The morning dawned clear and bright, and Gandalf rose early to walk along the terraces and slopes above the loud-flowing Bruinen. The rising sun shone pale and wan through the silver mist, and the webs of the spiders glistened among the trees. On a small bench beside the path he came upon Elrond, who rose to greet him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine is the morning and fortunate the meeting, O Mithrandir! Long have I sat here contemplating the paths that lie before us, and now find myself in need of sustenance. I have in my cool-rooms a hoard of stone-fruits from Gondolin, which I would gladly share with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany years has it been,\u201d replied Gandalf, \u201csince I have tasted the stone-fruits of Gondolin. They grow now but sparsely among the fallen stones of that once fair city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elrond rose and led the way to his cool-rooms, which stood in a shadowed corner of the Last Homely House, sheltered from the sunlight by the high walls of the building around them. There he kept many foods from all over Middle-Earth, cooled by great blocks of ice carried down from the Misty mountains.<\/p>\n
The thick stone door of the cool-rooms stood ajar. Elrond and Gandalf entered to find Pippin seated on a wooden chest, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. Beside him lay a small pile of fruit-stones, the last traces of golden flesh still clinging to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHullo, Gandalf! Hullo, Elrond! I just popped in here for a little something to eat. It\u2019s a long time yet to breakfast, and waiting is hungry work, as my gaffer always says.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elrond stood still within the doorway, but Gandalf strode forward. \u201cGluttonous fool of a Took! You have eaten the stone-fruits of Gondolin, which we had preserved in the cool-room for our breakfast!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cForgive me,\u201d cried the hobbit, cringing before the wizard\u2019s wrath. \u201cThey were so sweet and so cold that I could hardly resist them!\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally posted on Making Light<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The morning dawned clear and bright, and Gandalf rose early to walk along the terraces and slopes above the loud-flowing Bruinen. The rising sun shone pale and wan through the silver mist, and the webs of the spiders glistened among the trees. On a small bench beside the path he came upon Elrond, who rose … Continue reading The stone-fruits of Gondolin<\/span>