A/N: Yay! Would you look at that hit counter... I reached 1000!!!!!!!!
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Anyway, please review, and on with the show!
Chapter 14- Midnight Rendezvous
"He said that elleth had never moved so quickly," Orophin laughed. He took a long drink of his wine and let it run down his throat before continuing his laugh with Rúmil.
"I believe that. Nindë is rather sluggish for an elf." Rúmil nodded, passing the dice off to his brother. "Except it makes me wonder about their experiences together. Are they really that slow and dull?"
Orophin shook his head and tossed the dice on the table, "You have heard them before. That one time you went to his talan to give him something. You tell me."
Rúmil chuckled, "I would rather not remember that day. I wanted to be deaf right at that moment."
"I will spare you then," Orophin said. "Forget I brought it up."
"What are we wagering for?" Rúmil asked, sitting straighter in his chair and drinking his own wine. "All we have been doing is tossing the dice back and forth."
Orophin shrugged, "I am not sure. There is nothing I can think to wager on right now. I have no duties to tend to."
"Nor do I." The younger brother sighed and stared down at the dice for a moment. He then grumbled lowly, as soon as the remembrance of Haldir's lovemaking invaded his mind. "So much for not thinking of it."
"Well, since we are thinking of Nindë, we might as well come up with a plan to annoy her if she continues to intrude on our brother's life in the false manner she is so good at." Orophin suggested. "And in case she tries to harm Indilisse."
Rúmil laughed, "I find it hard to believe that Indilisse could be hurt by such an elleth."
Orophin nodded in agreement, "You are right. Sometimes I think she has a bigger chip on her shoulder than a Balrog."
"What is this about a Balrog?" The brothers looked up and found the twins taking seats on the wooden benches next to them.
"Ah, just the elves we wanted to see." Rúmil smiled, slapping Elrohir on the back.
"That is never a good way to start a conversation with the mischievous Lórien brothers." Elladan laughed and pushed his dark hair back behind his shoulders.
"Do you really think so little of us, Elladan?" Orophin joked and let out a small laugh.
"Not you, so much as Rúmil." Elrohir added and poured himself a goblet of the deep red wine from the silver carafe at the table. "But you do work best as a pair, as though you share one mind. As a matter of fact, Haldir is the only of the three of you that has any sense."
Rúmil snorted and took a vigorous swig of his wine, placing his goblet back down on the table with enough force that the sound of it hitting the carven wood made a few elves at another table turn to look at them. "Are you not supposed to be dining with the Lord and Lady tonight, anyway? Seeing as they are your grandparents and you have not seen your sister in many months?"
"And miss the dining experience with all the other commoners?" Elladan replied haughtily with a quick chuckle. "Actually we are far too tired from our travels to deal with our grandparents this evening. We miss spending time and cavorting with the Lórien wardens now that we ride with the Men from the North."
"Besides, Ada is entertaining them." Elrohir added. He grabbed the dice from in front of Rúmil and rolled them between his hands, looking at them closely. "What are we wagering for?"
Orophin shrugged, "We were just trying to decide that as you came up."
"But we could think of nothing, and thought it would be better to plot against a few people." Rúmil grinned. "You two would not like to help, would you?"
"We are not good at making devious plans." Elrohir nodded, "But are very good at carrying them out, but we let Estel carry them out when he was younger because he could get away with them, so I guess we have grown pretty lazy."
Elladan looked at his brother for a few moments after he had stopped his long thoughts. "Are you finished?"
"Casar," Elrohir snapped in response.
"Who would these plans involve?" Elladan pretended not to hear what his brother said.
Orophin glanced at Rúmil and then each of the twins, leaning in, "Haldir."
Elladan chortled loudly, and shook his head, "You two truly have a wish for death."
"It is not so much a wish as it is a morbid curiosity, Elladan." Elrohir added, sipping his wine. "It is not one visit do we not encounter you two devising a plan that can somehow mean death or certain injury to yourselves."
