Finding Hope

Just a few notes to my wonderful reviewers, then on to chapter 13:
Foxhiei: They kept the noise level down by using that "mind speak" thingy. *hehehe*
Mystkyten: Hmmm-good catch. Yes, Elrohir will fall in love with Amdiriel, but many years in the future when she is full grown. I think E & G might just be pleased to have him as a son-in-law.
Anon - so glad you like it!
Minerva Ann - thank you for your kind coments to Enough for Tonight & Strong Heart! *blushes* Hope you like this one too. I'm partial to the cats as well, especially since they are all based on my own.
HHS - since chapter 13 and 14 both cover what's going on with the other elflings, will post them together for you!


Note: Conversations indicated with a single ‘…..’ are Erestor and Glorfindel silently mind speaking to each other.


Chapter 13

In the morning, Glorfindel was the first to reach Faelion, who was loudly protesting his wet state and empty stomach. Erestor ran to the kitchen to get the baby’s milk and ask a kitchen servant to deliver breakfast for the rest of them. He would be glad when the renovation of the rooms currently occupied by Amarion’s family was complete, and he would be able to keep some basic things for the children, like the baby’s milk, in the small kitchen they had planned. He was even looking forward to preparing some simple meals for them.

Returning to their rooms, Erestor found Glorfindel sitting in the rocking chair with all three of the elflings squished onto his lap. He was rocking them and teaching the older elflings one of the songs he remembered from his own childhood, as Faelion sucked on a bunny ear. Erestor, smiling at the lovely sight, took the baby from Glorfindel to feed, and joined in the singing.

When the baby was fed, Erestor laid him in the cradle with his bunny. He picked up Amdiriel from Glorfindel’s lap and said, “Are my elflings hungry? Breakfast is here. Come and eat.” Glorfindel picked up Gailion, and they set the children in their chairs.

“Oh, look little ones, no porridge again!” Glorfindel said.

The children grinned at him. “Do we have jam this morning again, Ada?” Gailion said.

“ Indeed we do. There is jam, and toast to put it on, and fruit and eggs.” Glorfindel said, taking his turn and serving them this morning. “Would you like some toast with your jam as well, Ada Restor?”

Erestor chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with a lot of jam and a little toast, is there, my elflings?”

The happy children shook their heads and smiled at their Adas.

When breakfast was over, Erestor told the children, “Your Ada Glor and I need to take a bath. Shall we all take one before we dress?”

“With bubbles, Ada?” Amdiriel asked.

“Oh, lots of bubbles,” Erestor answered.

The entire family, Faelion included, fit in the bathtub with room to spare. The elflings really did not need their hair washed, since Erestor had done it last night, but it would be a good way to switch places again. Trying to make sure the elflings felt loved equally by both their Adas, and grew comfortable with both, Glorfindel held Faelion safely while Erestor washed Gailion’s hair, and then Erestor took the baby so Glorfindel could wash Amdiriel’s.

When they were in danger of having permanently wrinkled skin, Erestor thought it might be a good time to mention that there was new clothing and shoes to look at this morning. Even though Gailion had enough clothing that Elladan and Elrohir had grown out of, Glorfindel had made sure he purchased some new clothes for him that would not be hand-me-downs.

After coaxing the children out of the bathtub with the promise of new clothing, Erestor dried Faelion and set him on the warm rug near the fireplace. Quickly drying themselves and putting on leggings, they then switched elflings again. Erestor dried Amdiriel, then brushed and braided her wet hair, while Glorfindel took care of Gailion.

Erestor pulled out the new clothes and laid all of Amdiriel’s new dresses out on one side of the bed, while Glorfindel laid out all of Gailion’s and Faelion’s on the other.

“Look at all the new dresses your Ada Glor bought for you yesterday, sweetheart,” Erestor told Amdiriel. “Are they not lovely?”

Amdiriel’s eyes grew large, as she looked at all the dresses, touching some of them shyly. “Oh, Ada, there are so many. They are so pretty.” She ran to Glorfindel and held her arms up for him to pick her up, which of course he did. “Thank you, Ada Glor. I have never had so many dresses before.” She kissed Glorfindel shyly on his cheek. “I love you, Ada Glor.” She gave Glorfindel a hug.

