The Eve of an End | By : Etharei Category: -Multi-Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1136 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
Title: The
Eve of an End
Author: Etharei
Pairing: Elrohir/Legolas
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: None of the recognizable characters, names or places
featured here belong to me. This is based on a work of fiction by Professor JRR
Tolkien, and regardless of what present-day legalities say, in my mind they
belong first and foremost to him.
Timeline: 17 March, T.A. 3019
Summary: Two warriors confront personal troubles and find comfort from
each other in the night before the host departs Minas Tirith for Mordor.
Author's Notes: I wrote this in the assumption that the Rangers of the
North, the sons of Elrond, Legolas and Gimli camped out on the Pelennor with
Aragorn after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. If this is incorrect, then I
apologize and bid you to view this as slightly AU in terms of setting.
*****
17 March, T.A. 3019
All day it had soared, deceptively innocuous, circling the outer edge of his
consciousness with such mildness that that he slowly relaxed his guard,
thinking the worst first wave to be done and over with. He was also distracted
by the air of anticipation and dread that hung over the City. Many folk,
unarmed citizen and war veteran alike, expected the world, as they know it, to
end in a matter of days, and it was yet to be decided whether there would be a
new one after that, at least for the Race of Men. The resolution of their
leaders to march towards what could only be a last stand to the death caused a
great deal of stir amongst the different ranks of Men. Legolas had spent the
last day in Aragorn’s camp outside the Gate, for at least his friend’s northern
kin had absolute trust in their Chieftain, and if he told them that they had to
march to the Black Gates, then they would.
He was concluding a conversation with one of these Dunedain when it struck,
swift as a bird of prey diving towards its next meal. Fortunately the Man
wasn’t overly alarmed by the sight of the Elf’s eyes glazing over, as if he had
fallen into repose on the spot, and had walked away thinking only that the
Mirkwood archer’s exhaustion was getting the better of him, for the hour was
quite late and even Elf’s Dwarven companion was snoring noisily some distance
away.
Half-blind and struggling with suddenly leaden limbs, Legolas somehow managed
to stagger into the shadow between two tents- he was beyond caring whose- where
he immediately sat down on the cold ground with his knees drawn up to his chest
and his head wrapped in his arms. Had his ears been working properly, he would
have noticed that another was cautiously stepping towards him, but the only
sound he could hear was the Sea. Not the roaring rush registered by mortal
ears, but the song that hearkened back to the Great Music, preserved by Ulmo in
liquid composition. He knew that it could be gentle, a soft song of beguilement,
but his continued resistance to it only seemed to increase its power. He knew
that he would never be free of it, now, but his stubborn Silvan nature would
hardly relinquish its ties to this land without a thorough battle.
Surely even the gulls are asleep at this hour? cried his agonised mind
as he tried to push away his insubstantial foe. Hands strengthened by years of
bow-work clawed at his elegantly pointed ears, but though he could feel the
digging of his nails into tender flesh, he could hear nothing beyond the
never-ceasing melody, not even his own heartbeats. He wanted to scream, tear
his eardrums out- anything for silence!
Tormented though he was, he still stiffened in alarm when a pair of strong arms
wound around him from behind. If the other said something, he could not hear
it, but his sense of smell quickly delved through the outer rankness of blood
and smoke and other stenches of war to pick out the unique scent of his
intruder, which he instantly identified. Relaxing into the warm body behind
him, he clenched his eyelids shut as he buried his face into the other’s dirty
shirt and let out a helpless wail into the muffling cloth. The other gently
rocked him, rubbing a strong, comforting hand up and down his back.
Eventually the song receded, and he sagged, more exhausted than he had felt
after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. His head lolled back on a muscled
shoulder, tear-stained eyes opening reluctantly to convey a silent thanks to
his rescuer. He slipped into sleep as he felt himself being borne up towards
the starry sky.
When Legolas returned to the world, he found himself lying on pallet, covered
by a warm thick blanket. The stains and worn edges evidenced its many years of
use, but what the Elf found most comforting was the scent that permeated its
very threads- the same olfactory signature that he had recognised before his
collapse. He smiled, and realised that he could hear again. He rued how he had
taken his keen hearing for granted before; like a deprived child, he actively
sought out and relished in the most mundane of noises from his surroundings.
The relative silence indicated that a few hours had lapsed, and the camp was
mostly asleep. There was still plenty to hear, however: the crackle of the fire
in the lamp burning on the other end of the tent, the comforting cacophony of
mortal snoring from several neighbouring tents, the brushing of gentle wind
over the wrecked fields outside.
The quiet, even breathing of the other person in the tent.
Legolas shifted so he could gaze at the figure silently reading at the foot of
the pallet. At the movement, Elrohir looked up, and smiled as he returned the
small worn book into his pack.
