Breaking the Barriers

They didn’t need to go to the field so they dreamed with peace on their minds. They had just made love and were in complete ecstasy of each other. Then Estel felt someone shake his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Glorfindel and Adar standing by the bed.

“ Adar, Glorfindel, what brings you both here?” Estel whispered with sleep still in his eyes.

“ We came to see how both of you are faring. But I see from the looks of Legolas that his color is back and he is in humble sleep. Come, we need to talk. We’ll go to the garden outside,” Adar whispered back.

Estel got out of bed with ease not trying to disturb his love. He covered Legolas up with the blanket, grabbed a robe and went with the other two out into the garden. They found a bench at the far end of the garden so that they would not disturb Legolas’ sleep.

There were two benches in the corner. Estel took one and the others too the other one. “What’s this about?” Estel asked.

“ We think we know what that dream of yours meant, Estel.” Glorfindel said, looking at Elrond. “We have talked and think that there is an orc out there that has not been seen yet and we think you have seen it. But the thing that puzzles us is the fact that you have seen this creature and neither of us have. Have you and Legolas talked about this in the field?”

“ Yes, we have. Legolas thinks that I may have a kind of foresight. But, Adar, why would I have foresight? I thought you and Lady Galadriel were the only ones with it! This does not make sense. Maybe someone one was sending me a message of what is to become of this land. I don’t know. Since it has happened, it is making me sick to think that there is a vile creature out there that can live in the sun.” He was twisting his hands trying to calm his nerves. Then a hand was placed on his. He looking into Glorfindel’s eyes. He never heard him approach.

“ Estel, don’t be nervous. It is a natural thing to do when you don’t understand a situation. We think you have a foresight but one that only comes in one image. It doesn’t come to you in a short story but a picture. This could have been what Legolas had seen in your eyes.”

Glorfindel looked at Elrond and said, “We will tell the men about this and set up patrols on our borders. It’s better to be safe than to tangle with a creature like this.”

“I agree, Glorfindel. We need to set up extra men so that if any one of us is to be attacked, then we will be prepared.” Elrond looked at Estel and said, “We don’t know when it will come but if he’s after either you or Legolas, than you will have to be careful when you go out on patrols in a couple of months. Until then, you will train on the weapons field with Halbarad and his men. Halbarad will train you as if you were a ranger. Between Halbarad and Legolas, they will teach you about the land.”

Estel had this look of horror come over his face. He started to shake his head from side to side. “I can’t!” he exclaimed. “I can’t. I will never go back there.” He got up from the bench and started to pace. He was twisting his hands again. “I can’t!” He kept repeating this over and over. Then Glorfindel got up and faced Estel.

“ Estel! Snap out of it.” Glorfindel grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “You are going to have to stop this. You will make yourself sick. We can’t have both of you in the Houses of Healing. You are going to have to forgive yourself first before you can accept the fact that this was an accident. Legolas has said this to you, so why don’t you believe it?” He embraced his student trying to relieve some of the tension from his body and to protect him from himself.

“I had hatred in my eyes,” Estel exclaimed sobbing into the shoulder of his mentor. “Legolas told me so. I came after my love with hatred in my eyes. That creature made me think that Legolas was the enemy. How am I suppose to live with that?” He wrapped his arms harder around the seneschal and cried into his shoulder.

“ Elrond?” Glorfindel said, “I think Estel needs some inner healing. Is there something you can do? He is not going to make it on his own.” Glorfindel placed Estel back on the bench.

“ I think I have just the right remedy. I brought it with me just in case something like this was going to happen. I knew that Estel would not hold up from our talks.” He placed his hand into his robes and pulled out a vial. “Estel, I want you to drink all of this. It will sooth your nerves, relax the tension in your body and clear your mind.”

He walked over and stood before Estel. Estel took the bottle and took off the lid. He smelled it. It made him want to throw it away.

“ What is this vile smell? You can’t expect me to drink this, do you?”

“ Yes,” Elrond said. “Pinch your nose so you can’t smell it and then drink it.”

He looked at both of them. He proceeded to pinch his nose and then brought up the bottle to his lips. The contents was warm. He drank the whole bottle and brought it back down. He looked at Elrond and passed out. He slid out of Glorfindel's arms and slumped to the ground.

