TITLE: Learning Lessons; Practice
AUTHOR: Aeneus (aeneus111@hotmail.com)
RATING: NC-17
PAIRING: Éowyn/Galadriel
SUMMARY: Galadriel decides to put Éowyn's gift to good use.
DISTRIBUTION: Please ask first.
DISCLAIMER: All of these characters are Tolkien’s, not mine. This is written 
purely for my own entertainment and hopefully that of others.
FEEDBACK: Highly appreciated
NOTE: third part of 'Learning Lessons' arc. Thanks to rine turelie for 
supplying the name for Thalion and to Half Elf Lost for being Beta 
Extraordinaire.

---

Galadriel stood at the foot of the bed, looking at me patiently. I had to 
think twice before I realised I must have just woken up. I blinked and 
rubbed my eyes. Galadriel was still there, unmoving, with a tray of food and 
drink in her hands.

"I have brought you breakfast," she said.

I yawned and stretched my arms and legs. I felt stiff and sticky. It was 
light outside and I wondered how long I had slept. I looked up at Galadriel 
and noticed she looked as fresh and radiant as ever. A silence stretched 
between us while I tried to clear my head.

"You wish to clean up first?" she finally asked when I didn't say anything.

I nodded. Galadriel set the tray aside and promised to be back with water 
and towels. That gave me some time to completely rouse myself. I got up and 
walked around the room to stretch my legs. It wasn't long before Galadriel 
returned. I watched her put the washing bowl and towels on the desk. She 
didn't seem interested in the fact that I was naked. I thanked her and 
dipped a corner of one towel into the lightly scented water and began 
washing my face. The cool water felt lovely refreshing on my skin. From the 
corner of my eye I noticed Galadriel taking a seat on the bed. I pretended 
not to notice her watching me as I stroked the towel over my shoulders and 
arms, carefully massaging my sore muscles from last night. I hissed softly 
as the water soaked into the marks she must have left on my neck. Having no 
mirror, I could not see them, but I could feel how they drew Galadriel's 
attention.

The thought of her eyes on me made me unexpectedly heated. I liked having 
her watch me. I was thrilled by the thought that she admired me and I found 
myself listening attentively to her breathing as I moved the moist towel 
over my breasts. She remained perfectly still. I washed my belly and raised 
one leg up unto the stool. I though I heard a little gasp as I bent forward 
to wash my leg. I wanted to slip the towel between my legs and stroke myself 
there, but I refrained. I concentrated on cleaning my right foot as I 
imagined Galadriel coming up behind me and taking hold of my waist while 
slipping her elegant fingers into my wet body. My muscles clenched at the 
thought of her entering me. The thought was so vivid it shocked me and I had 
to stop for a moment.

I could hear a sharp intake of breath coming from the bed. The longing for 
her touch made me tremble, but she did not come near; leaving me to my 
fantasies. As I washed my other leg, I wondered if she would kick away the 
stool and press my face down unto the desk, so I wouldn't see her. I 
wondered if she would hurt me and I would like it. I had never imagined 
myself thinking those kinds of thoughts. I wanted to touch myself badly, but 
I couldn't do it; I wanted her to do it.

I took my time finishing up, then I dressed in my own clothes. When I was 
finally done and ready, I turned back to face Galadriel.

"You missed dinner yesterday, so I thought you must be hungry," she said 
calmly.

We sat on the bed with the tray between us. I felt ravenous. I had no 
trouble eating more than my share of the breakfast. I was glad we didn't 
have breakfast in the dining room again. The other Elves made me nervous, 
especially the one that had spoken to me. The memory disturbed me. I could 
see Galadriel noticed my distraction, and she gave me a questioning look. I 
felt guilty for spoiling the nice time we were having and I didn't want to 
displease her by being too inquisitive. But my mind wouldn't rest. Hadn't 
she said that I should learn?

I pushed the tray away from me and told her what was on my mind. For a 
moment I thought my question had offended her in some way. But quickly she 
smiled placidly and said, "That's my husband, Lord Celeborn."

I felt incredibly stupid. "Of course," I mumbled. I should have known that. 
Of course she was married and why else would she have kissed him? But it 
confused me. Why wasn't she with him? I tried to remember more about that 
morning, but I could only recall a feeling of hostility. And I wasn't sure 
if it had been his or hers, or even mine.

