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Summary: none given.
Author's Note: For the Slashy Santa Exchange 2006! I hope the requester of this fic finds it everything they hoped! I have not written anything in a very long time because of real life events, so I hope I am not too rusty at this. Happy Holidays everyone!!
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It was a late autumn evening. So late, in fact, that it was nearly early in the day. A crisp breeze came streaming into Imladris bringing a taste of the cold winter that was on the way from the north. Every elf was curled in bed under covers experiencing dreams of another age. An age of peace away from the nightmares coming from Mordor and its Dark Lord.
All elves, save one.
Alone, in a candlelit office sat Erestor.
This was how the Chief Advisor preferred to work. Alone with no interruptions. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep and of nourishment that he had been taking recently was beginning to catch up with him. He felt dizzy at times, got headaches and grew overly tired. This was how things were now. Now that he had left; him, his lover, his prince. Gone off to face the nightmare head on. Sent by his Lord and dearest friend away from his arms and into an uncertain future. Though Erestor held no grudge towards Elrond for his choice. Legolas was the best elf to go and see the ring of power destroyed.
Though at the council meeting this logic left Erestor. The dark-haired elf knew his argument was wrong when he made it, but his heart commanded him to try.
“We can keep the ring hidden. None shall know it is in our protection.” Erestor had argued, but Elrond was quick to remind him that the power of the elves was fading with each passing day and we would not be able to hide the ring forever.
Truth, as always, can cut like a knife.
So the world started spinning and never stopped and before he knew it he was saying farewell to his immortal beloved.
“Do not fear.” Legolas said as the sun rose on another late autumn day years ago. “I face evil to save Middle Earth and we will succeed. Before you can grow lonely I shall return to your arms.”
Then the handsome prince gave to his Advisor an amethyst ring of spectacular beauty that Erestor had not removed since that day. Even now it shone in the sparse candlelight reminding him of Legolas’ love.
Having decided enough work was enough, even for him, Erestor blew out the candles in his office and went out into the courtyard to breathe the crisp air and gaze at the stars. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the colder air made the stars seem to shine more brightly than any other time of year.
After some while, Erestor knew that he should return to his rooms and try and get some rest before another bright and busy morning assaulted him. As he began to turn towards the ornate and beautiful house, a noise caught his ear. His attention was turned to a cluster of trees bordering the open space where he stood. Slowly, he made his way towards the source of the noise when he heard one of the intruders speak.
Yet, it was not an elvish tongue speaking.
It was the language of the Orcs!
Erestor’s feet seemed cemented in place before he realized what was going on. A group of orcs has heard of Imladris’ diminishing power and thought it a good time to take their revenge on the elves for whom they harbored so much hate. Knowing he was unarmed and defenseless, Erestor’s only hope was to get close enough to the Last Homely House to raise the alarm and have Glorfindel lead a charge against this assault. Trying to be as silent as the night itself, Erestor turned and ran towards the house, but little did he know he had already been spotted.
One orc, of particular talent and intelligence, had managed to climb a tree in order to get a good view of the structure’s construction in order to best figure out where to strike first. As he surveyed his enemy he spotted the dark elf moving with all haste to announce their presence to the annoying elves inside. Surely, this would destroy their plan! However, he was not out of options and had an exceptionally well-constructed bow on his back and brought it to bear with a deadly, poison-tipped arrow at the retreating elf’s back.
He closed one eye, took aim, drew a big breath a held it and then released….
As Erestor ran, all he could think of was reaching the house and warning his friends when, out of nowhere, a steep pain radiated from his back. He was too surprised by the blow to fully comprehend what had just happened to him. Stumbling, he was able to enter the house, but when he arrived at the door he came to a fearful realization. Whatever had hit his back had hurt him in such a way he could not yell out! Frustrated by his inability, he looked around for some way to communicate the dire events, and he saw the large bell used when visitors are seen for the horizon. Weakly, Erestor staggered to the cord and used his last bit of strength to ring the bell.
When he heard the footfalls of elves on the floors above, Erestor knew his mission had been completed. With his task done he realized he was suddenly very dizzy. A great weakness came over him and he was unconscious before he hit the floor.
When the dark-haired elf awake, he was in a place he did not recognize. He heard the playing of a harp and the smell of fragrant flowers carried on a warm breeze. As a faint dizziness passed, he rose to survey his surrounding and saw a small light in the distance. Erestor stood mystified as the bright, white light grew as it came closer to him. Out of this light, came a form. A person he recognized instantly.
