Disclaimer: I own the fish (yup still here!), the ranger, the sentinel and two kitties!
A/N: 'This is thought'
This in mind speech of Fire and Briar
'This is visions'
"" This is mind to mind Far Speak ""
CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN NORMAL! I did it because it centered on only Legolas and Fire in this chapter! Next chapter #37 will be much much longer and then chapter #38 will be very, very long, as it goes through the Binding ceremony and the Binding night! I have never actually written a major love scene like their Binding night, so bear with me! School is being hideous with tests this week and next, so the next two chapters will be longer to be written and posted. These are important chapters so I am going to take my time! I want to do it as real as possible and get the emotions, reactions and atmosphere right. It should be well worth the long wait, so I hope you understand! Enjoy! Fire's reactions, are how I would respond. I do not do well under emotional pressure! LOL!
To my Lovely Readers: THANK YOU!
You mean the world to me and my fish!
To My Wonderful Reviewers:
Pammie312: Fire is most like me of the two. (Fire/Briar) I am better at actions and really, really bad with words out loud when it comes to feelings. Yes poor Fire! She has no clue what she is in for! She is finally testing the water slowly and thinks she has a year to work up to the binding ceremony with Leggy. HA! She is allowing him a little leeway now, but I think she is going to be a bit testy when she finds out, especially when it is HER fault! (I hate when it's really my fault!) Oh yes our dear plotting March warden! Boy he is just not equipped to deal with Briar! Lol He has a PLAN … but he should know better! Nothing ever goes the way he thinks it should with Briar… why would a plan change that! Briar is modeled after my heart's twin! She is easier with spoken words and the calmer of the two of us. She can be as sneaky and wild as I can, but she plots it first… I throw myself in and grumble a lot after the facts. Now Briar HAS a plan… Hers works! As to Females declaring the intent to court… (Picks up and starts fanning Elves and Men alike) NO FEMALE WOULD DARE! It is a very medieval type of world. Women were chattel! The elves were more enlightened, but they would have considered that rude and unladylike! LOL!
Morwen12: Glad you liked it! Fire is told about the blood rites and is asked if she knew! Enjoy!
Mirlanthiriel:!WELCOME! I am glad you like the story! Things will heat up in more ways then one with Leggy and Fire! Fire is upset she can not follow 'Elrond's Protocol Lists" In this she is my double! I need lists for the important stuff or I am lost! List 3 makes her nervous! LOL Hope you enjoy the interactions! ENJOY!
Manwathiel: Oh yes it is weird animal fact that every so often the Lemmings get this urge to suicide off cliffs. At least ¼ of them die and then the others go back to normal Lemming lives. It is like there King goes crazy or something… So stay in the BACK! Yea I love the twins too! You can play with Elrohir, BUT I get him BACK! He is my favorite Twin. Things are going to be a bit more on the romantic side if Leggy has a say in it! Fire beware!
Celtic Cross: Yea I agree they are very much like the Twins! Naughty prankster elves! They will have a fun time teasing poor Haldir about Briar as time goes on lol IF they live that long! Haldir not a happy camper at the moment
.nArIan.: Paco the elf! I like that! A nice Short Elvish name! Hehe! Now remember to treat him nice and feed him spicy lembas! You will find out all about Briar just prior to the Binding ceremony, when another bombshell drops in Galadriel's lap. The twins will also make an appearance, before the ceremony to Fire's delight! Bringing a message from Elrond. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, it is a wild one! ENJOY!
Captain Jade Sparrow: Yea the brother's are going to be getting in big trouble, time and time again, over Haldir's situation with Briar. They love their brother deeply and want him happy. They see Briar has the guts to go against tradition, chase their arrogant sibling and has the same interest in protecting the Golden Woods that their brother does. Duty has always come first with Haldir and what better mate for him then a sentinel who is already his border partner! Now Fire and Leggy are both starting to feel each others emotions, things are heating up! It also has been helpful for Leggy not to put feet in mouth so much and to see below the surface she shows the world. She can be hard as nails, but like all people she has her insecurities and situations she does not know how to deal with. Leggy can read the feelings she projects better, because it is a normal elf behavior during bonding. Fire is just confused!
Air'sArune: Glad you like the cliffies! I am an evil master of cliffies and try to have one or more per chapter! Things heat up and Lists are discussed! More Brair and Haldir on the way in the next chapter. The twins arrive!
Blood Bindings and Protocol
Protocol: A system of rules and regulations used to squeeze round pegs into square holes. It is a written or oral version of what is expected in every situation and dilemma in business, political or royal occasions. It is an unwise decision to go against protocol in certain times and places, as this can lead to insults, hurt feelings and in very bad times and bad manners… War! In the protocol of Elven Binding, the protocols are set in stone, so the happy couple to be can enjoy each moment of their gathering closeness. First, the male asks the female's family for courting rights, then after an acceptable amount of time, the male then asks for permission to bind the female to him. After the permission is granted, the couple pledge themselves and announces the start of their year long betrothal. At the end of the year, protocol demands a binding ceremony, with friends and relatives. If these protocols are not met, the threat of WAR could be imminent! Any deviation from the protocols is frowned upon greatly!
