Part 15

Posted: December 2003
Author: Larien Elengasse

*~*

Third Age, June 23, 2980, Lórien

The wood was peaceful on the warm summer day that Aragorn entered the realm of elves once again. He walked slowly, each step carefully placed so as not to make a sound. In his long years of tutelage under the watchful gaze of Elrond Peredhil he had learned to be like the elves, walking soundlessly, reading the air and the trees, listening to messages from the very earth itself. He spent long years in service to the men of Rohan and Gondor, as an errant rider and as a soldier in the armies of Thengel of Rohan and Ecthelion II of Gondor. He had seen the great cities of Gondor and the wide sweeping plains of Rohan, and he learned of his own people's ways. He also caught his first glimpse of Ithilien and the dark realm of Mordor.

He was now returning to the only home he had ever known, Imladris. In the long years of his absence, he had made many new friends and formed alliances, one of the most important being his good friend Gandalf. He had also formed a bond with Arwen, one that was unexpected. Her wisdom and kindness had touched his heart, more so than any other ever had, including Elladan. She was always there for him, always listening, always offering words of comfort, always giving him confidence with her quiet wisdom. He paused by a great tree, listening to the welcoming whispers of the Golden Wood, and conjuring the vision of Arwen Undómiel in his mind. The Evenstar's beauty was beyond compare, her large, haunting blue eyes, her fair form draped in silk and velvet, her warm smile filling his soul with joy. "Arwen," her name fell from his lips nearly soundlessly and he felt as though he could feel her there with him.

"Estel."

He opened his eyes and he turned to see her standing before him, dressed in silver and blue, her hands gracefully folded in front of her. "Arwen!" he said with no small amount of surprise.

She smiled and laughed softly, walking toward him as if she were floating on air. "You were daydreaming again," she answered. "'Tis not a prudent thing for a Ranger to do in the wild."

He bowed his head and covered his heart. "But I am not in the wild, Lady Arwen. I am in the safe keeping of the Golden Wood. If I cannot daydream here, where can I do it?"

She reached out and lifted his chin slowly, turning his gaze to hers. "I suppose a little daydreaming could do no harm. Tell me, what is it you dream of, Estel?"

"It appears my dreams have become substance, for you stand here before me now," he answered quietly.

She smiled and caressed his face. "Little Estel is a man now," she said softly. "And a handsome one at that."

He closed his eyes and pressed his face into her hand and smiled as her thumb softly caressed his beard. "How did you know I would be here? Is this fate?"

She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "I saw it in my dreams, I asked Adar to let me travel here and he agreed. I arrived just two days ago."

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Well I am glad you have such dreams, and doubly glad you are here to greet me."

She smiled and answered, "I am not the only one who wishes to see you, Estel."

Aragorn adjusted his pack and they began walking into the wood. "Does the Lady Galadriel wish to see me?" he asked.

Arwen smiled and looked up through the trees as they walked. "In time, but I speak of another. I speak of my brother, Elladan."

Aragorn's step faltered for a moment. He had not spoken or tried to communicate with Elladan in any way since he left Imladris so long ago. "Is he angry with me?" he asked quietly.

Arwen reached out and took Aragorn's hand as she tugged him along. "No, but he has missed you very much. He told me of what passed between you, and he feels great remorse for pushing you away. He also told me that he was proud of you, of the man you have become and the destiny you will fulfill."

"Is he still…" he swallowed and began again, "Is he still with Lindir?"

Arwen nodded. "Yes, he has been all these many years. I must say I do not quite understand their relationship. Do not take me wrong, Lindir is a good elf, and he treats Elladan with respect and love. But, Elladan's heart lies with another, and will never belong to Lindir. I suppose what they have is enough for Lindir, but it seems sad to me to live in such away."

Aragorn looked at the ground, his face flushed with remorse and confusion. **Was he the ‘other' that Arwen referred to?**

As if she read his mind she answered, "His heart does not lie with you, Estel. At least not in that way. He loves you dearly as a brother, but it is not you who holds the other part of it."

Aragorn stopped, squeezing Arwen's hand and bringing her to a stop with him. "Who, Arwen? Who is it that his heart lies with?"

Arwen smiled in a way that warmed his heart and calmed his worried mind. "That is not for me to answer, Estel. It is Elladan's choice to reveal it to whom he will."

Aragorn nodded and they continued walking, covering the rest of the distance in an easy and comfortable silence.

* * * *

Haldir opened the door to his flet and his heart leapt into his throat. He opened his mouth to speak but no words would come out, his hand gripped the door handle until his knuckles were white. After a brief moment of panic, he realized it was Elladan that he looked upon, not his twin, and he let out an unintended sigh of relief.

"I would have a word with you, marchwarden." Elladan's voice was flat and even, but anger bubbled just beneath the surface.

Haldir moved to close the door as he answered, "I must prepare for duty, I have not the time to speak with you now."

Elladan inserted his foot in the door, preventing Haldir from closing it. His hands were clenched at his sides, anger threatening to boil over. "Do not lie to me, Haldir. I know your schedule, you forget who my grandmother is."

Haldir immediately became defensive and barked, "Do not threaten me, Elladan! I will not be toyed with!"

"You will not be toyed with?" Elladan barked with no small amount of incredulity. "It seems you have seen fit to toy with my brother!" He struggled to regain his composure. "You will speak to me, Haldir, if I have to tie you to the chair to accomplish it."

