Closing my dream inside its paper-bag.
Thought I saw angels
but I could have been wrong.
Search in my case,
can't find what they're looking for.
Waving me through
to cry you a song.
It's been a long time
still shaking my wings.
Well I'm a glad bird
I got changes to ring.
Lights in the street,
peeping through curtains drawn.
Rattling of safety chain taking too long.
The smile in your eyes was never so sweet before
Came down from the skies
to cry you a song.
--Jethro Tull – To Cry You a Song
Rohan
"Kiss me," he whispered, and Theodred looked up at those impossible blue slanted eyes. He tried to mouth a protest but it was killed in the first attempt when the elf's soft lips silenced him. He was surprised of the eagerness that the elf displayed, but he welcomed it, wrapping his arms around the slightly smaller frame. He had not even noticed when the thin loose pants he wore for sleep had been pulled off, but he suddenly realized that he was naked. Maybe it was some elf trick? He opened his eyes and saw the golden hair move downwards kissing his stomach, nipping gently at the tender skin around his hipbone. Once again words failed him, and he heard himself let out a pitiful whimper when the elf finally reached his member. Theodred moved involuntarily, thrusting up against the silky soft mouth that welcomed him. He didn't last long, and he heard his own voice moan in delight as his orgasm spread throughout his limbs, making his heart race and bright lights erupt behind his closed eyes.
Theodred felt something warm against his arm, and slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the darkness; he slowly turned his head and saw the elf asleep under the covers, curled up in a little ball. He felt the blood drain from his face, and reluctantly looked down at himself. He was still dressed in his loose sleeping pants, but they were now stained from his vivid dream. And as the blood had left him, it now rushed back... and Theodred sat up with a jerk. It had been a dream! Oh gods no! Ferret still slept, with luck he had slept through it.
He slowly crawled from the bed, and walked to the dresser to fetch some clean pants. He looked out the window, almost dawn. He decided that since he would get no more rest anyway, he might as well take a bath and prepare for the day to come. As he walked past, he smiled at the sleeping elf, but caught himself when he was about to run his hand over the golden hair. Such folly! It had been a dream, and why he had dreamed of the elf, he didn't quite understand. He was not attracted to him, or was he? He had spend his entire adulthood living with encounters such as those with Eomer. They had been comforting and pleasant, but never had they made his heart race the way it did now... Could this be it? Was he falling in love?
He shook his head, and quickly left for the bathroom.
Elrohir bit the quill. Why was he so terrible with words? All he wanted to say was 'I love you, please please come with me' but he couldn't. He looked at the neat letter, full of explanations and excuses, but not one word to express his loneliness or his longing for his husband. He sat the quill against the page once more and wrote.
'I wish I were not alone, I miss your company terribly.'
Bah! Elrohir hissed to himself. It was such an idiotic letter. He crushed the page into a ball and threw it with an irritated move over into the fireplace. He then took yet another page and started writing again, the same excuses and ridiculous excuses. He signed off with 'Elrohir of Rivendell.'
He sighed once more. Why couldn't he just write what he wanted to? So he added under his signature 'I love you' – why did those words just seem so hollow right now? But he decided that he would have to wait for Dinalu to get back to him, if he did write back at all. A sick feeling settled in his stomach. What if Dinalu had found his comfort in the arms of another elf? Or did as his people wanted of him, and annulled their bond and married a female elf to produce heirs for the kingdom? Ai! Right now he wished that Elladan was close. He needed that unspoken understanding they seemed to share. He took another page and wrote to his brother, asking him to join him in Rohan if father would let him. He looked down at the letter and read, 'I am scared Elladan, please come stay by my side.' Why could he express feelings to his brother, and not to his husband? He knew the answer somehow. It was because Elladan would never hurt him.
He rolled both parcels up and closed them with the seal of Rohan. He then stood up slowly and grabbed the letters as he walked out the door; he was intent on seeing King Theoden this morning. This elf had piqued his interest, and he would love to solve this strange puzzle.
