Enniliel stirred the fire at her little campsite. A scouting mission in the depths of Chetwood, investigating strange claims, was a chance to finally prove herself.
Suddenly, she noticed a light in the trees. One hand on her blade, she rose as the light neared -- then dropped the blade and knelt as she saw Elves!
The leader of the band, his silver hair shimmering, laughed. “No need to kneel, little one.”
She stood up and flushed, stammering “Thank you sir… lord… Hir… Elf.”
He laughed musically. “Just Hir wil do, young one.”
She turned redder, but gestured to her small fire. “Do… do you want to join me?”
They laughed, and the small band of wandering Elves seated themselves around her fire. She resumed her own seat, picking up and clutching to her now-cooling mug of coffee as if it was a lifesaver. She bumped her satchel as she did so, and a book fell out.
The elegant elf raised an eyebrow, noting the tome of Elvish history. “You are fond of Elvish history?”
Oh no… do Elves not like humans studying their history? No one warned me about that....
“I hope I haven’t offended or anything… Hir…”
Far from being offended, however, he laughed. Instead, he offered to share a story with her. Eyes wide, the thrill of hearing an Elvish story from an Elf overriding her fear for a moment, she nodded eagerly.
He seemed eager as well, and for some time, she listened in rapt awe as he spoke of the High King Gil-Galad and of fighting at his side. He spoke of the making of Rings of Power and of the fall of Eregion, and her eyes widened as her imagination flew. Too soon, the story ended, and she sighed in delight.
Another of the party, a darker-haired and quiet Elf, leaned over towards her, causing her to yelp.
“Forgive me!” He laughed. “I am only curious what that is you are drinking?”
“Oh? Oh, it is coffee, it’s a drink from the east…”
“Coffee?” Eyebrows furrowed, he sniffed at the aroma. “I should like to know how to make this strange beverage. Could you teach us?”
The silver-haired one nodded encouragingly.
Me… teach an Elf? Enniliel felt her eyes widen and her cheeks redden but she forced herself to retrieve her pot and flask of water, setting the water to boil in the fire.
I can do this, I know how to do this.
Taking a deep breath, she launched into a detailed explanation as she stirred the pot, eyeing the water carefully.
“You must be careful not to let the water be too hot when you brew, or it will burn the coffee.” She looked up at the Elves. “You must use beans, coffee beans, to make the drink when the water is ready.”
The dark haired Elf pulled from his pack a quill and paper, on which he began scribbling notes.
The water began to boil gently, so Enniliel removed it from the fire and set it to cool on the stone hearth, protecting her hands with her leather gloves. Retrieving her mortar and pestle from her pack, she took a large handful of beans and began grinding them as the water cooled a few degrees. When she was finished, she added the ground coffee -- and ground up and added a second handful of beans just in case. Nothing worse than weak coffee!
The Elves stared at her intently as she worked, asking question after question.
“Do you always carry a mortar and pestle?”
“How do you measure the grounds?”
“Do you just guess how much to use?”
Enniliel felt her ears redden again. “Yes… and yes. I usually use about two spoonfuls per cup, if that helps? I’ve done it so long I suppose I just measure by instinct.” She laughed half to herself and stirred the grounds into the pot. “Now we have to let it brew for a few minutes.”
After a few awkward moments, she poured it into the cups one of them had brought, and they stared at it with curious gazes. “Here you go, Hirs, sirs!”
“Is it calming, like tea?” The silver one swirled it like a glass of wine, staring intently at the color as if studying every detail of the thick, dark liquid.
“No,” she shook her head. “Energizing, usually. Although,” she tilted her head in thought, “I have heard that for some it can be sleep-inducing instead.”
He frowned, inhaling the scent. “I suppose one will not know until they taste it.” And with that, he took a large sip.
He fought to hide his grimace.
Enniliel wished the ground would swallow her whole there and then. “I’m sorry, it’s better with sweetener…”
He was quick to be complimentary, insisting that it was pleasant, but that only made it worse. As if to prove his point, he chugged the entire mugful and even refilled it, though he drank it through clenched teeth.
Enniliel hid her face in her mug.
The dark haired one sipped at his coffee politely, then turned to the others, starting a conversation about beverages in the tone of an excited academic. Suddenly the leader’s eyes lit up and his demeanor shifted. He began to pace a little as he drank it, back and forth in front of the fire with nervous energy.
"I see what you mean...I do feel a small burst of energy!” He grinned at her. "This is amazing! It could revive one on long trips. Or perhaps be eaten with desert if one feels groggy after a meal. It could even...." He began to ramble on and on.
Oh no…
Eventually he paused. “Could I have another cup?”
Enniliel shook her head, eyes wide and frantic. “Too much caffeine can have a bad effect... Hir... sir... I'm not sure…”
He looked between her and the pot of coffee with a disappointed expression. “Just one more?”
He’s an Elf, he knows better than me, right? I can’t say no to an Elf! Where is backup when I need it?
She refilled his mug.
“I feel like sparring! Does anyone want to spar?” The elf’s sudden outburst made Enniliel’s heart beat even faster in terror. She felt lightheaded and backed away slowly towards the wall of the room.
“Spar?” Another Elf in the band looked at him in confusion. “You cannot be serious!”
“Hm… perhaps that is a bad idea. This clearing is not suited for sparring. Perhaps another time, maybe tomorrow…” He began rambling again.
As the Elves began arguing, Enniliel continued to clutch her coffee and watch the Elves. Eventually, the hyper Elf appeared to be growing calmer. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
And opened them to see him right in front of her. She yelped.
“I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, young one.”
“No, I’m sorry! I had no idea it would be harmful! I am so sorry if I caused you any trouble!” She curled up even tighter, and he awkwardly patted her.
After that, she sat in silence until the Elves decided to move on, thanking her for the “new experience.”
The other Rangers can never know about this.
