Title & Chapter Number: Ohtarnil: A Warrior-Love 4/9
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: LOTR
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. No money made, no harm intended. The work is the intellectual property of the author. First posted: November, 2002
Warnings: For you slash purists, there is some het fic. Just keep reading.
Betas: Caz
Cast: Legolas/Aragorn, Legolas/OCs, Haldir, Rumil. Other members of the Fellowship
Timeline: Third Age, Fellowship of the Ring.
Spoilers: None
Summary: In the woods of Lothlórien, Aragorn and Legolas become attracted to one another. But Aragorn cannot betray Arwen and Legolas still mourns the loss of a previous lover. A trip to the wood's borders to hunt orcs and a magical encounter with a stag changes their relationship.
Notes: This is part of a story arc that includes Dragon Fever. Although this one was written first, they can be read in any order. This story occurs after the events at Esgaroth in Dragon Fever, but before the first and last chapter involving Legolas and Aragorn. Feedback appreciated.
Chapter 4 - The Celebrant
Seeing Legolas gave Aragorn a surge of pleasure, but he merely nodded. The beautiful elf prince fell into line behind him. After a while, Aragorn dropped back next to him.
"What caused you to change your mind?" Aragorn asked Legolas.
"The situation was not what I had thought," replied the elf. Then he grinned, "And I ended up sitting naked outside her window wondering how I was going to climb down without killing myself."
It was Aragorn's turn to smile. "What happened?"
"Her husband came home unexpectedly."
Aragorn laughed. "So, maybe it was best to get out of town for a while?"
"You could say that." Legolas's eyes sparkled with good humor. "Well, enough said. It didn't work out then and it hasn't worked out now."
I'm glad you could accompany us," Aragorn said. He clapped a hand on Legolas's shoulder. He was not prepared for the effect it had on him; it was like touching a hive of humming bees. He removed his hand abruptly. Legolas raised an eyebrow.
"We'd better catch up or Haldir will begin wondering," the elf said.
As they walked through the golden leafy paths, Legolas played a memory through his mind. A memory of Elwen. His thoughts always seemed to drift back to him. They were outside under the blankets together. It was cold. Elwen was on top of him. His sculpted cheek bones and pointed chin were illuminated silvery blue by the full moon. His soft black hair flowed over his shoulders and spilled onto Legolas's bare chest, brushing it lightly with each move. His breath smoked in the chill air. He was playing a familiar game as he stroked slowly into Legolas. He slid a hand under Legolas's knee and raised it up.
"Do you love me?" he whispered.
"You know I do. Stop torturing me and finish it," Legolas moaned.
"No, I need to hear you say it. Say you love me more than life itself."
"Valar's gifts, I love you."
"More than life itself."
"Ai! You're killing me, Elwen. Yes, more than life itself," Legolas cried, as if the words were being ripped from him.
"Ahhhh, yes," the dark haired elf cried in triumph. He spat in his hand and began stroking Legolas's member as he moved faster, more passionately within him. The blond prince reached up, grabbed Elwen's hips and pulled him in deeper, moaning in anticipation. A hot rush spread through his loins as they climaxed simultaneously. Legolas smiled with the memory. Oh, Elwen had been good.
His eyes brimmed and he drew a sleeve across them. Would you forgive me, Elwen, he thought, if I were to fall for another? It's been fifty-four years and my heart is weary from mourning you, but I'm not ready to join you in the halls of Mandos. Legolas watched Aragorn's back ahead of him on the path, his leather coat swinging about his legs with every long stride. Legolas began humming an ancient tune. A song of unrequited love.
"I know that song." Legolas looked up at Haldir. He had dropped back from the rest of the patrol. "But it is too sad. We could sing a different one together, if you like," he said.
Aragorn was out of sight as the path twisted through endless tree trunks. Legolas considered the handsome elf with white-blond hair, pale blue eyes. Haldir's expression was bland, his lip curled slightly, but Legolas sensed a quickening of his blood. He suspected the question had a double meaning. Haldir was notorious.
"What about an Ent song of spring?" Legolas said. And he began in a high clear voice of eerie beauty. Haldir harmonized in a deeper tone. Soon the other elves joined in.
