"Elrond!" If he responded to his wife's cry, it was to low in tone to hear.
Celebrian ran to his side, carelessly dropping her sword in the process.
Taking the sleeve of her shirt, Celebrian wiped the blood from Elrond's face. She bent down close to his face, sighing with slight relief when she felt a whisper of breath escape his lips and brush against her cheek.
"You will live." She spoke to him lightly as she gathered him as best she could in hr arms, trying for the sake of her own sanity to ignore her husbands grunts of pain. As she had nothing to wrap him in, to stop the tremors of cold that ran through his body, Celebrian held him as close as she could, her head bent close to his, her skin and clothes stained with his deep red blood.
The twins came not long after and lifted their father from their mother's grasp, wanting to get him back to their home as soon as possible. The journey was long and slower due to the care taken to see that the Lord of Imladris was brought back without further damage. In those few days, Celebrian was always at her husband's side, either tending to his wounds or simply holding his hand. But it was doubted sadly by all who saw them that he even knew it was his wife who comforted him, if even he felt the comfort.
Since the beatings had ceased, his mind had been free to slip into a state far from the world of pain, of happiness, he was in a world of darkness which, though it was without pain, was without companionship. His mind grew weary even as he struggled to get back to his family. The mind was winning, he was slipping.
"Will he live." The three children looked downward as their mother asked the question of the elf who had tended to their father's wounds.
"He has strength and I know that he does not wish to pass to Mandos, but he has been weakened and his body and mind seek to leave this world even as his spirit fights them." Celebrian took little comfort in those words as did her children. They came to kneel by their mother and placed each a hand on their father's arm, his hand still In the grasp of their mother.
"Father, you are far too strong to let this take your life." Elladan's whisper was all he managed to say to his father as his voice cracked and his head fell. His mother laid a hand on her son's head, gently smoothing the hair he had completely from his father.
"Ada, we are here." Arwen said to him. It was something she said to her father whenever he seemed depressed. Elrond took comfort in his family's presence under any circumstance and it seemed odd to his daughter that he did not wake and smile, they were so close and yet he seemed so far.
Elrohir managed to say nothing despite his best efforts. He found himself letting tears slip from his eyes in the stead of words of encouragement and comfort to his father.
Celebrian took her eyes and her hand from her husband as she leaned down and embraced all of her children. Slight whispers to them from her lips soothed their troubled minds as each child attempted to get just a little closer to their mother, to arms that would protect them from this.
After a time uncounted with each other, though Celebrian did not wish to leave Elrond's side, their children brought her to get a meal with them, complaining that she had not eaten in a very long time. But she found it hard to eat with her mind constantly drifting back to his form on the bed, bandaged and bruised, burned and scared. In the end, Celebrian ate less than half of what was on her plate and her children watched her leave with worried glances to one another.
When the door cracked open, Celebrian peeked through to see Elrond sleeping without stirring. She leaned against the door for a moment as she looked upon the patch of his chest bathed in moonlight from the window. Even in that pale light, the bruised flesh was easily visible as was the bandage that ran across his shoulder and abdomen.
She went to him, kneeling by the side of their bed, and gently caressing the side of his face. Various nicks and small cuts marred the beautiful flesh and his deep black hair made him seem so much more pale. Leaning over slightly and placing both hands on his chest, Celebrian kissed him lightly and stayed close to his face, looking it over with worry.
Shedding the light silver robes that she wore, Celebrian changed into a night gown and slipped under the covers of their bed. Moving lightly so as not to disturb Elrond's form, she laid beside him and wrapped an arm over his chest. It wasn't long before she fell asleep singing a soft song to him.
She was awoken with a start when she herd her name called out, then she realized that it was Elrond sitting up fast that made her wake. He had managed to jump from their bed in his delirium but the weakness of his wounded limbs did not permit him to rise from the ground where he had fallen. There he sat now, breathing heavily and still whispering under his breath the names of his wife and children.
Celebrian went quickly to him and cradled him in hr arms. Elrond looked up, his breathing evening out, to see his wife.
He grasped her face and placed another arm on her shoulder. "You're alive!" He said hoarsely. Celebrian looked at him in confusion until she realized that throughout his torture and empty sleep, he had thought something terrible had happened to them, that they to had been captured and tortured as well.
"As are you, as we all are." He looked so relieved as he hugged her tightly, burying his face in her silver hair and inhaling her sweet smell.
"I thought I saw you retreating, but I couldn't be sure…if…if they had caught you as well. Everything was so blurry, I didn't know." Celebrian, no longer feeling the need to guard herself or her emotions, let tears slip from her eyes.
"I did not wish to leave you." Elrond looked at her and spoke softly as he wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I did not wish to see you harmed, the children harmed." After they had hugged for a while longer, Celebrian rose and brought Elrond to his feet. He leaned heavily on her before she set him down on the bed and helped him to get under the covers.
When she was underneath them as well, Celebrian went immediately to her husband's arms and laid her head upon his chest. She looked up at him in worry when she heard his heart beat, considerably weaker than it had ever previously been. Elrond merely smiled down at her but his weakness broke through it and he looked aged, far too tired. Laying her head back down, Celebrian closed her eyes and attempted not to worry but found that she could not and sleep evaded her because of it. Two terrible thoughts entered her mind and they would not be pushed away, would not let themselves be forgotten with sleep.
