One Flesh, One Soul. Part 2 by FellFireFan  

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Ghosts From The Past

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Aegnor whirled around, his lithe form coming face to face with the figure. His features obscured by a hood and a mask, only his eyes could be seen. Aegnor stared, his eyes wide with alarm and confusion. His heavy breaths ghosting in the tense silence as they stared one another down. Staggering restlessly, Aegnor put his trembling hand to his lips, his voice faltering.

"It can not be.....," he trembled.

He took a step closer to him, their eyes boring into one another.

".....Angrod?"

Blinking softly, the mysterious figure broke their gaze and pulled back his hood to reveal straight golden hair, and pulled down his mask. Angrod stood before him. His head decorated in a golden circlet and his bright eyes mirroring Aegnors tears. Staring at his brother, Angrod smiled. Like he had found a long lost friend.

"It has been to long...my brother," Angrod finally said, holding out his arms. Aegnor did not respond. He did not move. Frozen to the spot, the white in his eyes on full display, tears or every emotion streaming from his glowing orbs.

"Do I not even merit a welcome embrace from a brother lost now found?" Angrod chuckled.

Aegnor burst to life and lunged. He grabbed his older brother, nearly knocking him to the ground and buried his tears into his strong shoulders. Sobbing uncontrollably Aegnor clung to Angrod with all the strength he had. When he eventually let go, Angrod held Aegnors face and placed his forehead against his as Aegnor continued to weep.

"Brother... my brother," Angrod whispered calmly holding Aegnor as he fell apart. "How I have missed you, Aegnor,"

"I watched you die.... ," Aegnor finally summoned the strength to mutter, his eyes heavy with emotion.

"I dwelt in the Halls of Mandos for a while, but I was re-embodied and returned to the blessed realm. There I learned from Finrod you had chosen to remain there and never return," replied the steady voice of his protective sibling.

"What else did Finrod tell you...?" Aegnor finally asked, lifting his eyes.

"Enough," was Androd's simple answer. It was enough to let Aegnor realise he knew everything.

Aegnor released a trembling sigh and wiped his tears. He stepped away, seeking some distance to process his thoughts.

"I am happy to see you again, Angrod. But I fear the reason you have come. This world was given to us... in a divine pact I made with Illuvatar. Therefore, you have been sent here only by his hand....," he turned and faced Angrod's still form sincerely "why have you come?" He added slowly.

Angrod's face shifted, his gaze turned to his female partner, who stood majestically and silently. Her face and head stilled obscured by her garments. Angrod's face then dropped and he turned sad.

"We know of your wife, Andreth. She is with child," a voice like smooth silk spoke from the female elf. Aegnor stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to recover a long lost memory of the owner of such a voice. She then slowly removed her mask, her icy eyes fixed on Aegnor. Snow white skin glowed over her delicate features. Her face angel fair and soft lips, a hue of violet frost. Her eyes seemed to hold an icy chill, that froze all who gazed into them. A shudder erupted through Aegnor as he recognized her face and those eyes. She regarded him with a coldness that chilled to the bone. Her steady, unblinking gaze haunting him.

"Eldalótë...," Aegnor finally muttered with feigned warmth, "wife of my brother, and sister to my house, It has been long," bowing his head, he crossed his hand over his chest, greeting her formally yet no less tensely.

"Forgive me, noble lady. I did not know it was you," Aegnor continued, trying to build some rapport with her. She stepped closer, her icy gaze never leaving him. Aegnor backed away slightly as she approached, his gaze fixed to the ground.

"If you dare try to strike me from the shadows like that again, Aegnor... I will take your head and deliver it to her myself. Do you understand?" She snarled. Finally, his eyes met hers in a challenging silent exchange and lingered there.

"What of my wife, Eldalótë....is she in danger?" He hissed slowly, holding back his anger.

It was dawn by the time they arrived back at the pavilion. Aegnor disappeared behind the cascading veils, blowing slightly in the breeze. After a few anticipated moments, he emerged again with Andreth clasped in his arm. Her full and enlarged belly, providing the undisputed evidence of her marriage to Aegnor in their eyes. Finally, Andreth caught sight of Angrod standing before her only a few throws away. She stared curiously. Her innocent gaze drinking in the being before her

"Aegnor... beloved..., It is back! Only in the form of Angrod! What is this trickery?!" she trembled as she squeezed his hand. Her fear gripping her, "be gone you ghostly spectrum! Go back to the void from whence you came! Taunt us no more with your image of my husband's brother!" She yelled as strongly as she could, yet her trembles betrayed her terror.

