There is a little companion piece that goes between this chapter and the last that was posted at the same time. It's called Sweet Dreams. It's firmly a little sexy, fluffy thing. If you want to read the sexy times between them, feel free to go back and look at it. If not, continue on, there is nothing they discuss that continues the plot. :D
Chapter 36 – A Spoonful of Sugar
Cerena woke warm and satiated, her body pleasantly sore and her hair a mess. She was draped over Elrond's chest, the elf in question still asleep. There were several times her hip had caused them to have to change position or slow down, but all-in-all she was quite pleased with their night. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest, a deep purr starting in her throat. His eyes, half-open in the elven way he slept, cleared as he blinked a few times, and then looked down at her. A warm, slow smile lit up his face and she returned it, unable to contain her happiness.
There were so many times that she had thought they would never see each other again. So many times in Rohan that her hope was at an all-time low.
"I'm so glad to be back in your arms," she said softly, running her finger over his flat nipple. His breath hitched slightly and he rested his hand over hers.
"I'm glad to have you here in my arms," he said genuinely.
"We should go down to breakfast," Cerena said, looking very much like she did not want to go anywhere.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps they will be all right without me for a few more hours," he said. Cerena's dark brow raised up slightly.
"Oh really? And what do you plan to do for several hours?" she asked. He grinned mischievously and rolled, pinning her beneath him and poking her belly with a persistent erection.
"I am going to adore reacquainting myself with that elven stamina," she growled, putting a hand on the back of his neck and pulling him in for a searing kiss.
When they had finished, they lay panting, limbs tangled and hair wild. Elrond's normally sleek hair was tousled and fuzzy in parts, and Cerena's hair was escaping its tie. Elrond stroked a hand down her arm, pausing over one of her scars.
"This one is new," he said simply, stroking his fingers over the pale scar.
"I was fighting an Isengard Uruk for several girl-slaves they were transporting to Orthanc. If we didn't get them before they were taken to Saruman, they were lost to us, because we never were able to penetrate the Wizard's defences. The Uruk got in a cheap shot with a boot knife," Cerena said. He began studying her body, looking at new scars that had formed since she had left. A splotchy, shiny burn scar on her left shoulder caught his attention.
"And this?"
"A few orcs had set fire to some houses on the outskirts of a village. We were nearby and tried to help the inhabitants. Everyone was out except the husband's aging mother. The fire was hot and had spread to most of the house already, and none of the Rohirrim would brave the flames. So I did. I rushed into the fire with a wet cloak around my head to keep my hair from burning. I found the old woman in the back part of the house, cowering in her bedroom. She was so old and weighed so little I scooped her up like a child and carried her out. The way I came in was blocked, so I had to go through a window. A few men were able to get her out of my arms, but a beam from the support struck me in the shoulder as I was crawling out of the house, nearly dislocating my shoulder and giving me a nasty burn in the process," she said. He kissed the scar and moved on to another. Four vaguely circular scars ran in a straight line diagonally on her side.
"What is this one?" he asked, unable to figure out what could have made them.
"I was stabbed with a pitchfork. We had brought back a few women rescued from being taken to the breeding pits, and one of the husbands wasn't too appreciative of his wife being brought back by an orc. He very nearly got something vital. As it were, that damned thing had all sorts of nasty things on it and I got an infection. I was out for nearly two weeks fighting the worst of it, and it took another two weeks before I was even remotely back to normal," she said. He kissed each little mark, making Cerena blush.
"You are amazing, melui," he murmured, stroking his hand over the patch of bandage over her hip. It was a pad of gauzy bandage smeared with medicinal ointment and covered with a square of material stuck to the skin with pine pitch. It was a bit messy, but it wasted less fabric than the old way of looping long swaths of bandage to hold gauze in place. He had been impressed with Cerena when she suggested it. Now he figured she had alternate motives, anyway, the little vixen.
"I only did what I could," she replied. "And what about you? Did Glorfindel give you any battle wounds to boast of?" she teased.
"Only one, and it was mostly my fault," he said, lifting his arm and showing her a scar in the inner part of his arm. "I…er…fell on the practice blade. It wasn't too severe, but it bled a bit before I was able to tie it off," he said. She didn't laugh but gave him a small smile, reaching forward and kissing the scar as he had done for hers.
