Down by the water

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AN:, For those of you who does not read Winterborn, I will repeat what I wrote there, I didn’t dissapear of the face of the internet, but I moved to a house in the contry and has been without internet. And I closed my smut LJ, should you still want to stay updated via LJ please look at my regular journal Azmodan76- thanks. –Az

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Soft spoken with a broken jaw
Step outside but not to brawl
Autumn's sweet we call it fall
I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl and
With the birds I'll share
This lonely view...
Scar tissue that I wish you saw
Sarcastic mister know it all
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you 'cause
With the birds I'll share
With the birds I'll share
This lonely view
With the birds I'll share
This lonely view...

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scartissue
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Chapter 6 ­ - Scar Tissue


Yuletide. This had always filled Glorfindel with such a melancholy feeling. He loved this time, and had always done. But he also couldn’t seem to forget all the ones he once shared this with. It was not that he did not love his newfound family, but at the same time, he missed friends and lovers from long ago. He looked at the painting that Elrond’s children had made for him. It was of Asfaloth, on a field that to Glorfindel looked suspiciously like the back yard of the stables. A smile crept to his lips as he thought of how they might have managed this picture.. In particular that one of them would have had to try and lure the damn horse out of his warm nice box, which had to be a quest in itself. And then to get the damned creature to stand still... The blond elf shook his head in amused appreciation, and took another sip of his wine.

“Lovely painting,” someone said, and Glorfindel turned his head and looked at his brother, who dropped unceremoniously into a chair next to him.

“Arato.”

The other blond elf smiled. “Did you get anything good?”

“I like this picture, actually,” Glorfindel said a little sharply.

“Sure you do,” Arato laughed. “Are you sure you don’t like the ones who painted it better?”

“Watch your tongue, dear brother.”

“Come on now,” Arato said in a playful manner, smiling an over-friendly drunk smile. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that one of them resembles you-know-who.”

Glorfindel’s mouth became a thin line. “Those are lord Elrond’s sons. I think you are a bit confused, brother-dear.”

“Still...” Arato chuckled. “I wont tell, if you won’t.” His eyes followed Elrohir as he walked past them with three drinks. “I wouldn’t blame you, brother. They are pretty elves.”

“Don’t even start, Arato,” Glorfindel sighed. “I am not looking for a mate or similar troublesome company.”

Arato sighed and nodded. “I hear you.” he took a sip of his drink. “They are much too much trouble at times.”

“Speaking of mates,” Glorfindel said, “Where is Erestor?”

“About, I guess,” Arato said with a gesture of the hand out over the crowd. “Or went to bed, the bore that he is.”

“Having headaches?” Glorfindel chuckled and smiled at his brother.

“Very funny,” Arato grumbled. “No.. dear Erestor just forgot what being my mate means…”

“Oh my,” Glorfindel said with a understanding smile, not really at all interested in his brother and Erestor's love life, actually more the opposite. But something told him to go on with his inquiring.

“I even bought him a very expensive book for Yule,” Arato whined, “and did I get as much as a smile in return? Noooo, I got something that resembled a tick more.” Arato frowned and shook his head. “I am getting really, really tired of his attitude.” He looked up at Glorfindel. “You would at least think that he appreciated what I do for him.”

Glorfindel just sat there like a sheep and looked at his brother. “I’m… I’m sure he liked the book,” he finally managed to whisper.

“Maybe you’re right, Erestor never was one for showing emotions.” Arato smiled a cocky smile. “But that doesn’t mean that he cannot learn. Even an old dog can learn new tricks.”

“I’m sure he just didn’t know what to say,” Glorfindel said, trying to keep a straight face... old dog? Was Arato comparing Erestor to a dog? Or was he reading something into Arato’s words that he shouldn’t have. He closed his eyes for a second, and suddenly a flash came to him, dog. Yes, a dog... Erestor had had a dog collar. Glorfindel’s eyebrows met over the bridge of his nose. But why? He could see the image as clear as if he were looking at it right now, but why was his memory this elusive? He opened his eyes again and looked right into his brother’s worried gaze.

“Are you going to faint on me, brother?” Arato said and steadied Glorfindel with a tender hand on his shoulder.

