Elerrina

Watch it Pour

Somehow, the empty silence of the sleeping forest felt comforting, and at the same time terrifying. The chilled breeze embraced her in its gentle grasp as she kept walking, searching for Elladan through their weak bond. Her brain kept telling her to return while she still remembered the way back, but her body had long ceased to obey her logical mind.

She froze when she found him standing still next to a tall tree trunk, his back to her, unmoving. She watched petrified at his still form, his long, dark hair contrasting sharply with his pale skin and light blue cloak, shimmering in dim sparkles of silver under the ghostly moonlight. He was standing at a considerable distance from her, and yet she knew that he had heard her approach, he knew she was there.

She did not know what to do, what to say as she simply waited for him to act first. She could not force her feet to move forward, feeling the she would break an invisible barrier that held him in his private solitude. He had not wanted to be followed, she knew that, and yet, she could not leave him alone. Long moments passed in dead silence, but he did not turn, did not move, almost as if he did not know she was there.

"Elladan?" She heard her shaky, hesitant voice leave her lips, the sound echoing in the trees. It caused no reaction from his part. Not knowing from where her will came from, Elerrina felt herself take a couple of steps forward, slowly, until she was standing right behind him.

She had expected him to be angry with her, to snap at her, to yell, to tell her to go away, anything but what he was doing. His cold silence felt heavier than any hurtful word. Standing closer to him, she could see his body slightly trembling, out of ire no doubt.

"Elladan?" She whispered again, her voice low, soothing, but it seemed as though he had not heard her. Slowly, she walked to stand beside him, her eyes looking for his, longing for his gaze to meet hers, but he did not look. His silver eyes were hard, bitter and ice cold, filled with pure hatred as they stared emptily at the distance. Those were not the eyes she had come to love. They seemed lifeless, incapable of joy, resentful.

"Elladan? Will you look at me?" She tried again in a soft, nearly broken voice. Her hand reaching up to touch him, but stopping in along the way, dreading the reaction it could cause.

Once again, no answer. She saw his trembling intensify at her words, but he did not move, not even blinked. His lips remained pressed together in a thin line, his jaw tensed and his fists clenched into tight balls. She searched his face; her eyes noticing the weak silver shimmer of unshed tears starting to form in his eyes, threatening to fall as he struggled to keep his composure.

"Elladan, please" She breathed, her voice a pained plea while her eyes looked at him, her heart shattering to pieces inside her chest. She saw him swallow, but continued to ignore her, his lips quivering faintly as he held back the tears.

She wanted to hold him, to soothe him in his pain the same way he had comforted her, but he would not let her. She would not touch him without his consent, even if it pained her greatly. Elerrina felt a lump in her throat as the first tear ran down his right cheek, tracing a frail, wet path upon his pale skin before falling from his chin.

He was shaking harder now, unable to contain himself any longer, and she knew that it was only causing him more anger. More pain. A second tear followed the first, this time in his left cheek, and after that they flowed freely down his face in complete silence.

She watched as he lifted a hand and angrily wiped away his cheeks, but every time he blinked, new tears rolled down his face. She felt useless, pained that he was ignoring her thus, refusing her comfort, refusing to share in his pain. He was trembling hard now, his breathing shaking with muted sobs that would not escape his pressed lips. Slowly, she reached her had up once again, gently, hesitantly as she tested if he would let her touch him.