Breaking the Barriers

Disclaimer: I hold Tolkien in the utmost highest esteem. I borrowed his characters for this. The idea of the bonding enchantment is mine however.


3

The next morning Lord Elrond went to the Houses of Healing to check on the patients. He entered the room, closed the door quietly and noticed they were still lying in bed sleeping. Elrond took the chair from the corner and placed it between the two beds. Looking at Estel, he saw him stir. Estel sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"What has happened?" he said groggily. "Last thing I remember was being on a blanket, with an elf, in the middle of a garden." Garden? What was he saying? He looked to his left and saw an elf in the next bed. It wasn't a dream! What was going on? "Who's he?" Estel muttered under his breath.

"His name is Legolas and he is Prince of Mirkwood. He was brought here because he has the same symptoms as you. Lord Glorfindel will explain that to you later. Right now we need to see if Legolas will wake up."

They were talking quietly but not quietly enough. They both turned and watched Legolas stir in his bed. He also sat up and looked to his right. He couldn't believe it! The man in his dream was in the next bed over. What was this? He, too, had questions.

"All your questions will be answered. Right now you both need your rest." Elrond placed a hand on both and they lay back on their beds. Both never took their eyes off the other. They felt an unexplainable devotion to each other.

Estel noticed a warmth flowing into his body at the sight of this beautiful elf in the next bed. He placed a hand on his face and felt the warmth of his skin.

Lord Elrond prepared to leave. He felt like an outsider because he didn't know what was going on. He stopped at the end of one of the beds and looked at them. Then he saw it: there was a radiance that filled the room. It was very bright, almost like the sun.

Estel looked at the elf. He reached out his hand to him and Legolas took it. The connection had been made. They both smiled and closed their eyes. They were back to where they found peace...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…back on the field of the garden, on the blanket, lying beside one another. Legolas placed his hand on the chin of the man and stroked his face. The electricity flowed through him down to his loins. His member started to twitch.

Estel could not believe the sensations that this elf was causing him. He started to sense an irresistible urge from his companion, whose fingers created a warmth in his body. He reached up and started caressing this elf that radiated beauty. He could not believe the smoothness of his skin, like alabaster. He leaned in closer and brushed his lips over the elf's, inhaling his scent. He tasted like honey, sweet and musky, making the man seek for more. Estel placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder and gently pushed the elf back on the blanket.

Legolas could not believe the boldness of this man. The taste of Estel's lips on his was pleasant. How did this man create so many sensations in his body? This was not right. This never happens between a man and elf.

Estel moved in closer to take those lips harder. He could not get enough of them. He felt the hesitation in the elf's body when he kissed him again. The elf never opened his mouth to invite the man. His right hand slipped along Legolas' body, came back up to his chest until it reached his nipple. Estel circled his fingertip around it, getting it harder, and heard the elf moan at the sensation.

Legolas brought up his right hand under Estel's and ran it down his back. It made the man push his lower body into him and Legolas felt Estel's member grow against his thigh.

Estel rested his head on the shoulder of his lover and they lay there for what seemed like hours, enjoying the sensations created by each others fingers.

Legolas caressed the shoulder of the beautiful man. It felt like bliss being here. Then something changed.

Both sat bolt upright in their beds and looked at one another. Neither of them said a word.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lord Elrond was looking out the window, praying that Estel would be all right. Hearing a noise, he turned to look at the two lying in the beds.

Glorfindel was trying to think about all that the Valar had taught him. Hearing a noise behind him, he noticed that Estel and Legolas were both sitting up in bed with their hands folded in their laps.

"What has happened to you was what I expected," he explained. "You have both again experienced a connection to each other." He looked at Elrond. "We need to start this process as soon as possible. We need to break this barrier before Estel reaches majority. Lord Elrond, I want you to stay, you need to hear this too, but I want no interruptions."

Elrond nodded. He still did not understand why he had not been told about this before now.

"I will tell you what is going to happen, what must happen. We all want to know what our future holds, to discover what is to come, and if the two of you are to live in Middle Earth then you need to know what I am about to tell you." He looked at both to see their reaction. "This connection that you have for one another is a reckoning of your past. Estel, for you it is because your ancestor, Elros, chose to be mortal. When the Valar placed the kindred on Eärendil and Elwing they placed with it a condition. The Valar knew that one of the twins would choose to be mortal. We know of the long life of the Eldar, even one who has chosen mortality, but with each child born through the years there was a cumulative effect. The love placed by the Valar upon the first generation continued to build through each subsequent generation. With Estel being the last King of Middle Earth, all that love has intensified into pain, the pain Estel felt. This is what is known as a rite of passage and it was supposed to happen in the last month prior to reaching your majority. I fear that it has started early and, though I am loath to have you find out in this manner, your destiny lies with the elf in the bed next to you. I knew that this day would someday come, but I did not realize it had until Legolas collapsed in my quarters in Lothlórien."

"Why did I not know of this? This is my family that you speak about." Elrond had a look of alarm on his face.

"We cannot always know what the Valar has planned for our lives until it happens." Glorfindel answered. "On my way here, I had a dream. At least I think it was a dream. I had a visit from Vairë." He looked to the young ones in their beds. "She is the weaver of tapestries in the Halls of Mandos. She showed me what is going to happen between the two of you. The events of which I now speak will unfold in time and when they do, you must be prepared. Until then, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to come to me."

Estel didn't know what to say. "Then I have to spend the rest of my days with this elf if I'm to live?"

"There is a bond between the two of you that has begun without your intent. First you will have feelings for one another, and these feelings will blossom into love. By the looks of recent events, it has already started. This will take place in the month before you reach your majority, Estel. Your love will flourish in this month and during this time you must swear your love for one another. You must allow the love that has begun within you to grow and thrive." Glorfindel paused, looking at them to gauge their reactions.

Estel and Legolas both looked at each other, each raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it has." Estel gazed at Legolas. "But it started when I first passed out in Rivendell. We seem to have had the." He blushed at the thought of lying on the blanket with Legolas.

"It seems you are trying to say that both of your souls have touched. With the two of you in the same room, this bonding became greater. It's a kind of foresight; but you are seeing each other on a different plane in your dreams. In a garden, I would guess." Glorfindel looked at Estel and the young man looked away.

"My lord," Glorfindel said to Elrond, "might we have a couple of private suites for our use for the next couple of days? I will explain later."

"Yes, by all means," Elrond agreed, "anything to help. I don't want to see either in anymore pain."

"Well, enough talk, we are here to help both of you. Haldir will take Legolas and I will take Estel to separate suites." He glanced at Legolas and Estel. "You must be open to what we are going to teach each of you. If you do not heed and obey, then the connection will be severed and you will both die of despair. Your futures, and that of Middle Earth, lie with the both of you. Now, get dressed, both of you, we will meet you outside."

With that said, Haldir, Glorfindel, and Elrond left to supply the needed suites.

"Did you just understand what all that was about?" Legolas asked Estel.

Estel shrugged his shoulders and raised an eyebrow. "You got me."

Both remained where they were, neither wanting to get out of bed. Then Estel realized that he still wore his tunic. He slipped his legs out of bed and pulled on his leggings that lay folded on the floor. With his majority imminent, modesty still played a role.

Legolas did the same. He watched Estel closely. This man was beautiful… and he couldn't seem to get the image of the garden out of his mind.

They both exited the room and found Haldir and Glorfindel waiting for them in the antechamber.

tbc