The Fell Winter

Title: The Fell Winter (10/?)
Author: Aglarien
Type: FPS
Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel
Rating: NC-17 eventually.
Disclaimer: Not mine, except for the cats. The great Master Tolkien’s estate owns everything else. I promise to return his elves when I’m done playing with them.
Warning: AU. Complete disregard for canon, JRRT’s timelines (although the years of The Fell Winter are accurate), and the fact that only the peredhil of Elrond’s lineage got to choose between human and elf. Lots of fluff.
Timeline: The Fell Winter, T.A. 2911-2912
Beta: Patricia/Slayer9649. Thank you Gwathel.
Summary: Middle-earth is in the middle of the harshest winter ever known, and Erestor is suffering from the cold. A small child and a golden warrior warm his heart.


Chapter 10

Elrond had stopped in for a second time to check on Erestor and was pleased with his recovery, but ordered him to remain resting for another day. As much as Erestor hated staying in bed, he had to admit that his experience had scared him and he had no desire for a repeat of it.

After Elrond was gone again, Erestor rested with his head against Glorfindel’s chest. “I never dreamt that I would finally find love, and now my heart is telling me that you are the reason I have stayed so alone for all these millennia.”

“If you will have me, Erestor, I promise you will never be alone again. You will live in my heart and I will love you forever.” Glorfindel lifted Erestor’s head and looked into dark eyes sparkling with tears. “Tell me those are tears of happiness?”

Erestor nodded and smiled. “I do not understand why you want me, but yes, I will have you and love you forever. As I live in your heart, you will live in mine. I love you, Glorfindel.” Tears ran in earnest down Erestor’s face. “You fill my heart with joy. You are so beautiful, and there is such goodness and strength in you. I am either dreaming, or I am the most fortunate elf who ever lived, to have such a one as you love me.”

“No dream, beloved, and perhaps we are both the most fortunate elves to have found each other.” Glorfindel moved his lips over Erestor’s face, kissing the tears away, before capturing his mouth once more in a kiss that spoke of sweet promises of all there was to come.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

When Lindir opened his door in response to the soft knock, he was more than a little surprised to see the healer standing there. “Galuvaeron? Is something wrong?”

“Not at all, Lindir.” The tall, dark-haired healer smiled. “Elrond just asked me to stop by and check on Melveldir – he was concerned since the little one is still healing.”

“He was tired after our wandering through the rooms, and is napping with his sister,” Lindir said quietly. Blushing, he remembered his manners. The healer could always make him forget a lot of things. “Please – come in.” Leading the healer to the chairs set in front of the fire, he said, “May I offer you some hot tea?”

“Tea would be lovely, Lindir. Thank you. The halls are quite cold. I do not recall a winter quite so cold.”

“There was another winter such as this in the past century, but it did not reach as far south as where you were in the Havens. It was even colder than this one is.”

“Amazing,” Galuvaeron said, taking the teacup Lindir handed him. “Hard to believe anything could be colder than it is now.”

“How do you like it here in Imladris, Galuvaeron? I am sorry you arrived right before this horrid winter, but I promise you, our valley is wondrous the rest of the year. The gardens are beautiful in the spring and summer.”

“I like it here very much, Lindir. Unfortunately, there are so many sick and wounded little ones, especially now, but I am pleased that I am here and able to help. I am very glad that Lord Elrond sent for me because of my experience in treating human younglings at the Havens. And please call me Vaeron – all of my friends do.”

Lindir bowed slightly at the complement the healer offered in allowing him to use his familiar name. “Then I would be pleased to call you Vaeron as well.”

“So tell me, how is little Melveldir?”

“He was quite worn out with finding the new rooms for Erestor. He managed to drink half of his milk and have a cookie before falling asleep. I imagine he will be quite hungry come time for dinner. They are such lovely little elflings, Vaeron.” Lindir answered.

Galuvaeron nodded. “There is something quite special about them – especially little Riniel. Is it true that Lord Erestor is going to adopt them for his own?”

“It is. They will be a family, and Erestor will no longer be alone.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Galuvaeron replied. “It is not good for him to be alone. He has a loving heart.”

“And what of you, Vaeron?” Lindir asked. “Have you a family?” The seneschal felt very forward, but what he really longed to know was if the tall and handsome healer had a mate.

“What family I had sailed long ago.” The healer sighed. “It is many years that I have had only my work to keep me company. I admit I am lonely sometimes.”

“My family has sailed as well,” Lindir said softly. “As many friends as I have here in Imladris, I get lonely sometimes too – especially in the evenings. Everyone has their family or spouses, and I cannot expect them to spend their family time with me.”

Galuvaeron nodded. “It is the same with me. Perhaps….we could spend some evenings together since we are both alone? If you would not mind my company, that is.” He hoped Lindir would agree. The seneschal was the most enchanting elf in Imladris, and Vaeron had fallen head-over-heels for him the first time they had met. Since he had already found out that Lindir did not have a mate or anyone he was interested in, he had jumped at the chance to pay a visit and check on Melveldir.

