Ciendriel and Legolas had shed their clothing and were wrapped around each other in the tall grass beside the river when the rain began to fall. Ciendriel, covered by Legolas, hardly noticed it starting until she heard the thunder and saw his blond hair become soaked.

They looked up at the sky together and laughed. He was so beautiful, she thought, lost in this moment, happy, with nothing but pleasure on his mind. She wondered if Haldir had ever seen him this way, when they had been lovers so long ago. She wondered if he had ever seen Haldir this way, happy. Surely Legolas could bring solace to anyone, even the wicked Marchwarden.

Legolas brought her to the pinnacle of pleasure again and again, and the rain beat down upon them, cool and pleasant, running in rivulets over their ethereal Elven flesh, adding an almost foggy glow to the pale skin. Ciendriel had never made love like this before, in the wild wet, and the lightning flashing overhead made it all the more exotic and surreal. They exchanged words of love in Elvish, promising their hearts to each other forever.

Soon, too soon, he slid from her body and lay beside her on his side, looking down at her, his eyes wandering over her slender figure, following the path of the rain.

"I suppose we should go back to the camp," she said wistfully.

"The others may not be back yet. Surely they have taken cover from the rain," Legolas replied, not moving. "We need not rush." He kissed her again and a long moment passed.

"How many more days have we before we reach Mirkwood?" Ciendriel whispered.

"A dozen, perhaps. Maybe less, if we keep a good pace."

"Let us dawdle, then. Let us stay lost in the woods."

Legolas smiled. "I confess I much desire to show you my homeland. My father's home is beautiful. You can meet my mother, my sisters, my brothers, their wives and families…"

"I would like that, very much, under more favorable circumstances," Ciendriel said, a lump forming in her throat. How she wanted to be welcomed into the family of Legolas Greenleaf! And brothers and sisters. She had never had such luxuries.

"Do not despair. There is still hope that this may be set to rights. Aragorn has long called me friend. Surely he will stand by our wishes."

"Even against the will of the High Elves?"

"He is wise-- and he too once knew the perils of forbidden love, for he took for his bride Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond and granddaughter of Lady Galadriel."

"An Elf!"

"Yes, my darling, an Elf. So perhaps he will understand."

"Perhaps he will," said Ciendriel, but she could not seem as sure as Legolas did. Or perhaps he was simply trying to comfort her. She kissed him again, and he smiled against her mouth. "Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you take Haldir to patrol with you yesterday instead of me?"

He stroked her hair, silent for a long moment. Finally he replied. "I wanted to ask him what happened the night I… the night I was watching…"

"Nothing happened, but that he was his usual loathsome self." She laughed. "You enjoy watching the sport of Hobbits."

"I suppose I do," Legolas said, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "It is not something I do on purpose, but the opportunity was there."

"I understand. It can be arousing to watch others at play." She stroked his arm.

"Then why did you not stay and watch with me?"

"I suppose it was from courtesy to Angelica. She is a friend to me. I have never watched a female with a male before. Or, ah, a female with two males. Or Hobbits, for that matter… I have only seen other female Elves making love to each other…" She trailed off, as her words seemed to be having quite an effect on Legolas.

"Have you?" he said, his voice hoarse.

"It is the custom of our females to play together, as we have so few males in Ingra. I had never sported with a male before until-- until Haldir took me." She felt no shame in talking about it, only a slight sadness that it had not been Legolas the first time. Yet already she knew well that the first time meant little… except perhaps to her mother.

"Do the males of Ingra lie together, too? Did you ever watch this?" Legolas asked. He moved closer to her and she felt his excitement pressing against her.

"I have never seen two males lie together," Ciendriel replied. "I suppose I never thought much about what they did until recently." She pause for a moment then made her confession. "The other night when I left you, I had thought to seek out Rúmil and Orophin."

Legolas' blue eyes grew wide and round. "To watch them?"

"Everyone knows they lie together, Legolas."

"Well, yes, I know, but…you wanted to watch them?"

She laughed. "Do you not find them beautiful? I thought it might be educational."

"Certainly they are beautiful, and I have seen them sport together many times, but--"

"Really!"

"I knew them long ago. They were with me often when I kept the company of Haldir." He looked wistful. "I wish you had known him then, when I called him friend."

"You still call him friend, and he still calls you the same, though he treats you not as he should." She kissed him softly. "Surely he was not always so rough as he was to you in Rivendell. I know he can be…tender."

"No." He looked deeply into her eyes. "Can it be that you find him not so loathsome as you say?"

She looked away, feeling guilty. "The other night he asked me to lie with him."

"But you did not."

"I felt desire. And I wondered what it would be like…to watch you loving with him as well."

Legolas smiled. "I imagine he would be glad to comply with your wishes if you desired to watch such a thing. He told me that even were you to wed him, he would allow us to be together…"

"…if he could be with you as well. He made me this same offer."

"It is more generous than he need be."

