Snowstorm

Well, it's all Erestor's fault. It's going to be 4 chapters instead of 3.

Chapter 3

Erestor had woken and watched as Glorfindel scurried back and forth, loving the sight of his beautiful warrior, but feeling guilty he could not get up and help him. For some reason he was feeling worse than he had before.

Glorfindel glanced over to the bed, and smiled when he saw that Erestor was awake and watching him. “Did you sleep well, my love? How long have you been awake?”

“For a while. I was watching you and wishing I could get up and help you. Are you washing clothes?”

Glorfindel nodded. “These are my last clean ones, so I thought I had better figure something out. Are you hungry, love?”

Erestor shook his head.

Glorfindel left his cooking, and went to sit by Erestor. “What is wrong, my love?”

“I don’t feel well, and I’m hot.”

Glorfindel quickly put his hands on Erestor’s face, feeling his forehead, then took his hands. “You are feverish again, my love. I should not have stopped giving you the healing tea after your fever broke. You must still have some of the poison in your body. I will make some now, and you must drink as much of it as you can.” Erestor nodded.

Glorfindel hurried back to the fire and made the tea, leaving it to steep. Then he got new bandages and returned to the bed to check Erestor’s wound. He removed the bandages and dried herbs. The wound looked clean and was healing nicely. He placed his hand over it. It was no hotter than the rest of Erestor’s skin. “The wound is fine, love. It’s not what is causing your fever again. We have to get the poison out of your body.”

Erestor just nodded.

Glorfindel was not willing to assume the wound would continue healing, so he made a new paste of herbs and spread it over the wound before covering it with new bandages. He rose and got the tea and some of the griddlecakes. If Erestor liked them, maybe he would eat a little. He helped Erestor sit up, stacked the pillows behind him, and put the cup up to his lips. “Drink, love.” When Erestor had managed to finish the tea, he broke off a piece of the griddlecake. “Will you try to eat a little, my love?”

Erestor dutifully took the food and chewed it slowly. “No more, my love. Maybe I could manage a little soup.” He knew Glorfindel would worry if he didn’t eat anything.

“I’ll bring you some, and brew some more tea. I am so sorry, my love. I should have cared for you better. But you seemed so much better, and I rushed you.”

“No, my love. I was feeling better. You could not have known there was still poison. Kiss me?”

Glorfindel leaned over and kissed his love sweetly, then got up to get the soup and make more tea. He would make sure he kept making the tea for Erestor this time, even after he seemed better.

He brought the tea and soup back to the bed. Erestor managed to eat several spoonfuls of the soup, and drink the cup of tea. Glorfindel carried him to the privy before tucking him back in bed. He kissed the feverish elf and stroked his forehead “Sleep now, my love. I will be here watching over you.”

Erestor nodded. “Love you,” he whispered.

Throughout the night Glorfindel remained by Erestor. Sweat poured from the councilor’s hot form, as the poison left his body. Glorfindel realized what he had done wrong before. He had been so concerned with the fever that he had stopped the natural process of Erestor’s body expelling the poison.

He refused to let Erestor throw the blankets off his overheated body. Several times he made more hot tea, which he coerced Erestor to drink. He bit back his tears at seeing how miserable and uncomfortable Erestor was, and refused to try and cool the heated body with tepid water. The only way to get the poison out was for Erestor to sweat it out, so Glorfindel did everything he could to make that happen.

Erestor’s fever peaked, and he sobbed in misery as Glorfindel held and rocked him, bundled in blankets, their tears mixing on fevered cheeks.

It was almost mid-day on the following day before the fever finally broke and Erestor’s body cooled. He fell into an exhausted sleep, and Glorfindel collapsed beside him, holding him tightly.

Glorfindel woke a few hours later as Erestor turned and moaned. Frantic, he brushed the hair away from Erestor’s face and laid his hand on the forehead to check if the fever was back. He felt cool, and Glorfindel breathed a sigh of relief.

Slowly, Erestor’s eyes focused and he woke. “Thirsty,” he croaked.

Glorfindel practically leapt from the bed to get a glass of cool water. He lifted Erestor to a sitting position and held him up with an arm. “Here, sweetheart,” he said, holding the glass to Erestor’s lips.

Erestor drank the entire glass down. “Thank you, love,” he said, his voice sounding better.

“How do you feel, my darling?” Glorfindel asked.

“Like I’ve been pummeled by an Orc. Filthy. Sticky. Smelly. Exhausted. Hungry. And I have to pee.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, my love.” Glorfindel grinned. If Erestor was feeling all that, he was truly on the mend this time.

Erestor gave Glorfindel a stern look. “What. Did. You. Say?”

“Oh, my wonderful slay-you-with-his-words-Councilor is back! Come, sweetheart, and I will take you to the privy, then see what I can do to make you feel better.” He lifted the scowling Erestor in his arms and carried him down the hall.

Erestor knew he was being beastly to Glorfindel, but he felt awful, and couldn’t help himself. Elves were just not made to be sick, and he didn’t know how to handle what he was feeling. He decided he’d better just keep his mouth shut. All he really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, of all the ridiculous things.

When they returned, Glorfindel laid him back on the bed. “Just rest for a few minutes, sweetheart, while I get everything ready.”

Erestor mumbled something about being sick of the bed and the blankets smelled and were damp with sweat.

Glorfindel just smiled and left him in the bed. He pulled blankets out of chests, folded several of them in half, and laid them in front of the fire. He scrounged through the rest of the chests and managed to find some bed sheets he had missed seeing before, more pillows, and towels. Next he dug through Erestor’s pack and found the Councilor’s nightshirt. It was soft from many washing, but most importantly, it was clean and warm. Digging in the pack again, he found Erestor’s soap.

