Mandos's Embrace Continuation

Chapter Fourteen

Azalea rummaged through the wine cupboard. "Aiya, where did I put that one?" She ran her hands over the labels, looking for a specific one. She knew it still had to be in there. "Ah!" Pulling out a bottle with a very delicate silver chain around the neck, she grinned. "Perfect." She grabbed three goblets and hurried to join her brother and lover on the balcony. Hopefully nothing had happened to ruffle any feathers.

She was quite relieved to find them laughing merrily about something. What that something was, she hesitated to know. "Might I inquire as to the nature of the joke? A little humor is always appreciated." Setting the glasses down, she relenquished the bottle of wine to Glorfindel.

"Your brother here was just telling me about the time you fell asleep on watch, only to fall out of the tree and break your collarbone."

Heat crept to the tips of her ears. "Círdan!" Said brother began laughing again. "I assume he forgot to mention, that it was he that put a sleeping draught in my canteen?" Glorfindel seemed a bit shocked, while Círdan gave a smug grin.

"Strangely he did leave that part out.." A muffled giggle escaped his lips as he made to pour the wine. As soon as the cork was popped, he let out a moan. "Azalea? How did you get your hands on this?" A delightful scent of peaches and jasmine wafted up from the cystal clear fluid.

"Ada brought it back with him from one of his travels. He told me Círdan the Shipwright gave it to him. It is of an old recipe rumored to be from Gondolin." She sat down next to him. "I saved it for a special evening, and having my brother and you here, seemed reason enough."

Círdan smiled at her. "You ever impress me, dearest sister."

When Glorfindel looked at her again, she smiled and handed him the first glass. "Would you do the honors of taking the first taste?"

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Glorfindel took the glass from her hand. The smell already pervaded his senses. If the mix was right, he now held in his hand a glass of his favourite wine, for the first time in two ages. He delicately lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip of the clear wine. The familiar bouquet burst on his tongue. An image of a much younger Glorfindel came to his mind, sitting in the courtyard of the House of the Golden Flower, and across from him was his greatest friend Ecthelion. A chess board was placed between them and each held a wine goblet.

~~~~Flashback~~~~

"Your move."

Ecthelion frowned for a second, then promptly check-mated him. "I win."

"Like usual."

The dark-haired warrior of the House of the Fountain merely shrugged. "Don't worry, Fin. As long as no one challenges you to a game of chess on the battlefield, you'll be fine."

"Thank the Valar for small miracles.." The two stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

~~~~End Flashback~~~~

"Glorfindel? Is something wrong?" Azalea's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to her and shook his head.

"No, lirimaer. Just remembering old times due to this exquisite wine. It is as fine as that of Gondolin herself had been." He pulled her closer and took another drink of the wine, wetting his lips with it, then locking her to him in a gentle kiss. Completely forgetting for the moment that said elleth's brother was only about five feet away. Said brother had promptly turned an interesting shade of green.

Círdan cleard his throat rather loudly, then took a sip of wine. He had to agree, it was quite delicious. Glorfindel had started and now peered sheepishly over to him. He had completely forgotten! 'Great.' He chided himself. 'You try to make a decent impression and what do you do? Get all mushy about a wine and ravish his sister in front of him. Nice start Glorfindel.'

"Círdan.." Azalea growled. "I am in no mood for your antics. This is to be a pleasant evening." She turned back to face him. "So the wine is to your liking? That is wonderful to hear." He barely suppressed a moan when she seductively licked her lips. "I rather like it too, it's very sweet."

He took a moment to silently mouth 'cruel elleth', before turning his attention back to Círdan. "I have heard you are Legolas's personal guard. That is quite an acomplisment."

Círdan nodded. "Aye. Especially if you consider I am barely more than half his age." He took a sip of wine. "It's quite a long story involving a particularly large spider and running for one's life. Strange how events happened, really. Perhaps I shall tell it to you in length some time, but for now I would like to hear how my sister has been."

Violet eyes peeked over the rim of a goblet. "Oh, did you just remember me?" She grinned and stretched like a cat. "All in all nothing has changed much since your last visit. Orc attacks are a little more common and the new trainees are the sorriest I have seen as yet."

Círdan laughed. "I see you have not changed much either. You say that every time. In a few years, you will be telling me that they have much potential."

"You sound like Haldir. Am I really that predictable?"

"Aye."

"Go jump in the Nimrodel in winter."

"Tree-sprite."

"Wood-nymph."

Glorfindel couldn't take it anymore and began laughing merrily. "Aiya..you two are going to kill me with such banter.."

