Chamber of the Dancing Rainbows

Title: Chamber of the Dancing Rainbows
Author/E-mail: Scooterkitty (maclir@sbcglobal.net)
Pairing: Legolas/Gimli
Rating: NC-17
Summary: While spelunking in the Glittering Caves, Legolas and Gimli are trapped by a cave-in. However will Gimli calm the claustrophobic Elf down?

2/10/03

THE CHAMBER OF THE DANCING RAINBOWS


"Legolas, hurry!" Gimli called over his shoulder. "Move those long legs of yours. You must see this and we have to be there at the right moment."

"Coming," the Elf responded somewhat irritably.

The two friends were walking through the lower levels of the Glittering Caves, the extensive caverns located at the rear of Helms Deep, which had been given to Gimli by Aragorn, to create a new Dwarf colony, after the defeat of Sauron. Several weeks ago a group of Gimli's Dwarves had discovered a new cavern. Gimli had immediately senmessmessenger to Legolas in Southern Ithilien, informing him of the new cave. In this message, the Dwarf claimed that there was something unique about this chamber and had insisted that the Elf come and visit to see it. Legolas had obeyed, with reluctance, and now they were hurrying along towards it. The Dwarf also claimed that the cave must be seen at a specific time of the day, sometime near sunset.

Fairly bursting with excitement, Gimli jogged along the narrow, low-ceilinged passageways as fast as his short, stocky legs would carry him. In contrast, the Elf moved slowly, gradually trailing behind. The close confines of the tunnels were uncomfortable for the tall Elf (obviously the Dwarf diggers had not considered the idea that anyone taller than themselves might be walking these tunnels), as was the depth at which they were traveling.

While it was true that Legolas had been raised in a cave, the underground palace of Thranduil of Mirkwood was in fact fairly shallow (certainly so by Dwarven standards) and, like the Mines of Moria, the chambers and corridors were large and spacious. It was only because of these factors that Legolas had been able to cope with those caves. He had still been able to trick himself into believing that he was still above ground, simply in a very poorly ventilated structure.

But here, in these confining passages, so deep underground, so far from the sun, the wind, and the green growing things, the Elf felt helpless. He was cut off from all that he loved and felt comfortable with and he was wholly dependent upon Gimli to get him out alive (a notion he was sure the Dwarf was also aware of and was thoroughly enjoying). He had lost all sense of direction in the endless maze of tunnels long ago. Right now, he was not sure that he would trust himself to say with any real confidence which way was up and which way was down. His movements, as he followed the Dwarf, were uncharacteristically slow and methodical, almost reluctant, and his body seemed to be threatening to rebel completely the further down they traveled.

"Come Legolas!" Gimli's voice floated back from where he had just disappeared around a bend in the tunnel. "We're almost there!"

"Thank the Valar," the Elf breathed.

They had been walking for several hours and he wasn't sure how much further down he could tolerate going. He was having enough trouble simply forcing his feet to keep moving as it was. Rounding the bend where he had seen the Dwarf vanish only seconds earlier, Legolas found himself facing a fork in the tunnel. There were two separate branches and Gimli was nowhere in sight down either path. Not even the glow from the torch he carried was visible, although the thick, cloying shadows of the tunnels severely hampered the Elf's normally keen vision.

The left hand tunnel appeared to descend sharply into the darkness, while the right hand branch sloped gradually upward. Legolas stood frozen, unsure of what he should do. If he called out to the Dwarf, he would be forced to admit just how far behind he had fallen. He could very well imagine the endless delight this admission would give to Gimli. Legolas was quite sure that he would hear about it for the rest of the Dwarf's life and that thought rankled the Elf's considerable pride. On the other hand, Legolas was beginning to feel the first tendrils of panic starting to bloom in the pit of his stomach. And the longer he stood there, indecisive, the more they threatened to spread their insidious little creepers.

The Elf was spared from embarrassment as Gimli poked his head around a corner at the foot of the decline on the left hand path and called out impatiently, "Come, Master Elf, there's no time to rest. It's just around this bend."

Biting back a peevish retort, Legolas moved to join his companion at the base of the slope. As the two rounded the corner, the Elf could see a strange, eerie, bluish glow coming from further down the tunnel they were facing. He turned to cast a questioning glance at his friend, but the Dwarf merely smiled, saying, "Come along, come along."

Resuming the lead, Gimli ushered Legolas along the corridor until it ended some 100 yards further down. Rounding another corner to the right, they entered a large cavern. The ceiling loomed high overhead and at last the Elf could stand fully upright without fear of concussion.

