Elerrina

Fire and Ice

Images danced before her eyes in a blurry mess as things started to focus. Her limbs felt like jelly and she noticed that she was only half upright, her body supported by a pair of strong arms. Elladan had caught her before she hit the polished marble floor. She wanted to move, to stand upright again, but found that she did not have the strength to even open her mouth to say anything. She felt Elladan slide one arm behind her knees as he gently lifted her in his arms, her body seemingly weightless on his strong grip. He effortlessly carried her to the elegant couch inside his chambers, cradling her in his lap as he lowered himself to a sitting position.

"Rina?" His voice was low, almost a whisper, and she could her the faint thread of worry and fear hidden in it. One on his hands reached to her face and softly brushed away a strand of her golden hair, gently placing it behind a pointed ear.

Slowly, her eyes focused on his handsome face, immediately searching for his eyes. Deep liquid silver met her gaze, trapping her in a never-ending swirl of gentleness, his eyes sparkling with concern as he stared at her for a long moment. She could feel his distress through their bond, his fear at not knowing what had happened, why she had suddenly collapsed.

She wanted to reassure him that everything was fine, but she herself did not now exactly what had happened. Her mind felt dizzy, the memories like a faint fog that she could not entirely put together. The attack had happened so quickly. She remembered pain, then a force pushing against her mind, then nothing. She knew everything must have happened in seconds, for she awoke in Elladan's arms halfway to the floor, not lying on the couch or the bed.

"Rina? Can you hear me?" Elladan pressed, and she forced her eyes to focus on his once again, breaking free from her trail of thought. The worry that filled his silver eyes made her heart ache and she forced her lips to smile, although she was sure her attempt must have looked pathetic.

"Yes. I hear you" Her voice came out as a faint whisper, slightly shaking, but it seemed to be enough for Elladan's tensed body to relax.

She rolled her head to the side, burying her face in the fine silk of his tunic and she felt one his hands travel to the back of her head, softly stroking her hair. She knew he was worried, knew that he wanted to know what had happened, but she also knew that he would not press her, and she did not really want to talk about it at the moment. Waves of peace flowed through her body as his slender fingers gently stroked her hair, and she knew that it was him trying to soothe her.

"Are you in pain?" He whispered in her ear. His words made her remember the splitting headache she had felt after the last mind attack, and knew that he had not forgotten that episode either. It had probably been more traumatic for him than for her after all.

"No" Was her answer as she slowly shook her head. She felt no pain. She felt nothing at all. Apart from the scare and confusion, she felt no different than she had a couple of minutes ago.

Slowly, she lifted her head from the safety of his tunic to meet his eyes, letting his silver ones stare deeply into her, searching for the truth in her words. Her strength had once again returned, and she felt only as if she had merely awakened from a nap.

"What happened?" He asked finally as she sat upright on his lap, letting both of his arms wrap securely around her waist. His silver eyes pierced into her, demanding and at the same time pleading for an answer.

Elerrina let her gaze drop to the floor as she struggled to find an answer to his question. She did not know what had happened, and did not want to explain it or talk about it. A moment of silence passed, and she could feel his eyes continuing to stare at her, burning on her skin, but she did not turn to meet his gaze.