Up ahead, Aragorn felt soothed by the ethereal sound of the elves' song. Staring at the elven backs marching ahead of him, their long braided hair flowing over their grey cloaks, he realized how much he had missed the Hall of Fire in Rivendell and the sound of elven voices. Including Arwen's. He decided to put away these foolish thoughts about Legolas. The elf probably had no interest in him anyway. He felt lighter, as if he'd cleared a weight off his mind.
At length they came to the banks of a swiftly moving stream. "This is the Celebrant," Haldir said. "We need to wait here for the other patrol."
Soon a group of about eight elves appeared on the other side of the stream. One waved, pulled a coil of rope from his pack, and tied it around a tree trunk. He fixed a rock on one end, swung it around his head several times, and flung it across the stream. It landed at Haldir's feet who picked it up and tied it around the tree. All but one of the elves ran lightly along the rope to their side of the stream.
"We need to tie another rope for Aragorn to hang onto," said Legolas, "unless you want to try walking that line." He grinned at the ranger.
"No, indeed," said Aragorn. "I have no illusions about my skill in this matter."
They flung another rope across and the remaining elf made it fast, about waist high. Then all Haldir's troop walked to the other side. Aragorn came last and had a difficult time keeping his footing on the slender swaying bridge. Suddenly, the top knot slipped a few inches around the tree trunk, creating a slack line. Aragorn lost his balance and fell into the rushing water. He was swiftly carried downstream.
Several elves cried out in dismay.
"Quick, Haldir, tie one end of the rope to me," Legolas said, as he shed his quiver and his cloak. Haldir did so and Legolas jumped into the icy water. The force of the current almost overwhelmed him. He could see Aragorn's head bobbing as he attempted to swim to the bank, but the current was too swift. The ranger banged up against some rocks and clung tightly to them.
"Hold on, Aragorn," Legolas shouted. The roar of the water took the words and flung them away. His teeth were chattering already with the cold as he swam toward the rocks. Aragorn reached out a hand, but Legolas was swept around him, further downstream. Suddenly, he was brought up hard by the rope around his chest. Haldir was pulling it in.
"Let go," Legolas called to Aragorn. "Swim this way and I'll catch you." Aragorn pushed off the rocks and flew towards the elf. He collided with him and Legolas grabbed his arm as the ranger slipped underwater, then came up coughing. Legolas felt a steady tug against his chest as he was hauled ashore. Aragorn clung to him.
"Not so hard, friend," said Legolas. "You're going to drown me."
Haldir dragged them into shallow water and Legolas staggered to his feet. Aragorn followed and then collapsed on the bank, coughing up water. They were both shaking with cold.
"Build a fire," commanded Haldir. "Get their clothes off them and put them under some blankets. They'll soon warm each other up." His lips curled upward.
Aragorn found himself shivering under several blankets next to a fire with a naked Legolas pressed against his side. His skin was warm where it touched the elf. Their clothes hung dripping near the fire. Haldir gave them each several draughts of miruvor and Aragorn felt a warm glow spreading from his stomach.
"Well, that was graceful," he finally stammered. He turned to Legolas, "Thank you for coming in after me."
"You didn't tell me you were planning to take a bath," the elf said lightly, his teeth still chattering. "I know of less painful ways to do it."
As Aragorn warmed, the touch of the elf's skin became maddening. It enveloped him in a pulsing glow, tickling his loins. He longed to caress him, dreamed of kissing and licking him in sensitive places, of being inside him.
Evening came. The other elves made a meal and passed it to them. Eventually, they rolled up in blankets and fell asleep. Legolas passed out next to Aragorn and the ranger could hear his soft breathing. But he couldn't close his eyes. He felt on fire, a fire stoked by the warm glow of the elf's skin. He rolled over and pressed himself against the elf's back, stroking a hand along the elf's smooth chest and touching a nipple. His member hardened against Legolas's rear.
The elf sighed and turned over. They were face to face. Legolas put his arms around him. Aragorn tentatively brushed his lips across his cheek, then his mouth. The elf moved his lips against Aragorn's.
