One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan

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Chapter 9

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The crickets and owls chirped and hooted in the trees around the makeshift camp. The darkness of the forest at night still terrified Andreth as she sat alone, silently by the fire. Her only source of light. The soft, warm glow of the fire highlighted her fair, solemn face.  The traumatic ordeal was still fresh in her mind. She slowly traced her hand over the red painful cut on her cheek just to feel what she had lived through, which was real. As she sat alone on the large fallen tree branch, her long unbound hair cascading down to her hands placed neatly on her lap, she heard the snap of a twig behind her. She whipped her head around. She listened quietly. Another snap alerted her, and she leapt to her feet to face the threat. Her panic soon washed into relief as she saw Aegnor approaching from the darkness carrying his saddle in his muscular arms

   "Did you find her?" She inquired hopefully.

   "Only the parts the wolves left behind," Aegnor grunted, dropping his bloodied saddle on the ground with a thump. In suppressed frustration, he stuck his blade into a log of wood and flopped down beside her, staring blankly into the flames. Andreth sighed deeply with disappointment and sank back down onto the log.

   "What do we do now?" She asked, gazing solely at the fire.

   "We wait for daybreak, then, we will decide," he replied simply. 

    A tense silence enveloped them, both hesitant to break the stillness that hung heavy in the air. Her pain gnawed at her, and the persistent itch on her leg grew increasingly unbearable. Yielding to the discomfort, she quickly lifted her dirty dress and petticoats, the sudden, full display of her smooth porcelain leg caught him completely off guard. His eyes lingered on it. Her fingers traced delicately over the long cut in her thigh as small trickles of blood slid down its perfect curve.

    He tensed slightly, tearing his gaze away. He then observed her futile attempts to tear fabric from her dress, desperately trying to fashion a makeshift bandage. The stubborn fabric refused to yield to her determined efforts, frustrating her further. He plucked his knife from the log beside him and extended it towards her. An air of tension hung between them, and in that moment, their eyes locked, conveying unspoken words.

    With hesitant hands, she tentatively accepted the blade, its polished surface catching the flickering glow of the fire. The blade effortlessly glided through the fabric of her dress, parting it with graceful precision. The soft rustle of fabric echoed around them, harmonizing with the weighty silence that enveloped them. He looked at her again. A tear fell from her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. Aegnor's gentle smile quickly faded as the crackle of the fire echoed around them. His face sunk into his chest in regret.

    "I am sorry, Andreth," he whispered, his voice heavy with remorse. "Truly, I am," A profound understanding passed between them as their eyes met, the wound on her cheek serving as a stark reminder of her suffering. "I could not allow him to live, not after what he inflicted upon you. I frightened you beyond measure today. It was never my intention nor my desire for you to see me in such a monstrous light."

    Gazing into his eyes, Andreth suddenly broke into desperate sobs, her pain and anguish pouring out. Guilt and regret consumed him. He waited patiently, allowing her tears to subside before speaking once more. "I should have killed him upon our first meeting. I should not have allowed him to live,"

   "Hagrath was an outcast! A bad man!" she croaked, her eyes still fixed on the ground. "Many years ago, he subjected a maiden to his forceful affections. When the matter reached my father, he banished him from Ladros, never to return. Many believed he was too merciful, and it caused much unrest." She paused, her voice heavy with emotion. "What you did to him, Aegnor, was monstrous and cruel... and rightly deserved! Let him rot into the earth with his black heart!" she growled into the flames. It cracked loudly, carrying the weight of her words.

   "I know his kind," replied Aegnor softly, "such beings seize hold of innocence, only to bring it to ruin," he whispered, his face a torrent of sadness, "You will not share the same fate, you are...," he paused thoughtfully. "Much to important to me." He turned to her. 

   Andreth valiantly battled the painful lump in her throat, her heart heavy with the weight of Aegnor's profound confession. Her slender frame trembled, and her voice quivered as she spoke. "He taunted me while you lay unconscious. Declaring that you were to bear the burden of my rejection." Her voice faltered, and she whimpered, "I was certain he would kill you, just as he has ruthlessly snuffed out the lives of others before."

   "Come, Andreth..." Aegnor softened. He extended a hand, placing it gently upon her shoulder. "Have you not even a little faith? It would require far more than a mere handful of pitiful fools to bring me any challenge. " he smiled softly. 

  "But you laughed... you laughed when he told you what I had done. You laughed because you thought it was lies. It was not!" She protested tearfully.

  "I laughed because it was humorous," he replied simply, "that he would try to bait my anger by revealing how little you regarded him, and whatever he claimed regarding you, would never come to be. That is why I laughed." 

