Something Special, Something Sacred

Imladris, Third Age 2033

Elrond quickly ran to Erestor and Glorfindel's rooms, which were luckily just a few doors away from his own. Erestor trailed at a slowed pace, his eyes vacant as Celebrían led him into the large bedroom. The Peredhel was bent over the still, blond form, calling the Elda's name. His stormy eyes turned to his wife.

"I want you to take Erestor to the twins. Send Elrohir in here and wait for one of us to come back." He immediately turned back to his Seneschal, knowing Celebrían would carry out his orders.

The silver-haired she-Elf guided Erestor to Elladan and Elrohir's room, her blue eyes darting back to the blank, pale face of her charge. "Elladan will be happy to see you, meldir," she said softly, knocking on her sons' door.

Elladan opened the door, blinking sleepily. "Nana?" he said, but when he eyes fell onto Erestor he gasped. "Erestor?"

Celebrían smiled and pushed the door further, stepping lightly into the room. "Your Ada needs Elrohir's help in Erestor's rooms. Would you wake him, please?"

" Of course!" Elladan rushed from the main room, only to stick his head out of the bedchamber a moment later. "Come in here, Nana," he invited. "Elrohir is putting on his boots and then he will go to Ada."

Elrohir, still rumpled from bed, smiled as the two elder Elves entered his bedroom as he finished slipping his boot on. "I will be back as soon as I can," he said to no one in particular. The younger twin kissed Elladan briefly, and then kissed his mother on her cheek. "I am sure all will be well," he said, walking swiftly from the room.

The Lady of Imladris drew Erestor down to sit on the bed, holding his hand tightly in hers. The Noldo continued to stare blankly ahead. Celebrían would have been able to weather crying, anger, fear... anything but the self-doubting silence Erestor chose to exhibit instead. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, but the sight of Erestor so broken was burned into her mind.

Elladan opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced as Celebrían raised a hand. He furrowed his brow, staring at his mother's closed eyes. The twin tried again, trying to ask what had happened, but Celebrían again held up a hand. Elladan crossed his arms and glared at his mother. He went to say something *again*, but Celebrían's blue eyes opened and she glared at her son. He shut his mouth, and raised an eyebrow just as his father did. Celebrían merely pointed to the window seat, and Elladan obediently sat.

They remained in strained silence. Time seemed to slow, and Celebrían was certain dawn would come before Elrohir or Elrond came to them. She offered her quiet support, radiating her soothing calm as she always did in times of crisis. But, as the night crawled on, her hope that the glorious Balrog-slayer was all right diminished.

Ithil was low in the sky when Elrohir returned to the room. Elladan was still seated on the window seat, staring out at the lawns; Celebrían still held Erestor's hand, her worried gaze darting to her youngest son; Erestor remained catatonic, frozen in his shocked state.

Elrohir cleared his throat and stood in front of Celebrían and Erestor. "Erestor?" he asked softly, hoping to gain the Noldo's attention. When there was no change in his father's friend, he decided to simply continue as if the Elf had answered him. " Ada and I have taken Glorfindel to the healing wing. He is comfortable there, though Ada has made certain he sleeps. Erestor, Glorfindel *is* alive." There wasn't even a flicker in the dark eyes. Elrohir knelt down before Erestor and looked up at him. "He will live, meldir."

Erestor blinked slowly. His gaze moved from Elrohir's flushed face to Celebrían's hopeful smile. He seemed to silently question the Sinda, his eyes almost pleading with her. Celebrían nodded. "Aye, mellon vell. Glorfindel lives." ( dear friend)

A dam seemed to break within Erestor at those words. His eyes filled with tears and he fell heavily into Celebrían's arms, sobbing against her breast and clinging to her; she was his anchor in the storm his life had become. She stroked his matted hair, whispering nonsense to him as they rocked gently on her sons' bed with the twins looking on in disbelief.

*****

Erestor walked numbly through the dark halls. Celebrían has suggested he just rest, but Erestor needed to see *him*. He could not rest until he saw proof that his lover still lived.

He entered the main room of the healing wing, his eyes falling onto the bed farthest from the door. Glorfindel lay under several blankets, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling. Erestor refused to cry yet again, and so he took a deep breath as he approached the blond Elf.

The Noldo gingerly sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers over the purple line across Glorfindel's throat. "I am sorry, melethen," he whispered, bowing his head as he fought off the tears again. ( my love)

"Erestor?"

Erestor raised his head, meeting Elrond's pewter gaze. "Elrond."

Elrond wiped his hands on a cloth, and sighed. "He is fine. I have repaired what damage there was to his throat, though the bruising will remain for some time yet. I also tended to some of his other wounds. What did you strike him with, meldir?" Elrond tossed the cloth aside and crossed his arms, reminding Erestor of Elladan earlier in the night.

"The mallorn cane Celeborn gave to me," Erestor said stiffly.

"By the Valar," Elrond swore. He continued to stare at Erestor, whose attention was directed at the sleeping Elda. "He will sleep for at least another eight hours." Elrond took Erestor's hand and pulled him up. "You should leave here."

Erestor's wide eyes fixed on Elrond. "I cannot leave him!"

Elrond brushed a tangled tress out of Erestor's face. "Erestor. M elethronen vrûn. You are exhausted. You are a mess. Come with me." ( my old lover)

"Where?" Erestor asked hesitantly.

