Finding Hope

Chapter 2

The elflings were half starved, the baby was soaked and crying, and all of them were filthy. Two or three of the guards with elflings of their own had latched onto Lainon and Laerien, Glorfindel noticed, thankfully. Caladir and he had their hands full at the moment with their own little ones. He would make sure those two had a new family to love and care for them as well.

Elves gathered food and water for the little ones, and Glorfindel decided his first order of business had to be changing the soaking baby. Thank goodness he had lots of experience helping to raise Elladan and Elrohir, and he was confident he could manage without embarrassing himself in front of his men. He found a soft blanket in his pack, and tore it into large squares to use for diapers. He laid another blanket on the ground, placed Faelion on it, and removed the baby’s sodden diaper and clothes, all the while softly talking and making funny faces at the beautiful little elfling. Taking his water flask, he wet one of his makeshift diapers and cleaned the baby’s face and body as well as he could, given their circumstances. Little hands grabbed at his golden hair as the baby focused his bright blue eyes on Glorfindel and cooed up at him.

Glorfindel was just about to put one of the clean diapers on the baby when a stream of warm pee hit him square in the face. Damn, why hadn’t he remembered little boy elflings liked to do that? He reached for the cleaning cloth he had used and quickly laid it over the baby’s middle, as guards started laughing all around him.

“Forgot about that one, did you Glorfindel?”

“He got you a good one! Won’t be the last time.”

Glorfindel grinned up at the guards holding Gailion and Amdiriel. The other elflings were grinning at their little brother and new ada, as they munched on dried fruit. Well, if it made the older elflings smile, it was worth the embarrassment.

“You got your new ada good, didn’t you little one?” He gently tickled the baby’s stomach as Faelion giggled and cooed, then grabbed a dry diaper and wiped off his face. Putting a dry diaper on the baby, he said, “Now, how are we going to feed you, my little one? You must be hungry, and we don’t have any milk. What do you think about lembas soaked in warm water, hmm? Would you like that?”

“Glorfindel, look – there,” one of the guards called. Glorfindel looked up and saw one his younger guards, obviously an enterprising one, returning to the camp. In his hand he held a rope, the other end of which was tied around the neck of a large mountain goat. Trailing along behind was her small offspring.

“Look what I found, my Lord.” The young guard called. “Milk for the baby! I just explained to her that we had need of her services, and she came along.”

Glorfindel grinned. “I hope you know how to milk her.”

The young guard just grinned, found a cup, then sat down and expertly began to milk the goat. A leather glove with a small hole cut in the little finger provided an acceptable substitute for a bottle, and the baby was soon suckling happily, cradled on Glorfindel’s lap.

The guard continued to milk the goat. When the elf finally had a cup of milk for each of the other elflings, he thanked the animal, and brought her kid to suckle. He stroked the she-goat’s head and talked to her about what a lovely life she and her kid would have in Imladris.

Faelion finished his milk and stared, drowsy and sated, up at Glorfindel. “Don’t forget to burp him, my Lord,” the young guard said quietly. Glorfindel placed the baby over his shoulder and rubbed and patted his back until the little elfling let out a loud burp. The young guard grinned. “He must have liked his milk.”

Glorfindel smiled and laid the sleepy infant down on the blanket. “Thanks to you and your new friend. Will you watch him for me while I see to the others?” The guard smiled and nodded as Glorfindel rose to take care of his other two new elflings.

“Come on you two, let’s see if we can get you cleaned up.” Glorfindel took Gailion and Amdiriel from the two guards who were holding them, one in each arm. They had located a small stream, and he headed there to give them a bath. A guard followed, carrying blankets and clean tunics for the elflings.

Caladir and several guards were already at the stream with the other elflings. Caladir was gently washing Calariel’s hair. Glawen had already been washed and was wrapped in a blanket watching her sister and new ada. She sat in the lap of one of the guards as her hair was gently combed and braided.

Lainon and Laerien were being coddled and washed by other guards, who spoke to them softly and handled them gently. Glorfindel smiled at the scene. Elves loved all life, but little elflings were to be treasured and were especially loved.

Glorfindel removed the children’s filthy clothing, and set the elflings down gently into the shallow stream. Gailion sighed as he felt the gentle water ripple over his body. The silent Amdiriel just stared at Glorfindel with her piercing green eyes and held onto a lock of his hair with one hand, and his arm with the other.

