Thank you to all who reviewd! You are great!
A/N: Just to clarify this. The scenes with Lithdal are dream sequences.
And, the rating went up to T. Some intense scenes that people might find offending.
Chapter 12: Healing
The night was awash with glittering stars. Their silver light illuminated the sleeping valley, reflecting on the smooth surfaces of the many rivers, ponds and lakes. Fire flies flew hither and yonder, chasing each other merrily, and the sweet scent of night-flowers filled the air. It was a peaceful night, and all of Imladris enjoyed the quiet and serenity.
All but one.
Aragorn tossed from side to side in his sleep, his legs tangled in the bed covers. Sweat stood on his brow, plastering his dark locks to his forehead. A frown had taken residence there, while his hands groped into the air for something to hold onto. But, there was nothing he could have latched onto, nothing that saved him from his own dreams.
Dark they were, his dreams, and full of fear. Again and again he saw the leering smile on Lithdal's lips, the cold, icy eyes roam across his body, searing into his very soul, leaving him naked. In his dream he could hear Lithdal's voice as if he stood right next to him, smell the elf's skin and feel his strong hands hold him down, before they worked loose his shirt and pants. This dream was not different from all the others, and when the dream-Lithdal finally let go of Aragorn and turned to the door, Aragorn's eyes followed him pleadingly. But instead of leaving him alone, Lithal turned the key in the lock and turned back towards him. His smile pierced Aragorn's very soul; the smile was so full of lust that Aragorn felt his heart tremble in his chest like a young bird would in the face of a wolf.
Lithdal drew near and knelt down beside him, while Aragorn watched with helpless horror. A slender finger reached out and touched Aragorn's cheek, caressing it almost gently. And in his dream, Aragorn felt the touch and heard Lithdal whisper into his ear, "Shh, my little Estel. I will not hurt you." And then Lithdal was there again, touching him, kissing him, doing things that Aragorn did not want him to do. And in the real world, Aragorn cried out in his sleep, tears watering his cheeks.
In his own bedroom, right next to Aragorn's, Legolas was woken from his elvish dreams by some sound or other. He blinked sleepily, not sure what had woken him. But then the sound reached his ears once more, and without a second thought Legolas rose to his feet, crossed to the door that connected his room with Aragorn's, and made his way quickly over to the young man's bed.
The sight that met his eyes pierced Legolas heart, and for a moment he stood there, paralyzed. Aragorn lay on his bed, tangled in the sheets, the pillow somewhere on the ground. He had his knees drawn to his chest, so that they almost touched his chin, while his arms were wound around his body. Even in the moonlight Legolas could see that Aragorn was crying, and while he watched, the man tossed his head to the side, wailing miserably.
Broken from his paralysis, Legolas rushed forwards. He wanted nothing more than to wake Aragorn from his nightmare and he had already reached out to shake the man awake, when another thought struck him. A thought, and a memory. Down in the cave, he had woken Aragorn from his nightmare, but the man had not recognized him. They had talked about the dreams, but clearly that had not helped to cure the man from this evil.
Legolas's hand hovered a few inches above Aragorn's shoulder, indecision warring within him. He could wake Aragorn, convince him that everything had been but a dream, then stay with him until the man had fallen asleep again. Aye, he could do that. And he could repeat that tomorrow, and the day after that and after that. It would help, but it would not heal Aragorn from his nightmares. Lithdal, Legolas realized, had taken something from the young man that only Aragorn could take back. His pride, his sense of safety in the world.
Having made his decision, Legolas withdrew his hand. As if Aragorn felt the withdrawal, he tossed his head in his sleep, whimpering. His eyes moved rapidly behind his closed lids, and when he cried out for help in his sleep, Legolas had to visibly restrain himself from waking him after all.
But, instead of shaking Aragorn awake, Legolas knelt down in front of the bed, so that his face was level with Aragorn's. For a moment, he studied the sweat drenched face of the young ranger, the hands that opened and closed as if Aragorn needed something to hold onto, and the tension that emanated from the whole body.
And then, Legolas leaned closer, his eyes fixed on Aragorn's face. In a voice so low that even he could not truly hear it, Legolas began to whisper words of strength and encouragement, of love and devotion. He spoke those words over and over again, hoping that Aragorn would hear his voice in his dreams and take strength from them.
Caught in his dream, Aragorn saw Lithdal's face above him, white hair framing the pale face. There were tiny pearls of sweat on the elf's skin, proof of his labors, and Aragorn felt his stomach revolt forcefully. With strong hands the elf held his shoulders down, moving his long fingers across Aragorn's collar bones, before they travelled further down, down, until they vanished between their bodies. Another shudder raced through Aragorn and he closed his eyes in defeat. He wanted nothing more than this to end. Why could it not end? Was Lithdal never finished, never satisfied, never sated?
And when Lithdal was finished once more, the elf kissed Aragorn full on the mouth, like he always did in the dreams after he had had his pleasure. 'Look at me.' Lithdal said, not with sternness in his voice, but Aragorn could do nothing but obey. He opened his eyes, gazing up at the elf's face. How much it reminded him of Legolas, although it was so completely different from the face of the Prince. Lithdal smiled down at him, baring his white teeth. He tapped a finger against the side of Aragorn's face, 'I wonder', he said, 'whether Legolas has tasted you like I have.' His smile widened and his eyes became taunting, 'I wonder whether he would want you back, now that you smell like me, taste like me.' And he kissed Aragorn again, slowly.