A determined knock broke through the delightful haze Legolas was falling into. Pulling back slightly, he looked down into the dazed eyes of the ranger. It took two hard blinks for her to focus, and then she blushed and moved away. Eyeing the door with a disgruntled glare, Legolas marched over, flung it open and muttered darkly, "I thought I said to wait QUIETLY!" Spinning back around, Legolas stalked back into the living area, intent on getting another kiss from his mate.
Aragorn and Galadriel exchanged amused smiles, before trailing the huffy elf into the room. The elf's reaction to finding Fire pouring drinks from a bottle of wine, made them laugh out right. He stormed over to the ranger, lifted the bottle and glass from her hand, shoved the bottle at Aragorn and the glass to Galadriel, and then proceeded to kiss the startled ranger senseless. Lifting his head, the now happy elf gave Fire a quirky smile. "Would you like some wine, little one?" He asked the now, dazed again, ranger. Suddenly focusing on their guests, Fire blushed then stomped on his foot. "I would love some!" Came her sweet reply as she watched her now limping mate.
She sat there unmoving. The only real sign she still lived, was the rise and fall of her chest. Every few seconds, she blinked hard, as she tried to reform her brain properly. Three sets of worried eyes watched her. This was not the expected outburst that the three had waited for. Rage, Screaming, Physical Violence, any of those they expected, but Blinking was not. The golden haired elf was gently shaking her shoulders, as fear gripped his heart. The man began to pry the elf's fingers loose from the stunned, unmoving female. The elf's gentle shakes were getting a bit rougher, as worry ran rampant through his system. Seeing one's mate, in a catatonic state, was scary enough. When you throw in the fact, that the female had not, actually said "yes", to being that mate, it was nearly panic provoking.
A giant sigh escaped from the stunned ranger's lips and nearly gave Legolas the scare of his life. The sound of the sigh was the same awful sound heard on the battlefield as death claimed a victim. A second sigh, lighter then the first, soon followed. Aragorn nearly had his shoulder ripped out of joint, as Legolas pulled free from the man's grip and dropped to his knees in front of Fire's chair. The shell shocked green eyes stared into blazing blue. The semi horrified look told the elf she was coming to term with the unexpected news.
"Alright, let me get this straight. First, I was betrothed and set to become a bonded mate to you in a year, because the necklace you gave me went haywire. Now, you tell me that the blood, I did on your arm in Moria, is poisonous unless we hurry up our betrothal schedule AND BIND IN TWO DAYS! Have you taken leave of your senses, Elf? Do you not know there are protocols to follow! Lists I have to go through! Binding is one of the BIG lists Elrond gave me to study! Do you know bonding involves dresses? I hate dresses! It involves compromise and lots of it! I do not know how to compromise! I know I could learn, but I do not want to! Then there are the feasts, parties, gatherings! Do you elves ever just stop throwing shindigs at the drop of a hat? Too many parties to do in two days! Elrond's list says there is like five in the first three months of betrothal! How are we going to shove them all in there? There is another list for the ceremony that is almost as long and then a list for after the ceremony and…" Fire's tirade that had started out calm and escalated to hysterical came to an abrupt halt.
Fire turned white as snow, then bright tomato red, then white again, before going a combination of both and turning sickly pink. She opened her mouth four times, with no sound. Then with a hideously demented squeak she blurted out, "OH NO! List three is off limits. No, no, Oh Heck NO! I refuse damn damn double damn!" Legolas watched in bemusement, as the ranger scuttled swiftly over the back of the chair, shaking her head wildly. The fact that she was half hysterical over lists, of all things, should have made the elf question her sanity. He watched as she began changing from white topink to red, while pacing the living area muttering about her lists. Galadriel had put a gentle restraining hand on Aragorn's shoulder as her voice had whispered through his mind to let his friend handle the ranger. So the two sat back, drank their wine and happily settled in, to watch the outcome of the show.
Legolas let her pace the floor muttering for a few minutes. The emotions that the ranger projected were varied and jumbled. As she went white, her feelings ran to fear, uncertainty, and utter nervousness. As she went red, her feeling ran hot in a swirl of love, doubt, lust, excitement and embarrassment. When she turned sickly pink it was a combination of them all. The elf thought over her words and then it hit him! List one was the betrothal list, List two was the Binding ceremony and that made List three after the ceremony. The ranger's reactions charmed him, when he realized, what the problem with List three was; the binding night!
Walking over to the still muttering ranger, Legolas drew her gently into his arms, when she collided heavily with him. Her frown could have frozen an Orc. "Unhand me you, Idiot Elf! If you think, for even one minute, that I am going to do ANY of that stuff, the Twins wrote for List three, you are insane! Actually, I still think, half of it is not even possible! Now let me go!" Fire hissed. Pulling her closer, Legolas held her gently, as his mouth whispered across her cheek in a sweet caress. Seeing the involuntary shiver that ran along the ranger's spine, he spoke into her ear so low only Fire could hear him. "We will take List three as slow as you need. I love you, little one. We will have all night to consummate our binding. I, for one, do not want to rush such a wonderful and special night."
The sigh Fire gave was one of resignation. Peeking shyly up at him, Fire muttered softly, "I am going to hold you to that, Elf." The utterly sweet smile that Legolas flashed the ranger made her heart melt, just a bit. She was still not happy about List three, but she was guessing it had to be better then death!
Legolas took Fire's lips in a deep, slow, hungry kiss that made her world spin off center. The elf's feelings burst over the ranger and wrapped her in a cocoon of love and desire. It was awhile before either of the remembered their two guests.