Chapter six: Children of tomorrow

Elrond was trying to stay calm, to stay optimistic but it was so darn hard. Aytha had to stay in bed now and he had drugged her to make her sleep just to prevent her from losing all strength and Dilloth and Meril never left her side. They all were in despair. Elrond had to admit that the mechanisms behind this urge did make him curious but it also made him feel very sad. Aytha did suffer because of this, and she didn't deserve that at all. He tried to be a healer first and foremost but it wasn't easy at all. Galadriel had gone off into the woods for a while after their conversation and when she returned she looked tired and yet relieved. Why he had no clue. Glorfindel was refusing to budge and he did avoid them all, he was barely able to leave his rooms by now and everybody knew that something was wrong.

Elrond tried to keep a lid on the truth for as long as possible and nobody had a slip of the tongue but rumours did spread rather fast. Elrond just hoped that Galadriel managed to get Glorfindel's lover Belegorno back there fast. If the golden haired one didn't listen to the healer he ought to at least pay attention to what his lover said. A couple of days went by and then Belegorno suddenly rode into the courtyard followed by a very odd looking person. Elrond had to gape when he saw the brown wizard, the last time Radagast visited Imladris he had worn a cape completely covered with live moss and there had been a small flock of bats living in his hat. Now the bats had been replaced by a couple of starlings and the cape was starting to look like the start of a young forest with saplings and vines. Radagast grinned widely. "The lady told me that this fellow here was needed back home so I did move with haste and here he is, as requested. What is the rush about?"

Belegorno was a very tall noldo with sleek black hair and soft blue eyes, he was a skilled warrior and renowned for his skills with the spear but he was also a very level headed person and Elrond did respect the ellon. Belegorno was old and experienced and he never allowed his feelings to run amok. Now the warrior dismounted and stared at Elrond, the healer could see the concern in his eyes. "What is happening? Radagast told me something is wrong with Glorfindel?"

Elrond sighed and nodded slowly. "He is right, that is the truth yes. Follow me, I will explain but you do need a stiff drink first for this…is rather unique"

Belegorno frowned and looked worried, he followed Elrond to his office and Elrond poured a very generous amount of miruvor into a cup before handing it to the dark haired warrior. "Here, you'll need it"

Belegorno blinked and he was a bit pale. "Lord Elrond, is he dying?!"

Elrond sat down and felt very old all of a sudden, and weak. "No, not yet but…there is a possibility he will fade"

Belegorno threw the miruvor back and coughed, his eyes rolled a bit for the drink was very strong indeed. "Do explain, please!"

Elrond took a deep breath. "Belegorno, does he listen to you? How deep is your connection?"

Belegorno bit his lower lip. "We are very close yes, and he does listen to me, we respect each other"

Elrond nodded. "Good, now, you do know of the elleth who was found in the high lakes?"

Belegorno nodded, his eyes narrow. "The gorgeous but somewhat odd redhead yes?"

Elrond brazed himself and started telling of the current situation and Belegorno just gaped and looked a bit shocked. "Are you telling me that he will perish unless he beds her?"

Elrond looked down, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "Basically yes"

Belegorno made some odd grimaces. "Elrond, he only beds males. He is as gay as they come. Yes, he has tried to sleep with females but it didn't do anything for him at all. You cannot tell me that this is the only solution? It cannot be done by anyone else?"

Elrond shook his head. "No, it has to be him"

Belegorno swore. "Damnations, if he only was like me and swung both ways. I don't think you can persuade him into doing what is needed Elrond, he is as stubborn as a mule"

Elrond tried to smile. "Thank you, I do know!"

Belegorno took a deep breath of air, he did look determined. "So, how much time does he have? And what about her? How is she?"

Elrond stared at the floors again. "She is miserable and fading fast, it has to be done fast, or else they both will suffer lasting effects."

Belegorno nodded and his eyes were dark. "Elrond, there is only one way to do this. Fin will never yield to anything being forced upon him. I do know that for certain. We have to trick him"

Elrond frowned. "Trick him?"

Belegorno grinned, a stiff and rather odd smile. "Yes, drug him senseless, put me and her in bed with him and I will make sure it happens. I know him, believe me. It is the only way"

Elrond swallowed hard, two males in bed with her at once, oh this did sting, a lot! "You do know that there will be a baby as a result?"

