg or "blood knife" and was made for the sole purpose of "blooding" the new warrior with the blood from the two oldest warriors present. Traditionally, the new warrior would not wash the blood out of his hair until the following sunset.