One Flesh, One Soul. Part 2 by FellFireFan  

---

Haunted

---

VALINOR

(YEAR OF THE TREES)

The beautiful city was adorned with colourful shimmering glint shrouded in the blackness of night. The trees shimmered lights of beautiful purple and yellow, and the flow of silky lakes of city canals veined the grounds. The lanterns of celebrations lined the streets of the Tirion as its residents celebrated a royal wedding. Within its enclosed walls, the magnificent palace was adorned in jubilation and song. Banners and flags decorated its structure, and waterfalls danced in the silvery glow of Telperion.

Upon the roof of the palace of the king, one solitary elf sat alone. Clasped in his hand was a silver chalice of rich wine. A shimmering circlet decorated his noble brow, befitting the royal status of a prince of the realm. His countenance cast in a distant melancholy, he took a lingering sip from his golden chalice and let the comforting elixir slip down his throat, numbing the sorrows buried deep within him. His eyes swamped in a well of sadness.

("There you are, I saw you slipping away into the shadows") Angrod, draped in a long, splendid mantle of white silk called to his brother softly from the entrance door He glided toward him. His every step mirrored the movements of a weightless spectre upon a glassy lake. ("Should you not be attending the wedding as my esteemed guest of honour?")

("Should you not be getting married?") Aegnor replied steadily. Angrod dropped down beside him, drawing his knee to his chest.

("Ah, was that today?") Angrod jested, their soft, harmonious chuckled fluttering. Aegnor smiled warmly at Angrod. His smile soon faded as he witnessed a darkness cloud his brothers eyes.

(What burdens do you wish to unload upon me, brother?") Aegnor asked. His elvish words danced fluently from his lips. Angrod released a troubled sigh.

("The crowned prince, our 'revered' uncle Feänor harbours a venomous suspicion and is loath to return to the celebration until the culprit of has been discovered,") he muttered.

("What burdens do you wish to unload upon me, brother?") Aegnor asked. His elvish words danced fluently from his lips. Angrod released a troubled sigh.

("The crowned prince Feänor, our 'revered' uncle harbours a venomous suspicion and is loath to return to the celebration until the culprit of has been discovered,") he muttered.

(What could it be this time?") Aegnor mumbled. ("Did some poor, overburdened servant breathe in his general direction?")

("Nay, it was not for any cause say for his coveted 'golden wine' from his own private supply, which he selfishly hordes and flaunts before us. Amidst the joyous festivities, in full view of all, along with his son drank a generous draught in view of all in an unabashed display of his utter contempt for me, he and Curufin. Only to swiftly expel it from their mouths and recoil fiercely from its contents and are retching even still,")

Faint echoes of Curufin's violent retches mixed with Feänors powerful voice yelling elvish words of heated rage ghosted from outside the palace behind them, drawing Aegnor's attention.

("I am not spared from his taunts even on my own wedding day! Will he never cease in his efforts to humiliate me at every turn?") Angrod sighed sadly.

Aegnor's gaze lingered in thought. His sparkling eyes alight with colour in the reflective glow of the city's lights. A flashback ran through his mind of a certain translucent crystal vase, the luxurious golden wine resting within it to be seen by all who would see it and know what it held within and he remembered the moment his hands slipped around it and carrying it away beneath his clothing, away from the festivities and into the quiet of the night.

("Did he drink straight from the crystal vase?") Aegnor prodded slowly ("The one adorned with glittering gemstones and rimmed with fine gold. The one that he has cherishes so possessively?")

("Indeed... though now he suspects I had tainted his supply I gather, I did not touch his precious draught!") Angrod grumbled.