“I love you, too, sweetheart. I am very happy that you like your dresses. Now, do you see one you want to wear today?”

“I am not sure yet, Ada Glor. Can I go look at them again?” Glorfindel set her down and she ran back to the other side of the bed with Erestor. “Ada, what color should I wear?”

Erestor realized there were just too many for the little elfling to decide on her own. “Well, yesterday you and I wore green. What about if we wore blue today? And Ada Glor and your brothers can also wear blue and we will all match. Would you like that?”

Amdiriel nodded, smiling at Erestor.

“What a good idea, my love,” Glorfindel said. “Gailion, which ones would you like to wear today, little one?”

“Hmmm….those Ada.” The elfling pointed to a set of dark blue leggings with a marching dark blue tunic that sported gold clasps. “Ada,” he said, “thank you for all my new clothes.”

“You are very welcome, my sweet one,” Glorfindel answered. “Do you love Ada Restor and me, too?” He added with a little grin.

“Of course, Ada! But not just because of the clothes and toys. We would love you even if you did not give us presents,” Gailion said.

Amdiriel nodded. “We would, Ada,” she told Erestor.

“Thank you, my love. Your Ada Glor and I love all three of you very much, and we want to do nice things for you because we love you. Now, since Gailion has chosen dark blue, what if you wore this beautiful dark blue dress and I wore my dark blue robes? See, the dress even has gold buttons, and we will put a gold flower clasp in your hair.”

“A gold flower clasp, Ada?” Amdiriel asked.

“Aye, love. Your Ada Glor bought them for all of you yesterday. The golden flower is the symbol of Ada Glor’s house, so it is our symbol, too. It is mine, because I am his husband, and you and your brothers because you are our children now. Do you understand?”

“I think so, Ada,” she answered.

“So you see my ring, little one?” Erestor showed her his wedding ring. “It is just like Ada Glor’s. They are the rings we exchanged when we married, and it has a golden flower in it too.”

Amdiriel smiled up at Erestor. “So when we wear golden flowers it tells everyone that we are yours, is that right, Ada?”

“That’s right, my love,” Erestor answered with a smile.

“Ada, do Faelion and I have golden flowers too?” Gailion asked Glorfindel.

“Of course, sweetling. You all have a golden flower hair clasp and a golden flower broach for your cloaks. And the gold circlets I ordered for all of you has a golden flower on them.”

“What is a circlet, Ada?” Amdiriel asked.

Erestor opened a drawer and took out his gold circlet. “This is a circlet, love. We wear them on our heads on special occasions like when we have important visitors, or on days like Yule. Both your Ada Glor and I are Lords of Imladris. But your Ada Glor was also a great Lord in Gondolin long ago. You are our children now, so your Ada Glor ordered circlets like this, but smaller so they will fit you, to wear on special days.”

“Ada and Nana used to tell us stories of Glorfindel of Gondolin,” Gailion said. “He killed a Balrog and helped save the people, but he died. Are you named after that Glorfindel, Ada?”

‘Oh, sweet Elbereth, what do we tell them now?’ Erestor heard Glorfindel’s words in his mind.

‘Let me try, my love,’ he answered.

“Gailion, come sit with your sister and me for a moment, and I will try to explain something to you.” He sat on the floor and pulled the elflings onto his lap. Glorfindel came and sat beside them, and picked up Faelion. “You both understand that elves are immortal, meaning we are supposed to live until the end of Arda?” The elflings nodded. “Sometimes, though, when an elf’s body is hurt too badly for the soul to remain, the body dies and the elf’s soul goes to Mandos’ Halls.” He waited for the elflings to nod again.

“That is what happened to Glorfindel of Gondolin’s soul, and what happened to the souls of your parents. So even though your parents are not here with us, they are still alive in Mandos’ Halls, which is in Valinor, because elves do not die even though their bodies can. Sometimes, when a soul wishes it and when Mandos allows it, an elf is reborn and their soul is given a new body. Usually they are born into a new family with a new body, so they might look different. We do not know if they ever rejoin their old family, even though they remember them when they are grown up, at least I have not heard of that happening. I think most of them must decide to stay in Valinor when they are reborn because it is such a wonderful place to live, and wait for their old families to join them there. Do you understand so far?”

