The Price of Pride

Elvish translations

Maer aur – good morning
Nestadren nín – my healer
Pen-malen – golden one

Chapter 30


Much to my delight, I awoke the next morning with Aragorn in my arms. He had obviously chosen to take me up on my offer, though I did not know for which reason. It did not matter really. He shared my blankets. That was what mattered. I could just see Elladan’s still form asleep on the other side of the fire. Elrohir was on watch somewhere nearby, but I did not see him. Good. That meant I could indulge my desire to wake Aragorn with a kiss. I rose up on one elbow and gazed down at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, I almost hated to disturb him, but the idea of seeing his eyes open already full of desire was too tempting to resist. I brushed gentle fingers through hair mussed by sleep. The texture of it was different from mine and the difference was still new enough for me to remark on it. I trailed my fingers across his forehead and cheek to his lips. They were soft in sleep, with none of the vibrancy that I had felt in them the day before, even before he returned my kisses. I brushed my lips over his. When he sighed but did not wake, I nibbled gently on his lower lip. That got a more definite reaction, but his eyes were still closed, though I could not tell if he was feigning sleep or if I had not yet awakened him. My lips settled fully on his, then. He awoke with a start, jerking in my arms before he met my eyes.
“Maer aur, nestadren nín. Did you sleep well?”
“Maer aur, Legolas. I slept very well.” Then he surprised me by reaching up for another kiss. Who knows what might have happened next if Elrohir had not chosen that moment to reappear in camp. Aragorn’s body was hot against me in the early morning chill and his thigh had insinuated itself between mine, rubbing my groin provocatively. I have always prided myself on my control, but that might have been enough to break me if not for Elrohir’s interruption. Though I muttered curses under my breath, now I am thankful for his arrival. Aragorn deserved to be courted, to be wooed, not to be taken in a fit of early morning passion. At least not the first time. I rolled away from him and rose.
“I will watch until everyone wakes if you want to sleep a little more, ‘Ro,” I offered. Elrohir declined, but settled companionably beside me near the fire. We did not speak, content to let the breaking day wash over us. I paid attention, as we sat, to the place where Arien was rising. I pictured the point from the day before in my mind’s eye, trying to see if the sunrise would be visible from there. I decided it would be. Now to convince the twins to let me take Aragorn there alone for the night. That meant talking to them, or at least one of them, since they could always talk to each other, alone. I would see what opportunities presented themselves later.
After a quick breakfast, Aragorn suggested following the stream to see where it led. His suggestion was directed at me, and I did not include the twins in my answer. I saw the look they exchanged as we set out alone, again, but they said nothing. The woods had been so quiet since our arrival that I left my bow at camp, carrying only one of my long knives.

We wandered upstream, walking at a leisurely pace. I alternated between watching the incredible variations in the forest in front of me and the incredible beauty of the man beside me. Despite his comments about the gracelessness of Men, I saw nothing but grace in his ground-eating stride as we walked, the strength in his legs, the power restrained by our slow pace but evident nonetheless. We came around a bend in the stream to an area of gentle rapids, but what caught our eye was not the water but the play of the light. The early morning mist had not cleared completely and we could see individual rays of light as they broke through the overhanging trees and penetrated the mist. Aragorn reached for my hand as we stopped and admired the play of light and shadow, mist and water. I lifted his hand to my lips as we stood there silently, pressing a gentle kiss into the palm of his hand. We moved on eventually, by unspoken accord, but we did not speak for many minutes after we left the magic of that grove.
We heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfall as we continued along the streambed. We hurried forward, eager to see what other surprises this little stream had in store for us. We found it a few minutes later, a delicate tumble of water from a ridge high above into a small, deep pool, surrounded by large boulders. I jumped up easily to the top of the one nearest the waterfall, feeling the light spray on my face. I turned from my perch and extended a hand to Aragorn. He took it and I pulled him up onto the rocks, into my arms. The momentum of the climb brought his body fully against mine, chest to chest, thigh to thigh. I could not resist. I tilted my head and kissed him, threading my fingers into his hair. His arms came around me as he returned the kiss, hands settling on my shoulder blades. As the kiss deepened, his hands tightened on my tunic, fingers digging into my back. I kept my touch in his hair light, not wanting to stretch his limits. Better to let him set the pace. My instincts paid off when one fist loosened and his hand wandered shyly down my back to my hip. The hesitant caress was incredibly potent, more so for the trust it implied. A few seconds later, the other hand made its way to my buttocks, holding me tightly against him. I could feel the effect the kiss was having on him as he pressed against me. When I felt my own control slipping, I broke the kiss.
We settled on the rock to eat the lembas we had remembered to bring for lunch that day. We talked idly, as we had the day before, sharing stories of our experiences in Imladris and elsewhere. I began to get a clearer picture of Aragorn as we talked, but it was a picture that continuously surprised me. I knew nothing of his lineage, then, so I did not understand why this young man knew so much about the Last Alliance or the history of Gondor. He knew more than I did about many events that had occurred even within my lifetime. In retrospect, I understand why Elrond insisted he study these things, but at the time, they were one more mystery that I could not begin to solve. I also realized that Elladan had told me truly. Outside the realm of our courtship, Aragorn knew what he was doing and had the determination to do what needed to be done. I wondered again what purpose his mother had sought to serve in keeping him so ignorant in this one area. After all, he was above the age of his majority and would soon be looking to take a mate. I did not know then that he was of the blood of Numenor and would outlive the great-grandchildren of his contemporaries. I pondered my companion’s unusual childhood so long that he noticed my distraction.

His hand on my cheek brought me back to where we were. “You are far away, pen-malin.” The endearment surprised me more than the caress. Aragorn had only called me by name prior to that moment.
“Forgive mewas was lost in thought.” I glanced at the angle of the light coming through the trees and estimated the time it would take us to walk back to camp. We needed to be leaving if we were to return before supper. I said as much to Aragorn who looked disappointed at the idea of leaving, but I could see him checking the light as I had done. He knew I was right and so made ready to leave. We walked back at a brisker pace than we had set on the way out, making back to camp in good time.
The twins had been hunting again and so were covered in blood. Aragorn and I were sweaty from our hike so we all returned to the stream to bathe. I would rather have waited, thus having Aragorn to myself, but the light was fading and the temperature dropping again. We needed to clean up before it got too cold, especially for Aragorn. My offer to wash Aragorn’s back was again refused, but he offered to wash mine rather than waiting for me to ask. His touch was less hesitant, but he did not in any way take advantage of the situation, whether because he did not dare or because his brothers were nearby, I do not know.
Aragorn took first watch again that night, the twins preferring the morning watches. He woke me with a kiss when it was my turn. It was all I could do to get up and take my watch, rather than pulling him onto the bedroll beside me and ravishing him.
Much to my delight, he rolled over when I woke Elladan and lifted the blanket in invitation. I settled next to him on the bedroll and felt him draw me into his arms before I had the chance to pull him to me. It appeared I was definitely making progress.