The Chilly Comfort

A/N:
*leann* thank you. So here comes the next chapter.

*Ladz Drea* I hope you feel well again. I'm glad you like my story. All of the seven chapters are written and corrected and I'll post them very soon.

*sivan* thank you and I hope you will like the next chapters too.

*Anon* Yes, English is not my mother tongue. I studied it for a while but then I had quite a long pause when I didn't use it a I forgot a lot. I'll be very grateful if you let me know which mistakes I ma
*
*KC* thank you. I'm glad you like "my" Erestor.


The Chilly Comfort
Chapter four - Chill

Legolas' blue eyes slowly became focused and with it all others senses woke up. It was so wonderful to wake up refreshed! He stretched in pure pleasure. And in the same moment his body tensed and his eyes widened unbelievably when the silk under his face moved and something poked in his ribs. Under his sensitive ear he caught a quiet heart beating. He felt regular rising of the chest he rested on. Under his palm he felt softness of the skin and long tresses.

How did he...? How could Erestor...? Shocked he raised his head and his sight met no less surprised black eyes. For a long while he looked at them ... until he realized that the dark elf lay on the edge of the bed and only a few centimeters separatem frm from the fall. So Erestor tried to hold his word... The fair face lost its strictness to his surprise. Legolas held his breath. He raised his hand and the tips of his fingers stroked the cheek. The surprise in the black eyes even deepened. Legolas smiled and caressed him again feeling the soft sensation of the fair skin. Again he realized the hidden beauty of Elrond's advisor and the blindness of everybody around him.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

He didn't know how he was thrown away to the middle of the bed into the mass of the dark silk which he tangled more and more in when he tried to release himself. The quick footsteps revealed him that Erestor ran out of the bedroom and then even the door of his chambers snapped. Legolas pulled away the silky blanket from his face and with a sigh he remained resting. Why did Erestor run away? Did he do something so terrible to offend him? Did he cross the line?
The prince extricated himself from the blankets, decided to speak to Erestor and to apologize him. But when he stepped to the dining hall he found out it would not be such an easy task. The dark-haired elf was not in the room. Instead the two pairs of gray eyes carefully watched his every movement.

"A beautiful day, isn't it, Legolas?" Elrohir addressed to him when he poured the prince a tea.
"Yesterday evening we came round to ask you if you would fish with us today..." his brother caught the words and glared at the prince.

"... but you didn't return," Elrohir added. He reclined to him over the table and whispered so that everyone could hear it: "Where did you stay last night?"

Legolas felt all eyes on him and the blushing under the unexpected interest. He knew that until now the whole Rivendell will whisper and guess where he spent last night and with whom? Everybody will follow his steps to disclose the one he favored. And to disprove the suspicion he will have to stay in his room. But he can't do it, not now when he doesn't have his key. Well premeditated! He looked exasperated at Celebrían but she waited for his answer with the same eagerness as the others. Again he looked at the gray eyes opposite him and hissed: "That's none of your business!"

He stood up rapidly enough to almost overthrow his chair and turned to leave. He heard the surprised whispers until he came to the corridor and made towards the library. With a sigh he sat to the writing desk where the hill of the scrolls lay. In wonder he looked at it. Did he imagine or the number of the scrolls increased? Was Erestor trying to prolong his stay in the library?
The answer came not a long with that he begun his work. With a quiet click the door opened and the fair head of the minstrel looked inside. He smiled and stepped in. The woodland prince watched in surprise as he lay the tray with the cup of tea and biscuits on the table along with few mscroscrolls.

"I heard Erestor gave you a work to transcribe my verses, so I brought them all. I also found these... He doesn't like it when my scrolls lie about everywhere, especially in the library. It would be better if they were to be transcribed into a book and then I will take all this," he waved over the lot of pergamen. "I wouldn't like to argue with him again," he grimaced.

"I can imagine," Legolas muttered.

"Hmm," Lindir agreed. ""He told me you had mentioned to him this morning that your key haisapisappeared."

"Yes," the prince nodded. "I didn't know whom I should tell..."

"I'll try to find you the duplicate but I can not promise... Besides there is no need to lock the door, everybody is discreet and I don't think anybody would disturb you..."

Legolas blushed when he noticed the hint in Lindir's words. "Y-yes... still... I would appreciate if you would find it." His throat tightened in thought he would not get the key back. The duplicate must exist! What would he do if not? "Ehm, do you know where I can find Erestor?"

Lidir only shrugged. He didn't care about the dark-haired elf when he stayed far enough from him. "Difficult to say, maybe in his study but I think I saw him somewhere outside. Who knows? He can appear from anywhere to scare someone."

"If you see him could you tell him I wish to speak with him?"

But finding Erestor was clearly not so simple. Neither he came to the lunch when Legolas realized he didn't see him at the table in that daytime. But every other person was there including Elrond's sons ,who had decided not to go fishing, everybody was curious about how the morning storm had developed.


Legolas lowered his eyes to his plate of fresh vegetable, thankful no one addressed him. In the end he was forced to look up in time as he was deciding to leave when Glorfindel spoke: "It's not good to lock yourself in the library for wholwhole day, Legolas. Will you join us at the training-ground?" The prince explored the bright blue eyes before he shook his head and tried to smile in apologize. "Perhaps another time, I have a lot of work."