"Elwen, don't leave," he muttered. Aragorn pulled back to look at him. In the dying firelight, he could see the elf's eyes fluttering under half-closed lids, dreaming.
This can't be, Aragorn thought fiercely. I must not do this. With an effort he sat up, took one of the blankets and wrapped it around his body so he was shielded from the touch of Legolas's skin. Then he fell into a sound sleep.
~*~*~*~
Legolas was walking through a forest. Immense trees rose to unimaginable heights and blocked out most of the sky. Hearing the sweet strains of a fiddle in the distance, he emerged into an open meadow. Elwen sat on a large rock playing, his fiddle tucked under his chin. A cloud of butterflies fluttered around him. He wore loose indigo robes, the color of which made his eyes glow a deep violet. His long black hair had silver twine braided into it. The Imladris elf looked at Legolas, got up, and came toward the prince, his fiddle and bow held in one hand.
"Well met, Legolas," he said. He held out his hand. Legolas took it and then clasped him hard to his chest. The feel of Elwen's body, warm, substantial, was just as he remembered.
"Elwen, where are we?" he asked.
"In the Undying Lands," said the dark-haired elf. "I came to talk to you."
"Elwen, my Ohtarnil, I failed you, and I have lived with that torture every day for the past fifty-four years," Legolas said.
"You did not fail me. It wasn't your fault, Legolas."
"I should never have left you alone," Legolas said.
Elwen stroked his hair. "I made the foolish decision to leave," he said, "but it was true what I said that night. You never gave me your whole heart as I gave you mine. You always held something back."
"I could not bind with you. You know that. My father would never have accepted it," said Legolas. He clutched his chest, feeling the echo of loss and pain.
"But you could still have loved me with all your heart. You tried to protect yourself from pain and only succeeded in denying us both." He ran the back of his hand across Legolas's check. "I made a mistake, Legolas. I asked you to love me more than life itself. Now I see that to honor my memory, you have stopped loving altogether. I do not wish this. I only want your happiness. You cannot find it through revenge, seeking to destroy every orc ever spawned. You can only find it by opening your heart."
He paused and leaned in to whisper in Legolas's ear. "There is one near to you who needs your love, and you need his. I release you to pursue this new destiny." Then he kissed him softly. Legolas felt as if a knife was twisting in his gut. Elwen turned and walked away.
"Elwen, don't leave," he called. Tears sprang into his eyes.
I have not left you, melethron-nîn.* I await rebirth in the Halls of Mandos. I await you. Gerich veleth nîn.* Namárië."* And he was gone.
~*~*~*~
In the grey morning, Legolas started awake, the dream still vivid. Haldir was up feeding the fire. The prince rolled over to look at the back of the ranger sleeping next to him. Gently, he brushed some twigs off the man's hair. "There is one near to you who needs your love," Elwen had said. And with a rush, Legolas knew he could love this human, if the man would only let him.
Legolas threw off the covers, shivering in the cold air. He stood and walked over to his clothes which hung over branches near the fire. Feeling his leggings, he determined that they were dry, and bent to draw them on.
"Your mortal friend has more self-discipline than I would have," remarked Haldir, his eyes flicking appreciatively over Legolas's body.
"We all know you have none, Haldir." Legolas smiled.
"So, this is the thanks I get for saving your life yesterday." Haldir laughed.
"I said, 'thank you,' when you pulled me out. What else would you have? No, don't answer that," he said as Haldir opened his mouth. "Besides, I don't think he cares for males."
"Oh, he cares for you. I can feel his attraction," said Haldir, licking his lips, "but he's bottled it up. Pity." He stepped closer and put his arm around Legolas's supple waist "If he won't have you, I would." He pulled Legolas tight to his chest.
Legolas twisted out of the embrace. "I'll let you know," he said coldly.
"You will never know what you missed," Haldir purred, and then thrust his tongue over his upper lip in an obscene gesture.
Aragorn watched the exchange under half-closed lids. He decided it would be best to pretend he hadn't heard. He stretched and sat up.
~*~*~*~
*melethron-nîn - my lover
*Gerich veleth nîn - you have my love
*Namárië - farewell~*~*~*~
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