Another flashback in Aegnors mind as he stood on the wall of the palace, alone with the vase of his uncles precious wine. Looking around, he opened the seal of the vase with a clicking pop and sniffed it, the fumes of the wine melted into the back of his throat and he moaned softly with the sheer pleasure the smell of such a fragrance brought him. Then after stealing one more last look over his shoulder, Aegnor remembered pouring the honey coloured liquid out over the wall and it hit the ground far below with a soft hiss. With a wicked smirk, Aegnor gazed down into the now empty crystal vase, his tongue clamping tightly around his bottom lip. Grinning maliciously, his sickening plan for his intolerant uncles now empty vase was about to come into fruition. Returning once again to the present, Aegnor nodded slowly. 

 ("There is no cause to be concerned.") He replied candidly, casually bringing his cup to his lips.

("Aegnor... did you poison his vintage!?")

("Come now, Angrod! If I wanted to poison that miserable, sour faced rat bastard, I would have done it in plain sight of everyone!") Aegnor retorted, his eyes flashing. His rich voice flowing smoothly. ("The vessel that contained the so-called 'exquisite vintage,' which they so gluttonously partook of before the gathered throng, did not hold golden wine at all,") he declared, his voice laced with disdain.

Angrod, brow furrowed in perplexity, inquired, ("Then what manner of drink was in the vase?")

Aegnor's gaze fixed on Angrod, his eyes filled with a sinister glint. Suddenly, a wicked smirk curled the corners of his mouth. In a moment of realization, Angrod's face contorted with disgust and horror as the truth gripped him. The weight of the revelation crashed upon him,

("Nay... Aegnor! Tell me not that you did!") Androd exclaimed, his hands covering his mouth in revulsion. Aegnor's smirk stretched into a demonic grin, marrying his beautiful face with the sinister crescent. Moonlight cast an eerie glow upon his gleaming teeth and intense, unyielding eyes.

A chilling cackle escaped Aegnor's lips, a sound laced with wicked delight. Angrod's twisted expression shattered and laughter burst from him. Followed by Aegnors victorious cry.

(It was MY PISS!!") His boisterous roar cracked the air, his head wiping around, toward the echoes behind them. cracked through the air, his head whirling behind him. His loud voice projected toward the distant voices of Curufin and Feänor behind him that had since ceased. Angrod's laughter swelled, harmonizing with Aegnor's jubilant, dark mirth.

("Aegnor, Why would you commit such a vulgar prank!?Feanor will string from the walls himself when he catches you!") Angrod chided, his red face flushing behind his hands

("Do not worry about Feänor, he can not touch me!") Aegnor replied, his haughty expression challenging the night. ("Did you not speak these very words to me, Angrod? He seeks to humiliate you at every turn, so I return the favour, an eye for an eye. No one makes a laughing stock of my family, Androd... not while I still draw breath!")

(Though I do not condone the foul thoughts you oft conjure in your twisted mind, I am non the less thankful to have you, brother. Though now, I am sworn to my bride, there is no one who can hold the place you have in my heart, little brother,") Androd smiled warmly

There was a shift in Aegnors previous confident demeanour. His eyes turned sad and his lips tightened and he drew his knees into his chest. A flicker of anger and shame darkened his brow.

("There is no maiden like Eldalótë... my brother.) He mused. His glassy eyes met his brothers, filled with well of unspoken emotion, Their agonising depths betraying a secret hatred and anguish. ("Cherish her, Angrod,")

("Dear brother, without your relentless efforts in persuading me to court her, this day would have never come. Her beauty surpasses even the finest bred maidens, and her body, divine. I owe this all to you, Aegnor")

Aegnor's lips tensed, and he looked away. His brow tightened. Then, immediately shifting his expression, without another word, Aegnor smiled and raised his cup to, his shimmering mantle of silver, blanketed by his thick curled locks, caught the glint of moonlight in the motion of his robust arm. ("Drink with me, Angrod, and raise our goblets to this fine hour!") Smiling, Androd lifted his cup aloft, mirroring Aegnor.

("To the days of our youth, filled with much laughter,") Angrod declared with pride.

("To the pleasure of maidens...") Aegnor raised his cup, flashing his eyebrows. A sly grin creeping onto his lips. Eliciting a laugh from Angrod.