The bluish light seemed to be coming from a fairly large pool of water at the far end of the chamber, as if the water itself were glowing. Like many of the caves of Aglarond, the walls were heavily studded with crystals and gemstones of various sizes and colors, which twinkled faintly in the blue light of the pool and the light of their torches. The floor of this chamber was covered with a thick layer of fine, pale sand and sloped gently towards the glowing pool.

Gimli led Legolas over to the pool. Upon closer inspection, the Elf could see that it was much larger and deeper than he had first supposed. The water was remarkably clear and the bottom was easily visible despite the water's depth and was littered with rocks covered by some kind of algae. It was, in fact, the algae that were glowing. The still water magnified this glow to fill the cave with cool, diffuse light.

"The algae is phosphorescent," Gimli commented. "Do you remember? I've shown you phosphorescent plants before."

"Yes, you have," Legolas said flatly. "It's lovely, but you dragged me all the way down here to see this?"

"This? No! No, no, not this," the Dwarf said quickly, taking the Elf's arm and leading him back away from the pool to one of the cave walls.

"This!" Gimli said proudly, gesturing to the wall.

It took a moment for Legolas to see what was unique about this wall. It appeared to be just another crystal-studded expanse of rock. But then the Elf noticed that there was a beam of light hitting the wall from a strange angle and the light was different. It was not the cool, blue light of the algae pool, nor was it the warm light cast by their torches. This was true light, sunlight, and it was coming from above. Stepping closer to the wall and looking up, he saw a very narrow opening in the rock, about a hands span wide, leading upwards. The opening was filled with sunlight.

"How is this possible?" Legolas asked softly. "We are so far down..."

"Note that the opening is heavily lined with crystals," Gimli explained. "It runs all the way to the surface. The crystals reflect and redirect the light downwards, all the way to this chamber."

"Ah, yes, I see now. That's very nice," the Elf said, not sounding particularly impressed.

"The light changes depending on the angle of the sun. Just wait, it gets better. But here, let us sit and rest. We have a few minutes yet."

The Dwarf had brought a large cloth satchel with him, which he now deposited on the ground. Taking the end of his torch and wedging it into the soft sand and directing Legolas to do the same, Gimli reached into the bag and pulled out a large, loosely folded quilt. With the Elf's assistance, he spread this out on the ground, so that they could sit without getting covered with sand.

"There is a bottle of very fine wine in the bag as well," Gimli said, as they settled themselves on the blanket. "Would you like some?"

"Oh, no, thank you."

Although he felt calmer now that they were out of the narrow passages, Legolas was still feeling quite apprehensive about being so far underground and he wanted to keep a clear head. The two sat in silence for several minutes.

A sudden, loud grinding sound shattered the comfortable peace of the moment, making the Elf spring to his feet, instantly assuming a defensive posture. Seeing this reaction, Gimli collapsed on the ground, howling with laughter.

"What was that?" Legolas demanded, ignoring the Dwarf's impertinence for the moment.

Tears streaming down his cheeks and gasping for breath, Gimli managed to say, "Oh, my friend, you look like a cat that has just seen a dog. I swear, if you had a tail it would be puffed out to the size of my forearm!"

Seeing the Elf's scowl, the Dwarf held a hand up for peace.

"The diggers are working to expand one of the caves near this one," he explained. "It is nothing to worry about, I assure you."

"You're positive?" Legolas asked, looking around for signs of cracks or other weaknesses in the rock.

"Yes, yes, they're experienced diggers. They know what they're doing. Now, please sit, you're making me nervous."

Gimli continued watching Legolas for a long moment after he had settled back down on the ground, but the Elf refused to meet his eye. Clearing his throat, the Dwarf tried to think of some way of saying what was on his mind without offending his friend. Gimli recognized the Elf's mood and knew that he had to be careful. Legolas was quick to anger in these moods and tact was not a common trait among Dwarves, although this one was beginning to learn it.

"Legolas, I know that yo not not enjoy being underground, but you seem a bit more ... tense than usual."

The Elf was silent for a long moment before answering. "Yes, I...sense something...that something is about to happen, but I cannot say what, or whether it will be good or ill... I don't know. I'm sorry. I feel out of sorts and you know how I hate that."

"Yes, I know and I promise you that as soon as we have seen what we came here to see, we will leave."

"Thank you. How much longer do have to wait?"