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Four hours later the trio finished the last of their wine. Azalea stood up and promptly swayed on her feet. She sighed as she felt Glorfindel's arms encircle her. "That was stronger wine than I thought." She took a moment to get her bearings, then smiled up at him. "You can let go, I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I need to go get the hammock for Círdan." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and slowly made her way across the talan to the trunk she kept it in. As she knelt down, she heard a muffled giggle from her brother. "Never could handle his liquor." She shook her head and sighed. Picking up the hammock, she returned to the balcony, where her brother was busy telling Glorfindel a slurred tale about one particular tattoo he had. She shook her head again. "Could you help me set this up, melme?" He nodded and the hammock was set up in no time.

"Now what?"

Azalea had been staring at her brother. "I am afraid we need to get him into it." The warrior moaned.

"This could be interesting."

"Indeed." Azalea remarked dryly. "Not that I haven't done this before. He never could drink well." She motioned for Glorfindel to get his feet, while she slipped her arms under his shoulders. They hefted him into the hammock. Not without much grumbling from the warriors and giggling from the archer. "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed. I'll get his boots and things off, then will join you in a bit."

"Alright." Glorfindel kissed her forehead and left her to tend her drunken brother, who was now completely passed out.

She shook her head. "Honestly, gwanur, I don't see how you take care of yourself without constant supervision." She removed his boots and belt, placing them under a bench. Then with much rolling and tugging, she arranged him into a position he wouldn't regret in the morning. She wiped a strand of golden hair from his forehead and kissed his cheek softly. "I am glad you are here, I have missed you so. Oltha-maus, gwanur." She made her way to her own bed, the alcohol in her system almost blatantly demanding sleep now.

A trail of clothing starting in the doorway and ending by one side of the bed, recounted the last steps of Glorfindel. She sighed and stripped as well, crawling into bed ready for a good long sleep. She lifted the sheet and slipped over close to him, figuring he was already asleep. In a blur of movement, she was unceremoniously pinned under one very wide awake Balrog Slayer. She had to chuckle that it was the second time she found herself in such a helpless position in one day.

He raised an eyebrow. "Anything amiss, melethril?" She shivered as he flicked the tip of her ear with his tounge.

"Only musing about ending up on my back twice in one day." At his raised eyebrow, she elaborated. "My brother tackled me in greeting."

"Ah." His hands traced the inside of her arms. Feather-light touches awakening the highly sensitive skin. A shiver coursed through her, causing him to smile smugly. "Are you tired, lirimaer?" Soft lips claimed hers and she sighed blissfully into the kiss. "I wouldn't want to take advantage of you if you are exhausted."

"I think I can manage under your careful ministrations, maethor-nin." She moaned as the tip of her ear was suckled gently. "Ai...Glorfindel..."

His laughter rumbled softly. "Careful, lirimaer. We don't want to wake your brother now, do we?"

"He's quite passed out..... A herd of ....rampaging Mumakil....wouldn't wake him..." Her body felt as if it was on fire from the trail of butterfly kisses he made down her skin.

"Good." His eyes shone with a predatory gleam. "I don't have to hold my assault back any, then." Gentle nips to her hipbones and the insides of her thighs made her shudder. While his fingers traced intricate patterns on her stomach.

"Aiya....you are....such a...tease..."

"I know, lirimaer."

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Glorfindel held her close against him. Her rhythmic breathing told him she was deep in reverie. He knew she had been tired already, add in the wine, and he was suprised she had stayed awake as long as she had. Sleep had seemed to evade her as of late. She probably thought he hadn't noticed, but indeed he had. That had been one of his motivations for exhausting her as much as he could, well, not his only reason, though.

He gently stroked her braids, noticing with a silent chuckle, that she would have to redo them in the morning. There was also the fact that using the public bathouse would be highly out of the question. This time he had left marks everywhere but her throat. A rather smug smile on his lips, he pulled Azalea closer to him. Her braids danced across her back, once again revelaing her scars.

Frowning, he lightly fingered one. It took a great deal to scar an elf, as their healing abilities were quite extraordinary. The wounds themselves must have been horrifying to see. Each one was as wide as his index finger and literally ran from one side of her back to the other. With a sigh, he pulled her in a little tighter and leant back into the comfort of the mattress. Soon his eyes were vacant and glazed over in reverie.

As Ithil began to decend towards the horizon, soft moan of distress escaped Azalea's lips. Her brows furrowed in concentration, muscles twitched around her mouth, and she shifted uncomfortably. After a moment, her eyes closed and she let out her first ear-splitting shriek of terror and pain...