After Glorfindel and Elrohir had left him at the forge, Elladan hesitated outside the doorway until Elandir’s gruff voice told him to come in. He slowly did as instructed then stood there and looked around. It was the first time he had been in there with permission.
“Don’t just stand there, put the apron on.” Elandir waved a long steel bar at the wall near the doorway. Elladan saw that upon a nail hung a heavy, blackened apron and saw that Elandir wore one as well. Putting it on he circumspectly watched Elandir.
The big elf had placed the steel bar into the fire and Elladan watched wide-eyed as it slowly turned a deep cherry red then faded into an orange-yellow shade. Elandir pulled the bar out, laid part of it on the anvil and hit it with a funny looking hammer four times, one on each side of the bar, then heated it once more and placed it into a strange metal piece, twisting as he did so, and a perfect nail landed in a bucket of water, hissing and steaming. When the bar was gone Elandir set the hammer aside and then stared at the young elf, saying nothing. Finally Elladan cleared his throat.
“Ah, well, I am here. What are you going to do to me?” He eyed the smith warily.
Elandir blinked once and continued to stare. After a minute, when Elladan began to fidget, he spoke. “I am not going to do anything to you. I am going to teach you what it means to listen. I am going to show you first how to make your own set of smithing tools.”
“Oh.” Elladan said, stepping a little closer. Elandir gave him a look.
“Well, you cannot do it from over there. You shall have to approach me sooner or later.”
Elladan gulped then went right up to the smith. Elandir gave him a terse nod. “Alright, now what?”
“Now you listen and learn. Then you make.”
First Elandir named all the many tools he used in various types of smithing. He was mainly the blacksmith, but he knew how to handle the soft metals like gold and silver. Elladan’s attention wandered slightly as he tried to circumspectly examine his surroundings. Glorfindel had already informed Elandir of his short attention span, and the blacksmith just kept going. If Elladan did not get something, he would find out the hard way what it cost to not listen.
After explanations, Elandir told Elladan he was to make his own tools. The young elf blanched. “But, you only explained a little bit!”
“I will be here to guide you, but you are doing the actual work. If you were listening, then you should not have a problem.”
Elladan blushed, knowing he had not listened as well as he should have. Not wanting to admit this, though, he set to work, not noticing the deft way in which Elandir handled him. Before he knew it, Elandir’s voice was telling him to stop, he had finished the job. Wiping a dirty hand across his face, leaving a black streak from the iron, Elladan tentatively smiled up at the big smith.
“You did well, Elladan.” Elandir said. No other praise was needed before the smile turned into a sunny grin.
Elladan examined his new tools, his first major work done alone, and frowned. They were not as good as the tools Elandir used. The smith saw this and picked up one of the hammers, using it to pound a piece of hot steel into the beginnings of a nail. With a shrug he finished the nail and laid the hammer back down.
“They may not look perfect, but they are sound and they get the job done. There are no flaws to make the metal weak, the only flaw is what you have within. If you think you will fail, then you shall. If you believe you can do your best, then you will.”
Elladan blinked and stared at Elandir. The smith had busied himself with putting tools away and cleaning up the forge a little bit, as the midday approached. Noticing for the first time Elladan saw a faint light in the elder elf’s eyes, like he could see in Glorfindel’s eyes. Elandir was older than he had thought, had seen the light of the two trees! In awe, Elladan watched the smith. Though large, he had a certain grace and moved like one of the cats that hung around the stable.
“If it is not too forward, sir, but may I ask a question?”
“You just did, but yes.”
“How did you acquire all the scars?”
Elandir gave the young one a long look, his face betraying nothing of what he was thinking. “I had an apprentice once, he was very much like you. He did not like to listen, and had a short attention span. One day he decided that since I was to be late, as I had been working off site that day, he would try to catch up on some work. I arrived to find him suffering, terrible burns all over his body.”
Elladan gulped. “Did he survive?”
“No.” Elandir said shortly. “No, he did not.” Looking away the smith sighed. “He was my son, my only child. Because of his death his mother left, unable to bear such a silent household that had once echoed with his laughter. You are the first apprentice I have consented to since.”
“How long?”
“Many years. Your father was merely a child and Imladris barely a thought. I was one of the greatest smiths, for I learned under the tutelage of Celebrimbor himself when I was younger than you.” Elandir turned back to Elladan, his face tight. “Promise me, Elladan, you will never be so foolish as to think you can be lax around the elements, that your tools will always do as directed. One stray thought, one misplaced bit of attention, and your life can go up in flames.”
Silently Elladan studied him. After a minute he bowed his head. “I promise, Elandir, that I shall always be attentive.” After a second he got a thoughtful look. “This is what you meant to teach me, is it not?”
Elandir looked slightly amused. “I was to teach you smith work. What you learned was to listen. If you continue to work with me I shall make a smith of you yet, young one. But the other lessons you carry with you away from here, those are what make you an adult. Age does not mature you, but experience and mistakes do.”
“I see.”
“Now, before the midday arrives and you are summoned to eat, I want to show you one thing.” Elandir went to the metal cabinet in the corner of the room and opened it, removing something from the shelf. When he turned back Elladan saw he carried a dagger, unsheathed. The blade was slightly curved and sharp, the hand-grip straight grey steel. The pommel, though, was carved in sharp relief with the tengwar for his name inlaid into a deep green stone, what was often called an elfstone, a beryl.
“It is unfinished. Maendir still must do the leatherwork on it.”
Elladan stared wide-eyed. “But, what have I done to deserve such a splendid piece?”
“You have not yet been gifted this, but I was bade to show you. When it has been deemed you have learned your lesson, you shall be given the dagger and if you wish to make a matching sword.”
“And who shall be the one to deem me worthy of learning my lessons?”
“That is to be revealed when the time comes.” Elandir replied with a secret smile. “Now, off with you to lunch. I shall see you on the morrow.” He put the blade back into the cabinet.
Elladan wandered back to the great house in a thoughtful daze, not even registering the approach of his twin until Elrohir grabbed his hand.
“I think, dearest brother, that we have let our youth take over our lives. I look forward to the rest of this summer and further lessons, for it shall do us good.”
Elladan smiled and looked at his brother. “Indeed, it shall. But we do not need to let go all of our youthfulness. Come, I shall race you the rest of the way!”
“A! Ni toled, alag gwanunig!” Elrohir shouted as he ran after him, laughter making it difficult to achieve his stride.
“Impetuous twin indeed!” Glorfindel watched them run. “I think they are both impetuous, but they learn and grow even despite.”
“Of course, gwador.” Elandir had silently come up behind Glorfindel. “And they will do great things with what they learn. They will be great, if only in their own hearts.”
“And that is all we can ask for.”
“Indeed.”
I veth
Metta
Nêgan
The End