Rúmil laughed, "Except this time, we have permission from Haldir."
"Well, partial permission." Orophin added. "He only knows of one thing, the other we decided to take into our own hands."
"Who are we making a mockery of?" Elrohir asked. "Another warden? One of his friends?"
"An elleth called Nindë." Rúmil said and made sure not to meet the twins' eyes. "She desires but one thing from our brother, and that is power and to be the one to uncover the mystery that is my eldest brother."
"Have you no honor?!" Elladan asked loudly, "Vowing to help your brother hurt an elleth... I cannot even believe Haldir would condone such a thing."
Rúmil held a hand up to silence him. "We will do nothing to the elleth unless she continues to believe she has the ability to poison Haldir's mind. She hates any other elleth that so much steps in her path on her route to winning our brother."
"Haldir has put up with Nindë for many years because she is supposedly superb at releasing unwanted tension." Orophin continued, "Because he was sure he would never find someone to love."
"But now he has?" Elrohir asked, "We must go find and congratulate him."
Elladan sipped his wine and set the goblet down easily, stretching his legs out beneath the table. "So who is the lucky elleth who has stolen your March Warden's heart?"
Orophin and Rúmil exchanged glances and nodded to each other before, "Master Targon's daughter, Indilisse."
The Lórien brothers were not expecting the reactions that they received. Instead of the smiles remaining upon the twins' faces or a chuckle as they had to surely remember Indilisse from her stay in Imladris, the Lórien brothers were met with two long and quiet expressions. Elrohir even sputtered on the wine of which he was in mid-sip.
"And she is in love with him?" Elladan asked, sitting a little straighter and trying to keep his head held high even though he felt at the moment he could become ill. Whatever being ill meant... he just did not feel well. He could feel Elrohir's worried glances at him, but disregarded them as best he could.
Rúmil shrugged, "That is as much a mystery as why I still have not joined with an elleth."
"I do not blame Narië for waiting so long," Orophin replied. "You do not bathe regularly."
Rúmil glared at him and turned back to the quiet brothers. "You see the second part of our plan is to bring them together. Haldir had never had to really woo a maiden before, they usually just throw themselves at his feet. Indilisse seems so distant and hides her emotions well, like she does not want to show them, so we really do not know what she is feeling."
"She has never spoken of another?" Elrohir questioned for himself, but received an elbow in his ribs from Elladan.
Orophin shook his head, "Not that I can remember. Except for when she spoke with Glorfindel this afternoon. Why do you ask?"
Elrohir shook his head, casting a quick glance in his brother's direction, "Oh, no reason. I am just curious."
"I am sorry Rúmil and Orophin, but I respectfully decline your request to aide you in this quest." Elladan replied and stood up from his seat. He knew there was no hope for a relationship with Indilisse, except that of friends, but somewhere within his mind, he hoped that they could still be more. That he could completely forgive her and Glorfindel for what they did to him now nearly fifteen hundred years ago. That maybe, possibly, he could still look into those eyes of hers and wish away the world just so he could stay with her. But they were no longer there.
They had not spoken in almost two hundred years... even when he rode in from the borders, she did not spend more than a fleeting moment gazing at him. Her gaze had immediately turned to Glorfindel. She went straight to Glorfindel, welcoming him and warning him to stay away form her in her own roundabout way that Elladan used to love. Why had she gone to him first? She and Glorfindel were friends before the incident, and they had maintained limited friendship afterwards, which Indilisse had seemed fine about, but now he wondered if it was all a front she had been putting up to make him feel better. What if she had felt something stronger for Glorfindel that Elladan had failed to notice- all the long years of their courtship?
"What is wrong, mellon nin?" Orophin asked, seeing the distress in Elladan's eyes as he seemed to be thinking too deeply about something.
"Nothing, Orophin." Elladan said, "I believe I will go see what Ada is up to, or find Arwen to torture."