"Beloved... do not be alarmed, it is no feä that you see, but Angrod! He has come to visit you," Aegnor quickly responded, stilling her. Her eyes burst to life and her lips stretched to a grin so wide it passed her ears.

"Angrod!" She cried, her laughter dancing. Her unadulterated joy was insatiable, she jumped on the spot with infectious jubilance, holding her abdomen for support. They approached her, Angrod smiling affectionately.

"Lady Andreth. My heart rejoices to see your face again," he replied sincerely, his eyes then fell to her swollen belly, "And this... is the progeny of my brother. I have come to formally acknowledge this union and the legitimacy of this offspring. Long may it prosper," He bowed politely, choosing to hide the real reason for his arrival from Andreth.

"Oh Angrod, how my heart leaps to see you again. I am elated, yet this burden is weary on me," she laughed, caressing her abdomen proudly. Her skin glowing with maternal radiance. Her eyes then regarded the elf lady. Her hood lowered, showing her silvery golden hair of divine glory. Glittering jewels sprinkled in her long locks that stopped at her knees. The rising sun behind her revealing a being of almost divine beauty. The sheer sight of such an angelic face stole the breath from Andreth's very body.

"Aegnor... I feel as though I am standing in the presence of a Valar. I have never seen such a beautiful maiden in all my days!" She gasped, her eyes fixed on Eldalótë. Slowly, she approached the lowly mortal woman, her steely gaze seemed to soften, and a small smile curled the edge of her mouth.

"I am the wife of Angrod, I have come to assist you in the birthing process. I am Eldalótë of the Goldenflower," she bowed and put her hands upon Andreth's abdomen, "elven mothers possess a profound connection to the essences of our offspring. The prediction is known down to the very hour, " Eldalótë continued, "when is the day of expectation?"

Confused, she turned to Aegnor who was standing beside her, her pillar of strength,

"Such knowledge is not known to Andreth, she does not possess a fëa bond with her unborn, as we do. She will not know the day nor the hour until it is upon her," Aegnor replied. Eldalotë carefully slid her hands over Andreths stomach, pressing gently. Finally, Eldalótë's eyes fluttered open.

"Might I request examining you internally?" She enquired.

"Umm.... well...," Andreth stuttered, turning to Aegnor again for guidance in what to say, but he said nothing.

"I am unable to predict the arrival from the feä of your youngling Andreth. I must determine the precise moment so I may prepare," Eldalótë explained on.

"Yes...of course, please follow me." Andreth replied frailly and turned toward the pavilion. Eldalótë followed, leaving Aegnor and Andreth outside.

Angrod noticed Aegnor visably shaking. A very concerned expression fixed upon the women as they headed inside.

"She will be alright Aegnor, there is no reason to be afraid," Angrod reassured him with a tender hand in his shoulder.

"It is not for Andreth that I am worried at this moment..." Aegnor murmured, "I could have delivered the babe myself, with only you to aid me alone, my brother,"

"You know as well as I do the mastery of Eldalótë's skills in this field. It is too great a risk to leave to chance, Andreth's life hangs in the balance," Angrod responded with seriousness. Aegnor's jaw tensed, his eyes fixed on the pavilion. Secluded within, Eldalótë fastened the curtains together for extra privacy as Andreth turned, her fingers curled upon her mouth, her nervousness apparent.

"Eldalótë, I am not ignorant of my husbands fears. He is in great distress. What is to become of my baby?" She asked.

"Do not fear, Andreth," Eldalótë replied to her anxious plea, "no harm will come to you nor your offspring. I will not allow that to happen, you have my word," she reassured her. She fetched some pillows and spread them around Andreth's feet upon the ground.

"Please lay down and recline upon your back. I will commence the examination," She spoke with a graceful sweep of her slender arm. Andreth did so, submitting herself to Eldalótë's command. Eldalótë kneeled at her feet and lifted her dress, pooling it around her hips. Andreth breathed nervously.

