And There Was Trouble Taking Place

Author’s notes:A huge thank you for reading! And for the lovely reviews!Here’s the next chapter.





Chapter 2



Imladris, the same night



Anor (the sun) had gone almost all the way down in the sky and its last rays built a golden bridge across the river Bruinen. Glorfindel sat beside the river, his back against an ancient oak tree, wondering what it would be like to be able to travel across the sun bridge, to be like the wind, weightless and free to roam with the change of seasons. How would it be like to swoosh through the rustling leaves in the fall? Rage with snowstorms in the winter? Gently blow warmer air for awakening nature in the spring? Linger in beautiful meadows with the summertime, lazily moving around to touch a flower here, and another one there? All without a care in the world.



“Here you are. I thought I might find you staring into Bruinen tonight.” The Lord of Imladris sat down next to Glorfindel, offering him a goblet and some wine from the carafe he had brought with him. “You seemed unusually subdued earlier this evening, as if you had a lot on your mind. Do you want to discuss it?”



Glorfindel was feeling disturbed because of the episode in the woods. After it, the company had gathered its weapons; Erestor walking from orc to orc picking up his irreplaceable knives and the rest looking for arrows they could still use later. Erestor put the stone inside his travelling tunic and they quickly left the woods, advancing on good speed to Imladris. Everyone had wanted to sleep the next night in their own beds. When they reached Imladris well before sunset and started to tell Elrond about their travels, Glorfindel found to his surprise that he was the only one with any recollection of what had happened with Erestor and the stone, and he had decided to hold his peace.



“I am not sure what happened. No one else seems to remember it quite the same way I do. I did not want to say anything because I was not certain if it was a dream or not. Now I am. It was real. It did happen.” Glorfindel closed his eyes, seeing Erestor and the stone.



“Do not speak in riddles. I have no idea what you are speaking of. Did something out of the ordinary come to pass with the orcs?”



“After the orcs.” Glorfindel turned to look at his friend and lord. “You know me, Elrond, sometimes better than I know myself.” To a person who had not called Glorfindel a friend for several millenia, the direction the conversation took might have been confusing. Elrond knew they would get to the bottom of things soon enough; Glorfindel never did anything halfway and he needed someone as a sounding board for his thoughts.



“Aye. I have had the privilege of being your friend for ages, literally. If one does not get to know another in that time, one never will. And you, my friend, are not that difficult to fathom.” Glorfindel shot Elrond a dirty look, but Elrond just laughed. “Do not look as if I have wounded your pride. That was not my intention and I know you are well aware of that. You are not stupid. You are not simple. Nevertheless, your motivation for life is simple; it has always been duty above everything else. Duty towards the House of the Golden Flower. Duty towards Gondolin. You died keeping my family safe and you have been in my service the last few millenia doing what you consider your responsibility.”



“Yes, duty before everything else. That is I. Only doing things that are expected of me, following responsibilities, not my heart. What a bore I have become.”



“You are far from a bore. We all have a reason for being here, for doing the things we do. Yours is duty. You are a warrior. There are worst things to be.”



“You are right, of course, but there are times when I wish I had chosen another road. It would have saved me from a lot of grief. Did you know that I have often felt the need to wear my hair short after what happened on the Eagle’s Cleft Precipice?” Glorfindel asked with a mischievous smile, but then sobered quickly. “I killed the Balrog and when I thought we were all safe, I felt first a slight tug in my hair and then something was trying to pull my head from its place. And the fall. It lasted forever. I did not fall off a mountain; I fell off the end of the world. It is not something I care to experience again. Perhaps that was the reason I sought you out after Mandos allowed me to return to Middle-Earth. There are no Balrogs in Imladris and therefore I decided to honour my oath to protect your family.” Glorfindel was silent for a moment, lost deep in thought. “Have you ever known me to fall in love, to have been in love? Have you not wondered why I never took another to be my mate, not once during the last four thousand years?”