The remaining three watched Elladan leave the meal hall quickly. Rúmil glanced at Elrohir, "What is amiss with your brother, Elrohir?"
Elrohir watched his brother make the quick retreat from the dining hall and then leaned in closer with Orophin and Rúmil. "Let me tell you a tale of a love once lost..." ____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
Indilisse sat at the edge of the pond in the Lady's garden, picking at the lush emerald carpet beneath her and taking in the scent of the fresh fall flowers. The bound book of parchment upon her lap lay open and unmarred from the permanent black ink that lay beside her on a flat rock. She had been sitting in the same spot pondering the story she told Narië since the mid afternoon sun was over her head. Now Eärendil was slowly making its way to the spot prominently close moon, and all she could really think about was Haldir.
She did not want to give herself up to him. He did not deserve someone who was so weak minded that they were persuaded by a little bit of Miruvor and a Balrog slayer, who was old enough to be her father, into compromising positions. No, that would be someone like Nindë. Indilisse had been like Nindë... it pained her to admit it, but for that night of insanity she had been blinded by the gold locks and arrogant attitude of Lord Elrond's advisor. How greedy was she to lust after such an elf when she had the undivided love and attention- more than she could have ever hoped for- of Elladan, who himself was an Elf Lord and more sincere than anyone she had ever met.
But no. She had been weak-minded beyond all tales of all weak-mindedness, even beyond the great rulers that had accepted the Rings of Power so long ago. If she gave herself to Haldir, would she again commit the same crime? Would she be so easily swayed in position to hurt another elf... an elf who commanded and was worthy of a level of integrity so high that no normal elf could give it?
And even for that matter, if she could withstand the temptations, could she give Haldir the love he needed? Did he even see her in this matter? They were friends, yes, but the title of friendship upon their relationship did not warrant them becoming romantically involved. What would he do if he knew of her feelings? Laugh at her and call her a silly elf for thinking such a thing? Maybe he truly loved Nindë, even though that was something Indilisse just could not justify- not even for the most despicable. Was he even in search of a wife? If he had been, he was sure he would long since be wed and burdened by wife and children. Nay, he was still only burdened with his annoying brothers.
Indilisse chuckled to herself, and sighed. She would love to call them family one day, even though at times they could be quite bothersome. First, she had to figure out if she even wanted to attempt courting with her amazing, lovely, handsome, valiant, noble...March Warden and Captain of the Galadhrim.
"How can you possibly see what you are writing?"
A shiver traveled up her spine as the smooth voice filled the quite night air. Indilisse did not look behind her, but up at the sky instead, "Eärendil is bright this eve."
"Bright he may be," Elladan said, "but even with sharp elven eyesight, I would not be able to see well enough to write."
"That is because you do not like to write, my lord." She replied, closing the book and placed it beside her, next to the ink well. "I have been here all afternoon and have not written anything, I suppose my effort has been in vain this evening."
"Nothing you do is in vain, Indilisse." He said. She drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them as Elladan walked over to her and carefully sat in the grass beside her.
Indilisse looked at him for along while before speaking. He was still handsome with that long dark hair, pointed jaw and expressive brows- characteristics from his father. "I did not welcome you, my lord, when you came to the city. Please forgive me."
"I forgive you." He was quiet, and then sighed, "Why are you addressing me as 'my lord', Indilisse?"
"You will always be my Lord, Elladan, even though we are apart." Indilisse replied. She looked across the silver pond and was surprised to feel soft fingers on her cheek, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
He traced the same path a few times more before letting his fingers run through the length of her hair and finally resting his arm around her shoulders, "I have missed you, muin nín."
She leaned her head upon his shoulder and let out a long sigh, "Aye, two hundred years is a long time, Elladan."
"It is my turn to be sorry, Indilisse." Elladan said, "Two hundred years is unacceptable."
"You cannot feel that way Elladan, we two individual lives right now." Indilisse looked up into his blue eyes, "We were once moving concurrently with each other, but now we are on different paths."