("And to the delights of their soft, supple bodies") Angrod cried

They cheered in unison, their jubilant voices rising in harmony. In perfect synchrony, they both lifted their goblets and succumbed to the allure of the rich wine. It slid down their throats like divine honey.

("Will you tarry a while with me, Angrod, or is there a need for you to return to your bride with haste?") Aegnor asked,

("I have always a moment for you, Aegnor").

Aegnor gracefully rose from the floor of the roof top, his robust, lean figure accentuated by the elegant movement. With a swift motion, he shed his embellished formal elvish attire. He turned to Angrod and held out his arm

("Hand it over,") Aegnor commanded. Confused, Angrod hesitated but complied, unclasping his white mantle and passing it to Aegnor as he also rose to full height.

Aegnor tied both coats together, and then, grabbing a banner, he quickly fashioned a long chord, tying the mantles to a rock he picked up. Angrod watched silently, his confusion growing. His silent expression shifted into wide eyes alarm as he witnessed Aegnor set their mantles ablaze from a nearby torch. The flames licked the fabric, transforming it into a mesmerizing pyre.

("Aegnor!" Angrod protested as his priceless wedding attire was consumed in flames in Aegnor's hand. ("What are you -!?")

Angrod's protests where over shadowed by Aegnor's exhilarated grin, his face aglow in red, hot light.

("Tiss not a celebration, brother, not to me, not until I see something burn!") Aegnor cried, his excitement growing.

Without another word, he launched the flaming coats over the edge of the roof. Like a blazing fireball of  brilliance, it soared through the open air, descending upon the vast expanse of the open courtyard. The burning mantles landed in the large open courtyard onto a colossal pyre of discarded wooden boxes and cloth that had been 'mysteriously' doused in oil. within moments, the pyre burst into a pillar of hungry flames that reached toward the heavens in a breath-taking inferno. Angrod recoiled in surprise and a hint of terror, throwing his arm up in the sudden blazing wave of heat and light. But his fear was swiftly eclipsed by Aegnor's unbridled delight at the blazing, fiery spectre.

"WOOO!" Aegnor's vigorous, boisterous howls of mixed with the thunderous roar of the flaming pillar. Its destructive power, a thrilling display that excited him.

Angrod's initial fear had melted, replaced with a delighted grin of wide-eyed amazement as he watched his brother's raw jubilation in the face of such destructive beauty. Utterly fearless was Aegnor in that moment and bold beyond all measure. Holding his chalice up to the roaring flames, he invited Angrod to join him. Angrod laughed, the bright fiery light reflecting off their forms as together, they raised their cups in a toast to the bygone days of their youth. Heralding in the age with shared anticipation of countless more adventures to come.

●●●

The New World

(Year: unknown)

Andreth rose early. Her scant clad form gleamed in the early glow of the rising sun. Nestled peacefully beside her, her sleeping elf lay upon his front. Only a thin sheet pooled around his hips. His broad, muscular back illuminated by the morning light, the defined planes of his shoulders and the indent of his spine, a breath-taking sight. His messy hair gathered around his head. A light sheen of moisture glistened his locks. Damp strands clung softly to his elven features. Remnants of a passionate night freshly sated.

Tucking her tousled hair behind her ear, she bent over him, her face hovering above his ear. His deep breaths ghosted from his throat, remnants of an elf deep in his sleep. Still and silent as a sleeping angel. She fought against the desire to reach out and touch him and disrupt this beautiful moment.

Draping her body in a discarded blue cloth, his scent filled into her nose, intoxicating her. A dreamy smile crept onto her face as she remembered the events of their previous night and the many others that it had followed after. Gentle as to not wake him, she rose steadily from the sandy ground within the homely shelter they had built together.

As she took but a single step, she stopped suddenly and gasped. The tickle of a familiar sensation slipped down the soft flesh of her inner thigh. The intimate evidence of his passion. A precious gift from her beloved. Blushing, she tenderly wiped it away. Her gleeful, playful grin lingering.