The Peredhel tugged on Erestor's hand, walking toward the door of the healing wing. "To my rooms. And I will not argue with you. Glorfindel is resting peacefully. Now it is your turn." They walked quietly to the grand suite Elrond and Celebrían shared, and Elrond led him into the quiet darkness. "Would you like to stay with us tonight, Erestor?" When Erestor would not meet his eyes, Elrond took hold of his former student's chin and forced him to. "Would you?" he asked again.

"Aye," Erestor whispered.

Elrond nodded. "Then we must clean you up." He dragged Erestor into the bathing chamber. "Strip that gown off," Elrond said disdainfully as he lit several of the candles in the room. Erestor stripped himself while Elrond drew the bath; he filled the large basin with steaming water and added various oils. "In," he ordered, and Erestor complied immediately, easing himself into the fragrant, hot water.

Erestor sat quietly, closing his eyes as Elrond wet his hair and lathered it with a rich soap. It had been a long time since Erestor had been privy to this type of attention by his Lord, but the circumstances made his heart ache more. Elrond washed him thoroughly, not speaking as he scrubbed the grime from his Councilor's body.

The Peredhel could think of nothing to say. All words of comfort rang hollow in his mind, and reprimanding Erestor now was not in the dark Elf's benefit. No, there were no words to speak, and so he showed his love in actions: he washed his old lover gently, dried him tenderly, and oiled and brushed his hair lovingly. It was while Elrond was braiding Erestor's hair into one long plait that Celebrían entered the room.

"Elrond. Erestor," she said, offering the Noldo an encouraging smile. "I did not expect to see you here, meldir."

Elrond chuckled. "He came to his lover's side, but I forced him to come back here and clean up. And rest," Elrond said firmly, tying off the braid.

Erestor shook his head. "I cannot return to that room."

"Of course not," Celebrían said, kneeling before Erestor. "Did my husband not extend our comfort to you, meldir?"

"I did!" Elrond exclaimed, glaring playfully at his wife.

Celebrían cupped Erestor's cheek. "Then there is no reason to return to your rooms this night."

Erestor nodded and relief could easily be read in his dark eyes. He watched as Celebrían removed Elrond's robes that the Peredhel had thrown on in his haste to reach Glorfindel. It had been many years since he had seen Elrond nude, but the Half-Elf's body was just as toned and slender as it had been when Erestor had served under him. He sighed, closing his eyes. So much had gone so wrong so quickly, and he could not understand why.

"Erestor?"

Celebrían's gentle voice brought Erestor from his dark thoughts. The silver-haired she-Elf was sitting crossed-legged on one side of the bed, as nude as her husband. Elrond stood on his side of the bed, one hand held out to Erestor. "Come to bed, meldir."

Erestor allowed his towel to fall to the floor. He crawled into the bed, nestling his head against Elrond's chest when the Peredhel joined them under the warm blankets. Celebrían's soft, slight form pressed against his back and her long arms encircled his waist. It was a comforting position, to be held and protected by two so dear to him. Erestor suddenly felt the weight of his exhaustion, and his eyes drooped as Celebrían hummed close to his ear.

"What am I to do?" he finally asked, his speech slurred as he fought sleep.

The three fell silent as they each thought on the question, but it was Celebrían who offered a solution.

"Glorfindel must be trained. There is no other way for him to understand. Since Erestor cannot train him, you should," she said, looking at Elrond over Erestor's dark head.

Elrond nodded. "All right. And whom would you suggest we use as a submissive? The only person who comes to my mind is Elrohir, and I am not sure Glorfindel would be comfortable with that."

"No," Erestor said, shaking his head against Elrond's chest. "*I* trained Elladan and Elrohir. I have no faith in the lessons I gave them, and therefore, neither of them are appropriate for this. I do not trust what I have taught them, and Glorfindel has been hurt enough."

Celebrían smiled in the darkness. "There is a person in this bed who would be adequate for helping train the golden one."

"Erestor has not submitted in a very long time, melethen," Elrond noted, petting Erestor's head softly. "I am also not sure it would help Glorfindel to see Erestor do that with me, no matter how much knowledge he would gain from the experience. Perhaps I should send to Lórien; I am sure your Adar would lend me Haldir."

"I was not speaking of Erestor," Celebrían said, her eyes glittering in the darkness. "I am perfectly able to do this."

Elrond thought for a moment, continuing to stroke Erestor's hair. "Very well, hervess. You and I will train him. What do you think, Erestor?" The Noldo did not say anything, and Elrond glanced at Celebrían, his brow creased with worry. "Erestor?"

Celebrían leaned over Erestor's shoulder and chuckled. "He is asleep, love." She brushed a lock of hair that had escaped the plait back from his sunken cheeks. "Oh, Elrond. I am certain we can repair Glorfindel. He simply needs to be shown how this works. But, what about our Erestor? How are we to fix his broken heart?"

"I am not sure," Elrond said softly, and he met his wife's gaze with concern in his eyes. "I am not certain we *can* fix him."

"Will he ever be happy again?" she asked, kissing Erestor's bare shoulder, cuddling closer to his cool body.

Elrond sighed, hugging Erestor tightly. "I wish I knew.

TBC...