Aredhel and the Marring of Bliss by just_jenni

Chapter 1-Fateful Wishes

In which Aredhel desires to leave Gondolin but Turgon does not want her to go.

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“Aredhel! Sister!”  The King’s booming voice echoed through the vast hall.  Aredhel looked up at the vaulted ceiling, thinking that she would not be surprised if the whole thing collapsed and fell to rubble before her feet, such was the volume of Turgon’s powerful voice.   She lifted the skirts of her dress in preparation to run like the wind to safety outside if, indeed, the walls did come down.  They seemed to be shaking unnervingly.

 

“I beg you, Aredhel, please turn around and come back to hear me out.  Let me have one more chance to convince you to stay.  It is for your own safety and my love for you that I emplore you.”

 

Out of respect for her brother, who was after all the King of Gondolin and because of her great deal of love for him, Aredhel dropped her skirts, letting them fall to their normal level around her ankles in a cloud of white silk and lace.  She trod in her satin buttoned shoes in more ladylike strides back to her brother where he sat upon his throne.

 

“Dear Turukano,” she cajoled him in a warm, loving voice.  “It is not for lack of love of you that I desire to leave.  There is an urge within me that I cannot ignore.  I do not fully understand this urge but I feel compelled to visit our cousins whom I have not seen for so long.  I cannot remain cooped up here no matter how beautiful Gondolin is.  I do not mean to insult you or the city.”

 

Turgon’s look of concern alarmed her.  His fair face turned a frighteningly dark shade of red and she could tell that he was trying very hard to control his temper.  Her brother could be a bit too haughty for his own good, she thought.

 

 

“Please be truthful when you answer this, Aredhel, and do not presume that I am judging you.  It is only because I care for your welfare more than casting blame or making judgements about certain rules and conventions that I am afraid you might be wishing to flout.”

 

Aredhel’s brows raised in a questioning glance but she did not say anything to him.  She vowed to stay as silent as possible without being impolite until Turgon finished what he had to say to her, because she meant to leave Gondolin no matter what he thought or how hard he might argue in an attempt to keep her there.

 

She loved Gondolin but felt like a prisoner within its gleaming white walls.  No amount of entertainment by the world’s best singers and minstrels, nor walks in the glorious palace gardens, nor even the love of her family members could lessen her desire to leave.  She knew not why exactly, only that within her was an uncontrollable desire to ride free once again, feel the wind in her hair, feel the breezes rushing past her ears while she rode, feel the horse’s muscles under her feet, driving it on faster and faster.  Her breath caught in her throat to think of it.  Of course, it would also be terrible not to see her cousins Celegorm and Curufin once more.  It had been a long time since she had and she missed them terribly.

 

"Do you love him?"  Her brother’s voice broke into her thoughts.

 

“What did you say?”  Her mouth opened in surprise when she heard Turgon’s words and she stared back at him, her eyes filling with tears because of the emotions she had stirred up in herself and the question he had just asked her.

 

“That Celegorm fellow—our cousin Celegorm,” Turgon caught himself, she supposed because he wanted to be nice so that she wouldn’t try to flee again.  “Are you in love with him?”

 

Aredhel's mouth opened and closed silently, then opened again.  To her surprise, her hand was shaking.  She wiped her eyes.

 

“I love them both,” was her soft reply.  “Believe me.  I miss them in the most terrible way, Turukano.  It is not my desire to leave Gondolin forever, but to visit my dear, dear cousins, to look upon their faces once more and ride free with them like we used to do, before the world changes yet again and we have peace no longer in our realm nor in any other place that was once free for me to ride in.  When I return I promise you I shall marry someone worthy and settle down.  Someone of your choosing, if you like.”

