Cormallen Lullaby

[rabidsamfan]

For a moment, Elladan thought something had gone badly wrong. But no, the two Halflings were still sleeping, the small chests moving gently under the cloaks which had been pressed into service for blankets. They looked much better now they'd been cleaned up, and from what Mithrandir had said they'd taken some broth and water not too long ago. So what was wrong with Elessar?

He rested a hand on one shaking shoulder, and his foster brother raised his head from his arms, to look and see who had joined him. The young king's eyes were red-rimmed with sleeplessness, but the brightness in them was laughter, not grief. "What?" Elladan began, but Elessar hushed him. "Listen…" he whispered, tugging Elladan down to sit beside the patients' pallets.

Elladan frowned, but did as he was bid, and became aware of two small stomachs, long empty, rejoicing the arrival of water and food with all the undignified mewling of a pair of disgruntled kittens. A particularly beauteous grumble from Sam's insides set Elessar's shoulders shaking again as he covered his mouth like a small boy with a joke.

Elladan grinned, not only for the music of the hobbits' returning health, but also for the memory of that small boy, giddy with exhaustion, doing his best to keep up his eyes open as long as those with more Elven blood in the Hall of Fire, and singing a song for the assembled company that was not one his foster brothers had ever meant for him to repeat.

Warned by that memory, he was able to catch Aragorn now when the Man's eyes flickered shut and weariness turned bones to water. He chuckled when Elessar mumbled a protest, and settled him onto a hastily spread cloak. "Easy, brother," he said. "I shall watch the little ones."

"They've been through so much," tears appeared under the dark lashes, as Aragorn fought sleep. "I should…"

"You should sleep," Elladan said, and soothed him with a hand to his brow. "By the lullaby they're playing, I think they'll do for now." That brought a smile for a moment, before unconsciousness began to smooth away the worried lines. "Sleep," Elladan said again, fondly, as he'd said so long ago to the sleeping child. "Not even the Dúnedain can battle without rest."

Comments

[elasg.livejournal.com]

Ooo.... very nice. Thank you!

[shirebound]

Oh, what a lovely, lovely scene! That would be happy music indeed, and such a gentle moment between these 'brothers'.

:D

[dreamflower]

I always love Aragorn so lovingly tending the hobbits at Cormallen. And I can see where he could find their "rumbly tummies" something to rejoice in!
And I love the image of his Elven brother, so gently watching over him.

[prim-rose.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was such a heart-warming story. I love the portray of Elladan's brotherly love.

[katakanadian.livejournal.com]

Love the rumbling tummies. LOL!

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I love the image of giddy-with-exhaustion Aragorn. Thank you!

[b-briarwood.livejournal.com]

*Giggling madly at the tummy rumbles!*

[lame-pegasus.livejournal.com]

Wonderful - rumbling Hobbit tummies! And an Aragorn, swaying between laughter and tears in his exhaustion, a loving elven brother and a tale of a rather unappropriate song! Perfect, humorous and sweet - thank you so very much!

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

You just turned me to a puddle. You caught Aragorn's euphoric exhausted moments where the line between laughter and tears is so thin beautifully.

I'm a puddle, in all the love expressed here.

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

You made me cry...

Happy tears, though.

Oh, I love Elladan! Elrohir too, but I love Elladan more, which is ridiculous considering we know so very little baout them. But there you go... You write Elladan splendidly my dear, which is very rarely found on the interweb. This is such a lovely piece, I'm going to have to remember it later when I'm knackered after work and read it again to cheer myself up.

*big hugs*

Oh, one thought - did you intend "Dunadan" in the last line to be in the singular? My initial impression was that it should be the plural (Dúnedain), but then I remembered that people call Aragorn "Dúnadan" sometimes so I wasn't sure which you intended. :)

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I went back and forth about singular or plural, and to be honest I'm not really sure if it works as the singular. Do you think that using the plural would be all right? (And remind me how to do the accent thing! I can never get it right!)

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

I think the plural would work fine. To accent your vowels type Ctrl+Alt+[vowel] or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+[vowel] for upper case vowels.

:D

G xxx

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. The accent didn't work in the regular feed box. I'll have to find the html for it.

[melilot-hill.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful, loving moment between Aragorn and Elladan :)

[slipperieslope.livejournal.com]

((hugs))

That was a wonderful stomach rumbling lullaby!

[lothithil.livejournal.com]

Really beautiful! I love Elladan (and his brother) Fantastic moment captured here!

[gentlehobbit.livejournal.com]

two small stomachs, long empty, rejoicing the arrival of water and food with all the undignified mewling of a pair of disgruntled kittens.

Oh dear. *wipes eyes* That must be the most funny but sweet line I have read in a long time. Just wonderful! Bless you.

[lindelea1.livejournal.com]

Absolutely lovely. I don't know why I'm up when I can only pry one eye half-open, and you shouldn't be rewarding my shocking lack of sense with such wonderful writing!

But thank you all the same.

[illyria-novia.livejournal.com]

A particularly beauteous grumble from Sam's insides set Elessar's shoulders shaking again as he covered his mouth like a small boy with a joke.

Oh, I love that image. What a sweet, lovely snippet to show not only how dedicated Aragorn is to his task of taking care of the hobbit, but also how the littlest improvement could reward him with joy. Thank you!