Request: elves, valar, or maiar only please; fire, swords; no humor please

Summary: Out of the ashes love is found.

Author's Note: Sorry I could not to the R or NC17 rating, but I was limited on whom I could get to beta this.

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Smoke swiftly filled the halls of the residence, creeping under closed doors and into every crack it could find until the halls were caked with it. As the smoked filled the rooms began filling the corridor trying desperately to escape it. Melpomaen was at the end of the hallway and was the last to smell the smoke, as he exited his chambers he headed with single-minded hast to Lord Erestor�s Chambers. He had to save his Lord�s most precious possession, his cat, Ayla. Lord Erestor had left earlier in the week on a diplomatic mission for the Lord of the Valley and was not due back till that day. He had entrusted Melpomaen to care for his cat and he would not let him down.

Dodging elves trying the escape the fire and pulling loose from the ones trying to save him he made his was down the smoke filled halls till he was outside of the chamber he sought. Coughing, he slowly opened the door hoping that Ayla did not get out. Closing the door quickly he made his way into the bedchambers. Bending down he checked under the bed, not seeing the cat the made his way around the room looking under furniture and behind shelves. Not paying attention the time he was taking or to were the fire may be he continued his quest.

Lord Erestor rode into the courtyard to what could only be described as complete chaos, smoke, fire and elves were pouring out of the building. Quickly he took charge of the crisis and soon had the fire under control. He then set elves to work searching for any who may need help and for a head count to see if any was missing. Many long and exhausting hours later the fire was out and Erestor had gotten the last of the head counts. As he looking down the list of names he noticed one name not there and his heart stopped at the imprecation. Scanning the list once more he raced into the fire damaged building. Dodging falling objects he made his was to Melpomaen chambers praying that his name had been over looked, and cursing him self for not revealing how he felt for the young ellon. He promised himself that if Melpomaen was found safe that he would let him know the full knowledge of his feelings. Reaching the room he held his breath as the opened the charred door. He looked around the small room looking for any signs of the one who held his heart. Not finding a body or signs of one he started searching the halls and rooms looking for the lone elf. Sending each elf he passed to look in different part he searched and searched till he was more a bundle of nerves then the cool collected advisor that he was know for.

Glorfindel had been watching he friend for the good part of the day and after he had snapped at the fifth elf that had return empty handed he decided to take matters into his own hands and took Erestor to his chambers to rest for Erestor�s Chambers were located where the worst damage from the fire was. After getting Erestor to sleep, with the help of a sleeping potion from Lord Elrond, he heading to Erestor�s chambers to see if anything could be saved. He grabbed a wet cloth to cover his mouth as he headed down the dark charred halls. The damage was extreme, not much would be saved from this wing of the great house. All the priceless art work, all the hand crafted detail that had went into the walls and borders, all was lost, but he knew the greatest lost was what was lost to each elf that lived up and down this hall. This wing housed many of the top Advisors and Scribes, Erestor being the highest but all just as important, and he knew each had more then likely owned a substantial library of their own that could never be replaced.

Erestor�s chambers were located at the end of the hall so Glorfindel hoped he had escaped losing a great deal of his things. Opening the door to the room he noticed to his great relief that it appeared to be mostly smoke damage, but as he walked into the room he remember what Erestor had forgot in his quest to find Melpomaen, his cat Ayla. He set to search the room to find the cat hopping that it had escaped the smoke. As he came around a couch in the sitting room, he found what he was looking for and more to his horror the body of Melpomaen. Slowly he bent down and lifted the limp body of the beloved scribe and carried him to the healing wing with tears falling with each step he took. By the time he arrived at the healing rooms he had amassed a small crowd of elves all worried over the small body he carried. Laying him down on the nearest cot he moved to a chair in a corner to see if he lived as the healers took over.

Erestor slowly came awake as the sun filled the room. Stretching he turned and looked around the room, momentarily wondering why he was in Glorfindel�s chambers and not his own. As the images of the day filtered through his mind he jumped up to see if Melpomaen had been found. It did not take him long to find out that Melpomaen had been found and was taking to the healing wing. Promptly he headed there to see how he was and the extent of his injuries only to be blocked from going in by Glorfindel who had informed him that Melpomaen was going to survive but it would be a long road to recovery as Melpomaen hade inhaled a great deal of smoke and his lungs were severely damaged. The lost of his cat would haunt him, but the relief the Melpomaen would live out weighted that lost.

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One year later
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Melpomaen sat out side near the practice fields and watched his beloved spar with Glorfindel. There were many times in the beginning that he would cringe when Glorfindel�s sword would seem to come to close to Erestor, but now he knew that he was an excellent swordsman. Erestor had tried to teach him to weld a sword but his greatness lay else where. Under Erestor�s guidance he had excelled and had been named head Librarian. The memories of that night�s celebration still cause him to blush. The two of them had worshiped each other long into the night. Melpomaen was quiet sure their moans had woken the entire hall and had locked himself in the library till dinner only to have a repeat that night. Erestor had came and all but carried him from the library to their chambers were he quickly liberated him of his clothing and carefully laid him upon the bed were he proceeded to show him the length of his devotion.

Erestor sheathed his sword and bid Glorfindel a good evening, as he walked to where his blushing love sat with his new cat Iza. Pulling him up he took his lips in a passionate kiss that held all the love his had for the dark haired elf in his arms. Taking his hand he led him into their shared chambers to finish bestowing all his love to the one that held his heart for all eternity.