Belegorno smiled, a sad smile. "Yes, I understand. Listen, Fin will never accept her, I just know that. He is too fond of his freedom and I don't blame him. Back in Gondolin old Turgon kept everybody in such tight reins it all but choked everyone. Fin hid his true nature Elrond, and it was like dancing on a razor's edge the whole time. If needed I can pretend to be the father, or at least offer her some protection"

Elrond frowned. "What do you mean?"

Belegorno looked a bit sad. "I can marry her? Listen, I am not in love with Fin, he is dear to me and it is a sort of love between us but he isn't the love of my life. That person was lost ages ago and I know I will meet him again when I cross the sundering sea but until then I can do something good and at least make sure that this female and her child is taken care off, when Fin is unable to bow to common sense"

Elrond was shocked. "Are you serious? You are willing to marry her? Why?"

Belegorno made a small smile, and it was a very melancholic one. "Why? The answer is very simple Elrond, I do want a family, but I know that I cannot live the conventional way. I do have a restless soul my lord, and strong desires too. And I know that I never will sire offspring of my own, it was foretold a very long time ago. I cannot bond with anyone to such a degree that a conception is possible. But I can adopt someone else's child"

Elrond stared at him. "Belegorno, you were abandoned as a child weren't you?"

The dark haired noldo nodded, a hint of something cold in his eyes. "Yes, I am old Elrond, my mother was a noble woman from Lindon, born just after the war of wrath. And she was married off to one of Gil-Galad's captains, to seal an alliance between two houses. She didn't love her husband, and she suffered a lot. I was the result of that one time she did give in and went to her true love and her husband treated me like the bastard I was. I will not allow another innocent child to be treated thus again"

Elrond was shocked, he did remember the constant powerplay of ancient Lindon, how high elves kept trying to gain influence in the vacuum left after the great cataclysm and the death and disappearance of the last sons of Fëanor. He cleared his throat. "You are doing a most noble thing, I hope you know this"

Belegorno smiled and bowed his head. "Maybe, time will show. So, how are we to do this practically?"

Elrond got up, he felt frantic all of a sudden. "Listen, we have to make sure he does cooperate, I have drugs which will ensure that he does, but it will also blur his senses and hopefully it will make him give in completely"

Belegorno smiled. "Great, give it to me and I will make sure he drinks it. Bring her to his room in a couple of hours, I will have prepared by then"

Elrond went over to a closet and opened it, he found the right herbs and mixed a tincture rather fast, there was hope again and yet his heart felt as if it was frozen within his chest. Belegorno put a hand on his shoulder. "My lord, I doubt that I will manage to stay true to her, and I will not demand that she stays away from others. I can see how you feel about her, I will not stand in your way in any manner."

Elrond had to smile. "I thank you, but do not mention this to Galadriel please, I doubt that she will understand your offer of a mock marriage"

Belegorno chuckled. "Oh don't underestimate her capability of understanding. She has seen a lot."

Elrond had to cringe. "Oh yes, those were indeed true words."

He handed Belegorno the flask with the tincture. "Give him three drops in some wine, no more. We will come with her soon."

Belegorno smiled and bowed before he left the room. Elrond remained sitting for a while before he left the room. Radagast had waited in the garden and he did look curious. "What is this all about?"

Elrond sighed. "I will explain later my friend, but now things has to be done."

The maia cocked his head and the eyes were suddenly keen and bright, showing his true nature. "Worry not Elrond, things will be alright in the end"

The healer managed to smile back. "Thank you"

He ran off to the infirmary and got some other medicines and then he went to Aytha's room. Dilloth and Meril sat there by the bed, they were embroidering and Aytha lay on the bed and she was covered with sweat and looked very dishevelled. Elrond took a deep breath. "We have found a possible solution, get some water and wash her, and braid her hair. We are taking her to Glorfindel"

Dilloth frowned. "Has he changed his mind?"

Elrond shook his head. "No, but Belegorno is here, and he thinks he can coax our balrog slayer to do the deed, while drugged."

Meril made a grimace. "That is a bit dishonest"

Elrond nodded. "Oh yes it is and he will probably be pissed off but it is for his own good. And Belegorno has agreed upon pretending to be Aytha's husband, to protect her from vicious gossip"

Dilloth looked a bit flabbergasted. "Really? I know he is a very kind ellon at heart, but that is beyond generous"

Elrond nodded. "Yes it is, but hurry now. The faster we get things done the better!"

