I would give my life to find it
I would give it all
Catch me if I fall
All alone
Waiting to fall
40,000 stars in the evening
Look at them fall from the sky
40,000 reasons for living
40,000 tears in your eye
I would give my life to find it
I would give it all
Catch me if I fall
-- REM - Texarkana
On the road to Lorien
Glorfindel felt his heart sink as he set out on this task, taking Elladan to see his grandmother. Only a few months ago he would never have thought twice about letting Elladan take this trip alone, but now he sat here on Asfaloth's back, riding to Lorien with Elladan in the saddle in front of him. Elrond hadn't even trusted his son with his own horse. Elladan seemed normal enough right now, Glorfindel thought to himself. He was chatting away about the different flora and fauna they passed. But the Balrog slayer knew it was a charade. There was nothing normal about Elladan anymore, not these days. He looked at the neatly bandaged left ear and frowned. At first he had been nervous about this task. He feared not the perils on the road, but to face an angered lady of light was not on his top ten list of wonderful ways to spend your afternoon. Elrond had written a letter for Galadriel so Glorfindel didn't have to explain himself too much, and the golden elf was more than relieved about that.
Elladan pointed at a faun. "Look, Glorfindel!" he said.
Glorfindel looked. "Yes, it's a pretty faun."
And as Elladan went off again talking about the faun's life cycle, Glorfindel couldn't help but sigh. He prayed that the lady would be able to ease Elladan's troubled mind, and hopefully he could return to Elrond with his son, and not this.... odd alien being.
Rohan
Elrohir was sitting on a rock, watching Theodred exercise his horse, as a servant approached him. "Lord Elrohir?" Elrohir turned and nodded with a smile. "There has come a messenger from Mirkwood," the servant said and handed Elrohir a letter. The half-elf took it and mumbled a thank you to the servant.
He turned the letter over and saw the royal stamp of Mirkwood, but the insignia in the middle was his and Dinalu's. They had gotten their own royal insignia as a wedding present. This letter had to be from his husband. He slowly broke the seal, not sure how he should feel, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. He bit his lip and started to read. He grew increasingly pale. "No!" he suddenly gasped and stood up.
Theodred noticed the elf acting odd, and spurred his horse, riding up to Elrohir, and once there almost throwing himself from the horse. "What is amiss?" he panted, grabbing Elrohir's shaking shoulders.
"H-he said that..." Elrohir mumbled, "he is l-leaving"
"Who? What? Why? Where?" Theodred said, looking utterly confused.
"Dinalu," Elrohir said, turning away from Theodred.
"Wait," Theodred said, but let go of the elf. "Perhaps I can help..." He knew it sounded stupid but he just couldn't let Elrohir walk off like that.
"No Theodred, please leave me alone," Elrohir whispered before hurrying off, his mind racing around the letter from Dinalu. It had been so sad, and cold – it could not be true, he didn't want to believe those words. How could he just give up?
He was so distraught he didn't even notice that Eomer, who had returned from the plains, called for him from the stables.
Eomer stood and watched Elrohir almost run towards the guest wing of the royal halls. He had looked forward to coming home. Elrohir confused him, but after all he had come on pretty strongly, he knew that. But he couldn't help himself.
Theodred went looking for his Ferret, and found him without much effort in the stables petting Eomer's horse. Eomer himself was standing close, looking at the elf and his horse. At Theodred's presence he turned and smiled "He seems to like horses," he said.
Theodred nodded. "And they seem to like him as well"
Eomer laughed. "You are such a mushy git," he bowed lightly and chuckled, "my prince."
"Bah!" Theodred pushed Eomer, who then fell on his butt.
And this made Legolas turn around, and upon seeing Eomer sitting in straw and horse manure with a pretty annoyed expression, and Theodred laughing and pointing, he felt an insane laugh bubble up inside.
And then he laughed.
Both Theodred and Eomer froze on the spot as they heard the elf laugh; it was a light and contagious laughter, the two men looked at each other, not saying anything.