   With a ragged sigh, Andreth vigorously wiped her eyes until the tears had subsided. Her gaze fell upon the knife Aegnor had given her, and she couldn't help but be captivated by its beauty. Its pristine condition made her sense the depth of Aegnor's care for it. It held great significance to him. Andreth marvelled at the exquisite craftsmanship of the blade. "It's no wonder that swine desired this weapon for himself. I've never seen a finer blade in all my years," she marvelled. Aegnors eyes drew to his blade nestled in her lap.

  "It was a gift," he explained, "from my Atar, he bestowed it upon me when I was a youth, it has never left my side from that moment,"

  "Atar?" She asked, confused.

  He smiled softly, remembering that she was not well-versed in his own language. "My father," he explained. "He did not accompany us on our journey to these lands. This blade -" he continued, his gaze resting upon the cherished weapon in her hand, "is the only remnant that I have left of him, It's invaluable to me..." his voice trailed off into a gentle breath as he thought of his father.

  "It is a most exquisite gift," she said, her voice. brimming with grace as she delicately returned it to his waiting hand. Her gentle touch conveyed a deep respect for the profound significance it held within his heart.

  "Among my kin, the children can only play with mere sticks, pretending to wield swords. Your father must have bestowed great trust in you," she smiled

  "Since my early days, I have been graced with the talents in the martial arts," he replied with a solemn air. "It is through this very weapon that I honed my skills to perfection. Now, there stands no enemy who would dare challenge me."

  "Surely, you had friends," Andreth responded curiously.

   Aegnor's countenance tightened, his gaze unwavering from the flickering glow of the flames, which veiled the depths of his feelings. "Long ago, I had come to learn that even those you may call companions will betray your trust," he replied." Some paths are better walked alone,"

  "How lonely that sounds," she murmured

  "Alone, but safe."

   The owls hooted in the heavy stillness.

  "Do you trust me?" she asked. He turned his eyes to hers, his soft gaze laced with sincerity.

  "In my time of distress, you saved me when I could not save myself. Our bond was forged from that single moment in our history. And I could not trade such trust for all the treasures in Arda. You alone have it,"

    Andreth's eyes sparkled with unwavering devotion. Aegnor solemnly gazed into the crackling flames, his thoughts far-wandering. Her eye's drew every corner of his face, its beauty unparalleled and mysterious. Yet her admiration turned to concern when she spied the prominent, dark bruise at the top of his throat, and she could not help but tense at the sight, a wave of worry washing over her. The urge to reach out and touch him, overwhelming her.

 "I have a sister..." he muttered quietly, a soft smile played on his lips as he recalled fond memories, "We were so close...inseparable, from the moment of her birth. I was her fierce guardian and she was my very heart." His smile slowly waned into a frown of intense sadness, "Now, we do not speak and I have not gazed upon her in a very long age."

   Andreth witnessed his hands tighten around each other. His demeanour changed to a swarm of deep sadness, his eyes swelling with sorrowful tears.

  "What happened?" She asked delicately. He blinked, and a tear spilt from his eye and he choked the urge to whimper. His painful gaze dropped from the fire to his hands and he shook his head. His lashes wet stubborn tears. 

  With careful movements, she shifted close beside him. Aegnor's stiff fingers coiled around tense hands and he struggled harder to hide his pain. Andreth's eyes soft with compassion stared into her face, her gentle palm drawing soothing circles on his muscular arm.

  "You miss her, It is not difficult to see the deep wounds you hide within... and it is slowly destroying you." She murmured into his ear. Her lips hovering but a breath away, she noticed a hair thin scar that scored through its pointed edge, long healed with time and the line of silver ear peircings glistening in the fire. Her eyelids dropped to a heavy gaze and her voice lowered into a breathy him. "Even you are not made of stone, Aegnor."

   The silence between them was thick with unspoken words. The gentle roar of the campfire was the only melody keeping the stillness at bay. Finally, He turned to her, his gaze, fragile with tears met hers. She passed him a tense smile, her eyes, intense and black. "You walk amoung us as weightless as the clouds, yet I see the burdens you carry. The very balance of our world rests upon your shoulders." She whispered. Her soft breath blowing against the strands of his hair. His eyes lowered to lips. His gaze heavy longing, lingered on their rosey curves. She leaned closer, her trembling breaths ghosting between them, suddenly Aegnor turned his head away, disengaging. He shifted slightly along the log, drawing away from her.

   "It was my choice. You do not know what burdens weigh in my heart... though I appreciate your sentiments. I am doing just fine on my own. I mean this not disrespectfully, but please... do not lull me with words that have no meaning." He remarked firmly, but gently.