"I say again, do not threaten me, Peredhil," Haldir growled. Before he realized it, he was flat on his back with Elladan hovering over him; his wrists pinned to the floor.

"I did not want to do this in this way, Haldir, but you give me no other choice."

His gaze was frozen, locked upon Elladan's. He could not move, could not blink, could not look away. A warm, tingling sensation spread throughout his limbs and he found himself limp as a dead fish. He watched in horror as Elladan rose off him, grabbed him under the arms and hauled him unceremoniously into a chair.

Elladan's brow beaded with sweat and he grunted as he struggled with Haldir, who was surprisingly heavy given his lithe build. He knew had he not had the advantage of surprise, he would not have pinned Haldir so easily, and without his ‘powers of persuasion' as his father so liked to call them, he would not have held him. "Ai, you are stubborn, that is for sure, Haldir," he grumbled. "How you and Elrohir ever made it thus far is beyond me. But, my brother loves you, and since he will not come to you himself, it is up to me to fix this." He plopped down upon a stool in front of the paralyzed marchwarden after tying him securely to the chair. He rubbed his brow and looked up at Haldir, trying not to laugh at the anger that burned in his eyes. "Now," he began, "you are going to listen to me and when I am finished, if you have been properly attentive and reasonable, I will release you. If you continue to look at me like that, I will leave you here to be found by one of your brothers. Understood?"

Haldir growled then acquiesced, blinking rapidly to signal his agreement.

Elladan smiled. "Excellent. Now, let us begin…"

* * * *

Erestor purred in delight as warm lips caressed his neck and jaw. "Mmm… melethron," he whispered. "You always please me so much."

"So glad I can be of service, my Lord," the warrior chuckled against his neck. He slid his hand down the front of his lover's tunic, continuing lower as his fingers skated over the rapidly rising bulge in Erestor's leggings.

A loud thump coming from the flet over their heads caused Erestor and Glorfindel to look up in surprise.

"Well, that went as expected," the Vanya chuckled.

Erestor looked at his lover and tried not to smile, but failed miserably. "Glorfindel, aren't you supposed to be providing assistance to Master Elladan while I keep watch down here?"

Glorfindel returned his attention to his delicious Noldo. "I think Master Elladan has things well in hand. My attentions are needed more down here."

Erestor squirmed and laughed as his lover tickled him against the trunk of the great tree. "I see," he gasped as he struggled with the tie to Glorfindel's leggings. "Then perhaps we are free to leave? To find a place more private?"

Glorfindel growled in delight and grabbed Erestor by the shoulders, hauling him down into the brush. "I think this will do just fine, my beautiful Noldo…"

Erestor gasped then arched beneath the warrior's touch, a blissful smile crossing his lips. "Yes," he whispered breathlessly, "I agree…"

* * * *

Elrohir sat on the edge of the fountain in his grandparent's garden. He closed his eyes as his feet swung back and forth, his heart heavy with confusion and loneliness.

"What is it that troubles your heart so, Elrohir?" his grandmother's deep voice surrounded him.

"Love, Grandmother. Love is what troubles me," he answered quietly. He opened his eyes and turned his gaze to hers. "Why is it that love hurts so much? Is it not supposed to be beautiful and joyous? Why does my heart ache?"

Galadriel caressed her grandson's sable hair. In that moment, Elrohir looked as he did when he was an elfling, wide-eyed with confusion, struggling with the burden that he would bear the length of his life. She had often wondered why the Valar burdened Elladan and Elrohir as they did, why they delivered bonded souls into the twin bodies of her newborn infant grandsons. **How can they ever be happy when they can never be free of this bond?** she asked herself. In all her years, with all her wisdom, she had yet to find an answer to that question. She pressed a soft kiss to her grandson's head. "My darling Elrohir, I cannot answer that question. You have but two choices before you. You can choose to go on as you have, to try to find a mate you can be comfortable with, that you can spend your days with. Or, you can give in to the pull you feel on your heart, follow it to your soul's doom, and forever relinquish your right to travel to the undying lands." She sighed. "That I could take this burden from you, Elrohir." She hugged him close and leaned her head against his.

"I do not want to hurt anyone, Grandmother," he whispered into her hair. "I do not want to hurt Adar or Naneth or Arwen, or you and Grandfather. I do not want to bring shame to our family."

She pulled back and caressed his face. "What others believe will always be beyond your reach or control, Elrohir. As for your family, they will love you no matter what comes, no matter what choice you make." She took a deep breath and tilted his lowered chin up so that their gazes met. "But what of Haldir? You care for him, yes?"

Elrohir nodded. "Aye, I do, Grandmother. But I think he senses the truth, I think he knows that no matter how much I care for him, there will always be another who holds that part of my heart. I have tried to hide it, tried to convince myself as well as him that it is not true, but I have failed. Perhaps I should let him go, let him find one who will love him, as he deserves to be loved. I have been selfish."

She smiled. "You have helped him more than hurt him, Elrohir. He has always been a solitary elf, kept to himself and locked his heart away from all except his brothers. Your love and gentle care has opened his heart. That, if nothing else, made what you have both been through worth it." She cradled his head against her shoulder and they sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the wood and the water in the fountain.

*****

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