Eomer slowly stood up and brushed off the straw as much as possible, and Theodred just watched Legolas with a huge grin. "Go tell Prince Elrohir," Theodred finally whispered. "I am going to borrow your horse." And before Eomer could answer, Theodred jumped up on Eomer's horse, and held his hand out to Legolas. "Come."
The elf didn't understand the fuss, but took Theodred's offered hand, trying his hardest not to smile to widely at the prospect of a horseback ride with Theodred. Elrohir had told him the man's name was Theodred.
With unnatural ease Legolas swung himself on the horse, surprising even Eomer to the point where he didn't even have a snappy comeback. Was this really Theodred's mute elf? He shook his head as Theodred spurred the horse and rode out of the stable in a quick trot.
The man looked down at himself and sighed. He had manure everywhere. "I'm going to get you for this, son of Theoden King" he mumbled with amusement, before he gathered his belongings and made his way to his own chambers. He would not seek out Elrohir until after he had bathed and rested.
Legolas let out an amused squeal as Theodred made the horse go into gallop, and Theodred laughed. In minutes he had decided that he would never get enough of the elf's voice, but having heard that sweet laughter only made his heart ache more to hear his voice.
"I want to show you something," Theodred shouted as they hurried over the plains.
Elrohir went to his chambers and slammed the door shut, leaning against it and feeling the tears that had been welling up since Theodred had grabbed him finally starting to fall. He threw the letter away from him in anger. That was soon followed by a vase that stood on a little flower table. What was he supposed to do? Go against his father's will and leave Rohan, setting off in pursuit of a husband who wouldn't even address him as his mate? Or stay and lose his heart?
He moved over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine, not quite as good as the one he had shared with Eomer, but good enough for him to drink. He didn't bother to pull out the cork, but just pushed it down the bottle with his thumb, put the flask to his lips and drank.
The plains outside Rohan
Theodred stopped the horse and politely let go of Legolas. "This used to be my hideout as a child, mine and my cousins'."
Legolas just smiled, looking at this oasis and when Theodred got off the horse so did he.
It had all seemed so easy when he had stood in the stables, but now it seemed far more difficult, but where nothing dared, nothing gained. He remembered Elrohir's words, and the elf was right. And even if Ferret did not like him in that way, they could still have fun; there was no reason for recoiling. And so he took a deep breath and gestured for Legolas to follow him to a little creek. "I used to bathe here as a child," he said, well knowing Ferret would not understand one word.
The first piece of clothing was the hardest, but seeing the blush that increased on Legolas' cheeks made his heart thunder. Stripped to his thin inner leggings, he decided to keep them on, and with a grin started to walk towards the water. And now it seemed as if Ferret caught on, and quickly followed his example.
Theodred tried not to ogle, but his eyes were glued to his elven friend. He had seen this elf naked, yes, but this was just different. The skin was healed from the bruises and cuts, and looked smooth as silk, very different compared to his. Ever since he had become a young man, the other men had teased him about his lack of body hair; they were there all right, but just not in abundance.
He tore his gaze from Legolas, very aware that it could be uncomfortable for his friend, and dove under the water.
Back in Meduseld
His first thought was that Glorfindel would have had his hide if he had known this, because suddenly a blond woman stood next to him. He had seen her before. But most importantly he had not heard her enter his room.
"Lord Elrohir?" she said. "A letter arrived for you."
"Oh great," Elrohir sighed and wiped his tears away with his sleeve. "Hand it over," he said slurring slightly.
"Are you drunk, Lord Elrohir?" the woman asked as she handed the packet to Elrohir.
"Yes, I am drunk as a skunk," Elrohir laughed hollowly, and looked at the packet. "Home sweet home." He looked up at the woman. "It is from my father. I wonder what he wants."
Elrohir sat down to read the note, not really caring that the female took his bottle from him; it was a short letter that only said:
My dearest Elrohir
We received your letters, but I am afraid Elladan is not well, and thus has gone to your grandmother. I trust all is well in Rohan.