"Perhaps, but I think surely it would be a triangle doomed to failure. Surely Haldir would suffer from it as much as we would. Even Angelica, with her many lovers, must choose only one."

"You are good, Ciendriel, to think of Haldir's pain as well as our own," Legolas said softly. "I confess I thought little on it myself…and yet I do care for him still."

"And do you desire him still?" It was a question born not of jealousy, but of genuine curiosity.

"Ah, do you wish, then, to see your dream of watching us together fulfilled?" Legolas teased.

"I simply want this to be resolved amicably," Ciendriel sighed, reaching for Legolas once more.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. His mouth plundered hers a little more violently than he had previously, and it made her shiver. The rain was still pouring down on them. The storm seemed far from finished. Thunder crashed…and the lightning that followed illuminated the form of Haldir standing by the river's edge.

***

Frodo was just about to slide off Angelica’s dress when something bumped into them quite hard. Angelica grabbed at the edge of his cloak, trying to keep it over their heads, as it was their only protection from the elements.

“What was that?” she whispered.

Frodo put his hand on his sword, Sting and started to pull it out of the sheath. “Not orcs,” he said, glancing at the weapon.

“Frodo? Angelica?”

“Sam!” Frodo exclaimed.

“I’m coming in!”

“You wont’ fit--”

But Sam flung the edge of his own cloak over Frodo’s and ducked beneath it with them, forming a makeshift tent. It was dark and hard to see, but as he squished up against her Angelica could tell that Sam had gotten soaked.

“Took me a minute to remember to put up my hood,” Sam said, shaking his wet head.

“Well we were dry,” Frodo said, laughing. “Did you find any flowers?”

“Only stems,” Sam said sadly.

“Stems?” Angelica frowned.

“Frodo! Sam! Where are you?”

“We’re under here, Pippin!” Angelica called.

“Under where?” said Merry.

“Under our cloaks!” Sam said with frustration. “See the big gray rock that wasn’t there when you left?”

“Come on inside!” Angelica called. Sam and Frodo groaned.

“How do you come inside a rock?” asked Pippin.

“The rock is a cloak,” said Sam, lifting up one corner.

“Sam, don’t!” Frodo pleaded. Rain blew into the small crevice, splattering Angelica’s face. She saw a small amount of watery moonlight and Pippin’s feet. Slyly she reached past Sam to grab Pip’s foot and he shrieked. A moment later Merry joined them under the combined cloaks, chuckling as he threw his own cloak over the edge to give them more room. Pippin, red-faced, slipped in next to him.

“You scared me to death, Angelica,” he said breathlessly, but then he grinned. “I’m going to get you back. Just wait!”

A big gust of wind howled past, forcing all of them to grab at the cloaks to keep them from blowing away.

“Sit on the edges!” cried Frodo.

They tucked the material all around them, huddling together in a soggy mass. Angelica didn’t mind. It was warm, with all their bodies pressed together. She was still aroused from what Frodo had been doing to her before and searched for his hand in the darkness. Tightening up the cloaks had made it pitch black in the makeshift tent. She reached out and squeezed a thigh. Sam gasped. Oops, no, Frodo was on the left. She put her other hand out and found Frodo’s leg. Sam put his hand on top of hers and moved it to-- no, he wouldn’t! How naughty! Angelica giggled and not a moment later Frodo did the same thing.

“Did you find anything to eat?” Frodo asked Merry.

“I have a handful of mushrooms,” Merry said. “Pippin found a few other edibles but he ate them before the storm even started. Are you okay, Frodo? You’re breathing awfully hard.”

“I thought we’d have time to find more,” Pippin protested, preventing Frodo from replying. Angelica squeezed Sam gently and he made a small sound.

“Are you all right, Sam?” Pippin said.

“I uh... stubbed my toe...”

“Beneath the cloaks?”

“I went out to... get some... flowers...”

“What kind of flowers?” Pippin said. “Some are edible, you know.”

“I didn’t...find any...”

Sam apparently was finding it harder and harder to talk, as he buried his face in Angelica’s shoulder, trying to muffle his breathing.

“Frodo, do you want some mushrooms?” Merry asked.

“No, thank you,” Frodo gasped.

“I’ll take them!” said Pippin.

“You had some. Angelica?”

“I’m not hungry.” Her stomach grumbled, betraying her.

“Somebody’s hungry,” said Merry.

“I think that was Pippin,” Angelica said innocently.

“It wasn’t me! But I’ll take those mushrooms--”

“Ahhh!” said Sam.

“Maybe you should give them to Sam,” said Angelica.

“Are you all right, Sam? That toe is really bothering you, isn’t it?” said Merry.

“Mmmm,” Sam muttered, his face still against Angelica. He had fallen still, so she took her hand back. He clung to her. On the other side, Frodo sounded like he was having a fit of the hiccups.

“I hope you’re not contagious,” said Merry.

“I’m sure it’s just temporary,” Angelica reassured him. She smiled to herself as Frodo’s breathing began to slow down to normal and he leaned against the other side of her.