He took his clothes that were soaking in the tub, wrung them out, and set them aside. Then he added hot water from the kettle to the water in his buckets, testing it as he poured to get it to the right temperature. When it was just right, he added some of the soap to one of the buckets. Everything was ready.

He went to the bed and tossed one of the used pillows towards the tub. Erestor was curled up in a miserable little ball, his back to Glorfindel. “Erestor, sweetheart, I am going to carry you to the fire now.” Erestor didn’t move, so he simply started to pick him up in his blankets. “Wrap your arms around me, love.”

Erestor finally moved and put one arm around Glorfindel’s neck.

Glorfindel carried his precious burden to the fire, and laid him gently on the fresh blankets as he removed the stale and damp old ones. He put the used, damp pillow under Erestor’s head. Dipping a cloth in the bucket with the soap, he began to gently wash his love. Starting at the feet, he carefully wiped and then dried every inch of Erestor’s body, gently turning him on one side to cleanse his back half, and then back again. He removed the bandages on his thigh, cleaned the wound, dried it, and bandaged it again with a fresh batch of healing herbs. When he was done with that, he gently washed Erestor’s neck and face. Large brown watery eyes stared up at him. Glorfindel placed a loving kiss on his brow and smiled softly, caressing a soft cheek, but said nothing.

He lifted Erestor with an arm under his shoulders, set the used pillow on the edge of the tub, and lowered the dark head so his hair hung over the tub. He took the bucket of warm, soapy water and carefully poured it over the dark mane, then poured more soap in his hand and gently massaged Erestor’s scalp and hair. When he was done, he poured the bucket of clean water over Erestor’s hair, gently working it through the long mane to rinse it. After ringing out the excess water from the dark hair, he pushed the big tub back and wrapped Erestor’s head in a large towel. Pulling Erestor onto his lap, he lifted the damp, top blanket and tossed it aside.

Glorfindel slipped Erestor’s nightshirt over his head and dressed him it as one would dress an infant, moving the arms through the sleeves while he used his own body to hold Erestor upright. He laid one of the new pillows he had found on the floor and gently laid Erestor down on the fresh blanket, his head on the new pillow, then lifted his body gently and pulled the nightshirt down to cover him warmly. He covered Erestor with another fresh blanket, then rose and went to the bed.

He stripped the bed of all the old soiled sheets and blankets, and dumped everything in the tub with the used, soapy water. Taking the fresh sheets, blankets and pillows, he remade the bed.

Glorfindel looked at Erestor. Glorfindel could sense a little of what Erestor was feeling, and all he wanted to do was take care of this elf he loved. Talking could come later. Erestor was just lying there, watching him with those big brown eyes that held a hint of tears. Glorfindel wasn’t sure what he should do next. Erestor had said he was hungry. He really had wanted to get him comfortably in bed first, then help him eat, but his hair was wet and would dry better before the fire. He would just have to do both the best he could.

He went to the fire and ladled some soup into a bowl, then set it down with a spoon for the moment. He gently sat Erestor up, removed the towel from his head, and fluffed his hair out to dry. Holding his love up with one arm, he sat down beside him, set the bowl of soup carefully on his lap, and lifted a spoonful of soup to Erestor’s lips. Erestor opened his mouth and swallowed. Glorfindel fed him the entire bowl, then set the bowl aside.

Glorfindel moved behind Erestor and scooted around until the exhausted elf sat between his open legs. Moving Erestor’s long, wet hair to each side, he gently lifted it and ran his fingers through it lightly to dry before the fire, gently rubbing the scalp as he worked.

It wasn’t long before Erestor’s shoulders shook and a muffled sob escaped his lips.

Glorfindel quickly gathered Erestor onto his lap and wrapped his arms around his love, rocking him slowly. “Shhh…It’s all right, baby. I have you, my love. It’s all right now. Shhh…” he whispered, kissing as much of the dark head as he could reach as Erestor sobbed into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry…so sorry…so sorry. I was…mean…and you are so…good to me. I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry…so sorry.” Erestor choked out, between sobs.

“Shhh…It’s all right, baby. I know you didn’t mean it, my darling. It’s all right, baby. You’ve been so sick. It’s all right. I love you so much, sweetheart. Oh, baby, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. It’s all right.” He lifted Erestor’s face to his own, and kissed away the tears from his eyes, then kissed the trembling lips. “I love you so much, baby. So much. Will you kiss me?”

Erestor kissed Glorfindel as the tears still streamed from his eyes. He sobbed into the open mouth as his tongue searched for its mate.

Glorfindel moaned, deepening the kiss, which sent him reeling.

Finally ending the kiss, Erestor dropped his head back on Glorfindel’s shoulder. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered. “I love you so much. Oh… I am so tired, my love. So very tired.”

“Let me get you into bed, sweetheart.” He slid Erestor off of his lap, then knelt and picked up Erestor in his arms. He gently laid him in the clean bed and covered him with the clean blankets. “Are you warm enough, beloved? It is getting colder tonight.”

Erestor nodded. “Are you going to sleep beside me tonight and keep me warm?”

“Just as soon as I have something to eat and wash myself a little, sweetheart. Go to sleep, my darling, and I promise you will wake in my arms.” Glorfindel kissed Erestor sweetly.

“I love you, Glorfindel,” Erestor whispered, the moment before he fell asleep.

Glorfindel quickly ate his meal, stripped before the fire and washed himself. Shivering, he found his pair of sleep pants and slipped them on. He crawled into bed, drew Erestor into his arms, and then promptly fell asleep.

Tbc…