Yet Were Its Making Good, For This by LadySternchen  

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Part Two- Unexpected

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It was almost completely dark when the crunching of gravel made Mablung turn around, prepared to greet whoever had sought him out here, or else just stumbled across him. It quite caught him by surprise as the cloaked figure drew back his hood, and revealed himself to be none other than Elmo. Mablung frowned. Elmo had left Alqualondë together with the king and Círdan a few weeks back, to what errand Mablung knew not- but it was in any case not uncommon for Olwë’s presence to be required in Tirion, or else in Valmar, and as his chief counsellors, Elmo and Círdan would often accompany him. What was uncommon was that he had heard nothing of the king returning to his court, which he ought to have if Elmo was back.

And for some reason, that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.

Mablung had no time to mull that over, though, as Elmo was now close enough for him to see his face, and thus see that he looked positively exhilarated. Mablung rose to greet his old friend, but could hardly get the words out before Elmo had wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“What…”

“What?" Elmo asked innocently, though he could hardly hide his wide grin as he detached himself from Mablung "Not happy to see me?”

“I am always happy to see you, as you know very well yourself, especially seeing you so happy. But what is the matter? You seem to be out on an urgent errand.”

“That I am indeed. And so are you. You are going to pick whatever you need for a trip to Lórien, quickish. And then you will accompany me, and if all works out as it should and Galadhon actually manages to find Thônwen and Beleg on their hunt, we will meet up with them on the way.”

Elmo had said all this quietly but with a tone that allowed for no contradiction, and Mablung was in the act of nodding before all that Elmo had said had sunk in.

“What?”

“No time for questions now, Mablung, just come with me. We are in a hurry.”

“Alright.” Mablung said, hastening to fall into stride beside Elmo. “But you still have not told me why we are in such a hurry to meet them that we have to leave at night? Or why we need to meet Thônwen and Beleg now when they are away on their hunt?”

Mablung’s bewilderment grew with every moment. Ever since they had both been returned to their bodies, Thônwen and Beleg had left for hunting trips in Oromë’s woods every few years. They had always been close friends, and Thônwen had been Beleg’s mentor, had taught him the language of the trees, and the art of healing and hunting alike. For both, these trips here in Valinor had become a treasured ritual, and if Elmo chose to call his wife back from that trip a month before they were due to return, the cause had to be something serious.

“True. But both would be even more annoyed with us if we did not call on them, trust me. Now, get what you need swiftly, and do not talk to anyone but your family. I would quite like to keep this unnoticed as long as possible.”

Now, finally, Mablung reached the end of his patience.

“What do you want to keep unnoticed? What am I to tell my family? I am not going to move one inch before you tell me what this is about!”

There was a curious look on Elmo’s face, and it took Mablung a moment to realise that it was something close to pity.

“What?” Mablung asked again, desperately. “You are scaring me, Elmo!”

Elmo, however, smiled and shook his head slightly.

“Please trust me, Mablung. There is no need to be scared at all. Do as I told you, gather what you need, tell someone you might be gone for a while, and come with me. I promise I will tell you as soon as we are on horseback, and away from eager ears.”

Mablung hesitated for only a heartbeat, then nodded. There were not many people in Arda whom he trusted more than Elmo, so he turned on his heels to head back to the city.

He packed up a spare set of clothes, a comb and some dried fish and fruit and just in case an empty waterskin, put it all into his cloak, bundled and tied it up and slunk it over his back. On his way back to Elmo, he ran into one of his grand-nephews who just got ready to board his boat and set out with Alqualondë’s fishing fleet. They quickly exchanged a few words, Mablung wishing his nephew luck at sea, and his nephew him a good journey. It was not unusual for people to travel around Aman, sometimes for days, sometimes for several years. It mattered little, but it was still custom to let one’s closest kin know.

Why then, Mablung wondered, did he still have this peculiar feeling in his stomach that he was once again leaving a life he had grown accustomed to behind?

Elmo already awaited him with both their horses, and bade him mount as soon as Mablung reached him. Resignedly, Mablung did as bidden, knowing that Elmo's determination to keep his errands a secret would not be swayed and that therefore, Mablung would have to be patient.

But Valar, was that hard.

They had ridden for quite a distance before Elmo at last bade his horse halt, and looked at Mablung in the darkness.

“Have you guessed by now where I am taking you, and to what purpose?”

Mablung shook his head, unease again flooding him, more so as Elmo reached out to grasp his hand tightly.

“Ai Mablung, your mind once was sharper. Or else you are so afraid to admit it that you hide the truth even from yourself. We have Elu back, Mablung, and he desperately, desperately wants to see you.”

