Finding Hope

Chapter 23

Morning came and Erestor finally stirred in Glorfindel’s arms, and looked up to find blue eyes beaming down at him. “Good morning, my darling one,” Erestor whispered, softly kissing Glorfindel’s lips.

“Good morning, my precious Erestor,” Glorfindel answered softly, caressing Erestor’s face, his eyes full of love as he looked down at his beautiful husband. “How do you feel this morning, beloved?”

“Wonderful, my love, wonderful. I feel your love for me…like…like it is a solid thing. Something I can touch. It makes me warm and…and…Oh, Glorfindel…I am so happy. And you, beloved? How do you feel?”

“Oh, my love…it is almost magical, how I feel. I am so very happy. Your love…I still feel it pouring into me. I cannot describe it…it makes me feel strong, alive.”

Erestor snuggled closer against Glorfindel and drew his head down for a deep kiss. “Oh, I love you, my darling husband. I love you so very much,” he whispered.

Glorfindel smiled down at Erestor and watched his dark eyes begin to sparkle with golden lights as he caressed the beloved face. “I love you, my Erestor. My lover, my friend, my heart, my soul, my beautiful husband. I love you more than my simple words can say,” he whispered, as he lowered his head and captured Erestor’s lips lovingly with his own.

Giggles came from across the room, and Erestor and Glorfindel looked up to see Amdiriel and Gailion trying to catch golden lights in their hands and giggling, while Faelion giggled and cooed and waved his arms in his cradle. Erestor rested his head against Glorfindel’s chest and smiled as he watched the children contentedly.

“Ada!” Amdiriel squealed. “Look! What is it Ada?” The little elfling laughed as a gold light passed through her hand.

Erestor held out his arms. “Come, my little ones. Gailion, sweetheart, will you bring Faelion, please?”

Gailion picked up his little brother, and the three elflings tumbled into bed with their parents. Erestor laughed as he reached for Faelion and found his bottom soaking wet. He held the baby up as Glorfindel removed the offending diaper and flung it across the room in the direction of the bathroom, then wrapped the baby in a corner of their blanket and laid him in Erestor’s arms along side Amdiriel. Neither one of them wanted to spoil the moment by getting up.

“Glorfindel, my love, did you notice? Faelion is not fussing today. I am so glad his poor teeth are not bothering him,” Erestor said. “And how lucky we are this is not a poopy diaper morning!”

Glorfindel laughed and scooped Gailion into his embrace, and held his whole family in arms. “Oh, now I am the happiest elf on all of Arda,” he said. He planted kisses on everyone’s heads, his “Mmmm…I love this one, and I love this one, and this one and this one,” sending everyone into more giggles.

Erestor hugged the elflings, lying against Glorfindel, all of them held in the warrior’s strong arms. “Happiest elf after me, my love.” He sighed with contentment.

“Ada? Are you going to tell us what it is?” Gailion asked as he grinned at the golden lights.

“They are so pretty, Ada. And they feel good.” Amdiriel giggled as another light flitted through her hand.

Erestor looked up at Glorfindel. “Will you tell them, my love?”

Glorfindel nodded and smiled. “The lights, my little ones, the lights are love.”

“Love, Ada?” Gailion asked.

“Aye, little one. The love your Ada Restor has for me, and the love I have for him. And there is so much love that it shines out of us and all over the three of you.”

“Really, Ada?” Amdiriel asked Erestor.

“Really, sweetheart. We love you so much, and our love lights you up and keeps you warm, too.”

“Is that why your eyes and Ada Glor’s eyes are gold, too?”

“Aye, little one. It is the same love, shining through our eyes.”

“Oh.” She grinned. “Your eyes are all sparkly, Ada. They are pretty.”

Erestor laughed happily and hugged his daughter close.

“What shall we do today, my loves?” Glorfindel asked.

“Hmmm…cook breakfast, eat breakfast, clean up the kitchen and dining room, have a bath, get dressed.” Erestor grinned. “Oh, I know! A trip to the market. Elrond will have a special dinner for Erynoron any day now, and we will need the circlets you ordered for the sweetlings. You can take them and see if the circlets are ready and make sure they fit. Nay, wait, that would leave me without you all. That will not do at all! I know what we will do…we will all go! Does that sound like fun, my sweetlings?”

Amdiriel and Gailion clapped their hands and bounced on the bed, making Faelion squeal at their antics. “Come, my loves, let us go find what to fix for breakfast. After your Ada stops in the bathroom and gets a diaper on your brother, that is.”

Glorfindel sent the older elflings into the kitchen, telling them to get out bread, eggs, fruit, and milk, and their Adas would be there in a minute, then joined Erestor in their bathroom. Erestor was just getting ready to relieve himself. Glorfindel wrapped his arm around Erestor’s shoulder and lifted his own nightshirt. The two elves sighed in relief as they peed together. Glorfindel raised his eyebrows comically, and said, “Good morning, beautiful one. Have we met before? Can I help you hold that perhaps?”

After they managed to stop laughing and kissing long enough to wash, Erestor shooed Glorfindel out to find them some clothes while he washed and diapered the baby. Returning to the bedroom, he quickly dressed in a loose tunic and leggings while Glorfindel dressed Faelion in a clean robe, then they hurried to the kitchen.

