Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognise is mine and everything else belongs to Tolkien.
A/N: Another chapter up. Hope you all enjoy it! Please review and let me know if you do!
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After he had left his grandfather, Elrohir followed the direction Galwyn had gone in, moving quietly through the trees and undergrowth, taking the same path she had done. Suddenly, from some distance away he spied the pool currently bathed in the light of the retreating sun, turning the surface of the water a mixture of pinks, purples, yellows and oranges. He could see her clothes on the bank, but there did not appear to be any sign of her. He looked around the pool anxiously, his eyes searching for some sign of her whereabouts, when she suddenly broke the surface of the pool, flinging her head back to divulge her face of her hair, which swung back in an ebony halo, sending crystal drops of water flying some distance. She paused for breath, standing up in the waist deep waters at the edge of the pool, oblivious to his presence, before disappearing once more below the water.
Elrohir hastily turned away, his breathing slightly quicker than usual, and his face flushed. Stoic by nature, as most elves were, he was able to control his feelings, but he was not sure that he would be able to control himself if presented with the vision of her nakedness. While himself not innocent to the many ways of loving someone, he knew that she was, and that he had to wait until she was ready to share her body with him. Indeed, he wanted to wait until she was ready, for then the moment would be as special and perfect as he hoped. The waiting was not a problem… As long as I am not presented with sights such as that which make me want nothing more than show her exactly how I feel and do things I know would make her blush… he thought, hurriedly retreating to a safe distance to wait for her, trying not to think about the rivulets of water running down the smooth honeyed skin…
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It was some time before he heard the splashing in the water cease and, after a brief pause when he presumed she was putting her clothes back on, he heard movement in the trees behind where he was sitting, facing away from the pool. He stood up, and, silently as possible, made his way up behind her. He was almost there when she suddenly spun round and he found a knife at his throat.
When she saw who it was that had been following her, Galwyn quickly removed the knife from his neck, replaced it in the sheath that hung from her belt, and allowed herself to be taken in his arms.
"Be calm, Galwyn. It is only I."
As he embraced her, Elrohir could feel how tense her body was under his hands and he stepped back, looking deep into her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Elrohir. I didn't know it was you following me, my senses don't seem to be as sharp as they usually are…" She said quietly and he lifted an eyebrow in response.
"That is because you are obviously exhausted, are you not?" He said, even as she stifled a yawn. He smiled. "Well, I think it is best if we return now, you need some food and rest." He gently reached out and smoothed the wet hair from her face before taking her hand. They walked back to the camp in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
As soon as she had eaten something, Elrohir insisted she retire, even though the stars had only just shown themselves. But she did not protest, for she was, indeed, finding it hard to keep her eyes open. As with every night when he was not on watch, he lay with her under her blanket, her head on his shoulder, his cheek resting on her head, and their bodies firmly encased within the other's arms. She fell asleep almost immediately, but he lay awake for some time, just watching her face and revelling in being close to her. The day had passed so slowly for him, and his mind had been so preoccupied with awful thoughts of what might befall her, that he had, for a while, forgotten the ache in his chest that was the constant reminder that he was without his twin. But she had returned to him, and he trusted her not to do anything foolish when she was away. He watched her for a while longer before he, too, succumbed to sleep.