"Silly, clumsy elf," she teased, running the tips of her claws over his arm.
"You know…I never thought the brush of claws on my flesh could be so exhilarating," he grinned. She flashed him a fanged grin.
"Or that you would fuck an orc?" she asked. His smile didn't waver.
"Or that," he admitted. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she sighed.
"I guess we should get up," she groaned. He grunted.
"I don't want to face the world," he said candidly. She looked up into his face, studying his expression.
"It's okay, Elrond. You can do it. I believe in you," she encouraged gently. Storm grey eyes focused on her face, sparkling in the way elven eyes did.
"I do not deserve you," he said. Her brows drew down and she growled at him.
"Do not say that again! You deserve happiness as much as anyone else. If anything, it's I who don't-" she was cut off with a kiss.
"Let us then just be happy with each other," he said quickly, not wanting her to say those words. She gave him a hard look, chin jutted out.
"I will cut you," she growled half-heartedly.
"Of that I have no doubt," he replied dryly.
They eventually dragged themselves from bed, locating clothing that had been so hastily discarded last night.
She had Elrond sit on his chair while she straightened his hair, braiding it out of his face and fixing it with a few beads to hold the fine braids.
"Would you like me to return the favor?" he asked. She gave him an eyebrow raised look.
"Sweetie…" she said. "My hair would eat your fingers. It's almost a weapon in and of itself," she said. He smiled at her in that warm, thigh-clenching way he had.
"I love your hair. It is as wild and untamed as you are," he said. She patted his cheek.
"Thank you, but no. Now stop stalling and let's go down to lunch. We burned a lot of energy last night, and I'm this close to eating Glorfindel's horse," she said. Elrond laughed.
"I don't think he would like that," he said.
"Glorfindel or the horse?" Cerena barbed right back. Elrond laughed again and kissed her forehead.
"I want to shout my love for you from the very top of the world," he said. Cerena was silent, averting her eyes.
"I don't…think that's smart. It would make you a target," she said. He scoffed.
"Cerena…do you not know to whom you speak? Gil-Galad and I were targets before the fall of Sauron at the Last Alliance," he said. "He could never pierce the borders of Imladris, and was very sore about that. It's why he dealt with Gil-Galad personally on the battlefield," he said, his face taking on a haunted mien.
"Where are your hidden borders now, Elf-King? Where is your little flag waver?" Sauron growled, his fingers smoking as they touched Gil-Galad's throat. Though he was holding him firmly, tortured screams were torn from the High King's lips and he was twisting and flailing in agony as he was burned to death from the inside out. It was only after his body went limp that the flesh seared on the outside, skin drying out and flaking from the bones.
At the end of the battle, when they had finally collected the charred remains of his body, they saw the full extent of the damage. His eyes were burned away and empty sockets stared sightlessly ahead as the revealed teeth were wide apart in a final scream of agony. His tarnished armor was all that was left of his clothing, which had smoldered away and crumbled with his flesh.
"Sauron had spotted me and was advancing on me when he was waylaid by Elendil and Isildur," Elrond said, swallowing bile at the memory.
"But it's an unnecessary additional target. I would not put you in additional harm for anything in the world. When Sauron has fallen and Mordor is not a looming threat, I will shout our love from the tip of Orthanc if you wish," she said. "But until then, our relationship is an open secret. It is not talked about, but it is not highly protected. Let us keep it that way," she said. He sighed.
"Very well. I will do as you wish in this," he said softly. She pulled him down for a quick kiss.
"Our time will come. I just know it," she said with confidence. He smiled wanly at her exuberance.
Then they went on.
Life continued for a while, getting back into a normal schedule. Cerena took up embroidery again, saving up some extra coins. For what she had no idea, but it seemed prudent to have some money. Her designs were in high demand, being something different than the designs the elves had worked with for…well…likely for thousands of years. She combined mixtures of geometrical shapes and a vaguely Native American design (though likely it would offend any true Native American) and even personalized satchels with bold tengwar letters across it.
