The Music in My Heart

Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 14
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating:.NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU --- Story set 770 years after ROTK; Some slash but, mostly het
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive: AFF, Fanfiction.net
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.

Chapter 14 --- In a Moment

“It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment,
it will not be created for years or even generations.”
Khalil Gibran

*****

She awoke from a nightmare, one that echoed with the screams of women and children. Panting hard, her body struggled to take in enough air to satisfy the rapid beating of her heart. A shaking hand lifted to push the weight of her hair back from her face. Her wide, frightened eyes swept the room for hidden dangers, the shadows for unseen threats.

The attack she had seen had been brutal and the loss of life staggering. Forcing herself to replay the dream in detail, she searched her mind for some feature that would identify the human settlement and, the Valar willing, allow them to send a warning of the attack. Sad experience had shown her dreams to be more than nightmares to trouble her sleep. She foresaw death for those that failed to heed or, to her grief, did not receive their warnings.

The scene of rampaging orcs froze her blood, their wanton desire to spread pain and destruction made the village run red with blood. It was night, so few clues could be seen. The style of the clothes and the blond hair of the human populous suggested the village lay somewhere in Rohan. In the dark of night, a dark lit only by the spreading fires, the village seemed so vulnerable, so isolated and gave no clues to where in Rohan it might be. It was far too dark to see if there were mountains or grasslands or bodies of water nearby to point a direction. Rohan was a large country and she could find nothing that could narrow the search. They would have to rely on intelligence and good fortune for this tragedy to be averted.

Sighing, she got out of bed and moved to her desk to begin to record all the details she could recall. This practice had become a disturbing part of too many of her nights.

She lit several candles to illuminate the writing surface and pulled out a piece of parchment. After dipping her quill in a bottle of ink, she let her mind recreate the images she had seen in the dream. The quill began to move without conscious thought as the details of the dream translated themselves to the paper. Names shouted, cries for help unanswered, numbers of people that fell before her eyes, all this and more found their way onto the parchment.

After writing for almost an hour without stopping, her hand fell limply to the desk top. Looking down, she saw the last words she had written, “a handful of captives, all women --- blooded and dazed --- were dragged away, their cries slowly fading into the dark. The last huts standing were put to the torch as the remaining yrch disappeared into the dark. The only sounds left were the crackle of fire and faint moans from those left to die.”

Reading her words, the tears she had held in check began to flow freely down her cheeks. Struggling to hold herself together while she finished the last of her self appointed tasks, she dusted the wet ink on the sheets of parchment with sand to help them dry and capped the ink bottle. Setting them both aside, Seere laid her head on the pillow of her crossed arms and let her grief, her guilt find its release.

*****

A groan was the first indication the sleeping elleth was waking. Eyes left gritty from her tears were slow to clear, the lashes matted and stiff. Reaching up to rub the muscles of her sore neck, Seere’s sleep hazed senses tried to sort out where she was.

A second, louder groan signed her attempt to sit upright in the chair where she had fallen asleep after her tears had spent themselves. Waking like this, while hardly a daily occurrence, was a frequent enough event that she quickly recognized her sleeping arrangements. She also remembered her dream.

A heartfelt prayer to Eru Ilúvatar came to her lips, “Please let there be time to warn them and get them to safety. Let my words be sufficient to direct the warning so that we use your gift as you intend.”

Knowing she had to get this information passed to those that could make use of it as quickly as possible, she forced herself to her feet and began her morning ablutions. Finished, she quickly dressed and rolled the scattered parchment from the night before going in search of her father. /If I hurry, I may be able to catch him in his study prior to joining Lord Elrond for breakfast./

Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the door, she noted the slightly disheveled stare of her hair and dress. /At least, I do not have time to worry over my appearance before presenting myself in his study for our breakfast. I had a difficult enough time dressing for the banquet last night!/ she mused. /And falling asleep was difficult for remembering how his eyes kept drifting to meet mine! …He seemed as unsettled by that as I was if I judge his expression correctly./

