chapter 38
Tiny motes of dust floated in the sunbeams filtering through the many woven branches above Natasha, as she stared up at their ceiling. She had been staring for the past several minutes, since she'd woken up in fact, trying to make sense of what she saw around her. She, Aragorn and Legolas had fallen asleep the night before in a tangle of limbs, so wrapped up in each other that they had been completely unaware of the world around them. So much so that they hadn't even noticed the forest rising around them, enclosing them in a thicket of woven branches and leaves, nor the nest of birds that had moved in.
Beside her, Legolas and Aragorn were still oblivious in their elven slumber. Even now, after all the months they'd been friends and companions, it still made her uneasy, seeing them sleep with their eyes open, and she caught herself checking their breathing, that their hearts still beat beneath her ear before she snuggled back down into the warmth of their bedding. Aragorn sighed in his sleep, and a hand ran up her side. Her lovers pressed closer to her, blinking sleep from their eyes.
"Did you sleep well?" Legolas asked, his voice muffled as his mouth was busy pressing feather light kisses along her neck.
"Yes I did. Very well." she replied slyly, forgetting her previous preoccupation. "and you?"
"Oh I slept very well." Legolas grinned, nipping gently at her ear.
"As did I." Aragorn said, his hands wandering over any part of his lovers that he could reach. "And I think I..." He had added, rolling on top of her.
Or tried to at least, until his hair got caught in one of the many branches woven around them. Such a look of confusion came on his face that Natasha had to laugh as Legolas looked up to see what was going on and ended up joining her in laughter as he reached to untangle his husband's locks.
Aragorn rubbing his scalp, glaring up at the branches around them only to gasp and stare at Legolas, whose face was equally shocked.
"Any ideas how that got there? Surely we weren't asleep long enough for the forest to grow up around us..." Natasha chuckled, then stopped seeing the look on their faces. "What is it?"
"We've been given a blessing." Legolas whispered in awe, his fingers reverently touching a golden flower poking through the branches.
"By whom?" Natasha asked, propping herself up on her elbows.
"The forest." was all Aragorn would say, after having a silent conversation with Legolas. "But I believe I was going to do something..." here he smiled cheekily, and bent his head to take her lips in a searing kiss.
Legolas watched, though his mind was only half on the lovely scene in front of him. His mind was awash with so many different questions that he couldn't make sense of. Dearly he wished that he could consult with Lord Elrond, but that was not an option at the moment, perhaps the Lady Galadriel...?
"Come back to us, Greenleaf." Aragorn teased, gently running his fingers over the wood elf's ear, making him shiver.
Legolas' eyes darkened and he seized Aragorn's hand, pulling him roughly forward into a passionate kiss. Natasha sighed dreamily, settling back to watch, her hands wandering aimlessly over the two elves' backs, arms, whatever she could reach. Her breath stopped when they pulled apart and turned their attentions to her. They trailed kisses down either side of her neck and collarbone, pausing every now and then to caress and kiss each other, their minds linked and sharing their joy, as they moved further down her body. Pushing them away, Natasha quickly rolled atop Aragorn, pulling Legolas up for a rough kiss, as hands wandered over every bit of skin that could be reached. Sighs and soft moans fell from parted lips. Until...
"Hullo, Miss Natasha Mr. Strider, sir? Legolas?" came from just outside the entry to their little hideaway. All three froze, one thought on all their minds, do not come into the thicket.
"Yes?" Natasha called, hoping her voice was steady, though her face was red. The silent shaking of her companions' laughter was not helping matters, especially as it sent parts of them rubbing deliciously in certain places.
"Breakfast is waiting. Mr. Merry, Mr. Pippin, do leave some for the rest of us!" Barely audible footsteps hurried off, leaving the three lovers holding their breaths for several moments before dissolving into laughter.
"I suppose we should postpone this to another time." Natasha sighed, running her fingers over Legolas and Aragorn's chest. "At least if we want to have any to eat."
Legolas was about to protest but a loud gurgle from Aragorn's stomach interrupted him, dissolving the trio back into laughter.
"Come, let us feed the future king, before he expires from starvation." Legolas chuckled, pushing gently at the branches still surrounding them. They parted easily, and pulled away, vines and branches disappearing into the surrounding thicket until nothing was left of the nest that had been around them.
As the last branch trailed away, the leaves at its tip caressed Natasha cheek. The tree's presence in her mind was brief but it was so intense she was frozen in place for several moments afterward. She turned wide, questioning eyes to Aragorn and Legolas, but they seemed to not have noticed the brief exchange, concentrating on collecting their clothes and getting dressed. Shaking herself, she gathered her clothes and dressed, carefully swinging the satchel with the precious egg in it over her shoulder. Once everything was in place, she smoothed her hands over her tunic, checking for wrinkles.
"You look beautiful, vanima." Legolas said, kissing her cheek and plucking a wayward leaf out of her hair.
They left the thicket side by side, hands brushing each other's , as they made their way back to the rest of the Fellowship.
"Will you tell us what is in the bag Gandalf gave you?" Aragorn asked, touching the strap lightly.
"Another time. First, let's eat." Natasha grinned, quickening her pace as they reached the pavilion provided for the Fellowship during their stay in the Golden Wood.
The hobbits and Gimli were already well into their breakfasts, while Boromir picked at his. He brightened a bit when Aragorn challenged him to a bit of sparring later in the day, and breakfast became a happy meal, in spite of their grief. Natasha watched Frodo, carefully concealing the fact she was doing so. Besides herself, Frodo had been the hardest hit by Gandalf's death. He appeared to be better than he had been the previous morning, but Natasha had found that Frodo could be quite secretive about his feelings when he wanted to, if he thought other people would lose their good moods because of his bad one. So she watched his eyes, rather than the smile on his face, heeding his body language instead of his laughter.
Breakfast was eaten and cleared away, and the Fellowship slowly trickled off into the surrounding wood, many with elven guides, to explore Lothlorien's capital of Caras Galadhon. Aragorn and Boromir left for their sparring, and Legolas visited with some of the elves in the pavilion before he too trickled out. Left alone, Natasha sat quietly for a few moments before returning to the thicket they had slept in the night before.
Laying herself down on her bedroll, she stared up at the sky as her hands absently caressed the egg in its satchel. Her grief, which had been bottled up until now, was finally let loose. Tears fell as she curled around the satchel. Her mind was consumed with her grief, and she was tossed violently on a stormy sea of anguish and despair. The pain of her loss, of the mental link between teacher and student suddenly torn asunder, of a mentor and dear friend, shook her body, stealing her breath and making her feel as if surely she would break apart at any given moment.
Completely unaware of the outside world, Natasha did not notice the egg in its satchel had started rocking. A crack appeared along its side from which a beam of golden light poured forth, seeming to widen the crack until the egg split and the tiny dragon within crawled out, stretching his body cat-like, fanning his wings dry. It took several moments for his eyes to adjust once again to being used, but when he could finally focus, he turned his gaze on the huddled form Natasha presented. He sighed gently and wedged his head under her arm, nudging her cheek as he reached out with his mind to gently brush against hers.
She jerked back, eyes wide as she took in the newly hatched dragon. But a soft smile of wonder slowly spread across her face and she opened her arms to him, and he slipped into them, pressing tightly against her body, his mind thrumming within her own, sending warmth and comfort, calming her until finally, exhausted, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, the dragon watching over her.
"Sleep little one, for this will be a big day for the both of us."