The Children of Nen

AN/ Hey everyone reading! If you are reading my story and haven't left a review, please do. I need some feedback from you guys! Let me know if you like The Children of Nen, Or if you hate it. Just please drop in a review. Thank you,

P.J.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of J.R.R. Tolkien's and in no way mean any disrespect toward him in the process of writing this story. All characters except those created by me belong wholly and fully to J.R.R. Tolkien.

Chapter 4: The night before

As Cellin walked with her brother and her best friends she felt the hate emitting off of the Peredhil twins, it was something she was not very used to. In a way it scared her. The recklessness and lack of self-concern sent warnings through her. She knew they both would stop at nothing until they destroyed the foul creatures that had raped and tortured their mother; even if it meant their own deaths.

She made a decision then and there that she would not sit and wait like the rest of the females. She would join them in battle, with or without the permission of her parents and brother. She had done reckless things in the past but this would undoubtedly be a first for her.

As they approached the solid dark wooden doors of the war room she felt the exhaustion take over. The ride and adrenaline had taken a lot out of her. She continued on inside and was greeted with a gloomy sight. Her father, Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, and three of the captains stood around a map lit by torches mounted on the wall and candles that flickered with the opening of the door. No one looked up as they entered but it seemed as if they were arguing over a good approach concerning the attack.

Elrohir stood grim and tall as he spoke in his commanding voice that Cellin had only heard twice.

"Father, Cellin has ridden here from her home outside the borders. She was attacked by orcs. They are in great number and shall be here by sunrise."

The gravity of the statement had everyone looking at her. Her father approached her and with a worried stare he ran his eyes over her.

"Are you alright my daughter?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Yes Adar, I am well. No harm has come to me. Lórdhín bore me safely here and is resting in the stalls."

"The Valar be thanked! Now that I know you are safe I will not feel guilty admonishing you. What were you thinking Cellin?! You could have been killed! I thought I could trust you to be more responsible! Not only that but you brought my horse into this danger with you. You endangered yourself and Lórdhín. You are no elfling! From here on in you are not to leave the house after dusk and there shall be no more adventures for you! You are to stay inside and learn to be an elleth! I'm tired of hearing from your mother that you would rather fight then court! It is not the way it should be. I love you and wish for you to grow and learn but that shall never come to be if you continue to be so reckless and irresponsible."

The room was silent. Cellin could not believe her father was doing this in front of everyone. Especially Lord Elrond and the princes. She was embarrassed to be treated like a child and angry that her father had done so. She turned to leave but he stopped her.

"Where do you think you are going?"

She whipped around and bowed to him curtly.

"Away Father; far away. You may not believe I can handle myself but you shall know come tomorrow."

Quick as a flicker from the candles she left the room. Her father went to follow her but decided against it. She would not venture out of the palace again in this storm. However, he saw the worry in Nendil's eyes and reality that his soft spoken daughter had actually just done that hit home. What had come over her? What did she mean by "You shall know come tomorrow"? Was she actually planning to fight? Insane! She would never…

Nendil bowed to his father and said,

"Excuse me My Lords. I have another matter to attend to."

His father had no doubt it was Cellin that he spoke of but he let it go. Perhaps Nendil could talk some sense into her. He would deal with this later. He had more important things to do.

Lord Elrond nodded to Elrohir and the twins joined their father and the rest of the war company at the wooded table. There was no doubt that no one in the room would get any sleep this night.

Nendil left the war room and looked to the left and the right. There was no sign of Cellin. He asked a nearby servant if she had seen her but apparently she had no idea what he was speaking of. And so he began to wander around the halls until he finally spotted her on one of the balconies. The wind was not blowing in her direction so the balcony remained mostly dry.

He approached her and came up on her right side. The wind howled and the air was chilly. He leaned against the banister and said softly,

"Father was just worried for you."

She shook her head, not wanting to speak lest he hear the tremor of tears in her voice. He looked across at her. Her fawn colored blouse was somewhat moist from the damp air and her white tight fitting riding pants had a small tear below her knee. A small cut appeared there.