A tear rolled down Aragorn's cheek, in the dream and in reality, and he sobbed in sheer emotional pain. He was caught in Lithdal's strong grip, and there was no way out. He closed his eyes so that he would not have to see Lithdal, and tried to think of something else, anything that would take him to another place, a place where he would not have to hear the elf's sighs and grunts, where he would not feel the strong hands that held him down, the touch of the fingers that burned his skin.
Aragorn retreated into his own mind, a place where he knew he was safe, where no one would find him. Here, he was safe. Darkness surrounded him and the sounds from Lithdal faded slowly, until they were gone altogether. A sigh left Aragorn's lips, and although he knew that he could not stay in the darkness of his own mind forever, that Lithdal would pull him from it sooner or later, like he always did, Aragorn felt a small reprieve. It was so wonderfully quiet here….and then suddenly, Aragorn thought to her a voice calling out to him.
Shocked, he turned around, but there was no one with him. Only darkness. But the voice became louder, stronger, until the man could make out the words. He recognized that voice! Legolas….In his dream, Aragorn did not wonder why he heard Legolas's voice in his own mind, he was simply glad that he was no longer alone, that Legolas was there to protect him. Aragorn bathed in the words, waded through them, and wrapped them around himself like one would do with a too large overcoat. They were so warm, so comfortable.
Legolas spoke of strength and love, of devotion and victory. 'You are not alone, Estel. I will always stand at your side. But this is something you must do alone, and I know that you can do it. You are strong, Estel. You can fight him. Do not let him win. Estel, I love you.'
Aragorn knew what Legolas was speaking of, but he was not sure whether Legolas was right. In his dream, Aragorn relived the day that Lithdal had cornered him in the woods, had thrown him to the ground and tried to do things…the day that Lithdal had kissed him….the day Lithdal had touched him where only Legolas had ever touched him before…
And with these memories, the sighs and grunts of the dream-Lithdal became louder, clearer. And suddenly, Aragorn was back in the dream, staring up at Lithdal's flushed face that moved rhythmically above him. Again and again the white hair whipped around Lithdal's face, before the elf suddenly threw his head back and purred like a large cat. The sinews in his neck were clearly visible, his muscles rippled under his skin. And when Lithdal sighed deeply and looked down at Aragorn, a satisfied smile formed on his lips. He leaned down, until their faces were only an inch apart, 'So sweet.' And he pressed his lips on Aragorn's, like he always did when he had found his release.
The moment Lithdal's lips touched Aragorn's, Legolas's voice seemed to practically shout in his ear. 'Fight him, Estel!'
And fighting he did. With strength he did not have before, Aragorn turned his head to the side, pushed his hands against Lithdal's chest and threw the elf from him. Surprise flickered over Lithdal's face, before the elf smiled almost happily. 'Oh, finally you play, too. I was afraid you did not know how to. But I knew you would like it in the end.' And Lithdal stood to his feet, naked as he was, and moved towards Aragorn. Scrambling to his feet, Aragorn backed away.
'Don't touch me.'
Lithdal laughed and advanced still.
'I mean it, don't you dare touch me again.' Aragorn's voice rose until he screamed.
Unimpressed, Lithdal leered at him, 'I only want to play. I love you Estel.'
Aragorn shook his head, moving towards the door. He could not take his eyes from the advancing Lithdal, but Legolas's voice was still loud in his ears. 'But I don't love you.' Aragorn said loud and clear. 'Legolas holds my heart.' And Aragorn turned around, rushed to the door and fled the room. He could hear Lithdal's calls chase after him, but he ran down the corridor. When Lithdal screamed his name in a high pitched tone that made his skin crawl, Aragorn threw a look back over his shoulder. Lithdal stood in the corridor, still naked, his white hair trailing over his shoulders and down his back. His icy blue eyes seemed to burn through Aragorn, right into his soul.
Aragorn stumbled, caught in the gaze, and with a yelp of surprise he crashed against the banister at the top of the great stairs that led down into the entrance hall. The wooden banister crunched under his weight and broke. Aragorn felt himself fall over the edge, and only in the last moment could he grab a piece of the broken banister and stop his fall. Looking down, he saw the marbled entrance hall many feet below him.
He looked up again, trying to pull himself up, but there stood Lithdal, bathed in the glow of the candles. He smiled down at the man, before he kneeled before him. Lithdal's hand reached down without touching him. 'Let me help you, Estel. I can pull you up.'
Aragorn gazed into those icy eyes, saw the leering smile. And in that moment he knew, that he would be caught in that bedroom forever of he took Lithdal's hand. If he let the elf rescue him, Lithdal would take him back into that room, and there would be no second chance to escape. And before Aragorn knew what he was doing, he shook his head and let go of the broken piece of banister that had saved him from the fall.
He felt the air rush past him as he fell, saw Lithdal shake his head and get to his feet. And then the marble floor rushed up to meet him, and he knew no more.
And in the real world, Aragorn gasped and opened his eyes. Instead of looking at Lithdal, Legolas's blue eyes met his, full of concern and worry. Instantly Aragorn knew that it was over. That it had been a dream, and that he had defeated Lithdal in his own mind. And that it was all thanks to Legolas.
Aragorn smiled at Legolas and grabbed the elf's hand. His voice was but a whisper, "He is gone."
Legolas squeezed his hand and leaned closer, "I knew you could defeat him."
To be continued.
(One chapter to go)