"With your permission, my lady. I will begin now," Eldalótë said. With that, Eldalótë placed her hands upon the balls of Andreth's knees and gently spread them open. Andreth, her hands cradling her swollen belly, consciously surrendered herself to the moment, allowing the weight of her worries to dissipate in the gentle air within the pavilion. Eldalótë slowly inserted her finger inside her and began the examination. Andreth did her best to think of other things other than the fact there was a strange woman in her home with her fingers inside her intimate parts.

"This pregnancy has taken much out of me, I shall be glad when it is finally over!" Andreth exclaimed softly. "But my worry is not in my condition, nor the coming of the birth. It is in Aegnor. I did not know a pregnancy could be so taxing on the impending fathers among your kind," she added, doing her best to ease her discomfort.

"It is expected among the eldar. The father draws strength from the family during such times. My beloved, Angrod, was equally as vexed at the birth of our own cherished joy, though that was eons ago now. Aegnor was a great source of strength for him then. It is a pity for him to have done this alone without the aid of his loved ones. However, that is the price he has paid for his love," Eldalótë replied indifferently.

"Tell me Eldalótë... what was Aegnor like....afore? Before he left the Blessed Realm and travelled to Middle Earth?"

A long pause followed as Eldalótë contemplated her question.

“Angrod, my beloved husband, is a paragon of nobility, steadfast, strong and disciplined. He has been my stable source of reliance and resolve since the day I wed him. In sharp contrast was Aegnor," her voice trailed off in a moment of softness, "within him burned a fire that consumed all things, unchecked and ungovernable. He was the champion of athletic games, unbeatable and utterly ferocious. There was many a beautiful she-maiden who sighed for the affection for such a prince, drawn to him like ducklings to the lake. Alas, none could capture his affection, for he was as an untamed stallion, released into the wind. A feä, so wild and free," Eldalótë mused.

"I must say, I did not expect that explanation. But I do believe such words!" Andreth replied, her sparkling gaze fixed to the roof, "alas, I am not one to complain! Aegnor's insatiable hunger for passion has ended in punishing me with this cumbersome load!" she chuckled softly, caressing her swollen belly with glee.

The innocent comment from Andreth made Eldalótë pause. A chill had overtaken the moment. Andreth could hardly stand it.

"Let us refrain from speaking further." Eldalótë responded with icy coldness, a stark contradiction to her sudden warmth afore.

Eldalótë continued her thorough examination. Her astute scrutiny revealed the proximity of the impending childbirth, the weight of responsibility, and the gravity of the situation settling upon her shoulders. Sensing the urgency, she swiftly directed Andreth to retire to her bed without delay. "Go and prepare for the impending birth. You must not eat any suppliments nor exert any effort whatsoever. Go now!" She ordered. Her tone firm yet soft.

Yielding to Eldalótë's sence of urgency, Andreth made no resistance. She moved towards her bed, excitement and dread warring like a violent storm within her. Eldalótë swiftly departed to relay her findings to Aegnor and Angrod, who waited patiently outside. They soon discerned Eldalótë's form racing toward them. "The hour is upon us now! In but a breath's whisper, Andreth shall succumb! We must hasten our preparations, hurry now!"

Aegnor strode forth, his gait heavy with purpose as he crossed the threshold into the pavilion. There, he took his rightful place at Andreth’s side, kneeling beside her. In that moment, he drew her close, their lips meeting in a tender kiss that spoke of love and hope, pure and beautiful. Reluctantly, they parted just as Eldalótë entered, bearing fresh blankets. Angrod came and rested upon his knees, behind her head, placing it down on his lap. As Eldalótë worked, preparing Andreth for the approaching birth, Andreth smiled up into the faces of the elves and broke into a gentle laugh.

"Once upon a winter morning, so very long ago, I happened upon two Noldorin elves, little did I know that chance meeting would lead us all here! Together again, like the very day of our first meeting!"

Angrod smiled softly upon her, a tender glance of endearing love for this sweet, sweet child.

Andreth was suddenly jolted fromtgat tender moment. A gush of warm liquid poured from her. Eldalótë was quick to act, she lifted her dress and bundled it around her abdomen. She then lifted her knees and spread them as wide as she could as the brothers looked on.

It is time," she said, her eyes lifting to her husband and to Aegnor.

"Do you have a prediction?" Angrod asked his wife.