“Love is not for everyone. I know that much. No, I never wondered. And I never knew it bothered you. I believed you were happy, being free to enjoy what life chose to throw your way.”



“I was happy. Who would not be; I have tasted kings and queens alike...”



“And you were always so humble about it too.” Elrond interrupted Glorfindel’s walk down the promiscuous memory lane and earned himself another dirty look.



“I was happy.” Glorfindel repeated. “Until lately. When the bustle of the day has died and I retire to my chambers, I have felt something akin to loneliness follow me, keeping me company during the dark hours of the night. It has been a constant ache in my chest but I did not recognize the feeling for it was a stranger to me. But after what happened today…I realized what it was I was missing.”



“You think it is love?”



“I know it is.”



“What happened today to make you think so?”



“It was strange. I killed the last orc and the fighting ceased. Erestor was on his way over to…” Glorfindel told Elrond the long version.



“Why did you not tell me this earlier? I specifically asked.”



“As I said, no one else remembered. I was not sure if it was real or a dream. Do you think it is important?”



“I felt something in Erestor, but it was not malicious and since he said he felt alright I had no reason to probe further. Perhaps I need to seek advice from Galadriel in this. We do not want Erestor to be in any danger. We need to keep a close eye on him; you and I. What you told me is not reassuring. Especially when it seems you are the only one who remembers what happened.”



“Do you think it is of any significance? That I am the only one who remembers?”



“Aye, I do. What the significance is, I have no idea. I will send a messenger to the Golden Wood tonight.”



Elrond continued on to other things, some of them important, some inconsequential. Glorfindel closed his eyes, rested his head against the oak tree, and listened to his friend without making a sound. Anor had disappeared for the day and Ithil (the moon) was climbing the sky, bringing with him a slight breeze. The wind played with strands of Glorfindel’s silky blonde hair and the feel of them on his skin combined with the comforting cadence of Elrond’s voice was lulling him to sleep.



Glorfindel tried to avoid the call of dreams, but he was fighting a losing battle. Elrond’s voice grew more distant and Glorfindel fell into that place between reality and illusion, waking and dreaming. The ground began to disappear from under him and he fell softly through its shadowy remains. The enchanted melody from the rose quartz filled the air, caught him in its embrace and carried him down. He ended up under a great elm tree, in a garden that looked like Imladris, except that everything had a strange pink tint to it. Something white floated down on Glorfindel’s arm and he thought it had started to snow. He looked up the branches of the tree and saw they were full of big white birds. It took him a moment to realize they were owls. The tree was full of owls…



Elrond’s touch returned Glorfindel back to the here and now.



“Now, I know I am not the most riveting speaker, but let us not forget our manners.” Elrond looked at his friend with concern. “You should go to bed, Glorfindel. It has been a long day.”



“I am alright. As you said it has been a long day, but there is no sense in us carrying back that carafe half full.” Glorfindel’s eyes showed mirth as he motioned to the wine flask at Elrond’s side.



“Are you certain? We can continue this discussion later when you have gotten some rest.”



“I do not feel like going to my chambers yet. Let us just enjoy a moment longer this excellent wine and each other’s company.” A hint of desperation slipped to Glorfindel’s voice. He was sure if he went to his rooms straight away, the owls and the dream would find him and the thought filled him with discomfort.



“Are you truly all right? You look a little pale.”



“I am fine. It is just that I do not know what to think of any of this. Of Erestor, of the stone he found. I have some many thoughts circling in my head that I cannot pick one to examine it thoroughly.”



“You do seem a little confused.” Elrond poured more wine for both of them.



“If you had seen Erestor like I did, you would feel confused too. He stood there, unmoving, holding the stone in his hand and I swear I have never seen anyone or anything as enchanting.” Glorfindel had always appreciated Erestor’s beauty and elegance but it was a cold kind of allure. It did not call out to you nor whisper promises of nights spent in rapture. It was the beauty found in statues and pieces of art.



“You are in love with our dear counsellor.”