  "Your refusal to acknowledge the meaning of my words, does not make them meaningless, I care so much for you, and I know you are lonely," she murmured. Leaning closer, she continued "When you found me that morning on the mountains, I was but a stranger in your eyes, yet you opened your heart and at your own peril, you protected me." she whispered with heartfelt tenderness. "Beneath the walls you have built around you, you were just as lost and afraid and as I,"

  The silence between them hung heavy as he held her gaze, pregnant with raw emotion. In that moment, he bared before her his very soul in its raw form manifested in a single, glistening tear. Her gaze drifted to the alluring sheen in his hair. She recalled in her minds eye, a timeless moment she first attempted to touch such a forbidden treasure. With trembling fingers, she slowly raised her hand, a silent plea to fulfil a desire long supressed. His eyes stared into hers for a moment that seemed like a lifetime. Her heart thundered within her chest like a thousand war drums as her gentle hand hovered in front of his face. Waiting for his invitation. His gaze raw with vulnerability slowly shifted back to the comforting glow of the fire. In that unspoken reply suspended between them, he granted Andreth her desire.

   With delicate, trembling fingers, she caressed the golden strands, captivated by their otherworldly beauty as they shimmered between her fingertips. A longing sigh escaped her as the silken tresses slipped from her grasp.

  With his heavy gaze still upon the fire, the subtle tip of his tongue glided between his soft lips, moistening them. With soft, controlled breaths, his gaze turned to hers.

  Her eyes fixed on him, her senses drinking in his nervous scent. He swallowed tensely as his eyes fell upon her lips once again. Andreth, her heart thundering in her ears, drew nearer, closing her eyes. Stopping as the tips of their noses grazed. The fire crackled in the air thick with tension. His eyes finally closed and his parted, moistened lips relaxed. Grasping her final reserves of courage, she leaned further, closing the space. A soft gasp of anticipation escaped her as she felt the touch of his soft, warm lips on hers. They stilled, frozen in a moment hesitation, their breaths melding with equal desire. She trembled with anticipation, her mouth, lax and open, eagerly awaiting his full surrender to their passionate moment.

  "No!" He whispered abruptly and leapt to his feet stepping away, putting distance between them.

  "Aegnor!" She wailed, jolting also, realising her grave mistake. His back was too her, his mouth covered with his shaking hand, when he ignored her plea, she gently reached out in a desperate attempted to plead her case. "Please forgive me..." she begged. She clutched his fore arm and he whirled around and wrenched it free from her grasp.

   "Aegnor, please!" She cried. Her arms folded inward into her chest, her eyes swelled with tears of unmistakable regret. The look of betrayal in his eyes devastated her. "Aegnor..." her voice crumbled into a frail whimper and she shattered before him, utterly heartbroken. His fragile expression revealed his profound hurt. In the soft echoes of her terrified sobs, he turned his back on her. Retreating into the shroud of darkness alone, he left her behind in a tempest of anguish. She called out to him once more in a final weak attempt to apologise, but her pleas for forgiveness were met with an impenetrable wall of deafening silence.

   She sank back down to the log, her soft sobs sniffling in the gentle night air as the forest owls witnessed her turmoil, offering her comfort with their lonely toots. Amidst her tears, a glimmer caught her eye — in his haste to depart, he had left his precious blade behind. A cherished possession of immense significance. Though hesitation gripped her, she mustered the strength to pick it up, clutching it tightly as a symbol of their fractured bond. Knowing what comfort his blade was to him, she breathed, hesitating before rising to her feet again. Determined, she set forth into the night, driven by an unwavering need to find him, to bring him his possession in the hopes of mending what had been broken between them.

  Some distance away, Aegnor approached a rocky clearing at the pinnacle of a cliff, his body sank gracefully to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest. He paused silently in the solitude of the night. Deep within the chasms of his mind, a voice echoed from his memory, a calm voice emerged, replaying a lonely memory from his haunted past.

  "Are these the ones who severed your locks and  abandoned you to your demise?" The ghostly voice of his father echoed. "What punishment would you request they suffer for this cruel injustice upon you?"

The voice of a much younger Aegnor replied, "Beseech the king to grant them mercy, and let them go. Let it be known to them that I forgive them," 

 "I am proud of you... my son," 

His breaths deepened, transforming into soul-stirring sobs as he sank his head into his knees. As he wept unabashedly into the velvet darkness, he remained oblivious to Andreth's presence, the knife held firmly in her hand. She paused, listening to the echoes of his desperate cries, her expression shifting from anguish to a profound compassion that resonated within her. Silently, she turned away and retraced her steps back to the camp, leaving him to grapple with his inner demons alone.  

   By the time Aegnor had returned, he saw her curled in a ball by the fire, fast asleep.  His knife hugged closely into her chest, its hilt glistening beautifully in the flickering fire. He felt a delightful flutter from within his body as he watched her sleep so peacefully, his fëa stirring deep within. Gently, he crouched over her and gently plucked the knife she held against her chest and covered her. With a tender stroke to her dark head.

   "Rest... sweet child," his voice came, whispered into the air as soft as the song of gentle rain.

   He sat at her feet and gazed at the flames. His mind cursed with many thoughts as he soaked in the comforting glow. 

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