Fic: Playtime Erestor Rating: G
Oct. 16th, 2009 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
phynckeFirst posted on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
circle_of_love.
Title: Playtime
Story Arc: The First Age Tales
Author: phyncke
Beta: khylea
Characters: Erestor, Ariannon (OC), Fingon (ment), Fingolfin (ment)
Email: jhfink@sbcglobal.net
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are the property of JRR Tolkien and his estate. I have borrowed them for my own amusement and for yours I hope. No profit made.
Summary: In this installment of the First Age tales from Fingolfin’s court, Erestor has an interesting interaction with his feline companion.
Playtime
Erestor developed a nightly routine, mainly due to having so much work of late and not enough time during the day to get it done. He would bring work to his chambers and read long into the night. Tonight was no exception, as the day had been taken up with Lord Fingon’s Advisory Council preparations and the like. He did not eat his dinner in his rooms as King Fingolfin insisted that all members of the staff be present and accounted for there. Meals were considered social times and one should relax over food in company. Eating alone was “bad for the digestion” and the only acceptable excuse to miss a meal was illness. Elves were rarely sick, if ever, so attendance at the large table was expected. The cuisine was exceptional, varied and the conversation lighthearted, so Erestor enjoyed these times very much.
After dining and spending a requisite amount of time in conversation, Erestor excused himself and headed off to his rooms, stopping first to pick up materials at his office in the royal wing. His good friend Ariannon, the king’s assistant, had looked at him dolefully as he left but as Fingon’s page he needed to work on the agenda for tomorrow’s advisory council. It must be copied out eight times in impeccable hand to parchment and this would take some time. When he arrived at his chamber, he set about changing into more comfortable clothes and then making ready for his night’s work. All of this was observed calmly by his ever-present feline companion, Verca Mëoi who had lived with him since being introduced to Hithlum castle to combat a pesky infestation of rodents plaguing the inhabitants.
“How are you, my friend?” Erestor said to the elegant predator.
The long tail swished and the large cat stretched in greeting, extending both claws and front paws as if to bow to the elf. The feline sat in the curtained window, enjoying the view of the courtyard below. He spent time watching wagons or horses coming and going throughout the day. He did not answer the elf’s question but did watch as Erestor sat down at the table to ignite lantern.
The royal assistant organized paper, quills and a bottle of black ink in order to begin his work for the night. Sitting back he read through his notes from Lord Findekano, trying to recall more of what they had decided about tomorrow’s meeting. He had jotted sparse directions to himself and determined to make the agenda a lean document with little detail, with only the essentials of what would be covered, that would do well.
He leaned over the desk, dipping the pen in ink, beginning to prepare the first document. This would be the model and the rest would be precisely the same as this first one. He wrote the title, then tomorrow’s date…
Mëoi observed the dancing of the feather with interest. Each time the elf’s hand moved, the fluffy, brown feather bounced and moved in like manner. The cat descended from the window and stalked across the carpeted floor, silent and deadly. He leapt upon the side chair and waited. The feather had stopped moving as Erestor paused in thought.
“Hmmm. That’s right.” He dipped and began writing again.
The feline pounced with no warning on the enticing quill, sending the elf’s hand skidding across the page and making a long, ink mark on the ivory parchment.
“Bother! Silly cat!” But Erestor laughed and swatted the rambunctious animal in the face with the feather. The cat batted at the object with his paw and it occurred to the elf that he might have some fun with this and perhaps further domesticate the wild feline.
Moving to the middle of the floor, he sat down on the carpet and waited for the predator to follow. Immediately upon gaining the animal’s attention, he began moving the feather back and forth in a haphazard, unpredictable way. The cat pounced and followed its movements and while Erestor occasionally allowed him to trap it, he realized that it was more interesting to the cat to “pursue” or “hunt” the quill. Occasionally, the feather would get he upper hand and the cat would roll to his back. Erestor could then poke him in the stomach. He could hear the feline purring at those times and knew that this was a form of play for him. The low rumble made, evidently a happy sound.
Finally, Erestor heard the bell from the fort wall, signaling that the night watch had started.
“It is late, you silly beast. Don’t you have mice to catch?”
The elf batted him once more on the nose and rose to his feet. He would prepare half of the agendas tonight and finish the rest in the morning. He would just have enough time come first light.
The wild cat cleaned his paws and then sauntered off to his nightly rounds, hunting the halls of Hithlum castle for scurrying creatures and pests. It was the secretly held belief of the king that the infestation was caused by Morgoth and that greater evil.
“Good night, Mëoi. I will see you tomorrow.”
The cat flicked his tail as he exited the chamber. Erestor would be sure to have a feather at hand for their next evening’s “playtime”. Returning to his desk, he got a fresh piece of parchment and began to work again.
