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Elnara smiled and nuzzled her face into Lore's side, the warmth of his body seeping through his robes and into her as well. In that comfortable and warm position, it wasn't long before she fell asleep.



That storm was fortunately the only big storm of winter, and within a week things had melted away enough that even Elnara was free to wander outside as she pleased, as long as she was careful. The nights, however, became Elnara's favourite part of winter: the time when she was most able to cuddle with Lore, and thus the time when she was the warmest, even if the baby would not let her sleep. Her days were filled once more with walks, sewing, and games of chess with Lore, though there was the occasional flute-playing as well now.

By the time Stirring arrived, Elnara was exhausted and ready for the warmth ... though her moods had far improved. Walks were getting harder for her - not because of the wetness outside, or the muddy ground, but because her legs had simply begun to ache almost every time she stood up, and she couldn't go further than two or three rooms before she had to rest. A deep sleep was impossible for her now: the baby was always moving, in one place or another, and moving a lot more than it had been before. At best, she could get a half hour nap off and on, and her days became little different from her nights.

"Only about another month," she told Lore softly one afternoon as she lay on the couch, for once content to read a book. "I don't know ... how Mother did this so many times," she added in a murmur, "though I don't recall her seeming this tired, either."

Her abdomen was so large by now that she almost always needed help standing up, not because she was weak, but simply because she had to overbalance herself too much, and be careful not to tip herself over.

"I should ask her the next time she comes to visit," Elnara smiled, setting her book aside and reaching down to massage her legs. "She did promise to come this week at some point ..."

She sighed and lay back again. "If only I could sleep better."

Elnara took his hand in her own and pressed it to her lips, kissing it softly.

"Perhaps," she murmured, "if you could rub my feet ... they're more sore today than usual ..."

Maybe that would help ... at the very least it would ease her a bit.

Elnara sighed happily as Lore began to massage her feet, putting one arm behind her head and allowing herself to relax. When her feet were swollen, she found that she wasn't ticklish ... though she had a suspicion that her ticklishness would return once the baby was born and her body returned to normal.

"That feels so nice," she murmured softly, watching Lore through half-lidded eyes.

Lore chuckled, it was one of the few times he saw cat like traits out of Elnara. It sort of amused him knowing that she used to turn into a cat when Celebor was much younger.

"That would be nice," Lore replied looking up, "We won't be going anywhere any time soon."

Though Elnara now no longer had cabin fever because of her lack of sleep, but it was still nice to have people here.

Alyse grinned and left the house before she got dragged into Elnara's teasing. Her humour could be downright biting when she got hormonal ...

Once she was outside, she broke into a run, basking in the warmth of the Stirring air.

Elnara giggled softly.

"It seems such a long time ago now," she murmured, placing one hand on her belly and rubbing it gently, almost as if trying to calm the baby within. "I think it still might be one of my favourite alternate forms ... but I'm not going to shapeshift anymore, not if I can help it ... especially not while I'm still pregnant."

She looked down at her swollen stomach. "If it means that it will be less likely that our child will be a shapeshifter," she said quietly, "then I will do what I can to ensure that it doesn't happen."

Elnara giggled softly. "What makes you think it was an unconscious decision?" she asked him softly. "It's true I've had no need, but I used to shapeshift for Celebor, just for fun ... I don't even know if the younger children know that I can do it."

She closed her eyes and tried to think of what she would like most after the baby was born. She was tempted to say a real sleep - but she was not naive. She knew that that would not happen, not until the baby grew into a child, which would be a few years down the road.

"I think," she murmured, "that what I look most forward to ... besides seeing our little one ... is being able to actually ... really hug you again."

She blushed. "It's ... just so hard now ... to give you a real, full hug ..."

She just couldn't get close enough anymore, and though he always gave her hugs from behind, or from the side, it had been a long time since they had had a real embrace. She missed it.