The Music in My Heart

Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 34
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: PG-13, but ratings will increase in 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:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic. Thanks also to Lady Victoria for her comments and support.
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.

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Chapter 34 --- Came but for Friendship

“Came but for friendship, and took away love.”
Thomas Moore

*****

Silence descended on the pair. Elrond had thought he was prepared for whatever she might say, but he had been wrong. /Survive dying??? She becomes Ereinion? How is that possible? How can his memories become her dreams? I had expected… what? What did I really think was happening? That she had read so much about the time of the Last Alliance and was connecting to the dreams of those of us that were there?/

His head reeling with the possible implications of her revelations, he considered the facts. /All her life… since around the time of her majority anyway! What does it mean? Does this mean… but she cannot be Ereinion reborn! An elf is reborn to family… is always the same gender! She is most definitely not male! But, why would she be visited by his memories?/

Seeing the tears and the fears fogging her eyes, he tried to remember if he had ever read about such an occurrence…dreaming another’s memories. /Could dreaming of his death result in her death? I can not let that happen! I will not lose a second person I love to that horrible moment! /

Reaching out, he brushed his fingers over her checks in a soft caress before pulling her into an embrace. “Do not be afraid, pen vuil. We will make sure that does not happen. I will not let you die!” (dear one)

Seere wrapped herself in his arms and for the first time in many years began to believe she might survive the memory… the experience of the death of the former High King. Elrond knew and together they would find a way.

*****

Elrond had long dreamed of an auburn-haired elleth that was to share his life, but he had ignored that dream when he married Celebrian. That relationship was a failure, ended in only the second elven divorce. He had returned to Middle-earth hoping to establish an intimate friendship with an appropriate elleth, resolved to settle for a mistress since love seemed beyond his reach. To his great surprise he had found the very thing he had despaired of finding; he had found Seere, his auburn-haired vision and, with her, he found love.

Elrond found himself taking her hand as they hiked from site to site, needing to feel her presence safely beside him. The day had taken on a deeply intimate quality since her confession in the ginseng patch. Somehow the need to hear her agree to his courtship seemed less important now that he held her hand in his. They both knew they would talk about the future as some point, but neither doubted that it was their future they would be discussing, their future together.

*****

They completed the first harvest of the plants on the eastern side of the river and agreed to save the tour of the mushroom caves for another day. The noontime hour had long passed as they approached one of the footbridges back over the Bruinen. The memory of a secluded glade by one of the smaller eastern falls came to Elrond’s mind and he impulsively pulled Seere away from the bridge in its direction. He was suddenly hungry and the glade was the perfect place for an impromptu picnic.

Glancing back at Seere, he was met with a pleased smile. /It seems she trusts me enough to cheerfully follow me without the need to question this change in plans./ Grinning, he tightened his grip on her hand and began the short climb up a steep incline to the ridge surrounding the glade. Cresting the rise, he halted to take in the beauty of the secluded cove by the river.

A small pool lay under the waterfall that spilled down the sheer cliff that formed part of the northeastern wall of the valley. A line of ancient willows trailed their lacy branches over a small plot of soft, dense moss. Late blooming flowers thrived in the micro-climate created by the sheltering rocks and trees. A fine mist rose from the pool and blurred the edges of the glade, adding to the enclosed feel of the space. /Perfect!/ was the shared thought of the two peredhil. (half-elves)

Turning to face the elleth at his side, Elrond gave a half bow as he offered her his arm to escort her down into the glade. His eyes dancing, he quipped, “I will do my best to stay on my feet this time, my lady.”

Catching his playful mood, she replied, “Thank you, my lord. I think that would be best.” Their happy grins dispelled the last of the lingering gloom from their earlier conversation.

Side by side, they made their way down to the sun dappled bed of moss beside the bubbling pool. Side by side, they stepped into their future.

*****

Seere took a bite of her sandwich /Umm, chicken salad!/ and gave a contented sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elrond grin. Pleased to see his lighthearted mood, she relaxed completely for the first time in weeks.