 

Turgon gazed long and hard upon his sister.  “I think I understand you,” he replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing it softly.  “I am relieved that it is not one of your cousins that you wish to marry, for besides being frowned upon according to our custom not to marry close family members, I mistrust those two sons of Feanor’s in more ways and much more than I wish to discuss here.  But I will not forbid you to see them.  I, too, remember how close you were to them in your youthful days and I understand how much you miss your old friends.  But as you know, the world is not as safe as it used to be, and I do demand that you allow me to send with you three worthy members of this house, to guard and protect you along the way.  For the road is long and full of perils.”

 

Aredhel choked back her retort.  She had her objections to having an escort all the way to Himlad, but if it meant that Turgon would agree to her leaving she would be happy with his terms.

 

“Thank you brother, my dear, dear Turukano.”  She wrapped her arms about his neck and hugged and kissed him enthusiastically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2-When We Were Young

In this chapter Aredhel remembers her youth and begins to recount her adventures with her two favourite cousins.

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Three young elves burst into raucous laughter, their three distinctly different voices rising on the air, filling the promising day with youthful, rambunctious sound.  They spilled out of the doorway of Feanaro's house and into the mingling light of the Trees, not caring one whit about anything except their unbounded joy at being allowed to do whatever they wanted on this glorious summer day.  It was early summer, the air gentle with the scent of new blossoms to tickle and tempt their senses.  Droplets of dew still crowned the blades of grass which retained the young peoples' footprints when they ran carelessly across Feanaro's carefully manicured lawn.

"Shh, Turko, keep your voice down!"  The younger of the two boys cried out in annoyance, tossing his mane of rich black hair over his shoulder in order to more clearly glare at his brother.  "We don't want Atar to wake up and think of some chore for us to do."  The two brothers and their female cousin kept running along the pebbled laneway that led to the stables.

Curufin, the fifth son of Feanaro, chased after his brother and their half-cousin Aredhel, and though he was swift, having inherited the long legs and lithe grace of his father, he was not as quick as Tyelkormo or Celegorm, his older brother, who was the most athletic of the Feanorion boys.  Their half-cousin Aredhel, daughter of Feanaro's brother Nolofinwe, was equal in spirit to her favourite cousins.  Although she was not yet fully grown, this being her fortieth year, while Curufin was forty-three and Tyelkormo had just turned seventy-three, she had a love of horses and riding, and possessed an independence of spirit that the boys admired.  She may have been young but she was brave and was more loyal at that time to the two boys than was their own brother Caranthir, fifteen years older than Curufin. And her two cousins thought of her as equal to themselves, which was a tremendous boost to her confidence.  She loved them for it, and they loved her in return.

Aredhel remembered a time in the not so distant past when she, Celegorm and Curufin had gone exploring, wandering too deeply in the woods and since they were on foot and not on horseback, they became lost.  As a result the youngsters had stayed out all night trying to find their way home.  The boys' parents, Feanor and Nerdanel, had been frantically searching for them through the long, dark hours.  At the time Aredhel was a guest in their house, staying for a few days.  Feanor and Nerdanel felt that they had betrayed Fingolfin's trust in letting his daughter wander astray.  Feanor in particular hated to be pressed to feel any sense of shame in regard to his half-brother.  This was something that Aredhel had learned from her cousins and was currently well aware of.  Nerdanel had been particularly upset and had to take to her bed, worn out from hunting all night long for her errant boys and her niece.  Exhaustion had become the poor woman's normal state during her child-bearing years and would overcome her in her later years as well.  Feanor was livid and kept the two boys prisoner in the house for a week, making them do all the menial chores for punishment.  Caranthir laughed and sneered at them and Celegorm had punched him on the nose for it.  Later, when Feanor asked him why his nose was bloody, Caranthir told him without hesitation, "Turko did it. He said he hates me."  The last part of that statement was a lie, which caused both Celegorm and Curufin to decide they could no longer trust their brother.  When they grew older Caranthir became closer to them, but at this point, whether it was because of jealousy or resentment at the closeness between his two brothers at the exclusion of himself, Caranthir was prone to display dislike for them.