The two ellith started washing Aytha gently, then they got her into a nightgown and Elrond got some of his apprentices to carry her on a stretcher. Luckily it was midday and hot so nobody was outside to see what they did. Belegorno had indeed followed Elrond's instructions, Glorfindel's room was dark and cool and the golden haired one laid on the bed, eyes closed as if in deep sleep but he was writhing against the sheets and he was buck naked. Elrond felt a sudden need to run, to turn his back to this whole thing and just go away but he couldn't. Belegorno stood there wearing just a dressing robe, his eyes were soft. "Don't worry my lord, it will be fine. Leave it all to me."

Elrond lifted Aytha onto the bed, Glorfindel appeared to be unconscious and he knew that the drugs left you in a state of dreamlike relaxation. At least there wasn't any discomfort involved of any kind. Belegorno walked over with a pillow. "Put her on her belly, lay this under her hips. If I am to coax him into doing this I think it will be easier if she is placed thus"

Elrond noticed that Aytha was half awake but she didn't protest, she just whimpered faintly and he felt terrible. This was really taking advantage of someone, he felt as if he was on the verge of doing a crime as bad as that of Eöl back in the first age for everybody knew that he had used his magic to subdue the strong willed Aredhel and trick her into marrying him. This was if not rape not far from it, even if it was for Glorfindel's own good. He had lost much weight already and Elrond was very worried since his health was declining rapidly.

Belegorno smiled, a soft little smile. "You can go now, you don't have to witness this my lord. I will make sure that no harm comes to her"

Elrond took a deep breath, it felt as if his lungs were about to burst. "Alright, I…Thank you"

Belegorno just bowed his head and Elrond left the room, he felt sick to the stomach and his soul wept. She wasn't for him in any way but he wished that she was, oh by Eru how he wished for this to suddenly change. He walked to his office, if it hadn't been so early in the day he would have gotten himself royally drunk!

Aytha was sure she was dreaming, but it was a very nice dream. She laid on silky sheets and she knew that the golden one was there, that he finally had come to her. The urge burned in her and she mewled and felt the scent of him, it almost drove her insane. She was so weak but that didn't matter, she laid there with her hips raised and knew that he would mount her whenever he was ready, she almost wanted to yell with sheer joy. There was another ellon there too, a gorgeous dark one but she didn't mind. She had shared bed furs with more than one person many times before and it only meant twice the joy right? She was panting with anticipation and spread her legs as much as she could, her body trembling and aching for this to be fulfilled.

Belegorno knew that the drugs Elrond had given him did make people very aroused and it was no doubt that Glorfindel was ready. He was shivering and groaning but not quite awake and Belegorno had left the lights there off for a reason. Now he stripped down and went onto the bed, started caressing his lover gently. "Fin? I have missed you, but now I am here and everything is gonna be just fine, just surrender to me."

Glorfindel moaned and gasped as Belegorno started to gently massage his shoulders the way he usually did. "Bel, oh Eru, miss….need"

Belegorno cooed. "I know, you are burning aren't you? But I will help you, just relax"

Fin whimpered. "So good to me"

Belegorno had to grin. "Oh yes, and it will be better"

He kept teasing and caressing the golden haired one until he was shivering, Fin was desperate by now and beside himself with desire and sheer need. The closeness to Aytha did contribute to the effect of the drugs and Belegorno grasped the warrior and simply hauled him on top of her. Glorfindel was in a haze, all he felt was a warm body underneath him, and instinct took over. He thrust forward and let out a loud yell of sheer bliss as warm tightness welcomed him. The world was transformed to pleasure and he kept moving in a frantic pace, desperately seeking his release.

Aytha gasped and for a second she almost passed out, the sensation was beyond anything she had experienced before, everything turned into white light and she heard herself scream in ecstasy. Fin groaned and panted, it felt so good, how could anything feel so good? His climax came suddenly and violently and made him tense up and arch against the trembling body underneath him, he roared and then he collapsed. The shock so great it knocked him out cold. Belegorno let him lay there for a few seconds, Aytha had come too and she was shuddering with aftershocks. She seemed to be almost aglow with sheer bliss and he smiled and laid Fin down next to her. Fin wouldn't wake up again for a while but it was done, the urge would disappear now if Elrond was right.

Aytha wanted to weep, she was so happy, finally he had come to his senses! The dark one seemed to be kind and he was very handsome too and she giggled and found the thought of having been watched stimulating. To her people having multiple partners was nothing odd at all and as she regained some strength she started to send him some glances which couldn't be misunderstood. She had been satisfied once but she didn't mind a second round and Belegorno grinned. "You are an eager one for sure, but why not? If I am to pose as your spouse then it is just natural I guess."

