A Different Kind of Purgatory [ Silmarillion ] 2

Chapter 5: Catalyst

When morning dawned, the snow had settled about an inch deep around everything in Formenos. Eve shook herself off as she stood with the first glow of Laurelin, standing away from where she'd dozed off with Finno and the others. Aro rose with her, pointing in amusement at how snow had piled atop Finno's and Turvo's hair. Together they snuck off to find food.

They found a wooden makeshift feasting hall which had been erected some ways away. Eve marveled at the size, and swore it was larger this year than ever before. They went inside and found it oddly quiet besides the roaring of the firepits. But then the appearance of two familiar redheads interrupted that silence.

"Eve! Aro!" Telvo waved at them from a table towards the front of the hall. He raised a cup at them.

Eve hurried over, grabbing a drink of wine from the center aisle and taking a plate of meat and bread and cheese from a worker. With Aro following her, she slipped in beside Pityo. She hugged him tight.

"Eve," Pityo whined, pulling away. "Stop."

She laughed. "Make me, kiddo."

Pityo rolled his eyes looked at Aro. "Is your sister this bad?"

The son of Nolofinwë chuckled. "Definitely. Irí is terrible."

"Irí is wonderful, thank you very much!" Eve dug into the food before her. She continued dining mostly in silence.

When they'd all eaten, Aro and the twins dragged Eve with them back out into the fairgrounds. They headed towards the frozen lake where elves partook in ice skating. She changed from a dress to slacks and a long sleeved shirt in a small building before catching up to them.

"Where are the others?" Eve asked them. "I'm surprised they haven't caught up."

Pityo shrugged as he laced up his skates. "We do not know. Keep track of your own beloved." He winked at her.

But Eve merely rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"Make me." Pityo put his skates on the ice and went backwards away from her. "Or are you going to be scared as always to get on this lake."

Eve narrowed her eyes and put a foot on the ice. He wasn't wrong; every year it would take forever to convince her to skate the first time, even if she'd had plenty of fun the previous year. But she felt determined this year.

Aro and Telvo laughed from beside her on the shore. As she hesitated with both feet on the ice, Aro snuck up behind her and gave her a push forward.

She shrieked in surprise and anger, "Which one of you godforsaken elves did that?!" She still faced forward towards Pityo, who couldn't stop laughing himself.

"Eve we go through this every single Hísimë festival. Just put your foot forward and skate!" Pityo reached out his hand. "You're more skittish with this even than Moryo!"

"Then I'm in good company," she spat each word through gritted teeth. "Moryo must have more sense than you three." Still, she did as he instructed and moved cautiously forward.

Feminine laughter sounded behind them which she instantly recognized as Elenwë. Eve growled and tried to turn. "I swear on Varda' stars that I will never forgive you for this, you fiends!"

"Careful what you swear on, Eve," said Tyelko as he smirked from where he stood now behind Telvo on the shore. "Never know who's listening."

"I'll show you who's listening," Eve grumbled quietly.

Telvo and Aro both stepped onto the ice leaving Elenwë, Turvo, Tyelko, and Finno on the bank with amused expressions. Tyelko sat on a bench next to Finno, both lacing up skates while Elenwë and Turvo stood arguing.