Chapter 36 – Meanderings

Drip… drip… drip.

Elladan's clock monotonously measured out the time that the two of them had spent together and Tae knew that it was coming to an end. She had absorbed as much as she physically could in terms of martial training, and her muscles and limbs were as strong as they had ever been. She could now hit a mark relatively accurately using a shortbow and it took her elven instructor at least 4 minutes to knock her on her ass. This was marked progress.

The tension between the pair was still palpable and yet to come to a head but Tae knew there would come a point in the next few days where they would have to confront the fact that she was ready.

From her position on a leather settle in the dark library she scoured the bookshelves in vain desperation. Tae had taken to sleeping on the couch at the foot of the bookcases over retiring to her room as for the last few weeks because she had been struck by a fear of sleeping alone. Out here amongst Elrond's collection of dusty tomes she felt more connected to people. At first, after casting the Time-stop spell, Elladan had stayed with her but their relationship had become strained with the passage of time. He was training her for a conflict which could very well claim her life. And though his work was invaluable, he could not bear the thought of losing her. As the seriousness of the situation became more apparent the joking around and flirting had become more and more absent from their conversations.

She settled on an old journal which was covered in forest green leather, the bindings inlaid with gold writing which marked the book as being a short history of the lands west of Rivendell. Tae noted the familiar maps which she had seen when her mother had read her The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However these maps were a lot more detailed, as if Tolkien only had a faint idea of the larger landmarks and populaces. There were a lot more dwellings and places of interest marked on these documents and as Tae traced them curiously with her fingertips she heard soft footfalls coming towards her.

Looking up she saw Elladan lean against the shelves, his face framed by the many shafts of sunlight which reached in between the books and artefacts. He still wore his training clothes, a supple leather jerkin and trews, though he was weaponless.

"Hey," she greeted him.

He smiled slowly and Tae could see uncertainty in his grey eyes.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a small voice, if anything was worrying Elladan it was bound to be something to worry about.

"No Tae," he replied, moving forward into a crouch in front of her. He lifted his hand and took the book from her unresisting fingers, noting the title with a smile and placing it gently on an adjacent table.

She looked at him questioningly but he simply put her hands in his and stood, silently asking her to follow…

He noted how rough her hands had become over the weeks of sparring, his eyes tracing the dark circles under her eyes from lack of proper sleep. He had ignored it for as long as he could, knowing that withdrawing to his own quarters had not helped matters. Wondering what she dreamed about when she did manage to sleep, he led her out of the library and towards his quarters. She did not resist, he knew she needed this and he could not in good faith complete her training if she collapsed with exhaustion tomorrow.

Opening the double doors into his chambers he was glad that he had opened the drapes, the soft scent of jasmine seeped into the air and the slight breeze ruffled the gauzy fabric. Still neither had said a word. Tae just followed him, as if speaking would break the spell and she would have to go back to her own quarters – or the library more likely – and try to sleep. Elladan stopped before the bed and turned to the half elf, tucking an errant coppery tinted curl behind her ear.

"I'm sorry I've let you sleep alone for the last few weeks. I know how tired you are," he said, by way of an apology.

"It's ok," she mumbled, just glad to be close to him and anxious not to overanalyse the moment as she knew it would mean it would be ruined.

"Come"

He pulled her towards him, ignoring her weak protestation as he began to massage her shoulder and neck muscles. He removed her outer tunic so she stood in her vest top and trousers, she felt exposed but she couldn't focus on that feeling for more than a second before his ministrations continued. She involuntarily closed her eyes – lost in the heady scent of him and sheer pleasure of his nimble fingers working out the tension in her body. He turned her, put her back to him so that he could more easily access her body and he felt her body begin to relax into his touch. She moaned softly. He would have to stop for fear of going too far.

When his hands left her she almost felt cold and turning she smiled as he pulled back the covers of his bed, pulling her possessively back towards him. Tonight at least she would sleep safely. Forget the future. This was now and now she wanted very much to sleep. And possibly get cuddled by an extraordinarily handsome elf.

"Dan?"

He was in the bed now and she was climbing right in next to him, he rolled onto his side so he was facing her, his raven hair spilling down onto the white of the pillow like a waterfall.

"Yes?"

Tae lifted her hand tentatively and stroked the curve of his jaw. "Thanks…" she said, telling him more with her eyes than she dared to say aloud. He smiled and caught her hand, kissing her fingertips chastely.

"Just go to sleep, my love" he whispered melodically. The latter part of his sentence reverberated in Tae's mind as she felt herself drifting off. Still with her hands connected to his lips.

He watched her eyelids flutter and knew then the extent of her exhaustion. She was physically and emotionally spent, she did not even comment when he called her his 'love', something that they usually used to torment each other. Tonight he meant it for sure, and he knew in her eyes that she realised that. Soon enough Tae would have to dispel the magic that held them in this dimension of static time, and the full weight of the situation with Serbitar's armies approaching the Elven realms would be their priority once more. But tonight she was his priority and he wanted to make sure she was one hundred per cent fit for the process of cancelling the Time-stop spell.

He absently dropped her fingers from his mouth but kept them entwined in his own. Watching the slow rise of her chest he couldn't help following the swell of her breasts down to where her necklace glittered silver, shining out against the rich brown hues of her skin. She groaned suddenly in her sleep and he instinctively pulled her close; she responded by nuzzling into his body as if he were her only heat source. Wrapping the bedcovers more tightly around the two of them he breathed in her sweet scent and allowed himself to drift off, still holding on to her protectively.

Hours later the young half elf stirred, her hand still gripped in her sleeping partner's fingers. Her legs had somehow become entangled in his and it felt deliciously perfect. Tae cemented this memory in her heart, hoping that she would never forget the feeling of being close to him. No matter what happened in the upcoming months she would always remember the scent of the gardens wafting in on that breeze, the feeling of the sun on her face and the elf that held her so tightly. Her gaze swept across the smooth pale skin of his arms and up to his muscular shoulders, resting on the soft curve of his neck. She wanted to bury her face right there. To breathe in his scent and hold on to that feeling. Though his eyes were shut she knew he wasn't sleeping. His lips twitched ever so slightly as if he could read her thoughts and she waited for him to say something. But he didn't. His arms lifted and pulled her closer towards him slowly. She couldn't resist the closeness. Nor the quiet sigh at the feeling of his silky hair on her skin.

"Elladan?" she whispered tenderly.

His lips twitched again, surreptitiously, and she knew he was aware of her. But for once she didn't have the energy to resist him. She settled more comfortably into his body, tangled her legs into his a little closer, and went back to sleep.