He leaned forth and kissed her and she giggled and pulled him down to her, she felt like a new person, like she had been reborn. The terrible strain was gone, so was the pain and the ache and she felt so light and so happy and everything was just wonderful. Before long she was clinging onto the dark haired one, panting with newly awakened desire and he was just as eager as her.

Elrond was called to the room later that day, it was almost midnight and as he entered he did see that Aytha was well again, She was of course still thin and pale and weak but her eyes were shining and she was grinning from one ear to the other. He supressed the sting in his chest right away, it was no doubt that Belegorno had been busy for the place did reek of sex and both were sweaty and covered with hickeys and dried fluids. Fin was asleep still, and Belegorno smiled and looked sleepy. "He did it, I will take care of him when he wakes up. If you can try to explain the situation for her I will be grateful"

Elrond nodded. "There is a cabin available not far from the river, you can live there. I just wonder if the gestation period of her people is similar to ours."

Belegorno played with some locks of her hair, she was giggling and obviously as playful and cuddly as a kitten. "That is great. I know of it"

Elrond and Belegorno got her into a dress and Elrond left her with Dilloth and Meril and she was radiant with happiness. At least one person there was pleased with the situation. Elrond had told Galadriel of the solution and although she agreed she had cringed and found the idea rather distasteful. But there had been no other option. Elrond did go to bed with very mixed emotions that night, he felt relieved that the problem had been taken care of, and yet he felt deeply unhappy too. Belegorno would take good care of her, he didn't doubt that for a second but what about Fin? Would he suck it up and act the way he was supposed to? With maturity and dignity? Would he accept the situation and the fact that he was to be a dad? Somehow Elrond doubted it, and doubted it a lot.

Belegorno stayed with Fin until he woke up the next morning, the golden haired warrior suddenly felt good again, in fact he felt almost ridiculously well and he only remembered that Belegorno had been there and that he had been touched all over. Fin was in fact almost in a haze of sheer pleasure still, he was giddy and silly and just so fucking relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted off him. He felt like an idiot, but a happy idiot. Belegorno laid close to him and held him and Glorfindel started to come to his senses again, very slowly. He frowned. "Weren't you out on patrol?"

Belegorno sighed and nodded. "Yes, I was. But they called me back home, you were ill remember?"

Fin rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Yes, I felt like shit, and Elrond told me that….Oh Eru!"

He stared at Belegorno. "Don't tell me that…."

Belegorno sighed, "Yes, yes you did. Elrond and his helpers carried her over here and yes, you did fuck her"

Fin went pale, then red, and then pale again, he blinked and looked extremely confused. "Morgoth's rotten teeth, I….Oh I want to hate you all but…. I feel good, better than good, I feel fantastic?"

Belegorno stroked his long hair gently. "I am glad, we were worried Fin. You looked like shite, and I was afraid you would die. You are too darn stubborn"

Fin swallowed and blinked, his face showed the shock still. "Damnation, don't you…you don't blame me?"

Belegorno shook his head. "No, why should I? I got this idea Fin, not Elrond. See this as an opportunity Fin, not as something bad. At least you do have the chance of having offspring, in spite of it all"

Glorfindel cringed. "Oh balls! I forgot about that, but….I cannot marry her, it wouldn't be fair. I can never love her"

Belegorno caressed his cheek. "I know, so I will pose as her husband, it is no huge sacrifice to make, she is gorgeous and I find her fascinating. "

Fin sighed. "You have a heart that is too large for your chest Bel, I don't know what to say? You can adapt to any situation, I cannot. That is the sad truth about this."

Belegorno snickered. "You are a bit like an old plough horse, following the same old tracks day after day."

Glorfindel laid back against the pillows. "I just remember coming, and it was…it was bloody amazing. I have never felt anything like it before, so I guess I ought to thank you, for setting me up"

Belegorno smiled. "You are welcome"

Fin sighed and curled up against him. "I feel elated and yet tired, it is an odd feeling"

Belegorno had to chuckle. "You waited for too long, for the next days you are hereby to stay in bed and relax and recover, that is an order"

Glorfindel sort of frowned. "I outrank you?"

Belegorno just shook his head. "Not within these walls you don't so allow me to pamper you properly."