"Only a few more minutes," Gimli answered, refraining from adding a sarcastic comment about the famed infinite Elven patience.

As the Dwarf had promised, within a few moments, the light in the cavern began to change. It had, in fact, beennginnging very gradually the entire time they had been in the cave, but the change had not been particularly significant. But now, it seemed as if someone had sped up time. Light was spilling forth from the narrow, vertical opening in ever increasing brilliance and as it filled the chamber, it was caught in the prisms of the crystals and was amplified, reflected and refracted a thousand times. It was a soundless explosion of light and color as tiny rainbows burst forth from the many crystals like fireworks.

"By the Valar," Legolas breathed, awestruck, "Gimli, it's magnificent!"

Catching the Elf's attention, the Dwarf held up a rock he had picked up along the trek to the cave and tossed it into the nearby pool. As the ripples formed on the surface of the water, it caused the reflected light to dance. The shimmering rainbows seemed to come to life, to writhe and undulate across every surface of the cave in a supremely choreographed, radiant waltz. It was the most beautiful sight the Elf haer ser seen. He could only stare, open mouthed, in wonder.

"So, was it worth the walk?" Gimli asked smugly.

"Oh, yes... yes."

"The diggers have begun referring to this as the Chamber of Dancing Rainbows."

"A very apt name," the Elf whispered, his eyes still drinking in the beauty.

Gimli, who had seen the lights many times now, was drinking in the beauty of a different, but no less enchanting, sort. He was never quite sure exactly when he had fallen in love with his tall, Elven friend, but the Dwarf could no longer deny that it was true. The dilemma now was whether or not he should tell Legolas. Would this admission disgust the Elf? Or would he respond in kind? The Dwarf suspected he would not, which was why he continued to hold his tongue.

After nearly a quarter of an hour of watching the kaleidoscopic display, the sun had moved from whatever magical position triggered the natural pyrotechnics and the dancing rainbows began to sputter and fade. When the last of the colors had returned to the bluish glow of the pool, Legolas finally turned his attention back to the Dwarf.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," the Elf said soberly.

"Your welcome," the Dwarf said thickly, his throat constricting at the sweet melancholy of his friend's expression.

"Can we leave now?"

"Yes, we can leave," the Dwarf said with a chuckle.

The two males stood and Gimli bent to retrieve the blanket. As he did, he was abruptly pitched forward, face first in the sand as the ground shook with the concussion of a tremendous explosion. There was a deep rumbling as the blast triggered several cave-ins. The Dwarf was only just able to sense the imminent collapse of their own chamber a moment before it occurred.

"Take cover!" he yelled to the Elf as he flung his arms over his head.

He was dimly aware of another, very loud, rumble and the sound of falling rocks before the world turned black and silent.

~*~*~*~

The faint sound of singing was the first thing to creep into Gimli's consciousness. Then gradually feeling began to return and he realized that he was lying on his back in soft sand and his head was pounding fiercely. He was also aware of a light, warm weight on his shoulder. As his face was already tilted in that direction, he had only to open his eyes to discover what it was. Unfortunately that proved to be a more daunting task than he had anticipated.

It took a moment for it to register to his sluggish mind that it was Legolas' voice that he was hearing. This realization jolted him back to full awareness. He remembered now, there had been a cave-in. He needed to see if the Elf had sustained any injuries.

Forcing his reluctant eyes open, Gimli found that it was Legolas' hand that was providing the weight on his shoulder. Looking past the hand, he saw that the Elf was seated beside him. The cave-in had extinguished their torches, so the only light came from the algae pool and by its dim, cool illumination Gimli could see an ugly gash on Legolas' left temple, but he appeared to be otherwise uninjured. The Elf was singing very softly and rocking his body slowly back and forth. The Dwarf was by no means an expert on Elven music, but he had spent enough time in Legolas' company to recognize the song he was singing as a Sindarin lullaby.

Gimli had no way of knowing how long he had been unconscious, but from the horrible haunted look in the Elf's eyes, the Dwarf could only assume that Legolas had been alone, confronted with his worst nightmare, for quite some time. Slowly, mindful of any undiscovered injuries, Gimli sat up. The Elf did not seem to notice.

"Legolas?" the Dwarf called softly.

There was still no response.

"Legolas," he tried again, more firmly this time and reached out to put a hand on the Elf's arm.

The Elf reacted as if he had been stung, flinching away from the other's touch. After a moment, the distant, haunted look seemed to subside and Legolas finally focused on the Dwarf. With a gasp, he surged forward, throwing his arms around Gimli's shoulders and hugging him tight.

