Paramour

Tinuvel sat before the fire in the Great Hall simply staring at the
flames. He had poured
himself a goblet of Miruvor, but the strong cordial remained untouched
dangling from his
slender fingers. He had spent most of the day with Revin preparing the
Elf's mate and their
daughter for burial. He only hoped that the weather would hold so that
they could be laid to
rest before the next snowfall.

Resting his head against the back of the tall chair, Tinuvel allowed his
eyes to close, the
tensions of the day escaping his body all at once with an audible sigh.

Warm breath and a gentle press of lips to his forehead fluttered open
the healers eyes and
his vision was filled with the splendid visage of his friend and lover.

" Meleth-nin...." Saelbeth breathed against his neck, his arms
encircling Tinuvel's shoulders in a protective embrace.

" I have heard of the trials of your day...... I am truly sorry..."

Saelbeth crossed to kneel in front of the lounging healer and plucked
the precariously
suspended aperitif from his fingers and sniffed it curiously before
setting it safely upon
the floor.

" Are you all right Tinu?" He queried, resting his head on the healer’s
lap so that he could
better e hie his response.

Tinuvel's hand came up to thread through the impossibly silken fall of
the archer's hair,
twisting the ends around his fingers before letting them slip through
his grasp.

" Aye..." he replied, ghosting a smile he hoped would reassure his
friend.

Tracing the curve of Saelbeth's jaw with the back of his hand, Tinuvel
continued.

" I did the best that I could...there was not enough
time....Sael...there was nothing more I could do. . ."

The healer’s words trailed off his voice quavering with pent up emotion
as his head slipped down to rest against the archer’s.

" And you are right believing that," the soothing lilt of Elrond's
voice carried to his
ears and warm, strong hands gripped his shoulder.

"Rest Tinuvel. You did well today. Icould have done no more than you.
Revin does not hold anyone responsible for the deaths except himself for
not seeking your aid earlier. I have counseled him and I am here for you
if you need to speak."

The Lord’s fingers curled upon his shoulder in show of support for the
healer.

"Thank-you Heru..," Tinuvel replied, the weight of the days events
suddenly exhausting him.

" I think by your leave I will seek my bed early this evening."

Elrond nodded and patted the healer’s arm as he moved to stoke the fire.

" Sleep well, Tinuvel... with a clear conscience. "

Saelbeth stood when Tinuvel shifted out of his seat and followed
silently as the healer made his way through the kitchens towards his
room near the edge of the resident quarters.

Pausing at the door, Saelbeth leaned upon the frame catching Tinuvel’s
eyes with his own.

" Do you wish company this eve meleth-nin?" The archer’s hand came up to
caress the healer’s cheek lightly.

Tinuvel leaned into his friends embrace and found his waiting lips
pressing against the supple flesh with a slow and gentle rhythm. As much
as he desired Saelbeth, he was physically and emotionally exhausted.

" I think I need to be on my own tonight mellon -nin," answered the
healer, still pressed
tightly to his lover's body.

" I understand..." replied the archer his hand coming up to stroke away
the dark strands of hair that had escaped Tinuvel's braid.

“If you need me...for anything,,, anything.....call on me...."

Saelbeth smiled and placed a loving kiss upon the healers lips before
disappearing down the darkened hallway.

Tinuvel took a shuddering breath and opened the door to his room, the
cool blackness a
welcome relief against the tragedy of the day.


---------------------------

The healer’s head had barely hit the pillow when sleep overtook him
granting him respite from his exhaustion. He had been adrift many hours
when a cold breeze awoke him. Alarmed that perhaps he had left his
balcony door open, Tinuvel sat upright in his bed. The room was still
awash in blackness and even the cold moonlight reflecting off the snow
did not illuminate it enough for him to navigate it freely.

Tinuvel was just about to rise and check the door when he caught a flash
of movement out of the corner of his eye. In an instant he was on his
knees his sword drawn and ready.

"Who's there," he called into the pitch, nothing but silence returning
to him.

" Show yourself!" he repeated more insistently into the darkness.

A strange pale glow emanated from the shadows as a small Elven female
child emerged into the room. She was no more than fifty years old, with
golden hair that reached beyond her tiny waist. She was dressed in only
a simple shift of white cloth and her feet were unadorned. However it
was not her attire that held the healer spell bound , but her eyes, pale
blue, almost silver in color and lit from within with what glittered
like starlight.

" Tinuvel......"

The child's voice was like the trilling of a flute, floating upon the
night air and wrapping itself about him.

"Tinuvel.......... Remember me........."

The healer leveled his weapon and called out to the advancing
apparition.

" Who are you?........ What do want?"

The youngling continued to close the distance between them, her slight
body dissolving when it encroached upon the tip of his sword.

With a gasp, Tinuvel dropped his weapon and rocked back on to his heels.

Before he was able to move again, the odd girl appeared mere inches from
his face, her hair dancing upon an unseen breeze. Tinuvel gasped. She
was even more beautiful than she had first appeared. Her ruby lips were
molded into the gentle curve of a bow and her tiny delicately pointed
ears peeked out from beneath the undulating froth of her gilded hair.

She was perfect.

Tinuvel's eyes widened at the recognition and she smiled at his
deduction, her lips curling in an almost feral grin.

" So you do remember," she purred , her hand coming up to stroke the
healer’s cheek, leaving a cold ache where she touched.

" Noo....tithen pen, " he criet ast as he felt the weight her presence
crushing his chest.

" You must go to Mandos. . . to the Halls. . ." Tinuvel could not
breathe, his lungs feeling as if they were filling with sticky
blackness.

" You breathe....." she replied calmly, her fingers lifting the ends of
the healer's hair
from his shoulders.

"What have I done wrong Tinuvel? I want to breathe, too. . ."

The healer glanced up and forced out a few words despite his struggle
for air.

" No..... you must go...... you....." Tinuvel's thought was never
completed for icy darkness washed through his veins muting his world and
silencing his thoughts.


When he awoke he was no longer in his chamber, but standing along the
pebbled shore of the lake that bordered the city. How he got there he
did not know, but the child had her tiny hand wrapped tightly in his and
was leading him into the frigid waters.

Tinuvel's mind screamed out for him to run and though he tried
desperately to pull his hand from hers, he found that his legs would not
obey his commands and continued to draw him deeper.

Slowly she led him into the black numbing depths of the lake and as the
icy water surrounded him completely he felt his heart beginning to slow.

Slipping below the inky darkness, Tinuvel ceased to struggle, the frigid
water suspending him in its numbing embrace.

The dark murk was soon replaced by the silver glow of the child as she
turned to face him and placed her tiny hand on his heart as it beat for
the last time.

" Mandos....." he pleaded to the Elfling that hovered before him. "You
must go."

The child pulled him against her and kissed the last remaining breath
from his burning lungs.

" Come with me Tinuvel...." she called, her fingers curling for him to
follow, "I trusted you
and now you must come with me......"

The healer felt the icy waters enter his body and with the final
coherent thought before his mind shut down ,he called out for the one
person in all Arda that would hear him.

SAELBETH!!.....

Tinuvel’s world ceased to exist assanksank to the bottom of the lake.