“Can we stop?” asked Aredhel. “Surely, no one is chasing after us right now.”
Celegorm slowed down his pace until they were strolling leisurely through the woods. “We should stop and try to do a little hunting,” he said. “I am only a little hungry now, but it will be good to have captured game before we are famished.”
“Good idea.” Aredhel frowned. “I have nothing to hunt with. Can I use your knife?”
“What am I to use?” he queried. Aredhel shrugged. “Here, let me make you a spear.” He searched the forest floor for the items he would need, including a sharp rock and a long, straight branch. “I suppose we can try fishing once we reach some water. I do have those fishhooks.”
Aredhel began to do some gathering of her own, finding a number of raspberry bushes which still held fruit on them. When Celegorm brought her the finished spear, she offered him some of her harvest. “I wonder if I could find any mushrooms for us to eat.”
“Mushrooms?” Celegorm made a face. “If there is one thing I hate more than heights, it would be mushrooms.”
“I guess you would have no desire to eat mushrooms on the top of a tree then.” Aredhel took the spear and frowned. “This is too heavy to use for small game, and I doubt we will be hunting many large things.”
“If you have a better plan, then I am all ears.”
Aredhel looked around, and then wandered off. Celegorm gathered what few items they had and followed after her. They stopped when she reached a flat area. She took some of the berries and placed them on the ground under a tree and then climbed up high with her spear. “Celegorm, come up here.”
“Seriously?”
“You do not need to come up this far, but you should climb up into the lower branches at least.” Aredhel waited until Celegorm had done as she had told him and then she crawled out onto the branch. It took a little while, but eventually a fat rabbit jumped out from under a bush and hopped up to investigate the berries. He was dead within moments.
Celegorm reached the ground first and yanked the spear from the ground. “I am impressed,” he admitted. “I would not have thought to do that.”
“Thank you.” Aredhel retrieved her prize and held it by the ears. “How many more do you think we need?”
“Maybe one or two, if you can get them,” said Celegorm. They walked a little to the west before setting the trap again. Once again, an unsuspecting rabbit crossed the path and was taken down before he knew what hit him. The third time, the rabbit dodged off before the spear hit the ground, but their fourth victim was not quite so fast.
They were able to skin the rabbits and roast the meat for their supper. They buried what they did not use, and the skins were rolled up and stuffed into the sack that had the rest of their supplies. They did not dare keep the fire going at night for fear that someone might spy it and investigate. Both were tired, so they found a rock formation nestled within a grove of pine trees that provided some extra shelter from the wind.
“Maybe we should sit a little closer together,” suggested Celegorm when Aredhel settled down across from him. He patted the ground next to him. “There is a nice spot right here for you.”
“I am fine where I am,” said Aredhel.
Celegorm shrugged. “You might feel better sitting here, though.”
“Why?”
“I just thought you might get a little cold,” he said. “I want to make sure you are comfortable.”
“I am fine,” she assured him. “In fact, it is almost too warm for me.”
“Maybe you should take some of your clothes off, then,” he suggested quickly.
Aredhel narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to get me out of my clothes?”
“What?” Celegorm laughed uneasily. “What?”
“You heard me.” Aredhel placed her hands on her hips. “I had some suspicion of your intentions when we were on the ship together – now I am fairly certain of it.”
Celegorm continued to laugh. “What?” He shook his head. “Aredhel, darling, I... yes, well, yes, perhaps I have been a little forward. But honestly, look at you – you are such a charming lady, and we have so much in common—“
“Including a grandfather!”
“Which makes it much easier when one of us says to the other ‘Would you like to meet the family?’, because, we both already know each other.”
“Darling?!”
“Yes?”
“No – you called me darling,” realized Aredhel. “We are cousins!”
“Yes.” Celegorm blinked. “Is that a problem for you?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
Aredhel opened her mouth to answer, but was unable to do so. “It is just wrong.”
“Perhaps, according to some; then again, what about your brother and my brother?”
Aredhel crossed her arms over her chest. “What about them?”
“Do you think they should not be together?”
“If they love each other, then they should be.” Aredhel sighed. “I see where you are going with this.”
“Aredhel, I would be lying if I told you I would be happy for you if you ever found someone else to be your lover.” Celegorm leaned over and took hold of her hands in his. “I—“
“Do not say it,” she warned him.
“I want you to know that if you ever would allow me to have the chance to court you, I would be more than honored.”
“Oh.”
Celegorm let go of her hands and sat back again. “What did you think I was going to say?”
“I love you,” said Aredhel.
“I love you, too,” answered Celegorm with a grin.
“Oh! You!” Aredhel picked up the sack with the rabbit skins and began to smack Celegorm’s shoulder with it as he laughed heartily. “You are lucky I do not want to be in the woods by myself, or I would beat you senseless!”
Celegorm continued to laugh long after the sack was dropped next to him with a huff. When he did sit up, he saw that Aredhel was huddled next to the rocks with her arms wrapped around herself. “Celegorm?”
“Yes, sweetheart?” He grinned and held out the sack, daring her to attack him again.
Aredhel rubbed her bare shoulders and curled her toes in. “I think I might be a little bit cold.”
Celegorm sat up and offered her the spot next to him again. With only slight hesitation, Aredhel joined him and snuggled up next to him. “Are you feeling any better?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her.
Aredhel nodded and rested her head on Celegorm’s shoulder. The winds picked up and blew harder as the silver light of the evening lit the land. Celegorm took the furs from the sack and used them to cover Aredhel’s bare feet. “Do not worry about falling asleep. I will do nothing untoward to you, cousin.”
“I know.” Aredhel nuzzled sleepily against him and sighed. “I am open-minded, Celegorm, but you must forgive me and allow me time to consider what you have said.”
“I understand,” he replied.
Aredhel waited a few moments and then added, “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