"We are," he nodded slightly, closing his eyes for a minute and breathing in the faint scent of the elleth in his arms. Elladan had not realized how much he actually missed the smell of Indilisse and the simple joy of being able to hold her in his arms. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, not thinking about the ramifications of what he was doing, but he needed to do it, just to let her know that he would gladly change his path in life if she still wanted him. Even with all this personal hope, there was still no romantic future spelled out for them, though he was still someone who knew her better than anyone else and he still saw her as his closest friend.
Indilisse relaxed even more into his arms, "I have missed moments like these, sadron."
Elladan bit his lip when he felt her arm snake around his waist, but when he realized it was for her own comfort laying against him and for no other reason, he calmed. "And I too, Indilisse."
They shared a long silence, listening to the sounds of the trickling water from a nearby fountain and the leaves above them rustling in the soft breeze. Indilisse shifted her head back to gaze up at him again, causing his lips to rest upon her forehead from where his cheek had originally been resting on her hair. He pulled back quickly and stared down at her questioningly.
"I will always love you, meleth nin." Indilisse said, "But now it is on different levels than it was long ago."
"I know." Elladan replied, finding it odd that Indilisse had nearly been reading his thoughts. "We will always share a special bond."
She sighed wistfully, "And your forgiveness will be exalted throughout the land, for being able to forgive me."
"Do not mention that now." He said, "That was a discussion for long ago, now we are beyond that and you should forgive yourself for what you did."
"You know I could never do that." Indilisse replied.
Elladan leaned down and placed a lingering kiss upon her cheek, and then one short one upon her lips. "Try to, Indilisse. For me, at least try to. You may have missed out on the one you were meant to bind with because you have been so caught up in your own misery-filled quandary for too many seasons."
"For you, my lord Elladan, I will try." She nodded.
He smiled again, wishing to claim another kiss beneath the bright moonlight, but he did not know if he had yet over stepped the boundaries of their friendship. "Would you mind, my friend, if I stole one last kiss from you before we leave the serenity of this garden?"
"I do not think it would be so horrible," she said, though her mind quickly turned to Haldir. As his lips lowered to hers and they were met in a real kiss, the only thing she thought of was Haldir's lips upon hers instead of Elladan's. How would her March Warden's embrace be similar, yet dissimilar? Would they be much alike in the way they claimed their prize? It would not be like Elladan's, the with the slow building of passion, his lips in essence asking hers to continue. He was a gentle lover. No, Haldir's kiss would be greedier, she surmised, though he did not seem like the type to be so lust-filled. The only reason she believed this to be the case was because of the haughty way he acted, thinking he was too good for everyone and could do whatever he pleased- whether that be kissing an elleth or organizing his wardens. And there was another quite possible reason that suddenly occurred to her that could account for this greediness... he had to be so self-restrained and reliable in other situations of his life that kissing and making love were the only times he could become reckless with his ways.
Whatever was the case, Indilisse found herself wishing that Elladan was really Haldir, and she knew that with each intense moment forward, she put more undue passion behind it that was meant more for Haldir, and not for her Imladris lord. Indilisse pulled away from him and gasped for air, watching Elladan quickly regain his own composure. He sighed heavily and stood up quickly, pulling her with him.
"Can I show you back to your talan?" Elladan asked, holding out his arm for her.
"I cannot be wooed, my lord." Indilisse replied, picking up her book and inkwell.
Elladan chuckled bemusedly, "I know, I simply doing this out of my own propriety."
She smiled softly and placed a friend peck on his cheek, "Let us be gone then, mellon."
Neither of their elven senses, Indilisse's that were not so finely tuned and Elladan's that surely grew more competent in each battle he was in, had picked up on the shadow among the tall shrubbery by the waterfall. Little did they know that this little interlude would cost one of them a great deal of misunderstanding and suffering, though it would be quick and fleeting.