"Where is he?" I asked, still puzzled by my recollections.

"Entertaining himself, I'm sure."

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you from him."

"He has his own business to attend to, that doesn't require my presence."

I guess that explained it. As the Lord of this kingdom he surely had many 
duties. Or maybe it was normal for married Elven couples not to spend much 
time together. And didn't I want her to be with me? I was starting to feel 
guilty for bringing him up. But then I remembered another thing he said.

"Do you have other guests here?" I asked.

"Of course," Galadriel replied. "We get visitors quite often." She moved the 
tray out of the way and came closer to me. "But it's not often a visitor 
comes just for me." She reached for a strand of my hair and played with it. 
"It's a rare occasion."

"Are there other men here," I asked, trying not to be distracted by her 
contact, but failing rapidly, "of Human race?"

"My husband deals with them," she dismissed. She moved close as if to kiss 
me, but halted before our lips touched. "Do you wish to leave me?"

I looked into her eyes and was filled with sudden dread at the prospect. I 
never wanted to be away from her. And why should I? Surely there was no harm 
in staying longer. I wanted to close the gap and kiss her, but I felt frozen 
in place. I was terrified of displeasing her. I didn't want her to send me 
away. She smiled and diverted her head, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't concern yourself with them."

I nodded readily.

"Good, let's go." She got up and motioned for me to follow her. "You need to 
take your mind off things."

We walked through another maze of stairways and corridors, which seemed 
quite different from yesterday. I wondered if I would ever learn my way 
around without her leading me. Finally we stopped in what looked like an 
armoury. Massive boxes filled with bows, arrows and swords were stored 
across the room. Galadriel produced a key and opened a box attached to one 
of the walls. When she turned around I could see the weapon she had 
retrieved.

I looked at the familiar long knife and was surprised that I had forgotten 
about it. I looked on fascinated as she handled the weapon. "You brought 
this for me?" she asked.

"Uh -Yes, " I stumbled. I felt myself blushing. I knew it was a good blade 
and the handle was finely carved, but still, it wasn't much of a present for 
a queen. And it was not as if I had intended it to be in the first place. 
This made me think how she even knew that had been my plan.

Galadriel laughed at my confusion. "It's all right, Éowyn. Your presence 
here is more than enough for me; I need no other gifts."

"No, I want you to have it," I said, feeling even more stupid to take it 
back now.

"Then I shall thank you for it." Galadriel held the knife comfortably, 
testing the weight of it in her hand. "It's very suitable for close combat," 
she remarked. "Are you trained?"

"A little bit," I answered. "I have concentrated more on swordsmanship."

"You'll have the sword then." She grabbed one of the swords near her and 
handed it to me. My fingers curled around the handle. My arms adjusted to 
the weight and the length of the blade. The familiarity of the exercise felt 
good. Galadriel handed me a thin but sturdy leather sheath to cover the 
blade. I saw she had a similar cover over the long knife. Then Galadriel led 
the way to the next room.

The training room was large and empty. The walls were adorned with a 
multitude of weapons and the floor was covered in a thick woven cloth that 
cushioned our footsteps. Now that I had the space to manoeuvre, I took a 
couple of practice swings with the sword. My muscles flowed into the 
well-known movements; my breath timed with the strokes.

Galadriel waited patiently for me to finish. "You've had good practice," she 
observed. I lowered my sword and smiled in appreciation. She took a pair of 
ribbons; one of which she gave to me. I followed her example and tied my 
hair back. She took her stance facing me.

"Let's begin."

I watched her body language closely. Her range was shorter, so she would 
have to come in closer. We circled each other, both on the defensive. At 
last, she made to strike. I turned and swung low, but she had turned with 
me, knocking me aside with her elbow. I had to take a couple of steps 
backwards to steady myself. When I looked at her, her face was set in 
concentration. I raised my sword again as we resumed our starting positions.

We parried back and forth. Occasionally, I surprised her and managed to make 
a point. Mostly, she was the one with the upper hand, knocking me off my 
feet on more than one occasion.

After an hour or so, I was covered in sweat and had trouble keeping my 
breath. Galadriel relaxed her stance to allow me to compose myself. Even the 
elf-woman looked flushed with the exertion. A few hairs that had escaped her 
ribbon framed her face. "Maybe you need to wash again?" she said. Her tone 
of voice and the glint in her eye assured me she was making a direct 
reference to my display this morning. The fact that she acknowledged it made 
me flush with heat.

