Title: Heart of the Sky
Pairing: Lord Elrond/ Lady Eolande (OC)
Rated: M
Summary: Lord Elrond finally finds his true life mate; there is only one problem. This she elf has not heart and does not know that they are life mates. Too afraid to tell her but to in love to leave her what is Lord Elrond to do, and how can he possible get her heart when she doesn't even have it?
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or places but those I have created.
Chapter One:
Of Hearts and Life mates
The rivers ran pure around The House of Elrond of Rivendell. This place was of great beauty and enchantment. Its serine surroundings and enriched environment was something of dreams alone. Rivendell though, was very much real and was the home of Elves; the most beautiful and wisest of all races and creatures of Middle-earth. The Lord of this, Lord Elrond, was an elf who had live for many ages. He was a seer, a rare gift no matter the race, he was also a great healer and a friend to man. His own daughter had given up her elven life for that of a mortal woman to be with the man she loved.
It had been years since his wife had left him, and though that was a heart ache for him to bear, it had not been his death like it was for so many an elves. For once an elf's mate had passed then the partner left would eventually grieve themselves to death or madness. With Celebrian it had been an arrangement to join the two elf clans. With the passing ages it had become a rare thing for any elf to find their true mate, Celeborn and Galadriel had been the last two true mate of their kind in ages and they themselves where of many years ahead of Elrond himself.
This is why it had come to Lord Elrond's great surprise that he had felt the tug of his heart-string that was the pull towards his life mate. It had been such a surprise to him that he had gasped and his vision had faded out, the council meeting around him disappearing as his mind was forced into the vision of his mate. The vision had pulled him to the surrounding area of Rivendell. It was quick and he had only got a glimpse of a small cloaked figure kneeling down near the water meditating as a Pegasus of the purest white and with a silver main lay just behind them, before he was pulled back to his surroundings.
"My Lord," Aragorn, the king of men and friend to elves had placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Does something trouble you friend?"
"No, it is nothing to worry about." Elrond had brushed it off, for now he must finish up the council meeting.
What had seemed to go unbeknownst by the rest of the council, was that Queen Arwen, Lord Elrond's only daughter had seen the look in his eyes and had known what had happened. She knew that her father and mother had not been true mate; her father kept nothing from her and her brothers. The look she had seen in his eyes and the small light that had shown in them and the slight glow she had seen from his star necklace; was proof enough of what she had guess to have happened. His life mate had finally appeared, a blessing in its self, and she was very near.
Slipping away unseen, Arwen, using the connection she had to her ada as his blood kin, was off to locate this woman of her ada's heart. She could see less then what her ada had seen and only knew of the general location. Quickly she had mounted a horse and road off to find her. She truly believed that her father deserved such happiness. He had lived for two dark wars and had joined in at both times. He needed this; fore Arwen truly believed that if her father stayed as he was he would soon begin to fade. He had not truly been in spirit since after the birth of her son.
Eolande of the Azure Sky, had been alive to see many ages, but she had always been an observer. The elves of Azure Sky, where a rare few and lived with in the safe haven of the sky. No enemy could get them and the few who could reach them with flight where vastly few and even less skilled. They were the guardian elves of the heavens and because of this they alone were cursed to do not but watch as their brothers of kin and others were killed along the grounded world. Eolande had grown tired of this and wished to join those on the ground. Renouncing her title as princess and heir to the throne of the Azure Sky, she was cast in to a self-proclaimed exile from the Skies and with her companion she was grounded.
Eolande and her Pegasus companion, Moondust, had traveled along the ground for but a few days when they had come upon the enchanted land that surprised her with its natural beauty. She had learnt from a young sparrow that it was the Home of Elrond known as Rivendell. They had settled down next to a clear brook she had chosen to meditate by, as she allowed Moondust to rest from their travels. She felt a slight hollow pain in her chest but it had been nothing she could not ignore. It was something that had been there since she had landed upon the ground; she figured it to be something with her being knew to the grounded world.