She regarded him honestly, "she is mortal. Her offspring will be elven. She will not have the strength to pull through. You must carry her there,"

"Understood...," Angrod nodded

"Understood...," repeated Aegnor

It was at that moment Andreth endured a cresting wave of intense pain. It engulfed her entire body. Her jaw clenched tightly, her body shaking. Finally, it passed, and she reclined with relief. Her head landed back into Angrod's lap.

"That was bitterly unpleasant!" She cried. Barely as she caught her breath another surge of sharp pain gripped her tightly. She screamed with agony, the deafening cry shattering Aegnors very core. Her body shook with fear

"Should it be this intense so soon!?" She screeched.

"The child within you is of eldar blood, Andreth...to see it through, you will require far more endurance than this!" Eldalótë replied, almost stupified.

"Enough! Those are not helpful words Eldalótë!" Aegnor snapped.

"Aegnor! You must not break focus now! I can not do this alone!" Angrod retorted

Another wave of agony struck her. This one is far more intense than the last few. Andreth groaned loudly. The contraction seemed to last forever, crippling her.

Aegnor watched as his beloved endured wave after wave of excruciating torment, drawing on his strength through their feä bond.

Through the night, Andreth toiled, pushing with all she had, her face and hair soaked with sweat and tears. By her side, her champions, Angrod and Aegnor, lent their boundless strength to her as she fought tirelessly in the battle for life. After a long and arduous struggle, as the morning sun ascended from behind the horizon, Eldalótë urged her on, Andreth faltered in utter despair and hopeless desperation, she had no strength left.

"I can not! I can give no more!" She wailed. Aegnor leaned in and spoke words of encouragement into Andreth's wet ear.

"My love, you have already given so much. Draw upon our strength and bring our precious babe into the safety of my waiting arms," he spoke with unwavering steadiness. His velvet voice melted like butter in her ear.

Andreth remembered Variel in that moment and her parting words to her. The hope she had lost, the love she had missed. She was not content to suffer the same fate and braced herself for yet another surge, the final battle. With a scream that rattled the heavens, she pushed with a force fuelled by undying love. It was an agony that surpassed any mortal's imagining. Drawing from the brothers, with a final mighty push, her loud cries for relief quelled into a nail-biting quiet.

A tense hush descended upon the room, a silence held in a breathless stillness. Then, suddenly, the soft sound of a wailing infant broke through as Eldalótë cleaned the babe and wrapped it in soft blankets. Aegnor and Angrods silence was deafening. Eldalótë then rose and brought it to its fathers waiting arms.

"Behold, a son," she whispered, her words barely more than a gentle breeze, as she delicately placed him against Aegnor's chest. Besotted with the precious bundle now wrapped in his arms, Aegnor stared down at him, hardly believing his teary eyes.

A tuft of dark, wet hair crowned the babes little head, and his watery grey eyes, innocent and searching, stared up at the face of his elven father for the first time. Tiny outstretched hands felt the air, reaching up. As if drawn by an invisible thread, the infants hand brushed against Aegnor's face. That tender touch shattered the last vestiges of his composure, and Aegnor surrendered to a wellspring of sobs, his heart overflowing with love.

A large, steady hand found its place upon Aegnor's trembling shoulder. Angrod, ever steadfast, congratulated him in a silent gesture of fraternal love. Trembling, he surrendered his precious child into Angrod's loving hold. The babe came to him readily, Angrod cradled his nephew protectively and with a gentle strength.

Amidst the glow, Andreth stirred, her eyes fluttering. Weak and utterly exhausted, she barely had enough strength to lift her head, and she beheld the breathtaking tableau before her. Angrod, transfixed on his nephew, while Aegnor's tears poured. He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss upon her moist forehead, his tears mingling with and outpouring of praise and adoration. Angrod then carefully passed the babe into his mother's embrace, where a beautiful bond ignited. She immediately brought it to her breast, finding solace in the familiar warmth and the rhythm of her heartbeat, the infant cooed softly in her arms. Andreth sighed, her heart pouring with love. Not a breath could be heard as the baby suckled.

"What shall be his name, my love?" Andreth asked her husband. Angrod leaned over and chimed in her ear.

