Deep In My Heart
A tale of romance and fretful Elves by Ellie in ElfPajamas. Angstier touches provided by: Rinnalaiss Turegwaithen.
Rating: PG13. Frightening scenes, some things that may be deemed 'suggestive'.
Okay, so I'm not a very brave angst writer. Rinnalaiss is. She'll write what she wants no matter how painful it is(to read!). Seeing as how we live on the same block, it was easy to just drag her over to my house when I needed help. So, if you think the angst is uncharacteristic of me, you're right! Please be kind, though, as I wrote the outline and let her flesh it out. (ducks for cover from Erestor's snowballs) Reviews are much appreciated, Thank you to each of the wonderful people who has reviewed my stories in the past. Best wishes in 2005! Thank you also to the flamers, much as I hate what you do like poison, at least we get to roast some marshmallows out of the deal.
BREAKING NEWS: Anonymous reviews are back on, and I'll appreciate there being no nonsense now. People who flame on the anonymous reviews and use dirty words are cowards. If you have nothing better to do with your life, and you can't take a joke, I can't be expected to waste my time on you. You know who you are. You hide behind a fake name, behind the guise of anonymous reviews, and make life more difficult for everyone else.
I don't want to turn off the anonymous reviews again, but I may be forced to if I have to clean them up each week. Between work and school, I have no time to waste on cowards. You wanna flame me and cuss me out, register with the site and fight like a man. You know I'll catch you eventually. If you don't like what you read, read between the lines. Sometimes I write satire, sarcasm. My pen often drips with sarcasm, as it does with Caladiel's Guide to Writing Believable Mary-Sues. It was a joke, rather than stoop so low as to go around and flame all the Mary-Sues I can find, as some people do, I pointed out that; hey, if you have to write it, at least make it good reading.
Again, thanks to everyone for the reviews.
Chapter four: In Which Elrond Loses His Mind.
Elrond was pretty sure now that Melannen was with child. It wasn't his healer's training that told him this, though, it was the spirit-children who followed him everywhere. No one believed him when he told them what he saw, and people were beginning to believe that good Lord Elrond had gone mad. The ancient depths of Telponnasseo's eyes showed that he, in fact, had no trouble believing Elrond's story. He knew Elrond better than most, perhaps better than Elrond knew himself. Telponnasseo had lived a long time under the sun. Much of that had been spent in service to Elrond's grandfather, then his father. Yet Telponnasseo had not grown 'old' even by Elven standards. He failed to act his age much of the time, actually. Galadriel was ancient, and she acted like it, Telponnasseo was also very old, and yet was as young as Elladan and Elrohir on the inside.
The silver Elf had made life in Imladris rather lively in the past week or so. Lindir had found himself a rival in the spinning of tales, and Erestor had written down Telponnasseo's first hand accounts of certain places and events. Glorfindel had seemed to grow young again in the presence of his younger brother. Other Elves had been entertained by some of the silver Elf's words and deeds. Melannen had seemed bolstered by the lighthearted intruder. Watching the effect it had on Erestor, the way it picked him up, had an uplifting effect on her. The Valar had not seen fit to take the twins and their antics away for the winter without inserting someone equally entertaining.
Right now, for the first time in at least a half-century, Elrond found himself outside in a snowball fight, commanding his 'troops' against the onslaught of Glorfindel's forces. Elrond was crouched behind a wall of snow in his strictly utilitarian snow fortress. Alright, so maybe the hiding spot for Celeboril was not strictly utilitarian, and maybe the carefully sculpted doorways were just a little decorative.
Elrond signalled his detatchment to grab their snowballs and stand at the ready. With a wild yell of rebellion Elrond leapt over the snow wall and ran toward Glorfindel's fortress, followed by his detatchment of laughing Elves. Other Elves could take down their targets as they chose, but Elrond had eyes only for Glorfindel's tawny mane. Erestor fell to Lindir's friendly fire, Lindir fell by Telponnasseo's retribution for a cheap hit to the back of the head, but Elrond didn't see them, all he saw was Glorfindel as he jumped into the fortress and pelted the 'enemy commander' with snowballs. Glorfindel's eyes were as big as saucers as Elrond jumped into the fort and hit him for the first time. Glorfindel, the brilliant tactician, had just been shelled.