Spring had come to Imladris, and it was amazingly beautiful. The elves loved spring, and bustled about outside now that it was warm enough to stay there. Cerena had gone back to her little garden that she had been given. Someone had tended to it in her absence, and she actually felt a little misty-eyed to see that the baby plants she had planted three years ago were large and bushy and full of life. Even the little fern she had been nursing back to health had thrived, its leaves starting to shoot up from the soil of its pot after a winter's sleep.
It felt as if everything was starting to fall into place, now. April was halfway through now, and though she could not remember the exact date, she knew Gandalf had likely already arrived in the Shire to tell Frodo to take the Ring away. She rather hoped that he stopped through Rivendell on his way to Isengard. She wanted to be able to speak with him about Saruman. She didn't know how obvious Saruman had been with his treachery the last time around, having not been present, but now he had been thwarted several times by a particularly insistent she-orc, which had made him very obvious in some of his movements.
It was not a secret in Rohan, though she was curious as to the method of subduing the King of Rohan. Was it like the book, with Wormtail lying and giving false counsel, or was it more like the movie had been? She was unsure if Saruman were capable of possessing someone. She would like to ask Gandalf…
Ever closer was looming the deadline of the Council.
There were some nights she lay awake in Elrond's arms, staring up at the ceiling and wishing the Valar would speak to her again so she could ask for some help. Perhaps this was why they would not say anything to her? She found it rather annoying for them to expect so much of her and offer little to no advice or knowledge.
After a few weeks of rest she could no longer keep herself busy with just needlework and lovemaking. She sought out her great friends, Gil-Galad and Oropher, and began training again. Even before they had returned to Rivendell, she had been rather idle due to sickness and taking care of Eluhîn and Lissenya. It took several weeks for her to get back the stamina she had built in Rohan.
In that time she would often see Glorfindel watching from the shadows, his bright blue eyes observing her every move. And she knew enough about Elves, and Glorfindel in general, to know that he wanted her to see him, or she wouldn't.
After a particularly hard day of training that he had been watching, she walked alone with Gil-Galad and Oropher, speaking in low tones with them.
"Is there a reason Glorfindel is giving me creepy stares when we train?" she asked, hoping one of them would have an answer. They looked at each other.
"I noticed him there, but I couldn't say any reason. Unless he's planning your murder," Oropher supplied 'helpfully.'
"I will go to Mirkwood, find a baby spider, bring it back, and tie it to your face," she growled. She almost saw his hair start to stand on end. Apparently, just because one lived in a forest with giant spiders did not mean one got used to giant spiders.
"Why don't you just ask him?" Gil-Galad suggested, for once being the mature one.
"He hates me…" Cerena said.
"Oh, no….no he doesn't…" Oropher said, very unconvincingly.
"He's hated me since the moment I was brought to this place by Gandalf. It absolutely rankles him to have an orc in Rivendell. I guess Edledhia gets a free pass because she's Celebrían's daughter, but I don't get such luck because I'm a random stray that the wizard brought in," she said bitterly. Gil-Galad rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Elrond doesn't think you a stray," he said simply. She snorted.
"Maybe that's it. Maybe Glorfindel secretly wanted a relationship with Elrond and I ruined it," she bit out sarcastically.
"Ew, gross," Gil-Galad borrowed the phrase from hearing her say it many times in Rohan, and shuddered spectacularly.
"What…do elves never fall in love with someone of the same gender?" she asked. She was actually surprised it had taken her this long to ask the question. But, to be fair…it had just never come up…
"It's happened…it's just...sort of...frowned upon. We're not…made for that, Men or Elves. Or anyone, for that matter," he said with a look of distaste.
"Oh," she said, and dropped the subject. She didn't really feel like talking about the possibility that Glorfindel wanted to pork Elrond-
Oh God, just great! Now she had an image in her head and it wouldn't go away.
"You are built lighter than most opponents! Use it to your advantage!"
Cerena stood nearly nose-to-nose with Oropher, grappling with him as their training for the day. She was soaked with sweat, but proud to notice even the former King had a sheen of sweat on his brow. Elves were notoriously difficult to make sweat, so the fact that she had accomplished it was quite prideful.
"Hey, isn't that your grandson?" Cerena asked, her eyes flitting to the side. Oropher snorted.
"Good try, Cerena. That only worked once," he huffed. She smirked.
