Ithilion

Title: Ithilion
Author:Githoniel
Part: 5/??
Pairing: Melpomaen/??
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer:All elves belong to Mr. Tolkien!!!
Warning:AU, slash, male-preg.
Beta: my alter ego
Summary: There has never been much happiness in Melpomaen’s life, but when he finds out he is pregnant, he knows things have to change...
Authors Note: // = thoughts, ~~ = memories


Part 5

Melpomaen opened the eyes again and saw a face above him. In the pale light of the silver moon, he saw dark hair, shimmering as liquid silk, a delicious red mouth and kind grey eyes with silver sparks in them, looking down at him in concern. He had never imagined death this beautiful.
“Spare my child!” he whispered and closed his eyes again, but the beautiful shadow wouldn’t let him sleep.
“No! You must stay with me! Tell me: how far are you along?” The stranger slapped Melpomaens face slightly a few times.
“Stay awake! You must fight against the sleep! Come on: how far are you along?”
“Eight months.” Melpomaen mumbeled. His eyelids felt so heavy. His whole body was numb. All he wanted to do was to sleep.
The other elf was probing his belly.
“Concentrate now: do you still feel your childs heartbeat?”
“Don’t... know....” Melpomaen felt so weak. He was losing this fight – he felt it!
Another slap against his cheek.
“Hey, concentrate! Do you feel it?”
Melpomaen held his breath for a second and there it still was – a faint heartbeat. His child was still alive within him! Knowing this gave him new strenght.
He looked at the elf above him!
“Save my little elfling, saes! You must save it, no matter what happens to me!”
“Your child is not in the right position for a normal birth.” The stranger bit his lower lip. “I’ll have to cut it from your womb and if you want it to survive, I’ll have to do it here and now!”
“Do it!”
“Are you sure? I have nothing against the pain or...”
“Do it!” Melpomaen repeated with determination. The other elf nodded, reached behind him for a loose branch and held it in front of the young elf’s mouth.
“Bite down hard on the wood!” Melpomaen took the branch between his teeth, his tunic was ripped open and then, he felt the touch of a cold blade on his belly.
“NOW!” the stranger whispered.
The pain, Melpomaen felt now, was worse than anything he had felt before. He was literally ripped open. His teeth burried themselves deep in the wooden branch. In vain he tried to breath – then he passed out...


When he regained consciousness again, he felt warm and safe. He was inside a tent and covered with a warm blanket, a firebowl burned next to him, he heard the crackling of the flames. Just when he wanted to close his eyes again, a thought rushed through his mind.
//The birth... my elfling!//
He turned his head and in the light of the fire, he saw someone sitting with his back towards him.
Melpomaen cleared his throat and asked in a silent hoarse voice:
“The child? What about the child?”
The other elf turned around and now Melpomaen saw, that he cradeled a bundle against his chest.
“Ssh. All is well. He is small, but strong. A perfect little elfling...” A small wail came from the bundle.
“It seems, someone wants to greet you!” He placed the bundle in Melpomaen’s arms.
“Say hello to your little ion.”
When the young elf looked at his elfling, he was overwhelmed with emotions. Tears ran down his face.
He felt weariness and exhaustion claiming him again – his eyelids became heavy.
“Tired.” he whispered.
“Then sleep my friend.” came the gently reply. “I will keep you both safe.”
“Thank you... How is.. your name.” Melpomaen’s eyes fell closed, but before he glided to the realm of dreams, he heard the other elf whispering: “Elrohir!”


When he woke next, the child in his arms was crying.
“What’s wrong with him? Why is he crying?” Melpomaen asked in concern.
Elrohir laid a hand on his arm in a calming manner.
“Your pen-neth is hungry, my friend.”
“Oh, I haven’t thought about that. I have nothing to feed him with!”
“But of course, you have.”
Melpomaen looked confused.
“Did you think, the Valar placed this gift in your arms without the possibility to care for it. You can nurse him.”
The young elf looked down at himself and found his breasts swollen and his nipples rosy and hard. He blushed.
“Na na – no need to be ashamed. Come, let me help you. We must be careful with your stomach. The cut is healing nicely, but when you move to much, you will pull the stitches.”
Elrohir sat behind him and drew Melpomaen against his chest. Then he helped the young elf to bring the child in the right position. When the nipple was within the elflings reach, instinct took over and the little one began to suck it greedily.
“Valar! That feels odd... but it’s wonderful!”
“He will need a name!” Elrohir whispered into Melpomaen’s ear.
The young elf looked at his son closely while feeding him. He had his gentle brown eyes and also his ears. But on the head, there were already the first curls of hair – silver hair, that he had inherited from Celeborn and which reminded Melpomaen of the moonlight during the birth. An idea formed in his mind.
“His name will be Ithilion.”

After the feeding, his son was sleeping peaceful in his arms.
“You might want to tell me something about yourself!” Elrohir said in a gentle voice. “I do not even know your name.”
Melpomaen paled. He knew he had to tell Elrohir something, but he coudn’t possible reveal the truth.
“My – my name is Melpomaen.” He cleared his throat. “I once lived in Lorien – as a scribe.”
“Lorien? Then you know my grandparents: the lord and the lady of the wood.”
The young elf tensed. //Blessed Valar! This is Celeborn’s grandson, one of the Peredhil twins.//
“I – I lived only a short time there and not in Caras Galadhon itself!” Melpomaen hurried to say. “I never met them personally!”
“How do you come to be here? We are far away from the Golden Wood? And what about your ion’s father? Is he still in Lorien?”
Melpomaen blushed.
“There is no father!”
“Is he dead?”
“Eh, yes! Yes he is. We lived close to the human settlement westward from here. He died in an orc attack and I had to flee!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, mellon – nîn. That had to be the same group of orcs we attacked last night. My brother and I rode with the Northern Dúnedain, hunting orcs. Last night, there was a great battle, not far from where I found you.”
“Where is your brother now?”
“Elladan stayed with the rangers – but he will come back here and fetch me, when we return home.”
“Home” Melpomaen sighed.
“Do you want me to return you and your ion home too?”
“I haven’t got a home anymore!”
“Then why don’t you come with us to Imladris. You would be more than welcome there!”
//Imladris!// Melpomaen thought. //Yes! That could be a place for him to stay.//

tbc.


Translation:
saes – please
ion – son
pen-neth – little one
Ithilion – son of the moon