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After a warmer than usual autumn, winter had finally come to Imladris.
Galadriel was used to all weather conditions, she battled in pouring rain, trudged through knee deep mud following heavy storms. Had climbed steep mountainsides during harsh blizzards that threatened to sweep her from it. So, when the High-King had asked her to find Elrond, she knew she would have to venture into the thick layered snowy fields that surrounded the Imladris valley.
Thick layers of snow didn’t phase her. But the snow had come much earlier than the elves had anticipated.
Dressed in thick layers of clothing, Galadriel fastened her winter boots and headed out from the security of the temporary camp the elves had erected as they built the permanent structures of Imladris. The trees were bare, standing brown against the perfect white canvas the covered the forest floor as the snow crunched beneath her feet. As she walked further into the valley, the snow laid on the floor was thicker, Galadriel had to lift her feet and stomp her way through the snow, following the deep footprints that she knew belonged to Elrond.
She found him after a few more minutes of trudging through the snow, stood underneath a grove of trees. His back was to her, his long curls now fell down to his shoulders and he looked lost in thought from his stance. Even though she couldn't see his face, she could picture his serious facial expression, from the way his eyes focused hard on whatever he was looking at, to the little frown lines on his forehead, to the way his lips would twitch when he had made a decision.
It was a look she had seen often over the time she had known him and it made her smile fondly to catch him unawares.
“Elrond.” Galadriel called out.
As she approached him, he turned around, his eyes wide with alarm as she stepped before him.
“Galadriel-“
But his warning came too late as he tried to reach for her. Galadriel let out a surprised squeal as she was scooped up in a net, with Elrond tangled up with her. She squirmed and yelped as snow covered the skin of her face, her hands trying to brush it out of her eyes. As she looked up, she could feel Elrond’s hurried breaths hit her face warmly, his body pressed against her own as she realised that they had been hoisted up into the trees that surrounded them.
“I tried to warn you.” Elrond grunted.
Galadriel fidgeted uncomfortably, her hands resting on Elrond’s chest, her legs trying to shift around Elrond as she tried to put enough pressure on the rope net at her feet. Elrond’s own hands wandered around her back, his fingers lightly tracing patterns as he tried to still her motions.
“You thought a net would be a good way to trap an orc?” Galadriel asked grumpily.
“It’s one measure we thought to try. With the heavy snowfall we’ll be having for the next few months, we can hide the nets in the snow-“
"Orcs aren't stupid-"
"We're laying out all kinds of traps, Galadriel," Elrond huffed, "This is one of many different types to add further protection to Imladris."
"Are the rings not enough?" Galadriel asked, just as Nenya trilled on her finger.
Elrond met her gaze and smiled, his eyes now fixed on the ring he had finally come to accept as pure and free of Sauron's influence.
"The rings do much to protect our kind, but we have to be as cautious as we can be." he stated.
Galadriel nodded, shifting uncomfortably in the net.
"And now we're trapped in a net with limited space-"
“There are worse ways to be trapped.” Elrond teased with a grin.
Galadriel flushed, feeling her cheeks warm despite the cold day. She could feel her friend’s legs tangled with her own, she could feel his heart racing underneath her fingers. She hadn’t been used to this close proximity with Elrond since he had kissed her in Adar’s tent. A kiss that had surprised her and one that they had yet to discuss. But there hadn't been much time to do anything other than build Imladris. She shifted against him, trying to give him some space.
Which she realised was impossible.
For a moment they were still, with Elrond looking over her shoulder to study the net before he looked down at her with glint in his eyes. Galadriel’s breath hitched as she felt Elrond’s hands move to her hips, his fingers flexing as he rested his left hand on the hilt of the dagger in her belt. He shuffled closer, his head leaning down as he looked at the net behind her, she shivered as she felt his breath hit her neck.
"I can always rely on you to come prepared." Elrond whispered.
"A soldier always should." Galadriel replied.
“We’re going to have to work together to get free."
She nodded sharply as she felt Elrond pull the dagger from its sheath and began cutting the rope behind her. Galadriel could hear the sounds of the dagger slicing through the thick rope of the net, she could feel the warm puffs of breath on her neck as Elrond grunted with each movement of his wrist as he tried to slice. She raised her foot backwards, resting it in the gap between a section of square in the netting and kicked downwards as Elrond sliced gently.
"Keep going." Elrond grunted.
Galadriel nodded against his shoulder, trying to ignore his earthy scent filling her nostrils as she squirmed. She kicked her foot downwards as she heard Elrond continue to cut and slice through the net, using every bit of strength that she could to try and get them free.
With the sound of the rope snapping, Galadriel and Elrond fell into the thick snow below the trees, landing slightly cushioned and feeling a little bruised. She let out a winded laugh as she opened her eyes, seeing Elrond leaning over her with snow in his curls. With one hand, she reached up and brushed the snow from the curls that framed his face. For the first time in weeks, his eyes portrayed that warm depth she had long been accustomed to. Feeling her heart thrum as he caressed her cold face, Galadriel leaned up and pressed her lips to his, feeling the soft texture of his lips against her own, hearing him breathe deeply as he responded to the light touch of her lips. When she pulled back and opened her eyes, she saw him smiling down at her.
"Who knew a fall in the snow could change everything?" Elrond whispered.
Galadriel let out a light laugh and accepted his help in climbing to her feet. With one last assessment of the net, Galadriel had agreed to come back later to replace the one they had been forced to destroy and they trudged back through the snow, with the idea of talking more about their evolving relationship.