What's she thinking? Is Elrond really on the road to recovery? wait and see…..and, you know, if you have the mind to review in the meantime, I wouldn't be opposed….:)
Taking the sleeve of her shirt, Celebrian wiped the blood from Elrond's face. She bent down close to his face, sighing with slight relief when she felt a whisper of breath escape his lips and brush against her cheek.
"You will live." She spoke to him lightly as she gathered him as best she could in hr arms, trying for the sake of her own sanity to ignore her husbands grunts of pain. As she had nothing to wrap him in, to stop the tremors of cold that ran through his body, Celebrian held him as close as she could, her head bent close to his, her skin and clothes stained with his deep red blood.
The twins came not long after and lifted their father from their mother's grasp, wanting to get him back to their home as soon as possible. The journey was long and slower due to the care taken to see that the Lord of Imladris was brought back without further damage. In those few days, Celebrian was always at her husband's side, either tending to his wounds or simply holding his hand. But it was doubted sadly by all who saw them that he even knew it was his wife who comforted him, if even he felt the comfort.
Since the beatings had ceased, his mind had been free to slip into a state far from the world of pain, of happiness, he was in a world of darkness which, though it was without pain, was without companionship. His mind grew weary even as he struggled to get back to his family. The mind was winning, he was slipping.
"Will he live." The three children looked downward as their mother asked the question of the elf who had tended to their father's wounds.
"He has strength and I know that he does not wish to pass to Mandos, but he has been weakened and his body and mind seek to leave this world even as his spirit fights them." Celebrian took little comfort in those words as did her children. They came to kneel by their mother and placed each a hand on their father's arm, his hand still In the grasp of their mother.
"Father, you are far too strong to let this take your life." Elladan's whisper was all he managed to say to his father as his voice cracked and his head fell. His mother laid a hand on her son's head, gently smoothing the hair he had completely from his father.
"Ada, we are here." Arwen said to him. It was something she said to her father whenever he seemed depressed. Elrond took comfort in his family's presence under any circumstance and it seemed odd to his daughter that he did not wake and smile, they were so close and yet he seemed so far.
Elrohir managed to say nothing despite his best efforts. He found himself letting tears slip from his eyes in the stead of words of encouragement and comfort to his father.
Celebrian took her eyes and her hand from her husband as she leaned down and embraced all of her children. Slight whispers to them from her lips soothed their troubled minds as each child attempted to get just a little closer to their mother, to arms that would protect them from this.
After a time uncounted with each other, though Celebrian did not wish to leave Elrond's side, their children brought her to get a meal with them, complaining that she had not eaten in a very long time. But she found it hard to eat with her mind constantly drifting back to his form on the bed, bandaged and bruised, burned and scared. In the end, Celebrian ate less than half of what was on her plate and her children watched her leave with worried glances to one another.
When the door cracked open, Celebrian peeked through to see Elrond sleeping without stirring. She leaned against the door for a moment as she looked upon the patch of his chest bathed in moonlight from the window. Even in that pale light, the bruised flesh was easily visible as was the bandage that ran across his shoulder and abdomen.
She went to him, kneeling by the side of their bed, and gently caressing the side of his face. Various nicks and small cuts marred the beautiful flesh and his deep black hair made him seem so much more pale. Leaning over slightly and placing both hands on his chest, Celebrian kissed him lightly and stayed close to his face, looking it over with worry.
Shedding the light silver robes that she wore, Celebrian changed into a night gown and slipped under the covers of their bed. Moving lightly so as not to disturb Elrond's form, she laid beside him and wrapped an arm over his chest. It wasn't long before she fell asleep singing a soft song to him.
She was awoken with a start when she herd her name called out, then she realized that it was Elrond sitting up fast that made her wake. He had managed to jump from their bed in his delirium but the weakness of his wounded limbs did not permit him to rise from the ground where he had fallen. There he sat now, breathing heavily and still whispering under his breath the names of his wife and children.
Celebrian went quickly to him and cradled him in hr arms. Elrond looked up, his breathing evening out, to see his wife.
He grasped her face and placed another arm on her shoulder. "You're alive!" He said hoarsely. Celebrian looked at him in confusion until she realized that throughout his torture and empty sleep, he had thought something terrible had happened to them, that they to had been captured and tortured as well.
"As are you, as we all are." He looked so relieved as he hugged her tightly, burying his face in her silver hair and inhaling her sweet smell.
"I thought I saw you retreating, but I couldn't be sure…if…if they had caught you as well. Everything was so blurry, I didn't know." Celebrian, no longer feeling the need to guard herself or her emotions, let tears slip from her eyes.
"I did not wish to leave you." Elrond looked at her and spoke softly as he wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I did not wish to see you harmed, the children harmed." After they had hugged for a while longer, Celebrian rose and brought Elrond to his feet. He leaned heavily on her before she set him down on the bed and helped him to get under the covers.
When she was underneath them as well, Celebrian went immediately to her husband's arms and laid her head upon his chest. She looked up at him in worry when she heard his heart beat, considerably weaker than it had ever previously been. Elrond merely smiled down at her but his weakness broke through it and he looked aged, far too tired. Laying her head back down, Celebrian closed her eyes and attempted not to worry but found that she could not and sleep evaded her because of it. Two terrible thoughts entered her mind and they would not be pushed away, would not let themselves be forgotten with sleep.
What's she thinking? Is Elrond really on the road to recovery? wait and see…..and, you know, if you have the mind to review in the meantime, I wouldn't be opposed….:)