[Open] Far from the commotion...

[arid_white_lady]

...a young mother is enjoying a moment of quiet while her daughters sleep peacefully. She's hemming a little dungaree, singing softly to herself.

She's available for anyone who wishes to visit, the door is slightly ajar. She might be waiting for her husband to come home.

[OOC: Primarily for relatives, though open post is open and anyone can wander in

Comments

[thenotsofair]

Tyelko got away from his father as soon as he could, reasonably, and is hurrying to his wife, taking the stairs in leaps and bounds, not sure if he feels fragile or just scared. He's not examining either too closely. Right now, he just wants to know that she's all right, and warn her.

Because it is a warning, there's no denying that.

A knock, just to be sure she's in. "Ireth?" There's a note of desperation in his voice that is probably unmistakable, and likely worrying. This has thrown him hard.

[arid_white_lady]

Having already been warned by Celebrimbor, he'll find that the door is closed and bolted. When she hears his voice, she placates herself against the wall, heart beating fast. What if -- what if he came to tell her -- but he promised -- but she can't expect to have more sway than Feanor -- but she told him she would trust him to remain -- but --

Her voice comes out very small through, and she's having trouble breathing.

"-- Melindo?"

[thenotsofair]

His heart turns over at the sound of her voice, and he leans against the door, forehead to the wood. Now, at least, he can be certain that it's fear. "Ireth," he says, breathlessly, "Ireth, please, let me - I want to hold you, I need you-"

I'll never let anything come between us. He promised. Eru, he promised, and he's never been so sure that something is right in his life as being with her.

[arid_white_lady]

She starts crying, unhelpfully - it takes her a moment to realize that she's bolted in, but then the safeties come off hastily, violently, with sheer desperation.

And then the door's open, and part of her is half-expecting Feanor (or Curufin) to be there.

[thenotsofair]

He moves like the wind, buries his face in her hair and takes her almost too firmly in his arms, holding her as close as he can, hands in her hair, on her face, just needing to know that she's here. He touches her tears, horrified. "Don't cry - Eru, Ireth, please don't - I cannot - never, never-"

[arid_white_lady]

She'll cling, burying her face in his shoulder, as if maybe if she holds on to him strongly enough, her fears will go away. "Tyelpe was here -- he -- he told me --"

[thenotsofair]

"I know," he says, "I know," And doesn't mind the clinging, doesn't mind it at all - shoves the door shut with his heel and leans against it with her so that no one can enter. He would have made me leave you.

He doesn't want to say that. "I'm here. I'm here with you. That's all the matters, that's all, nothing can change that-"

The desperation is nonetheless unmistakable.

[arid_white_lady]

She's completely embedded in him, shivering like a leaf in the wind -- "Nothing, never? I love you -- I would never leave you, never betray you -- I love you -- have me --" she kisses his neck, his face, what she can of him, she's still crying but it's the tension more than anything else.

[thenotsofair]

He holds her tighter, not even really caring if it hurts her a little, because at least she will know he's there, and he's frightened as well, worried for her, for himself. "I know - I know, Irisse, shh, I trust you, I love you so much-" Kissing her back, with the same heedless desperation.

[arid_white_lady]

"I love you -- I love you so much -- you are all that I love and want, and can never -- oh, Eru, what will we do?"

[thenotsofair]

Still holding her. Like he's never going to let go. Which he might not, given the choice. "You don't have to do anything. He can't - there's nothing he can do to take you from me, nothing I will let him do - you are the mother of my children, Ireth, you are- Eru. I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen. But I will keep you safe. I swear it."

[arid_white_lady]

She buries her face in the crook of his neck, shaking still with the force of fear and tension, and takes a deep breath of his scent.

"I believe you," she tells him firmly. "I believe you."

She wants to, desperately.

[thenotsofair]

He's not letting her go anywhere. And quite possibly not going anywhere himself for a while either. Eeeegh. "I told him that with or without his approval, we were bound together, and that can't be broken. It can't. Irisse - shh, love, you're shaking-"

He just wants her to be okaaaay.

[arid_white_lady]

She takes a few deep breaths - disturbed by the tension in the room, the babies stir in their cots, one of them makes restless noises.

"-- I will -- I love you, just --" she kisses him, passionately, trying to kill the horror in her heart - so that she can tend to her daughters.

[thenotsofair]

He kisses her back, trying to keep as much of her as close as possible, as if just that makes everything better. And he wants it to be, maybe that can be enough too.

They didn't get through everything to fail now, he thinks, with a little bit of desperation.

[arid_white_lady]

She's just going to kiss him until she needs to stop for air, and by then the babies are crying in their cots.

"--- the babes, love --"