*-*-*-* Casar- dwarf Muin nin- my dear Mellon- friend Sadron- loyal one Meleth nin- my love
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Anyway, please review, and on with the show!
Chapter 14- Midnight Rendezvous
"He said that elleth had never moved so quickly," Orophin laughed. He took a long drink of his wine and let it run down his throat before continuing his laugh with Rúmil.
"I believe that. Nindë is rather sluggish for an elf." Rúmil nodded, passing the dice off to his brother. "Except it makes me wonder about their experiences together. Are they really that slow and dull?"
Orophin shook his head and tossed the dice on the table, "You have heard them before. That one time you went to his talan to give him something. You tell me."
Rúmil chuckled, "I would rather not remember that day. I wanted to be deaf right at that moment."
"I will spare you then," Orophin said. "Forget I brought it up."
"What are we wagering for?" Rúmil asked, sitting straighter in his chair and drinking his own wine. "All we have been doing is tossing the dice back and forth."
Orophin shrugged, "I am not sure. There is nothing I can think to wager on right now. I have no duties to tend to."
"Nor do I." The younger brother sighed and stared down at the dice for a moment. He then grumbled lowly, as soon as the remembrance of Haldir's lovemaking invaded his mind. "So much for not thinking of it."
"Well, since we are thinking of Nindë, we might as well come up with a plan to annoy her if she continues to intrude on our brother's life in the false manner she is so good at." Orophin suggested. "And in case she tries to harm Indilisse."
Rúmil laughed, "I find it hard to believe that Indilisse could be hurt by such an elleth."
Orophin nodded in agreement, "You are right. Sometimes I think she has a bigger chip on her shoulder than a Balrog."
"What is this about a Balrog?" The brothers looked up and found the twins taking seats on the wooden benches next to them.
"Ah, just the elves we wanted to see." Rúmil smiled, slapping Elrohir on the back.
"That is never a good way to start a conversation with the mischievous Lórien brothers." Elladan laughed and pushed his dark hair back behind his shoulders.
"Do you really think so little of us, Elladan?" Orophin joked and let out a small laugh.
"Not you, so much as Rúmil." Elrohir added and poured himself a goblet of the deep red wine from the silver carafe at the table. "But you do work best as a pair, as though you share one mind. As a matter of fact, Haldir is the only of the three of you that has any sense."
Rúmil snorted and took a vigorous swig of his wine, placing his goblet back down on the table with enough force that the sound of it hitting the carven wood made a few elves at another table turn to look at them. "Are you not supposed to be dining with the Lord and Lady tonight, anyway? Seeing as they are your grandparents and you have not seen your sister in many months?"
"And miss the dining experience with all the other commoners?" Elladan replied haughtily with a quick chuckle. "Actually we are far too tired from our travels to deal with our grandparents this evening. We miss spending time and cavorting with the Lórien wardens now that we ride with the Men from the North."
"Besides, Ada is entertaining them." Elrohir added. He grabbed the dice from in front of Rúmil and rolled them between his hands, looking at them closely. "What are we wagering for?"
Orophin shrugged, "We were just trying to decide that as you came up."
"But we could think of nothing, and thought it would be better to plot against a few people." Rúmil grinned. "You two would not like to help, would you?"
"We are not good at making devious plans." Elrohir nodded, "But are very good at carrying them out, but we let Estel carry them out when he was younger because he could get away with them, so I guess we have grown pretty lazy."
Elladan looked at his brother for a few moments after he had stopped his long thoughts. "Are you finished?"
"Casar," Elrohir snapped in response.
"Who would these plans involve?" Elladan pretended not to hear what his brother said.
Orophin glanced at Rúmil and then each of the twins, leaning in, "Haldir."
Elladan chortled loudly, and shook his head, "You two truly have a wish for death."
"It is not so much a wish as it is a morbid curiosity, Elladan." Elrohir added, sipping his wine. "It is not one visit do we not encounter you two devising a plan that can somehow mean death or certain injury to yourselves."
