Eek! I almost forgot to get this updated!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Alatarial Elf: The time frame is one of those things I just don't think about. Since it's the elves, time is kind of liquid. But for this chapter, it's a few days--up to a week, week and a half, later.

Animir: Glad you like it... and we're very close to the end, so you may begin your self-imposed task of rereading it anytime. ;-)

LJP: Well... It's not going to make it that far. Glorfindel gets a kick in the pants first.


Chapter 15 Fiery one

"This must be the dullest party I've ever been to," Glorfindel muttered.

Haldir snorted. "Well, with the racket of this storm, the musicians can't play and be heard."

"And everyone else is just sitting there, waiting for it to be over," he sighed. Then he snorted. "Well, at least it isn't my victory party which is so dismal."

Haldir chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You two were distracted," he chided, lifting his goblet to his lips.

"Yes… as were you, really. What's her name?"

He choked, turning red from the tips of his ears to his collar as he tried to clear his lungs. "Lunian!"

She laughed, opening her eyes, turning slightly within Legolas's embrace to see him. "Well, it's true, is it not? Someone has caught your eye."

"Can you tell more than that?" he asked, lifting a brow.

She shook her head slightly. "Sorry, don't know you well enough."

"After all these years," he shook his head, mockingly.

She laughed before wincing as another rumbling roar shook the hall. "Chasing after me when I got lost while visiting Galadriel hardly counts."

"Don't you mean 'Great-grandmother'?" he asked, rather pointedly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "No."

"Very mature, Princess," he mused.

Legolas chuckled, kissing her cheek as she repeated the gesture. He winced at the next ear-ringing blast of thunder, before sighing.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Glorfindel asked.

"Celebrating," Lunian deadpanned. "After all, Haldir won the Ancient's Trials."

Haldir snorted. "You, too?" he asked, shaking his head. "All you young ones."

"Yes," Glorfindel mused, finishing the rest of his wine.

Haldir looked at him curiously, then sent a sly glance at Legolas and Lunian. "It seems you two have started something of a trend," he mused.

"Oh?" Legolas asked, leaning back slightly. "So your distraction was quite young?"

Haldir scowled. "I wasn't talking about myself."

Legolas chuckled, about to respond when they felt a sudden charge hit the ground. The small hairs on their necks and arms bristling, they surged to their feet with the others, looking out the windows and off the balconies at the wood in the direction of the impact.

"Oh, Valar, Legolas. It's by our talan."

"You can rebuild," Haldir murmured softly, though not without some sympathy. He knew, after all, the hassle the two had gone through to have it built, as Thranduil and Elrond both thought it somewhat inappropriate.

"You don't understand," she murmured, breaking away from Legolas to dash out into the rain. "Carathwan is there."

"What?" Glorfindel asked, turning sharply, his eyes searching the night, seeing the faint glow of light in the wood at a distance.

"She's hurt," Lunian suddenly cried, taking a few steps which turned to a run before Legolas caught her, holding her back. "Legolas!" she protested, struggling against him.

"You couldn't make it on time without a horse," he shouted hoarsely over the wind and slashing rain.

"Where is it?" Glorfindel called over the wind, having already grabbed a horse, astride as he looked down at them. Legolas gave him the directions, and with a sagging Lunian still held tightly in his arms watched him ride away.

"Legolas…"

"I know, love." He kissed behind her ear, a faint frown between his brows. "I know."

Glorfindel swallowed as he rode closer to the flames, the panic of knowing she was out here slowly being replaced by the remembrance of how little he liked fire. The trees were burning, crying in their pain, their anguish echoing in his mind, his body.

It took all his skill to keep the horse calm beneath him as they moved as carefully yet as quickly as they could through the flaming debris.

"Valar," he breathed, seeing one of the talan's platforms was burning at a crooked angle. "Carathwan!" he called, seeing the steps under that part had broken away.

Having looked over the plans a few times, advising and offering wry commentary that neither Legolas nor Lunian had appreciated, he moved quickly to the other stair, running up to the smoky room. "Carathwan!" he called again, looking at the choices offered him here. Three paths. Three rooms. Where would she have been?

He didn't even know which room was supposed to have been which. He rested his hand against the trunk that grew through the room he'd reached, bending all of his strength to getting the information he needed. Through the tree's torment, he slowly learned where she was, and straightened shakily, turning in that direction…

To see nothing but flame.

Flame with eyes of pure evil, a weapon enflamed, clawed hands…

For a long moment he was consumed by those flames, their heat embracing him with a harsh hold he couldn't break. A small voice urged him to just give in to death, to let this torture cease once more.

"No!" he shook himself, breathing heavily, coughing as all he inhaled was smoke. He took a precious moment to close his eyes, to think of her, the reason he was battling the elements… and himself. With jaw clenched he opened his eyes and walked closer to the flames, peering through them, over them, into the room beyond. "Carathwan!"

