With many hours still left in the night, the families split to go to their various houses. Eve stuck close to Nelyo and Káno. Even she could feel the anger and frustration radiating off Fëanáro as he led their party home. Curvo and Nerdanel stuck closest to him. Tyelko and Moryo walked with the Ambarussa, leaving Nelyo, Káno, and Eve to bring up the rear.
“Are you returning to my parents’ house for sleep? Or are you not tired.” Nelyo walked beside Eve, his hands held behind his back. He glanced at her sidelong.
Eve raised an eyebrow back at him and smirked. “Why? You've got an idea of something else to do?”
He allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. “Perhaps. My brothers and I will not be sleeping, I would guess. Not for some time at least.” He leaned over to whisper to her. “Besides, being in my father’s house tonight may not be enjoyable. He is in a foul mood.”
Eve nodded back at him. That much she had figured already. Glancing around she made her decision then. For the group had reached a crossroads where they would split.
“I’m going to go with these guys,” Eve told Nerdanel with a quick smile.
The woman nodded. “Of course. Do not do anything too crazy tonight. Be careful with the dress.”
“Trust me, this dress is going to be in tip top shape when I take it off,” Eve assured her immediately. “It's too nice.”
With that they split apart. All five adult sons of Fëanáro and Nerdanel went together before splitting even further as they retreated to their respective houses. Moryo, Káno, Nelyo, and Eve soon found themselves walking up a stone path through a grassy yard. Flowers of all colors and several large bushes lined the house they approached. The door had been crafted of a cherry wood, and Káno pushed it open upon their arrival.
Eve smiled as she walked in. To her right, a large medium wood table stood with six matching chairs around it. To her left, a sitting room with cushioned chairs and couches, made for an inviting scene. A winding staircase led up to a lofted room while a hallway running back led to more bedrooms. A large kitchen sat behind the sitting room where Eve could see what looked like a brick oven and other cooking tools.
“Nice house,” she said with a smile as she walked inside and maneuvered her way to a cushioned chair in the sitting room.
“Thank you,” replied Káno quickly.
Nelyo and Moryo both said they'd be back in a minute; they wanted to change into looser clothing. Káno offered to stay with Eve.
“Hey that's not fair that you guys get to change,” she objected immediately. “I don't get to change!”
But Nelyo merely laughed and continued to his room. “Not all is fair, Eve.”
She rolled her eyes and pouted for a moment before Káno’s laugh jerked her out of her musings. With a glare, she faced him head on.
“Do not be upset because you are stuck in that dress,” Káno insisted quickly. “You look nice, at least.”
“I mean, yeah, but I'd rather be wearing pants… or not a fancy dress.” Eve shrugged and looked around.
Frames with pressed flowers hung along the walls and painted portraits of Nerdanel and Fëanáro, the Ambarussa, Tyelko, and Curvo sat upon the fireplace mantlepiece. Káno followed her gaze and smiled.
“These were painted not long ago.” He got up and threw a few logs and tinder into the fireplace before using flint to light it. “There. Now we shall have better lighting than a few candles and the light of Telperion.”
Eve chuckled to herself. “Man, I really need to see these glowing trees.”
It was then that Nelyo returned to the sitting room. “Ah yes. This is true.” His hair now fell in loose waves about his shoulders, taken out of the intricate display of earlier. He sat down cross-legged next to his younger brother on the couch, handing him the small harp he often carried. “But, who shall you go with? That is a question.”
“Well I can't go by myself,” Eve pointed out.
Nelyo nodded. “Of course not. I shall go at least. Findaráto and Amarië seemed eager to show them to you.”
“Finno wanted to go, too,” Káno added with the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips, not even looking at Eve but instead beginning to play a soft melody on his harp.
Eve brightened up. “Awesome!”
Nelyo could barely contain his smile. “Indeed you are excited about Finno going, are you not?” Káno's own smile grew ever so slightly as he innocently played the harp. But the redheaded elf’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I mean, you certainly seem to enjoy spending time with him.”
“He's nice,” Eve protested immediately, and evidently a bit too quickly and forcefully to stop Nelyo from outright laughing though Káno hit him to calm him down quickly. She objected again. “What!”
Nelyo smiled at her. “I just find you and Finno’s ever increasing relationship far too funny.”
She sputtered. “Hang on. Wait a minute.”
“There really is no use denying it,” said Káno meekly. It's starting to become obvious to those of us who know him well.”
“I mean,” she muttered fiercely, blushing outright. “I mean, I don't know, I mean I guess. But you all are literal perfection.”
Nelyo cocked his head, slightly confused. “How so?”
“Elves. In general.” She chuckled as the two elves frowned. “You're all just gorgeous.”
“And yet you ended up smitten with good dear Findekáno,” Nelyo reminded her. He bit into an apple he held and chewed for a moment before continuing. “You know, I do not really understand it.”
“Don't call me smitten,” argued Eve. “I am not smitten.”
“In love, then? Does that sound better?” The tall elf laughed at her huff. “No? Káno, what do you think?”
The musician continued to smirk. The smile grew until finally he couldn't contain it anymore and he downright giggled for a moment as he played. “In love seems accurate.”
Eve growled. “You are both certifiably insane. I am not-”
“Give up, Eve!” A loud shout came from the loft room above them as Moryo poked his head down the stairs. He frowned. “Please. This is nearly insufferable.”
Eve blushed even further and hid her face in her hands. Nelyo had the decency to be quiet as he watched her with a genuine, caring smile while Káno merely continued his melodious tune. She murmured something through her sleeves that neither elf could make out.
“What did you say?” Káno asked quickly.
Eve lowered her hands and narrowed her eyes at both elves on the couch. “I said you're worse than my actual brother.” Then she sighed and fell back in the chair. “Fine! I think I am falling in love with that stupid idiot.”
Nelyo nodded. “Yes you are. And he is too.”
“Falling in love with you, not himself,” Káno clarified quickly.
That made Eve laugh as hard as Nelyo had earlier. Káno smiled along with her and started up a new song, a slower and more melancholy tune. They all fell quiet listening to his gentle strumming. Nelyo merely watched Eve as she stared a million miles away, deep inside her mind.
Eve couldn't tell how long they sat like this, listening intently to the sweet sound of Káno's lilting harp. At some point he began to sing, twisting words together in glorious patterns of rhymes and sounds. She pulled her knees up under her in the large cushioned chair and leaned against the curved back. Eve subconsciously undid her hair so that the silver decoration wouldn't poke her as she lay there, and she undid her braid.
Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift back to memories of her old life. Smiles and laughter between friends, crazy midnight runs to the local diner during exam week, the peace of her art classes, it all flooded into her mind. She desperately missed her father and siblings, and wished for one more day with them. Eve figured that John would've enjoyed teasing her over Finno as much as Nelyo and Káno did, and suspected that Lucy, ever obsessed with fashion, would've enjoyed the fancy gowns of the elves. Accompanied by the melancholic lullaby of Kánafinwë’s playing, she could all but feel the touch of her siblings, could all but hear their laughter. A small, sad smile crept onto her face as she lay there against the chair.