Hungry from their morning’s work, she made quick work of her sandwich and was soon searching the knapsack for something else to eat. Finding a batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies in a small cloth bag, she gave a small cry of triumph and settled back with the bag clutched in her hands.

Elrond finished his sandwich more slowly, watching Seere’s capture of the cookies with an amused grin on his face. “I do hope you know I plan to have my share of those too. I would hate…”

His words were cut short in surprise as Seere jumped to her feet and ran to the cliff beside the waterfall. With nimble grace, she quickly scampered up the side of the rock wall to perch on a small ledge, the bag of cookies safely hanging from her belt. After carefully selecting the biggest one, she grinned down at Elrond. “You were saying, my lord?”

Watching as she began munching on the cookie with obvious glee, Elrond gracefully rose to his feet and moved over to stand looking up at the giggling elleth, her small boot-clad feet less than a foot over his head. Without warning, he jumped up and grabbed her left ankle. Pulling hard, he let his body weight do the rest. A startled elleth tumbled off the ledge and landed in his arms, knocking them both to the ground.

Rolling her beneath him, he grinned down into her stunned face as he whispered, “If you had bothered to let me finish, you would have heard me warn I will do what I must to get what I want.”

That said, he lowered his head and captured her lips in a tender kiss.

*****

Seere felt a brief moment of panic as Elrond bent his head to kiss her. Unbidden, memories of Ermehtar’s brutal kisses filled her mind. Before she could begin to struggle, an inexplicable sense of peace came to her heart. The gentle quality of the caress, the loving touch of his hand on her face, and the power of their still developing bond washed away her fears. This was Elrond, the elf she had loved for most of her life. This was his kiss and it was welcome.

Slowly, she relaxed into his kiss. Her hands sliding up to grasp his shoulders and help steady her emotions. /Elrond!/ A tentative flutter of her lips produced a shudder that ran the full length of her partner’s frame. Encouraged that her inexperienced response had resulted in an obvious reaction, she shyly began to more fully return his kiss.

/Elrond! I never knew kissing could feel this…ah! Elrond!/

Elrond had felt her body tense at the touch of his lips. Knowing she was reacting instinctively, remembering the pain Ermehtar’s kiss had inflicted, he began to pull away not wanting to cause her any anguish. /Stop acting like an elfling! You know she has been hurt before and that this may take time for her to accept./

Before he could break the kiss, sudden warmth entered his heart and the tension of the moment disappeared. He felt the connection that had been forming between them shimmer brightly as the kiss continued. Elrond realized, with a sense of shock and awe, they had begun to bond.

/When? How? Ai! I have waited for this for millennia and had despaired ever finding her or this wonderful sense of belonging, of not being alone. Now that it has come to me, it is a surprise! A joyous surprise!/

A subtle shift of her lips sent a pulsing wave of desire through his body. Two small hands had found their way to his shoulders and were now clinging tightly to him. /She has accepted my kiss! I must keep control of my emotions and desire she has unleashed in me! Ai! It has been a very long time since I felt so aroused, so alive!/

Feeling her shy response, he was reminded of her innocence and of her possible fears. Shifting to his right, he moved his body so she could not feel his growing arousal. From this new position, he was able to gently cuddle her body into his arms before he slowly began to deepen their kiss.

His tongue began to stroke the seam of her lips in slow, barely there caresses. That quickly had the desired effect as a soft gasp parted her lips. Reminding himself to go slow, he let the tip of his tongue toy with her full lower lip, interspersed with random flutters along the underside of its upper mate.

Her hands moved from his shoulders to bury themselves in his hair and pulled his mouth closer. This was the signal for which he had been waiting. He let his tongue slip slowly across her parted teeth to claim her mouth. The sweet lingering taste of the cookie, combined with the sweet taste of Seere, met his questing tongue. Elrond felt his senses begin to swirl and gently broke the kiss to give them both a chance to breathe. /Who are you kidding! You would gladly give up air for more of her sweet taste!/

Lifting his head, he studied her flushed cheeks, her slightly swollen lips, and the dazed expression in her eyes as they slowly drifted open. /By the Valar, she is intoxicating!/ Raising a shaky hand to smooth her hair back from her face, he bent his head for a last soft kiss before pulling them both into an upright position.