"Gimli!" he cried.

Somewhat taken aback by this effusive response from his normally reserved friend, the Dwarf could only pat the Elf's back awkwardly, saying, "Yes, Legolas, I'm fine. I'm fine."
s qus quickly as the emotional outburst had occurred, it faded. The Elf quickly released Gimli and sat back, seeming to be slightly flustered.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought you were... How is your head?"

"It's pounding, but I'll be alright. We Dwarves are tough."

"Heads like granite, you mean."

Gimli gave a grunt, but said nothing, glad to see that the Elf had regained enough composure to banter with him.

"And what of you?" the Dwarf asked after a moment. "That cut on your head looks ugly."

"I am fine," the Elf said quickly.

Not sure whether or not to believe his friend, Gimli again held his tongue. Looking around at the rubble-strewn floor of the cavern, the Dwarf was amazed at their luck. Several of the rocks were quite large and would have crushed bones, but all seemed to have miraculously missed both of them.

"Well, if we are both fit for it, I suggest we start trying to make our way to the surface," Gimli said, starting to climb to his feet.

"We cannot, the entrance to the chamber is blocked," Legolas said, his voice sounding hollow.

Frankly, not trusting the opinion of an Elf with regards to matters of earth and stone, the Dwarf moved slowly to the cave's entrance, whhe fhe found the entire expanse filled with rock and rubble, just as Legolas had reported. Tapping expertly at a few strategic places, he was able to listen to the stone and thus determine if only the entrance was blocked or if the entire tunnel had collapsed. Judging from the dull sound of his taps, the Dwarf concluded that, indeed, much of the outer corridor was also filled with rubble. He and the Elf would have quite a ways to dig before they would reach an open pocket. Of course e wae was no way to tell from here, how far the next pocket after that would be. As much as it rankled his Dwarven pride, the Elf had been correct in his assessment, it would probably be best to wait for help.

Returning to Legolas' side, Gimli said, "Not only is the entrance blocked, but so is a large section of the tunnel."

"We are going to die down here, aren't we?" The Elf said softly.

"No. No, we are not," the Dwarf said firmly. "My people knhat hat we are down here. They know where we are. They will send a rescue team."

"That is, if anyone else has survived. How do we know that the entire cave system hasn't collapsed?"

Gimli had never heard Legolas speak so pessimistically. Nor had he ever seen the Elf look so defeated. He was sitting with his shoulders slumped and his hands limp in his lap. He looked nothing like the proud, fierce warrior that the Dwarf had fought alongside here at Helm's Deep. A sense of alarm was beginning to gnaw at the back of Gimli's mind. He moved to sit in the sand beside the Elf. Grasping the other male's shoulders, the Dwarf turned him and forced him to look up.

"They will come for us, Legolas. They will come. Now no more talk about dying."

After a moment, the Elf nodded and even managed a wan smile.

Desperately searching his mind for a topic of conversation that would distract his companion, Gimli asked, "So, are you and your Elves all settled in at Ithilien?"

"Yes, we should begin planting the season's crops soon."

"So, I imagine you'll be settling down with some fair Elf-maid and doing some planting of your own soon, eh?"

A sad sort of half smile flitted briefly across Legolas' face. "No, I do not think that will be happening," he said softly.

"No? Why not? You're still a prince of Mirkwood and now LordIthiIthilien as well. You are a fine catch. I'm sure the lasses are lining up at your door."

"No, not really. Remember, I am only third-born. Barring a catastrophe striking the Forest of Mirkwood, I will never see the throne."

"A prince is still a prince, regardless of how far down the line he is. Are these silly Elf-maids really so selective?"

"No, it's just that their families are cautious. I am considered suspect as marriage material. I am deemed ... too eccent"
"

Noting that the Elf was carefully avoiding eye contact, the Gimli said, "Because of your close association with a certain Dwarf?"

Glancing over at him quickly, Legolas said, "Gimli, I'm sorry. I..."

The Dwarf quickly waved off the apology. "No, no, don't... I... understand all too well."

Legolas sighed and nodded sadly. "A fine pair we make... Tell me something, Gimli, truthfully. Don't you feel lonely sometimes?"

The Dwarf did not answer right away. In light of the Elf's previous signs of mental trauma and depression, Gimli was a little leery of the somburn urn of the conversation. He had been trying to cheer Legolas up.

"Yes, I suppose I do, now and again," Gimli said at last.

"How do you cope with it?"