Aytha was giddy with relief too and she kept giggling and laughing and being so high on endorphins Meril tricked her into drinking some sleeping medicine. Afterwards the two ellith finally found some rest too and the house got quiet. The next morning Aytha woke up late, she felt so good and relaxed and more so, she knew deep within that it had been a success, she felt it. Dilloth was awakened by an elleth who was almost beside herself with joy and she had to admit that the sheer enthusiasm Aytha showed was very charming. But she soon discovered that she from now on had a lot of things to do. Galadriel started to teach her Sindarin and they slowly made progress although there were sounds she simply couldn't pronounce. Galadriel came up with the idea of sign language combined with speech and it was a great idea for Aytha did understand this concept rather well.

Elrond did confirm that she was with child and he couldn't help but feel excited too. After all, elves are fond of children and so few were born each one was precious beyond words. Belegorno started to visit Aytha rather often and she found that odd to begin with but then she got accustomed to him and started to realize that he did it for a reason. Galadriel had huge problems trying to explain the concept of monogamy to Aytha, and the cultural differences were still a very tough obstacle to overcome but she did make progress, one tiny step at a time. She started to make friends, and she tried to participate in the daily life of this place. She would often do minor blunders but she learned rather fast.

Glorfindel stayed away from her, he just didn't want to face her again and he felt guilty somehow, or rather, violated. So he pretended that nothing had ever happened and returned to his old self, pushing the recruits mercilessly like before. Belegorno tried discreetly to coax him into accepting his role in this but he turned a deaf ear to his friend and refused to even speak of Aytha. Belegorno moved into the hut and slowly Aytha too started living in it, she was growing rather fond of Belegorno since he was so kind and patient and she had no problems with the situation being as it was. Fin on the other hand never spoke of her when he and Belegorno met and even Elrond had to admit that the balrog slayer was a bit more stubborn than they had even expected him to be.

Aytha soon discovered that being a mother to be could be tough, she was sick a lot and things were made harder for her because of the diet. She was used to eating meat, and here meat was rarely on the table. She also developed some odd cravings and that for things which didn't even exist within this realm. Elrond was working a lot to try to find alternatives for he did know that this meant that her body was lacking something it needed. Now that the deed was done he felt a sort of silent acceptance mingled with light grief, he tried to give her as much time with Belegorno as possible and she seemed to appreciate that he was seeing her each day but he kept his distance too and remained professional. Galadriel had many sessions with Aytha and as the elleth got heavier and stopped moving around they sat down a lot and Galadriel had Erestor write down the things Aytha told them. She got good at using the sign language and the others of the valley leaned it too and could communicate with her rather well. She still stood out thought, her strange features and the way she showed her emotions told anyone she was a stranger but they accepted her the way she was. Many were very fond of her and her almost childlike naïve personality made them very protective of her.

All things were not sunny though, she had a very hard pregnancy and even though Belegorno tried to cheer her up the fact that Fin obviously was completely indifferent did make her feel somewhat sad. Back home the males did try to care for their mates, even if they only had mated once. Many gave her small gifts or useful items and she was beside herself with joy each time, even if it was just small insignificant things like extra food or some pretty flowers. Galadriel did her best to make sure that everything about Aytha's culture was recorded, she kept asking questions every day and the good thing was that it helped Aytha learn new words. Soon her vocabulary was almost that of a normal elf but still she couldn't pronounce many sounds and used the signs instead. She was resting most of the time and Elrond was getting a bit worried, he feared that her unborn elfling was rather large and although birthing problems were rare among elves her race could be very different in that area.

She felt like a huge lump and stayed in bed most of the time and Belegorno brought her food and books and other things to keep her mind active. She was easily bored and when bored she could become irritable and sulky like a toddler. Elrond often worried, he was afraid that she wasn't mature enough to care for a child but on the other hand she had been given responsibility for children before so it could be the situation which triggered her unusual behaviour. Fin still didn't show any interest at all in her or his unborn heir and Elrond decided that when the day came he would write Belegorno down as the father in his list of inhabitants. He had been supportive and caring when Glorfindel had not and Elrond was more and more impressed by the ellon. Aytha reached the one year mark, normal elven pregnancies lasted for exactly one year but she went over that and now everybody started to feel nervous. Elrond was beside himself with anxiety, he had never encountered something like this and he felt so helpless. Aytha was unable to move, her pelvis was aching all the time and she had started to get nervous too. Before she had been sheer optimism and joy but now she sort of turned introvert all of a sudden and didn't want to talk to anyone.

