the trouble with love

Chapter 37 Confusion strikes

“I don’t know what I prefer: cooking for hundreds of elves or having you two lose in my kitchen. Elnihir, put that down! Elvil, stop eating so much. If I didn’t know any better I would say you were awakening.” Cook was having trouble keeping the two happy elout out of her way and in their corner.
They had fled to the kitchen when it had been the time for the two parties to leave. They hadn’t want to see them off. Elvil dragged Elnihir to their chairs, making sure neither of them could be seen from outside the kitchen. “We’re sorry, but we just don’t want to sit up and shake hands. Makes me feel like a dog.”
Apsontë laughed. “Well, if you two were dogs, I would not be having problems getting you to obey. Now sit there and maybe I’ll throw some buns in the oven for you. Dogs indeed.” She shook her head. Those two would always ensure laughter.

Elnihir looked at Elvil. He seemed all right and yet something seemed oddly wrong but Elnihir couldn’t place it. He sighed. “Do you think ata and ata’da are cross?” Elvil shrugged. “Don’t know, but Elladan won’t let them scold me if they are. He’s too worried right now. So stay with me and you’re off the hook as well.”
Elnihir cocked his head, studying his friend. He didn’t like the look that had just come into the other’s . “D. “Don’t walk away again.” “Hmmm?” Elnihir jumped of his seat, walked around and hit the other. “Just don’t.”
Elnihir’s punch brought Elvil back into the world. He had been miles away and he reddened as he remembered his fantasies. “Don’t what?” Elnihir growled. “What’s wrong with you? You’re not even listening to me. Ata’s always yelling lately, everybody’s ignoring us and you don’t listen. I might as well be alone, no one notices me for I am too short.” He hit the other, the suddenness of his blow and the unsteady chair making Elvil fall down.

Elnihir ran away. He was angry at everything and everybody. So much was happening and going on and he did not know what to do. He felt like his best friend had suddenly become a stranger and he needed a shoulder to cry on, a rock to steady him, a sound mind to guide his thoughts, but he had no such elf in the vicinity. His father’s grandmother, who had been friendly and consoling towards him was now gone and he had no desire to go to his father or grandfather, who were bound to scold him for not being in the yard and Elladan…he just did not know what to think about Elladan. But he knew he would not get the same treatment from Elladan as Elvil was receiving.
Suddenly Legolas’ face came to his mind and he stopped running. Legolas had always been gentle and kind towards him, even when he did not have to be. Legolas would be able to help him. He took off again, wiping his tears away. After a short while he stopped again. He suddenly realised Legolas would have left as well as the blond had only come for the celebrations. The realisation he could no longer go to Legolas saddened him and he ran to the only safe haven he knew.

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Elrond sighed as he mentally prepared himself for some more hard hours. Even though he had told Melpomean everything he had been unable to convince the other elf he wasn’t leaving. Not now and not ever.
When the air had become to thick for him to breathe he had made an excuse and left to get some herbs. Not that Melpomean needed them, it would do him no harm either and it gave Elrond the time to gather his thoughts and strength. During all those years he never had to fight Melpomean on anything, but now he was and he didn’t like the experience.
He knocked before entering the room again.

Melpomean was sitting in his reclining chair at the window. He did not give any signs of acknowledging Elrond but he knew the lord had entered. He was just too confused. He had made himself believe Elrond was merely staying until he was healthy again. So after he was well again Elrond would leave, he was sure of it.
He had gone over and over his options. Healing fast so Elrond would be free to leave or do everything possible to delay the inevitable. At first he had inedined the second of his options, realising Elrond would be mad at him for that. But when he also realised Elrond would not be here to be mad at him his decision had been quickly made. He would stall. So now that Elrond had returned with the healing potion he would not eat it.

Elrond approached the sitting elf and knelt down before him, placing the phial next to him. His hands removed the reapplied bandages. The movements startled Melpomean. He had not expected that. He jumped up. “What are you doing?” Elrond sighed, realising this fight was only just beginning. “Taking care of your eye. Applying this healing salve will help. Please sit down.”
Melpomean looked like a hit dog. “Healing salve?” Elrond nodded. “Aye. I am sorry, Melpomean, but until now it could not be applied. It’s also not as strong as the one you had to drink, I mean eat. Now please, let me do this. If you cooperate, your sigill ill return fully within a couple of days and then you wont have me fussing over you anymore.” Realising his mistake in words Elrond added. “We can both return to our normal duties then. And oh, I’ve been just informed the teaching staff has a new addition. Legolas agreed to teach the little ones how to fight.”
Melpomean smiled. “That’s good, my lord.” Elrond cringed, hearing the formal address. He knew better than to address it. Every time Melpomean simply ignored it. He figured the other felt safer with that artificial distance.