“I think so, Ada,” said Gailion. “So if our Ada and Nana were reborn, they would probably stay in Valinor, and we might see them when we go there?”

“Aye, little one, that is right,” Erestor answered. “Now, what happened to Glorfindel of Gondolin was very special, because he had something very special to do. The Valar made a new body for him that was exactly like his old body. In fact, it was his old body, recreated by the Valar. His soul returned to that body, and the Valar told him he had to return to Middle-earth, even though all of his family and friends were gone, because he was needed here. They told him that he was to protect Lord Elrond and his family, and fight against the evil things here. Lord Elrond is the descendent of one special family that Glorfindel saved in Gondolin. That family was the ruler of Gondolin, his daughter and her husband, and their little son. The little son was Lord Elrond’s father, Eärendil.”

“The same Eärendil that is the star, with his ship, Ada?” Amdiriel asked.

“Aye, sweetheart, the very same.” Erestor answered. “And so Glorfindel returned to Middle-earth, as the Valar asked him to, and came to Imladris. So you see, your Ada Glor is the same Glorfindel of Gondolin that killed the Balrog.”

The elflings looked wide-eyed at Glorfindel. “Really, Ada?” Gailion asked in an awed whisper. “You died and came back?”

“Really, my little ones,” Glorfindel answered.

The two elflings threw themselves at Glorfindel, nearly squishing their little brother in the process. “I am glad you came back, Ada Glor,” Amdiriel said, “so you could be our Ada.”

“Ada, you will not die again, will you?” Gailion asked.

Glorfindel smiled. “I certainly do not intend to, sweetheart. I do not think the Valar would send me back just to have me die all over again. I am very careful not to, because I still need to protect Lord Elrond and protect all of us from the evil things. And I am very sure that the Valar help me so nothing really bad happens to me.”

“But what does all that have to do with golden flowers, Ada Glor?” Amdiriel asked.

“In Gondolin, I was the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, so the golden flower has always been my symbol.”

“And now it is ours, too,” Amdiriel said, matter-of-factly.

“Aye, sweetheart, now it is yours and your brothers’ too,” Glorfindel said.

“Now, let us get dressed and see if your new shoes and sandals fit, and then we will go and see if our friends need some help moving to their new cottage,” Erestor said.

When the family was dressed in their dark blue and gold, including Faelion, Erestor packed his bag with some diapers, a bottle of milk, and assorted toys for the children. They checked on the cats and left the doors to the balcony open so they could wander into the walled garden and Tinnu could get out to catch his and Glirien’s breakfast, and set out for the neighboring rooms.

The move of Amarion and his family to their cottage had already begun, so Erestor and Glorfindel collected Saercaeron, Lainon and Laerien to keep with them while Amarion and Diwen supervised their move. Next, they called on Caladir and Gurvelon, and they all decided an outing by the river with a picnic lunch and games for the children, and maybe fishing for the boys, would be a wonderful way to spend the day. So they gathered baskets of food for lunch, blankets and fishing poles.

Erestor went to check on Elrond, and found him working in his office. “Elrond, there is really nothing urgent there, is there?” he asked.

“Not particularly. I just thought I would try to keep up with it so we do not get behind.”

“If I help you with it tomorrow, will you come with us today? We are all spending the day at the Bruinen, and you have not taken a day off in a long while.” It would do their Lord good to get away from his office for a while.

“With fishing? And a picnic?” Elrond asked. He enjoyed fishing, and loved picnics. He did not really feel like spending the day working, and was glad for the excuse not to.

Erestor chuckled. “Aye, fishing and a picnic.”

“Then may I suggest we also get Mel and Turidon? And Lindir and Taurfaeron as well. Lindir can bring his harp and play for us.” Elrond grinned.

Erestor laughed. “I will go find Mel and Turidon. You go and get Lindir and Taurfaeron. After all, Elladan and Elrohir are here and can supervise the training. Oh, and I will tell the cooks to have someone bring us out some more food and drink, and tell the twins to join us for lunch.”

Tbc…