The healer knew it was fear which caused this and he and Belegorno stayed by her side all the time. Galadriel too took turns at watching over her at times and she too was starting to worry a lot. Aytha was getting lethargic, just as when Fin refused to give in, and she refused to eat. They tried to ask if this was something typical of her race but she didn't know, as a first time mother she had never been given that specific information by the midwives. Elrond just knew that the birth ought to have started by now, the baby was in distress and for a brief while he was afraid that they would have to use a c section, it was the last straw though for it could cost both mother and child their lives. She was just too weak, too drained and nobody understood why. Then Belegorno entered the infirmary, dragging a very reluctant Fin after him. The balrogslayer was swearing and cussing but Belegorno was just as large as him and extremely strong and even more so, determined.

Aytha was in disbelief, she hadn't expected to see him again and he was standing there, staring at the floor sulking like a kid. Belegorno pushed him forth and forced him to lay a hand on her belly. "Here, feel that? I don't fucking care how that baby was conceived but it is yours damn it, you created it and now it ne

eds you!"

Fin just grumbled and felt very bothered but he didn't pull his hand back and suddenly he gasped and his eyes went huge. Elrond just knew it, the child's fëa had reached out to his and Aytha moaned and went pale. Fin looked as if he had gotten the shock of his life and then he sort of tipped forwards and swooned and Belegorno had to grasp him. Elrond grasped Aytha's hand, she was shivering and he just knew that she suddenly had received all the energy she needed from Fin. From that moment on things happened fast, the labour got started for real and Elrond sent everybody out except from himself and the midwives. Births were rare so they never wasted any chance at showing their skills.

Aytha had a peculiar attitude to this, as a child of a very open minded tribe Elrond would have expected her to be rather relaxed and prepared for this but she wasn't. In fact she was completely unaware of the different stages of a birth and she soon expressed what could only be described as panic. She was screaming in her own language, tossing around and if it hadn't been for the fact that she couldn't walk she would have tried to flee the room. Elrond tried to calm her down but to no prevail, she was panting and her eyes were enormous and her ears were hanging as if she was a flogged dog. The midwives were wise ellith who had encountered a lot and now they did show their worth, they understood her better than Elrond. They realized what sort of society she was of and they became very stern although compassionate. She had to bow to the will of a more dominant female and so she did, reluctantly. Still it took most of the night before it was over and by then Aytha was completely exhausted and the entire valley was silent since everybody was afraid things would go wrong. The midwives had to pull the baby out of her and she was letting out some screams which made Elrond cringe, he hadn't even heard orcs scream that way.

But a healthy and very pretty little elleth was handed over to Elrond to be checked over and he had never seen a baby quite like this one. It was obvious that the infants of Aytha's race were born more developed than those of other races for the arms and legs were longer than on an average baby and it was able to hold its head up by itself right away. Aytha was weeping with relief and demanded to have the infant handed over to her immediately and she put the little one to her chest where it started feeding right away.

Everybody were just so relieved, it hadn't ended in disaster after all, both mother and child were alright and all the elves present were rejoicing. Aytha received a long line of visitors and got a lot of gifts and she was beaming with pride and joy. It had come true after all, her dreams had been fulfilled, she had a little one and she was safe there too and would never have to starve again. To Aytha things were perfect now but Fin didn't feel it that way, he of course saw his daughter but he sort of refused to see her as that. It was his pride which stood in the way and he allowed Aytha to find a name for the baby. He didn't want anything to do with it at all. Elrond was a bit angry at him and he wasn't the only one but Glorfindel was stubborn above everything else and refused to look at things from a different angle.

Aytha gave the infant the name Torla, it meant feline in her language for the infant had intense green eyes and a shock of golden red hair in a tone nobody had seen before. She also had her mother's ears and soon became the darling of everybody in the valley.

Torla did grow fast, in fact she grew so fast it shocked them all. By six months she could walk with some help and she was almost talking too. Aytha was a perfect mom, to her the entire world now consisted of her daughter and nothing else and she was doing an excellent job teaching the little one the things she needed to know. Belegorno too helped out a lot and Elrond was relieved to see that the relationship between the two got closer and closer. They had in fact become a family and even though Elrond felt that sting each time he saw her with her new partner he accepted it. Aytha was happy and that was all that mattered. Galadriel had almost fallen in love with Torla and sent a lot of gifts from Lothlorien and Arwen too spent a lot of time playing with the girl, children were after all rare so everybody tried to help out with their rearing.