Seeing her puzzled expression, he whispered, “We need to talk, Lirimaer. I need to ask if you accept me as your suitor? My intentions are honorable. I wish to court you with hopes we will marry.” (lovely one)

Taking a deep breath, he asked, “Are you agreeable to this, pen vuil?” (dear one)

The sudden tears that sprang to her eyes robbed him of hope. /Ai! I am wrong! She does not wish…/

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden struggle to breathe. The arms wrapped tightly around his chest were squeezing so hard, he was finding it difficult to draw in enough air to satisfy his hyper-charged body.

Relieved beyond words, he pulled her to him in an equally crushing embrace. After a few minutes, he whispered in her ear, “I can take this is as a yes, I suppose.” An energetic nod against his chest gave him his answer. Smiling, he lowered his head for another kiss.

*****

Reluctantly, the pair separated and rose to put away the remains of their picnic so they could return to work. Snagging the bag with the cookies from her belt, Elrond selected the largest piece from among the crumbled bits and asked, “Do you object to my asking your father for his blessing?”

Smiling up at him, she replied, “Nay, of course not. But…. may I suggest we wait for just a little while… so that we might have some time to grow comfortable in this new relationship… without an audience.”

Seeing his confused expression, she reached up to caress his cheek. “Once you talk to Ada, assuming there is no shouting, /He looks so adorable with that uncertain look on his face!/ Ada will surely tell Celeborn who will tell the twins who will tell Legolas, Azeriel, and Gimli who will tell… The eyes of all Imladris will be watching within a few hours… likely less. I would like having some time without all eyes watching… if that is agreeable to you?”

“A good point! We will take a little time to enjoy getting to know each other then we will inform Erestor… and all of Imladris. My only concern is that we not wait too long and he finds out accidentally. He would be greatly hurt by that, Lirimaer,” Elrond observed. (lovely one)

“But, waiting for a short period may encourage my sons to make their announcements. I would not wish to take anything away from the excitement over their news. The news of the seven-thousand year old Lord of Imladris courting the seven-hundred year old daughter of his old friend and Chief Counsellor might just do that!” he commented with a smirk.

“The seven-hundred fifty-two year old daughter of your old friend, the Chief Counselor,” Seere interjected.

“Of course! Those additional fifty-two years should be enough to stay gossip!” he teased.

Looking around, he sighed. “I hate to leave our glade so soon, for it is very special to me now, but we still have much to do before dark. Perhaps we will have a chance to return before winter arrives in the valley. Are you ready?”

Nodding her head, Seere looked around the glade with the skilled eye of an herbalist. “I think we may have found a new source of several herbs and other plants on our list, right here. May we take a few minutes and see what we can find? Those willows look very healthy and should provide excellent bark and leaves. There are several types of mosses here I was hoping to locate, and there are a number of plants by the pool I would like to inspect before we leave.”

Smiling, he moved with her to the water and knelt down to study the plants trailing along the edge. “You have a good eye, pen vuil. This is sundew! It is quite a rare find. This is as large a stand as I have ever seen. Perhaps we can nurture it and have a steady supply. Or perhaps transfer some to greenhouse or the riverside gardens you mentioned. It is an excellent antibiotic as you well know.” (dear one)

“Indeed! I have never been able to find it growing in the valley and we have had to buy it a great cost from other locales. Having this much, we can gather an ample supply to make the antibiotic as well as the other derivatives. Can you teach me how to harvest and prepare it?” Her face was lit with excitement at finding such a valuable herb.