Glorfindel picked him up, carried him into the room and place him on the bed with Legolas. He then pulled a blanket up over both of them. Elrond and Glorfindel both looked at the lover’s, heard their deep breathing and left the room.

Legolas woke up finding Estel in his arms. He placed a kiss on his forehead wanting to wake up his love. But something told him that he was in a very deep sleep. Legolas could smell something putrid. He looked at Estel’s face and noticed a purple color on his lips. Legolas was not familiar with this color. Someone must have given him something to make him sleep.

He got up from the bed and looked down at his love placing the blanket around him. He bent over, placed a small kiss on his cheek, took a blanket from the foot of the bed and went to the chair on the balcony. He sat down, tucked his feet under him, placed the blanket across his legs and gazed out at the garden. He noticed that the flowers were in bloom, the smell of the grass was fresh and the trees were dripping of dew. He needed to be one with nature again. This is what gave Legolas his strength. That’s what the Mirkwood Elves were all about. They were part of nature. He listened as the trees sang to him. It was so soothing that he fell asleep in the chair.

He could feel arms being draped around him and someone placing a small kiss on his neck. Was he dreaming or something else? Legolas woke up and knew by the fingers that were placed on his chest. Estel stood behind him. He felt his love radiating from this being. What happened to Estel? Something changed in him. Legolas turned around and noticed a look of love in Estel’s eyes. Something was different.

“ How are you, my love? I was worried about you.” Legolas was upset at how his love would not forgive himself about what he had done.

“ I’m fine, meleth. When I woke up, I did not find you in bed. So I looked out the balcony door and seen you sitting in the chair.” Estel came around the front wanting to face his meleth. Kneeling on the floor, Estel took Legolas’ hands in his and kissed them. “I need to talk to you, meleth nín. Would you like to talk or do you need more sleep?” Estel brought his cheek to his loves hands and brushed his lips across the fingers.

“ I would like to talk about what happened. I keep telling you that what happened was not your fault. We have to let it go.” Legolas kissed Estel’s forehead trying to sooth his feelings.

“ What happened was not my fault,” Estel said. He looked at Legolas with love in his eyes. Tears were falling down his face. This surprised Legolas. “I had another talk with Adar and Glorfindel and they said that this creature you seen in my eyes is something that will come to pass. It was a vision of what might happen in our future. They think I have a kind of foresight but it comes in one image not a short story like what Elrond and Lady Galadriel possess. We will have to keep our eyes and ears sharp. Then Adar gave me some kind of liquid that tasted awful. I had gotten so out of control with my feelings that they thought I needed to calm myself. But now I can think clearly. Whatever he gave me, restored my body and soul to its fullest. I feel invigorated, ready to take on anything that comes my way. I will even take on that orc that was in my minds eye. I am not scared of it. If I ever come across it, will you help in killing it with me?” Estel kissed the hands again, reassuring himself that their love was true.

“ I will my love. I will help you fight him to the bitter end. We need to take that darkness that has taken hold of you and train it to become strength and courage. This will help both of us. Come, meleth nín.” Legolas brought his legs down to the floor and stood up bringing Estel with him. “Let’s go back to the room and lie in each others arms. I still need your strength to heal yet. Somehow it helps with the love we share.” With that said, they walked back into the room, arms around each others waist and climbed into bed. Legolas got in first and Estel crawled up beside him. He gathered Estel up in his arms and place a kiss on his forehead.

Estel pulled a blanket over them and looked up at his love. He stroked the face before him prior to placing a kiss on the lips that he liked to taste. They were wonderful!

They both fell into a deep sleep. They stayed this way for two days. The growing need to make love started to ease with time. They did not require to do it as often as it seemed. But there were times that they would need to feed the love they felt for each other. This is where the essence came in. It was needed to fuel the fire, the strength they desired for each other. Plus also declaring their love for each other and talking about their feelings helped with the energizing of their strength.

They could feel people poking them, rolling them over to change either their sheets or nightshirts, or sipping on liquids. Estel thought that he heard his Adar talking about being still alive.

*****

tbc