Erestor stumbled over to the fortress and took the flag from a stunned Elrandír, knocking his opponent into a snowbank. He took the flag down and ran over to Elrond's fort, whooping like an Elfling. Melannen laughed, watching from the kitchen window. The Elves had taken a break from work, although that break had quickly progressed to an all out mock war in the courtyard. Elves had even fallen 'dead'. Three hits from a snowball and you were 'dead'. Melannen stirred the hot cider, checking the bread to see if it was done. In a few minutes she would call them in for lunch, and Celeboril would demand that their wet boots and cloaks be left at the door. Melannen took the bread from the oven, and the soup from the stove, pouring the hot cider into a pitcher.
"Lunch!" she called.
The male Elves cheered, turning toward the house in a group, their feet drowning out Celeboril's orders to leave their wet outerwear at the door as the snow crunched under their feet. Melannen shook her head as Elrond grabbed the pot of soup from her hands, kissing the top of her head, and tromping into the dining room in his wet boots. Glorfindel followed Elrond, also kissing her on top of the head and taking the pitcher from her hands, likewise in wet boots and cloak. Telponnasseo copied his brother and Lord Elrond, and Melannen, making the best of it, handed him the silverware to take to the table. Other Elves followed suit, and the table was soon set. Erestor brought up the rear, no boots on, his wet cloak hung up. Melannen dropped the napkins and kissed him.
"There is a merciful God in Valinor! At last! An Elf I will not have to mop up after!" she exclaimed.
All the Elves waiting decorously at the table looked dreadfully embarassed. Elrond looked down at his boots and winced, thinking of Celeboril's inevitable reaction.
Lindir sighed. He couldn't believe this. He looked over at Elrond, who looked similarly dismayed. Five of them, Elrond, Elrandír, Telponnasseo, Lossëhelin, and himself, were conscripted to laundry duty. Glorfindel had it worse, he and three others had to clean the diningroom. Celeboril's wrath had fallen swift and sure, putting them all to work cleaning up the mess they'd made. Telponnasseo didn't seem bothered.
"Look at the bright side, we're not trying to wash blood out of the clothes, we aren't even trying to get out grass stains. We're lucky Elves." he laughed.
His words would turn out to be prophetic.
Faelon was drowsy and content. The large family room was full of Elves, much akin to Elrond's Hall of Fire. Minstrels played, Elves swapped fish tales, Legolas and his brother Celebduril played a dice game in the corner. Calad was asleep on Faelon's lap. Faelon listened to the bard with half an ear, stroking Calad's head. Earenrandir was flirting with Enetheru's daughter, and she was leading him on, entertained by the young royal upstart. Randir was discussing the attributes of a horse with his father, and Thranduil was tracing the horse's liniage in the studbook in his lap. Legolas was now losing in the dice game. Innas was trying to coach him in how to play. Tholvell was playing his flute softly in the corner.
Elladan and Elrohir were mending their saddle bags, Estel and Rinnalaiss were drawing cartoons together. The atmosphere was lazy and contented, especially when Rilaisseth came in and offered punch to everyone. Faelon requested spiced cider instead, not really interested in risking a hangover. Calad shifted a little, resting her head a little more comfortably against his chest. He hummed softly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment to soak in the sounds of the things going on in the room. The cedar logs on the hearth smelled wonderful, he could smell the cherries that were in the punch the other Elves had, the fire crackled in the hearth, the rugs were thick and soft, warm against the cold stone floors. Rilaisseth nudged him and he smiled, opening his eyes and looking up.
"Going to fall asleep there, master Faelon?" she asked.
"No, Rilaisseth. I was just thinking. Don't worry about me." Faelon laughed softly. "If I do fall asleep, just keep the fire going. I'm feeling to lazy to get up right now."
Rilaisseth nodded, bowing and walking away.
"Oh, and Rilaisseth, no more of that ridiculous bowing to me, please? Save it for King Thranduil." Faelon murmured, knowing Rilaisseth heard him.