“You do not fall in love with someone in a day. *I* do not fall in love in a day.”



“You did not. It has taken you almost four millenia to fall in love. You are not too fast in your moves, meldir (friend). Do you remember how he came to us?”



“I do. I think it was in Second Age 2570. No, it was 2571. Erestor was 21 then.” Glorfindel thought back to the time when a group of guards had brought Erestor to Imladris. “I never understood why he claimed his family had lived in Fangorn Forest all their lives. No elf has ever lived there. The forest is too deep and dark for one of the Firstborn.”



“He must have believed that himself. It is not easy to lose your parents in an orc attack. I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been like to a child his age to sit in the dark cellar listening to the fighting sounds coming from upstairs.”



“I remember how he looked like, clinging tightly to Gwenfair when they rode in. And how she held him to her chest almost as tightly. Her explanation why they had decided not to take him to Lothlórien, which was much closer, always sounded a bit suspicious to me.” Glorfindel laughed, the warmth in his voice giving away more than he hoped. “She was right to do it, of course. And not only because Erestor’s colours resembled those of the Noldor rather than our fairer Silvan cousins of the Golden Wood as she explained.”



“Aye, she had lost her heart to him by then. She gave him a good home and loved him with all her might. She stayed on Middle-Earth long after she had heard the Call of the Sea to be there for Erestor.”



“She was an astonishing woman.”



“Indeed she was, Glorfindel. I know Erestor misses her greatly.”



“Erestor was such a scrawny little thing. Nothing but a head full of black tangled hair and those big black eyes. He had the most extraordinary eyes already back then.”



“You noticed his eyes?” Elrond wiggled his eyebrows at Glorfindel.



“How could I not? In the small face of an elfling they stood out like bits of coal on a piece of white paper. Nevertheless, I am not in love with him. Intrigued by him? Yes, I always have been. Attracted? Yes, to my surprise I have lately found myself to be that. In love? No, it takes more than shining black eyes. No matter how beautiful they are.”



Elrond wanted to tell Glorfindel that he was so obviously enamoured with Erestor that a blind Warg could see it, but chose to give him the benefit of doubt. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it is not love. Time would tell and Elrond hoped with all of his heart that if it was love for Glorfindel, Erestor would answer it.



Elrond had known Glorfindel for little less than 4200 years and Erestor for almost 3500 and he had long ago given up any hope of either one of them finding love. They both had fundamentally the same problem; they did not stay with one lover long enough to grow fond of them. Perhaps, thought Elrond, that was not fair to Erestor. To his knowledge, his chief advisor had never even tried a lover, male or female. Such waste. Erestor was one of the most beautiful elves to grace the face of Arda and his exotic colours only made him more desirable. He was also wise, kind and ever patient and Elrond had hoped he would be a match to Glorfindel’s roguish nature. Elrond’s hopes had been unfounded. Erestor had grown up to be a solemn and shy elf and he had shown no interest in engaging in the games of love with others.



When Erestor had come of age, Elrond had seen the beginning of interest in Glorfindel’s eyes. He tried to court the young elf briefly, but nothing came of it. Glorfindel was not one to shun a challenge, but when Erestor totally ignored his efforts, he gave up. They became good friends and their friendship deepened over the years to mutual respect and even love, though it was not of the right kind in Elrond’s opinion. He still thought Erestor was the only one who could endure an eternity with Glorfindel and Glorfindel was the only one who managed to make Erestor smile, whatever the situation. Perchance not all was lost. The new twists and turns in the lives of his closest companions and confidants might turn out to be the element needed to change their minds.



Glorfindel did not like the looks Elrond was giving him and decided to change the direction of the conversation to safer waters. “How are things with you and your blonde?” Glorfindel knew the surest way to throw Elrond off balance was to talk about his more-or-less baffling love life.



