The Jewel of Mirkwood

Chapter 24

Glorfindel sighed after finally convincing the boarder patrol around Edoras that he was indeed who he said he claimed to be and that it was safe to let both him and Erestor inside the city walls. It had taken them two days to get to Edoras from the southern end of Lothlorien; the unforseen delay in avoiding a pack of wargs had meant that the pair had not caught up to the party of men they were tracking.

“Wary aren’t they?” Erestor whispered softly to his friend as Glorfindel mounted his horse again and watched one of the large gates being opened to let them through.

“They have to be my friend. Orcs frequently use the open plains to hunt and attack the walls of Edoras trying to get in for fresh meat.” Erestor nodded quietly and followed his friend through the gates taking a keen interest in all the going on’s around him but staying close to Glorfindel all the same. It had been a long time since he’d seen inside a mortal city, and things had changed dramatically. After the war Erestor had had little to do with men, Elrond’s task concerned only with elvan problems and so gave little cause for Erestor to interact with matters of men. The last mortal city he had visited was Minas Tirith the last stop along to the path to the killing fields on the slopes of mount doom. Erestor sighed heavily at the memories of the past before smiling warmly at some children who waved to him from the door of their cottage.

“I suppose it does not help that we are elves either?” Glorfindel sensed his friend’s sadness and slowed his pace to ride along side Erestor. Reaching his hand out Glorfindel gently covered Erector’s in silent comfort. The memories of pastpast were cruel and the consequences of them left many an elf in suffering.

”No there have not been elves in this city for years, prejudice and pride are difficult things for men to overcome once time has weathered them into hate.” Erestor quietly observed the cottages, people and activities they passed a small sense of regret of past deeds settling in his mind. Foolishness and greed was to blame for the hatred among their races and Erestor couldn’t help thinking that things might have looked brighter had it all just never happened.

“So who is this friend of yours and where does he live?” Changing the subject seemed like a good idea to Erestor who was already making himself depressed just thinking about the past. Glorfindel rolled his eyes and glanced pointedly across at his friend.

“I told you, he is no friend of mine but rather a man who owes me a debt.” Erestor inclined his head in small apology before gesturing for Glorfindel to continue. “He is a Lord and earns his living from trading things with the dwarves in the mountains.”

“Well he will know if Legolas has entered the city then, traders hear and see everything.” Glorfindel shook his head quickly at Erestor in reply, his stern gaze causing Erestor some concern in what he had just said to upset his friend.

“We will not tell him anything about Legolas or our task. This man will take any opportunity to gain self-wealth and if he hears off whom Legolas is, he will make sure he gets to him first before we do and barter with his life. It is possible that the lord who presently has Legolas does not know whom he is and that is the way I want it to stay. We are merely using this man’s house to stay in during our search that is all.” Erestor nodded in silence stunned at how well thought out Glorfindel’s plan seemed to be, which suggested that his friend had been plotting this the entire journey here.

“Very well, then what am I to say if he inquires why we have come to Edoras?” Glorfindel allowed himself to relax again knowing that Erestor had agreed to go along with his plan.

“Tell him we are surveying the orc activity on the plain and are merely involved in research about the creatures for Lord Elrond.” Erestor nodded again impressed by Glorfindel’s imagination in coming up with plausible lies to fool this devious man they were staying with.

“It seems you have everything planned my friend, us us hope that all goes as expected.” Glorfindel smiled confidently at his friend before steering his horse into the beautifully tended courtyard of a two-story house. Erestor surveyed the lavish grounds with keen attention, willing to bet that all the work had been paid for by underhanded trading. However Erestor did not voice his thoughts and dismounted after his friend had done so. Tethering the horses Glorfindel strode confidently up the steps to the house and rapt four times on its large wooden door. Erestor smiled secretly to himself as he hung back from the steps, compared to a few nights ago when Erestor had held his friend in despair, Glorfindel was once again the proud, valiant warrior everyone knew him to be. Erestor continued to scan the gardens around him warming himself in the early morning sun twas was just beginning to rise over the plain. It had still been dark when the two elves had reached Edoras gates but now the morning sun had bathed the entire hill top in a warm golden glow, making it look much more appealing than it did when Erestor first arrived. After a moment of silence the door to the house was pulled open to reveal the stern gaze of a male servant. Erestor watched as the scruffy looking servant glanced suspiciously from Glorfindel to Erestor before back at Glorfindel.