Nendil bent down and put his hand over her knee. With a few soft words the skin began to bond. She winced slightly and he stood once again to the railing.

With a grin he said,

"If you actually paid attention to our healing lessons you too would be able to do that."

She did not pleasure him with a smile. Instead she turned to him, her hazel eyes taking on the rage of the storm.

"I will not be treated as if I am a child Nendil. How can he do this to me?"

He wiped away the wetness from her cheeks; He was not sure whether it was rain or tears. She looked down at her boots and he asked,

"What are you planning my sister? What are you going to do?"

Cellin looked at him and said softly,

"I will not stay behind. I will not wait for them to bring you back on a stretcher, dead and lifeless. Don't you dare think I'm just going to let this go."

Nendil's face suddenly hardened. He shook his head and took hold of her shoulders.

"War is not a time to show off Cellin! I can't believe you wish to defy your father and myself. Hearing this from you makes me believe Adar should not have spared himself at all."

She pulled away from him and said roughly,

"I heard you and them speaking! I know what you plan to do! You think I sleep with deaf ears and cannot know what is going on but the truth is I realize you wish to leave. I know you yearn to be free of us! I know I'm holding you back…"

He stood there, wordless and expressionless. No emotion showed on his face. He stood rigid and shocked. She nodded and left him. Her mind was racing. He knew what she said was true. Would he try and stop her? Would he tell father? No. he would not reveal her. It was not in his nature. But she had little hope of him just letting her go against him.

Oh how she missed Sírdhim in times like this…His warm touch and strong arms…To be safe once again.

Suddenly she ran into something hard. She began to fall backwards but whoever it was caught her. He pulled her up and Cellin met Elrohir's eyes. He studied her and shook his head.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't know. That was the confusing part. She wasn't sure much of anything anymore.

"I…don't know."

He smiled and took her arm. He led her up to the bedchambers and entered his room. He lit candles and sat down on one of the chairs. She sat down with him. The chairs were velvet cushioned and very relaxing. She slowly slouched and closed her eyes.

"How do you handle all of this Elrohir?"

He laughed and looked over at her.

"Handle what?"

"Everything! Anything… you're a prince for the power's sake! You must have a lot to deal with."

He looked at her oddly.

"Well… my brother gets me through a lot of rough times. I don't think I would know what to do without him. He is my brother, my friend, and in a way he is me. No one understands me like he does."

She nodded and licked her dry lips. Was it just her or was the room spinning? Sudden thoughts of bloody friends and family members entered her mind. What would it be like if Nendil and her father were brought home dead? Or maybe even Elrohir or Elladan? How would she get through another casualty of war? Sírdhim had already taken too much from her. She would not long survive the deaths of her loved ones.

Elrohir was silent and Cellin finally looked over at him. She met his eyes and for a brief moment she saw a sad longing there. Oh how evil I must truly be if I must break your heart to fill my own, she thought. It can never be my sweet, sweet Elrohir. She could not so easily give up on Sírdhim.

Elrohir blinked twice and the emotion was gone. Cellin stared into the bed chamber across the way and saw books of great number spread over his bed. A hint of a smile graced her face and she looked back at him saying,

"Reading again Mellonen?"

He looked to his bedroom and then smiled back at her.

"I can't stay away from them."

She slowly and almost painfully got up from the cushioned chair and sat down on his bed in the other room. She started picking up random books and leafing through them. He truly was a deep thinker. In her peripheral vision she saw him standing in the doorway staring at her. She suddenly became uncomfortable.

Cellin got up and looked at him. His eyes were clouded and she, for an instant, thought he might be sick. She walked to him and lightly touched his forehead.

"Are you all right?"

He reached over and took her hand in his. Slowly he turned it over in his palm and stroked it. She stared at him oddly before slowly pulling her hand away.

"I may never see you again Cellin. Do you promise you will look after Arwen if I do not return?"

She flinched and then, after a brief moment, she put her arms around his neck and drew herself against him.

"Please do not say such things Elrohir. I couldn't ever bear losing you."

