Category: Tolkien-Universe

Rating: M

Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant

Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything

Chapter: 47

Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me

Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'

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"Show me." She demanded in answer, her mind brushing against his. It was a well-known request of her, ósanwë coming easy after ages of practice. He flinched at the touch however and felt her retract immediately.

"I... can we keep it to... talking, at least for now?" He swallowed, allowing himself the luxury of tipping his head forward so his forehead brushed her legs. He did not want to think of those days just yet, not in the clarity showing her would need.

"Of course." His mother slowly lowered herself, until her own head was against his. "Phara is in the woods, she is coming now."

He nodded lightly, noticing he was trembling. Looking up, he met her eyes, though it was always in doubt if she had enough sight to know. "Insai says nothing really changed." He offered, brushing his fingertips over the back of her hand - as soft as he remembered it to be - and when she made no move to stop him, cupped it in his own.

"Certainly far less than with you, my snowflake." She ran a hand through his hair, combing the white tresses so alike to her own. "Tell me, then?"

"Yes." He followed her to the central hearth, taking a comfortable seat beside it.

"I do know some of it, now." She gestured invitingly to the pot of water on the low fire and he automatically reached to make them both tea.

"Oh?" Pinching some leaves, he dropped them into one of the mugs that were waiting. He assumed they had been meant for his mothers, not he himself.

"In Spring... you fell, didn't you?" She smiled at the audible thunk when he barely managed to get the pot safely on the ground. "We trade extensively nowadays with others. One of the other Avari-tribes we trade with excused their late arrival to our meeting-spot by explaining they fished some other elves out of the river and had to take care of them until their kin found them. Said one was a white-haired male - wondered, in fact, if he was related to me, which is why they specified, I assume - who had been named 'demon' in the Noldor-tongue." She held out her hand for the mug, which he handed her after a short delay. "That was you, then?"

"Yes." He put his own mug before him. "Collapsing road in the mountains."

"Those do cause trouble, yes." She left her fingertips lingering over the rim of her own, tilting her head some. "What else did they say? There was another with you, I believe?"

"Yes." He could not help the fond note in his voice. His mouth-corner quirked up as her eyes shot over to him, despite her lack of sight. "Egalmoth."

"Dear to you?" She drew attention to his tone of voice. "Ah, times like these, I wish I had sight. Do your eyes shine with bond, my snowflake?"

"Not yet." He chuckled, heart warming at her grin. "Midsummer we will be bond. Damn Noldor-wait-of-a-year." He rolled his eyes. "He is one, as are most of the people I live with. Drives me crazy."

"Not too crazy." Laughing, she tilted her head. "Will you show me him? Your chosen one?" Her mind gently poked his defenses, and this time he opened up, bringing up all those he held dear.

"Who's the kid?" A deep rumble informed him of the arrival of Phara, his second mother, who had clearly been connecting to his first since his arrival in the hut, mayhap even before that. Before he could even think of answering, she had pulled him up from the ground and nearly squished him. Yup, still the foremost huntress of the tribe with the strength to match... He returned it with equal fervour, burying his face in her cloak.

"Mom..." He nearly went through his legs again, clinging to her as he could not to his mother.

"Little snowflake. Let us look." The auburn-haired female tilted his head up, pushing him back a bit to study him intently. The bond burned in her eyes and he knew even without her words that both were seeing him now. "Oh, you have grown so much! I think you surpassed your sire, certainly. It'll break his heart."

"I spend most of my time in a forge, I am bound to get muscles." He ducked his head a bit, letting her steer him to a secure seat. Unlike her mate, Phara was as tactile as he, and settled at his side to lean against him. "And last I knew, he was a hunter mostly still."

"Oh yes." She petted his head. "But now, the boy. Your memory shone with affection for him. I assume the older one is your Egalmoth?"

"My choice-son." He informed them, leaning into the hand in his hair. "Adopted. The woman is his mother." He let himself fall, draping over her legs as if he were a small youngster again.

"Egalmoth's not his sire, I assume. Otherwise I do wonder where he got the dark skin from. Those Noldo are so pale compared to the others... barring Qilla, but she doesn't count."

"His sire..." He grumbled darkly as his thoughts turned to Eöl. "We don't talk about him, he is... foul." He probably would never forgive him for what he had done in Beleriand. What he had tried to do. "Which is why I and Egalmoth have taken the roll."