….Until next time
• Verca=wild (quenya)
• Mëoi=cat (quenya)
The cat in this story is like the Maine coon cat as pictured here: http://www.lostcoastmc.com/mattole1.jpg
Other stories in this series are posted here:
http://www.ofelvesandmen.com/Stories/P/Phyncke/FirstAgeTales_Series/_StoryList.htm
circle_of_love. Title: Playtime
Story Arc: The First Age Tales
Author: phyncke
Beta: khylea
Characters: Erestor, Ariannon (OC), Fingon (ment), Fingolfin (ment)
Email: jhfink@sbcglobal.net
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are the property of JRR Tolkien and his estate. I have borrowed them for my own amusement and for yours I hope. No profit made.
Summary: In this installment of the First Age tales from Fingolfin’s court, Erestor has an interesting interaction with his feline companion.
Erestor developed a nightly routine, mainly due to having so much work of late and not enough time during the day to get it done. He would bring work to his chambers and read long into the night. Tonight was no exception, as the day had been taken up with Lord Fingon’s Advisory Council preparations and the like. He did not eat his dinner in his rooms as King Fingolfin insisted that all members of the staff be present and accounted for there. Meals were considered social times and one should relax over food in company. Eating alone was “bad for the digestion” and the only acceptable excuse to miss a meal was illness. Elves were rarely sick, if ever, so attendance at the large table was expected. The cuisine was exceptional, varied and the conversation lighthearted, so Erestor enjoyed these times very much.
After dining and spending a requisite amount of time in conversation, Erestor excused himself and headed off to his rooms, stopping first to pick up materials at his office in the royal wing. His good friend Ariannon, the king’s assistant, had looked at him dolefully as he left but as Fingon’s page he needed to work on the agenda for tomorrow’s advisory council. It must be copied out eight times in impeccable hand to parchment and this would take some time. When he arrived at his chamber, he set about changing into more comfortable clothes and then making ready for his night’s work. All of this was observed calmly by his ever-present feline companion, Verca Mëoi who had lived with him since being introduced to Hithlum castle to combat a pesky infestation of rodents plaguing the inhabitants.
“How are you, my friend?” Erestor said to the elegant predator.
The long tail swished and the large cat stretched in greeting, extending both claws and front paws as if to bow to the elf. The feline sat in the curtained window, enjoying the view of the courtyard below. He spent time watching wagons or horses coming and going throughout the day. He did not answer the elf’s question but did watch as Erestor sat down at the table to ignite lantern.
The royal assistant organized paper, quills and a bottle of black ink in order to begin his work for the night. Sitting back he read through his notes from Lord Findekano, trying to recall more of what they had decided about tomorrow’s meeting. He had jotted sparse directions to himself and determined to make the agenda a lean document with little detail, with only the essentials of what would be covered, that would do well.
He leaned over the desk, dipping the pen in ink, beginning to prepare the first document. This would be the model and the rest would be precisely the same as this first one. He wrote the title, then tomorrow’s date…
Mëoi observed the dancing of the feather with interest. Each time the elf’s hand moved, the fluffy, brown feather bounced and moved in like manner. The cat descended from the window and stalked across the carpeted floor, silent and deadly. He leapt upon the side chair and waited. The feather had stopped moving as Erestor paused in thought.
“Hmmm. That’s right.” He dipped and began writing again.
The feline pounced with no warning on the enticing quill, sending the elf’s hand skidding across the page and making a long, ink mark on the ivory parchment.
“Bother! Silly cat!” But Erestor laughed and swatted the rambunctious animal in the face with the feather. The cat batted at the object with his paw and it occurred to the elf that he might have some fun with this and perhaps further domesticate the wild feline.
Moving to the middle of the floor, he sat down on the carpet and waited for the predator to follow. Immediately upon gaining the animal’s attention, he began moving the feather back and forth in a haphazard, unpredictable way. The cat pounced and followed its movements and while Erestor occasionally allowed him to trap it, he realized that it was more interesting to the cat to “pursue” or “hunt” the quill. Occasionally, the feather would get he upper hand and the cat would roll to his back. Erestor could then poke him in the stomach. He could hear the feline purring at those times and knew that this was a form of play for him. The low rumble made, evidently a happy sound.
Finally, Erestor heard the bell from the fort wall, signaling that the night watch had started.
“It is late, you silly beast. Don’t you have mice to catch?”
The elf batted him once more on the nose and rose to his feet. He would prepare half of the agendas tonight and finish the rest in the morning. He would just have enough time come first light.
The wild cat cleaned his paws and then sauntered off to his nightly rounds, hunting the halls of Hithlum castle for scurrying creatures and pests. It was the secretly held belief of the king that the infestation was caused by Morgoth and that greater evil.
“Good night, Mëoi. I will see you tomorrow.”
The cat flicked his tail as he exited the chamber. Erestor would be sure to have a feather at hand for their next evening’s “playtime”. Returning to his desk, he got a fresh piece of parchment and began to work again.
….Until next time
• Verca=wild (quenya)
• Mëoi=cat (quenya)
The cat in this story is like the Maine coon cat as pictured here: http://www.lostcoastmc.com/mattole1.jpg
Other stories in this series are posted here:
http://www.ofelvesandmen.com/Stories/P/Phyncke/FirstAgeTales_Series/_StoryList.htm