“You are still troubled by them.” It was more of a statement than a question,
but the archer nodded nonetheless. With characteristic grace, the younger son
of Elrond crawled over to sit next to him “That, I fear, is one ailment that
will only grow with time.” Elrohir peered closely at him, frowning. “Yet it is
not only the Sea-longing that weighs down your heart, gwador. There is
something dark clouding your bright spirit.”
“Perhaps it wavers at the thought of never finding peace in this land again.”
The son of Thranduil let out a breath. “The world suddenly seems so dark and
cold.”
The dim light from the lone lamp cast shadows that hid Elrohir’s eyes from
view, but Legolas could sense their argent intensity trained on him. “Do you
despair at last, then?”
The son of Thranduil fastened his eyes on the canvas above him. “I have never
felt this ‘despair’ before. If it is a wavering of the heart after feeling
that- despite all that has been lost and suffered and shod- it could still be
for naught; then I aye, I do despair.”
“So why are you here?” asked the other, his voice transforming into the steel
of one used to command and in no mind to brook self-pity. “Why have you not
asked for leave to return to your woods? Come what may, this world is already
lost to the Firstborn. None will dispute your choice, if you decide to go, even
your Fellowship. Why do you linger here, in a war not of your own, if you can
join your kin for the last stand?”
At another time, the harsh words would have riled Legolas’ pride and roused his
temper, which might have been the intent of the Half-Elf. But the archer only
made a tired smile, like a sign of surrender at the end of a long journey. “I
have lost my hope for this war, son of Elrond,” he answered, now finding it in
himself to meet the other’s gaze. “But I have my faith, and it has never
wavered.”
Elrohir’s brow furrowed. “Your strength of faith commends you, Legolas, but
surely you do not believe us capable of overcoming the Dark Lord’s army, with a
force that is less than a fifth of the numbers needed by Gil-Galad and Elendil
to storm the Black Gate?”
Legolas found himself chuckling, though with mirth or bitterness it was
difficult to tell. “Nay, my friend, you misunderstood me. My faith lies not in
our numbers or arms,” here his expression softened, “but in two humble
periannath making their way across the harshest land on Middle-Earth to the
very heart of our Enemy’s domain.”
For a long moment, there was only silence the small tent. Though slightly
perturbed by the other’s gaze, Legolas calmly allowed Elrohir to probe him,
briefly lying open his mind before a trusted friend. He disliked being
appraised thus, as if for judgement, but an instinct told him that the Peredhel
was fighting to keep strong his own spirit, and would feel comforted by this
act of trust.
Finally the younger twin turned away, murmuring, “Perhaps now I understand why
my adar chose you for the Quest.” At Legolas’ questioning look, he said
further, “My brother and I asked- and expected- to be chosen for the
Fellowship; if not both, then at least one. We have travelled nearly as widely
as Estel, and intended to aid him towards achieving his destiny. So it was a
surprise when he named not one of his own sons, nor one of the great elf-lords
that still reside in Imladris, but yourself- Thranduil’s youngest son, who has
scarcely ventured beyond the eaves of his home forest, and had little
experience of mortals.”
Legolas’ expression grew more perplexed. “It is certainly flattering to be
thought of so highly, my Lord,” he commented dryly, now feeling the first
pricks of insult.
“But it is flattery, to a mind that feels it has been found wanting,” Elrohir
returned, with a slight smile. “Do you not understand? My adar chose you because
you were all those things, and we were not.” He hesitated, then added, “If I
may be so bold, my Lord, might I ask why you have such faith in our little
friends?”
The archer was taken aback by the unexpected question. He resumed his visual
examination of the canvas roof for a long time, not really seeing it, and when
he turned his gaze back towards Elrohir, it seemed to the Half-Elf that Legolas
had aged before his eyes. Or, rather, he was seeing the true soul, marked and
burdened by unexpected cares, beneath the Elf’s deceptively youthful exterior.
“It is… difficult, to explain to one who did not journey with us,” the son of
Thranduil whispered. “We travelled knowing that there were many dangers about
us, and yet carried the chief peril right in our midst, protecting It
and Its bearer. The whispers of the Enemy were beside our very ears, and its
droning continued on through Moon and Sun, preying on our faults and
weaknesses, enticing us with desires we did not know we possessed.” His eyes
veiled as he reviewed something only he knew of. “It took all that we held good
and true, and tainted and twisted them, ‘till one could not see the same things
without remembering the evil that could come of it. It made many promises...”