When Torla was five Aytha and Glorfindel accidentally met during a feast, they sort of bumped into each other and before they could go their separate ways Aytha sort of stared at him and gasped and Glorfindel swore so bad many elves there just gaped and stared with huge eyes. It happened again! Once more the urge descended upon them and Fin strolled out of the hall looking as if he was searching for the nearest balrog, just to escape. He had stopped seeing Belegorno now and was wooing some other warrior instead and this he didn't like, not even a bit! Aytha was calmer now than the last time, she knew he would give in eventually and in fact he did. After a week of pining he came to the house where she lived in the late evening and apparently he did what had to be done but not with anything even resembling joy. Aytha accepted it with an odd type of calm, she was happy in her own way and welcomed the fact that she was to be a mother again wholeheartedly and she didn't care if Fin didn't love her or wanted her.

This time the pregnancy was an easy one and she had a rather quick birth too. It only lasted a few hours and she was nowhere near as scared as she had been when Torla was born. This time it was a boy, so alike his dad it had to cause problems later on but for now everybody was just happy that Aytha was alright. She had started to learn about healing and had a true talent when it came to using herbs and Elrond knew she was very gifted in oh so many ways. She had a talent when it came to drawing and painting and she designed new robes for Elrond and his family. She also helped out with the livestock whenever it was needed and she had become an important and well loved member of their community. The boy was named Ahraban which meant sunborn since he was born at sunrise and Aytha was so glad he never would have to face the hardships boys of her tribe had had to endure. Fin sort of approached his son a few times, very reluctantly but with obvious curiosity for the young one was like his sister, grew fast and with an unusual amount of body control and intelligence. Aytha was very happy and her family well taken care off too. In Imladris everybody knew the truth of her odd little brood and nobody said anything negative about her or the children for they knew. Elrond was worried though, sooner or later someone would look at her dark haired noldo husband and the two red blond elflings and put two and two together and get five.

Ahraban was ten and Torla fifteen when it yet again happened, Fin and Aytha was drawn together like moths to a flame yet again and this time the balrog slayer just threw her over his shoulder and took off to find a private place to do the deed just to get it over with. Aytha emerged again looking like a cat who has found an unguarded bowl of cream and Fin looked so sour he could have spoiled milk had he stared at it. Belegorno was the one who felt sad now, he would have loved to father children of his own and yet that was denied him, while Fin who didn't want any already had two. This time Aytha soon discovered that she was carrying twins and Elrond got nervous yet again. She grew in circumference rather fast and felt tired much of the time. Belegorno was supportive as always and tried to help her in every way that he could and it was rather obvious that his feelings towards her had grown to deep affection by now. Aytha did have two boys in early spring, both with the same golden red hair as their siblings and both with green eyes and much of her features. She named them Rhuban and Thaibu which meant wolf and bear in her native tongue. Some were mocking Glorfindel a bit and challenging him to beat Fëanor when it came to fertility and he just sneered back and refused to answer. It wasn't that he didn't feel anything towards his children, for he did. He just didn't feel that he somehow deserved them, and he loathed the manner in which they were conceived. Aytha became a very good healer and for many years things were fine, everyday life in Imladris went on as usual, with the occasional orc fight and worries about Sauron's increasing power. Just before the one ring was rediscovered and sent off with the fellowship Aytha and Glorfindel felt the urge yet again, this time she had a girl she named Umhar which meant flower. Her sons became fierce warriors and hunters and her daughters were already renowned for their beauty and also their cleverness and brave attitude. She taught her children well and they never covered for anyone, even those who questioned their legitimacy.

Elrond started to prepare to leave when the one ring was destroyed, it broke his heart to leave this land of his birth but he couldn't stay, the power of his own ring had diminished and he knew that the time of mankind had come. Glorfindel had started to thaw a bit, he spent more time with his children now and they sort of accepted his shortcomings, they understood that their family was an odd one indeed. Aytha and her family decided to follow Elrond to Aman and she was excited to meet new people and see new places. Elrond on the other hand was worried, she was with child yet again and he feared that people would start treating her with disrespect if they found out the truth about her many offspring.

All of her other children had reached their majority by now and were adults and they were a fierce bunch who would stop at nothing to protect their mother. Aytha gave birth while on the boat, they hadn't expected the baby to be born until they reached Tol Erressea but she came early and this birth was a very difficult one. Elrond was rather sure that this was the last child she would ever carry, her womb too damaged for another conception. When they reached the blessed realm it was with a newborn among them and Aytha was so focused upon her little one she didn't have time to notice much else. Elrond got Belegorno and her a house not far from the coast in a village close to Valmar and her children settled in there too. Elrond was busy reconnecting with Celebrian and mourning the fact that his daughter had chosen mortality and he didn't really find the time to visit Aytha that often.