Within her meditative state she felt a strong aura approaching her on horseback. The aura brushed over her like a cool stream; it was no enemy, no it was someone to whom would soon be a friend. Relaxing she continued her meditation, allowing the woman to approach her.
The woman came upon a dust white horse, her pale blue cloak wrapped around her as protection from the wind. She glided forward with the grace of an elf but her aura showed she was mortal. Eolande knew right away what this woman had done to herself.
"Why have you sought me out lady elf?"
"I am not elf," Arwen spoke gently. "Not any longer."
"Yes, I know of what you have done. I can read it in your aura" Eolande stood from her seated position and turned towards her guest. "I am Eolande of the Azure Sky; why have you sought me?"
"I am Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell and wife to Aragorn king of Gondor." Arwen had not understood the woman's tittle but knew she was an elf. "I come to you to ask you to return with me. It would be rude to cross through an Elf Lord's lands and not to show respect."
Arwen knew by how the woman had spoken and the look in her eye that she did not seem to feel the pull of a life mate, and though it confused her greatly she knew that she was not wrong this woman was to be her ada's mate. She had quickly come up with another way to get this woman to her ada. It had not been the best approach but it would work none the less.
Eolande smiled. She could tell this young woman was up to something but whatever it was it was not something that would cause her any harm so why not indulge the once elf. Nodding her head, Eolande mounted Moondust, who had stood as she did, and gestured for Arwen to lead the way and Arwen did just that.
With her cloak draped over Moondust's wings and her cloak hiding her face and form, she moved along with Lady Arwen like she was just another friend as the two walked through Rivendell. One would have had to but look closely to Arwen to know that she truly didn't know the person, for she kept glancing back at her but no one picked up on this.
The council meeting was done with and Elrond had meant to set out and follow his heart-strings pull but he had felt a change in the pull. She was no longer where she had been; his life mate was in fact moving closer towards them. It was when Aragorn had come to him seeking out Arwen when he had realized what was going on. His daughter was medaling in his personal life it would seem. He wanted to smile and shake his head and what he figured must be going through Arwen's mind at that moment, but he could feel how close they were now. They had for sure entered into the House of Elrond; his home and were now just a few mire paces away from where he and Aragorn stood in the garden.
Turning to great the two as they entered he placed his hand on Aragorn's should to draw his attention towards the entrance as well. As the both looked, they watched as Arwen walked towards them, her cloak having been removed, her beautiful and elegant blue-white gown showed as it was flowing around her feet as she walked, the other figure that approached them still wore her cloak but she moved with such grace it was obvious that she was an elf.
"Arwen?" Aragorn questioned.
Arwen smiled to her ada and husband. "Ada, have brought someone I believed you would want to meet."
"Arwen, my daughter," Elrond smiled to her, he could feel the pull on his heart-string and it was so strong it was almost painful with the closeness of his mate. "You know this was unnecessary of you."
He then turned to his new guest with a small smile. "I the Lord Elrond of Rivendell; may I know my guests name?"
"I am Eolande of the Azure Sky." She gave a soft bow of the waist. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Elrond. You have a wonderful home here your Lordship."
Elrond could tell that there something was wrong. She showed no sign of feeling a pull towards him in even the slightest bit. Looking towards Arwen he saw her give him a strained smile and nodded her head. He would have to talk to her on this later; she seemed to know of this already.
"Foster!" Elrond called one of the elves that had been standing outside the garden entrance. "Please show Lady Eolande to one of the guest room in the East wing." Turning back towards her he nodded his head with a smile. "Why don't you settle in and we can talk later My Lady."
Eolande smiled under her cloak it not really being seen but still heard in her voice as she spoke. "Of course My Lord; thank you for your hospitalities."
Elrond watched as his life mate was led away by one of his trusted guards. Once she was gone he turned back towards his daughter. She and Aragorn had already taken seats on one of the benches out in the garden near the fountain. Walking over towards them he to, took a seat at one of the benches then looked to his daughter and waited for her to talk.