Rúmil laughed, "Except this time, we have permission from Haldir."
"Well, partial permission." Orophin added. "He only knows of one thing, the other we decided to take into our own hands."
"Who are we making a mockery of?" Elrohir asked. "Another warden? One of his friends?"
"An elleth called Nindë." Rúmil said and made sure not to meet the twins' eyes. "She desires but one thing from our brother, and that is power and to be the one to uncover the mystery that is my eldest brother."
"Have you no honor?!" Elladan asked loudly, "Vowing to help your brother hurt an elleth... I cannot even believe Haldir would condone such a thing."
Rúmil held a hand up to silence him. "We will do nothing to the elleth unless she continues to believe she has the ability to poison Haldir's mind. She hates any other elleth that so much steps in her path on her route to winning our brother."
"Haldir has put up with Nindë for many years because she is supposedly superb at releasing unwanted tension." Orophin continued, "Because he was sure he would never find someone to love."
"But now he has?" Elrohir asked, "We must go find and congratulate him."
Elladan sipped his wine and set the goblet down easily, stretching his legs out beneath the table. "So who is the lucky elleth who has stolen your March Warden's heart?"
Orophin and Rúmil exchanged glances and nodded to each other before, "Master Targon's daughter, Indilisse."
The Lórien brothers were not expecting the reactions that they received. Instead of the smiles remaining upon the twins' faces or a chuckle as they had to surely remember Indilisse from her stay in Imladris, the Lórien brothers were met with two long and quiet expressions. Elrohir even sputtered on the wine of which he was in mid-sip.
"And she is in love with him?" Elladan asked, sitting a little straighter and trying to keep his head held high even though he felt at the moment he could become ill. Whatever being ill meant... he just did not feel well. He could feel Elrohir's worried glances at him, but disregarded them as best he could.
Rúmil shrugged, "That is as much a mystery as why I still have not joined with an elleth."
"I do not blame Narië for waiting so long," Orophin replied. "You do not bathe regularly."
Rúmil glared at him and turned back to the quiet brothers. "You see the second part of our plan is to bring them together. Haldir had never had to really woo a maiden before, they usually just throw themselves at his feet. Indilisse seems so distant and hides her emotions well, like she does not want to show them, so we really do not know what she is feeling."
"She has never spoken of another?" Elrohir questioned for himself, but received an elbow in his ribs from Elladan.
Orophin shook his head, "Not that I can remember. Except for when she spoke with Glorfindel this afternoon. Why do you ask?"
Elrohir shook his head, casting a quick glance in his brother's direction, "Oh, no reason. I am just curious."
"I am sorry Rúmil and Orophin, but I respectfully decline your request to aide you in this quest." Elladan replied and stood up from his seat. He knew there was no hope for a relationship with Indilisse, except that of friends, but somewhere within his mind, he hoped that they could still be more. That he could completely forgive her and Glorfindel for what they did to him now nearly fifteen hundred years ago. That maybe, possibly, he could still look into those eyes of hers and wish away the world just so he could stay with her. But they were no longer there.
They had not spoken in almost two hundred years... even when he rode in from the borders, she did not spend more than a fleeting moment gazing at him. Her gaze had immediately turned to Glorfindel. She went straight to Glorfindel, welcoming him and warning him to stay away form her in her own roundabout way that Elladan used to love. Why had she gone to him first? She and Glorfindel were friends before the incident, and they had maintained limited friendship afterwards, which Indilisse had seemed fine about, but now he wondered if it was all a front she had been putting up to make him feel better. What if she had felt something stronger for Glorfindel that Elladan had failed to notice- all the long years of their courtship?
"What is wrong, mellon nin?" Orophin asked, seeing the distress in Elladan's eyes as he seemed to be thinking too deeply about something.
"Nothing, Orophin." Elladan said, "I believe I will go see what Ada is up to, or find Arwen to torture."
The remaining three watched Elladan leave the meal hall quickly. Rúmil glanced at Elrohir, "What is amiss with your brother, Elrohir?"