"Among our kind, the naming of a child is a shared endeavour, a babe is given both a mother name and a father name, a gift from both parents," he explained. Andreth's gaze shifted to her son, her eyes filled with tranquil contemplation

"What name do you see fit to bestow upon our son, beloved?" Aegnor inquired gently

The memory of her brother Bregor came to her, and all he meant to her. More than anything, she wished to honour his legacy and cherish his beloved memory.

"His mother name.... shall be Bregolas, in memory of the firstborn son of Bregor, my dear brother. I name this child in honour of him," she declared, her voice tinged with bittersweet memories.

"Then Bregolas he shall be called, Until the moment I shall pick a name for him," Aegnor spoke. "He carries within him both the gentleness of his mother and the flame of his father, I do not think it shall take too long,"

"Eldalótë, thank you," Andreth whispered, her exhausted smile glowing.

"Come my husband, let us leave them to this moment," Eldalótë spoke steadily as she gracefully rose to her feet. Smiling proudly, Angrod followed suit, and together, they left the confines of the pavilion. Leaving Aegnor and Andreth alone with their treasured joy.

"He is so beautiful," She sniffed

"He is ours," Aegnor whispered, kissing her tenderly. Belly full, the babe soon drifted into a peaceful sleep. Aegnor tenderly cradled the babes soft head as it slept in his mother's arms. "Upon my life, I will guard him from all danger and provide a home for him, filled with love, peace, and joy." Then he turned to Andreth, his hand filled with gentle love shifted to her moist cheek.

"Melinyel Amin, Meldaquendë," she whispered, her nose caressing his as his breath softened to trembling sighs. "Will you take him for a while?" She asked with a gentle smile. "I must rest now,"

She passed the sleeping infant to Aegnor and with one graceful motion, he stood up. She watched as he sang softly to his infant son, his movements like a graceful dance toward the outside. Showering him with gentle kisses, leaving Andreth behind in the still silence of an empty chamber. With a shuddering sigh, she fell back upon the blankets and comfortable wolf skins surrounding her and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

As Aegnor emerged from the pavilion, cradling his new son safely in his protective embrace, he saw the serene figure of Eldalótë standing alone. Aegnor paused, looking for his brother.

"Where is Angrod?" He asked

"He has ventured forth into the forest to procure a meal for Andreth," Eldalótë replied evenly ("May I?") she asked, extending her arms toward the babe.

Slowly, Aegnor stepped closer, his movements tense and tenderly passed the child to her arms. The babe settled comfortably into her full bosom and she swayed gently as it slept. A silence thickened as Aegnors apprehension grew. Eldalótë senced his growing unease alone in her presence.

"You need not fear, Aegnor. I will not divulge your sordid little secrets to Andreths ear," Eldalótë spoke softly, bouncing the babe gently as she rocked, "I have managed to keep it from even Angrod's own ears,"

"What do you want from me, Eldalótë?" He asked curtly

Her eyes regarded him. Her gaze chilling the air around them. "You have made my unwelcome here apparantly clear. You never were one for polite courtesy, even if it was expected of you to feign such a pretence, Aegnor. So I will speak now, and you will listen!" She hissed.

The song of the birds was the only sound in the heavy silence between them.

"Do you think I had forgotten?" She muttered, her eyes narrowing with intense icy hatred. "do not think my union with Angrod undoes the mark you branded upon my heart. Not a day passed in those early days where I did not cry. All the passionate nights in our marriage, where Angrod devoted himself to ensuring my complete satisfaction...he did so all while the scent of you still lingered on me." She taunted him.

Aegnor sighed loudly, his agitation growing.

"Did you truly think you could just walk free from all this?" She laughed. It was a chilling laugh. "Do you still run from your fears? All the memories between us, laid bare. I still taste the wine... and I still hear the sounds,"

He cradled his wrinkled brow, as if trying to erase her words from his mind. She passed the infant back to his father, her frosty gaze staring him down.

"Remember my words, Aegnor." She spoke softly and lifted her cowl over her head with a measured grace. Her violet eyes freezing his blood with venomous poison. He watched her silently as she turned from him, gliding toward the forest, seeking solitude among its vast, lonely embrace. Slowly he slinked back, returning to the comfort of the pavilion and to the sleeping Andreth. With a gentle kiss upon her forehead, Aegnor settled at her side. He understood the need for caution now more than ever.