The faintest movement caught his eye.

He strode through the flames, feeling them lick at him greedily before he was through them, all the while concentrating on her, and her alone, refusing to acknowledge the flames by so much as shielding his nose from the ash and smoke. "Carathwan?" he asked hoarsely, reaching out to her, turning her.

She coughed, shook her head slightly, foggily looking up at him, then around them in alarm as memory was slowly restored. "Glorfindel, what…"

He shook his head, and studied the wood that was pinning her leg to the floor. "Not now."

"But…"

"Later," he insisted, ignoring the flames that danced along the beam, pushing up against it, smelling the acrid burning of hair and flesh as he lifted it with his back. She squirmed away, looking up at him with wide eyes as he let the wood fall. He picked her up, and stood in the middle of the room, seeing flame everywhere…

"Glorfindel?"

He identified the direction that would take them to the broken stairs, and swiftly walked the other way, placing his feet carefully through the flame, moving as quickly as was safe until he was through the smoke, the flame.

Her scream died as the flames were forced to leave them, as they finally reached the stairs and could return to the ground, where many elves of Greenwood and Imladris were, healers impatiently waiting.

"Cara!" Lunian cried, starting to rush forward, only to be held back by Legolas again. "I am really not enjoying that," she muttered, when struggling against his hold proved useless. As usual.

"They need to have their burns treated, Lunian." He snorted. "And even then, I don't think they'd want you attacking them."

She scowled, hovering over them all the way back to Elrond's healing room, until Elrohir finally passed an herb before her nose, knocking her out.

Legolas chuckled, catching her easily as Elrohir shook his head. "She never could handle others being hurt."

"She feels their pain, Elrohir," Legolas murmured softly. "I'm going to take her to my rooms," he murmured.

Elrohir nodded. "Good. It will give us a little bit more of a head start."

Legolas laughed, looked at the two injured elves, and sighed softly.

"Their burns aren't too bad."

"Any are too bad," Legolas countered softly.

Elrohir shrugged slightly, and went back to work on Glorfindel as Elladan worked on Carathwan's burns, Elrond looking at her mangled leg.

When they finally finished and left the room, she looked over at Glorfindel, who had been staring absently at the wall for the last hour. "Glorfindel?" she asked softly.

He started, turning to face her. He reached out with a sigh, touching her chopped off hair. "It'll grow back," he murmured softly.

She smiled faintly. "I know," she agreed, before giggling. "Yours is shorter."

He lifted a brow, then moved his hand back to his own hair, finding it had been cut to less than an inch long. He snorted, shaking his head. "So it is." He touched her cheek gently. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "I'm not quite sure. I was listening to the thunder, heard a loud splitting sound, felt the room shake, and started to get up… then," she shrugged. "Nothing until I heard someone calling me." She tilted her head to the side. "You walked through the flame like it wasn't there."

He looked at her for a long moment, noted the burns that had been covered, looked at his own, and then shrugged. "It wasn't."

"You're touching me," she continued.

He looked at his hand, where it was still resting against her cheek, and arched his thumb. "So I am," he agreed quietly.

"Findel?" She stifled a cry of pain when she tried to move, biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood. "What happened?"

"We felt the impact, went to the window. Lunian realized it first, tried to run here. Legolas held her back. She said you were here… and I was on a horse, hearing Legolas give me directions."

"You walked into fire for me?"

"You needed me."

She blinked, tilting her head. "But you can't even look at fire."

"It started to change," he admitted. "It formed eyes, evil shadows, claws… but you needed me. I banished him, to reach you. Instead of ignoring you, the feel of your skin… I ignored him." He touched her chin-length hair again, tucking it mournfully behind her ear. "Fiery one," he murmured quietly. He hesitated for an instant. "I'm sorry."

"Fiery one?" she questioned hesitantly.

He smiled slightly, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes."

"But…"

"No," he countered, "That's a good thing."

She looked at him for a long moment, then shifted carefully so she wouldn't hurt herself. With the injured inside of her cheek between her teeth she reached up, touching his cheek. He didn't flinch, didn't move away, and was still looking at her with the faintest smile. "Findel?" she asked hesitantly.

"I made it through fire. I survived it."

"That was enough?"

He touched her hand, moving it from his cheek to what was left of his hair, tilting his head into her touch. "Apparently."

She curled her fingers into the locks, a tear slipping from her tremulous grey eyes as she closed them for a moment. "I love you."

"And I you, my little fiery one," he murmured, shifting a bit closer, his fingers curving along her jaw, lifting her chin for a slow kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers, and slowly quirked a brow, a fierce look lighting his eyes.

"What?"

"I suggest a very quiet apology to your… suitor."

She flushed, but nodded, feeling some feminine pleasure at the faint hint of jealousy in his tone.