Riders in the Rain by Fiamma Galathon  

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Ost Aglon

They manage to arrive to Ost Aglon.

Featuring: Anxious Dad Tyleko and Give-Me-My-Fucking-Painkillers-Now-Or-I-Start-Biting-Heads-Off Aredhel.

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They announced themselves in Ost Aglon with a single note from a hunting horn, and the gates opened before them seamlessly, banners flying in the wind. Celegorm felt his shoulders relax a tiny bit at the sight of his fortress.

They managed to get there. It would be all right.

Huan barked sharply thrice, and leapt, dashing towards the fortress playfully. He was going to spread the story amongst the other hunting hounds, or at least make some chaos, if the long, happy howl had anything to say.

Lómion startled in his sling at the sound, face scrunching up, and promptly started wailing, wiggling around like there was no tomorrow. 

-Shhh, winimo , shhh, it’s all right.- he easily pressed a sense of security into his tiny mind, making him calm down quickly. Lómion disliked sudden loud sounds, it seemed, but once reassured nothing bad was happening he calmed down nearly instantaneously, unless he was feeling very cranky.

Celegorm could understand that. He also flinched at loud sounds, even if it was only Huan howling, and the world could get exceptionally irritating sometimes. 

Lómion’s bright spark of a fëa reached out for his own, clumsily conveying tired and safe?. 

He smiled softly at him, meeting his wide-eyed gaze. -In a moment, little one. We are nearly there, you can sleep, it’s fine.- 

Lómion pouted at him, his tiny hat having slid off of his ears. Celegorm adjusted it gently, and pressed a more concrete reassurance back. Safe to sleep, he thought at him, in feelings of warm blankets and being held.

The boy settled down, curling his tiny, chubby fingers into the fabric of the tunic, and gurgled contentedly.

Celegorm melted a bit at this. Lómion was such a wonderful baby, truly. It was easy to guess what he needed, and he made absolutely no fuss once it was provided, content to watch the world or sleep in his sling. So tiny, and so trusting.

He wanted to bite his own knuckles to keep himself from crying at the tangle of emotions this trust made him feel. He was the one that meant safe and warm and calm-because-mom-is-calm and interesting and so many other tiny things that weren’t yet emotions he could discern one from other but surmised to mean trust.

He hadn’t felt so responsible maybe ever, but it was a rewarding sort of responsibility, and not guilt. 

Oh , Curvo was going to melt into a puddle. He had wanted more children besides Tylepe, and babies always made him just dissolve into softness.

Aredhel laughed from her horse at the sight of the keep, and her soft chuckle of relief between breaths transformed into a hacking cough. She cursed under her breath, hands gripping the edge of her red cloak so hard he could see her knuckles white and bloodless.

Celegorm felt his insides clench, an ice-cold claw squeezing his heart. She shouldn’t have ridden for a week through the rain, not in the state she was in. 

(Yes, he was afraid . He could admit it to himself. He was afraid and anxious and she didn’t need to know this. Oh, how he understood his father now, returning from the forge red-eyed and trembling.)

At least they were home now. 

They rode through the gates without much ado, a regiment returning from their duties, and he quickly jumped off of Netya and grabbed the reins of Aredhel’s mare, his free hand wrapping his cloak protectively over Lómion. It was still raining, a damningly tiny, gelid drizzle that was constant and soaked everything. He wanted to snarl at the sky. 

-Íri, come here, let’s get you both inside.- Celegorm murmured, helping her off of the horse and handling the reins to a stablehand that jogged up to them, staring with wide eyes. Aredhel rolled her eyes, but accepted his hand.

He held back the flinch at how cold she was, even wrapped up in one of his best cloaks. She had been holding up to the journey very bravely, but the way she leaned heavily on him right now betrayed how exhausted she had to be. - Come on, let’s get you warmed up and checked around by a healer.- 

She scrunched up her nose. -You are right, probably. How’s Lómion?- 

-He is well, aren’t you, winimo?- Celegorm smiled reassuringly, leading her towards the buildings. Lómion looked at them with huge, silver-gray eyes and made a spit bubble.

-Gah.- he reassured his mother, too-big ears quivering softly, the small cap he had on sliding off of his head again. - Bah.- 

- That’s good. Ai , my boys.- Aredhel smiled affectionately, exhaling. -But fuck , my head hurts. Even my damn eyelids hurt, can you believe? Nasty, oh, nasty thing.- she groaned, missing a step. 

Celegorm’s stomach sank to his feet, and he swallowed harshly. - Could you get one of your hand around my chest? I don’t want you falling down.-

-Huh? All right I guess.- she blinked, sneaking a hand behind his back and grabbing in the strap of his bag where it rested over his hip, and he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. 

Lómion burbled happily seeing his mother, and Aredhel sighed, righting his cap with her free hand. 

They walked into the building, leaving wet footprints on the stone floor, and Celegorm flagged a servant down. - Find my brother and nephew and inform them that there is a family emergency of the happy sort. We shall convene in my rooms in a few hours time, tell them to lit the fireplace well. Thank you.- 

The girl blinked at the sight they made, but didn’t comment besides a nod of acceptance. As she hurried off, Aredhel snorted softly. - How much do you want to bet she will forget to say that it’s a happy sort of emergency?-

Celegorm shrugged. - Oh, nothing. Better yet, how many different rumors will be started tonight about us?-

She chuckled, and coughed a few times into the crook of her elbow. - Ow. At least three. Where are we going?- 

-Healers.- Celegorm said, maybe a bit too harshly. - Both of you need a trained eye to look you over. -

-Gaa.- Lómion sputtered, wiggling a bit. - Ga.- 

-Well, I think you are right.- Aredhel nodded, exhaling heavily. -And you little mister don’t try to fuss now, please. I truly don’t want to have to deal with screaming until I get a pot of willow bark infusion.-

The boy made an odd sound, pouting, but settled down at the faint sense of ' please, be quiet' from Aredhel. Celegorm smiled at that despite himself. 

He would make sure no ill befell both of them. They were far too precious for him to lose them again.

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Chapter End Notes

I hope you enjoyed!