After cleaning up and dressing in simple attire made for her by her loving husband. She slipped out of the hanging curtains of their abode to the welcome warmth of the sun. The distant song of the ocean waves echoed softly, and the gentle morning wind played with her hair. Her eyes closed, and she stretched, breathing in the sweet morning air. As she opened them, her eyes drew wide with alarm, and her mouth opened in shock and awe.

"Aegnor!" She cried joyously and ran back into the pavilion, "Aegnor!! Come quickly!!"

They appeared from the closed hanging sheets that billowed gently in the breeze. Aegnor leapt out first, followed by Andreth. Aegnor gasped, his wide eyes fixed on the being before him. A stallion, black as night stood before them. Snorting happily.

"My love! Eru has blessed us yet again!" Andreth cried. "Sorna has been returned to you from the mortal realm of death, to be your noble steed yet again!"

Aegnor stood silently, his teary eyes fixed on the beast. "Could it truly be you, my loyal companion?" Aegnor whispered as he slowly approached. The horse outstretched his neck as Aegnor outstretched his hand. It sniffed his arm, and with a brief hesitation, it came to him, pulling his body into its chest with his head. Aegnor wrapped his arms around Sorna's neck and sobbed tears of joy. Andreth smiled widely as she witnessed the touching moment.

"I have not ridden in so long!" Aegnor whispered, dropping his arms. Overwhelmed by his emotions. Andreth came and encircled her arms around his slim waist from behind. Her lips spilling loving kisses upon his back as his quiet sobs echoed forth.

"It will find you, my love. Just like everything before," she whispered, her soothing voice a balm in his sensitive ears. He released a shuddering sigh. His fingers entwining with the long tendrils of Sorna's mane.

"Andreth, will you go quickly and fetch my clothing?" He murmured. She obeyed and ran back to their dwelling to fetch his garments.

After a shaky start, Aegnor soon found his stride upon Sorna's back. With his wife seated behind, he rode with vigour along the plains, exploring their new world together. They hunted larger game that filled their bellies with satisfaction, and at night, Andreth would submit herself to Aegnor's passionate desires many more times. Their forms rolling in blissful surrender before the comforting glow of a warm fire.

●●●●

Upon the hill of a flowery field, Andreth slept in Aegnors arms. The sweet smell of blooms lulled her into a reverent dream. Rest against a tree, his back supported by its trunk, Aegnor encircled Andreth in his arms. Her body nested between the open space in his legs, her back resting against his strong body. The sun beamed its full glory. But they were protected by the generous shade of the tree above their heads, the shadow of the leaves dancing upon the ground.

Aegnor stirred slightly and kissed the back of her head. The scent of her hair sent tingles of delight running through him. After he was sure she was fast asleep, Aegnor slid his hand down her stomach. His palm is coming to stop upon her lower abdomen, just below her navel. He stilled completely and held it there. As if searching for something deep within her. The flickering of a new feä, one that has been made from their passion. The wind wisped around as he lay in silent repose. Daring not to even breathe. Yet, a deep sadness overwhelmed him as he felt nothing and removed his hand.

Sensing the deep emotions that plagued her beloved through their feä bond, Andreth awoke, her eyes fluttering open, and immediately she turned to face her beloved. Her eyes filled with concern. Seeing his fragile gaze, she cradled his face in both her palms.

"My love... what deep sadness troubled your heart?" She whispered. Confronted, he had no choice but to reveal his deed to Andreth.

"I had hoped to feel the faint flicker of a feä within you" he said sadly, "but I felt not a flicker of life. The eldar know the moment a babe is conceived, but with you, I can not be sure...," his head sank, his gaze falling to the ground.