But he grew annoyed at the other’s reluctance. At first Melpomean had refused to sit down, and when Elrond had stood, holding the salve in his hand, a dance sprung to life in which Elrond continuously tried to catch the other long enough to apply the salve and Melpomean just as stubbornly avoiding it.
After a while Elrond released a growl. “Melpomean! Stand still!” He grabbed the other and forced him in place. Ready to apply the salve Elrond got another surprise as Melpomean pushed his arms away. There was such force behind the movement Elrond swayed a little. He looked at Melpomean in confusion. “I only wish to apply this salve. It wont cause any side-effects if that’s worrying you. Why do you keep pushing me away? Don’t you trust me?”

Melpomean didn’t lower his head as he normally would. He would not give up his advantage. He had to stop himself from healing. “I do trust you, my lord.”
Elrond sighed annoyed. “You’ve gofunnfunny way of showing that. If you trust me why do you keep pushing me away? And I am not just talking about this moment although this is highly irritating me. Unless you want to make me mad, I suggest you let me tend to your eye.” As he took one step forward, the other took one step back. The dance was about to begin again. “You don’t trust me and you hate me.” It was a statement. “No I don’t but you’re not healing my eye.”

Elrond sat down, defeated. “What? Not heal your eye? Why ever not? It’s almost healed, you..” Melpomean could no longer control himself. “Exactly. Almost. My injury is keeping you here and you can’t leave so, aye, I do not wish to heal.” The words were shouted and he was shaking in anger.
Elrond could scarce belief his ears and eyes. He had to pinch himself in order to belief what he was seeing was no illusion. “Again. I am not leaving. Ever. I have no reason. I keep telling you that and yet you refuse to believe me. There’s nothing I can do about that, but I will be damned if I let your idiocy claim your eye after all.”
He approached Melpomean and resembled a tiger approaching his prey. Unfortunately his prey had undergone a transformation and no longer held any fear. Melpomean grabbed the phial and threw it on the floor, scattering it in pieces. “There! Does that make my idiocy complete?”

This was the last straw. Elrond grabbed his arms and shook him. “What is wrong with you, meldir. You are acting so strange. Don’t you care about yourself? Don’t you care about anything?” All Melpomean did was glare at him and Elrond had to call up all his strength not to crumble. “This is not you Melpomean. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I will not stand for this. I will not accept this behaviour even though I know you fear and hate me. Hate me all you want, but bear in mind I will not tolerate such behaviour ever again.” He turned to leave, afraid he would do something in his rage he would later regret.

Before Elrond had reached the door the words had registered in Melpomean’s mind and the secretary sagged to the floor, all his strength gone with his resolve. He closed his eyes. No matter what would happen, he could not let Elrond leave believing he hated him. “ Ni váliméla te, heru nín. Apsenat nin, nan……ni er vámer autat ar…” He started shaking a little and hung his head in shame and defeat. “I will accept any punishment, but please don’t leave.” His tone was pleading and full of agony.

Elrond immediately turned and looked at him. /There’s something I am missing here. Why would he go to all this trouble to make me stay when I am not even leaving?…..But he thinks I am./ He slowly sat down besides the shaking elf. /What am I missing here?/ “I assured you at least ten times I am not leaving and yet you insist that I am. Why?” /Tell me so I may ease your mind./
“Because Thranduil will ask you to join him.” Elrond forced himself to remain calm as he heard this. “I think I’ve already stated that he wont. And even if he would there is no reason for me to leave Imladris. Imladris is my life, Melpomean, and you well know it.”
He sighed, realising nothing he would say would convince Melpomean he spoke the truth. He decided on a different strategy.
“You are right Melpomean, in a way I am staying because of you. And because my family lives here and because this is my home and I don’t really like to travel any more and because Imladris is the best place to live, everyone keeps saying so. Let’s see, what other reasons do I have for staying: my friends life here, my horse would not be parted with it’s stables, I would not be deprived of everyone’s company and oh yeah, I am pretty sure my heart lives here as well. So why would I go somewhere else if I have everything here?”

He was pleased his little trick worked. As soon as he had mentioned his heart was in Imladris, Melpomean had looked shocked and then angry. Elrond suspected the twins to be the recipient of that. At least that’s what he hoped. But just before shock turned into anger there had been another emotion. Though he had the feeling he knew it Elrond could not label it. He was still trying to figure it out when Melpomean spoke again. “Please forgive me, my lord, I did not know. I thought, I…O no, I broke the phial, the salve, I …. I ….”

Elrond silenced him by placing his hands on those of Melpomean. “That’s all right. Nice to see someone who can match my own tantrums. Salves and phials are easily replaced, but please don’t scare me again.” He rose to get some new salve, but thought better and extended his hand. “On the other hand. Throwing tantrums is not like you. Maybe I should take you along and examine your head.” He laughed at Melpomean’s hurt expression. “Don’t worry, I am only joking, but come with me, so we can apply the salve immediately. The journey does make it lose some quality, you know.” He gave the other no time to think and Melpomean was dragged of the floor and along the corridors in a gentle but unrelentful manner.

