Tolmen was as usual sitting his accustomed place in the hall of fire plying his accustomed trade of insulting anyone who approached him without due deference and drinking the finest vintages of master Sogadan who alternately glowered and cowered before his gaze.
Waiting for his cousin Silwë to appear at random was as good an excuse as any to annoy the vintner while complaining about the harp music played by a group of Sindar at the fireside. Hiril Ailinwen had finally seen fit to complete the forge at his holdings at he wished to invite Silwë to inspect her work. The door to the hall creaked open and in stepped young master Naergon, a former minstrel turned warrior who had joined the order of the hammer and seemed to be doing rather poorly at it. Naergon approached Tolmen giving a short bow and inquired to make small talk while appearing slightly nervous in the ancient noldo's company, Tolmen looked over Naergon as though sizing him up "You need better gear, you shame your shield brothers by your lack!" Naergon bristled at Tolmen's remark but remained silent, Tolmen continued "Fortunately for you I can assist you, I have had a new forge installed in my holdings and am eager to make use of it"
Naergon went pale and his position stiffened, he delayed to answer maybe a bit more than usual, maybe in order to remain calm and choose wisely his answer. When answering, his words were more distant than before, a sign he felt offended by Tolmen's words.
"One can only offer what he is and has, and I am only what I am, I changed lute for shield since few years by your count and I geared by my means and experience.
I trust in the wisdom of my brothers to judge me by that and measure with this truth in mind what I give back in exchange for their friendship. I hope that in the time I had with them I brought to them and to myself, no shame."
"Your skill with weapons and your experience can be read by even less experienced eyes than mine and heard about by even less familar with our house than me.. and I weigh the generosity of your offer as it should be appreciated. But please do not throw gifts out of pity or together with insult because, first of all, you do them an injustice by lowering their value."
He bows formally Tolmen and then to Sogadan, as if preparing to take his leave.. Sogadan bows in return - is that almost a smile of satisfaction on his face?
During the long recovery of Turuninde, Turuviel spends the occasional evening drinking alone and unnoticed, moody in the darkest corner of the Hall of Fire, with memories of happier times there in mind.
More than once she is annoyed by the occasional too loud laugh and the less than polite and diminishing remarks Tolmen sometimes has towards some younger elves..
This evening however, as Naergon left the the Hall of Fire with a stone expression on his face Turuviel raised her eyes from the depths of her cup, frowned and stared at Tolmen across the room as if she just had an idea.
Leaving unnoticed she returns dragging after her a shield as heavy as her and dumps it in front of Tolmen with a heavy clang. "Hey, old grumpy. I saw that you get bored a lot here in the Valley. There's better use for such fire elsewhere, you know.
Veryacano is still in the moors with many of those of your age and strength. Come with us and put this shield to good use there! Don't look at me that surprised, it is mine to give! Fate decided it will not go to that who it was sent for.
My grandfather was of lady Galadriel's retinue and he wore it with pride long ago. If you want it then your word that you will put it to good use and not use it for a wine glasses tray in the Hall of Fire is good enough for me, I know the worth of such word. What do you say, Tolmen?"
Tolmen stood and hefted the shield as he would a small child into the crook of his arm, inspecting the shield closely he turned to regard Turuviel, giving her a hideous grin as he rumbled " A true shield of the Noldor! though the device is not to my liking, the star of my king Fëanor would be better, I shall not turn it aside" A feral light seems to shine from behind Tolmen's living eye and the finely crafted eye seems to glitter of it's own accord, as though awakened from a deep slumber. " I am not of your hammer order but if there is need of my sword arm I shall seek out your Veryacano and his warriors" forgetting all others he turned and strode from the hall as though the past yeni had never been.
Turuviel rised an eyebrow in surprise when Tolmen declared her family heirloom not to his liking but then she smiled -not frightened by the scary look at all and laughed of Tolmen- as he accepted the shield.
"Maybe there's more than meets the eye with that shield, as it is sometimes the case with people.. " she muttered to herself as she looked around searching for Sogadan or simply a cup and some of that thick and remarkable red wine.