Celegorm had told Aredhel that Feanor had taken him out for a ride around the training paddock and had a talk with him, not only regarding the subject of responsibility but also about what people would think if they discovered that the boys had been out all night in the forest with their younger female cousin.  "I know you are a good boy, Tyelkormo," Feanor had said, "but tongues will wag among the Noldor and the Vanyar - especially the Vanyar - if they were aware that that you two boys had your Uncle Nolofinwe's daughter with you all through the night.  "How is it that they lost their way when they know the lands so well?" Feanor said this in a mock, mincing, high-pitched tone to illustrate how the Vanyar might have sounded.

"We did not have the horses that day, Atar.  Do you not remember?  It was punishment for having gone hunting the week before and losing your best bow."

Feanor passed his hand over his eyes at the memory.  "Yes, I do remember, Turko," he told Celegorm.  "Never mind that now.  I wanted to remind you as the oldest of the three and with your coming of age soon approaching, that you have certain responsibilities toward any maiden and must conduct yourself in an appropriate manner accordingly.  While I do trust you and know that Aredhel's father trusts you as well, you cannot assume that because you have our trust that you can go off and do whatever you please, in as wild a manner as possible.  Do you understand me, Turko?"

Celegorm met his father's piercing gaze in all serious attentiveness, although his mind was on an upcoming hunting trip and not on what Feanor had just been telling him.  He wanted to please his father nevertheless.  "Yes, I do, Atar.  Truly I do.  I shall go with your leave to apologize to Uncle Nolofinwe for treating his daughter improperly. I promise I shall not let it happen again."

"Fine," Feanor replied, searching Celegorm's face for any sign of deviousness, but sighed resignedly when he realized that his fourth son was not the kind of person to possess that quality.  "Please see that you don't.  Now be off with you.  I can see that you are beyond restless and wish to be off."  With that Feanor moved to the paddock gate, dismounted and opened it so that Celegorm could ride through.  With a wave and broad grin Celegorm rode away to rendezvous with his brother and cousin.  Feanor watched him go, closing the gate with a rare smile lighting up his face.

0o00o0

Aredhel, Celegorm and Curufin picked out the horses they would ride that day.  Aredhel chose an appaloosa mare while Curufin picked out a jet horse so black that it rivalled a raven's feathers, and Celegorm immediately chose his father's prize pure white stallion, the strongest and fastest horse in Feanor's stables.

"You cannot take that new horse of Atar's, Turko!"  Curufin stood staring aghast while Celegorm hastily saddled the spirited horse, which was practically jumping up and down in its urge to run.

"Why ever not?"  A twinkle of mischief appeared in Celegorm's bright eyes.  "Atar won't mind.  This horse looks as if he needs a good run.  Look at him trying to buck!"  The older youth sprang into the saddle once he had prepared the stallion for riding and galloped way, expertly controlling the horse.

Curufin uttered a snort of exasperation, shook his mane of jet-black hair and said nothing more, finishing strapping on his horse's saddle.  Aredhel slid over to him, leading her horse by the reins and laid a soft hand upon Curufin's tanned arm.  "Don't be worried, Kurvo," she whispered, tilting her head sideways so she could peer into his downturned face and holding his thick hair aside to see him better.  "Turko is a good rider.  He will not let anything happen to Calimo."

Curufin lifted his head and smiled at her.  She was struck by how much he resembled his father, even at this young age.  The same bright eyes, thick black hair, straight nose and when he smiled, the same disarmingly charming smile.  "You are right, Nell," he said, using the nickname he had coined for her.  "Let nothing mar this glorious day.  Come, let's chase after him."

They leapt onto their horses, galloping after Celegorm who was well ahead of them.  Exchanging quick glances which made them both burst into simultaneous laughter, they soon caught up to the older youth who had pulled Calimo into a canter rather than a full-blown gallop.