Your loving father.
"Not well?" Elrohir gasped. What had happened, Elladan was sick? And their father wouldn't even say why. This was pure torture, sitting here not being able to be there for either Dinalu or Elladan.
"Who is not well, if you don't mind me asking?" the woman asked.
"My brother" Elrohir said. He looked up at the woman and faked a smile. "The Valar hate me," he whispered with a pitiful sigh. "Oh I wish this day was over; I wish I was so drunk I could just sleep and never wake up."
"I'm sorry to hear that, for Theoden King has sent me to deliver this message, and ask you to join his table at dinner."
"Please tell your king I cannot attend dinner," Elrohir said, "uhm..."
"Eowyn," she said.
"Ah, Eomer's sister, I have seen you and heard of you," he answered flatly.
"What excuse shall I give the king then?" Eowyn asked.
Elrohir stood up and snatched the bottle from her. "I care not! Tell him my brother is sick, tell him I'm too drunk to eat or tell him my husband just left me!" At the last word he hurled the bottle in the fireplace before he slumped down on the coverlet of his bed. "I care not, Eowyn, just tell him I cannot attend."
Eowyn came and sat next to the elf and wrapped an arm around him. "I am sorry to hear of your misfortune."
Elrohir felt his tears being to fall again, and he was quickly sobbing, not caring that another person was in the room.
"If I were you I would get drunk as well," she said and Elrohir laughed dryly between his tears
"If he goes through with this plan of his, I will follow him to the shores of Aman, if necessary," he whispered, more to himself than to Eowyn. He turned his head and looked at the woman. "He is not only leaving me, he said he was thinking of leaving Middle-earth all together."
Eowyn smiled and shook Elrohir lightly. "I am sure you will find a way to make him stay."
"I can't make Dinalu do anything he doesn't want to, and if I am not enough to keep him here, then I don't know what to do." He shook his head in despair.
"I wish there was something I could do for you to unburden your heart, Elrohir," she said as she let go of the elf, "but sadly these things are out of my reach."
Elrohir nodded.
"I can do one thing for you. I hear that Theoden wants you and the mute elf to leave," Eowyn said, and when Elrohir just nodded again she continued. "I can talk to him, and hope he will listen, so this won't burden you as well."
"Thank you, lady Eowyn," Elrohir whispered.
Outside Rohan
They had bathed for a while, and then lain in the sun to dry. Now they were almost home once more. Was he imagining this or was the elf leaning towards him in the saddle?
It had been a wonderful trip out in the sun, and he hoped they could have many more of these hours to themselves.
They rode into the city and on to the stables. Once there, they both dismounted. Theodred took care of Eomer's horse for the night, and Legolas waited by the side of the stall. As he finished, he turned to the elf. "Right, its time for dinner, and all this riding and bathing has made me hungry like a wolf." Legolas just looked at him, and Theodred grew worried. "Ferret? Is something wrong?"
Legolas smiled and made a sign and pointed at Theodred. The man was confused, but after the fourth time it occurred to him that perhaps this was the sign for him. Elrohir had said that these gestures meant names and words, so he repeated the sign slowly and pointed at himself. "Me?" he asked, and Legolas nodded eagerly, pointing at him again.
"Oh, I have a sign of my own!" he laughed giddily. He was a bit sad that he hadn't heard more of that beautiful voice the elf had, but he was extremely excited that he had understood something. Perhaps in time he could learn to understand some of these signs, but he needed Elrohir's help with that.
Then Ferret suddenly leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. By the gods! Ferret had kissed him. He blushed ferociously, not quite understanding if this was another sign for something. He blinked rapidly and when he had finally grounded himself enough to say something, the elf was gone. He touched his cheek. Perhaps Ferret really did like him, and this prospect made Theodred smile a goofy smile that wouldn't leave his face for the rest of the day.
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Chapter end notes: Yeah I know, I skipped over Eärendil the mariner pretty fast, but I wasn't about to sit here and tell the story from start to end, that would just be too boring.