For a moment, Legolas’ bright eyes grew dark and heavy, and the sight of it
sent a strange shiver down Elrohir’s spine. Then the Elf gasped, and clenched
them shut, though he continued speaking. “It was torturous; but I could not
allow myself to weaken. I could not bear the thought of betraying the little
ones. I strengthened my will to protect them.” He took a deep breath. “I was
born under the cloak of Dol Guldur, so I have been battling the devices of the
shadow all my life. Warrior I may be called, but to- to It, I was little more
than a middling Elf, and I am sure that it would have overcome me if I had
touched it, even in accident. Yet Frodo, from the green and gentle Shire, bore
It through snow and darkness and fire, never once wavering, at least in front
of us. Perhaps his will came from the same source as mine.” As if the mere
memory of the Ringbearer strengthened him, Legolas’ light blue eyes re-opened,
now shining with pride and love. “That is why I have faith in Frodo- because he
would hold fast for our sake, in the hope that we will remain true to him. And
so we of the Fellowship, at least, understand Aragorn’s decision to march for
Mordor.”
Silence grew again for a while, but the air between them was easier now. Being
the sons of rulers, they had been acquainted for many centuries, and had become
companions since the twins joined their foster brother on the outskirts of
Rohan. The son of Thranduil regretted that they had not been friends earlier,
for in Elrohir he found both a fellow warrior and a wise counsellor.
He thought of the coming days, and the darkness after. A shiver passed through
him. Seeing it, and discerning the path of his thoughts, Elrohir laid a
comforting hand on a slender shoulder peeking out of the blanket. Legolas
leaned into it, rubbing his smooth cheek over the other’s forearm. Despite the
cover of the blanket and the shelter of the tent, the Elf still felt cold, as
if the Sea-winds had invaded his body as well as his mind. He also felt a
warrior’s weariness after many days of fighting, and felt all too keenly the
loneliness of being the only Elf in a land of mortals, excluding the sons of
Elrond, who in any case seemed to be honorary members of the northern Dunedain.
Contemplating all of this, he subconsciously moved towards the Peredhel, his
body instinctively seeking to get closer to the only source of warmth it could
feel.
Legolas emitted a soft yelp when the blanket was momentarily lifted, allowing
in a touch of the chill night air. Elrohir quickly slipped in and spooned
against him, wrapping the cloth around them both tightly, but even the brief
exposure was enough to leave the Elf shivering. Having never felt such cold before,
the Mirkwood archer began to appreciate his companions’ discomfort in their
failed attempt to travel over the Misty Mountains by way of Caradhras. He knew
that it must be more than the body’s coldness for him to be so affected.
Turning and clinging to Elrohir’s brawnier body as if it were a life-line, he
wished he could somehow drink down the cocoon of heat and comforting musk that
enveloped him. The delicious warmth suffused through his weary form, but there
was a portion of him, nestled deep within, that it could not reach.
“Elrohir,” he whispered breathlessly against the other’s neck. “You… you have
been a good friend… Thank you, for your kindness… I need-“ He cut off suddenly,
remembering with a flash whom he was speaking to.
But the Half-Elf cupped his face and peered into his eyes. He seemed to search
for something, and finding it, whispered only, “We both need,” before crushing
wind-roughened lips against his. Taken entirely by surprise, a wanton moan
escaped his engaged mouth. He opened himself to Elrohir’s pillaging tongue,
allowing himself to be lost in the sensation of being overcome, which was a
blessed release after having maintained a strong front for far too long. That
first contact alone returned a little strength to his ailing spirit, which in
turn fired his limbs, so that he was soon pulling the larger bulk of the
Half-Elf on top of him and searching out the heated depths of the other’s mouth
with a desperation that would have frightened him at another time, another
place.
When they parted, both were breathing raggedly and staring with glazed eyes at
one another. The archer looked in wonder at the Peredhel happily straddling
him, the blanket having slipped down to his legs and the evidence of the
other’s aroused state clear from the distinctly-shaped tightness on his
breeches. The fact that he could still feel the cold air but was no longer so
crippled by it confirmed his suspicion of what his flagging spirit had needed:
an intimate sharing of both body and soul, that most effective reminder that he
was not alone. The trials of the past months on top of the exposure to the Ring
had likely eroded the brightness of his spirit further. Elrohir’s compassionate
smile meant that he, a healer trained in easing ailments of both the body and spirit,
had reached a similar conclusion. The Half-Elf pressed an affectionate kiss on
his brow, like a brother might do, and then brought back the heat by moving
down to suckle eagerly on his neck.
“Elrohir?” he managed to whisper, though the tongue teasing the sensitive skin
of his neck, as well as the roughened hands slipping under his tunic to knead
the muscles of his torso, was most distracting. “I thought that the Noldor did
not engage in such activities.”
He felt the other smile against his collarbone. “They do not, at least openly.”
A hot tongue swept up the line of his throat like a child tasting his dessert.
“But do not forget that the people of the Golden Wood are Silvan, and my twin
and I have passed several seasons there training with their wardens.”
It was extremely tempting to simply surrender to the Peredhel’s attentions, but
the archer grabbed at his companion’s shoulder. “Elrohir, are you sure you wish
to do this?”
