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Celebrimbor hid a smile behind his hand. Annatar was not happy about traveling in the snow, but he had received an invitation to visit his friend Narvi for a winter celebration, and Annatar had grumbled and followed along.
The celebration had gone off without a hitch, though the dwarves were surprised to find the maia spirit traveling with him. But it had not caused problems, and the dwarves were interested in hearing first hand accounts of their maker. Celebrimbor had never seen Annatar so flustered.
But now they were returning home. He stopped his horse, Elerrocco, something didn't feel right. He looked around himself nervous. He barely noticed Annatar stopping his temperamental mare, Rúþeaserce, beside him, and jumped in his seat when he touched his arm.
"Telpë?" He turned, Annatar was frowning. "What is wrong?"
"I..." His voice wavered, then in a mumbled whisper "I don't know. Something is wrong here."
Annatar continued to frown and looked around as well, Rúþeaserce getting antsy. He placed his hand on her neck. "Let's keep moving. I can't put my finger on what's here, but hopefully it won't follow."
Celebrimbor nodded. Following his friends lead as they continued home. For a while it was fine, the feeling of being watched not notwithstanding, but then Annatar jerked his head around face pale, "Telperinquar Apsenindo you need to run, now."
Startled, Celebrimbor didn't ask questions, and pushed Elerrocco into a gallop. Turning around he gasped as he spotted Annatar facing a Balrog. Fumbling for the sword at his side, he turned back unable to leave his dear friend to fight on his own. Shedding his winter coat on the way to not way him down.
He underestimated Annatar's strength, and to his surprise got there just as Annatar was finishing the Balrog off, cutting off it's head with the blade he had made for him.
He gasped as Annatar turned now facing him. The form his friend took was no longer the fair form he normally took, but it was still a form he had seen before. He knew Maia could shapeshift, Annatar had done so before, but why would his friend take the form of Sauron.
"Annatar?" He whispered. His friend was as pale as he was when he had spotted the balrog, and he hesitantly reached out his hand towards him. Annatar flinched back. "Annatar why do you look like Sauron? How is it that this is a form you have taken." He felt like he was about to flee, but he forced himself to stay.
Annatar lowered his eyes, shifting back into his more familiar form, head bowed. His voice rueful asked "I thought I told you to run Telpë."
"I could not leave you to stand alone, not against a Balrog."
"I have little fear of the Valaraukar, and this was the youngest of them."
"Annatar you didn't answer my question." He prodded not sure if he really wanted the answer.
"Telpë, can we please just go home?"
"I, no. No Annatar I need an answer."
"I think you know the answer." He got back on Rúþeaserce.
"You're Sauron."
"I once was called that, but please I..."
But Celebrimbor was already racing off leaving his horse behind. Stumbling through the snowing woods, he hears Annatar, no Sauron give a shout, but does not turn.
-----
Annatar cursed his luck. Teplë was supposed to be far from the fight. He had tried shifting back into his old form to try to convince Unqualendur into letting them go, but it didn't work. He frowned sadly at the corpse, he wasn't lying when he had called her young.
He wasn't sure where he would go now. Given Teplë's reaction he doubted he would be allowed back into Erigon. He started to walk away when he noticed something in the snow. Celebrimbor's coat. He swore under his breath grabbing it, the idiot had ran into the forest in just his party clothes, which while beautiful, were not meant for this weather, especially with a storm on the way.
He followed after Celebrimbor into the forest both horses following behind.
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Where was he? There was no way Telpë could get so far ahead. It had been hours, had he managed to back track, and go home. Or maybe he climbed a tree. Sighing he threw the coat onto Elerrocco's back and shifted into a great wolf. The horses shied for a moment, but he calmed them in the tongue of animals.
Using the wolf's better nose he tracked Celebrimbor through the woods, stopping at an old fallen tree. There lying against it was an unconscious Telpë half-frozen, with blue lips.
Making sure he took his Annatar form he shifted back, grabbing his Telpë's wrist for a pulse. Finding one he sighed in relief, picking him up. He fought him a little, but worryingly he didn't seem to keep it up.
He flinched as he felt a snow drop hit his nose. He looked up to the sky, the sky had turned dark, and the snow was coming down hard. He laid him down and shifted back into a wolf, laid down next to him, and waited for morning.
////
Celebrimbor shifted half asleep. Blinking his eyes open he realized he was curled up next to a massive wolf, and both of them were covered in snow. Looking around he was glad to see the horses both seemed fine.
He stood up on unsteady legs, considering the day before. Annatar was... He closed his eyes. They needed to talk. He poked the wolf. "Annatar we need to talk." The wolf didn't move. "Annatar?" He checked his pulse. It seemed lower than usual.
