Lorien Interlude

Type: NC-17
Disclaimer: They're not mine and no one pays me for them.
Special Warnings: Slash
Characters: Serenity and Judas
Time line: During the Fellowships stop in Lothlorien
Author's Note: I got a few requests from some fiction with Judas Mesias and Serenity Cruz. Here it is!
Summary: Serenity is tired and frightened.

Serenity was tired and dirty, and her heart ached. They had come so far, only to lose Mithrandir in the Mines of Moria. They had escaped with their lives and that was all.

An elf dropped down from the canopy of trees and aimed his arrow at Gimli.

"The dwarf breathes so loudly I could have shot him in the dark."

By the time Serenity had an arrow drawn and aimed, they were surrounded by the elves of Lothlorien.

The elf who had spoken seemed to be the captain among them. Serenity had met him once a long time ago, when she had accompanied her father to a meeting with Lord Celeborn. He had been one of Celeborn's guards.

"Welcome, Serenity, Daughter of Thranduil."

"Our Fellowships stands in your debt, Judas of Lorien."

The younger elf looked terrified, Judas thought, as he led them toward Caras Galadon. She was dirty and more than a little shaken, from the looks of her. Judas didn't know when he had seen a more appealing elf, though. Perhaps after they had met with the Lady and Lord, he could keep company with this one for a bit; maybe soothe her fears and anxieties a little. He remembered meeting her and her father some years back.

Judas led them, blindfolded finally after a long argument and over Serenity's strong objections, toward Caras Galadon. When evening came, they put the Hobbits and men in one of the talans nearby. Judas himself removed the Mirkwood princess' blindfold, noting how soft her blond tresses were as he did so.

He invited the young elf to join him for some food. He had some dried meat in his pack that he shared, having given the fresh food for the hobbits to eat.

"How came you to be with this band of travelers, Serenity?" They sat under a tree on a fallen log.

"My father sent me to Imladris to the Council of Lord Elrond, and I volunteered to come with the Fellowship."

"Was Moria that bad?" He knew as soon as he said it that perhaps he should not have asked. Serenity looked both frightened and furious.

"It was senseless! I do not know why we did not go another way!" She was passionate in her anger, but her voice wavered near the end of her sentence. Judas put a hand around her shoulder. He could feel Serenity shaking.

The next evening found them in Caras Galadon. Serenity was exhausted. She needed some rest, but she knew she would have to appear before Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. As they walked up and up into the impossibly tall mallorn trees, Judas looked back at her once or twice and smiled encouragingly.

Then they stood before the Lord and Lady. Serenity felt her in her mind. And she and Lord Celeborn spoke about Gandalf. She looked at Serenity and said Gandalf had fallen into Shadow.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame... A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." Her anger and fear were both still written plainly on her tired face.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose."

She in turn spoke to each and every one of them quickly. She then sent them all to rest.

Judas waited for Serenity on the forest floor, where Galadriel had a pavilion put up for the Fellowship to rest under.

"Come with me. I have food, and we shall talk. You shall be among elves." Serenity gladly followed eager to be with someone who would understand her, eager to be with Judas, though she didn't let herself think that thought.

Judas took her out into the forest, away from the city, to a glade that he often stayed in. It even had a talan that he stayed in, but he thought the woodland elf might be more comfortable out in the open. He would let Serenity decide.

They walked silently, both comfortable with silence, as only elves seem to be. Judas had brought food from the Lady's table: venison and bread, and Lord Celeborn's wine. They ate in the firelight of the small fire that they built and talked about life here and life in Mirkwood.

"Would you like to bathe in the spring, Serenity? The water is warm and would soothe your weary body."

Serenity smiled at him and didn't say anything, just nodded. Judas' mouth was dry, all of a sudden. Serenity was a very beautiful elf when she smiled. He silently led his guest to the small clearing and the warm spring. Serenity removed her sweaty, dirty clothing. Judas swallowed hard as he looked at the other elf, pale and comely in the late evening light. The spring was a damned up hot spring that made a relaxing bath in any weather, because it was always warm. Serenity waded into the pool and sat down in the shallowest part.

"Will you come in too?" She called to Judas, who nodded his assent and removed his own clothing, his hands shaking a little, but he was too far away for Serenity to see that. He waded into the warm water and sat down beside Serenity with a sigh. The warm water felt good to his muscles too.

Serenity began to talk, sitting there in the dark. She poured her fear in the mines out to Judas, about how cold and dark they were. She choked up when she told her new friend about the cave troll, and finally, she talked about the Balrog and Mithrandir being lost. Her despair was a new thing to her. She had never seen death among those she cared about.