"Well, we Dwarves tend to be fairly solitary most of the time. We aren't nearly as socially oriented as you Elves, so we spend most of our time working. If we get lonely, we just... work more. It's hard to feel much of anything if you're too tired to stand."

"Yes, it is easy to keep the mind occupied during the day," Legolas agreed, "but at night, when it's just you and the darkness... The nights can seem horribly long."

"I thought Elves were oblivious to the passage of time."

"Yes, I guess that would be another one of my eccentricities."

The Elf did not continue and seemed lost in his thoughts. The Dwarf watched him with concern. Was this strange melancholy mood just a result of Legolas' claustrophobia or was there more to that head injury than he was letting on? Or was there something else, of which Gimli was completely unaware?

"What was that?" the Elf cried abruptly, jumping to his feet, his wide eyes casting about him. "Did you hear that?"

"Legolas, I cannot hear most of the things that you do. I am not an Elf," Gimli said calmly.

"It sounded like rock moving. I think there's going to nothnother cave-in!"

Stretching out a hand and pressing his palm flat against the nearest rock wall, the Dwarf closed his eyes and concentrated all of his senses toward the rock. Through his race's strong connections with the stone they worked, he could sense that the disturbance was over. The rock was once again sound. There would be no more cave-ins.

"No, the rock is sound, we are perfectly safe," the Dwarf said.

"If the rock is sound, why did it collapse in the fiplacplace?"

"I sense that there was a disturbance, probably an explosion. The diggers use small amounts of explosives, like the stuff Gandalf uses in his rockets, to clear large areas of stone. It's a tricky business and accidents can happen, even to the most experienced diggers. I just hope that no one was killed or maimed."

"Oh, Gimli, I'm sorry, I did not intend to sound so insensitive."

"I know you didn't. Don't worry about it... You're just frightened."

The Dwarf had made that last comment cautiously. He wanted to test the Elf's reaction to it. Gimli was still quite concerned about his friend's fragile mental state.

"No, Gimli, I'm not frightened," Legolas said softly. "I am terrified. I cannot die down here. I cannot..."

"And you will not," the Dwarf said quickly, not wanting to see the Elf retreat back into that haunted look again. "I promise you, Legolas, I will get you back to your beloved trees."

"Thank you, Gimli."

Legolas slowly sank back down to sit in the sand. He drew his knees in to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, leaning forward to rest one cheek on his knee. Although Gimli knew that his Elven friend was hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, at the moment, Legolas looked like nothing more than a child who has just awakened to a thunderstorm. The Dwarf had to fight down the urge to go to the other male and take him in his arms and gently stroke the golden head.

"Legolas, why don't you sing?"

"I thought you didn't like it when I sang?" the Elf asked suspiciously.

"Yes, well, maybe it will serve to distract your mind," Gimli said gruffly. "I can put up with it, if it will help to calm you."

The Dwarf didn't add that he hoped that it would also distract his mind, as well as some other parts of his anatomy that had perked up at his thoughts of holding the Elf. And, of course, he had never really objected to Legolas' singing. In fact, he found the Elf's clear tenor to be quite pleasant, but Gimli could never admit that. He had to have something to give Legolas a hard time about.

As the Elf began his first song, the Dwarf eased himself down to a half reclining position, his head propped up on one elbow. Although Gimli couldn't understand the words, the song had a happy-sounding, lilting melody and the Dwarf soon found himself lightly tapping his foot in time to the chorus. The next song was more somber and Gimli allowed his tense muscles to relax. The sandy floor of the cave was actually quite comfortable and, whether it was the aftereffects of his own knock on the head or the strain of the situation catching up to him, by the time Legolas was finishing his third song, the Dwarf was sound asleep, snoring lightly.

~*~*~*~

Gimli awoke some time later to the sound of shifting rock. Fearing that he had been mistaken in his assessment that there would be no more cave-ins, he bolted up, ready to grab Legolas and hunt for cover. But the Elf was no longer ing ing where he had been, at the Dwarf's right side.

Glancing around, Gimli saw Legolas over by the blocked entrance to the cave. The Elf was attempting to dig his way out. He had obviously been at this endeavor for quite some time, his clothes and face were filthy and his hands were raw and bloody. The Dwarf silently berated himself for falling asleep and leaving the Elf alone with his fears again.

"Legolas, stop," Gimli said gently, going to his friend's side and physically pulling him away. "Please, you must stop."