In the large hall, Theoden was sitting down, looking over some papers he had been neglecting for too long, when Elrohir suddenly opened the door in the side of the hall, instead of the main entrance. "King Theoden? Forgive me for disturbing you, but I must speak with you," the half-elf said softly, as he kept standing on the thresh hold.
"You may enter, Elrohir of Rivendell," Theoden said with a smile, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was happy to be disturbed from his tedious task.
"Thank you, Theoden King," Elrohir said with a nod and walked into the great hall. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "The little elf is quite the enigma my liege; I need more time to talk to him, and perhaps make his memory resurface." Right at that moment he could have put his foot in his mouth. What was he thinking? He might as well have told the king that it was most likely that he knew who was responsible for this unhappy situation.
Theoden raised a brow and looked at the elf. "You understand him, then?"
Elrohir mustered all his self-control so he wouldn't show his discomfort. "To some extent," he said. "He apparently understands me, and he can nod or shake his head. I have yet to learn if he can write." That was not quite the truth, but neither was it a lie, and Elrohir sent a silent thanks to his diplomacy lessons and Master Erestor.
"I see," Theoden said as he rested against the large table with the papers spread across the surface. "And what is it you are asking of me, Elrohir?"
"I...uhm..." Elrohir started, but then held out the two parcels. "I wish to ask for my brother to join me, my liege. Perhaps he can reach the young elf better than I." He studied Theoden's face for a second, and then added, "If you do not wish for him here, I can bring the elf to Rivendell and finish my studies there."
"Yes," Theoden said and nodded. He was relieved that the elf offered this, for then he did not need to sound rude. After all, he had asked for Elrond's help with the intent to remove this elf from his realm, not to suddenly be overloaded with them.
"But with all respect, King Theoden," Elrohir said and took a step forward, "I think your son would be upset if I were to take the mute elf away."
"What?" Theoden said and knitted his eyebrows in annoyance. "Explain yourself, Elrohir."
"I think," Elrohir started, "I think he has grown very fond of the elf, and the elf relies upon him." Upon seeing Theoden's almost tomato-red face, he quickly continued. "My liege, you are wise – so you must know that the elf had a rough ordeal, and your son saved him, and so he finds himself depending on his saviour, and the other way around, your son is only looking out for the elf."
Theoden let out an extremely annoyed puff of air before he turned to his papers. "Take him away from here, I do not care how. He belongs with his kindred spirits, not here," he said through gritted teeth.
"But my liege," Elrohir said, "I assure you..."
"I mean you no ill intentions, Elrohir," Theoden said, sounding less aggravated. He turned to face the elf once more. "I am forever grateful to your father, the lord of Rivendell. That he sent his son to my aid, but that elf child cannot stay here."
Elrohir didn't know if he should laugh or yell, and a giggle threatened to bubble up in his throat. "He is not a child," he finally said in a strained voice.
"But my son is!" Theoden growled. "You may leave, Elrohir."
"Yes, of course, thank you for seeing me, King Theoden," Elrohir said and bowed slightly before he walked out of the throne room. "That went well, Elrohir you oaf!" he said to himself, he took a deep breath, fearing to tell the strange elf. He sighed. He couldn't help but wonder if the king would have overreacted like that if it had been a female elf. Elrohir had heard the hidden fear in Theoden's voice clearly.
The sun was high in the sky as Elrohir went to the burial hills to clear his mind, and the place seemed so tranquil, but he had scarcely sat down before he heard an oddly timid voice. "Elrohir?"
He turned around and smiled at the young prince. "Theodred," he said with a smile, "Where did you hide ferret this time?"
"I didn't," Theodred said as he took a step closer to Elrohir. "He is around somewhere, I guess."
Elrohir raised a brow. He had wanted to be alone, but Theodred looked so lost that he couldn't help but pat the earth next to him, in a gesture for the young man to sit. "Come, Theodred, sit with me."
"Thank you," Theodred said with relief, and lowered himself next to the half-elf.
