Chapter 7- Year 3319

 

            “ Peace had ended.  I have called a council on the 19th of Sϊlimλ.  Glorfindel and you, Elrond, are to both attend this meeting.  Please come in haste,” Elrond read the letter aloud to Glorfindel and Erestor.

            “ I can take care of thins in your absence, Elrond,” Erestor said.

            “ I know you can.  Glorfindel and I will leave at once,” Elrond replied.

            “ I bid you both a safe journey then,” Erestor said.                       

~*~

            The 2 Elves arrived in the middle of the night a few days later.  Gil-galad greeted them.

            “ Before you retire, there are 3 people you must meet,” Gil-galad said.

The 3 moved towards the main council room.  3 men sat there.  Elrond froze in the doorway.

            “ Elros?” he choked.

            The very likeness of his brother sat in a chair between 2 others.  The older man spoke first.

            “ I am Elendil, an ancestor of yours, Lord Elrond,” the man said.

            “ I am pleased to meet you,” Elrond finally replied, “ Pardon my staring, but he is exactly like Elros in looks.”

            “ He is my son, Isildur.  That is Anαrion over there,” Elendil said.

Elrond smiled cordially.

            “ I believe it was a long trip and I am tired,” Glorfindel yawned, “ It was pleasant meeting you.  I will retire.  Elrond?”

Elrond nodded, pausing in the doorway for one more glimpse of Isildur, before following Glorfindel.  Gil-galad watched him go sadly.  Old memories had resurfaced.  Elrond had loved his brother dearly.  It had taken years after Elros’ death to get Elrond to even speak again.

            “ He seemed torn to see us,” Elendil said.

            “ It is not you.  Elrond cared deeply for his brother.  Isildur does resemble him exactly,” Gil-galad replied, “ Elrond will be fine.”

~*~

            Glorfindel touched Elrond’s shoulder.

            “ Are you ok?” Glorfindel asked, “ I thought you died in there on me you turned so pale.”

            “ I will be fine,” Elrond smiled weakly, “ I miss my brother.  Seeing Isildur reminded me of him.”

Glorfindel nodded, sensing Elrond needed to be alone and entered his own room.

            Elrond sighed as he entered his own dark one and lit the candles.  He smiled softly.  Celebrian lay across his bed, clutching a blanket to her slight frame.  Elrond bent beside the bed, daring to touch a piece of silver that graced her head.  She stirred, distress on her face, beginning to mumble.  Elrond watched her silently.  Gil-galad paused, headed to his own room and saw Elrond sitting on the floor, watching the beautiful maiden.  Gil-galad shook his head as he moved on. 

            Finally Elrond stood.  He sat on the bed gently, deciding to wake her.  Celebrian’s gray eyes slowly cleared.

            “ M’lady, I do believe you fell asleep in the wrong bed,” he said.

            “ Elrond?  You’re here?” Celebrian threw her arms around him.

Elrond pulled the blanket she held closer around her, realizing she was in her nightclothes.

            “ My robe is over there,” Celebrian shrugged out of the blanket, standing.

            The folds of material cascaded to cover her legs.  The dress fit tightly around her body.  Elrond helped her slip on the robe.

            “ And why, may I ask, are you here?” Elrond asked.

            “ I missed you.  Gil-galad forgot to tell me you were coming.  I was reading one of the books of poetry that you wrote.  The time was later than I thought and I fell asleep.  I find peace here because part of you is still in here,” Celebrian answered shyly.

            “ Then you are welcome here anytime I am not.  Twould be improper to share a bed,” Elrond said, watching her blush.

            “ Only if we were caught,” Celebrian replied.

            “ I know of a place on the beach which is far more proper than here, “ Elrond said, “ I care for your reputation, Lady Celebrian.  I would not want it sullied on my account.”

            “ And it will not be.  I will stop by my room to grab a blanket and drop this off.  Meet me on the beach,” Celebrian gave his cheek at quick kiss before leaving.

Elrond sighed, picking up the blanket she had discarded.  He breathed in her sweet elanor fragrance and smiled before heading towards the beach.

~*~

            Celebrian watched Elrond lean against the sand dune, pulling the blanket close to him in the chilly wind.  He opened the blanket to let her find safety and warmth in his arms.  She rested her head on his shoulder.

            “ Why are you here?” she asked, “ You never leave Imladris.”

            “ A council has been called.  Sauron is rising again,” Elrond answered.

            “ Will you leave if war begins?” Celebrian asked.

            Elrond watched her look up seriously.  He licked his lips slightly, knowing she would not like the answer.

            “ I will do as Gil-galad commands,” Elrond answered.