One of the guards came over to them with soap and noticed the hold Amdiriel had on Glorfindel. “Gailion, will you let me help you wash so your ada can help your sister?” He smiled down at the boy, whose hair and eyes were a mirror of Glorfindel’s. Gailion nodded, and the guard knelt in the water with Glorfindel.

Glorfindel watched his new little daughter, his heart breaking again at the child’s grief. So young to suffer such loss. He cupped the elfling’s face in his hands. “You are so lovely, sweetheart. Such a beautiful elfling to be so sad,” he whispered. “I promise I won’t leave you sweetheart. I will always be here for you. You will not lose me. I promise.” A single tear ran down the elfling’s face, and he caught it on his finger. He kissed her cheek, and held her tight, his eyes filling with tears. “You will not lose me, my little sweetheart.”

Finally regaining his composure, he kissed the child again, and said, “Let’s get you washed up so I can see how beautiful you really are.” He gently washed her face, then smiled down into the green eyes. “Oh, my. You are even more beautiful then I thought you were.” He reached for a cup and scooped up water, pouring it over her hair. Dirt ran off, and the true color of her long locks began to show through. He added soap, and gently massaged it through the hair, then rinsed the soap out. The dark auburn hair turned a shining, deep red, so dark it was almost brown, as ringlets gently curled around her face. “Oh, there’s my beautiful little princess. You should have told me you were hiding under all that dirt. Oh, you are going to steal Erestor’s heart away from me, my beautiful one,” Glorfindel said.

“Who is Erestor?” Gailion asked, as the guard scrubbed his golden locks.

“Well, my little ones, instead of having a nana and an ada like you had before, this time you will have two adas. Erestor is my husband. Caladir also has a husband, whose name is Gurvelon.”

Gailion nodded. “There were two elves in our village who were married to each other. They were really nice. I..I’m going to miss them,” he whispered.

“I know you will, my sweet one.” Glorfindel reached an arm around the elfling. “Never forget them, or your parents. Honor their sacrifice always, and keep them alive in your heart, little one. I promise you, Erestor and I will love you so much, that one day you will be able to think of them without sadness.”

“Is Erestor nice, too?”

“Oh, very nice.” Glorfindel smiled at the elflings. “He’s even nicer than me. Now let’s finish getting you washed and out of this water before you turn into prunes, and then I will tell you all about Imladris and Erestor. ”

All of the elflings were finally washed and clothed in clean tunics, which comically hung around their ankles and covered their hands, sleeves dragging on the ground. The elves laughed at the sight, and then decided on a few needed alterations. The excess fabric was cut away, and pieces of rope held the garments around their waists. Clean hair was combed and dried in the sun, then elegantly braided, before six sleepy elflings were set down to sleep.

Caladir rested his back against a tree, with two little heads lying on his lap. Stroking the soft hair, he closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to his husband. “Gurvelon, my love, we are returning. I have two wonderful surprises for you, my love. Two beautiful little surprises. We should be home in two days.” He smiled at the words he heard in his mind. “Then hurry home to me, my darling warrior. Hurry home to me.”

Glorfindel watched two of the guards holding Lainon and Laerien as the elflings fell asleep. He stretched out beside his own sleeping elflings, wrapping an arm over the three of them. Amdiriel was close against his chest. Gailion lay on the other side, the infant between him and his sister. The older elfling had an arm protectively over his siblings. He suddenly remembered the little bear. He carefully pulled it out from his tunic, and watched as Amdiriel grabbed it from his hand. The little elfling whimpered in her sleep and held the bear close to her chest.

Caladir smiled. “Guess you found whom that belongs to,” he whispered.

Glorfindel nodded. “Did you tell Gurvelon?” he whispered back.

Caladir shook his head. “I want to surprise him. Told him we’d be home in two days.”

Glorfindel grinned, and settled down comfortably against his elflings to rest and watch over their slumber.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Erestor,” Gurvelon called. “Where are you?”

“Here, Velon, in Elrond’s office.”

The elf lords looked up as Gurvelon entered the office. “Have you heard from Caladir?” Elrond asked.

“Aye, my Lord. They are on their way home. They should be here in two days. He said he had a surprise for me, but did not say what it was.”

Tbc…