"Is he going to be okay?"
"That is, indeed, the question," Thranduil replied as his keen eyes narrowed in on a particular spot somewhere deep in the dense woods. The sun high in the sky cast a glorious glow to the ethereal Elvenking, though it did little to diminish the biting cold.
"It's just...he's been there for a few hours now." Charlotte turned her worried gaze to the elf beside her, who stood tall and composed.
The corner of his mouth twitched, no doubt trying to suppress his amusement at the situation.
"Yes, a whole bag of prunes would put Tallagor in a certain amount of...distress." A wide, cheeky grin finally cracked through the stoic facade and Thranduil glanced down at her with a mischievous twinkle in his ice blue eyes. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give him those."
"I didn't plan to! I couldn't find anything else, and I thought I'd give him one or two, but the bugger snatched the bag right out of my hands and galloped off with them."
"A mistake I'm sure he won't make again," Thranduil chuckled.
A soft breeze whispered through the trees and fingered the loose strands of her hair as they stood on the back porch of the cabin. Charlotte absently swiped away the annoying strand tickling her nose and turned her sights once more to the line of trees ahead.
"They won't hurt him, will they? It was a rather large bag."
"I'm sure he'll be just fine."
A loud, pitiful and drawn out wail echoed back to them, disputing Thranduil's claims.
"Maybe we should go and check on him..."
"Best not to," Thranduil objected.
"Why?"
"If the smell is anything to go by at this distance, then you most certainly do not want to be any closer to Tallagor than necessary right now."
"Ah." Charlotte crinkled her nose. "Wait, you can smell him from here?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Thranduil replied, his tone of that of mild distaste.
Charlotte grinned widely at him. "I bet this is the one time you regret having a far superior sense of smell than humans."
Thranduil merely smiled at her remark, though his gaze never left the line of trees. Another mournful bellow sounded, followed by a few frustrated sounding grunts.
Finally, the elf turned with a flourish, his cloak fluttering around his ankles, and turned his full attention to her.
"Best we leave him to it. Let nature take its course, and all."
Charlotte cast a doubtful glance back at the spot where she presumed Tallagor was, but had to trust that Thranduil was right and everything would work out in the end for the moose.
"So, what do we do in the meantime?"
Thranduil's gaze darkened as his eyes slowly raked over her form, and Charlotte felt herself go weak-kneed, her belly fluttering in anticipation for what she was sure to come.
Thranduil closed the distance, his arm snaking around her and his hand coming to rest on the small of her back as he drew her flush against him.
Her pulse quickened as his velvety soft lips brushed against the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver.
"I can think of a few things..."
His tongue darted out and he slowly and deliberately tasted the flesh on her neck. Charlotte angled her head to give him better access, her mind quickly turning to mush.
"I would like to see you..." he murmured, his hot breath ghosting against her quickly heated skin.
Charlotte clutched at the material of his cloak, her lips parting slightly and her eyes fluttering closed as Thranduil nibbled delicately on her earlobe. Oh, what was he going to suggest?
"...with that crossbow in your hands."
Her eyes flew open. That was not a suggestion she had been hoping for!
"Wh...what!" she croaked, feeling utterly confused.
Thranduil released his hold on her and stepped back, a wicked grin plastered on his now smug face.
"I would like to teach you how to hunt."
Charlotte blinked stupidly, her frazzled brain still trying to rewire itself and make sense of what he was suggesting. It didn't help that her body was aching with the need that only the Elvenking could fulfill.
"You want me...to hunt?" But...but I thought we were going to do something more...fun!
"Yes. Was there something else you had in mind?" he asked innocently, though the wicked gleam in his eyes was anything but.
"Quite a few actually," she remarked snarkily, paired with a mean glare. Like force feeding you some prunes...
As though reading her thoughts, Thranduil's grin broadened.
"Careful, little one. I have full permission to spank you if you misbehave."
"Then consider me on the naughty list," she muttered darkly, walking past him to go back inside.