"No, I can't stop!" the Elf cried, his eyes wide and slightly wild looking and the Dwarf noticed that the pupils seemed oddly dilated. "We have to get out of here! We can't die here! We can't!"

"And we won't. They are coming for us. I am sure of it."

"But they will not get here in time! We've already been down here for several hours. We will run out of air!"

"Legolas, the opening in the rock that brings in the sunlight? It extends all the way to the surface. It brings in fresh air as well. The water in the algae pool is actually quite clean and sweet. So, you see, we have plenty of air and plenty of water. We will be fine until my people come for us."

Although he was still breathing heavily from his exertions and trembling visibly, the Elf did seem calmer. He allowed the Dwarf to lead him over to the pool where Gimli sat him down and began washing the blood and dirt from his hands. The Dwarf winced at the damage he found. Legolas must have been digging for hours, Gimli thought with a fresh wave of guilt.

Stripping off his quilted leather outer tunic and then the lighter undertunic, he began tearing the linen garment into strips, which he then wrapped around the Elf's battered hands. Taking another strip, he dipped it into the glowing water and used it to gently bathe Legolas' face. He could now finally get a better look at the cut on the Elf's temple. It was deeper than he had expected it to be and he began to wonder if Elves suffered from the aftereffects of shocks to their systems as other races did. He was beginning to suspect that Legolas was.

The Elf had closed his eyes and was now sitting, as docile as a child submitting to his mother's attentions. Gimli found this exquisite vulnerability intensely erotic and he, once again, felt a stirring in his loins.

"There, now isn't that better?" The Dwarf asked, deliberately shattering the moment.

Legolas opened his eyes and looked down at his hands dazedly, as though he had just woken from a light doze. And perhaps he had, the Dwarf thought. He must be exhausted, mentally and physically.

"Come, Legolas," Gimli said, taking the Elf's arm and leading him away from the pool, "I want you to lie down and try to sleep."

Shaking the rocks and debris off the blanket and spreading it back out on the sand, the Dwarf sat the now completely passive Elf down on it. When Legolas made no further move, Gimli gently pushed him back to a prone position.

"Sleep," the Dwarf commanded.

"But what if-."

"Nothing will happen, Legolas. I will not let it."

Pulling his leather tunic back on and finding a comfortable sitting position, Gimli settled himself in for his watch. After several minutes, he glanced down to see if his charge had obeyed his order. Legolas had rolled over onto his side, facing away from the Dwarf and was staring into space. As Elves slept with their eyes open, it was sometimes iculicult to determine when Legolas was truly asleep, but Gimli didn't think he was. For one thing, the Elf was still trembling.

"Are you cold?" Gimli asked, but then remembered that Elves were generally not affected by the elements.

So, the Dwarf was surprised when Legolas answered, "Yes, I am... would you... would you hold me?"

Gimli's breath caught in his throat. Had he heard correctly? Not trusting himself to speak, the Dwarf slowly, cautiously moved to lay down behind the Elf. Trembling slightly himself, Gimli reached out and slid one arm around the other male's shoulders.

"Oh," the Dwarf breathed as the Elf snuggled back against him, Legolas' squirming movements creating a delightful friction between his buttocks and the Dwarf's crotch.

Despite their obvious height discrepancies, Gimli was amazed at how well their bodies seemed to fit together. His wider, stockier body seemed to mold itself perfectly around hich mch more slender and longer companion's body. Legolas was wearing only a single tunic of light linen and although the Elf had claimed to be cold, the Dwarf could easily feel the heat of the other's skin through the thin fabric. This heat seemed to surge through Gimli's fingertips directly to his groin and the slight stirrings he had felt earlier quickly became an uncomfortable strain.

"Hold me tighter," Legolas whispered.

Swallowing painfully, Gimli tried to squeeze his arms tighter around the Elf's shoulders, while at the same time, trying to keep the lower half of his body as far away as possible, praying that somehow Legolas would not notice the growing bulge pressing against his backside.

"Tighter."

"Legolas, if I squeeze you any tighter, I will break bones."

"Then don't squeeze me, hold me," The Elf said, squirming around so that he was now facing the Dwarf. Legolas pressed his full body against Gimli's and nuzzled his face into the Dwarf's shoulder. "Gimli, I want you inside me."

For a moment the Dwarf feared that every drop of blood in his body was going to drain down into his already stiff and straining member. Were it not for the fact that he was already lying down, he was sure he would have passed out. Instead, he just lay, stunned and silent, absently twisting the silken strands of gold between his fingers.