"Oh, come on, the transcribing the poetry can wait!" Elladan objected. "It's a beautiful day. Ada will join us too, right?"

"That's a great idea," Celebrían smiled. "You can compete! I've heard Legolas is one of the best mirkwood's archers..."

"Really? You've bested all of them?" Elladan arched his eyebrow in surprise, he had missed this news. "Last time we were in the Mirkwood you were not allowed to join the patrol in the forest."

"Many things have changed since that time," the prince gazed the gray eyes. Yes, many. For a while his eyes clouded with memories and the twins arched their brows in surprise. Evidently Legolas kept a lot as a secret... "I'll fetch my bow," he stood up suddenly.

As on command the twins also stood up. "We will accompany you."

The tremor of panic trembled his body. The dark-haired elves linked his arms and lead him off. No one worthwhile thought came to Legolas' mind. He threw a last glance to the company at the table until the passed through the door. Nobody paid attention to them. When they disappeared from the sight the twins pressed to him. Unable to protest Legolas let them to escort him to his chamber.

In the moment the door closed Legolas found himself in the tight hold between their bodies. He watched Elrohir's face with widen eyes while the other of brothers was pressed to his back. The soft fingers pulled away the golden tresses and in the nextent ent the lips kissed his nape. That was enough to awaken him from the panic rigidity and he tried to push away the dark-haired elf before him.

To the g sur surprise of all the three of them he succeeded. Elladan held out his hands but he did not manage to grasp even the gray robe. In no time the blade of the long knife appeared in the prince's hand and forced the dark-haired elf to back up his next step. He lowered his eyes to Elrohir who was picking himself up from the ground. He lent a hand to help him to stand up.

"Go away!" Legolas whispered watching them carefully.

Elladan arched his eyebrow in amusement. He exchanged a glance with his brother before they turned away from the prince and sat on the bed which was situated near them. Elrohir rested comfortably on his elbow into the pillows. Elladan leant against him and looked at the golden elf from beneath his eyelashes.

"Come, sit with us," Elrohir invited the prince.

"No way!" Legolas grimaced. They won't give up! They will never give up!

"We waited for you yesterday..." Elladan said in a quiet voice and his hand stroked his twin's arm. "You didn't come," he complained.

"You surprised us," added Elrohir and tangled his fingers in his brother's dark tresses. "Where did you spend last night? Whom did you give that you deny us?"

"Tell us that little secret," Elladan smiled.

"There's nothing to tell," responded Legolas. "We should go, they must be waiting for us."

"They will wait, we have plenty of time," Elrohir replied. "Come on, will you need asking! Tell us who you slept last night with..."

"Give me back my key!"

The twins laughed slightly and the trembling ran down his spine. "Oh, my sweet Legolas," Elladan sighed. "It's not possible. You lock your door and we can't let it happen. We can't allow you to stay alone. For that you are too pretty, too desirable..."

"Do you think you got me into a corner?" Legolas narrowed his eyes.

"You can flee, Legolas," Elladan objected softly. "But in the end you will not escape us."

"No door will hide you... You will be ours in the end," completed Elrohir.

"Never!" the prince shook his golden head. But he was not so certain. In the morning he shut the one door that kept him safe for two nights. He had to speak with Erestor. He had to apologize. He had to find the way from this precarious situation. The quiet voice in his head advised him to run away. Yet the black eyes were more persuasive when they advised him to face his fear. He can run away any time.

Slowly, carefully watching the dark-haired elves he came to the armchair where his bow and the quiver with arrows lay. He took them and with the unsheathed knife waved to the twins. "Time to go."

"Will you not change your clothes?" Elrohir smiled.

"No," he refused the offer. How could he? The gray robe did not suit the training-ground, nothing doing. He will have to be very careful not to damage it. Cautiously he stepped to the door so that he could leave.

Unexpectedly handhandle behind him clicked and the wing of the door opened. Startled he turned around. He looked at the black eyes which widened in surprise. Then the dark gaze moved behind him. Legolas's sight fell to his weapon, its tip was touching the fair neck. It disrupted the skin and the thin stream of blood flew down to the stand-up collar. Immediately he pulled off his hand holding the knife.

"Erestor," he whispered.

"You wished to speak with me?" One eyebrow arched in question and the cold gaze returned to him. Legolas felt the anxiety coming back and his throat tightened but he couldn't averted his eyes. Erestor waited for a while but when the prince had no words for him he remarked: "Well, I'm waiting. You're wasting my time, Legolas. And for the next time if you'll need something you can find me in my study."

Pleadingly the blue eyes watched the black ones. How could he speak when behind him Elladan and Elrohir pricked up their ears, when the whole Rivendel thought he spent the passionate night in somebody's bed... But maybe if they thought... maybe everything would ended...

"I'd like to apologize," Legolas whispered.

"Hm," Erestor purred. "Sounds interesting but now I have no time for this. Perhaps I could find some time for you after the dinner, or better tomorrow morning. Have a nice day."

Completely surprised and confused Legolas watched the black robe to fly and disappear behind the white door. His heart was throbbing. He has to speak with Erestor! But it seems the dark elf didn't care about his words. The movement behind him got him together. Quickly he turned to find any dangerous threat. So he backed out through the door while the twins got up from the bed and he started running outside.

tbc