/He also seemed a little uncomfortable with Elladan’s speech, but it was hardly surprising to any of us that have heard his glee these many months. Our E’dan was all too happy to be free of the administrative duties of being Lord. Not an elf meant to be cooped up in a study with books and debate is our elder twin! Ada and Celeborn will be happy to have someone willing, as well as, able to accept those responsibilities!/

Opening the door that divided the family quarters from the public sections of the great house, she spoke a greeting to the elves gathered in the common sitting room. /I have no doubt the twins were behind my sparring with Glorfindel yesterday! I need to plan some payback for that ordeal. Twas only good fortune that got me out of that match in one piece and without making a fool of myself. Yes, they must pay… Glorfindel was quite charming afterwards and I can see why he is so dear a friend to Ada and the two lords. He made me feel quite at ease, as if I had known him for ages.>

Entering the hallway leading to her adar’s study, her thoughts turned to her upcoming meeting with Elrond. /I am nervous at being alone with Lord Elrond this morning. I know we must discuss my dreams and visions and, I confess, I do want to hear the visions he has had. I wonder if… well, no point in wondering. I will know shortly. Ah, Ada must be in his study for I see a light under the door./

Taking a deep breath to steady herself for the ordeal of reliving the dream, she knocked on her father’s study door and waited for a reply.

*****

Elrond and Elrohir had almost finished their breakfast though Erestor and Seere had yet to arrive. A servant had come to tell them that they would be delayed and to request that they not wait to begin their meal. That had been almost an hour earlier and Elrond was beginning to grow impatient.

“I can not imagine what has happened to delay Erestor and his daughter this long. If it is this important, surely we should be informed,” Elrond began only to catch the grin on his son’s face. “And what, may I ask, is so funny?”

Smiling in obvious enjoyment, Elrohir answered. “I have missed your tempers, Ada. Nobody can glare like you can. Elladan tries, but it is a weak imitation and Erestor’s lacks the fire of yours.”

Seeing the glare turned toward him intensify, Elrohir moved to return the discussion to the issues of internal security. “I have brought the reports on our three suspicious guests for you to read, Ada. As you will see, their behavior is most troubling. I think we need to consider having them detained for questioning immediately. I fear waiting for them to be caught in a compromising situation may well expose us to too much risk. As much as I would hate for the sanctuary of Imladris to lose that reputation, I would hate even more for us to delay to our peril. I think they have done more than enough to justify our suspicions.”

“I will read this material as soon as Lady Seere and I conclude our talk --- assuming she and her father ever dane to join us. As to your proposal, I too have been considering the same thing since I heard of this problem yesterday. We have reason to worry and, if the reports support this, justify their detention. I… Ah, Erestor. And Lady Seere. Thank you for joining us.” Elrond’s voice held a touch of sarcasm as he greeted the late arrivals.

Seeing the blush on Seere’s cheeks, Elrond immediately regretted his tone. /Why was I so impatient when Erestor sent word they were delayed? I know Erestor must have a valid reason for keeping us waiting. Now I have been rude and embarrassed his daughter. Ah, she looks quite lovely with a blush on her cheeks. I wonder… Stop thinking like this at once. If Erestor were to suspect I find her so attractive…/

Rising, he held a chair for the blushing elleth, hoping to put her at ease with the gesture. “Elrohir, see if Lindir is about and ask him to have fresh tea brought.” /Is that lavender she is wearing? Lovely fragrance on her. …Enough!/

“No need Elrohir as we saw Lindir on our way here and he indicated his intent to do just that,” Erestor offered, not intimidated by Elrond’s mood in the least. Reaching for a muffin, he continued, “I regret our tardiness, but we needed to discuss a dream Seere had last night. I thought it best that we begin to compile the most recent reports from Rohan so that we might determine the possible site of the attack,” he concluded, pointing to the scrolls and maps he had brought with them.

“A dream? What was the dream about?” Elrond asked, leaning forward to hear a report.