She had moved closer to the Lothlorien elf during the whole conversation, edging over to him in the water. She was sitting almost close enough to touch the guardian. Judas was very surprised when Serenity turned and put her arms around him and buried her head on Judas' shoulder. Judas hesitantly patted her back and held her a bit gingerly.

Serenity cried a little, and as Judas held her, he realized how hard the journey had been on the other elf and how frightened she was of all that had happened. He let her cry and just patted her shoulders. Judas spent a lot of time alone, and aside from his brothers, was not terribly close to anyone. He couldn't tell when the last time he'd had a lover was.

But sitting here naked in the water with this elf, Judas knew he wanted to love her, if only for this night. Perhaps they could offer each other a little solace.

Serenity was embarrassed at her show of emotion, but it felt so good to have those strong arms around her. She was aware of the naked body that sat next to her. She wanted to kiss Judas, just to thank him. Or that's what she told herself. She moved so her mouth was so close to Judas' that she could feel his breath. She touched her lips to Judas'.

Judas sat still, not moving a muscle. Serenity had impossibly soft lips and the kiss was sweet and gentle, just lips to lips. Judas ' hand touched the other elf's face and she leaned her head toward the touch.

"We should get out of the water. You need some rest." Judas said against the soft lips. He realized after he said it, that his body would give away a bit much when he got up out of the water. They both rose gracefully and walked to the shore. They walked naked back to the fire and sat by it until the heat had dried them.

"Would you like to sleep out here, or would you like to come up to the talan?"

"Inside, I think. I get enough sleeping out on the ground as it is."

So they climbed up into the talan. The sleeping mat had soft down quilts on it. Serenity looked but she didn't lie down, waiting for Judas to do or say something, it seemed.

"Rest, Serenity of the Woodland Realm, you never know when you'll get to lay in a bed again."

Judas didn't know what to say when Serenity asked, "Will you not lay here too? There is plenty of room. And..."

"Yes?" Judas wondered if his voice sounded too hopeful when he finally did speak.

"Will you hold me?" That was half adult, half child and Judas could not resist.

Judas joined Serenity on the soft mat, pulling her into his arms under the quilt. He lay on his back and the other elf's head lay on his shoulder with their arms around one another. He wanted to kiss Serenity again, but he wasn't sure his kisses would be welcome.

Serenity wanted to feel Judas' lips touch hers again. She wanted ... more than that, but was unsure how to tell the guardian. She would have been blind not to notice that Judas was affected by the kisses before. But the other elf had been careful not to touch her any closer than was absolutely necessary.

Serenity moved the hand on Judas' chest down a little, touching smooth skin gently. It almost seemed like an idle touch, but it wasn't.

"Judas?"

Judas was trying to keep his breathing steady. He was rock hard, but hopefully Serenity would not notice that. Her hand was making him crazy.

"Yes?" His voice came out breathless again.

"Kiss me?"

"Yes!"

He did. This time, it wasn't timid or sweet. He tried to make it so, but hunger took control. His tongue claimed the other elf's mouth in a deep, probing kiss. He didn't quite know how, but he found himself rolled over on top of Serenity, pressing her into the soft mat. Accidentally, rubbing his hardness against her. His hips were demanding that he move, that he press himself harder against the warm body beneath him.

Serenity beat him to it, thrusting up against him, straining and groaning as Judas put a hand on either side of Serenity and began to thrust almost as if he were actually inside the young princess. Judas knew she was lost. He felt his own body tighten, readying itself for release. He looked down into the metallic, midnight blue eyes of his lover and saw the same thing, saw how close Serenity was.

He came, the friction more than he could withstand, his seed spilling into the tight space between his body and Serenity's. He watched Serenity and felt her come too, adding to the wetness between them.

They clung to one another, Judas surprising himself by the tenderness he felt for the visitor. After a little bit, Judas found a cloth to clean them both. Then he lay back under with quilt and pulled Serenity back into his arms.

The Fellowship tarried in Lothlorien for some days.

The days, Serenity spent with the Fellowship and with the other elves. The nights, she spent in Judas' arms. They learned of love, one from the other. Their last night, they spent memorizing each other, each touch and movement, each sigh of pleasure.

"Judas! Harder, do it harder!" Serenity begged. She wrapped her legs around Judas' waist, arching up into him, crying out over and over when they came for the last time. They lay in the warm cocoon of Judas' sleeping mat until the sun rose.

The Lady gave them all special gifts when they got ready to depart. The gift she gave Serenity was a bow of the Galadrim, a bow made by Judas himself. Every time Serenity touched it, she felt the sweet touch of Judas and smiled.

It says they stayed in Lothlorien "some days" in The Fellowship of the Ring.

THE END