“Good morning to you, I am Glorfindel of Gondolin and I have come to see your Lord.” Erestor smiled at Glorfindel’s haughty tone in which he addressed the servant. In a time gone by Erestor himself would have used such a tone when addressing Elrond’s naughty and mischievous young twins. It was strange hearing that tone however from his friend and despite the seriousness of the situation, it made him smile all the same.

“Are you expected?” The servant once again lookespicspiciously across at Erestor before frowning pointedly at Glorfindel.

“No we are not but tell your Lord that I have come for my payment and I am sure he will oblige us with his audience.” Glorfindel stared down at the servant asserting his obvious authority over the young man. Sensing Glorfindel’s overwhelming power over him the servant stepped aside of the door and gestured for both elves to come inside. Glorfindel threw a knowing look over his shoulder at Erestor who merely rolled his eyes dramatically. His friend had always had a way of asserting his power no matter what the issue, but Erestor supposed that if he too towered over most and was built like Glorfindel that his power would certainly be increased too. They were led into the hallway of the house and the servant instructed them to wait while he announced them before scuttling away, leaving the two elves alone in the hallway.

“If this works my friend you are a more sneaky elf than ve yve you credit for.” Glorfindel chuckled cheekily as Erestor softly address him in elvish, insuring that any humans in hearing range could not understand what was said. A moment later the servant reappeared from the doorway closest to them and held it open for them to pass through.

”Lord Keeldon will see you now.” Confidently Glorfindel strode into the room, leaving Erestor to take a deep breath and boldly follow him in.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


(A/N)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bet ya didn't see that one coming! Or maybe you did. Still it's only one of the several surprises that are going to happen within the next few chapters so stay glued to your seats ladies and gents cause I'm on a roll. Also on some good news my pinky is looking better and I can now sucessfully hit the enter button without screaming in agony, so there will be more paragraphs in the rest of the chapters making it easier to read. Also I've finished my exams for uni so I've got heaps of time to write, so updates are going to be more frequent.

Okay now to the questions asked by reviewers.

1/ I guess I didn't make it clear enough but Glorfindel is an outdoors type of elf and Erestor is the secretary of Elrond so spends a hell of a lot of time indoors with paper work. So in relation to Glorfindel not knowing who's seal it was on the scroll, well I kind of figured Glorfindel wouldn't have had the experience with papers and scrolls as Erestor would have to recongize it straight away, especially with it being so old. Will make this clear in the beta rewrite though.

2/ Why Haldir didn't interveen when he saw LEgolas with the men? I've mentioned the whole way through that men and elves don't interact anymore, because of the war. So its kind of implied by Haldir and Keeldon, that its non of the elves buisness in what goes on with men and that interveening could very well have caused a war. In short it's political as you will see.

3/ Thranduil is far from STUPID! I prefer my elves cunning rather than dumb. But you will see that as the plot continues.

4/ Why did Legolas use Filgree's name if he's supposed to be innocent and not know what the men were planning? Well that was something I didn't make clear either. After the war its assuming that the elves and men hated each other and neither trusted the other race, so it stands therfore that Filgree would have taught Legolas to be wary of men hence him telling them a fake name. Also it's kind of out of respect for his tutor who he thinks is dead.

Okay that's it, anymore questions send them my way. It makes me think about my writing and helps improve the beta'd rewrite which I'm planning.

Thankies

RIFF RAFF