She felt his arms encircle her waist hesitantly and she closed her eyes against his shoulder. His left hand absently stroked the small of her back and she breathed in his scent. He smelled of wood and pine. She felt tears well up in her eyes. What if she didn't see him or Elladan again? The least she could do was to be there if anything happened to them.

He hushed her crying and, pushing her back a bit, he wiped away her tears. She looked at his archer-calloused hands and wondered at how they could be so gentle. He closed his eyes briefly and then said huskily,

"Will you forget me Cellin?"

She looked up at him quickly and said,

"Never."

Suddenly his door opened and some one entered. Elrohir spun around to see Nendil standing silently in the doorframe. Cellin looked past Elrohir and saw her brother. The look on his face was less then pleasant. Elrohir's hands dropped from Cellin's waist and he swallowed.

Cellin looked at both of the ellon oddly. Surly Nendil didn't think… maybe he did.

Cellin slid past Elrohir and placed her hand lightly on his cheek.

"Avobrestannech, Iston vellas lín ned dagor. Turitham hain." (Do not worry I know your strength in battle. You will defeat them.)

He gave her a slight smile and she pushed past Nendil out the door. She walked blindly to her guest chambers that the twins had made for both her and Nendil. They each had a room in the palace. Hers was a light yellow color and had a bed, a vanity, a closet, a bathroom, a balcony, her servant's chambers, and a sitting room.

She quickly went inside, locked her door and headed for the bathroom. She wanted to soak more then anything right now. She lightly tapped on her handmaiden's door and soon a cheerful dark haired elleth came out.

"What may I help you with mistress Cellin?"

"I would really love a bath right about now if it isn't too much to ask."

The servant bowed and quickly went outside the chambers to get her charges to bring some water.

When the bath was filled and the hot stones were placed inside, the servant left and Cellin undressed and quickly slid into the large round tub. The lavender oil scented the room and she closed her eyes. Her sore muscles relaxed with the hot water.

When she had finished she left the tub, dried off, and wrapped herself in a warm white cotton robe.

After she left the bathroom she went into the bedchambers. To her utter surprise her brother was sitting on her bed with two swords across his legs. She quickly knotted the cord around her waist to hold her robe in place.

"It would be more polite to knock you know."

He threw her a sword and she caught it by the hilt. He approached her and quick as lightning he swept his sword in her direction. She parried the blow but was caught off guard. She quickly went into her fighting stance, not bothering to waste time in asking him why he was doing this.

Blow by blow she blocked until finally he knocked the sword out of her hand with an under stroke and she was knocked to the ground. He put his sword to her throat and said coarsely,

"Do you still intend to fight Cellin? Or do you now realize your inability to do so?"

She shoved him off of her and quickly rolled on top of him, his sword now at his own throat. Her anger and hate surprised him.

"I will not yield to you brother. We both know we are as evenly matched as Elrohir and Elladan. I know exactly what you will do. And I know exactly how to counter it."

He tried to flip her over but she quickly braced her hands on the sides of his head and put her knee on top of his stomach. With a quick push he winced in pain. She then hopped off of him and, flipping the hilt in his direction, she handed him his sword as he got up. The small yet darker colored scar on her palm glowed in the moonlight. It was shaped like two ripples in the water.

He looked at her with a blank stare and slowly took his sword. As he took it she saw his own scar. She slowly bent down and picked up her own sword, his eyes never leaving her. When she rose to her feet he bowed slightly to her and took the sword.

"There will be no way to stop you?"

She shook her head and he nodded and quickly went out to the balcony and jumped off into the moonlight. She knew how high her room was and with a quick yelp she ran to the rail. When she looked down she saw that he had safely landed in a tree and climbed his way down to the dark stone roads below.

She shook her head and then, fear gone, she realized some one was watching her. She turned to the left and saw an elf with golden hair and deep blue eyes. The moonlight shone on him and he seemed to glow with its light. His eyes were on her in a bold and fearless way and something about him was so familiar.

He just stared at her and she pulled her robe tighter around herself. He gave her a boyish half smile and then he turned, his silver tunic catching the light, and entered into his room.