Her eyes hardened as she took up her position again. The sword was starting 
to feel heavy in my hands. Galadriel dashed forward before I could ready 
myself. I raised my blade to block her strike, but her momentum caught me 
off balance and knocked me backwards. My sword slipped out my hands as I 
tried to break my fall. I landed hard on my already bruised backside. 
Galadriel stood over me, one foot placed over my sword.

"I give up," I sighed, too tired to get up from the floor.

Galadriel suddenly kneeled down and bent over me, making me lean back in 
surprise. The knife was steady in her hand, pointed slightly below my 
throat. The safety sheet had been removed.

"You like baring that skin, don't you?"

I didn't answer. The dagger was sharp. I used to sharpen it myself every 
week, although I couldn't remember exactly when I did it last. My breath was 
shallow as she moved it closer to my flesh, hooking the tip under the 
neckline of my dress. It sliced through the knots and fastenings with ease 
on its way downwards over my chest.

Galadriel stopped just below my belly and peeled the cut fabric open to 
expose my heaving breasts. The sight of her looking down on me made my skin 
flare with heat. I lay perfectly still as the blade continued its path of 
over my pubic bone and between my legs. My eyes took in her fingers as she 
held the handle. Her back was arched over me and her face concentrated on 
her task. I was mesmerised by the outline of her breasts under her bodice. I 
craved to cup them with my hands and feel their weight.

"Lie still," Galadriel whispered.

She placed the dagger on my abdomen, the sharp tip close against my skin. My 
whole body was now exposed, trembling with tension. With her other hand she 
picked up my dropped sword. It seemed to weigh nothing as she handled it. 
She turned the sword over in her hand and held out the handle. It was made 
of plain metal, wrapped tight in thick smooth leather. The sight of it made 
me throb. I felt no shame as I spread my legs wider in anticipation. She 
brought it down, out of my line of vision. I felt the cool metal touch my 
heated skin. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the unusual sensations as 
she pushed the handle carefully inside of me. I could feel the outline of 
the hilt touch my skin.

//Look at me.//

I opened my eyes and saw her hold my dagger poised over the top of my 
sternum. With every inhalation my chest rose to meet it, only to quickly 
retreat as my breath hitched in apprehension. Galadriel let the point trail 
over my skin as she moved it up slowly over my neck to the place just under 
my chin. I had to tilt my head back, breaking my sight of her.

Looking at the ceiling, my other senses fully focused themselves on the 
threat of the blade and the expectation of her touch. Still, the sudden 
contact of her hand on my breast made me gasp in surprise. The effort to 
keep my head still seemed to intensify my sensitivity. Galadriel roughly 
stroked my hardened nipple, making me cry out from the sudden shot of pain. 
Despite my efforts, I jerked and felt the point pierce the thin skin of my 
neck. I wanted to curl up, but the motion only reminded me of the heavy 
object between my legs. I could feel my flesh throbbing around the sword 
handle; testing the resistance.

Cool, moist lips sucked around the mistreated nub, distracting me from the 
trail of her hand down over my belly to my overheated sex. I moaned in 
expectation as the tip of her finger made contact with my clitoris. I badly 
wanted to sit up and see her like touch me like that, but I could still feel 
the dagger lying at my throat. The gently stimulation lulled my senses, so 
the sudden pain as her teeth grazed my vulnerable nipple took me by 
surprise. I yelped and tears sprang up in my eyes. The shock travelled down 
my body till it made contact with the pressure of Galadriel's thumb on my 
clit and was pushed back up inside me. My muscles cramped so forcefully I 
was afraid I might snap the handle inside of me. My shallow breathing was 
making me light-headed and disorientated. I lost track of my body's 
reactions as my mind was overwhelmed by the imminent rush of orgasm.

"Do you like my touch?" Galadriel's voice cut through my erotic fog. I 
moaned vaguely in response, preoccupied with my need for release.

"You like more of it?" Any answer I had was stopped short in my throat as, 
without warning, she yanked the sword handle out of me. But before I could 
make a sound of protest, she drove her fingers inside. Any pain hardly 
registered before it was overtaken by the thrill of my orgasm. I was aware 
of the dagger disappearing from my neck and being replaced my Galadriel's 
hand holding me down. She leaned over and looked at me as I rode out the 
waves. I wanted to lean up and kiss her, but she held me down.