If ever Mablung might have fainted from shock, it was this moment. As it was, he did feel quite dizzy as Elmo’s words sank in, and also completely unable access his emotions. Dimly, he noticed Elmo tighten his grip on his arm.

“Breathe for me, Mablung. It would not do for you to fall from your horse out of shock.”

Though Elmo sounded a little worried, Mablung could still discern the amusement in his tone quite easily.

“But…” he gasped. "...but..."

He could not put his thoughts into words, not yet. Instead he just shook his head, and leaned forward to bury his face in his horse’s mane, so as to hide his face while he came to terms with all the conflicting thoughts and emotions that were hurling through his head, making him feel quite sick in the process. Elmo stroked his back gently, and Mablung, taking comfort from that, tentatively allowed himself to dive into that pool of whirling thoughts and actually think them through.

He had prayed and pleaded with who knows whom for exactly that every moment since his re-eembodiment- to have Elu back, even if deep down he had long since given up that hope. How was it then that now that his wish was granted against all odds, he had no idea whatsoever how to deal with it? He would not be able to continue living as they had done in Doriath, would not be able to go back to hiding his feelings. Was this how all those that awaited the return of their sundered kin from Middle-Earth felt? Were they just as much at a loss of how to resume life after Ages spent apart?

But they at least knew how and what they should feel. Mablung did not, and for the briefest moment, he wished that Elu could just have stayed dead. That thought, however, instantly sent a white-hot pain through his heart, and though it made him sob in despair, it was a comforting feeling all the same. No, he most certainly did not want Elu dead. But what else did he want?

“But… but they said… even Melian thought he would not return, that he could not return… and as he renounced kingship in Dior’s favour I assumed that he truly did not want to return himself.” he managed to stammer at last, sitting back up and wiping his face.

“So we all thought. That he could not come back.” Elmo agreed softly, still rubbing Mablung’s back. “And indeed he is not wholly… well, he is not as I was when I left Mandos, or you. Lord Námo explained that to us, that Elu is not truly healed from the grief that ripped him apart even in life. That he cannot be free from that, ever. But still, Námo aims to return all who can be returned to their bodies, and so released Elu from his halls even if he was not… well. You will see.”

Mablung nodded absent-mindedly, but did not speak, and after a while Elmo went on:
“I never realised just how serious your relationship was, Mablung. Forgive me. I always thought you just… had a crush on him. I thought that had long since burned itself into just friendship. I never knew that you loved him all your life, I realised that only after, ah, after I had a conversation with Thônwen and Melian here in Aman that I am loathe to recall, for it left me feeling like an ignorant elfling. Oh Mablung, I am so sorry that I left you alone in that mess after Beleg had died. I was so… consumed by my grief for Thônwen that I did not notice that my brother was dying long before the dwarves wielded their weapons. I knew that he was not doing too well, but I thought… you know how he was after Lúthien forsook immortality. He had those bad phases and then would get back onto his feet, and I just assumed that it was a little worse then.”

“It was not.” Mablung muttered through gritted teeth. He had never talked about that time to anyone safe Melian only, but he could not help it now. “He kept himself off food and sleep, would sit in the cold… that is, whenever he was not locked up in that smithy. You know, had the Nauglamir taken a little longer to complete, I reckon Maedhros would not have been the first Elf to succeed in taking his own life.”

“I know. I knew the moment I knelt down beside his body and saw what he had done to himself. But by then it was too late. By then I had already let him down, and Melian, and you. And still you comforted me when we laid Elu to rest. It should have been the other way round.”

Mablung shook his head. As if Elmo could have comforted anyone then.

“No. We all did what we could to just stay alive. But let us ride on. I fear that reunion more than I can say, and I cannot imagine how it can possibly turn out alright, but I long to see him nonetheless.”

If Mablung had thought that knowing in advance would make the actual meeting any easier, he had been widely mistaken. Their journey was quite uneventful, and meeting up with Beleg, Galadhon and Thônwen even drove Mablung’s anxiousness back a little, but when he finally, really and truly stood before Elu, his emotions overwhelmed him just as much as they would have done had he not known beforehand, engulfing all his senses, so that he could do nothing but stand motionless and gaze at the elf he had pined over for aeons. He watched Galadhon fling himself into his uncle’s arms, watched Thônwen pat Elu on the back in greeting, then think better of it and wrap her arms around him properly, and then Beleg do the same.