Elrohir watched his brother make the quick retreat from the dining hall and then leaned in closer with Orophin and Rúmil. "Let me tell you a tale of a love once lost..." ____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
Indilisse sat at the edge of the pond in the Lady's garden, picking at the lush emerald carpet beneath her and taking in the scent of the fresh fall flowers. The bound book of parchment upon her lap lay open and unmarred from the permanent black ink that lay beside her on a flat rock. She had been sitting in the same spot pondering the story she told Narië since the mid afternoon sun was over her head. Now Eärendil was slowly making its way to the spot prominently close moon, and all she could really think about was Haldir.
She did not want to give herself up to him. He did not deserve someone who was so weak minded that they were persuaded by a little bit of Miruvor and a Balrog slayer, who was old enough to be her father, into compromising positions. No, that would be someone like Nindë. Indilisse had been like Nindë... it pained her to admit it, but for that night of insanity she had been blinded by the gold locks and arrogant attitude of Lord Elrond's advisor. How greedy was she to lust after such an elf when she had the undivided love and attention- more than she could have ever hoped for- of Elladan, who himself was an Elf Lord and more sincere than anyone she had ever met.
But no. She had been weak-minded beyond all tales of all weak-mindedness, even beyond the great rulers that had accepted the Rings of Power so long ago. If she gave herself to Haldir, would she again commit the same crime? Would she be so easily swayed in position to hurt another elf... an elf who commanded and was worthy of a level of integrity so high that no normal elf could give it?
And even for that matter, if she could withstand the temptations, could she give Haldir the love he needed? Did he even see her in this matter? They were friends, yes, but the title of friendship upon their relationship did not warrant them becoming romantically involved. What would he do if he knew of her feelings? Laugh at her and call her a silly elf for thinking such a thing? Maybe he truly loved Nindë, even though that was something Indilisse just could not justify- not even for the most despicable. Was he even in search of a wife? If he had been, he was sure he would long since be wed and burdened by wife and children. Nay, he was still only burdened with his annoying brothers.
Indilisse chuckled to herself, and sighed. She would love to call them family one day, even though at times they could be quite bothersome. First, she had to figure out if she even wanted to attempt courting with her amazing, lovely, handsome, valiant, noble...March Warden and Captain of the Galadhrim.
"How can you possibly see what you are writing?"
A shiver traveled up her spine as the smooth voice filled the quite night air. Indilisse did not look behind her, but up at the sky instead, "Eärendil is bright this eve."
"Bright he may be," Elladan said, "but even with sharp elven eyesight, I would not be able to see well enough to write."
"That is because you do not like to write, my lord." She replied, closing the book and placed it beside her, next to the ink well. "I have been here all afternoon and have not written anything, I suppose my effort has been in vain this evening."
"Nothing you do is in vain, Indilisse." He said. She drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them as Elladan walked over to her and carefully sat in the grass beside her.
Indilisse looked at him for along while before speaking. He was still handsome with that long dark hair, pointed jaw and expressive brows- characteristics from his father. "I did not welcome you, my lord, when you came to the city. Please forgive me."
"I forgive you." He was quiet, and then sighed, "Why are you addressing me as 'my lord', Indilisse?"
"You will always be my Lord, Elladan, even though we are apart." Indilisse replied. She looked across the silver pond and was surprised to feel soft fingers on her cheek, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
He traced the same path a few times more before letting his fingers run through the length of her hair and finally resting his arm around her shoulders, "I have missed you, muin nín."
She leaned her head upon his shoulder and let out a long sigh, "Aye, two hundred years is a long time, Elladan."
"It is my turn to be sorry, Indilisse." Elladan said, "Two hundred years is unacceptable."
"You cannot feel that way Elladan, we two individual lives right now." Indilisse looked up into his blue eyes, "We were once moving concurrently with each other, but now we are on different paths."