Any observers of the three would have naturally assumed that Celegorm might have had more than a cousinly interest in Aredhel.  Her chestnut brown hair, worn long almost to her waist, was offset by her father's eyes, twinkling pale grey and sparkling in the sunlight.  She was pretty with a pleasant smile and already her figure was showing signs of burgeoning womanhood.

Celegorm was tall and handsome, with a strong masculinity about him.  His arms and chest were well-muscled and he bore the strength and grace of an athlete.  Many maidens of Tirion admired him and would giggle and whisper favourably about him when he rode by, almost as much as they commented on his oldest brother Maitimo, or Maedhros.

Curufin, not of age yet, did not much resemble his brother except for some slight facial similarity.  Quieter in nature, Curufin was not prone to smiling very often and would not look directly at the ladies of Tirion.  Still a youth, his build was lanky, his limbs long and lean, but his resemblance to his father would soon have the maidens either flocking to his dark, dangerous side or send them running away from him in fear.  Curufin's greatest strengths were in crafting and forge work.  When he took off his shirt, one could already see that his arms, chest and shoulders were becoming strong and hard-muscled from all the hammering and heavy lifting that his craft required.

If Aredhel had a preference for one brother over the other it would be Celegorm, although she did not yet realize this since she loved them both dearly and equally at present.  As for Curufin, he was beginning to feel something more for her than mere friendship.  When she had placed her hand on his arm in the stables and looked into his eyes he had felt a strange tingle stir inside his stomach, then his loins, but had dismissed it as the effect of something he had eaten, not understanding what it actually meant.  He began watching her in silence and for much longer than he had ever done before.

Chapter 3 - Foolish Youth

Read Chapter 3 - Foolish Youth

Aredhel's mare, a gentle creature, was in no hurry to catch up to the spirited stallion Calimo.  She and Curufin lagged behind while Celegorm pressed Calimo to gallop full speed across the open green pastures that spread out before them.  With the wind in his face, his long, wavy hair blowing behind him and crouched low over his father's steed, Celegorm gave Calimo his head and let him fly.  In seconds he was out of sight of the others.

Aredhel rode with Curufin side by side at a gentle canter, having begun an easy conversation that neither wished to end.  Aredhel was interested in learning about the things that Curufin was required to make in the forge.  She was impressed by his knowledge of metals and precious stones, although she never wore much jewelry.  Curufin asked her why she didn't seem as interested in wearing it as did other young women of her age.

"I have never cared much for adornment," she told him.  "I would prefer to understand how these things are crafted than to hang them all over myself.  I think they would weigh me down."

Soon they noticed Celegorm galloping back to them.  When he drew closer he called out to them. "Why do you not keep up?  Calimo and I have found the perfect spot for a picnic!"

You know my mare cannot match Calimo for speed."  Curufin laughed and Aredhel caught her breath at the look of him in that moment.  His unbound black hair billowing in the wind, his flashing smile - the sight caused a sensation like a bolt to her belly. it was like a splash of cold water, not unpleasant but unexpected, the feeling suddenly rising to the surface of her consciousness.  His resemblance to Feanaro was exceptional but Curufinwe's more youthful appearance was much softer and sweeter than his father's.

She turned to look at Celegorm upon his horse.  Both horse and rider were high-strung creatures with impulsive natures and it could be seen in the way they moved.  Calimo kept shaking his head from side to side and pawing the grass with a forehoof.  Celegorm ran a hand through his thick hair, impatiently untangling it with his fingers.  The powerful muscles in the horse's shoulders twitched compulsively while Celegorm's thigh muscles twitched in unison beneath his pale leggings.  Aredhel chuckled to see them so similar to each other.

"You are both so wild and beautiful," she blurted.

A frown swept across Curufin's brow.  "Have you brought anything to eat?" His interruption was abrupt.  "Because I haven't."

"Oh bother!"  Celegorm shook his head in annoyance.  "No, I haven't either.  Never mind.  Come and look at this place we found.   It's perfect!"  He turned Calimo and they galloped off again.