"You seem troubled," Elrohir said softly, as he brushed a wayward strand of hair from the man's face. The young prince was most definitely fair, maybe not by elven standards, but he had to be the most beautiful mortal he had ever seen. For a moment he wondered if Theodred was even mortal.
"'Tis nothing," Theodred said with a small voice as he kept his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"Come now, young Prince Theodred," Elrohir said in a teasing voice, "Pray tell, who is it?"
Theodred's mouth fell open and he turned quickly to look at the elf. "What do you mean?" he gasped.
But Elrohir just smiled reassuringly. "The one who captured your heart, young Theodred. I would recognize that look in your eyes anywhere."
"Is it really..." Theodred started.
"That obvious?" Elrohir finished for him. "Yes, Theodred, it is."
The young prince offered Elrohir a strange smile and a weak blush. "Oh," he just said.
"So are you going to tell me?" Elrohir said and scooted closer to the man.
Theodred shook his head. "I can't, it's wrong."
"How can you say that, Theodred?" Elrohir said. "It is never wrong to be in love."
But Theodred nodded. "I am not sure it is even love." He looked up at Elrohir. "It is just me, I – I feel like I am taking advantage of him. I should not feel like this, I should..." his voice faltered and faded.
"I was right then," Elrohir said with a smile. "You are in love with Ferret, are you not?"
"Yes, I mean no... I mean..." Theodred stuttered.
"It is all right, Theodred, Ferret is grown. He can make his own choices, and if he should return your feelings," Elrohir threw his hands up in the air in a dramatic gesture, "Then the sky is the limit," he yelled. Theodred chuckled, and Elrohir smiled. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you falling in love with Ferret."
"But it is wrong of me?" Theodred continued in a pitiful voice. "He relies on me, he trusts me." He ran a hand through his hair in a distressed move. "They really hurt him, Elrohir, and here I am dreaming of his... Ehm... Forget it."
Elrohir couldn't help but to burst out laughing. "Dear, dear Theodred," he chuckled before he put his arm around the confused man. "Maybe he likes you too, you will never know if you don't try."
"No, he couldn't," Theodred whined. "He is an elf and all, and what about his terrible ordeal?"
"Gods, Theodred, you make it sound like he is an emotional cripple. He had something happen that should never happen to anybody, but that doesn't mean he can't make decisions." He nuzzled Theodred's long brown hair. "And besides, it does happen, you know!" Theodred looked puzzled. "Elves and mortals," Elrohir said with a grin.
"Oh yes," Theodred said with a goofy grin. He had forgotten that for a second, that Elrohir was half-elven. "Is your mother mortal, then?" he asked.
Elrohir laughed softly. "No, it is my father's, father's, father who was mortal. But he still got to travel west with his wife, who was elven."
Theodred looked confused. "No offense, Elrohir, but that does not make you half-elven at all."
"I know," Elrohir still laughed, "but just as my father and his brother, my siblings and I have a choice to belong amongst the race of men or of the firstborn."
"I didn't know," Theodred whispered.
"Don't worry about it, and besides you did not come here to talk about my old dusty ancestors," Elrohir said with a smile. "Theodred?" The man turned and looked up at Elrohir once more. "You will never know what lies in your elf's heart if you do not give him a chance to show it."
"You mean I should woo him?" Theodred said with a blush.
"Exactly," Elrohir said.
"But we cannot communicate, how should I woo him?" Theodred shook his head, and the miserable expression came back. "Nay Elrohir, I cannot woo him, it is not right."
"Listen to yourself, Theodred," Elrohir tried.
But Theodred just shook his head. "I am sorry I wasted your noon, and disturbed your peace." He quickly got up and sighed before he spoke once more. "Please forget this conversation ever took place."
"Theodred, please! You cannot give up like this!" Elrohir pleaded as he turned around to look after the young man, who had already begun to leave. Theodred did not even turn to look at him as he walked back towards Meduseld, the Hall of Kings.
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Chapter notes: Theodred wakes with a slight problem. Elrohir learns that not all problems can be solved with diplomacy. Theoden lets out some steam. And is Theodred really this thick headed?!