After several minutes without a response from the Dwarf, Legolas whispered, "I'm sorry, I have offended you."

"No, you have not," Gimli said, taking the Elf's face firmly in his hands, forcing eye contact. "Surely you know that is my firm desire pressing against your stomach."

"Then why will you not take me?"

"Because you have suffered much trauma today, mental and physical, and I will not take advantage of my dearest companion in such circumstances. I could not bear it if you awoke later regretting a decision made in a moment of weakness. I would much rather suffer this temporary discomfort and indignity than risk losing you to shame and disgust."

"Gimli, this is not a moment of weakness. I have wanted this for so long now, but I did not think you felt the same way... After the cave-I coI could not wake you. I thought you were dying... It made me realize, truly realize, that even if you recovered, one day you will die. And on that day, I now know that a large part of me will die with you. Elvellon, I need you to prove to me that you are yet still living."

Grasping the back of Legolas' head, Gimli crushed the Elf to him, forcing their mouths together. Both males were frantically fumbling with each other's clothing, trying to remove them without breaking the contact of their mouths. It took all of the Dwarf's self-control to keep from simply tearing the Elf's breeches off.

When both were finally naked, they each took a moment to admire the other's form. In the cool blue light of the algae pool, the Elf's pale skin glowed with an almost eerie luminance, flawless and crystalline, like the water of the pool itself. To Gimli, Legolas' beauty ranked as equal to that of the Lady Galadriel, although of an obviously different sort.

Like most Dwarves, Gimli's short, stocky frame belied his musculature. There was in fact, very little fat on his body. It was as hard and solid as the stones his people worked. He reminded Legolas of a tree. With his substantial body, his firm connections to the earth and his great, shaggy head, he was like an Ent in miniature. To the Wood-Elf, this was an incredibly beautiful thing.

Much more gently this time, the Dwarf pulled Legolas to him again, hands lightly stroking the velvet flesh beneath them. Wrapping his arms and legs around Gimli, Legolas rolled onto his back, pulling the Dwarf on top of him. Gimli quickly tried to pull back.

"Legolas, what are you doing? My weight will crush you! We Dwarves are quite solidly built!"

"Dense, I believe, is the word you're looking for," Legolas said impatiently. "I am not made of glass, Gimli. I will not break if you handle me roughly. In fact, I would enjoy it! Please, take me."

"But we have nothing to use to facilitate the act. I do not wish to cause you pain."

"I will be fine," the Elf said quickly, squirming his hips and grinding their straining erections together to illustrate his impatience. "Gimli you you do not fuck me soon, I will lose my mind!"

Reaching down between them, the Dwarf grasped Legolas' swollen member and began to gently rub and stroke it. The Elf's response was immediate and satisfying for Gimli as Legolas moaned and arched his body up into the Dwarf's large, calloused hand. Gimli set a leisurely rhythm, moving his hand in firm, steady beats that quickly had the Elf writhing with frustration. Whenever Legolas reached down to quicken the Dwarf's pace or try to help out himself, Gimli would push his hands aside and force him back down.

"Your hands are injured, Legolas, I do not want you to use them."

"Gimli, please, you must go faster, you're driving me mad!"

"Yes," the Dwarf growled smugly, "that would be the plan. I am enjoying this far too much to end it too soon. You know, you look amazing when you are undone, Master Elf."

Thinking he might have better results from Gimli if the Dwarf were in a similar state of arousal, Legolas reached out to lightly fondle and squeeze the Dwarf's nipples. Again, Gimli, pushed the hand away. But this did seem to remind the Dwarf of a neglected part of the Elf's anatomy and he leaned forward to suckle each of Legolas' nipples in turn. The Elf responded to this additional stimulus with a deep-throated moan and by bucking his hips forcefully into Gimli's hand.

"Please, Gimli," Legolas groaned, "please."

Prompted more by his own painfully growing need than the Elf's pleas, the Dwarf decided to take pity. But, instead of quickening the pace of his hand, he reached his free hand down between the Elf's legs and began gently probing the tight opening there with one thick finger. This was enough to send Legolas over the edge and he moaned loudly, arching his entire body up in a single, graceful and unspeakably erotic convulsion. He slumped back down on the blanket, drained.

"My turn," Gimli rumbled.

In the sated afterglow of his climax, the Elf was only dimly aware of the Dwarf rolling him onto his side and placing their balled up clothing behind him. Rolling him back, the Dwarf positioned the Elf so that his pelvis was now elevated several incon ton the pile of clothing. Gradually coming back to full awareness, Legolas looked up at the Dwarf, confused.

