~Bird songs~

by Ola

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A/N~ no need for strangulation =) my neck is fine with its actual size. =) I'm happy that you like this fic, Gershwin., and if you're the only one reading it, well then you'll be the only one to know what it's about. (I'm trying to make myself feel good here =(

Ok, ok, I'll stop. Here goes the story. Two more chapters after this one, I think.

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Part 11~

            Two days later, I was back, up in the tree from which I had fallen, studying the little brown bird I had seen nesting there. I knew that it wasn't "the" bird, but still, it was my job to study nature, and I enjoyed it. Anyway, I still had quite some time before I had to go back to the "big word." As it turned out, that little brown bird was not mentioned in my "bird book." I was so excited! (Blame the scientist in me for being so nerdy). I wanted to shout in joy, but I stopped myself just in time, in case I frightened the poor bird away; and that would certainly have been bad. With a happy grin on my face, I installed myself in that same tree, on the same branch, and waited for the bird. When it flew into its nest, I starred at it through my binoculars, and my heart soared. I had just seen three little featherless heads peeking out form the cocoon of twigs, moss and branches. I couldn't think of anything else except the little brown birds. That is, until something brown blocked the view of my binoculars...and didn't go away. For a split second, I thought it was another bird, sitting on a nearby branch in "my" tree that just happened not to be scared of the "big bad human." But somehow I didn't think that was the right thing. Come on now, I knew birds! I wasn't an idiot.

            But I certainly felt like one as soon as I lowered my binoculars and screamed my head off. What happened next seemed a repeat of that first day. I tried to back off, and momentarily forgot that I was several feet off the ground. I slipped, lost my balance…and found myself hanging from the tree by the back of my jacket.

            Damn luck! Why does it always happen to me! I gulped audibly and looked up…right into someone's green eyes.

"Alrovir," I groaned "you scared the be-jeezes out of me! Get me out of here. Please?!" I couldn't help it sounding like a plea. Well, I think it's understandable in the position I was in.

"Why do you insist of climbing into trees, if you do not seem to stay in them?" he grinned.

"Arrrg!"

"All right, all right."

As it turned out, it had been him holding me by the scruff of my neck (or rather my jacket), and not the tree, so he simply hoisted me back up onto the limb, where I sat, shaking, and clinging to him so hard he had trouble breathing. I relaxed my hold after a while, when I could hear more around me than only the frantic beating of my heart.

It took me a few extra minutes to realize that after what had happened a few days ago, he should not have been out of bed, let alone well enough to climb trees. In that strange way of his that he had, even before I voiced my concern, he simply said:

"Do not worry. I am well." I must have looked a bit suspicious, for he untied his vest. Where yesterday an arrow was sticking out of his chest, there was now the smallest of scars, a pale little circle. I stared at it, then at his serious face. He hooked a strand of his sunny hair behind an ear, and watched me.

Again, he brought his gracious hand up to his ear and fingered the tip. Finally, exasperated, he sighed, and said slowly, waiting for my reaction: "I am an elf."

"Err…what?"

I knew I must have sounded a bit unintelligent.

"We of Rivendell are elves. We are…immortal, and have a heightened healing ability."

"Oh…"

Sooo convincing, I thought sarcastically. Living in the forest and having pointy ears (that for the matter I only noticed now that he showed them to me) doesn't make him an elf. He took out a little silver knife out of his belt and gave it to me, hilt first. With the palm of his hand upward, he told me to cut it.

"W…what? Unh unh. No way."

I shoved the hilt of the knife back at him, now afraid of accidentally harming him. He took the knife (a lot more deftly than I did) and put it back wherever it was he kept it. He rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt ( I was intrigued to notice how neatly it was done), then before I could register what he was doing, the tip of the knife ran on his smooth, pale, forearm. I watched in silence as a crimson tendril found its way down the side of his wrist, as it dripped onto the bark, as it found a path in between too-green leaves, and lost itself somewhere below us. And then I watched as his blood stopped flowing, as the wound closed itself under my eyes, as it lost its angry red color and became a thin, white line, then disappeared completely. Only then could I take my eyes away from his arm and look into his gray-green eyes. They were too deep to understand, but I was sure there was sadness there. And resignation. (to what?) I let him take me into his arm and hold me. It made me feel safe and gave me butterflies in my stomach. I don't know how long we stayed that way. It didn't matter. Only the sound of his soothing voice broke the silence.

"I am falling into you, maelene. Like a leaf into emptiness*; it and I will fall forever, and never find a place to rest."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. the rest of that day, we talked about nothing and everything, for nothing could express our feelings for each other. I don't even know if we knew them ourselves. And yet, I learned many things about his people. Rivendell was not the only such enclave. A few others were scattered around the world; at least one on each continent. But the number of elves was dwindling as they left this world for Valinor, or occasionally departed for the Halls of Mandros. Each community kept contact with all the others. It was as much to keep among themselves as a way to survive. Of course, they sometimes mingled with the outside world to keep track of news and technology. But elves preferred above all to live in the cool heart of the forest and seldom wanted to leave for the polluted cities of our ear. And when I asked how they managed to keep their existence a secret, Alrovir only said that they "have their ways." To end the matter, elves have existed here for a "very" long time, and will stay here until it pleases them to leave. And that was the end of that.

The stats came up. They were unordinarily beautiful that night, and I couldn't keep my heart from saying that "so was Alrovir." We kept each other company, sometimes talking, sometimes simply enjoying each other's presence. I knew it would end someday, and I knew that the quicker, the better. For the both of us. At least for me. For I knew that even now, my heart would feel his loss. My problem (him) solved itself. As the moon rose, so did he, and helped me get off the tree (I have had enough precipitated descents). Under the tree's canopy, I looked into his eyes, and he into mine. I wonder what he was thinking, and what he saw in them. He seemed unsure of himself. And then he gave me a kiss. As we stood under the moon, all around us was silver. The night was warm. But it could have rained, for all I cared. Do I need to tell you that I melted into his arms? I heard him whisper something in elvish, then say: "I am sorry, maelene." With one last look, he disappeared into the gloom and was gone.

But I could still see his eyes; his deep, beautiful, gray-green eyes, that said more than simple words ever could. Those eyes, which I never forgot.

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A/N~ mmm, long enough? Sweet enough? Don't worry, it's not the end. Yet. (or maybe you should worry, cause you never know what I may come up with.) but please, as always, review. Of course you will. You're  a nice person. Right? =)

*from Celin Dion's song "I'm falling into you."