The light clings and clashes of sword play rang throughout the halls of Imladris, filling the seeming emptiness that had lasted for a few years now with the light hearted laughter of a child. Estel had grown, though not much, but was finally able to begin learning such things in play even though his mother did not approve.
The Lady of Imladris had insisted.
It was Celebrían who was teaching him to jab and parry such as he was now. His short sword was of an elvish make and was light enough for the child to wield. He was learning fast, something Celebrían had expected from a relative of her husband.
Celebrían flicked his tiny sword from his hands and left Estel staring at him empty hands. When he looked up at the elf a glint came into his eyes moments before he charged her with a rallying battle cry. Celebrían laughed as he toppled her to the ground. She fought him off as she picked herself and the child off the ground.
"Such strategies will not always work, tithen min, keep a better grip on your blade." Celebrían chided as she set him down.
"I will, can we get something to eat now lady Celebrían?" Estel asked politely.
She nodded down at him. "Your mother is already in the dining hall I believe, go find her Estel."
He smiled at her before running off.
Looking down at herself, Celebrían stifled a laugh. She was dressed in one of her favoured dresses of a fine, white weave which left her shoulder's bare save for the straps of the dress. In her hand was the blade she had wielded for several hundred years now. She thought she looked quite ridiculous.
"You look like a force to be reckoned with, my lady."
Celebrían turned to see Erestor smiling at her.
"If the lad grows under your instruction, so shall he be one day." Erestor threw in before stepping towards her with a few papers in hand.
Celebrían smiled as she sheathed her blade. "Flattery will get you nowhere." She replied jokingly.
Erestor feigned being taken aback. "I would not dare to tease the wife of Elrond, I prefer to keep my body intact."
Her head dropped slowly as she breathed in. Erestor's mouth opened slightly as his jaw quivered in disbelief of what he'd said.
Whenever his name was mentioned it snapped everybody back to the reality that he was gone. This reality hit Celebrían hardest and everyone went to great lengths to keep her mind from it.
"Celebrían...I-." Erestor started before Celebrían held up a hand to quiet him.
"You've reminded me that I need to...look in on a prior engagement, meldir." She said quietly before walking slowly from him.
Erestor felt a cold seeping through him. "Your mother and father have sent you letters," he said, holding up the papers in his hand, "as has Denethor of Gondor." Erestor handed her the papers in his hand and watched her leave without further word.
To say that Celebrían had claimed Elrond's study as her own would be quite untrue. She had done everything possible to make certain she kept it as close to how it had been before.... But she had found that of all the rooms in the vast Imladris, this one was purely his. Not theirs or his and their children's, simply Elrond's.
As much as she tried to remain in her own study, she was always drawn here to read when she wanted peace and quiet or simply to be here to feel a part of him. She was here now on account of both reasons.
Opening the first letter, she saw that it was divided between two different styles of writing. The Steward of Gondor was writing formally to say that his beloved wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy, thus ensuring that Gondor would have leadership through another generation of men. His wife wrote in a much less formal tone and said that the beautiful, brown haired baby boy had been named Boromir.
Celebrían smiled, it was obvious they were excited to be parents.
When she read the letter from her parents, she felt tears stinging behind her eyes. She knew they wrote often to ensure that she was doing well as were the children. But right now, the tone of their letter served to darken her mood further.
Her father merely wanted to know if she was feeling all right and getting enough sleep, things such as that and also if she needed any assistance from the guard of Lorien that she should let him know. The underlying tone was that if she were feeling the slightest bit off, he would be there in a flash. He was her father and he'd like to see Ilúvatar try and stand between him and his tithen iell.
Her mother shielded her far less and simply stated that Lorien's army, should it be needed, was at the ready to ride to Imladris. She also said that she would like to visit Celebrían sometime soon.
Celebrían looked out the window at the storm coming from the southeast and sighed. Lorien's army was ready and she knew why. Her mother had foreseen something, something very troubling.
She watched the clouds move in as she sat in silence.
Until an overwhelming feeling that she was being watched came over her and she turned towards the door. It was the same feeling she would get when Estel peeked over her shoulder at what she was doing. But there was no one else in the room. Just this feeling of a child's presence.
It was fortunate that Glorfindel then walked into the room or Celebrían might have been lost to this feeling.
He watched as she composed herself and shook off the feeling.
"What is it Glorfindel?"
"Are you alright?" He asked, stepping closer.
Celebrían stood and nodded. "Reading over some messages. Denethor has an heir." She said, attempting to draw the conversation away from herself.
Glorfindel nodded but said nothing further. An awkward silence followed before Celebrían said something about being hungry and left. Looking around the study, Glorfindel sighed.