"Do you want to follow him, Nell?" Curufin turned to look at her.

"Oh yes, please!"  She was delighted to take a look at Celegorm's discovery.

"Come on then, let's see how fast our horses can run."  He dug his heels into the palomino's side while Aredhel did the same to her mare.

They galloped over the fields, inhaling the refreshing air of the summer morning.  When they caught up to Celegorm at the picnic spot, dismounted and glanced around, they were ecstatic.  They saw before them a peaceful haven beside a pond surrounded by apple trees.  It lay in a shallow basin, the sides of which sloped down toward the water at such an angle that the pond could not be seen until one came close to the trees.  It was the perfect place for a secluded swim and a picnic.

"Isn't this a grand place?" Celegorm turned to them with a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"It is grand," they echoed.  Curufin quickly tied his horse's reins to one of the trees and Aredhel did the same with her mare, before joining Celegorm at the water's edge.  Aredhel immediately sat down to remove her shoes and stockings.  She followed the boys, splashing merrily into the water, holding up her dress and screaming breathlessly when the cold water shocked her skin.  Celegorm laughed and splashed water on her, making her squeal louder.  Soon all three were soaked through.

"Turko!" Curufin suddenly cried.  "Have you tied up Calimo securely?  I didn't see him when we were tying up our horses!"

"Uh, no, I don't think I did."  Celegorm shrugged.  "He'll be all right."

"No, Turko, I didn't see him up there.  You had better go and find him and secure him properly."

Celegorm grumbled, his fun spoiled for the moment, but he splashed out of the water and stalked up the bank to the trees.

"You are quite wet," Curufin said to Aredhel, staring up and down at her while she squeezed water out of her hair.

"No, I am fine," she laughed.  "I will dry on the way home."

"So be it, but if you want to dry your hair properly I will take off my shirt to give you. You can use it like a towel."

Her laughter grew louder.  "But your shirt is wetter than my hair!  You need not take such pains, Kurvo.  My hair will dry in the breeze."  She stopped laughing to regard him with twinkling eyes.  "But thank you for being so kind to me."

She smiled sweetly at him, gazing into his eyes like she had done in the stables.  He blushed slightly and turned his face away from her.  At that moment Celegorm returned. He said nothing until he was standing beside them. The expression on his face showed his anxiety, his forehead creased, a loose strand of hair falling over it.

"Have you tied up the horse?" Curufin inquired.

"No, I haven't," Celegorm replied.

"Why not?"

"Because he's gone."

"Gone?" Curufin echoed.  "What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"He's run off." Celegorm hung his head in dismay.

"He can't have run off." Curufin said.  "He is Ada's favourite horse."

"Well, Kurvo, I do not see how being Ada's favourite horse makes him unable to run off if he wishes."

"You should have tied him up." Curufin admonished, as Aredhel walked up the slope to join them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ada will kill you," Curufin said.  He thought for a moment. "Painfully," he added.

"Thank you for that, but you needn't have bothered." Celegorm winced.  "I well know what Ada will do to me."

"Kill Turko for what?" Aredhel asked.

"Turko has lost Calimo, Ada's favourite horse, because he didn't tie him up," Curufin explained.  "Therefore Ada will probably beat him senseless and make him do all of Caranthir's chores for a month."

"Oh Valar," Celegorm swore and dropped his face into his hands.

"That is ridiculous," Aredhel decided.  "Calimo must be nearby.  We should take the other horses and go to look for him."  She sat down on the grass and began putting on her stockings and shoes.  

"But where should we look?" Celegorm asked, glancing around for his own shoes.  "Where could he have gone?  These open lands are vast."

"We could try looking in the direction where you lost Ada's best bow two months ago," Curufin remarked with a sarcastic grin.  "Perhaps Calimo has found it."

Celegorm shot his brother a scathing look.  "If Nell wasn't here I'd punch you," he cried.

