B2MeM - ficlett: Conversations with Maybelle - Erestor

[keiliss]

Title: Conversations with Maybelle
Featured character: Erestor
Beta: Red Lasbelin
Written for B2MeM. Prompt: childhood
Summary: Back when Erestor from A Little More Conversation was very young, cows were already his favourite animal.

--=====--

It is late morning in the high pasture and the cows have settled down for the day. The summer sun has warmed the air and dried the dew from the grass. Birds sing in a nearby copse and a fragrant breeze carries the faint tang of the sea.

The elf child crosses the field slowly, careful to sidestep cowpats. He pauses occasionally to pick long grasses or the little yellow flowers with the sweet stalks, which he gathers into an untidy bouquet carried in one small fist. His path is not aimless, every so often he looks around, making sure his destination is still in range.

When there are enough flowers, enough grasses, he sets out purposefully between the cows who pay him no mind, used to this small presence. His target is a large black and white animal, indistinguishable in most respects from her sisters. He comes to a stop beside her and puts his offering down on the ground next to her right hoof.

“Hello, Maybelle,” he says softly, shaking back his long, black hair. “I couldn’t come and see you yesterday. Nana said I had to stay close to the house because there were strangers in the wood, but I’m sure they’re gone today.”

The cow seems to consider this information, then slowly, with much grunting, she lies down, still chewing. Smiling happily the elf child sits down as well, close to her shoulder, and pushes the sweet grasses where she will smell them. “See, I brought you some of the yellow flowers you like.”

Maybelle lows conversationally and adds the bundle to her current mouthful, chewing contentedly. The elf child crosses his legs and reaches a hand up to rub her neck. “Yesterday we had honey cakes from the market, because it was Brennil’s begetting day,” he tells her earnestly. “Do you have a begetting day, too? I wonder if the farmer knows when it is…”

The young voice goes on, cataloguing the small events of his life since last he visited. He is by nature a happy child though a little given to introspection, and his instinct is to have someone to confide in. Older sisters are not always suitable, nor the friends who share tree climbing and river following adventures, but Maybelle the cow is a patient listener, always ready to interject with soft snuffling noises. Deep down the elf child would love a horse to talk to – he steals over to the stables at times to look at them, but hasn’t dared invade their private space – but the cow is big and gentle and her eyes are brown like his, so she will never tease him about that either.

Time goes by fast, too fast. The elf child winds daisies into a chain while he talks and is just starting to feel the lure of the midday meal when a female voice breaks the peace of the meadow. “Erestor, what are you doing there? Come here at once! Nana’s looking for you.”

Erestor jumps up in a swirl of black hair and leans over to give the cow a farewell pat. “That’s my sister, the one I told you about? I have to go. I’ll come back next chance I have. Bye, Maybelle.”

His return across the field is very different to his arrival. He doesn’t exactly run, that would mean the impatience in Brennil’s voice has carried the day, but he hurries, still careful to avoid cow pats and to give those cows whose temper he knows to be uncertain a wide berth.  He reaches the forest’s edge and smiles up at his sister, who is a full head and a half taller than him, though he is growing and hopes soon to catch up with her.

She grabs his arm and starts pulling him along with her. “What are you doing here? You can’t go walking among the cows. You’re little, you might get trampled. “

“No I won’t,” he retorts. “I was just visiting. It’s nice there.”

“Yes but you can’t go sitting next to them like that. That cow could have trodden on you.”

Erestor shakes his head, supremely confident. “No, she wouldn’t stand on me, not Maybelle. Cows don’t hurt people or pull them along or yell at them, either. Maybelle’s my friend; I love cows.”

--========--

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

This was really sweet. I also like cows, they are so placid and generally good-tempered. Wise Erestor.

- Erulisse (one L)

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

He made a good choice there, yes :) We used to go to my uncle's farm for holidays sometimes when I was a kid. He farmed sugar cane but also had a small herd of cows and they terrified me until my mom pointed out what beautiful eyes they have and how good natured they are. I've liked them ever since.

[sbyte.livejournal.com]

That was so incredibly sweet! How wonderful to see young Erester and his tendency toward introspection through his friendship with Maybelle. :D

*hugs*

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Aw thanks, Sbyte. I haven't done anything in this 'verse for a long time but I always wondered where Erestor's fondness for cows grew from. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[aglarien1.livejournal.com]

I loved that look at Erestor! What a lovely fic, Kei.

*hugs*

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Agie dear :) I loved getting the chance to find out where Erestor's fondness for cows came from. Now I know - Maybelle.

I'm happy you liked this.

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

I have melted here - what a lovely, sweet fic. I love the image of a small elfling confiding all his secrets to a cow, who just sits and listens. Erestor is adorable!

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

*smiling* Thanks Binky, glad you liked it. It more or less wrote itself and seemed very much 'Conversations' Erestor to me - sometimes I still miss that world.

*hugs*

[scarlet1061.livejournal.com]

About the summary: "cows were already his favourite animal....
Why?
I always thought it was the cat(s) who adopted him. How could I be SOOOO wrong?
(/me devastated to learn the realities of life *lol*)

What a witty Erestor ("Cows don’t hurt people or pull them along or yell at them, either.")
What a sweet Erestor :-)
What a sweet story.

Hugs

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much :) He was always a sweet soul, this aspect of Erestor. The cows though only really make sense if you've read the original fic, because they formed a little side thread throughout.

[scarlet1061.livejournal.com]

I'm hesitating here:
The 10 letters tag, I know. I read those 10 letters. It was that lovely, "progressive", exchange between Glorfindel and Erestor, while building Imladris, right?
But the original fic you refer to, doesn't seem familiar.

May I have a link?

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

No, that's the one I meant, the 10_letters tag :) (such a shame that comm closed) Erestor expressed concern about the animals from the farms that had been attacked and burned and Glorfindel ended up with a herd of cows in Imladris as a direct result of this. Erestor's fondness for cows gets mentioned there.

[red-lasbelin.livejournal.com]

I really, really adore this little fic. He is so sweet and I can see him and Maybelle really clearly. It's perfectly Letters, and I miss them. :(

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Just glancing down it made me smile again, and I love the picture. I'd love space and energy to just write things that make me smile - I'd try and watch Res a while.