Thranduil followed her, openly amused at how tightly wound up she was at this moment. The lack of restraint humans possessed often amused him and witnessing it on Charlotte was no exception. But anticipation was key, and being an elf with limitless patience, he wanted to see how far he could push her before she broke and demanded a release. His guess was not very long - which was a good thing because when it came to Charlotte, his willpower only extended so far. He was at her mercy just as much she was at his.
"I can't do it," Charlotte whispered.
'You can and you will," Thranduil murmured against her ear as he stood behind her. He was being careful not to touch her, but Charlotte could sense his presence anyway; she could feel his essence flooding her senses until she could think of nothing else but him.
She clenched her jaw, determined not to be distracted, and sighted down the crossbow at the snow-white rabbit foraging for sparse food in this wintery wonderland.
She hesitated. "But why? It seems so cruel to kill it."
"You eat meat, do you not?"
"Yes, but that's different. I don't actually have to kill my food in order to eat it."
Thranduil was silent for a moment. "If you plan to come back to the Woodland Realm with me, you will be expected to live the life of a Woodland Realm elf. That means you will learn to ride, fight and hunt, among other things."
"You are forgetting one thing – I'm human."
"You are treating the fact that you are human as a limitation."
"It is. I'm no match for an elf."
"You are a match for me," he stated quietly.
Charlotte paused, all excuses and arguments dying instantly on her tongue, and she glanced back over her shoulder at Thranduil. His expression was purely honest and shone with the simple truth of his words. She realised that he believed in her and was pushing her to reach her capabilities. If he could view her as his equal, then she could nothing else but strive to live up to his expectations. It was the least she could do.
She gave him a small smile and turned her attention back to the rabbit. She breathed in deeply through her nose and pulled the trigger.
They trudged back home – well, Charlotte trudged. Thranduil glided upon the snow with agile and liquid grace, leaving no prints in his wake.
Thranduil cast his gaze sidelong at the woman beside him. Her hands were thrust deep into the pockets of her jacket and her head was ducked, her mass of hair obscuring her features from him. Her shoulders were hunched, giving her stature a sense of dejectedness.
Thranduil wagered that this depressive mood was because of the dead rabbit now clasped in his hand.
"I sense that you are upset."
"Yeah," she mumbled.
Thranduil paused, collecting his thoughts. "There is never any joy in taking a life, regardless of whether that life belongs to an animal or other wise."
"So why do it? I thought elves held sanctity for all life forms?"
"We need sustenance," he stated simply. "But we certainly do not garner any enjoyment in taking the life to fulfill our appetites."
Charlotte bit her bottom lip. "Why not become vegetarian then?"
Thranduil gave her a calculating look. "Why haven't you?"
Charlotte opened her mouth to respond but shut it again. It was all good in theory, and she had briefly debated becoming vegetarian after killing the poor bunny, but her other instincts had kicked in and she knew that was not the life for her. They could go around in circles debating the pros and cons of vegetarianism, but in the end, it really was about personal choice.
As she stared back at the elf, she knew she had learned a valuable lesson, though. There was a price that was paid to quell her hunger, and she could not and would not let that sacrifice go to waste. It was abhorrent to kill for sport, yes, but killing to stay alive was vastly different. A necessity. She would need to get over her qualms if she wanted to survive in her world, let alone Thranduil's. For his world was another world altogether.
The pot simmered on the stovetop, the delicious scent of their supper permeating the air and thusly eradicating all guilt.
The thought of surviving on the canned food in the cupboards was enough for Charlotte to shove aside previous thoughts of vegetarianism and willing devour whatever they were forced to hunt for.
There had been no perishable items in the fridge and Thranduil had managed to forage for edible roots, which were currently in the pot along with the bunny rabbit. He had patiently shown her what to look for, and she marvelled that even though he was not from this world, he still possessed knowledge of what was safe to eat and where to find them. She realised that he was slowly and patiently teaching her the ways of his life, or at least preparing her for it. She doubted, though, that Thranduil and his subjects lived a primitive lifestyle, but teaching her these survival skills was a necessity. Especially in Middle Earth.
