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Elvish:

Na-erui al lû thent: only for a short time

Le hannon, meleth nín: thank you, my love

gerich veleth nín: I love you (lit. you have my love)

Notes: I know it's been a while since my last update! I'm sorry! *cries* The plot bunnies have been avoiding me, and since I think this part can stand on it's own, I decided to divide this chapter into two parts.

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For four days Elladan, Laeriel, and their rescuers attempted to evade the orc horde that hunted them. The elves and humans had split up, hoping to divide the horde's attention and increase the odds of getting Elladan home. After Laeriel's last taste of freedom she was wary of what Sauron might do, and made certain they erased every possible sign of their presence.

When she was finally satisfied that the orcs were no longer pursuing them, Laeriel allowed the two other elves to lead her and Elladan back to Caras Gil-galad, the sanctuary Galadriel had built.

As soon as they entered the city, Elladan was welcomed with open arms by his family. Laeriel stayed back and watched their happy reunion with a smile. Truth be told, she envied Elladan, for she had no true family, she had only Elladan and Elrohir. Even though their family treated her well, they still hesitated to make her a part of it, and, given the times they lived in, Laeriel could not blame them. Her own ada and naneth had left for Valinor even before the war of the ring, and her brother, Hallon, who had been living in Lothlorien, was killed when it was attacked.

The memory of it all was still fresh in her mind. She could recall riding to Lothlorien with Elladan on his horse, recalled seeing her brother once again, recalled her joy, and recalled how short-lived it had been. Only a week after the party from Rivendell had arrived Sauron's forces attacked Lothlorien and annihilated the city and most of its people - including Hallon.

Wrapping her arms around herself sadly, Laeriel left Elladan with his family and walked slowly to the small pool in the middle of Caras Gil-Galad - her favourite spot in all the city. She sat down and trailed the fingers of her right hand through the cool water, smiling as she did so. Even though she was not the only one to ever visit the pool, it somehow felt like her own private haven - the brightly coloured fish in the pool always made her smile, and the singing of the birds calmed her fears, bringing her back to the days she had spent in Imladris. With a content sigh, she laid down on the grass and ran the fingers of her left hand in the water. In that moment all her pain seemed to disappear, and she closed her eyes to let the warm feeling wash over her.

She felt someone else approaching from behind, but did not move, for she was unwilling to let go of the moment. Instead she remained laying beside the pool - fingers in the water, a happy smile on her face, not worried about who was behind her. For the first time in a long time she was truly safe.

"So this is where you went," Elladan murmured as he sat down behind her and ran his fingers gently over her cheek.

Laeriel rolled over so that she was laying on her back, looking up at him and smiling. "You are supposed to be with your family."

"And you are supposed to be with a healer," he retorted with a soft smile as he stroked her hair.

Her smile turned mischievous, though she still managed to keep her look of lazy contentment, and she whispered, "I will not tell anyone, if you do not."

Elladan's gaze shifted to her left arm, where he trailed his fingers gently over the surface of the bandage, then to her stomach as he lifted her tunic. The cuts and bruises covering its surface made Elladan wince.

"I know," Laeriel muttered sadly, reaching up to caress his cheek. "Just a moment longer? I cannot remember the last time I felt so content and safe."

His eyes met hers, her eyes begging him to allow her to stay by the pond. A sadness grew in Elladan's heart as he looked down on the face of the elleth he loved so purely, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Na-erui al lû thent," he agreed quietly as he laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing her cheek.

"Le hannon, meleth nín," she said with a smile as she closed her eyes, and tried to forget about the outside world.

Elladan's breath tickled her ear, and he whispered, "gerich veleth nín." Laeriel's smile grew at his words. In that moment, the darkness of the outside world, all the loss and pain, was forgotten, and all she knew was peace and the warm feeling of Elladan's body next to hers.