"I enjoyed practicing with you, Éowyn," she said, before releasing me and 
standing up. I leaned forward, still dazed, and saw her walking away towards 
another door out of the training room. "Now you really need to wash," she 
said over her shoulder. I scrambled up to follow her, leaving both my sword 
and the dagger behind. I didn't care; I just didn't want her to leave me.

I held the torn pieces of my dress together over my body as I went through 
the same door and found myself in what looked like a changing room. To my 
shock I saw Galadriel talking to another elf. It sounded like she was giving 
him instructions. Before I could dash out again into the training room, the 
elf turned and briefly nodded to me. I must have blushed bright red. 
Luckily, the elf left immediately.

Galadriel came over to me and took the pieces of clothing I used to cover 
myself and discarded them on the floor. "I will get you others," she 
reassured. "Besides, you can't wash with your clothes on." She stepped back 
and, before my eyes, she began to unfasten her dress. I was stunned in 
amazement. Unhurriedly, she stripped off her clothing, folding each piece 
and placing it on one of the benches that lined the walls. Lastly, she 
pulled the ribbon from her hair and let it fall free. My eyes darted over 
her body. Her skin was pale and flawless, making my own scars, marks and 
freckles stand out next to her. Her body was toned and supple, leading my 
eyes over her round shoulders, to the curves of her breasts and onto the 
triangle of blond curls where her thighs met.

My view was gradually cut off as she came closer, till her body met mine. 
Her arms reached round me and pulled the ribbon from my hair. I felt her 
fingers run through my hair. She twisted the strands around her fingers and 
pulled back, forcing my head up. She kissed me demandingly and I readily 
submitted. I instantly forgot about any tiredness or sore muscles. Kissing 
her was intoxicating.

She pulled back and led me into an adjacent bathroom where a large tub had 
been filled with water.

"Now we can wash properly," she said as she stepped into the bath. After she 
had made herself comfortable, I got in and sat on the other end facing her. 
The cut on my neck stung at the initial contact with the water, making me 
winch. Once I sat down our legs intertwined naturally. I laid my head back 
against the edge of the tub and let the warm water relax my muscles. I sat 
in quiet satisfaction, till I felt Galadriel moving opposite me. She held a 
jar in her hand.

"Shall I wash your hair?" she asked.

I nodded and managed to turn around so my back was to her. I hummed 
appreciatively while Galadriel massaged and rinsed my hair. She gently 
pushed me forward and continued to wash my back. I felt so content, I wished 
I could fall asleep in her arms like that.

But my attention was piqued when Galadriel's hands slid forwards and cupped 
my breasts. "You enjoyed last night," she said near my ear. I sighed deeply 
as her words brought back memories. "I know you liked our training session," 
she continued. Her hands were now massaging more firmly, making me moan 
involuntary. I arched up, showing my appreciation. "You like it when I touch 
you." She spun me round till I was facing her again.

//Now touch me.//

I followed her command without a second thought. I reached out and put my 
hand on her breast. She put her hand over mine and pushed it down firmly. My 
fingers sank into the supple flesh, moulding it to my hand. Her nipples were 
hard despite the warm water and without thinking I leaned over and took one 
in my mouth. I sucked hard, showing her what I could do. She groaned 
hungrily. She took one of my hands and shoved it down beneath the water and 
between her legs. My fingers followed the familiar path. I closed my eyes 
and remembered last night. Her hand was over mine, leading me where she 
wanted me to go. As soon as my fingers were inside her, she wrapped her legs 
around me, trapping my wrist.

//More.//

I pushed in another finger, trying to go deeper. She pulled herself against 
me. My own sex was throbbing, excited by her reactions. I could feel her 
arousal against my skin. Her voice in my head was no longer speaking, but 
more a stream of unformulated urges. I pushed my thumb against her clit and 
she moaned out loud. I pushed harder with my entire hand, lifting her up 
while my own weight kept her down. I could feel her flesh trembling around 
my fingers, urging on my clumsy rhythm. Her body was straining against me. I 
knew she was close and put all the force I had behind my movements.