"Oh my husband," Andreth moaned softly, "Is that all that has vexed you? Surely, we can not forsee such things until they are made known to me first. Do elves not concieve in such a way?" She asked

His bright eyes found hers again, their depths brimming with fragile hope, he shook his head, "Nay, a day is chosen by the couple. A sacred ritual is performed on the elf maiden by her husband before the act takes place. Once completed, the feä of the young conceived within her womb is felt almost immediately." A long pause followed. Andreth listened patiently as a deeply troubled Aegnor gathered his words and released a heavy trembling sigh. "Since my union with you, I've come to realise the differences between women of mortal and elven lineage is great, to say the least. Alas, I lack the knowledge or skill on how to navigate this pool of uncertainty or what to expect. I believe we are never to be blessed with a babe of our own, Andreth... And it greatly saddens me." His fragile whisper hung between them like a lead cloud.

Andreth gracefully took his hand and placed on her breast, smiling weakly. "You asked me once why my kind commemorates the birth of our infants, and not the conception. Do you remember what I said?"

"It is a draw of mere chance. Unknown to both the father and the mother until the moment of certainty arrives." He replied frailly

She smiled, "Beloved, you must exercise patience. The walls of my womb is saturated with your intimate release. No one knows the day nor the hour," she blushed, her soft smile growing. She placed her hand on her lower abdomen and beamed, her eyes regarding his, "perhaps, a babe has already been concieved, and the gentle rise of my belly will and cease of my flow has already began. She trembled with the thought, she secretly knew within her heart.

"How do you live with such uncertainty!?" Aegnor cried, utterly bemused. "It is a torment beyond any i've suffered!"

She tingled with pleasure and desire and smiled upon her emotionally exasperated elf. She untied her dress and pulled it off her shoulders. It pooled and rippled around her waist, revealing her beautiful plump breasts. She climbed upon his lap, straddling his hips tightly

"You are in need of a distraction, my love... perhaps my body can help clear your mind of weighty thoughts,"

With his face buried within the warmth and comfort of her body, she surrendered to his caress

"Aegnor....," she breathed, "I must make a confession to you," He lifted his head, his eyes fluttering open. "I have kept this from you, I beg your forgiveness for my secrecy. For too great is its revelation," he gazed at her, his eyes filled with curious wonder, awaiting her confession. She took his hand and placed it upon her belly, there was a very gentle swell in her abdomen, a subtle hardened rise upon her flat stomach. His brow furrowed with confusion for a moment, lost in contemplation. Then, his eyes darted to hers. A wide, elated grin met his widened gaze,

"You will be atar, my love!" she whispered a gentle cry

Tears pooled in his eyes, welling in glistening streams. A joyous cry burst from his mouth and he embraced her. Weeping tears into her neck. All his pain, his desires and his loss, released from his fragile heart. At last, a child. A child all his own. He deepest yearning. Finally fulfilled.

○○○

Andreth roused from her slumber yet again. Clad in a sheer gown adorned with a front slit, designed by Aegnor to grant him easy access to caress her stomach as he pleased. She slowly ascended from their bed, fashioned from the exquisite, warm pelts of white wolves claimed by Aegnor's successful hunts. She carefully manoeuvred her body to find a position of greater comfort. The arduous and wearisome stages of her pregnancy had taken their toll, rendering her unable to traverse more than a few feet at a time. She emitted a contented sigh as her hands tenderly caressed her enlarge, swollen abdomen.

Anticipation for the imminent birth now occupied her every thought, though it was not devoid of trepidation that she concealed from Aegnor's gaze. Nevertheless, the discomfort she endured was an almost unbearable burden, and she yearned for the day when it would be alleviated. Aegnor, still motionless from slumber, slid his hand from her belly to her breast, swollen with milk. He still desired her, even in his sleep. Yet no peaceful sleep was granted to her as she again was struck by her lively burden, this time making her jump. She groaned with frustration and sat up. As she glanced over at her beautiful elf. Her admiration for his beauty even in his sleep never wavering. What a prize he was. She couldn't help but notice the signs of exhaustion etched on his face.