But she became noticed by the elves living in the area, not only for her special appearance but also for her skills and her kindness and if they did look at her dark husband and her blonde kids they didn't make any remarks about it. It was none of their business after all. Her latest daughter grew more slowly than the others and she had some problems learning to speak so Aytha spent much time at home with Nhuray, the name meant bold one and it was fitting for this kid didn't back off from anything,. She had an almost insane amount of curiosity and no sense of propriety and so problems started brewing.

At first only the neighbours would laugh and shake their heads and say she would grow out of it, after all, kids are kids. But Aytha and her family got invited to Tirion by Elrond and that was when Nhuray and her siblings really caught the eye of the gossip makers. Before long it was common knowledge that Aytha was some sort of whore and that Belegorno probably was infertile since none of the kids could be his. Elrond was in despair and tried to do his best to stop the most vicious of the rumours but he failed. This was juicy stuff and many ellith were jealous of Aytha's obvious fertility.

Her grown children were by her side always and her sons did by now look so much like their father many did realize who their sire was. It caused an uproar, an elleth carrying the children of someone else than her husband? And such a famous ellon too? This was not acceptable and some of the more pious elves there wanted Aytha and her family removed from Aman and sent back to middle earth so her corruption wouldn't spread. Her oldest son beat up one particularly mean ellon and Torla chased off some condescending ellith with some shouts and a language that would have made a balrog faint. The rescue came from a rather unexpected place, suddenly maiar started to visit Aytha, asking for information about her world and her people and she told them everything willingly. Even some of Namo's servants showed up and at first some thought that she would be told to leave for certainly the valar wouldn't accept her way of living? But no such thing happened, instead Aytha was being treated with the outmost respect and even Manwë himself visited her home and kept dropping by rather often too. He found her tales fascinating and soon she was regarded as one in his favour.

Belegorno had met the one he once lost by now and he moved into their home, it did raise quite a few eyebrows but since the valar obviously didn't react to it others too stopped seeing it as odd. Strangely enough Glorfindel too changed whence he came to Aman, he visited rather often as well and after some years he too became a resident of the by now rather crowded home. He did publicly confess that the children of Aytha were his too, and he refused to allow anyone to question the value of any of them. They had been born out of wedlock but so what?

Aytha had revealed an odd talent, many elves still stayed in the halls, too traumatized to be able to handle being re-embodied but she seemed to have a sort of soothing effect on their mangled spirits and she started working for Namo too. By now she was a very important person with a lot of power and the valar realized that her race probably were meant to be even more powerful than an average maia but the world in which they had lived had been so tough survival was all they really had had the energy for.

Elrond and Celebrian came by every now and then, they had gotten back to the love they had shared and Celebrian knew of Aytha and accepted that Elrond had a soft spot for her. Aytha was happy with Belegorno and his true love Faelar, and Glorfindel had also found his one in a very sweet and pretty vanyar named Gilion and they had indeed become a rather odd extended family. Slowly other elves too realized that perhaps the rules weren't as strict as they had believed them to be and same gender couples became more normal, relationships with more than just two involved too.

Aytha had grown in confidence, she carried herself like a queen and Manwë had publically called her the representative of a world now lost, the queen of a forgotten people, alive just through her and her children. Luckily all of her kids proved to be very fertile too and soon there were a small tribe there of elves with long and flexible ears and large eyes. All had a streak of red in their hair and were tall and strong and as their number grew they formed a society of their own. Aytha taught them all she remembered about her previous life and made sure that everything was remembered for the future. One day they would fight the dark enemy in a final battle and those with her blood in their veins would be something the orcs would fear for they could fight like the wild wolves of the white plains, like the huge cats stalking the huge herds of bison. They were fierce and not bound by the same laws as the other elves and Aytha knew with pride that her legacy would live on.

Her blood ran in many brave warriors now, and in many fair ellith and Glorfindel too was beside himself with a deep love he never had dared to feel before. Until the day the doors of the night opened to release its prisoner she was content and she knew that the shaman had been right after all. She had found happiness, more of it than she could ever imagine and even if it hurt thinking of the world she had left behind and those who perished their legacy lived on through her and her growing kin. It was all she had ever wanted, it was all she would ever need.