"We are," he nodded slightly, closing his eyes for a minute and breathing in the faint scent of the elleth in his arms. Elladan had not realized how much he actually missed the smell of Indilisse and the simple joy of being able to hold her in his arms. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, not thinking about the ramifications of what he was doing, but he needed to do it, just to let her know that he would gladly change his path in life if she still wanted him. Even with all this personal hope, there was still no romantic future spelled out for them, though he was still someone who knew her better than anyone else and he still saw her as his closest friend.
Indilisse relaxed even more into his arms, "I have missed moments like these, sadron."
Elladan bit his lip when he felt her arm snake around his waist, but when he realized it was for her own comfort laying against him and for no other reason, he calmed. "And I too, Indilisse."
They shared a long silence, listening to the sounds of the trickling water from a nearby fountain and the leaves above them rustling in the soft breeze. Indilisse shifted her head back to gaze up at him again, causing his lips to rest upon her forehead from where his cheek had originally been resting on her hair. He pulled back quickly and stared down at her questioningly.
"I will always love you, meleth nin." Indilisse said, "But now it is on different levels than it was long ago."
"I know." Elladan replied, finding it odd that Indilisse had nearly been reading his thoughts. "We will always share a special bond."
She sighed wistfully, "And your forgiveness will be exalted throughout the land, for being able to forgive me."
"Do not mention that now." He said, "That was a discussion for long ago, now we are beyond that and you should forgive yourself for what you did."
"You know I could never do that." Indilisse replied.
Elladan leaned down and placed a lingering kiss upon her cheek, and then one short one upon her lips. "Try to, Indilisse. For me, at least try to. You may have missed out on the one you were meant to bind with because you have been so caught up in your own misery-filled quandary for too many seasons."
"For you, my lord Elladan, I will try." She nodded.
He smiled again, wishing to claim another kiss beneath the bright moonlight, but he did not know if he had yet over stepped the boundaries of their friendship. "Would you mind, my friend, if I stole one last kiss from you before we leave the serenity of this garden?"
"I do not think it would be so horrible," she said, though her mind quickly turned to Haldir. As his lips lowered to hers and they were met in a real kiss, the only thing she thought of was Haldir's lips upon hers instead of Elladan's. How would her March Warden's embrace be similar, yet dissimilar? Would they be much alike in the way they claimed their prize? It would not be like Elladan's, the with the slow building of passion, his lips in essence asking hers to continue. He was a gentle lover. No, Haldir's kiss would be greedier, she surmised, though he did not seem like the type to be so lust-filled. The only reason she believed this to be the case was because of the haughty way he acted, thinking he was too good for everyone and could do whatever he pleased- whether that be kissing an elleth or organizing his wardens. And there was another quite possible reason that suddenly occurred to her that could account for this greediness... he had to be so self-restrained and reliable in other situations of his life that kissing and making love were the only times he could become reckless with his ways.
Whatever was the case, Indilisse found herself wishing that Elladan was really Haldir, and she knew that with each intense moment forward, she put more undue passion behind it that was meant more for Haldir, and not for her Imladris lord. Indilisse pulled away from him and gasped for air, watching Elladan quickly regain his own composure. He sighed heavily and stood up quickly, pulling her with him.
"Can I show you back to your talan?" Elladan asked, holding out his arm for her.
"I cannot be wooed, my lord." Indilisse replied, picking up her book and inkwell.
Elladan chuckled bemusedly, "I know, I simply doing this out of my own propriety."
She smiled softly and placed a friend peck on his cheek, "Let us be gone then, mellon."
Neither of their elven senses, Indilisse's that were not so finely tuned and Elladan's that surely grew more competent in each battle he was in, had picked up on the shadow among the tall shrubbery by the waterfall. Little did they know that this little interlude would cost one of them a great deal of misunderstanding and suffering, though it would be quick and fleeting.
*-*-*-* Casar- dwarf Muin nin- my dear Mellon- friend Sadron- loyal one Meleth nin- my love
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