~*~
Celebrían had asked for a far smaller meal than what the cooks of Imladris were accustomed to preparing for her but they had made it and before the lady of Imladris it sat. Virtually untouched. Growing cold.
She was back in Elrond's study, staring out the window at the darkening blue as she waited for the rain to hit. Before her sat a letter which brought comfort and immense pain whenever she read it now.
His first letter to her. There was nothing even remotely romantic about it, about the words which he had used and the tone with which he wrote it.
I hope this letter finds you in better conditions than the ones from which it leaves...
But within this simple letter she had found out so much about him.
Let your mother know that Mordor's forces are slowly but steadily retreating...
About how he cared for everyone he met. He did not wish them to worry unnecessarily.
I saw your father just yesterday, he was hopeful because of the success of the Alliance...
There was perhaps one note of caring slightly deeper than that of a friend as it concerned something they had shared the first night they met. He had told her of his countless losses of family. She had shared her fears of loosing her father in the battle. He went to every effort to convince her of his safety.
Send word back, I wish to know-
Celebrían read the last sentence once more before turning her gaze to the sky as a droplet of water hit the page.
He hadn't been able to finish that last sentence before his camp was attacked. Gil-galad had sent the letter to her with a note of his own the next day before heading off in search of his recently captured herald.
She sent her letter of reply the next morning. It was filled with anything he would wish to know, anything she could think of. She was pleading that it reach him and that his reply would follow shortly after.
She considered the next letter she received from him in response to be his first love letter to her and she had sent her heart to him in every message after that.
Sighing, Celebrían folded the letter but felt a chill run up her back. Not of fear, rather of surprise.
Again she turned to see no one in the study with her. She quivered as the sensation remained, causing her breathing to become irregular and her skin cold.
Timidly, breathlessly, she said, "...Elrond?"
Celebrían clenched her jaw angrily and breathed deeply. She missed the feeling of his presence so much she was certain she was hallucinating it. But it felt so close, so familiar...
"Im le an anann...meleth nin...." She thought after a moment, running her hands over his desk.
'I miss you too, Brí'
It may have been the fact that her body was playing tricks on her for the lack of food it was receiving, it may have been the fact that her grief was toying with her mind. She was not certain why, when she heard the young voice in her head, she looked about the room.
'No, silly, you know I cannot be there.'
Celebrían turned back to face the desk, closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in a few stabilising breaths. These allowed the rational part of her mind to push away all the emotions she had let stampede her mind.
She turned back and looked about the study as she spoke firmly to herself. "You cannot be here any more than I can be hearing you tell me that you cannot be here, I miss my husband and because of reasons I cannot identify at the moment, I am conjuring up your voice to comfort me." She breathed in deeply as she finished, content that she had done away with the nonsense. She listened for a second and when no voice came, she let the breath loose.
'If you were truly hallucinating, my love, then you would have heard the voice I left you with, not this squeak I have recently acquired.'
Her reaction was so quick that Celebrían, in a very ungraceful motion, kicked her self back and tipped her chair as she went. She landed with a 'WHUMP' and remained on the ground, attempting to regain her bearings. The giggle she heard in her mind was irritating.
'I take it I surprised you?'
"Bloody rights you surprised me!" She growled, getting to her feet. She was breathing heavily as she looked about.
'Sorry Brí, didn't mean to. It's just been so long, I didn't want you to cast this off as some hallucination due to lack of food. By the way, start eating more, your diet is not healthy at the moment.'
Celebrían suddenly felt all the emotion she had forced away rise up again. "I have been without your presence in my mind for so long..."
'As have I been without yours my love, as have I.'
She missed the times when they would speak so lovingly and then slip into one another's arms. They didn't have that luxury now. She waited for him to speak again, then sat down at his chair. It was obvious she would not be able to feel him always.
A few minutes later, Glorfindel appeared at the door, much as he had before.
"Are you alright?"
Celebrían looked up and smiled at him. "Are you going to ask me that every time you come in here?"
Glorfindel stammered. "Um...I...I heard a thump...or a crash...it was loud and...came from here...where I assumed you were and...yes."
His silly words of concern made her smile deepen. "I am fine Glorfindel. Would you like to have a drink in the Hall of Fire? I feel like talking with friends this night."
Glorfindel considered her for a moment before smiling himself. "I will fetch Erestor, it will be a nice change of pace."
He didn't ask why she had a sudden, slight upturn in her mood, simply accepted it happily and did go in search of Erestor.
Sitting back, Celebrían looked about the room. "Do not wait to long to come and talk again El..." She whispered, laying a palm upon his desk before rising, snuffing out the candles and leaving the darkened study.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tithen min-little one
Meldir-male friend
Tithen iell-little girl
Im le an anann...meleth nin -I long for thee my love
Ah, chalk another one up ;) thanks for all the reviews guys!