"Three times," she corrected. He pushed her arms down and she quickly lowered her head, using the strength of her legs to barrel into him. He grabbed her and flipped her hard, slamming her down on the ground and knocking the breath out of her.
"And yet you still lost," he said, patting her cheek teasingly. She snapped at him, managing to nip one of his fingers hard enough to draw blood. He withdrew with a yelp.
"Still blooded you," she replied smoothly, rolling to her feet.
"That was a dirty trick!" he said with his finger in his mouth. Cerena grinned cheekily.
"I'm an orc, we fight dirty," she laughed.
"Mean-spirited thing," he mumbled around his finger.
She could not out-grapple an elf, but she could use her own unique fighting style to annoy the piss out of him.
"Once again: I'm an orc," Cerena replied.
And so April turned into May by the time Cerena finally heard from the Valar.
She had fallen asleep in Elrond's arms, her ear to his chest and listening to the soft sound of his heart to lull her into dreams. But she felt as though she had gone to sleep and woke again immediately, but she wasn't wrapped in a warm embrace when she jerked out of her sleep. She was lying on a rug in an unfamiliar room, and heard the vague sound of someone singing in another room. She stood from the floor and brushed herself off, looking around.
The walls were done in a beautiful pale wood, possibly birch or pine, with darkly stained wainscoting and polished oak floors. There was a large picture window just to her right, overlooking a sprawling garden. She followed the sound of the singing through a storage room filled with bolts of fabric and baskets of yarn. Half-finished projects lay here and there, abandoned or forgotten Cerena did not know.
When she exited the storage room she saw a young woman sitting at a loom, working it by herself. She was singing a song in a different language as her hands moved the parts of the loom, and for several minutes Cerena merely watched. She could see the beginnings of a complicated pattern in the fabric and it was amazingly soothing to watch the smooth hands work. Finally, after a time, the woman looked up.
She had eyes the color of honey, bright and warm and framed with thick, dark lashes. Her face was heart-shaped and her shapely brows quirked up a bit as she looked at Cerena. Her small mouth turned up into a smile and she stepped away from the loom.
"Hello, little star-wanderer," she said, her voice sweet and cheerful.
"Hello, Lady Vairë," Cerena said, bowing at the waist. Vairë laughed and clapped her hands.
"Delightful child!" she exclaimed.
"Why did it take so long for someone to speak with me again?" Cerena asked curiously. Vairë blinked, and then lifted a shoulder elegantly in a shrug.
"I do not order the pattern, I merely weave the strands," she said with a smile. Cerena looked around nervously.
"Is…your husband here?" she asked.
"Nay. He is in the Halls of Doom….being a sore loser because he lost in a card game to Tulkas," she laughed.
"Will I meet him today?" Cerena asked tentatively.
"Oh no, that visit is for later," she said, her smile still wide. Cerena swallowed.
"Sounds ominous," she replied shortly.
"If you say so," Vairë said. There was quiet for several moments.
"So…what are you going to tell me?" Cerena asked. Vairë seemed surprised.
"Hmm…never speak with your mouth full?" she suggested. Cerena twitched.
"Anything…about my mission in Arda?" Cerena tried again.
"Well…dragons don't make good pets. Tulkas already tried that. He really thought it was working until the dear thing nearly took off his head," she said. Cerena looked at the wall. Maybe she could ask for another Vala? This one seemed a little….off.
"Do you have any advice on how to get the orcs to be seen as something other than a rabid dog to be put down?" she asked. Vairë reached up and tugged absent-mindedly on a lock of dark hair.
"Sometimes the threads don't seem connected. Sometimes the pattern is hard to find, or very subtle. Sometimes the least thread can weaken the whole piece of fabric, or hold it all together," she said. She turned to a small piece of fabric that had been woven and was hanging on the wall. She reached out and plucked at one of the threads at the bottom, pulling firmly on it. The whole thing seemed to unravel before their eyes, reminding Cerena almost of a house of cards falling. "Be careful which threads you pluck, and which threads you cut," Vairë said, turning her gaze back on Cerena. The eyes seemed uncommonly keen at that moment, and Cerena wondered if the ditzy act was just that…an act.