She looked at the empty balcony for a few more lingering seconds before she finally realized who he was. He was the elf they had found in the cave! She quickly went inside her room and, for reasons she could not explain, she quickly threw her robe aside and pulled a long red dress over her head. She braided her hair in a single braid quickly. Then, so no one would notice, she went to the balcony and climbed up on the railing. She jumped to the tree that Nendil had used and quickly jumped to the elf's balcony.

Her red dress swirled around her as she landed and her bare feet felt cool against the stone.

Suddenly the elf came out from the shadows of his rooms and with a smile he handed her one of two glasses, filled to the brim with red wine. She looked at him oddly and took the glass.

"I believe, Milady, that I owe you my life."

She smiled at him and bowed slightly.

"It brings my heart joy to see you in such good health again."

He smiled and took a sip of the wine.

"My name, for I fear you lack it, is Maldathar."

She nodded and said,

"Mea Govannen Maldathar. My name is Cellin and it was not only I but also my brother who rescued you."

"This brother of yours, is he the one who attacked you in your room?"

She swallowed and asked,

"You were watching?"

He looked offended.

"Not at all milady! I just assumed because he climbed up a tree to enter your room and he was bearing two swords. I only have my ears to blame my dear Cellin."

"Then you heard us?"

"Just scarcely. Does all go well?"

"I appreciate your concern but I assure you he meant no harm. He only intended to dissuade me from making a decision."

"Many decisions are worth all the dissuading we must bear."

She smiled and drank deeply of the wine. The color of blood. She would see more of that come morning. She surprised herself at how comfortable she felt with this elf and also with the idea of going into battle. It was like being with an old friend. A very bold and flirtatious friend.

"You look stunning milady. Never before beholding the Lady Arwen have I seen such beauty. Your eyes show your heart and I must say that your heart is very confused."

She blushed slightly before saying,

"You are correct. My heart has been very confused lately."

She finished her wine and he said to her,

"I believe it would be time to return you to your room. Someone is looking for you."

She looked toward her balcony and saw Elrohir leaning over it in silence. He seemed caught up in thought. Maldathar took the glasses and placed them on a nearby table. He then gave her a hand as she climbed to the tree and then silently pulled herself up to her own railing and swung her feet over the rail to the inside. She sat up there, on the railing, until Elrohir suddenly whirled around and drew a knife.

She giggled unintentionally and he smiled and lowered the knife.

"How long have you been there?" he said as he went to her.

He stood in front of her, her knees touching his abdomen and her hanging bare feet touched his thighs. She smiled and brushed the loose strands of hair out of his eyes.

"Not long my friend."

The reference to friend made a change in Elrohir. His smile changed and his eyes lost some of their joy. Cellin felt her laughter fade and she said,

"What are you doing here?"

He looked into her eyes, desperately searching for something before he answered,

"I came to give you something in case I did not return."

Cellin's semblance lost all optimism.

He put his arms around her waist and lifted her off the railing to her feet. She stood before him, her head coming to his chin. He leaned down so they were eye to eye and met her lips with his. She closed her eyes and responded to the kiss. His hands went to her lower back and came around to gently rest on her hips. She felt the warmth of his hands through the silky texture of the gown and a shiver went over her skin. Then she broke the kiss for air and gazed into his eyes. For a moment or so his soul lay bare before her. She had never seen so much of him over the hundreds of years she had known him, then in the few moments on that balcony.

She saw years of pent up longing and nights of sorrow and pain. She saw his bitterness due to his losses and his anger due to his bitterness. She saw his unhappiness and loneliness and she saw his pure misery. She saw his hate and love and his unshed tears and his nightmares. She saw his deepest desire and his most intense fear. She saw all of this because deep in his soul she saw herself.

Tears flowed down her cheeks. They say you could read an elf's past through his or her eyes. Most all elves were good at masking their eyes with a serene normality. When their shield at last dropped at one of their weak moments you were given the gift of seeing the true self of them.

Elrohir lightly kissed one of the tears and when he stepped back he licked the salty water off of his lips. Then just as soon as he had come he was gone. She was alone.

Again.