Annatar finally stirred. "Annatar." He looked up groggily, trying and failing to stand. "Annatar can you shift into a more, ah, two legged form. He looked at him for a moment, seemingly not able to understand him, but then shifted back into his usual form.
Celebrimbor scooped him up in his arms, and began to walk back out of the woods. "I just..." He looks down giving a questioning sound. "Need to get warm. Too cold. No healers please."
He bit his lip. "If you're able to stand by the time we get back, then we'll skip the healers." He promised.
"Put your coat back on." Annatar mumbled.
Celebrimbor blinked and saw that on Elerrocco's back was his winter coat. Setting him gently down he slipped his coat back on. But when he turned to pick him back up Annatar had managed to stand up leaning against Rúþeaserce pale and sweaty.
The horse kneeled down and he carefully managed to get on, half laying upon her.
Celebrimbor bit his lip and got on Elerrocco's back as well. He kept glancing back at the quiet Maia, his thoughts racing.
----
Eventually Annatar sat up, still groggy from the cold, but feeling better. He looked ahead at Celebrimbor who looked tense. He didn't know if that was about his current state, or his past. He coaxed his horse a little closer, so they were riding side by side.
Celebrimbor gave him a dark look "What." He blinked. Telpë had never snapped at him.
"Do you want me to leave?" He asked.
"I should. After all you've done I should. But I promised that Ost-in-Edhil would be a place where anyone could come and have a new start."
"You just didn't expect Sauron to show up." He said addressing the oliphaunt in the room.
Celebrimbor stiffened in his seat. "No, I did not. I, I must ask." He turned and looked Annatar straight in the eyes. "Are you planning anything to hurt us."
He reared back as if slapped. "No! I just," he turned away. "When Melkor was captured I tried to turn myself in to Eönwë, but he said I would need to go to the west and be judged and I became afraid."
Celebrimbor placed his hand on his arm, his eyes full of sorrow. They continued on in silence for a while until returning home.
Celebrimbor had offered him a room in his home when he first arrived, and he had never left. Hiding his exhaustion he laid down in his bed. Covered in all his blankets he was still too cold. Shivering he pulled them closer, unable to get warm.
He dreamt. He didn't normally, keeping his mind far from Irmo's realm. But tonight he dreamt, and was punished for it with Irmo sending him visions of the past, only this time he was the tortured instead. Every wrong he had done revisited, placing those wounds upon himself. He screamed as he was whipped, burned, stabbed, and devoured by wolves. He cried for mercy from the dream lord, invoking Estë and Nienna, but this seemed to only anger him.
"Annatar?" Celebrimbor knocked on his friend's door. Well maybe his friend, they still needed to talk about the whole "Is actually Sauron, Maia of Morgoth" thing. He rubbed his face, knocking again. "Annatar?"
Still no answer. He pushed on the door a little, and to his surprise it opened. For a third time he called out, "Annatar?" The room was quiet, which was odd. Annatar often took advantage of not needing to sleep and was often up at all hours.
He looked around frowning as he did not see his friend. As he turned to leave he heard a whimper so soft he almost dismissed it as nothing.
Walking deeper in the room, ears pricked up, he listened closely trying to hear the noise again. It came from under the bed. Walking closer, he peaked under the bed only to find a naked and shivering Maia there.
He was shifting around shaking his head, mouthing the words 'no' and 'please', tears trailing down his face, and letting out the little whimpers he had heard. He was clearly having a nightmare. He called to him again, and when he didn't wake, started humming a song his uncle had taught him, petting his hair, he wasn't sure what to do.
At some point he became aware of a presence beside him in the waking world combing his hair and humming. A head pressing gently against his. "Lord Irmo please release him. He is only in your realm for he saved my life."
And everything stopped. The presence of the Master of Dreams vanished. Annatar opened his eyes trembling. "Telpë?"
"Hush, only a dream, you have been unconscious for over a week." He should be worried about that, but he let himself relax into the feeling on Telpë's hand.
"Hmm, too cold," he yawned, "fire spirit." He mumbled.
"Your eäla tried to flee your fana."
He weakly grasped Telpë's arm. "I'll be fine, just, stay for now?"
Telpë hummed agreement, "only if you come out from under the bed." His furrowed his brow, how? Nevermind that, he thought as he slowly managed to crawl out. Telpë picked him up once he had made it up, and placed him back in the bed tucking him back in
Telpë also crawled in the bed with him and he felt himself fade into a half sleep turning his head against him, and while knowing they still had much to talk about, it still felt good to be home.