"Don't hesitate on my account," Aredhel murmured from her seat on the ground.  When she was finished buttoning her shoes, she jumped to her feet.  "Come on, I will ride with Kurvo on the mare.  Turko, you take the palomino.  These two horses might be able to sniff out Calimo's location and because the lands are open we may be able to spot him even if he is a distance away."

The three young friends searched for hours with no luck finding Feanaro's horse.  Disheartened, disheveled and with empty bellies and no luck in finding Calimo, they slowly returned to the house.  It had become dark, Telperion's light diminishing in the night sky.  As they approached the house Celegorm sighed.  "What am I going to say to Ada?" His voice cracked, its tone distraught.

"Whatever you say, you must not lie to him," Aredhel advised.  "The truth is best, not only because it is the right thing to tell, but because your punishment may be less severe than if you are caught out in a lie and have lost the horse as well."

Celegorm gulped with fear but nodded in agreement.

When the three came to the house along its pebbled pathway, they could see that Feanaro and his eldest son Maitimo were waiting outside for them.

"You are late," Feanaro announced in a stern tone.

Maitimo stared at them solemnly and shook his copper-coloured head.

"Aredhel," Feanaro said, "please go into the house with Maitimo.  He has prepared a bath for you in your room.  You will want to use it while the water is still warm."

Aredhel grasped Curufin's free hand in one of hers and squeezed it reassuringly before sliding meekly from her mare's back.  She followed her red-haired cousin inside.

"Why have you ridden on two horses when there are three of you?" Feanaro asked when he and his two sons were alone.   The boys stared at each other in silence.

"Well?" Feanaro asked, his eyes glinting like a hawk's at its prey.

Celegorm hung his head.  "I don't know how to tell you, Ada."

"Try very hard," Feanaro said quietly.  

"We lost the other horse," Celegorm whispered.

"What do you mean you lost the other horse?  What other horse would this be, then?"

Celegorm shifted uneasily in his saddle.  "Ada, I am most unhappy to tell you that it was Calimo."

"What?" Feanaro's tone grew louder.  Curufin trembled on top of his horse.

"C-C-Calimo," Celegorm squeaked.  His empty stomach rumbled ferociously.

Feanaro remained silent for several long moments, letting the boys suffer a bit longer in their misery.  They could no longer hold their father's gaze and dropped their heads, their stomachs rumbling in shared agony.

Finally he spoke.  "Do you boys understand what you have done wrong today?"

"Both of us?" Curufin asked.

Feanor glanced at his favourite son sharply.  "Take your horses to the stables now.  Your first job will be to unsaddle them, feed them and prepare them for resting."

"Oh, Ada," Curufin groaned.  "Can the stable hands not do that?  We are tired and very hungry--"

"Enough!" Feanaro shouted in a terrible voice.  His eyes flashed with anger.

The two boys flinched at the sound.  They were miserable with exhaustion and hunger, but dismounted and led the horses to the stables.  The acrid smell of soiled hay and horses' droppings assaulted their nostrils, making them feel both sick and hungry at the same time.  But when they walked past the row of stalls to look for rakes, they saw something that lifted their spirits.  There was the lost horse Calimo, in his stall, groomed and looking well-fed.  Celegorm spotted him first and shouted with relief.

"Look, Kurvo!  Calimo has returned!  He must have found his way home!  Oh thank the Valar!"

"What are you thanking them for?" Curufin asked.  "Ada is still going to punish us for taking the horses without permission and for losing Calimo, as well as keeping Nell out again until late at night.  We were wrong to do those things.  Ada is probably still mad at us for losing his bow and worst of all, having to apologize to Uncle Nolofinwe for keeping Aredhel out all night the last time.  The Valar are not going to help us to get a more lenient punishment because we did wrong and must now stand like men and suffer the consequences."

Celegorm paused while raking out the dirty straw and gazed upon his brother with sad eyes.  

"You are right, Kurvo," he said.  "We must start behaving more like men and put aside our childish pranks or we will never gain the trust and confidence of Ada and Nana."