"I see," Cerena said softly. Then the gentle smile was back.
"You're doing well, though. Keep up the good work!" she said cheerfully.
Cerena opened her mouth to retort, and sat up in bed with a gasp. Elrond blinked awake when she jerked, coming up on his elbow.
"Cerena?" he asked groggily.
"I saw Vairë," she said simply. Elrond sat up, reaching out and smoothing away a fuzzy curl that had escaped her ponytail. "She told me to be careful which threads I pull and which threads I cut," she said.
"It is sound advice, if a bit vague," Elrond soothed.
"Well, at least she didn't yell at me like Manwë," she said.
"Lord Manwë yelled at you?" he asked. That must have been absolutely terrifying.
"Yes. It was right after I revealed the Ring had been found. He sort of chewed me out a bit and showed me a memory of Morgoth being a dick to an army, and then a memory of Sauron being a dick to an army. They are both very scary," she said.
"I would not wish the sight of Sauron on anyone," Elrond said.
"Yes, but you didn't see his face without his helmet on, did you?" she asked. He looked into her face.
"You did?" He pulled her close when she nodded. "I am sorry you had to see that, then," he murmured.
"It's the eyes. The eyes are the worst," she said, remembering the flame-filled eyes. There was quiet and Cerena merely enjoyed the warmth and safety of Elrond's arms around her. He was stroking his hand over her shoulders, petting her hair every so often as they sat. A curious thought came to her, one of those random questions that she had thought before she had come to Arda, but had not considered since she had been here.
"What would happen to Sauron when he falls? What will become of his spirit?" Cerena asked. Elrond stilled his gentle ministrations.
"I…know not. If there was justice he would be cast into the Timeless Void with his Master," he said darkly.
"Why do you think Sauron turned against the Valar?" Cerena asked.
"That is a question on which I have not really dwelled," Elrond said. "It is told that He sought order and perfection, and saw in the Dark Lord Melkor a way to achieve his goals far more quickly than if he had pursued them on his own. But whereas Melkor wanted to destroy all that the Valar had created, Sauron wanted to press his will onto all creatures," Elrond said. It was an uncomfortable subject, one that most people did not discuss. But Cerena, having been from a place outside of this history, would be curious about such things.
"I'd like to talk to Gandalf about Sauron. I wonder what he was like as a Maia?" Cerena asked curiously.
"Be careful of such questions, Cerena. It cannot be an easy subject for him to discuss, and may take offense to you asking. In those waters I would tread carefully," he warned. Cerena hummed.
"Maybe you're right. I'll poke a little at that subject, then. If he gets upset I'll leave it. I never considered how painful it could be for him…" she said.
She got her chance to speak with Gandalf nearly two weeks later when he came through Rivendell on his way to Isengard, just as she'd hoped he would. She had just finished several sprinting laps around the training grounds and was on her way to the baths when she saw the familiar pointed hat from a distance. All thought of sinking into the hot water were forgotten as she waded through a few elves to get at him.
"Gandalf!" she cried. He looked tired, whether it was from travel or the knowledge he had gained in Minas Tirith she did not know. Regardless, she flung her arms around his waist. He made a whoof of surprise but then patted her back awkwardly. When she pulled away she saw a wry expression on his face.
"My, my, you look different from the last time I saw you," he said, leaning a bit on his staff and looking her over.
The last he had seen of her was right before she had left to go to the Black Valley. She had still been a soft, confused thing. Now she was lean, and he could see in the way she held herself that she was a fighter. But, with relief, he could still see nearly the same person when he looked at her face. Though the lines of her cheeks were slimmer, he could still see the sparkle of a gentle heart in the depths of her yellow eyes, and that gave him hope.
"I've been through a lot since the last time I saw you," she said sadly. Then she shook her head. "But enough of that…you are on your way to Isengard?" she asked. His bushy grey brows went up. "We need to talk desperately before you go, if you decide to go," she said.
"I will be staying here only a few nights to resupply myself," Gandalf said.
"Then rest and eat, and come to Lord Elrond's study tonight. I wouldn't bother if it wasn't important," she said, touching his arm. He regarded her for a few moments, before nodding.