I cried out as she came and I collapsed against her, my hand slipping free. 
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. I lay there, listening to her 
breathing, while gradually it returned to normal.

"Very good," she said as she pushed me up and away from her. I watched her 
as she got out of the bath and began drying herself. I didn't move. Now that 
it was over, I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had all gone so 
quickly. As if sensing my hesitation, Galadriel turned to me and smiled, 
pleased. "You've been very good," she repeated and bent down to stroke my 
cheek. I couldn't help but feel pleased myself. She pulled me up and handed 
me a towel.

Once we were both dry we returned to the dressing room where I saw new 
clothes had been laid out for me. When we were dressed, Galadriel spoke, "I 
have business to attend to. Would you like to go to the library again?"

I couldn't think of anything else to do so I agreed. She opened the door to 
the hallway and to my shock two elves stood there waiting patiently. They 
must have been waiting there for some time.

"Thalion will escort you," Galadriel said, indicating the elf I recognised 
as serving me earlier.

I wanted to ask when I would see her again, but I didn't want to in front of 
them. I looked on while she disappeared with her own servant.

As I walked besides Thalion, I noticed he seemed nervous and was giving me 
curious glances. Finally he asked, "Are you damaged…?"

"Damaged?" I repeated confused. He looked embarrassed and took a moment to 
think.

"…Hurt?" he rephrased.

I immediately put my hand over my neck, realising he must have seen the 
marks. "Oh no, I'm alright," I assured him, now the one to be embarrassed. 
We continued our way and he avoided looking at me.

He brought me to the library I had been in yesterday. "I will bring you 
food," he said before he left me. I was still browsing the shelves when he 
returned with a tray. Before he could leave again I stopped him. "Do you 
serve other guests?" I asked.

"Guests?"

"People like me - strangers," I tried to explain. When I saw he still didn't 
understand, I retrieved the dictionary I had seen yesterday and pointed at 
the translation. I saw understanding dawn on his face.

"Yes, other guests," he said cautiously.

"Now? Here? Where?" I asked excited.

His look became guarded and he simply shook his head. He left quickly 
without acknowledging me anymore. I ate my lunch absentmindedly and leafed 
through some books without much enthusiasm. I had no idea how much time had 
passed and I was ready to leave on my own when Galadriel entered.

"Are you ready for dinner?" she asked. I wasn't very hungry, but I nodded 
anyway, not wanting to disappoint her. As she led the way I tried my best to 
take in my surroundings and remember the way. It was getting darker and the 
forest was lit by countless lights, giving it a magical, blue glow. The 
lights seemed to dance before my eyes. I started to feel dizzy and had to 
lean on Galadriel for support. I was so taken in by the spectacle that I 
hardly noticed we were heading to the communal dining room. I hesitated at 
the door when Galadriel showed me inside. The room was even more filled than 
the last time I was there. I looked at the place I had sat last time and saw 
to my relief Celeborn wasn't there.

//Come.//

Galadriel took my arm and pulled me inside. I didn't resist. I kept my head 
down and self-consciously arranged my hair so it covered my neck. As soon as 
we sat, food was placed in front of us, but my appetite had left me. I 
looked around carefully and saw all the elves eating and conversing with 
each other. As soon as one of them would look at me, I'd quickly look away. 
Next to me Galadriel was eating calmly. I gave up any pretence and leaned 
back in my chair, ignoring my food. When Galadriel finished she took my hand 
and stroked my hair, pushing it behind my ear.

"Are you not hungry?"

I shook my head. I wished we weren't there. I had never been bothered by 
what other people thought of me, or been self-conscious in public. But now I 
wanted nothing more than to be alone with her.

"It's okay, I will take you back."

We stood and left. Once we had arrived back at my room she made no move to 
come in. I wanted her to stay with me, but I didn't know how to ask.

"I think you need some rest," she said.

I reached out to grab her arm, but hesitated. "I'm not tired yet," I said 
quickly. I realised I sounded like a petulant child and dropped my arm. 
Galadriel moved away, her expression closed. Then she turned away.

"I will see you again tomorrow," she said and left me to myself. I stood in 
the doorway for quite some time, not sure if I had done something wrong. I 
reassured myself that she had been pleased with me; surely I could do it 
again, or do better. Finally I went inside and prepared for bed.

END

Tbc…