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It was a rare sight, seeing two golden-haired elves walk through the halls of the Last Homely house. Glorfindel laughed as many heads turned when he and Legolas walked by. “It seems you draw attention to yourself, my friend. Having you here for… for however long will be quite interesting though I must say I had hoped to teach those elflings myself.”
Legolas smiled. “Maybe we should do it together? That way we can both teach them in the areas we excel in.”
Glorfindel nodded. “Which means you get them more. But I don’t mind. I daresay you are the one that’s going to be sorry.” Now the blond came to a halt and Legolas followed suit. “Well, dear colleague, this is the weaponry. Enjoy yourself and don’t get lost. If you haven’t returned in two days I will send a search party.” He bowed and left.

Legolas opened the door and was stunned at the light that assaulted him. Not so much light, but reflected light. Every item that was stored here was well kept. All the weapons shone brightly as if they had just been made. All the armoury shone just as brightly as well, like they had never seen battle.

Legolas smiled as he found Glorfindel’s words close to the truth. This weaponry was huge. It consisted of four rooms, adjoined by large open archways. Although there seemed no system in the place Legolas knew there was. There always was. The complete armours where placed at the walls, like dead guardians, and in between lay the ‘lose’ weapons. Weapons that did not belong to a special armour.
Legolas saw with glee the variety that was Imladris extended into this room for not only did he see armouries he had never seen before, standing amongst the elven, human and dwarven ones, he could also see many weapons he had never seen. Knowing himself he placed his arms behind his back. He would have to study them without touching. He wondered if someone knew how to use them.

He first went to the section with the swords, it was closest. There were not only the strong, almost unbreakable elven-swords of every length they had ever made, but also human crafts, mithril swords and some delicate looking things.
Legolas could not resist and carefully touched the tip of that thin thing. Because they were well-kept it was sharp and easily cut Legolas’ finger. He quickly put his finger in his mouth, drinking his own blood and thus stopping it from making stains. He mentally berated himself for his stupidity.

About to go to the bows and arrows he halted. /Did I just hear something?/ He halted every movement, as if frozen in time, and strained his hearing. And the sound repeated itself. It were strangled sobs. It puzzled Legolas. Those were not sounds one would expect in a weaponry. He carefully followed the sound into a room he had not seen before.
It was the room commonly referred to as the war-picture room, for in it were many paintings, books and pictures on war and it’s machinery. It were things Elrond did not wish to see in the study, library or anywhere else, but he also understood the importance of having them. So they had been placed here, in between the weaponry and the target room.

Legolas followed the sobs until he stood in front of a huge trunk. He cocked his head. It seemed unlikely for whoever was crying to be hiding in it, but there was not much room behind it either. /Only really small elves would be able to hide there./ With that thought he knew who was crying. “Elnihir?”
A highly tear-streaked face suddenly emerged from the dark behind the trunk. Two big eyes stared at him in mixed emotions: fear, pleading, hope and wonder. Legolas found that a strange combination. He sat down on the trunk, closing the distance between them. He chuckled. “So this is your hiding-place. Well chosen, I doubt anyone would look for you here. But what’s wrong?” He hoped it wasn’t more trouble.

Elnihir would have loved to approach the figure sitting before him, but he was afraid it was his imagination. After what had happened to Elvil he didn’t take any changes. He carefully reached out and poked the other, ascertaining there was indeed an elf.
“Auch. Why did you do that?” Legolas rubbed the place where the elfling had poked him. He smiled. Elnihir had some strength in that little body.
Legolas’ voice took all doubt from his mind and now he came halfway out of his hiding place. “Legolas. Why are you here?” he was still sobbing in between his words.
“I came here to see the weaponry and then I heard someone crying and that turned out to be you.” He could see that was not the answer Elnihir had wanted and he wondered what else Elnihir could have meant. /Of course. He probably doesn’t know yet./ “You haven’t been told, have you?” Elnihir squinted his eyes and suddenly looked a lot like Elrohir. Legolas smiled. “They’ve asked me to teach you and Elvil how to fight. And I agreed.”
Elnihir’s eyes lit up and he stopped sobbing. “You’re staying?” Legolas nodded and gently lifted the other out of his hiding place, onto the trunk. “Now will you tell me what you’re so upset about? Maybe I can help.”

Instantly Elnihir’s smile evaporated and he started crying again. Without warning he flung himself at Legolas, clinging to the blond as he told him all his troubles.
Legolas didn’t interrupt and when the little one was done talking he continued to rock Elnihir. He remembered his own fears and understood how scared Elnihir must be right now. What worried him was the fact he thought he had no one to go to. No one would scold him or turn him away. Legolas knew Elrond loved all his family unconditionally and that quality had gone to Elladan and Elrohir as well. And he did not know what to do. He was pleased the young one did not ask him for advice. /Maybe having someone close already helps?/
He was still thinking of this when he sensed Elnihir had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled and gently rearranged their positions so he would be able to stand and carry the elfling to a bed. He made a mental note to talk to Elrond about this.

End chapter 37
TBC

Translations:
Apsontë This means she who cooks. I realised I had not yet given this cook a name yet, so….
Ni váliméla te, heru nín. Apsenat nin, nan……ni er vámer autat ar…
I don’t hate you, my lord. Forgive me, but…..i just don’t want you to leave and…..