Thanks for the review. First, my word processor crashed; then I got caught up writing a Star Wars fic, and neglected poor Elrond.
Really happy though. I found some clearance LOTR cards at my local Gas station, so I bought 5 packs. The very last card in my last pack was an autographed Hugo Weaving as Elrond! Just thought I'd share the good news with my readers. (all three of you)
Not mine. Make no money. Read first chapter to find out who owns.
Elrond groaned. The blazing sun of midday was not coinciding well with the tremendous hangover he had. Why, he wondered, did he always have to do something monumentally foolish when he got really drunk? Glorfindel danced on tables; Gil-Galad told dirty jokes. Elrond? Elrond set tents on fire, or shot arrows at unsuspecting dwarves, or kidnapped daughters of extremely powerful elves. He only hoped that he could come up with as good of a scheme to get him out of this mess as he had to get him into the mess.
His plan had been fantastic. The worst part being that it had actually worked. He had sneaked back to the remnant of the party and picked a fight with one of the elves from Thranduil's group. He then crept back to his room with Glorfindel and picked up his traveling bag. He left a note saying how outraged he was, and how he would not stay in the same city with that low life elf. He then made a big show about leaving. Rather loudly telling the stable hand about the whole "fight."
An hour later, had had successfully crept back into the city. He first readied Celebrian's horse. The stable hand was asleep due to a very generous gift of elven wine from Imladris. He quickly made his way back to her room and fetched her travel bag that she had packed for her wedding trip. He lowered himself back down the tree and strapped the bag to Celebrian's horse. Silently, he had scaled back up the tree.
Then, the hard part came. He couldn't take Celebrian out the window, so he would have to trek through the halls, hoping to avoid anyone else in her tree top abode. But, that had not been the hard part. Fighting down the base parts of his nature had been. Watching her sleep had been incredible. Picking her up had almost put him over the edge. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to lay down next to her and kiss her until the morning. When she was fully in his arms, she had instinctively curled towards him seeking warmth. She had buried her head in the hollow of his neck. She had wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders. She had nearly driven him insane.
He had quietly made his way down to where her horse was tied, and mounted both of the in its saddle. He then rode out to where he had left his own horse. The beauty of his plan had come out then. He had put Celebrian on his horse and sent them off together on the path towards Imladris. He then took Celebrian's horse and rode off in another direction. Turning around, he had taken short cuts to get back to the path that Celebrian was on. With any luck, the search party looking for her would think she was traveling somewhere other than on a path towards Imladris. A smirk had over taken his features when he saw his horse trudging along carrying her on its back. He really must thank Glorfindel for training his horse so well. Catching up, he had let his mind drift off to sleep, to senseless to do anything else.
That was last night. Today was a different matter. How could he do such a stupid thing! Celebrian would kill him when she awoke. If she lacked the strength, her mother would certainly finish his life. Feeling the urge to do something less than delicate, he pulled both horses over to the side of the road to lose what little supper he had had in the bushes. Hearing a stream nearby, he decided that now would be a good time to water the horses. Gently depositing Celebrian on the ground, he let the horses drink.
Moaning as he rubbed his temples, he was again reminded of the mortal blood that flowed in his veins. No other elf ever had this kind of hangover. He supposed it was fit punishment for the misery he was bringing into Celebrian's life. She should be enjoying her wedding feast right now, not sleeping in her nightgown against the rough bark of a tree. Well, at least he had the satisfaction of knowing that his sleeping potion did indeed work. Apparently, his mortal blood also contradicted some of his elvish medicines. The dose he had given Celebrian had made her sleep through quite a few things.
```````````````````````````````````````
Celebrian fought all she could against waking up. Today was going to be the worst day of her life. Her dreams had been more than she ever hoped for. Thoughts of Elrond and permeated them until they were saturated with him. She had heard his voice, soft and melodical. She had dreamt of him sitting on the edge of her bed. Her fingers had caressed his face, yet she wanted more. If this was all she could ever hope to have, then she did not want to face the world without a hint of him in it.
Slowly, her eyes focused on a very bright sun. She could hear birds singing and her neck felt cramped. She tried to pull her blankets closer to her, but realized that she didn't have a blanket to pull. Her eyes slowly focused down on herself. She wasn't in her bed. She was sitting on a forest floor with her back propped up against what felt like a tree. She was still in her nightgown, but wrapped around her shoulders was a traveling cloak that was not her own. It was a deep gray color with light golden embroidery on it. It was soft, warm and smelled very much like horses and smelled very much like a certain elf lord she knew. Her eyes widened at the thought. It smelled like him because it was his.
Glancing quickly to her right, she saw him sitting on the forest floor, head in his hands. He did not look like the proud man she had seen last night. He rather looked like the most miserable elf in all of middle earth. Stiffly, she rose to her feet and walked over to him.
"Elrond."
His head shot up like a rocket. "M'lady, I did not hear you awaken."
Scrambling to his feet he began to ramble like a condemned man. "I must beg your forgiveness. I went to your room last night to apologize, but then you were asleep, and I was almost caught and then, well, I was drunk, and I was not rational, and I couldn't help myself and so I, I must beg for your mercy. I had no intention of this when I arrived yesterday."
"You abducted me?"
"Yes, I… I could not help it. My humanity got the better of me. There was no way I could stand there and just let you be taken from me. My heart would have shattered in pieces. You know not how I long for you, how my world bends around one whisp of breath from your lips. My soul is a flame at the thought of you in another's arms, in another's bed. Such pain is not easily bidden away."
Celebrian could not speak. Her heart was overflowing with joy. There was so much inside of her, she felt like she could not contain it if she let only a little out.
Elrond took a deep breath. "I shall fetch the horses and bring us back to your parent's house."
Fear lanced through Celebrian. "I do not believe we have discussed you punishment Lord Elrond. I believe that it is my right and not my parents to do so. I, after all, am the victim of your passions."
Swallowing slowly, Elrond turned to face her. "What punishment does my Lady wish to inflict while not in the company of others?" Inside, Elrond cringed. He had left himself open to have the rest of his heart ripped out. A passionate confession of love was not the brightest thing to say to your captive. And now, she was going to finish the job she had begun with her letter.
A smile crossed Celebrian's lips. "I wish to make you feel the brunt of your passions, to make them burn you until you can no longer feel their heat. Unfortunately, I can think of only one way to do that, and it takes quite a long time."
"What is that my Lady?" Elrond inquired, fear running rampantly through his body.
Celebrian grinned, grabbed a lock of his raven hair, pressed her body against his, and kissed him.
HA!
Finally got the two together! Now all I have to do is deal with friends and in-laws.