Of course that wasn't the end of it. The three
younger children continued to tease Berya about her
'lover' whenever the mood struck - especially Meleth.
Until finally one day Berya lost her temper and
slapped her little sister across the face, to the
horror of them all.

   Grandmother was magisterially impartial in her
condemnation. Certainly Berya should not have struck
Meleth but the younger girl could't pretend she hadn't
deliberately provoked her sister. And the boys were no
better. Indeed she, Grandmother, was sick and tired of
all the quarrelling. Clearly it was high time Berya
moved out of the nursery into rooms of her own.
shocked apologies and promises of better behavior,
from all four children, were to no avail. Grandmother
had made up her mind.

   And so Berya tearfully collected her belongings and
moved upstairs to a corner chamber with a balcony
overlooking the sunken garden between their Hall and
Uncle's.

   Meleth cried herself to sleep all alone in the big
bed that night, and the next morning Berya admitted
she had done the same upstairs in her new room. "But
you have your bird to keep you company." she told
Meleth as they sat together on the steps to the
nursery terrace. "I'm all alone."

   "Nonsense, my lady, why your mother is in the next
chamber and the Lady Ellemir just a step down the
gallery." Lindis said bracingly. She was the Elf
maiden assigned to look after Berya now, just as
Grandmother and their mothers had ladies to attend on
them. The move would have happened soon anyway she
assured the children, even without all the
quarrelling. The Lady Beruthiel, as she insisted on
calling her mistress, was growing up, she needed her
privacy.

   "Does that mean Hallam won't be coming back to our
room?" Amin asked worriedly.

   "Probably not." Lindis admitted after a moment's
hesitation. "of course it is Lord Elrond's decision to
make, but now Lord Halladan is old enough to bear arms
it would be more fitting if he were housed in the
Princes' Hall."

   "Well at least I'm still in our own hall!" said Berya.

   "He won't care." Estel said gloomily. "He spends
all his time over there anyway these days."
   
   "It won't be too many years before you join him."
Lindis reminded him, a little sadly.
  
   The children were just begining to adjust
themselves to the new state of affairs when
Grandmother upset everything again by announcing
Berya, and *only* Berya, would be allowed to accompany
her on her usual summer progress around the Holdings.
Even Berya thought that was unfair but arguing with
Grandmother never got you anywhere.

   "Berya is growing up," she said, "It's high time
she learned to know her own people."

   "They're *our* people too!" Estel pointed out.

   "Indeed they are, his grandmother agreed, "and your
turn will come - when you're older."
   **********************************************

   "I told you so." Estel reminded his sister and
foster brother after they had retired to their flet in
the old Beech tree to sulk. "That's all we're going to
hear from now on - Hallam and Berya are older so they
can do whatever they like, but we can't do
*anything*."

   "Berya feels bad about it too." said Amin.

   "*Now* she does." the other two looked at him and
he sighed. "I know, it's not her fault or Hallam's
either, but it's not fair."

   On that they were all agreed. The five of them had
done everything together since Hallam and Amin came,
nearly two years ago now. Why did Grandmother and
Uncle have to change that?

   The Lady Ellemir rode out of the Valley a few days
later with a small escort of Rangers, Aunt Ellian,
Iorwen, and of course Berya. Their sister looked both
excited and apologetic as she hugged them all
good-bye, promising to tell them *everything* when she
got back. Which of course didn't help at all.

   The Elves were always unhappy when the children
were unhappy and they did everything they could think
of to cheer them up: Let them ride with the hunt and
sit up as late as they liked and the smiths made more
figures to people their model city and the
seamstresses sewed tiny banners and tapestries to
decorate the houses and streets, and the Wood Elves
fed them so many fruit sweets and cordials that they
had no appetite for their regular meals.

   Of course the Elves knew well enough what the
children really wanted was an adventure outside the
Valley but they didn't see how they could possibly
give them one. Until, that is, the Lady Lorellos had
an idea.

   Neither Elrond nor the Lady Ellemir would have
permitted it for a minute, but they were away and the
Lady Gilraen was not so strict, and still young enough
to empathize with her children's sense of grievance.

   Estel and Amin were playing a desultory game of
chess and Meleth was watching them, toying with the
captured pieces, when Lady Lorellos and Gilraen
entered the nursery by way of the inside door, looking
pleased with themselves and maybe a little guilty.
  
   "You all know, of course, that Rivendell buys its
grain and other foodstuffs at the Hoarwelling harvest
fair." * Lady Lorellos began, waving the children back
into their chairs. "The villages of the Angle are
well protected by the two rivers and the Rangers." she
continued as the children exchanged puzzled glances.
"Lady Gilraen agrees there is no reason why you
should't accompany the wagons."

    "Really?" gasped Amin.

    "You mean it?" asked Estel, not quite daring to
believe.

    "Oh thank you, Mama!" Meleth cried, throwing
herself into her mother's arms and then Lady
Lorellos'.

   Nuneth opened her mouth, caught Gilraen's eye and
closed it. But she didn't look at all happy.
   *************************************************

   * Come on, you think they grow their own food in
Rivendell? Fruit and nuts from the trees, yes. Birds
and game, yes. Wheat, vegetables, milk, eggs and other
such mundane provender, I think not!

   Besides there's precedent - remember the Elves of
Mirkwood get wine of Dorwinion, and no doubt other
things, through their trade with Lake Town.