“Here, take and read this. Seere wrote a detailed account of the dream upon waking.” Taking a scroll from the pile, he handed it across the table. “I recently asked her to start doing this so we do not lose the nuances that are still fresh in her mind when she wakes or confuse them later with our observations. I only wish we had started to do this sooner. The detail she captures while still partially caught in the vision is intense and quite helpful.”

Hearing the door open behind him, he turned to see Lindir arrive with the tea and fresh muffins. “Ah, Lindir. Thank you, mellon nin. Hot tea is most welcome this morning. Umm, the muffins smell wonderful.”

Taking the pot from Elrond’s attendant, Erestor poured a cup and added a large dollop of honey to the cup. Handing it to his daughter, he urged her to drink it slowly. “Here, pen vuil. You need this as I think you are still a little in shock from your dream.”

Looking to his left, he saw that Elrond was closely studying his daughter. The skilled healer had taken note of the pallor of her skin once the blush had died away and the wide, slightly other-worldly stare in the elleth’s eyes. Shifting his gaze to meet his friend’s, the elf lord raised a brow in a silent question. At Erestor’s subtle shake of this head, he lifted the scroll from where he had placed it and began to read.

/Amazing detail is right! No wonder she is still in shock having borne witness to this atrocity! I feel like I am looking into one of my own visions so complete and evocative is her narrative. I must begin to do this as well. No matter how good an elf’s memory, this captures details that might seem minor after the vision has faded but were prominent while it was happening. That fact is significant./

Having finished reading the report, Elrond passed the scroll to Elrohir. /I see why they wanted to collect the reports from Rohan. That is obviously the site of this attack. I wish my knowledge of Rohan was sufficient to identify the exact part, but, alas, it is not. Legolas and Gimli spent a great deal of time in that realm. Maybe they can assist in narrowing down the location./

After Elrohir finished reading, Elrond offered his thoughts. Both Erestor and his son agreed it was likely they would. Elrohir rose and went to find the pair.

Alone with Seere and Erestor, the healer again let his eyes focus on the elf maiden. “My lady, if you would like to rest this morning, I would understand. I know how draining an intense vision can be from my own experiences. We could plan to meet later today… or tomorrow perhaps if you have not yet recovered your strength.”

“Thank you, my lord. I do appreciate your understanding but… I would like to proceed as planned with our discussion if you are agreeable. I feel there is much you may be able to divine from my prior dreams and visions that has eluded us. Time is critical and I would not be able to rest knowing we need to do all we can to prepare. It would also be a comfort to talk to another that has this ‘gift’ as it often leaves me feeling confused and … helpless.” Seere stopped and looked toward Elrond to see if he understood. She felt the tension between her shoulders relax slightly at the compassionate smile he gave her.

“Very well. I can well understand what you mean. And, you are right; time is critical.” Lifting his teacup to take a sip, he made a face to find the tea had gone cold. Grimacing, he reached for the pot to warm his cup before turning to Erestor.

“Once we get Gimli and Legolas started on narrowing down possible sites, we should get to the business of our internal security. Elrohir brought me a number of reports to read, including the surveillance reports on the three. I am assuming you have reports for me to read as well?”

“Aye, I do. I also brought the files on the plans for the Convocation and the Council. I have asked Seere to compile a complete report of the intelligence information we have received over the past decade with particular attention to material from the last year. She has been working on this for several days now and should have it completed by the end of the week --- assuming we have no more wounded to treat or other emergencies to handle. We have had far too many of those of late.”

With the return of Elrohir, Legolas, and Gimli, they discussed Seere’s dream and the pair was set the task of trying to identify likely sites for the orc attack. The others spent the next few hours discussing the various issues associated with the upcoming events and internal security. By the time Legolas and Gimli returned with their recommendations, it was late morning.

A decision was made to send a letter to Rohan containing all the information possible. Erestor left to find Celeborn and update him on this latest information. They were tasked with drafting the necessary letter for immediate dispatch. The others left with him to return to their own work.

Elrond and Seere soon found themselves alone for the first time. The confusion over their mutual attraction was hovering around both, an unacknowledged third presence in the quiet room.