/Tis a pleasure to have someone to share my passions. The lack of common interests was one of the many problems in my marriage to Celebrian./

“Aye. I would be happy to do so. Indeed yes, let us explore our glade.” Leaning down to gently inspect the delicate plant, he began, “In gathering sundew…”

*****

The sun was beginning to set as they entered the upper gardens near the entrance to the dining hall. Walking in tandem, they were supporting two improvised carrying poles on their shoulders with baskets, bundles, and bags of herbs and other plant materials lashed to the poles running between them. Their backpacks and hip bags bugled with herbs, barks, and minerals, many quite rare and valuable. Each held brimming baskets of wild berries over their elbows and in both hands as they wearily trudged onto the patio.

As they came into view, Lindir called several nearby servants to assist him and hurried down to remove their burden. Elrond smiled his thanks as they gladly handed over their bounty to the grinning elves.

“I see it was a productive day, my lord and lady. Shall I have these taken to the Healing House or to the drying room?” Lindir inquired.

“We need to sort them first. Have them taken to the workroom beside the apothecary. Some of these plants will need to be processed immediately, so we will need to begin to work on them within the hour. Would you mind asking Lords Celeborn, Elrohir, and Erestor to join us there? We will need their help if we are to finish while they are still at peak potency,” Elrond instructed. Lindir nodded and left to find the other elves.

Turning to one of the servants, he asked, “Brethil, would you go ahead and alert the healers we have returned. We will need their help as well.” (Silver Birch)

*****

“I am most impressed with your finds. I have not seen fresh sundew in years. Where did you find it, Ada?” Elrohir asked. “You found meadowsweet and skullcap too!”

“And, all of such high quality!” exclaimed Órecalo.

“Aye, it is,” agreed Seere. “We found them all in a small glade on the eastern side of the river. The plants seemed to thrive there and the rare plants were everywhere. We found a lovely growth of wood sorrel and another of valerian. We have false unicorn, horsetails, lobelia, marsh mellow, echinacea, and I dug several samples of everything and kept a rootball on them to replant in one of our beds. There are several berry patches near it that we will need to have harvested within the next few days. Ada, are there workers you can assign to this task?”

“Indeed there are, pen vuil. Prepare a map of the location of the patches, noting the types of berries to be found, and I will assign the task first thing in the morning,” Erestor replied, pleased with the bounty before him. “Will there be extra quantities we might be able to offer for sale?” (dear one)

“There may well be, Ada. If not this season, we should have them for sale within a few years, assuming our root stock is successfully transplanted. This also means we will not have to purchase expensive stores of these items. A great savings even if we do not have sufficient quantities to offer. What say you, my lord?” Seere looked up to meet the pleased smile of her suitor.

“I think we may well have some limited additions to our medicinals offerings this year, meldir. Seere is right to hope we may be able to propagate a steady supply from our new root stock. That reminds me…” Turning to his assistant, he asked, “Lindir, would you take the samples we gathered to the greenhouse gardeners and ask them to plant them in pots until we have time to transplant them to permanent beds? Tell them to consult me immediately if they have questions as to their handling… stress their value, mellon nin.” (friend) ( my friend)

“Of course, my lord.”

“Seere, where is the basket with the samples of our plants?” Elrond asked, his subtle caress to the small of her back unnoticed by the others --- the others save for one grinning elf lord.

Off to one side, Celeborn watched the pair, a pleased smile fighting to take over his face entirely. /Something has happened! I would guess Elrond has made his move and Seere has accepted his suit. As if there was any doubt of that! Erestor and the others may still be oblivious to the change in them, though I wonder how they can miss the glow of their forming bond! This will be amusing to watch! Galadriel will be pleased to know there is progress at last. Ai! How I miss my other half!/

“Azeriel… come and see the lovely crystals and minerals Lord Elrond found. We will need to sort them…”

“Minerals? What types?” Erestor interjected. “Perhaps, we can have Gimli organize some of the dwarves to investigate possible deposits.”

“Indeed, there are several sites they can investigate, but I want no digging or excavation in the glade that might disturb the plants. That glade is special… very special and I want it protected.” Elrond risked a sidelong look at Seere. /Special indeed… for so many reasons, but chiefly for it is where I found my other half./

*****