"Gimli, what are you do- aah!" the Elf moaned as the Dwarf thrust two semen-coated fingers into him.

With his free hand, Gimli smeared more of Legolas' seed onto his stiff penis. With the Elf's hips elevated, the Dwarf could enter him while standing and leaning forward, his shoulders supported by the Elf's legs. Removing his fingers and moving himself into position, Gimli eased his swollen member into Legolas, who gave a gasp and his body stiffened at the sudden intrusion.

The Dwarf froze his movements, asking quickly, "Did I hurt you?"

"Please, it would take more than a Dwarf's stunted root to hurt an Elf," Legolas said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, really?"

Resuming his slow entry, Gimli began moving his hips in shallow thrusts at first, gradually increasing the depth. Legolas lay beneath him, eyes closed, head thrown back, and bandaged hands clutching the blanket beneath him, the very vision of erotic male beauty. Spurred by this lovely sight, the Dwarf increased the speed of his thrusts as well, greedily watching the Elf's response to each new stimulus.

Breathing heavily and moving his body in concert with Gimli's thrusts, Legolas was rapidly approaching his second orgasm. Recognizing this, the Dwarf once again wrapped one large hand around the Elf's rigid shaft, manipulating him manually without missing a beat with his hips. Gimli watched with infinite pleasure as Legolas writhed in ecstasy, moaning and panting incoherently in Elvish.

Feeling his own climax nearing, the Dwarf again increased the speed and force of his thrusts, no longer concerned with hurting the Elf. It was quite obvious that at this point, that would be quite an accomplishment. As Gimli's consciousness exploded and dissolved into the rapture of orgasm, he was peripherally e ofe of Legolas gasping out his name as the Elf also reached climax.

Several seconds, a few minutes, or perhaps an hour later, Gimli couldn't be sure how long it was, he found himself collapsed on top of Legolas, thoroughly exhausted. Dwarves did not generally engag suc such rigorous activities and he was utterly spent. Although, he did note with great satisfaction that Legolas did not look much better. So much for the legendary stamina of the Elves, Gimli thought smugly.

After a few more minutes, Legolas called softly to him. "Gimli?"

The Dwarf grunted by way of a response.

"Get off me. This position is becoming very uncomfortable."

With another grunt, Gimli rolled to one side and flopped onto his back beside the Elf. Neither male moved or spoke again for some time. As the Dwarf lay, his mind began to wander and a thought began to germinate. Was Legolas' silence an indication that the Elf was regretting what had just happened? Was he lying there consumed with self-hatred and disgust? Gimli was afraid to even turn his head and look at his dearest friend, afraid of what he would see.

As if reading the other's thoughts, the Elf rolled close and slid an arm across the Dwarf's broad chest and nuzzled his face against Gimli's neck. Feeling warm relief flood his soul, the Dwarf reached over and gave the Elf's arm a few pats.

"Thank you, Elvellon," Legolas whispered.

"For what?"

"For your steadfast friendship, for helping me to keep my sanity, and for giving me such amazing pleasure."

Gimli was grateful for their current positions as is meant that the Elf could not see that he was blushing furiously.

"Yes, well, you have given me pleasure as well," he mumbled self-consciously.

~*~*~*~

The faint sound of tapping awoke the Dwarf a few hours later. Glancing down, he saw that Legolas was still lying with his head on Gimli's shoulder. From the Elf's steady, deep breaths and the slightly glassy look of his open eyes, the Dwarf could tell that he was asleep. Legolas' slack fingers were still twined, almost possessively, in the curls of Gimli's long beard. The Dwarf didn't remember fallisleesleep, but was relieved to see the Elf sleeping at last.

Hearing the tapping sound again, Gimli glanced around, trying to determine its source. In his prone position, he really couldn't see anything, but he was quite loathe to try and move, as this would inevitably wake Legolas. So, closing his eyes and concentrating on the sand and stone beneath him, the Dwarf tried to locate the sound through his connection with the rock. His senses told him that someone was digging close by. As he had been confident they would, his people were working steadily towards them.

Thinking that, perhaps, this news would be worth waking the Elf for, Gimli again glanced down at his companion. Legolas looked so peaceful and, at last, content that the Dwarf couldn't bring himself to wake him. They still had hours before the rescuers would reach them. He would tell the Elf when he woke on his own. Of course, if he woke Legolas now, they would be sure to have plenty of time for another romp...