*****

The bell announcing lunch rang, but neither noticed. It came as both a tremendous shock, yet no shock at all, that their visions had so much in common. It was understood that they were seeing the same dark spirit, the dark spirit behind the increasingly savage attacks on the settlements of men and elves. Sporadic attacks had begun to plague the hobbits of the Shire and even the dwarves living outside of the Glittering Caves.

The tension in the room had diminished as a shared camaraderie sprang up between them. The gift of foresight was, more often than not, a burden on its bearer. It isolated the seer from many as they felt uncomfortable in the presence of someone that might foresee a great tragedy in their future. The gift bespoke a special favor given to a select few by Eru and jealousy was often the result. It also left the bearer with a secret guilt that if they had done more, seen more, been quicker, smarter, or more attentive, then these tragedies they had seen might have been averted. It had been cathartic for both to talk to another and share the burden and the gift.

The desk was littered with page after page of notes they had made as they recounted the details of their visions. As they talked, details became clearer and patterns emerged. Without conscious thought, the pair fell into an easy partnership. The tension of the early morning had settled into the background as they worked, not forgotten, but rather set aside till a more appropriate time.

*****

It was mid afternoon before a quiet knock interrupted their solitude. Celeborn and Erestor hesitantly entered the study, very much aware of the throbbing energy the two had released in the exploration of their visions; it permeated the study and charged the air well beyond the closed door. Seeing the pair, sitting side by side at the desk charting a timeline of common features or events in both their visions, the two elf lords were startled.

Looking up to see who had arrived, Elrond enthusiastically invited them to join them. Pushing their partly finished chart across the desk for them to study, Elrond exclaimed, “Come and see what we have. We are noting all the points our visions share and a clear history is emerging. We have been studying Seere and my journal entries for the last hundred years and found details from earlier visions that now fit and help form a bigger picture.”

Pausing to look at his partner, “Of course, there are still gaps, some large, in this timeline, but this gives us much to work with that we lacked this morning. There is a pattern to these attacks that evidences a broader objective… thought what this objective is we can not yet say.”

Listening to Elrond’s summation, Seere asked, “Would it be helpful to review incident reports for some of these dates and see if we have records to support our conclusions?”

“Excellent idea. We may even be able to fill in some of these gaps with historical reports.” Smiling at her faraway expression, he teased, “You do not have to begin this moment.”

Growing focused again, he commented, “It might also be a good idea to contact our allies and see if they have records that might help as well. That might help sway additional support to an alliance, especially if a joint military action is eventually needed, if we can confirm our visions with their records. There is more involved here than scattered orc attacks and I for one want to know what.”

“Yes… yes those records would help. I will begin filling in what I can from the intelligence reports and the records of our guards while I finish the report Ada assigned. I will need to find someone to help me keep two reports organized, but it is a waste of time and resources to review the same material twice in a matter of days,” she observed. “Ada, do you have a suitable clerk I may borrow?”

Before Erestor could answer, Elrond answered, “Nay, do not bother. Lindir and I can help. I need to review that material anyway and the two of us are more likely to see a related entry than a clerk without background.”

Seeing her about to protest, he ended the conversation with, “And no, Seere, it is not a waste of my time. Besides, I think it best we restrict knowledge of this information to our council for now. The more that know of it, the greater the likelihood of unwanted gossip. Ask Lindir to help you gather what we will need and have him take it to the main library. We will appropriate it for our sole use until further notice.”

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Seere rose to do as instructed. “Aye, my Lord Elrond. I will make it so.” Dropping a kiss on the top of her father’s head as she passed, she left to find Lindir.

Elrond grinned at Erestor and said, “She is definitely your daughter!”

Looking back at the chart, he asked, “So what do you think of our work so far?”

*****

It was not until he settled into his bed that night that he had time to wonder at the total affinity they had found working together. In his long life, he did not recall having met someone he felt such a complete connection with before. Realizing he could add intellectual compatibility to the overwhelming physical attraction he felt for her, he lay awake long into the night pondering this unexpected development.

In the chambers next to his, the elleth of his musings was awake and asking herself many of the same questions.

*****