" I have never seen anything more beautiful..." Melpomaen whispered.
Glorfindel stood behind him, his strong arms wrapped around the slender elf's waist.
" Aye, meleth nin. With the exception of the sight of you, I would have to say it is so."
Elrond looked over at the two and smiled as he saw the assistant's cheeks color at the complement.
" And the most beautiful part of all was in seeing Erestor's fea, complete at last."
As he finished speaking those words, Elrond's eyes widened and his posture grew rigid as his heart filled with true understanding.
" Elrond!, mellon nin!. What is wrong?!." Glorfindel asked, alarmed by his friend's actions.
Elrond looked over at his worried face and smiled again.
" Nothing is wrong, meldir. My heart has just found a hard-sought resolution." Elrond's smile widened at the other elves' confused expressions.
" And that is?..." Glorfindel prodded.
" To be spoken of at a later time. For now, we should see about clearing up all that untouched food from Erestor's chambers. Though Eru only knows how I fear having to tell the head cook that her efforts went untasted." The Lord gave a slight shudder. " Then we should seek our rest, for we have much to do on the morrow. Melpomaen, have you sent out the missives to the elven households and to the human settlement yet?." Elrond asked.
" Nay, my Lord. They are to be sent out this morning."
" Hold off on that. For they must all be redone, since there are now two Lyons residing in Imladris."
" Aye, my Lord."
Elrond then looked back at his frowning seneschal.
" All will soon be made clear... I promise, meldiramin."
" By the Valar!. An elf could perish from curiosity in this house!." Glorfindel grumbled.
Melpomaen could not help but smile at his disgruntled lover and Elrond laughed out loud, throwing his arm across the golden-haired elf's shoulders as he led him back inside.
" Come along, mighty Balrog Slayer. We have chambermaid duties to attend to..."
Freedom.
For the first time in his long life, Erestor experienced the meaning of the word. He and Ja-zel had just passed the border of Imladris and now stood looking out at the vast expanse of the plain of Eregion. Far off in the distance, they could see the snow-capped peaks of the Misty Mountains, shinning eerily under Ithil's magical light. Ja-zel looked at the magnificent form of her mate, then glided up along side him and playfully nipped at his face.
{ Are we to just stand here, my love, while this flat land beckons us to run?. }
Erestor growled, nipping back at her, before running his tongue affectionately up her muzzle.
{ Oh, Ja-zel!... I feel as if I am dreaming and I fear to awaken, lest I find myself still trapped in the prison of my misery. }
Ja-zel licked the side of his face, growling soothingly as her mind reassured him.
{ Tis no dream my mate, but a new begining to our lives. A life where neither of us will ever suffer in loneliness again. }
Erestor leaned into her and the two Lyons spent the next moments rubbing their faces against each other, their tails coiling toguether as they purred in contentment. A last, they parted and Erestor looked at Ja-zel with a feral gleam in his eyes, as the urge to stretch his legs came to the fore.
{ Aye, beloved. } He sent. { The land beckons and I would feel the wind on my face as I run free, with you by my side. }
And on the heels of those words, the two Lyons joyfully took off, with atonishing speed, across the plain...
The three elves stood, wide-eyed, as they looked at the table in Erestor's rooms.
All the food was gone. There was not even a crumb in sight. Just the dishes, neatly stacked upon the table's immaculate surface.
" You do not think they actually ate all..." Melpomaen's voice trailed off.
" Please, meleth. That is not an image I want in my mind." Glorfindel said, with a slight grimace.
Elrond surveyed the scene with a raised eyebrow. Then his eyes alighted on the dresser and he walked over to take a closer look at what had attracted his attention.
" It seems the Lady Ja-zel put her time to dilligent use this day." Elrond said, holding up one of the garments from the pile folded on top of the stately dresser.
It was a pair of leggings, which the advisor customarily wore under his robes. The other two elves moved to take a closer look. They could all see that what was once a carelessly-cut hole, had been carefully mended to form an opening that was skillfully wreathed by fine embroidery. All of the advisor's other trousers had been mended in the same way, even a stack of calf-lenght, split-sided tunics that none of them had ever seen Erestor wear. In the open wardrobe, the gowns that Elrond and Glorfindel had brought earlier, also had been elegantly altered. The newly-crafted openings beautifully embroidered to match the existing designs, as if the gowns had been made thus, originally.
The elves were amazed at the dexterity and speed evidenced by so much work, done in such a short period of time. It far surpassed that of even Imaldris' fastest seamtresses.
" Most remarkable." Melpomaen commented.
With a nod of agreement, Elrond carefully re-folded the clothing on the dresser, before turning to the others.
" Well, as it is obvious that there is nothing for us to do here, we should seek our own rooms and find what rest remains this night."
The three exited the chamber, shutting the door behind them. As they stood in the hall, Melpomaen experienced an uncomfortable moment of private indecision, until the Balrog Slayer curled a possessive arm around his waist that let him know, in no uncertain terms, just whose pillow he was to rest his head on this night. As they started on their separate ways, Glorfindel turned a wicked smile towards Elrond.
" I have just thought of another elf saved by our Lady Ja-zel this night." He said.
" Oh?... Who would that be, mellon nin?." Elrond inquired.
" Why, you off course!. For now you will not have to face the wrath of our formidable head cook over yon meal."
The Balrog Slayer cocked his head towards Erestor's chamber, then burst out laughing...
As he neared his quarters, Elrond was still chuckling to himself and shaking his head over his seneschal's irrepresible sense of humor, when he was nearly bowled over as someone collided into him near the intersection in the halls that led to one of the gardens.
He looked down, to find the dazed figure of Imladris' minstrel sprawled on the floor, with sheets of music strewn all around him. The Lord helped the elf to his feet, then gathered the leafs of parchment and returned them to the slightly trembling arms.
" What are you doing out in the halls at this late hour, Lindir?." Elrond asked, placing steadying hands on the elf's shoulders as he checked him for injuries.
" Forgive me, my Lord. I was working on a new piece and lost track of time."
Sea-green eyes stared up into his and Elrond felt a totally unexpected sensation pool in his loins. The Lord dropped his arms from the minstrel's shoulders, thoroughly discomfited by the uncalled-for reaction.
" Well, as I said, the hour is late. I leave you to seek your quarters." Elrond spoke, somewhat gruffly.
Then the Lord turned and began walking hurriedly, albeit a bit stiffly, away from the minstrel. Lindir watched him go, a pensive look coming over his elegant features..
TBC...