He himself could not move. Or at least not until Elu’s gaze met his at last, and he spread his arms a little awkwardly- only then did Mablung feel his muscles move, and accept the invitation, and next moment he found himself face to face with his former king, and gripped his arms tightly. He tried to do his very best to suppress his shaking, but to little avail. Seeing Elu standing there, in the same sort of robes he himself had been dressed in as he had left the Halls was.. too much. Where before all had been numbed by the sheer amount of feelings that wanted to be felt at once, there now seemed to be no escaping his senses, that had become keen and clear all of a sudden, and focused only on one thing- the elf before him. And yet, he could do nothing but gaze into Elu’s eyes in despair, unable to imagine what might come next.

Melian, who looked happier than Mablung had seen her in many millennia, glanced between them, at last finding Mablung’s gaze. He held hers and felt as if she could look right past his eyes into his troubled mind, and knew all the thoughts and feelings that wreaked havoc in his head.

“Oh Mablung…” she sighed at last, a very curious smile on her face. “Oh, saying this aloud feels awkward, but alright, here goes- I think it is high time that we settle something here. Mablung, I trust you know of the degree that was passed for Meadhros and Fingon and a handful of others? That if all parties are willing, bonds of more than two people would be suffered under very special circumstances?”

Mablung nodded, bewildered. What had that to do with anything? Elu, it seemed was taken even more by surprise, for he spluttered:
“They what?”

Melian giggle at the incredulity in her husband’s voice, but explained patiently all the same.

“Be quiet, love, and listen. It is as I said indeed. You see, my kin is not omniscient. The Valar too need to learn from experience, and they are very keen to avoid any more disasters like the situation that ultimately arose around Finwë. You see, there are very little exceptions in the mind of the Ainur. It is the way we are made.”

“Says the one exception to everything.” Elmo interrupted with a wry smile, and everyone laughed.

A reddish tinge crept into Melian’s cheeks, but she grinned all the same.

“Well, yes, true, but that is not the point here. The Ainur have an idea of how the Children are supposed to work and are then flabbergasted whenever there are… special cases. Elves grow no beards. Well, tell that to Círdan and Mahtan. They are both prouder of their beards than many a Dwarf. Elves are not supposed to die at birth, ever. Míriel still did. Elves only form one bond in life- yes, mostly. Not always. Sometimes… unexpected things happen.” she paused to look between her husband and Mablung “Sometimes Maiar happen. I do not regret it, nor will I ever do so, and would do it all over again without blinking an eye, but I cannot deny that I stole Elu from you, Mablung.”

Mablung gasped. Had Melian just said what he had heard her say?

“What?”

Galadhon’s shocked exclamation provided an unlooked for comfort to Mablung, as well as a much needed relief from the tension- so at least not everyone had known. All the others, though -and that included Olwë and Círdan, which made Mablung blush violently- were not in the least surprised. In fact, they seemed highly amused by Galadhon’s ignorance.

“How come you all know that and I do not?”

“Because your uncle’s pre-marriage love-life is none of your business.” Thônwen remarked dryly, rolling her eyes at her son.

“Aye, but neither is it yours, Nana.”

“Which is not the point right now. We can all make fun of Elu and Mablung later.” said Melian, bringing the conversation back to the point she was apparently eager to stress. Mablung scowled. Trust Melian to get everyone’s attention back in such a way. 
“Because I am finally going to tell them about a thing I have been mulling over for a very very very long time- you see, if Fingon’s wife can put up with Maedhros and be fine with it, then I most certainly can live with one of my dearest friends in my relationship. I know I tore you both apart and I am so sorry for that. I always was. But now at last I can put this right without forsaking my own marriage-bond. So if both Elu and you want it, I am more than happy to have you with us, Mablung.”

Mablung’s mind was utterly blank. He knew that some part of him wanted to say something, anything really, but he could not. Elu stood in equal silence, his expression unreadable even for Mablung. But then a shudder went through him, and he let go of Mablung’s arms to cup Melian’s face with trembling fingers.

“Do you mean that? Do you really, really mean that?” he asked, his voice all bur breaking with emotion.

And when she nodded, he pulled her into his arms in an embrace that spoke of his gratitude just as much as his unwavering love for his wife.

Beleg was actually the one to rush forward first once Melian had gently disentangled herself from her husband, and hug her tightly as well, and his best friend's gratefulness on his behalf finally made it clear to Mablung that he was not dreaming, or else had imagined Melian’s words. Slowly but steadily, the realisation of all that had happened since Elmo had sought him out on the beach started to sink in, and with it exhilarating, all-consuming happiness. He beamed at Elu, who smiled back, and Círdan said, laughing:
“Am I supposed to say you may seal that bond now?”

The others cheered and giggled, and Mablung, feeling that he could not get any more embarrassed than he already was, reached up to lay his hands on either side of Elu’s face, and pull him down into a kiss.