Hearken Still Unsated by polutropos

Epilogue

Slabs of mottled grey and brown soar upwards from a ravine. Slender, intrepid trunks jut out from shelves where the cliffs have slipped or cracked under their own weight. Below, a roaring smear of silver-blue rolls onwards, tossing up a fine mist.

Along one ridge, two elves follow the course of the river up into the mountains. They walk with assured and light steps, their bare feet shaping themselves to the shifting and changing terrain. As they walk, they sing. Sometimes one to the other, sometimes together, always in harmony with the river.

The Sun shoots spears of white across the horizon before sinking behind jagged mountain peaks. From behind the curve of the World, she throws her light up against the scattered clouds, painting swatches of peach and saffron against the deepening blue.

The two travellers seek out a patch of earth on which to make their bed.

One, silver-haired, sets his hand against a trunk wrapped in rough bark. He tilts his chin towards the crown of the straight, tall tree.

"This is it," he says to his companion, dark-haired, who draws up behind him and begins to follow his gaze upward. He is stayed on his journey by a hand cupped gently around his cheek and black eyes locking onto his pale grey. "Home," says the silver-haired elf. "For tonight."

Their lips caress each other's skin with as much tenderness and curiosity as their feet tread over the earth. Surrendering the weight of their bodies to that ancient tree, they kiss as if forever stretches out before them.

Chapter End Notes

Acknowledgements
Melesta, firstamazon (Ettelene), cuarthol: I do not exaggerate when I say this fic would not have been finished without your constant support and feedback. Thank you for many hours of brainstorming, reading, and encouraging, and for unquantifiable amounts of compassion and patience. PLEC 💧. Thank you also to Aipilosse for providing feedback and help with the ending. Thanks to the artist of the original piece for creating such an evocative image, for some insightful and helpful initial brainstorming, and for throwing some really intriguing and challenging ideas at me that encouraged me to go with my ambitious concept. The art and the prompts that accompanied it were absolutely fundamental in formulating this fic's direction, style, mood, and characterisations. And, finally, thank you to the TRSB Mods for organising and helping me navigate this event!

Rebloggable promo post on Tumblr.

On Archive of Our Own Comments inspire me to keep creating and sharing.
Were there any moments or lines you particularly liked? Thoughts that were sparked? Settings or characters you'd like to read more about (who knows, I may write it, or may have a rec)? I especially welcome questions and discussion. Reading this months or years after it was posted? I absolutely still want to hear from you in a comment, if you feel so inclined!

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