Estel came over and flopped into the cushions that littered the floor. He picked up Legolas' glass of punch, and with the ease that friends and brothers so often exhibit, drank it. Faelon chuckled.
"He's going to shoot you for that. He doesn't take kindly to having Rangers drink his punch. Right Legolas?"
"Right, whatever you said." Legolas said, frowning at the dice on the floor. He hadn't heard anything other than his name.
Legolas picked up his glass and looked utterly confounded as to what had happened to the punch in it. Earenrandir poured his brother another glass, chuckling. Estel laughed softly, picking up some of the sweet black cherries that were in the bowl on the table. He popped them into his mouth in obvious delight.
"Hey." Faelon nudged Estel. "Share with me, Ranger of the North?"
"Sure, Half-Elf of the South of Mirkwood." Estel said, placing the bowl between them.
Faelon flicked a cherry pit at Estel's ear for that remark. Estel laughed, brushing at his ear.
"That tickles, you know that?" Estel said. "I should just dump these cherries on your thick head, Faelon."
"Don't wake Calad, or you won't live long enough to be King in Gondor." Faelon threatened jokingly.
"Yes, Ada always said it was dangerous to wake a pregnant woman, and Eru knows we learned that the hard way before Arwen was born." Elrohir said.
Elladan snickered.
"Aye. Nana wanted to kill us, we made too much noise and raised such a ruckus."
Faelon smiled, settling down to listen to the lighthearted banter.
Something moved. The Orcs scented the Elves in the forest, and now they could see them moving in the powdery whiteness. Their white cloaks concealed them well, but not completely. The Orcs aimed for the distantly moving white shapes, Their great hatred for the Elves making them good marksmen in this instance.
Telponnasseo grunted, grimacing in pain. Erestor lined up an Orc in his sight and shot him. Erestor may have been uncertain about whether or not deer were dead on the first shot, but not Orcs. Orcs were harder to miss. Erestor was also a fine marksman, especially when his life depended on it. Erestor made a good target himself, his ebony hair showing up well against the snow. Telponnasseo groaned, picking up his own bow and drawing an arrow. Orcs fell quickly to Telponnasseo and Erestor's arrows, while Glorfindel chased the others of the hunting party back toward Imladris.
Soon the dark creatures stirred no more, and Telponnasseo dropped his bow, falling to his knees.
Glorfindel turned in alarm, finally noticing the arrow in his little brother's back. Telponnasseo coughed blood into the snow, freezing Glorfindel in place. Glorfindel had seen many people injured in combat, seen death and destruction, but he'd never seen 'little Nasse' injured. Erestor was already at the Gondolin Elf's side, looking at the arrow wound.
"Glorfindel, help me here." Erestor said, looking up at the golden Elf.
Glorfindel woodenly moved to obey, kneeling to help Erestor.
"Tep, it isn't going to kill you, but we're going to have to push the head through to get the shaft out." Erestor said quietly.
"I know Erestor. I'm a healer, I know that all too well." Telponnasseo agreed softly. "Just, just don't trust me to stay still."
Erestor nodded.
"Do you want to hold him or should I, Glorfindel?" Erestor asked.
What a hangman's choice. Hold your brother while someone causes him more pain or cause him pain yourself? Glorfindel blinked and swallowed hard.
"I-I'll hold him, Erestor."
Glorfindel's hands grasped his brother's shoulders tightly, Telponnasseo couldn't even squirm against the iron grip. Glorfindel closed his eyes, steeling himself. Erestor managed to keep himself detatched from the situation, and pushed the arrowhead through to cut it off, despite Telponnasseo's soft cries of pain. Erestor removed the head of the arrow, then paused.
"Alright, I'm going to take it out. Glorfindel, you need to be ready to press a bandage against Tep's chest." Erestor said gently, handing the bandage to the golden Elf. Erestor took a deep breath, gripping the arrow shaft.
Telponnasseo gasped in pain, clenching his teeth, as Erestor pulled the arrow from his body. On both sides, wads of bandage were pressed against him, keeping the bleeding to a minimum. At least the superficial bleeding, anyway.
