Estateillio

Bonus chapter

• Her attacker was lurking in the woods, twenty feet behind her, she had a long knife and was waiting for a good moment to pounce. Estamíriel willed herself to stay calm, to relax her shoulders, while discreetly moving her hand nearer to the old hunting knife of her mother that had miraculously survived the first age and that she now carried at her hip.

• The snow crunched under her feet as she adjusted her stance, not enough to be seen under the long skirt of her dress, but enough to allow her to quickly react and she sighed as if enjoying the cool air and the sound masked the crunching snow under the feet of her attacker as she leapt forwards.

• Estamíriel jumped aside and twirled around, drawing her knife and blocking the next blow and then jabbed at her attacker and she jumped back and for a moment the two ellith circled each other, highly concentrated, and then the daughter of Haleth struck at her opponent and thus their fight began in earnest.

• Her movements were clumsy still, but she had mostly adjusted to this different kind of seeing and it was just a matter of practice by now and thus she did not aim for a quick win, instead going through different stances and strikes and being unnecessarily careful in her movements to get them just right.

• But then, when her attacker slashed at her neck, she ducked instead of blocking the blade and moved in, her left hand grabbing her wrist and the other coming up with the knife and pressing it against tender skin, not enough to draw blood though.

• And her opponent laughed and stepped back and Estamíriel released her wrist and sheathed her knife. "You are getting better, Esmya", Élfaradis told her and put away her weapon as well. "I'm just glad I can fight again", she replied truthfully and it was right, for when they had taken her sight, she had never expected to be able to fight again and that she could now, after some years of practice, do everything again was a great relief to her.

• "Why are you not in the palace? The feast will begin soon", the hunter asked and the princess sighed and replied: "I am nervous, a bit. It's the first time I'm attending Turuhalme as a Fëanoriel and I know that there are many who still hold a grudge against my house."

• "You need not be. Ereinion is there, and Nestafinwë and Telperinquar also, and anyone who insults you will get punched in the face."

• "Thank you, málonya", Estamíriel mumbled and Élfaradis laughed and put an arm around her shoulders, though she had to reach up quite a bit and then said: "None of that. We are friends and we are Noldor and we are both survivors of Angband and any of those alone is reason enough to support one another."

• And then she dragged her off into the palace and they feasted and the hunter nearly had to make good on her promise,  for she overheard someone whispering about the Fëanoriel, but was stopped just in time by Sívcelumë who gave the offenders a stern lecture instead.

• And they had a merry time that evening, forgetting their worries for the future and their pain of the past.

[《◇》]

• "When do you think they will realise?", Elrond Nestafinwë Peredhel asked his (technically) brother Ereinion Rodnor Gil-Galad, watching the two ellith dance.

• It had started of as a simple joke, boredom fought by dance, and they had talked and laughed, but then it had turned more serious and their dance now was more of a fight. Careful steps, deliberately to throw the other off and subsequently win.

• Bare feet moved through the grass, and the fabric of their dresses, one green with silver ornaments and the other red adorned with gold, created a swishing sound.

• Élfaradis moved her left food forwards and Estamíriel responded by moving her right one back and crossing it behind her other food, then delicately spinning in a semicircle and forcing her dance partner to jump along as the step required.

• And unashamedly the hunter used her momentum, winding an arm around the princess' waist and yanking her around, grip loosening and both stepping back and they halted for a moment holding their hands up, before their fight continued.

• "It's strange how none ever talks about this, it's very obvious", Nestafinwë commented and Telperinquar gave him an answer: "They are like Maedhros and Fingon. No one suspected them either, they just think it's a Fëanorian way of showing affection to your closest friends."

• "If they are like my fathers, then let us at least hope that their love will not end in tragedy", Gil-Galad added gloomily, "I've had enough of heartbreak." The other two Fëanorions agreed with him and continued watching their cousin and her 'best friend' dancing.

• That had picked up speed now, because the musicians had started a faster song, and red and green twirled around each other, daring the other into complicated steps and the other dancing elves gave them a wide berth, for they already had once almost hit another couple during a spin-and-jump step that they had adopted from the dances of the Sindar.

• And for many minutes they did not say a word, their world having shrunk down to only themselves and the next step, until suddenly Élfaradis started laughing quietly, for this dance-fight was to her a lot of fun, and it surprised Estamíriel and she made a misstep and both ellith knew that the hunter had won.

• And they stepped apart and bowed to each other, as was custom, and then both started laughing and quickly they left the place designated for dancing and made room for other couples.

• And they joined the three ellyn that stood at the edge of the large glade where the midsummer feast was held and both had retrieved a goblet of wine from somewhere and they retold old stories and laughed and the moon stood high in the sky and illuminated their festivity and they were merry for many long hours.

[《◇》]
Here's the bonus chapter!!
Hope you enjoyed!
Merry Christmas!
AT
P.S.: Málonya means my friend and Turuhalme is the elvish equivalent of Christmas.