"I don't' know what it is ada, but from what I have gathered from talking with her she does not feel the connection between you two. I am right that it is her though; I could see the glow of your necklace when she entered the room." Arwen then looked slightly saddened. "There must be something blocking her from the connection. Do you know of the place she is from ada?"
"You mean Azure Sky?" Aragorn confirmed. "I have never heard of this place in any of my travels of in any of the things I have read."
"No, you wouldn't have. Azure Sky is a hidden elf kingdom; one that till now was thought of as to having been long lost. If she had not claimed it as her home or if I had not seen what her companion is I would have not believed it true myself." Elrond sighed as he tried to remember all that he knew of the hidden kingdom of elves in from the sky. "They are different than the rest of us here on the ground. They are guardians of the sky and are allowed no interaction with us of the ground world. They are cursed to be observers alone but they are closer to the Valar then we are. They ride on the backs of flying horses known as a Pegasus. This is all that is factually known about them. Everything else about their ways and traditions is unknown. How Eolande has come to be grounded is a questioning thing to me."
"Could her having been in Azure Sky been the reason you have not sensed her sooner?" Arwen questioned. "Also, couldn't something that they do up there be the reason she can't feel you as well?"
"It is possible." Elrond admitted. "I want understand till I have had time to talk with her. I shall do that this evening after all else has gone to sleep."
"I wish you luck my friend and if you need help in anyway, please, just let us know." Aragorn hugged his old time friend and father in-law. "We have our happiness it is time that you have yours as well."
Elrond smiled and hugged to two before watching as they both walked off. He also left the garden to head towards his study. He was going to find out as much as he possibly could on the Azure Sky kingdom and it people. He would know all he could before the evening approached and he was to meet with Lady Eolande for their discussion.
The guest room Eolande had been presented with was elegantly done and was filled with the sense of magic. The room also held a glorious balcony that showed her a wonderful view of the garden below. The room suited her well and she made herself comfortable. Seated outside she looked over the garden and aloud her mind to wonder in thought. She was starting to get the feeling that the hollow pain that pulled at her chest was not caused from her being new to the grounded world. The hollow pain had pulled stronger than ever when she had been in the presence of Lord Elrond; it had been so powerful that she had wanted to gasp and her eyes had threatened to spill her tears of pain.
Eolande just could not understand what this pain must mean. She knew it had to mean something important for her; she just couldn't figure it out though. Somehow she knew that this pull was meant to be something great for her, but something was making it painful; she just needed to know what it was. Maybe then she would be able to stop this pain.
Without realizing it, Eolande had been lost in her thoughts so deeply she had missed the setting sun. She would have probably stayed that way for the whole night if it had not been for a nock coming from her chamber door. Gliding towards the door she opened it to be greeted by the same elf that had lead her there earlier, Foster she believed his name was. He spoke to her quickly then left. It seemed that Lord Elrond wished to speak with her and that he was waiting her arrival up in the library. He had left her with directions since she had refused the escort.
It had not taken her long to find her way. The hollow pain pulling in her chest had also been a sort of guide for her. She nocked lightly on the door first before entering. Inside she had found Lord Elrond standing out on the balcony with an old looking text in his hands.
"My Lord?"
Looking up he smiled to Eolande; he had known she was there from the pull of his heart-string. "Lady Eolande, please join me want you."
Eolande smiled and joined him on his bench. It was then that Lord Elrond was finally able to take a proper look at her. She was without her cloak now and her beauty was in full view. Her figure was perfect just like any other she elf, but she seemed to be a bit smaller than them. This was not a bad thing though, it made her seem more fragile. Her hair was long and swept the ground slightly. It held a natural wave to it and her side bangs where swept back into a braid that fell down her back as well with a silver elven clasp at the end of it. What was most enchanting about her hair though was that it was a pale gold that shimmered silver in the light; a unique trait even for an elf. It meant that she was kissed by the Moon –a true child of Valar.