"We have to go back now." Telponnasseo said, amazing even himself as he kept his voice even.
Erestor secured the bandages in place and helped Telponnasseo up, letting the silver Elf lean on him.
Elrond's heart sank. The hunters had come back in a panic, and now Glorfindel and Erestor were coming in the gate. Telponnasseo lay in Glorfindel's arms, his long silver hair brushing the snow. Blood dribbled from the corner of Telponnasseo's mouth, but the Elf's eyes were open and he seemed to be at least semi-alert.
"What happened?" Elrond exclaimed.
Telponnasseo smiled thinly.
"Got dizzy, lightheaded. S' good to have a big brother t' cart me around." Telponnasseo whispered, his speech slightly slurred.
Erestor hurriedly explained Telponnasseo's condition to Elrond.
"So what you're telling me is that you kept him from bleeding all over the place and now he's just bleeding in his lungs." Elrond sighed. "So he won't bleed to death, he'll just drown in his own blood. Lovely."
Elrond looked really exasperated.
Telponnasseo's grip on conscious, lucid thought was slipping as they deposited him on a bed in the infirmary.
"E-Elrond, you really look like your father." Telponnasseo murmured, out of the blue. "That's not good. Smile. He was a real grouch."
Elrond seemed slightly amused at this thought as he uncorked a bottle and laid a rag against the top, turning the bottle over to get some of the contents on the cloth.
"Alright, Nasse, you're going to take a little nap for a while." Elrond said, stepping closer to Telponnasseo's face. "Trust me, things will be so much better when you wake up."
"I know." Telponnasseo sighed. "Now if only others believed me when I told them that."
Elrond pressed the cloth to Telponnasseo's nose and mouth, holding it there until the silver Elf lay as limp as a rag doll, his muscles all slack. Elrond knew he was in deep, perhaps deeper than Elrond should have put him, but he didn't want Telponnasseo to suffer if something went drastically wrong and he wasn't going to live. Telponnasseo's heartbeat had slowed a bit, and his breathing was a little suppressed, only because he was deeply unconscious. Erestor stood ready, knowing he was going to be handed the rag and bottle. Sure enough, he was.
"If he starts showing signs of consciousness, dampen the rag again and hold it to his face until his eyes glaze over like that again." Elrond said.
"I don't envy you for the headache you're going to have, Tep." Erestor said softly.
Elrond set to work, trying to stop the bleeding in Telponnasseo's chest.
Telponnasseo shifted slightly, barely aware of the fact that the blanket was tucked down tightly to keep him from moving much. His head was pounding, and he was restless. He wasn't quite conscious yet, but almost. Melannen took Telponnasseo's hand in her own, waiting for Erestor to come back. He'd gone to tell Elrond that Telponnasseo was waking up. Telponnasseo stilled, Melannen's touch soothing him. The warmth of her presence washed over him, so much like that of his mother so many years ago. Erestor returned, Elrond hot on his heels. Telponnasseo's eyes flickered open for a moment. He was trying to grasp consciousness, trying hard, but it seemed to be just out of reach. Elrond had been worried about that, Nasse had lost a lot of blood. He had to be kept warm by outside means for now, and Elrond couldn't see him being able to get up for a while, a week at least, because the bloodloss would leave him weak and dizzy.
Elrond rested his hand on Telponnasseo's forehead, feeling for a fever.
"Hello, Nasse, glad to have you back with us again." Elrond said softly. "How do you feel?"
"I-I'm c-cold." Telponnasseo stammered, his voice a mere whisper.
Erestor grabbed another blanket and laid it on top, tucking it tightly around Telponnasseo's shoulders. Telponnasseo drifted back to sleep.
Melannen smiled softly.
"I'm just so glad that's not you." she whispered, wrapping her arms around Erestor and resting her head on his shoulder. Erestor smiled slowly, kissing his wife's head.
"So am I. I could not leave my Melannen to shift for herself, especially now." he sighed, resting his cheek against her head. "I love you so much."
Melannen smiled, hugging him a little tighter.
"Come on, night Elf. Let's go get dinner." she said.
Elrond watched with a sad smile, remembering Celebrian and how much he had loved her.