She understood the challenges he faced in taking care of a pregnant woman on his own. Aegnor often reminded her that during the final stages of an elven pregnancy, the mother drew strength from the entire family. In her quiet moments, she wondered if Aegnor's unease stemmed from a longing for his brother Angrod. The weight of his absence weighed heavily on his heart. Though he tried to hide it, it was clear to her how much he missed him.

Gingerly, she rose to her feet. Her breath quickly ran out, her exhausted body protesting even the slightest movement. The journey to the entrance of the pavilion was only a few strides, yet it felt like a vigorous battle. Her back ached, and her feet, swollen and throbbing, plagued her relentlessly. Nevertheless, her determination propelled her forward, driven by the urgent need to relieve herself. The toils of pregnancy became a burdensome price for her ecstasy with Aegnor, long awaited.

Moaning in discomfort, she at last found a secluded spot. She gathered her dress, lifting it high above her wide, parted knees, and crouched ungracefully. She soon found the relief she desperately needed. Her senses suddenly attuned to the haunting howls of the wolves in the nearby woods. A glimmer of relief washed over her as the ominous howls transformed into a sword, cutting the air and sharp whelps and cries of distress following. Convinced that Aegnor had followed her and was keeping watch over her safety.

Fearing nothing, she cleaned herself off and ventured back. Waddling with great effort, pausing to rest at every few steps, until she once again reached the sanctuary of their home. However, as she entered, she was immediately gripped with alarm. Aegnor's form lay before her. Still lost in the depths of peaceful slumber. He had not moved. Fear surged through her being. If it wasn't Aegnor who had vanquished the wolves, then who had? Andreth's urgent cries roused Aegnor from his slumber with immediate alarm. Seeing the gravity of her distress, Aegnor swiftly grasped his blade. He urged Andreth to remain while he ventured out to confront the intruder.

He raced into the darkness. His keen elven ears picked up faint sounds in the distance, guiding his path. With his blade at the ready, he followed the call that beckoned him deeper into the shadows. Employing a mastery of stealth, he moved closer, careful not to alert the figure before him. Draped in a long black cloak and cowl, invisible with the darkness of the forest, the form stood, with weapon unsheathed, piercing the bodies of the motionless wolves that lay around, ensuring their demise. Aegnor discerned the mysterious figure to be female. Her back turned to him, and she was unaware of his sneaky approach from behind.

He swung at her. But swift as light, she parried with him, the swords clanking loudly. Though her face was hidden in the shadows of her cowls, she was none the less a fearsome dualist as she unleashed an aggressive attack in a flurry of deadly strikes, he parried everyone, their weapons slashing loudly between them, His weakened body proves its hindrance upon his skill. A brief respite allowed them some ground, and they circled one another.

"Identify yourself!" Aegnor yelled with fierce anger. His words carrying an undisputed authority, his venomous eyes burning with ire. She remained silent, her face veiled from his sight. His eyes blazed with intense ire.

"You are not welcome here! Reveal your name, or I will tear you apart, piece by agonising piece!" He hissed, raising his blade to her.

The chill kiss of a sword touched his cheek from behind him. Another figure, tall and imposing loomed. Clad in matching cloak, mask and cowl as his female counterpart. Aegnor stilled, every muscle in his body tensing. Slowly, he raised his hands and dropped his weapon, folding his arms behind his head in traditional sign of surrender.

"What is it you want?" He asked to the mysterious pair who are invading his home. "There is no one on this island but I, and I do not recall sending a written invitation for company!"

The large figure behind him approached slowly, Aegnor tried to turn around but a flick of the sharp blade on his cheek reminded him he was in no position to negotiate. A black gloved hand searched Aegnor's body for hidden weapons in his thin clothing. Satisfied he was not armed, he returned to his threatening position.

"Failing to check your surroundings before engaging in a fight... I expected more from you, Aegnor," the voice, undeniably male, spoke from behind.

Aegnor stilled at the voice. His eyes widened, his breath left his body. The voice behind him resonated with an unmistakable clarity and undeniable familiarity. In that critical moment, Aegnor was left in no doubt of the identity of the looming figure who stood behind him.