Marking this down to the back of his mind, Lord Elrond continued to take in Eolande's appearance. He noticed that her skin was ivory and glowed like porcelain. Last were her eyes. They were as enchanting and unique as her hair had been –as she herself was. They were beautiful pale blue that shimmered like crystal glass, giving them the appearance of being a lavender color with a rainbow of colors seeming to play along the outer edge of the color. This woman was just full of uniqueness it would seem. Lord Elrond though did not care, either way she was just as wonderful to him as if she were just plain an boring looking.
"What had you wished to speak with me on, My Lord?" Her voice was like the small chime of bells washing over him with the feel of a gentle breeze filled with songs of lost music. "Have I done something wrong? I am not yet use to being grounded."
"No, you have done no wrong. If I may, I would say that in my own opinion I dare think you incapable of doing wrong My Lady." Elrond closed his book. "I wish to learn about you Lady Eolande, about your home, your ways, and you yourself."
They had talked well on into the night. Lord Elrond had learned so much of the Azure Sky kingdom and its elves that he felt almost as if he had lived there himself. Even still, throughout their whole conversation he had yet to find the reason behind her lack of a response to a heart-string pull. Finally after much of the talking he believe it best to be forward about his curiosity towards the situation.
"Lady Eolande, I know it is a rare thing for use hear on the ground to find our life mates but is it just as hard for the elves of the sky?"
Eolande smiled sadly. "No, it is harder. We do not interact with the people hear on ground and because of that if our mate is not of our kingdom then they are lost to us. But because we are so closely tied to the true magic of this world it hurts us more than it does for those who are grounded if we do not find out mate." Sighing Eolande looked off towards the rising sun behind the falls. "You can live without a life mate and keep your heart intact. For us, if we do not find out mate with such a close tie to magic as we have, then we will die. Our kind was passing quickly with the problem; most not reaching three years after maturity for their heart pain was killing them."
"Then how is it that your people and you have survived this long?" Lord Elrond was beyond shocked at what he was learning.
"It been ages now since the council of Azure Sky came up with a way to stop the falling of our people. The way is now just another part of use even if it seems wrong to others." She looked to him; her face so blank is frightened him. "The way we continue to live is something that you and all others of the ground would find horrifying and disturbing."
Lord Elrond knew that whatever it was that she was about to tell, was the reason she was not feeling the pull of his heart-string. Something about the look in her eyes told him that this was something that was traditional to her people but would be something frowned upon greatly by all on ground, just as she had said.
"Please, I will not look at you any different."
Eolande sighed; she doubted his words, for she knew what how it would seem to them of what they did so they might live. "Upon the day we turn of age our heart is cut out and placed into a crystal to keep it alive but sealed off. This way we do not feel its pain, but we also do not feel its pull either."
Lord Elrond was shocked into silence. They cut out their hearts! The thought alone disturbed the contents of his stomach. The heart of an elf was a treasure to cut it out was to condemn an elf to be nothing but a shell. It might be that their close tie with the magic of Valar was what kept them alive but still the thought seem so wrong; so evil. Thinking on it, it did explain why she did not respond the link between them. She had no heart to feel it with. He felt truly saddened.
"I feel something is wrong though," Eolande's hesitant voice broke him of his shock.
"What do you mean Lady Eolande?"
"Since I self-exiled myself to live grounded, I have felt a sort of hollow pain pulling deep in my chest." She looked to him with a strained look on her face; tears threatened to spill from her shimmering eyes. "It grows worse the closer I am to you My Lord."
It would seem he was wrong. She did feel the pull it was just that it had the opposite effect on her then it did to him. Whereas her being near him caused him a great feeling of wonder, it caused her a great pain. Lord Elrond wished to fix this so badly. He wished for her to be whole but not just so she would accept him but because she needed it; for her to be whole again would mean she could truly live as a grounded elf and have no problems of pain.
A/N: Hey all. I do hope you like this. For some reason I have gotten re-addicted to Lord of the Rings and this random insperation hit me so I had to write it. I am also hoping to get back to work on my other works now that I have gotten a bit of time. Just to let you know that I have not abbandoned my writings so please read and review. If you hate then that your buisness.