Celebrian looked away.  Elrond gently pulled her face back to look toward him.  Tears threatened to pour out of her eyes.  One or two already fell down her face.  She watched as his own eyes misted.

            “ Please do not cry, nξn meleth,” Elrond pleaded.

            “ I will not stop.  I cannot bear the thought of you leaving again.  I don’t want to lose you.”

Celebrian’s hands clutched his robes as she buried her face in his chest.

            “ I will live, Kel, I will,” Elrond promised, “ I promise to Varda I will come back to you.”

            “ Or like your mother, my body will I throw into the Sea,” Celebrian replied.

            “ No, you must live,” Elrond shook his head, “ You mustn’t die.”

            “ Why?” Celebrian asked.

            Elrond’s lips covered hers.  Celebrian let all that was within her go into the kiss.  She had missed him for so long.  His hands submerged themselves in her hair as the kiss grew.  Elrond had never known love at this level.  She created something in him no one else could.  Celebrian’s hands pushed away his loose shirt, feeling his bare skin.  Elrond began to move away.

            “ Kel, we cannot,” he began.

            “ I want,” Celebrian started.

            “ So do I, but we must wait,” Elrond replied.

            The moon cast a silvery glow on his bare chest.  Celebrian caressed his cheek giving him another gentle kiss.  She had come to find his only weakness: her.

            “ Kel,” he groaned, “ Do not tempt me, love.”

            “ I tempt you,” Celebrian whispered, straddling his lap.

Her hands explored the silky strands of his hair, while he tried to keep his hands confined to only her waist.  He wanted from her more than both of them were allowed to give at this time.  He pushed off her outer robe, marveling at the physique figure modeled by the tight nightdress underneath.   He gently leaned her into the sand, laying on top her up, leaning down for another kiss. 

            “ No,” Elrond moved away.

            Celebrian watched him move to the other side of the small valley created by the dunes around them.  Elrond put his head in his hands trying to calm his erratic breathing.

            “ Elrond,” she began,

            “ Kel, it is forbidden,” he interrupted, “ I cannot believe I let it go that far.”

            “ I am sorry for tempting you,” Celebrian sat beside him.

            “ Twas my fault as well,” Elrond shrugged, “ I was not wanting to stop.”

            Celebrian sighed in relief.  At least it wasn’t that he had been so disgusted with her that he had pushed away.

            “ Me either,” she whispered.

            “ I do believe that I will keep us under supervision most times,” Elrond said sadly, valuing his privacy, “ I no longer trust myself with you.”

            “ And I respect you for admitting that.  I respect you for respecting me enough to forget your own desires to do what is right,” Celebrian replied, “ I would kiss you, but that always seems to get us in messy situations.”

Elrond picked up the discarded blankets, their bodies now chilled by the cold.  Celebrian’s head fell back on his shoulder after his shirt and her robe were replaced.  The 2 fell asleep together in the sand.

~*~

            “ Where is Elrond?” Gil-galad paced in the council room.

            “ You do know that Celebrian is here,” Celeborn replied.

            “ Unfortunately for me she is here; and when Elrond arrives, he will learn why Elros was wise to chose to become mortal so he would not have to deal with me forever,” Gil-galad grumbled.        

            “ They have not seen each other in a good millennia,” Galadriel replied.

            “ Who is Celebrian?” Isildur asked.

            “ My daughter,” Celeborn answered, “ To whom Elrond has taken a liking to and she him.”

            Glorfindel pushed in a very sandy and bleary-eyed Elrond still in what they had seen him in last night.

            “ And where was he?” Gil-galad demanded.

            “ Sleeping on the beach,” Glorfindel answered.

            “ I take it Celebrian was there also?” Celeborn asked.

Elrond nodded, leaning his head against the chair drained of all energy.

            “ Please forgive my forgetfulness.  I know a reunion is no reason to be late, but some reunions are worth the high king’s wrath,” Elrond said with a yawn.

            “ And Celebrian’s are one of them,” Gil-galad finished with a sigh, “ Even now, I cannot be angry with you.  Enlighten the rest here, Elros, of what you saw.”

            “ I am Isildur,” Isildur gently reminded as he stood.

Gil-galad shrugged slightly in an apology.  Elrond tried to attentively listen, trying to keep his mind off Celebrian.  All he could think of was her soft touch.  Cνrdan entered, beginning to drone on and Elrond’s brain clicked off and his dreams began.

            “ Should we wake him?” Glorfindel whispered as Cνrdan talked on.

Gil-galad sent a humorous look at Elrond.  The lord had his head resting on the table in the crook of his arm.  Gil-galad shook his head.

            “ We will let him sleep.  He needs it, I bet.”