"Very well. We shall speak this evening," he said, and then was off. Cerena watched him bustle off and knew that everything was starting to fall into place. They were at a crossroads now, and it was going to be interesting to see which way Arda was going to take.
After supper she waited patiently in Elrond's study, where they would have their meeting. Elrond was already there, as well as Oropher and Gil-Galad. Cerena was pacing nervously in front of Elrond's desk, going over what she was going to tell Gandalf. She needed to inform him of Saruman's treachery. She needed to confirm his thoughts on the Ring and let him decide where to go from there.
After what seemed like forever, the door to the study opened and Gandalf entered. He was wearing his traditional grey attire, but he looked far cleaner and a bit more relaxed from having a nice dinner in his belly. His beard had been combed and he had the smell of smoke about him, likely having taken a pipe break after he ate.
"Well now, whatever is so important?" Gandalf asked, making himself comfortable in a leather chair.
"Gandalf, I know the reason you seek Isengard, and the counsel of Saruman the White," Cerena started. Gandalf didn't make any movements, but his keen blue eyes seemed to sharpen. "The Ring that Bilbo found, that was then passed to Frodo, is the One Ring," she added.
"I was not sure, so I researched it in Minas Tirith. When I tested it…" Gandalf said.
"You had Frodo toss it into the fire, and the words in the Black Speech appeared: One Ring to rule them all…" Cerena said. Gandalf looked at all the faces.
"All right, well that definitely solidifies what I was sure I had found, but what is it that makes you so desperate to speak with me?" Gandalf asked shrewdly. Cerena took a deep breath.
"Saruman has betrayed the free people, and is in league with Sauron-"
"Preposterous!" Gandalf thundered, standing to his feet even as the lamps in the office sputtered violently. Cerena cringed at the feeling of angry energy all around.
"Please, Mithrandir!" Oropher called. "We have seen his treachery. He builds an army of Orcs for the Dark Lord. They are foul crosses of Orc and Man, made from cruelty and magic. He has ordered the kidnapping of Men and Women of Rohan. He uses them in breeding pits and as slaves to fuel his fires. He has caused so much death," The former King of Mirkwood said. Gandalf was looking at them all.
"I cannot believe this. If this is true…we are doomed…" he said, and suddenly seemed so old.
"Gandalf, you mustn't go to him. He will imprison you. You would only just get away from him," she said. Gandalf sat back down in the chair heavily.
"I cannot leave it. Perhaps he can be reasoned with…" Gandalf said. "He cannot have been corrupted. Not him as well," Gandalf said, putting his hand to his forehead and sitting back.
"I wish it wasn't so…" Cerena said, but for several long minutes there was no response from the Grey Wizard.
"I need to ponder this," Gandalf said, standing to his feet and walking from the room. The door was thrown open with force enough to make it bang loudly against the wall. Cerena sighed shakily.
"I don't know if he believes us," she said.
"I think he believes, but it's difficult for him to comprehend. Saruman is the leader of his order. He is a trusted council and a friend to Gandalf. For him to betray the very people he was sent to help is a terrible blow indeed," Elrond said.
"Saruman is beyond hope. He is mad with power and cruel in his search for it," Cerena said. "But if anyone might be able to sway him, it's Gandalf I'm sure. They've known each other since before the world was made."
"It would be better if he didn't seek him out. If Gandalf's escape as you knew it was as precarious as you say, it may not happen a second time," Oropher pointed out. Cerena sighed.
"I said what I needed to say to Gandalf. What happens now is up to him," she pointed out. She hoped her decision to tell Gandalf about Saruman didn't end up like her decision to reveal the Ring. It had been extreme foolishness on her part, though at the time she had perceived it as wisdom. She also needed to ask Elrond at some point what he thought about extending an invitation to the Council to Durbûrz. Though she didn't trust Akashagon and his ilk, Durbûrz had no love for Sauron and would likely side with the destruction of the One.
She just couldn't shake the feeling she had forgotten something.
O rly? Surely you haven't forgotten so easily, Cerena! :0
Well, I thought this chap got out fairly quickly considering I technically wrote two chapters if you count the little smutlet. :3
Let me know what you thought. If you have any questions of comments feel free to ask, and I may be able to get to you in a PM in a timely manner.
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