A happy Ending for Eöl

Chapter 8: Anguirel

"Eden halanae" - "slower"

He got easily used to waking up next to her and contemplating her sleeping, well aware that one day wrinkles will distort the harmony of her face, that her body will weaken and falter. He was helplessly observing how the gold of her short time slips away and it filled him with silent rage and awe. He could not comprehend her resignation with her unfair lot, the joy and impatience in her eyes every morning - she was excited about her few remaining decades and cherished every moment, every day and he couldn't do anything but admire her courage to face the mortality.

It was as if she was created by Eru to pull him out of the serenity of Eldar life, to shake him awake and make him realize and feel the hasty, panting, ephemeral existence of the whole world. The shortness of her life made him appreciate every single second with her and experience it with an intensity he never thought possible. Her beauty, doomed to fade, the seductive grace in her moves, sneakily stealing more from the threads of Vairë, it all lit an unsatiable fervour within him and he just could not get enough of her.

Like most of the clear summer days they went for a close combat sparring deeper in the woods. Ahinora was making significant progress under the skilful guidance of her elven tutor and they enjoyed their daily practice greatly. She quickly learned not to hold back and was throwing herself at him with all the frenzy and swiftness she was capable of. Seeing her flushed cheeks, the sparks of excitement in her eyes, the crystal drops of sweat on her brow and the glossy dark river of her hair, following her every move, he couldn't resist but dropped his weapons to the mossy forest floor and with a move so fast no mortal eye could detect dove under the silver swing of her blades and pinned her down under the weight of his body. Eyes wide in bewilderment she tried to free herself, but he didn't loosen the iron grip on her wrists while he claimed her mouth with a triumphant smirk, the position of their bodies reminding him of the moment they met. She exclaimed in surprise as he entered her without any warning and started squirming underneath him, desperately trying to free her hands in order to feel more of him. The way her velvety walls stroke and clamped around his steel when she writhed underneath him made him roar and he continued his attack with a doubled force.

"Eden halanae, Eöl... eden..." managed she, turning her face to the side, escaping his demanding lips for a moment. It was all too late as her hunger for his body made her hips rise involuntarily and she felt the all-absorbing white glow of the extasy consuming the world around her. With a long sigh, she let go and felt the long stroking fingers of the elf on her face and the hot spurt of his release inside her.

It was in this intimate moment when he felt the shifting of the forces in the forest. The invisible threads of his powers tensed up alarmingly - a threat was approaching. He helped her up and pulled her by the hand towards their home in haste, silently focused on the rising danger. When they arrived the men of the house were already arming themselves. She watched with growing uneasiness how he was donning his black galvorn armour - an enchanted masterpiece of his craft, scrutinized the sharpness of Anguirel and sheathed it.
"Armed men are approaching, Ahinora. You are not to leave my halls before I return. Do not dare to defile my order again!" commanded he and left. She nodded without saying a word. The large imposing man in full armour speaking to her now was the lord and protector of Nan Elmoth, not her lover.

Eöl stood tall on the narrow path, his black blade drawn, and measured up the approaching men. The rest of his elves were hiding in the vegetation, ready to charge at his command. It was a large group of thugs, most likely mercenaries, heavily armed, no sign or coat-of-arms on their breastplates, no flags, sneaking through his land, searching for something.

They attacked at sight, not allowing Eöl to speak. Though outnumbered heavily, the elves gained the upper hand quite easily - no human, especially the sluggish and poorly trained brutes had any chance against the superior weapons and armour and the deadly skills of Eöl's men. He was the eye of the storm himself - his black sword striking with hair-splitting precision, his moves so swift that he turned into a punishing dark blur. Dropping low and swinging Anguriel in a whirlwind of death, his hair caught in the momentum of his unnaturally fast move, he shouted to his men to keep at least one enemy alive for questioning. Realizing their impending doom the remaining humans fled in panic, forcing Eöl's into a chase. The lightness of their galvorn armours gave them an advantage but the enemy scattered among the trees, and it took long to catch up.

A sudden dreadful realization made him drop to his knees, squirming in almost palpable pain. He perceived another presence in his forest - in alarming vicinity of Ahinora. As he rose and turned on his heels, running faster than ever towards his home, his heart skipped a beat as his elven hearing caught her terrified scream fading among the trees.