Without bothering to put on shoes or do her hair, Aranya took the supplies out to the woods, so her parents wouldn’t ask her what she was drawing. She sat on the swing which her father had built for her as a child, and rocked gently back and forth as she began her sketch. This was something she’d been wanting to try for some years now, but she never dared to at the House of Nolofinwë for fear of someone discovering it.
It was trickier than she’d expected without having Maitimo in front of her, and her sketching skills were rather rusty. But after several attempts, she felt satisfied that it was indeed his dimpled smile and his soft eyes staring up at her from the page.
Her heart yearned to show it to somebody, after spending so many hours of work on it. And it looked just like him, based solely on her memory of him! This was something to be proud of! But… who could she show it to? Perhaps it would be safe to show it to her parents, since they didn’t know Maitimo, and without the recognizable color of his hair, it could have just been some random good-looking Elda for all they knew. But they’d want to know who it was, or how she got the inspiration, and that she couldn’t explain.
She couldn’t take it back to show to Maitimo. He was mortified enough whenever his mother sculpted him in uncanny realism and anatomical correctness. This was different, but still, she didn’t want to risk embarrassing him any further.
Perhaps Írissë might like it, but then again, this was her cousin, so that could again be awkward for Aranya to explain. Írissë seemed to be strangely supportive of Aranya spending time with Maitimo, but Aranya had never told her openly about it.
In fact, it was probably safer to leave the drawing here at the cottage, and not show it to anybody, sad as it was. Aranya didn’t dare risk one of the other servants of Nolofinwë finding this.
As she sat on the swing, contemplating this, she nearly jumped when something soft brushed against her ankle. Glancing down, she saw the source of the touch: a fluffy white cat, staring up at her with big blue eyes.
“Oh, hello! Who might you be?” Aranya was unable to resist reaching down to pet the silky white fur. The cat pressed her head firmly into Aranya’s hand, and Aranya both heard and felt the low vibrations of a purr in the creature’s throat.
“Are you looking for a home? I can’t help, I’m afraid. They wouldn’t let me keep someone like you in the servants’ quarters, and I’m going back there soon,” Aranya said sullenly. But the cat didn’t seem to mind, and she kept brushing back and forth against Aranya’s ankles.
She glanced down at the drawing in her hands and had a very silly thought. “I guess you’re the only one I can show this to. Promise not to tell anyone? I’ll get in big trouble if anyone finds out.”
The cat looked her in the eye and blinked slowly.
Smiling, Aranya sat on the ground and presented the drawing to the cat, as though she were a discerning art critic. “If you only knew my subject, I think you’d say this is a remarkable likeness.”
The cat gave a chirplike meow as though in response, and then started to rub her face on the edges of the drawing. Out of instinct, Aranya nearly pulled the drawing away. But then she realized, if she couldn’t show the sketch to anyone else, Maitimo might as well get some love from this cat.
Besides, the cat didn’t damage the drawing by smudging any of the charcoal. As though she understood and respected the art, she only rubbed on the edges. Then, seemingly satisfied, she turned and trotted off into the forest, and promptly disappeared.
Aranya shook her head and smiled before standing and heading down the path towards home.
My (late) submission for #tolkienocweek Day 1, the Family Members theme! Hosted by @yellow-faerie and @elamarth-calmagol . You can read the full story on AO3.
My OC Aranya was born when I started to imagine Maitimo bonding closely with a healer. It made sense to me given the amount of times he needs a healer throughout his life. And Aranya has turned into quite a vibrant character, being a strange combination of demure and feminine, yet intensely opinionated and hot-tempered. If it weren't for her vows as a healer, she'd have killed a man at this point-- and then gone home to pet some kitties and do some embroidery!
I really enjoyed this chance to explore Aranya and her family more. Aranya's story is primarily told in my main fic, Ill Chances and Strange Fates, but there hasn't been much of a chance to actually take her home and show what her childhood home and parents are like. I also wasn't expecting the story to develop an interesting focus on lesser-known Noldorin crafts. Aranya's father is a carpenter and beekeeper, and her mother is a healer and avid gardener. Aranya has many of her own crafty hobbies too.
If you're burned out by modern life and could use an escape into a picturesque cottage, I hope you'll check out the full story. It has the Anne of Green Gables-meets-Silmarillion vibes I didn't know I needed-- and you probably didn't know you needed it either!