Lindir smiled. “I would like that very much, Vaeron.”

~~~*~~~

Erestor was overjoyed to have the elflings back with him again, although he would have been happier if Glorfindel had let him get out of bed for their dinner. The fact that the healer, Galuvaeron, who had accompanied Lindir and joined them for the meal, not only agreed with Glorfindel but thought Melveldir should join Erestor and eat while resting in bed, had put an end to any arguments the councilor was about to use.

If Erestor was overjoyed to see the elflings, it was nothing to how happy the little ones were to be back with him and Glorfindel. Riniel squealed as Glorfindel picked her up and twirled her around in his arms, before burying her head contently in his neck, her little hands entwined in his sweet-smelling golden hair. Melveldir cuddled happily onto Erestor’s lap, breathing a sigh of contentment as he was held securely in the councilor’s arms. He didn’t understand why, but when Erestor held him he always felt peaceful and happy. It was just like when his Nana or Ada had held him.

Erestor held the elfling and felt the joy that once again infused his being. He did not know why, but his heart told him that Melveldir and his sister were very special. Beyond that, he knew he had lost his heart to them, and he poured all of his love into the elfling in his arms, praying that Vel would be comforted and made whole again. “Did you enjoy being with Lindir today, my sweet one?” he asked softly.

Vel nodded his head vigorously, which wasn’t easy to do, considering it was tucked under Erestor’s chin. “We looked at lots and lots of rooms until we found the perfect one for you, Erestor. And then Lindir carried me back to his rooms because I was tired and we had milk and cookies, and then we took a nap in Lindir’s bed with the kittens.”

“Tell me about our new rooms?” Erestor asked. The little head under his chin moved from side to side this time. “No?”

Melveldir giggled. “It’s a surprise. Lindir says you have to wait until tomorrow.”

Erestor had a sudden desire to tickle the information out of the elfling, and only the fact that Vel was still healing from his injury kept him doing so. He sighed. “Oh, very well then, I shall just have to wait.”

Erestor was kept from any further discussion about the new rooms by the arrival of servants with their meal. He and Melveldir were seated comfortably against stacks of pillows, Glorfindel and Riniel sat crossed-legged at the end of the bed, and Lindir and Galuvaeron sat in chairs next to the bed. Erestor couldn’t remember when he had shared such a delightful meal full of good food, good friends, and laughter.

Glorfindel kept filling Erestor’s plate with delicacies, and the councilor’s heart was so light that he ate until he felt he would burst. “I cannot eat another bite, Glorfindel,” he finally said, pulling his plate away just as his new love as about to add more food to it. “I have eaten more than I usually do in a week!”

“Yes, I noticed,” Glorfindel said, and then teasingly added. “I have committed myself to stuffing you and putting some flesh back on your bones.”

Erestor raised his eyebrows and thought about being affronted, but sighed instead, knowing Glorfindel was right. He hadn’t been eating enough, but he could not help his former lack of appetite. “Well,” he finally said, “if you keep feeding me like this, I shall be a plump little cabbage in no time at all.”

“Ah, but you will be my plump little cabbage,” Glorfindel replied with a grin, “and ready for harvesting.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Erestor.

Galuvaeron snorted, and then quickly covered his mouth with his hand, while Lindir shook with silent laughter. Erestor managed to keep from laughing out loud at the comical look on Glorfindel’s face and gave the golden elf a scowl.

“Forgive me for teasing you,” Glorfindel said. There was a pause before he added, “My little cabbage,” and doubled over with laughter.

That was all it took for Erestor to give in to his own mirth, and he laughed louder and longer than he had in many a year. To the others his voice was as a sweetly peeling bell, tolling joyous hours; a sound they had either never heard before, or had not heard in a very long time.

Outside in the hall, two elves stood listening in amazement. “Listen, my love,” Elrond whispered. “It is Erestor! I have not heard him laugh like that for a year or more!”

“I had forgotten how beautiful his laughter sounds,” Celebrian whispered back smiling. “We will obviously not disturb them.” She opened the outer door and pulled Elrond in with her, calling out, “May we join you, friends?”

“As long as you did not bring any cabbage,” Glorfindel managed say, before collapsing in laughter again.

Elrond pulled two chairs from the sitting room to the bedroom, and when Celebrian was seated, asked, “Cabbage?”

“Erestor is going to be a stuffed cabbage,” Riniel said, giggling, which set Erestor off all the more.

It was long minutes before the laughter had ceased and Erestor had extracted promises that neither the word ‘plump’, nor the word ‘cabbage’ would ever be used to refer to him – except by Glorfindel, of course, but never in public.

Glorfindel was standing by the table pouring goblets of wine for the adults and fruit juice for the elflings as Lindir reached into a pocket and drew out a silver flute. Handing it to Melveldir, he said, “Here is your flute I promised to bring you, Vel. Will you play us a song?”

“Oh, play Ada’s song, Vel,” Riniel said.

“Thank you, Lindir,” Melveldir said, smiling at the flute. “It is beautiful. All right, Rin. I will try to play Ada’s song.”

After handing everyone their goblet, Glorfindel stood in front of the fireplace sipping his own wine and watching Melveldir, deep in thought. Seeing the elfling with the flute brought back such memories. Scenes of teaching his younger brother Anaro how to play the instrument drifted through his mind; of how they had played together with Ecthelion in the gardens on warm summer nights.

Everyone was focused on Melveldir as he began to play. The tune was lilting and sweet in the beginning, gradually becoming playful and merry. All of the elves were smiling and nodding their heads to the music but one.

No one saw the color drain from Glorfindel’s face. No one noticed as his hands shook and the goblet slipped from his fingers.

The crystal goblet plummeted to the tile floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.

Tbc…