"Dinner should be ready in an hour," Thranduil stated as he came to sit beside her on the couch. He shifted slightly, and she guessed that he had inadvertently sat on the spot where a particular nasty spring tended to poke through.
"Any ideas on how to pass the time?" she asked as she glanced around the bare room in almost a daze. There was not even a television set to occupy and while away their time. She was really starting to miss the finer comforts of the life she had been forced to flee from. Get used to it, Charlotte. There's definitely no cable or internet in Middle Earth.
She groaned at the thought, which earned a quizzical look from Thranduil.
"I just realised - this will essentially be my life from now on. No television. No Google. No YouTube. How do you keep yourself entertained back home?"
"I find drinking inconspicuous amounts of wine helps with the tedium."
Charlotte gaze was drawn to the cabinet that housed all the liquor. Tempting...
Then her eyes landed on Thranduil and she knew exactly how she wanted to pass the time.
His eyes widened fractionally when he noted the flash of predatory hunger that flared in her hazel eyes.
Charlotte didn't waste time and straddled his lap, ignoring the spring that now dug into her knee. She was on a mission and nothing was going to stop her.
"I have something much better in mind," she stated with unnatural firmness, weaving her hands through the silky strands of his hair.
Thranduil levelled her with a knowing look. He briefly contemplated toying with her, but his hands came up of their own accord and came to rest on her hips, and he discarded any such notions. As he gazed at her, her features now burning with an unquenchable fire, Thranduil found himself being drawn to her flame and was helpless to resist.
His hands shifted to the soft curve of her bum and he suddenly pulled her flush against him, resisting the urge to moan as she ground against him in such a tantalising manner.
Her mouth was instantly on his, hungrily demanding more as their tongues danced sensually against each other, eager and wanting more. Her nails scraped against his scalp as she deepened the kiss, the fervent and ardent nature of the kiss reaching a crescent.
Charlotte broke away, gasping for air as she stared at him with unchastened boldness.
"I want you. Right now. And I don't care if I have to chain you up to get what I want," she growled before leaning forward and trailing her tongue over the sensitive tip of his ear, causing Thranduil to shiver at the provocative sensation.
Suddenly Charlotte found herself flipped over, pinned under the looming form of the Elvenking, and her arms effectively pinned on either side of her head.
Thranduil smirked down at her and closed the distance, nipping the sensitive flesh just under her ear and causing Charlotte to squirm beneath him.
"As much as I admire your show of dominance, there is one thing you are forgetting, little one," he stated, his lips brushing against her ear and his voice deep and dark with desire.
"What?" she gasped.
"It is I who is always in command and control. The role of dominance is mine and mine alone. You shall find that it is you who will be tied up."
Charlotte stilled, unable to comprehend what she had just heard.
Thranduil pulled back slightly, his face a beautifully painted mural of predatory intent. She gulped audibly.
"Elves...You..." she stammered. "I, uh, didn't think you lot were into that...sort of stuff." Bondage was the last thing she expected of the Tolkien elves.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved into the most salacious grin she had ever witnessed, pooling a fresh wave of desire deep within her core.
"Care to find out exactly what I have been withholding from you?"
Charlotte stared back at him, her face morphing into that of seriousness as her brows knitted together.
"Charlotte?" he asked, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in her mood.
"It's just...when we make love..." she sighed. "I get the feeling that you are holding back."
Thranduil blinked. He hadn't thought the restraint he had been exercising during their lovemaking had been noticeable. But Charlotte had obviously noticed.
Thranduil swiftly sat up, watching as Charlotte followed suit with less finesse and grace.
"Are you...are you holding back?" she asked tentatively, almost as though she were afraid of the answer.
"Yes, I am."
Charlotte frowned again, the hurt seeping into her features.
"What are you holding back from?"
Thranduil swallowed, the movement almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The time had now come to tell her the truth.
He took her hand in his own, their fingers entwining of their own accord. He finally met her gaze.
"I've been holding back from bonding with you."
Confusion replaced hurt. Finally, she asked, "Bonding?"
Thranduil nodded once and elaborated. "It is a joining of fëas. Or, as you call it, spirits. Each time we make love, it gets harder for me not to form this bond with you."