“Lady Galadriel” He said respectfully.
She stood and stared at him in that haunting way she has, as if she was peering into his very soul and reading it as easily as he read the books he so loved. The two together were opposites in appearance, where her hair shown with a bright golden light, his appeared black as a moonless night.
“I have brought you here, Erestor of Imladris.”
“May I ask why, my Lady?”
“Because you doubt.” She replied simply. “You doubt in the future and of the power of hope and love. I have brought you here so that you may step into the future with confidence and your eyes wide open.”
I moment passed and his ears once again strayed to the beautiful music coming from beyond his vision.
“I don’t understand.” Erestor said softly.
She smiled at him and her beautiful eyes glowed. “Perhaps in the grove beyond you will find your answers.” She raised her arm and pointed behind him.”
The black-haired elf turned to peer and found himself pulled in that direction. After a few uneasy steps he found himself in a peaceful grove of cedar trees. However, it was not the trees, nor the grass, nor the songbirds which caught his eye.
It was his beloved, standing there as if he had been waiting for him forever.
“Erestor.”
He bounded forward and whispered in disbelief.
“My Prince.”
The pair found each other in an embrace that seemed to last their whole immortal lives.
Reluctantly, Erestor pulled himself away, “This is a dream, Legolas.”
“Yes, My Love,” Legolas said, “you have lived in darkness since my department and my fae new that the only way to comfort you was to bring you here, among the cedar trees, and tell you, Erestor, that all will be well. We will stand together again, though many times the leaves may bud and full between now and then, the time will come.”
Erestor stared into the striking blue eyes, the feature which had first caught his eye, and understood.
“I will not doubt again.”
“Good, My Love,” The Mirkwood Prince sighed, “now that your spirit has been comforted, let it be freed.”
“What do you mean?”
Erestor’s question had barely been hanging in the sweet air when Legolas mouth joined his in a passionate kiss that was even sweeter.
No more words were needed, for their bodies spoke of the kind of passion only released when two lovers have been apart for a very long time.
Legolas did not even need to open to eyes to know how to gently unclasp the Advisor’s formal robes. Erestor did not open his eyes nor break his embrace when he felt the light, black fabric fall off his shoulders and pool around his feet.
Their bodies melted together with comfortable familiarity.
Soon Erestor returned the favor to his Love and they embraced skin on skin and Erestor felt the familiar heat and hardness pressed against him. They let gravity bring them down to the soft grass and Erestor felt Legolas’ weight atop him and wanted to badly to feel the familiar passion all over him, inside him. The Prince did not wait long to claim what had been his with careful, long and deep strokes.
The heat of their passion could not endure forever and all too soon they found themselves exhausted and relaxed on the forest floor. Erestor buried his face into his Love’s chest to hear his heart and smell his scent.
“I can’t leave you again, Legolas.” Erestor spoke quietly.
“Just remember, My Love,” Legolas softly whispered, “whenever you doubt, look to your heart and you shall find the confidence you seek and you will know that we will be together once more, Erestor.”
“Erestor?”
Slowly, he opened his eyes and found his body in much more pain than he had remembered from just a moment before.
“Thank the Valar.” Elrond said. “You are awake.”
“Lord Elrond?” Erestor wheezed.
“Shhh, slowly. Here drink this.” A cup of cool water was brought into his sight and Erestor drank deeply. “You’ve been in a coma for almost a month. We were certain we were going to lose you.”
His blinked his eyes in disbelief, “A month?”
“Yes. You were poisoned by an Orc’s arrow in your back, but you were able to make it to the bell and alert the house.” Elrond said, “You saved us all and I am forever in your debt.”
“I will not doubt again.” The dark-haired elf whispered. Erestor peered out the nearby window. A thick layer of snow covered the trees and the ground. Winter had settled on Imladris and was deeply entrenched.
Elrond leaned in closer, “I’m sorry?”
“Tis nothing.” Erestor said quickly, “Nothing at all.”
As Elrond left to gather some light food for his patient, Erestor sat back in bed and let all that had happened sink in. It was then he understood that it may not have been real in the physical, it was real to him in the spiritual.
He and Legolas would be together again and until that day Erestor would live all the moments in between with zeal and passion and never would doubt bring dark clouds into his world.
Far away from that healing room, Legolas smiled.