Amdiriel and Gailion had set the items Glorfindel requested out on the table, and Gailion was pumping fresh water into the kettle for tea.

“Oh, my wonderful elflings. Look, Ada Glor, they have everything out for us!” Erestor beamed at the children. “Thank you, little ones.” Checking to make sure the fire in the stove was still burning, he poured milk in a small pot to warm for Faelion. Erestor removed the apples he left slowly baking in the oven the night before, and set them aside to cool. He was anxious to see if Faelion would like his Ada’s easy version of applesauce.

Glorfindel and Erestor had been delighted that they could easily keep the baby safely in his chair while they attended to things like cooking and cleaning. Glorfindel placed the baby in it, then put a small piece of soft bread in Faelion’s hand to try while his milk warmed. “Here you are, little one. Let us see what you think about this.” The baby sloppily shoved the bread into his mouth and ate it happily, then squealed for more. Glorfindel broke off another piece and put it in the tiny hand.

Amdiriel took over feeding Faelion so Glorfindel could cut up fruit and bread while Erestor cooked the eggs. Glorfindel showed Gailion how to make toast, and before long they were all seated at the table, enjoying their first meal prepared as a family.

Erestor made the mistake of setting the bowl of cooked apple on the tray in front of the baby, and looking away for a moment. Glorfindel and the other elflings rolled with laughter when Faelion reached inside the bowl, squealed, then flung some of the apple at Erestor. The little elfling laughed gleefully along with the others at Erestor’s apple-splattered face. Even Erestor had to laugh, as he playfully took a bit of apple from his face, and flung it at Glorfindel. Before long, fruit and pieces of egg and toast were flying around the room.
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They cleaned up their mess and did the dishes, and Glorfindel made sure that the kitchen stove contained enough hard wood so the fire would remain slowly burning. He filled kettles for water to heat slowly while they were gone to the market, and left them on the stove. After baths and all the other things needed to get ready, they were finally ready to go shopping together.

Glorfindel carried Faelion and his bag of diapers, milk and bunny. Erestor held the other elflings hands, and they proudly set out with their family for the market place. They greeted friends and acquaintances along the way, and everyone passing smiled at them, thinking what a handsome family they made.

The first shop they visited was the jeweler, to check on the circlets for the children. The owner was excited to not only see Glorfindel, but Erestor as well, and rapidly set out other items for them to see along with the finished circlets. “Oh, Glorfindel, look at the sapphire pendant! That would be perfect for Amdiriel when she wears blue.” Erestor said. “Oh, and the sweet little bracelet with sapphires! What do you think, little one? Do you like this one?” he asked Amdiriel.

The jeweler beamed and told the elven lords what a lovely family they had, and could he show them anything else? Perhaps some new hair clasps? Glorfindel decided that since he and Erestor would wear jewels braided in their hair for Erynoron’s welcoming, they of course needed sapphires and emeralds to braid in the elflings’ hair.

After the jeweler, Erestor wanted to check what elegant children’s clothing was available. Since the first clothier Glorfindel, Caladir and Amarion had visited after the elflings’ arrival was still closed, they simply went to another known to specialize in more expensive clothing for children.

Erestor was delighted to find the perfect dark blue velvet baby’s gown for Faelion, with matching little booties in deep blue and gold. There was a beautiful forest green and gold gown, fashioned in silk and velvet for Amdiriel, even lovelier than the one she had inherited from Arwen. Gailion was thrilled with his first ever set of formal robes in deep blue and gold.

The clothing was purchased and sent on its way to their chambers in the Last Homely House, and they wandered though the rest of the market, stopping here and there at anyone’s fancy. Erestor purchased more pots and pans and baking sheets, and anything else that caught his eye, such as a couple more kettles and tools to stoke the fire in the kitchen stove. There was plenty of room in their kitchen, after all, and he wanted the children to learn how to cook and bake along with the other skills they would be taught.

Glorfindel found a new doll that Amdiriel just had to add to her collection, as it had dark red hair and green eyes just like hers. And there was a cleverly carved practice sword for Gailion. Erestor purchased quills, paper and ink to use when he began to teach the children to write and read, as well as some excellent children’s books he found.

A set of simple wooden chairs for around the kitchen table was sent to their rooms. It would be nice to have the option to share a simple meal like breakfast in the kitchen instead of carrying everything to the dining room.

If merchants began to set out their best wares and call to the family merrily when they approached, no one could blame them.

Even though they could get all their food items easily from the kitchens in the Last Homely House, delicious looking baked goods, exotic spices, fruits, vegetables, fresh meat and fish that looked too good to pass up were all sent along to their rooms. They may as well make use of the icebox for more than milk, after all.

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Elrond walked to his office to meet with Melpomaen and make arrangements for Erynoron’s formal welcome to Imladris. He knew that he could not keep Erynoron much longer in his chambers, for to do so would be abusing his position as a healer. He did not relish having the advisor leave for his own rooms, not since he realized how he felt about Erynoron.

Perhaps they could have a picnic today, to discuss what the advisor’s new duties were? Elrond could made some small overtures and see how they were received. Tonight would perhaps be the last night he would have the beautiful advisor’s company. Tomorrow night they would have the welcoming dinner and entertainment. All Elrond could do was hope that Erynoron would return his love.

Tbc….

Minerva - Thank you for reading!