She sat back, clearly thinking over his brief explanation. "Is bonding even possible between humans and elves?"
"Yes."
"And when you say bonding...is it like marriage?"
Thranduil watched her, gauging her reaction as he stated, "It runs deeper than a mere marriage ceremony. The act of lovemaking could be constituted as marriage, but it has not been the custom for quite a while. The bonding of fëas, on the other hand, is infinitely more and is formed between two who have given themselves completely to each other. It is the most sacred union."
Her mouth formed into a little 'o'. Then she puzzled. "Wait! Are we married?"
Thranduil breathed in deeply. "Yes."
Charlotte's eyes widened spectacularly. "What?!"
"We have not been officiated by a marriage ceremony."
"So, we're not married then?"
Thranduil sighed deeply. "Remember when I told you that elves view the act of lovemaking as sacred."
"Yes..." she drew out the syllable.
"The night when we first made love, I gave myself completely to you, Charlotte. Heart, body, and...soul. In my eyes, I do view us as married, even though in actuality we are not."
Charlotte slowly turned her stunned gaze away from him. She sat there in a daze for a few moments, Thranduil patiently waiting for her to process what had been unveiled. Finally, she admitted softly. "I gave myself completely to you as well, Thranduil. My feelings have not changed."
"I know," he said with a soft smile, recalling the deep and profound love he felt radiating from her every time they touched, kissed or made love. He did not doubt her feelings towards him, not even for a second.
She paused, clearly trying to pick the right question to ask. It was, after all, a lot for her to process. "Would forming the bond change much between us?"
"Yes."
"How so?"
"I would be able to sense what you are feeling. I would feel your love, joy, excitement, pain, fear..."
Charlotte did not seem reassured by his words.
"Would you feel it if I died?"
Thranduil stared at her, careful to keep his features neutral. At last, he admitted quietly, "Yes."
Charlotte shook her head in refusal. "Absolutely not!"
The abject hurt that briefly shadowed his luminous features caused her to halt her objections and she hastily took his hand in her own.
She took a deep breath and offered up an explanation. "Don't get me wrong, Thranduil. I would gladly bond with you, but...what if I die?"
"You won't," he said firmly.
"Maybe not now, but eventually I will grow old and die."
Thranduil paused. "Then I will cherish every moment I have with you. I have made peace with the fact that I will eventually lose you to your mortality. It does not mean it will hurt any less, but the memories we have together will stay with me until I fade." He left out the fact that her death would ultimately cause him to fade...
Charlotte studied him for a few beats before finally saying, "I'd prefer for us to bond when we're safe and sound back in Middle Earth. The thought of something happening to either one of us while Eric is still on the loose...I can't bear the thought of you suffering if anything should happen to me..."
"I would suffer regardless if I lost you."
She gave him a small, sad smile. She studied him for a few moments before asking, "Is it really hard for you to restrain yourself from forming the bond?"
"Mostly, yes. The urge to bond with you is akin to breathing air. It is a need that yearns to be fulfilled."
She must have seen something deep in his soul that reassured her. "Okay."
Thranduil gave her a beatific smile before cupping her face and kissing her deeply. He pulled away and said, "You have no idea how much that means to me that you're willing to form this bond with me..." Thranduil paused in all seriousness. "But you are correct in the fact that we should wait until we are returned safely to Middle Earth."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. At least then, it will be more under more pleasurable circumstances."
His penetrating gaze darkened, and a suggestive smile slowly alighted his features. "But I think I want to continue where we left off."
In a movement so quick, Thranduil arose and had Charlotte thrown over his shoulder before she could utter a protest.
"Thranduil! What are you doing?!" she laughed, playfully swatting his irresistible bottom.
"You'll find out soon enough. And if you plan to resist, then you shall, indeed, find yourself tied up."
"Promise?"
Thranduil smiled to himself as he marched to the bedroom, smacking her bottom along the way and earning a yelp of surprise. He suddenly stopped as a thought occurred to him and turned back to switch off the stove. What he had planned was going to take more than an hour...