“Ah, the Balrog Slayer deals a cheap blow. If you think I did not notice how you changed the subject, you are wrong. I will let it pass this time and put the unskilled way you did it down to the bewilderment you are feeling. Your current situation is new to you. In the future, Glorfindel, I expect you to be more subtle.” Elrond gave a tired smile. “And my blonde? I would suspect he is doing fine. With the amount of letters of official nature he is constantly producing, I have no reason to think otherwise. I keep looking for signs of love, of something, but the letters are always cold and impersonal. ”



After a moment of pondering, Elrond continued. “Love is not easy, not even for someone as old as I am. We never know when it will strike or who will be the object of our desire. If I had had a choice, I would have loved Celebrían as she deserved to be loved, not just as the mother of my children. Nevertheless, that was not in the stars. Not for me. No, I had to lose my one and only heart to the most impossible elfling. I can still see the first time I laid my eyes on him as clear as the day. He stood there on the killing fields next to his father, looking young and innocent but so full of pride and strength. Ready for anything. I would have given up everything for him in that moment or any other since then, but that has never been required. He does not return my feelings; he does not love me the same way I love him.”



“If I am not totally in the wrong I believe that was the reason for you falling apart? Your reluctance to give up something he felt was important?”



“Have you been talking to him?” Elrond squinted at Glorfindel. “You are not on his side, are you?”



“Nay, I am not taking sides. However, I do not think his demand is unreasonable. If you are in love and want to make the commitment, then others have no place in that relationship.”



“He shared me with Celebrían for centuries, for Valar’s sake and I thought if anyone would understand me, it would be you. You have never had only a single partner at a time. Everyone is teaming up against me; Arwen has given me this same lecture many times before.”



“I am not lecturing, but perhaps you should think about this? Your daughter is a wise woman; you would do well to listen to her. What about your sons? Have they ever given you their opinion about it all?”



“The twins do not know. They were so young when we broke up, that they had other things to keep them occupied than to wonder if their ada was entertaining someone else besides their mother in his bedroom. Besides, we were always very discreet about the whole relationship. It was love at first sight and pure bliss while it lasted, but we were wise enough to realize that it would not benefit anyone if it came out in the open for all to see. Celebrían knew about it and accepted it, so did you and Erestor, and a few trusted servants, but beyond that I do not think anyone else does.”



“Except Arwen.”



“Except Arwen. She has always been too perceptive for her own good. She found out by herself. Put two and two together and confronted me about it. I had to bring Celebrían into the conversation too and we explained it to Arwen together. She accepted it as well, but when my lover disappeared she confronted me again and has lectured me about my behaviour ever since. She is on his side. Like you, my friend.”



“I *am* not on anyone’s side, but I do not understand you either. How can you claim to love him and have others?”



“My bed partners are not about love; they’re about convenience. I am an Elf Lord and I am not meant to pleasure myself when there are people willing to do it for me.”



“Even I would have a problem with that, I think. If, let us say, Erestor was living in another realm and I knew his bed was as populated as the market in Imladris at end of the harvest season, it would drive me to drink. More than I do now.” Glorfindel grinned.



“Erestor? Ah meldir, you are so gone…”



“Forget Erestor for a moment. We are talking about you and your non-existent relationship.” Glorfindel interrupted, getting impatient. “Perhaps there is a way for a compromise. Have you talked about this?”



“We have talked about it million times; he does not see it my way. In his opinion, I should limit myself to one elf and I fail to see the point when there are so many who gladly share my bed while he is not in it.”



“Then there is only one thing to do. You have to decide if he is worth it. If he is, then keep your bed only for him. You are ancient, abstinence should not kill you. And if he is not worth it, then let him go from you heart and your mind. You cannot go on like this.”



“Aye, you are right. The life of an immortal is a bit too long for a pining heart. You have all eternity to think about what you should have done and why you did not do it. Our love is not supposed to be. He has made his choices as I have mine.” Elrond sighed. “But I do not want to dwell on sad things tonight. Let us move on to more merry subjects. Like you and love. Now, what are you going to do about Erestor?”







TBC…