"That is what I needed to hear."  The sound of Feanaro's voice came from the stable entrance.  The boys turned to behold their father standing with arms folded in the doorway.  His countenance was still severe, but he came toward them, took them both in his arms and embraced them lovingly.  "I sent the stable hands to bed some time ago, so I will help you to finish grooming the horses and muck out the rest of the stalls.  Calimo returned on his own before nightfall but your mother has had another fit of worry about you.  When we have finished you will first go in and apologize to her, then clean yourselves up and go to the kitchens for something to eat.  It isn't much.  Macalaure made it, so it isn't very good, but it has been kept hot for you.  Then we shall sit and have a talk."

0o0o~~0o0~~0o0

A couple of weeks later Curufin stopped his work in the forge for a moment to mop his brow.  He had been given a particularly arduous job by his father - to make amends he must fashion a set of iron railings to replace the old wooden fence around their house.  It was tedious work.  Many hundreds of rails must be forged and when he was finished with that task he must help Celegorm build the new fence.  The boys had been confined to the house for a month.  Curufin had been given extra work in the forge and Celegorm was to take over all of Caranthir's chores plus some of Curufin's, as well as do his own.  Aredhel had been sent home right after the incident of the lost horse and the boys had been forbidden to see her until their month of penance was completed.  They had agreed to the punishment without much complaining and had accepted their extra tasks with quiet resolution.  Celegorm had even tolerated Caranthir's taunts and jibes with mature equanimity, and this had the added benefit of causing Caranthir to begin acting like more of an adult himself and stop bullying his brothers.

As Curufin wiped away the sweat, dabbing at his face and neck with a towel, he heard someone calling him from the doorway.  "Can I come in?" A sweet voice broke the silence in the dusty, dirty forge.  He looked up to see Aredhel smiling at him.  A shy grin turned the corners of his mouth upward.  He quickly unfastened his hair and let it fall over his shoulders, perhaps in an attempt to hide the dirt on his face.  Aredhel ran to him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.  "It has been only two weeks of our punishment.  We cannot see each other for another two weeks!"

"Do you want me to go away again?" she asked, teasing him.

"No, no!  I have missed you, Nell.  I am delighted to see you."  He clasped her to his chest in a tight embrace, pressing his lips to her cheek and kissing her.  Then he quickly released her.  "Oh, I am sorry if I have gotten you dirty," he exclaimed.  

"Well, I don't care if you have," she said breezily.

He stared at her and she returned his gaze.  For a moment he reminded her of his father, only Curufin was even more beautiful, perhaps because he had a kinder, sweeter look. His arm and chest muscles were burgeoning from all the work that he had been doing in the forge.  His new muscles were enhanced by the glistening sweat that covered his naked upper torso.  She gazed at him from under lowered lids, her lips parting unknowingly and moved closer to him.  He put his hands on her waist and drew her to him so that their lips met.  She closed her eyes and let all her other senses take him in.  There was no sound save for the rustling of her dress as she moved one knee between his legs.  He smelled sweaty but to her it was unnervingly pleasant in a very masculine way.  She almost swooned at the new experience and the fluttery feeling deep in her belly.  She felt curious, wanting to know more about him, about the mysterious area between his thighs.  Dare she move her leg higher to feel what was there?  Suddenly she felt something hard press against her female parts which caused an electric shock to pass through her.  Gasping, she released his lips and drew back, feeling tremendous guilt wash over her.  They were both panting, his face flushed, hers pale.  She was confused, feeling that she had done something wrong but she knew not what it was.

"I must go now, Kurvo," she whispered.  "My father is meeting with yours on some matter and I had begged him to let me come just for the ride.  I must not be seen talking to you or to Turko.  In just two more weeks we shall see each other again."  She smiled at him, feeling sad that she couldn't stay with him, but exhilarated by the new feelings he had awakened in her.

"It will be the longest two weeks in the history of Aman," he told her.