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She was lying in a clearing, the same one Elrohir had taken her to on the day of the council; only it was even more beautiful than she remembered, and the petals that had fallen had covered her like a blanket. The air smelt sweetly of the blossom on the trees and the sun was warm on her skin. She picked up a handful of the petals and threw it in the air, her laughter as she watched it fall around her like snow seeming loud in the clearing. Suddenly she heard a movement, and turning, she saw a figure enter the clearing. Standing before her was Elrohir, smiling. He said nothing, only beckoned for her to come with him. She did not hesitate and stood up immediately, and felt the blanket of petals fall off of her in one smooth movement. She ran towards him and he held his arms out to her, but just as she was about to reach him, he ran out of her reach, laughing in his game. She laughed too, and ran towards him again, only to have him dance out of her reach once more. He guided her through the trees, calling to her and hiding, always out of her reach. She began to tire, but he seemed so close, and she wanted to touch him, to hold him so very much…
Elrohir awoke with a distinct feeling that something was wrong. There was no warm body in his arms, and as he sat up, he saw the empty space where Galwyn should have been. Immediately alert, he looked around the camp for signs of movement, but all that he could see were Finrodan and Arùmil, who were on watch duty. Not wishing to cause any alarm, he moved through the shadows into the treeline, keeping as low as he could to avoid detection. He knew she must have gone this way, or they would have seen her, but where, or why, she had gone, he had no idea. His eyes scanning the ground, he searched for some clue as to which direction she might have gone in…
Their game had taken them far into the trees and Galwyn could feel her legs beginning to grow more and more tired, but the game was so tantalising. He danced so close to her, now letting her catch him briefly, and pulling her along with him, before moving out of her reach once more, still smiling and beautiful, illuminated by the golden sunlight. He called her name again and again, beckoning to her, and still she followed, smiling as she stumbled after him. He began to sing, a song whose tune she knew, but whose words she did not remember, and she hummed along with him…
He was starting to grow desperate now. There was nothing to show where she might have gone, and he was just moving deeper and deeper into the trees, running this way and that, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, his ears straining to hear any sounds. Suddenly, and so soft he thought at first it was just the breeze that ran through the trees, he heard something. He stopped, and listened, and it came again: first a giggle, and then…humming? He began to run in the direction it came from…
The game had stopped now, for they had reached a stream, a stream that looked very much like the one she had followed that afternoon, although of course that was silly, because she was in Rivendell, wasn't she? Elrohir jumped over it, and she laughed as the water splashed her dress, which was the same one she had worn the night when they had first kissed. He beckoned to her to jump, but she shook her head, laughing, afraid of falling in and getting wet. Elrohir frowned and called her name, still gesturing for her to follow him, but the water by her feet was beginning to look darker and more ferocious, and the gap seemed to be growing. He called to her, and she shook her head, afraid of the waters boiling and foaming at her feet. Elrohir began to grow more and more angry, and the more that she looked at him, the more it seemed his hair was not brown, but a shade somewhere between blonde and silver, and his eyes were looking more and more blue, although there was a strange, red flicker in them. He reached out to her, his face suddenly that of the elf from the tower. She screamed in fear as hideous wings sprung from his shoulders and he flew to her, trying to drag her over the edge and into the waters below…
When he heard the scream, Elrohir's blood turned cold. It was her, he knew, and he ran even faster, though his muscles ached in protest. The sounds had taken him in a direction roughly parallel to the stream, and he knew that there were rapids ahead. He prayed that she had not fallen, for he knew there was no chance of surviving them. Suddenly he saw her, standing on the river bank, apparently locked in a fight with something invisible, for he could see nothing, although it appeared that she was being pulled closer and closer to the edge, and he could hear her crying out repeatedly. As he grew nearer, he could see her eyes were closed, not tightly squeezed shut from fear, but closed as though she was sleeping, though the rest of her features were contorted with panic. When he reached her, she fought him furiously, crying out, and he struggled to keep a hold on her, her strength seemingly increased by her fear. He called her name again and again, willing her to wake up, to respond, but still she struggled, tears streaming from under her closed eyelids…
As she fought the demon before her, she felt another one grab hold of her from behind, pushing her towards the water's edge as the other one pulled her, and she could hear herself screaming, although it was almost drowned out by the churning of the water, and something else…she could hear a voice calling her name, although it sounded as though it was coming from very far away. The demons seemed to hear it too, and she could feel herself overpowering the one before her, but the one behind her seemed to have a firm hold, though it did not feel as though it was pushing her any more. The voice was getting louder, and it seemed like the sunlight was becoming darker, and the warmth was fading. She ceased her struggles, and slumped, abandoning herself to the cold and darkness that was beginning to envelope her…
When she stopped struggling, Elrohir relaxed his hold on her slightly, feeling her shaking and trembling as he held her.
"Wake up! Galwyn! Listen to me! Hear my voice! Wake up!" He cried, feeling his throat growing hoarse. Suddenly her eyes opened, and her eyes focussed on his face.
"Elrohir? Is that really you?"
"Yes, it is me. Peace. It was just a dream."
"I was following you… it was a… game. But then, you turned into him and he tried to pull me in…he tried to…he tried…"
"I am here now, and nothing and no one can hurt you." She continued to cry and buried her face in his tunic, her body shaking with each sob. He wrapped his arms round her gently, and held her as he waited for the sobs to subside. When they did so, he realised that she was shivering, and looking down, he saw that she was wearing only her short tunic, and her bare legs and arms were dimpled and red from the cold breeze. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest as he made his way back to the camp.
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A/N: Please review!
