Title: Heart Beating

Author: Morgana  ---  morganalebeau@yahoo.com

Website; http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing: none
Rating: PG-13

Summary; Elros dies…

Disclaimer: These characters are all Tolkien’s.
Warning: Character death.

Author’s Note: All mistakes are all mine; yeah, I am greedy! And remember; this is AU! I wrote this after my ex BF decided to dumb me as his friend as well. This is my way of saying goodbye to the fool.

Beta read by Estelle, thanks, sweetie!

Heart Beating…

/Thud… Thud… Thud…/

His heart thundered madly in his chest, and Elrond had to steady himself, or he would have fallen.

/Thud…/

His fingers clawed at the back rest of a chair and his breath came in short gasps. More sweat erupted from his pores and suddenly vertigo was upon him.

/Thud… Thud…Thud…/

/Thud…/

His eyes widened; did he really hear an echo of his own heart beat? But there was only one heart beating in his chest and certainly not two! What was this, then?

/Thud…/

Whilst his own heart beat sped up, the echo slowed down. Tiny droplets of sweat dripped from his brow and splashed onto the wood of the chair. Swaying, his hair descended in front of his face, blocking his view, and when a pair of strong arms caught him, he instinctively leaned back.

/Thud…/

“Elrond, what is amiss?” Glorfindel had been on his way to Elrond’s study to present his latest report to the Elf-Lord, when he had seen him swaying. He had acted quickly, steadying the half-Elf. “Pray tell me, what is it?”

/Thud…/

Oh, the echo was incredibly weak now and Elrond barely heard or sensed it. Tears filled his eyes and his body shook with sudden realization. “It… is… Elros… He… is… dying.” He was sensing his brother’s death! It wouldn’t be long now before Elros’ heart would stop beating. Every beat could be the last one.

/Thud…/

Elrond leaned heavily against Glorfindel and almost fainted when the last, weak heart beat reached him. Unable to draw in his next breath, he sobbed in despair. Their minds were allowed to touch one last time; a last mental caress was bestowed onto his mind, last words -- whispered -- sounded in his mind and then the heart beat *stopped*.

“Oh, no!” Elrond turned around and banged his fist into Glorfindel’s chest.

The warrior took the blow in stride and didn’t pull back. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the shaking half-Elf, instinctively knowing that what Elrond needed most was his unconditional support.

“I knew… that he was growing weaker… I have felt it… but I did not think he would actually die! How… foolish is that… of me? He was mortal! Of course… he would die!”

“Maybe you did not want to admit and accept that the inevitable was about to happen?” offered Glorfindel in an effort to console his friend. “Your loss is sudden and the fact that you sensed his passing makes it even more painful.”

Elrond rubbed his chest area, hearing and sensing only one heart beat. /He is gone… Elros… He is dead… Oh, I have to let him go…/ Letting Elros go would be hard, but with the help of his friends, he would find a way. He had to; he owed Elros that much.

The End

July 2004