For a reply, the Half-Elf shifted his hip and eloquently pressed the hardened
flesh confined within his breeches against Legolas’ hip. “I think this is
something we both need.” His tunic was suddenly lifted up and over his head,
and wet, open-mouthed kisses marked a trail from the centre his chest down to
his navel. The son of Thranduil found himself no longer able to control his own
breathing; his helpless panting was distinctly audible in the small, enclosed
space. “Do you wish to stop?” asked his healer-turned-seducer just before
slithering a tongue into his navel and swirling it around teasingly.
“Nay… If I had known earlier that you were not averse to such relations…”
Elrohir raised his lightly flushed head and lifted surprised eyebrows at the
Elf, who flushed a most fetching shade of pink. Suddenly Legolas felt a
callused hand slip deftly into his leggings and enclose him in a most welcomed
grip. The archer’s head fell back as he released a loud groan, his hip
thrusting upwards into the tight heat.
But though the light blue eyes had darkened with lust, they held a note of
seriousness as they gazed at Elrohir. “The days have gone down in the West
behind the hills into shadow.” A slender hand came to rest on one side of the
Peredhel’s head. “We are facing the end of an Age, gwador. My feet stumble, at
the thought of being alone at the end of the long road.” Fingers suddenly
gained an agility and speed seldom seen outside of a battle, and soon both were
bare above the waist. “Take me, Elrohir!” panted the son of Mirkwood, half in
command and half in desperation, his hands wandering over the other’s exposed
flesh as if wishing to memorise every contour of muscle. “Make me forget this
darkness in my soul. Possess me hard, hard enough for me to feel you still when
we stand before the darkness that will be our doom.” As if the words ignited a
sudden flame in him, the son of Elrond all but seized Legolas and pressed him
down onto the hard pallet, plundering his mouth with such renewed vigour that
the fair-haired Elf felt quite insensate when he was finally released.
“Let the Sun take her days wherever she will,” gasped Elrohir in reply,
serpent-swift fingers unlacing Legolas’ breeches. “But this knight wishes to
penetrate a particular pair of finely-shaped hills of the Mirkwood mould.”
Legolas’ gape at the lewd words turned into a soundless cry as his breeches
were pulled off of him and a heated wetness slid over his swollen length. An
arm over his narrow hips prevented him from moving his lower body overmuch
whilst a hand snuck between his buttocks and began teasing at his tight opening.
Distracted by the agile tongue rubbings against the throbbing vein of his most
responsive muscle, his body did not put up too much in the way of resistance
when he was entered, again and again, and that which speared him double,
tripled in girth.
It was when Elrohir added the middle and longest finger that he struck the
special area that sent pure pleasure rippling through a male body. Legolas’
climax came upon him as suddenly as the Sea-longing had earlier, and he would
likely have screamed the camp down if the Half-Elf had not abandoned his
spurting shaft to once again seal their mouths together.
The bedraggled archer, gasping for air, was hardly given time to recover from
his sudden culmination when his legs were lifted and twined around Elrohir’s waist,
and he was promptly entered by a thrumming spear of muscle. Legolas dimly noted
that the Half-Elf was significantly larger than any of his previous bed-mates,
but the rhythmic thrusting left little room in his mind for thoughts. Once he
was continuously hitting that which wrung the loudest cries out of the son of
Thranduil, the Peredhel bent over and rejoined their lips, his kisses kept
tender in contrast to the most intimate of bodily joinings taking place below.
This time the build-up was gradual, and as he neared his second peak Legolas
half-moaned, half-sobbed the other’s name under his breath. His legs tightened
around Elrohir, hands clawing up the muscled arms, as the now erratic thrusts
drove him higher, higher, then seemed to inch towards the top until he was over
the pinnacle and riding over the roaring salty sea on white winds of utter
bliss.
They lay quietly together, after, for once not heeding their usual habits of
cleanliness as they ignored the drying stickiness over both their bellies, as
well as a small amount leaking out of Legolas’ body and onto the pallet.
Neither slept, nor felt the need for it, and instead savoured the new
contentedness of both their spirits.
“Have you remembered hope once more, Legolas?” Elrohir asked quietly, just as
the sky through the canvas cloth began to lighten.
“It is difficult to know, just yet,” he replied, pressing a soft kiss on a
faint scar that some forgotten weapon had traced on the other’s shoulder. “But
cold despair has gone with the night, and for that I am in your debt.”
The son of Elrond smiled. “What is this talk of debt between fellow warriors?
And I am a healer by heart, as my father before me. It is payment enough to
hear that I have eased your spirit a little.”
“You have, and I am strengthened all the more now at the thought of having such
as you and your brother beside me at the end.”
“To the end of the world it shall be, then, Legolas.”
FINIS
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