Glorfindel shook his head. “Don’t worry, Arato, I think I just might have been drinking a bit too much.” He offered his brother an embarrassed smile.

“It is as I’ve always said, little brother,” Arato laughed in a friendly way, “you cannot hold your liquor, or a lover in your bed for long.”

Glorfindel actually blushed at this. “No those are not my greatest virtues,” he admitted.

“Don’t you worry, Glorfindel, they are nothing but trouble, the drink and the lover.”

The younger elf smiled timidly under his brother’s probing gaze. “I wouldn’t know any of it, all I am good at is killing.”

“Nonsense! I am sure that most elves here would give their right arm to share your bed! Don’t be so depressed, little blossom.” Arato leaned in closer and whispered in his brother’s ear. “What you need is a concubine, heed my words little brother, you do not need a master, but a lover who obeys your every whim... Believe me, should you find one, keep him.”

Glorfindel just sat there and listened to his brother’s soft whispers in his ear with a dawning horror. Concubine? Obeys? He blinked rapidly, trying to remember something that tried to surface. Little bits and pieces… oh yes, now he remembered that Arato never was one to be argued with, and should that trespasser be one below him, then woe to him. “Or her,” Glorfindel whispered softly, not really trusting his voice.

“Or her,” Arato said and chuckled. “I don’t know, I just always thought you fancied males... oh well, it just goes to show how long I have been gone, little brother.” Arato wrapped an arm around Glorfindel’s shoulder. “I promise it shall never happen again. I won’t leave you ever again, baby brother.”

-*-
Lying in his bed later, the words kept coming back to him, “You need a concubine.” How could he even say that? Tears rolled slowly down Glorfindel’s cheeks just thinking about the one he held so dear, who was now being treated as little less than a harlot . Now he remembered, not all, he was sure, as a lot still had that odd misty veil over it, but he did remember Arato having Erestor flogged in public... Now why had he done that? And he also remembered that Ecthelion had taken him away, guided him far from the square so he would not have to look at it, but he could still hear it. Even now, after so many decades he could still hear the chilling screams. Glorfindel closed his eyes and sighed. That was why he remembered the dog collar, because Arato had made Erestor wear one afterwards, saying that it had been the only wedding band that this dog was worth. By the Valar! Right now all he really wanted to do was to forget it all again. Why did he have to remember all this now? Now, when he didn’t even stand a chance to change it.
Falling slowly asleep, Glorfindel couldn’t help but to wonder if he had already been in love with Erestor back then.
-‘-

The next day this strange worried feeling still wouldn’t leave him, and Glorfindel felt even worse now than before he had fallen asleep. He needed to tell someone, he needed an ally. Sitting on the bed, running his brush through his golden hair over and over again until it shone like the sun, he suddenly knew exactly who to trust. Elladan! He would seek out Elladan, and maybe he could help him, but help him with what? He couldn’t disgrace his own brother like that... Glorfindel frowned. He couldn’t let things stay the way they were, either.

Elladan had been somewhat surprised when Glorfindel had asked him to accompany him to the gardens for a walk. But as Glorfindel’s tale proceeded, Elladan grew more and more ashen. The golden elf did not even have the courage to look the elder twin in the eyes as he spoke, but as he came to an end of his tale, he sat down in the grass with a sigh. “And as to why I never did anything... I really don’t know,” Glorfindel whispered.

Elladan sat down next to Glorfindel, and actually he couldn’t help but feeling a bit proud and baffled that his mentor had chosen to come to him with all this trouble of the heart. He could have chosen any other elf, an elder and wiser elf than Elladan. “But all that is going to change now, right?” he said softly.

Glorfindel nodded. “I hope so.”

“You could tell my father what you just told me,” Elladan suggested.

“I tried to tell lord Elrond that something wasn’t right, but it was no use. He won’t listen,” Glorfindel said, “and should I insist, I will just shame Erestor and anger my brother.”

“I see your dilemma, my friend.” Elladan sighed ­ and for some time they both sat there in silence until Elladan spoke once more. “We should separate them.”

“Separate? How?” Glorfindel turned to look at Elladan for the first time since he started the hideous tale. “And to what use?”

“To buy you time to talk to Erestor, and figure out how to help,” he smiled at the golden elf. “Allow me to involve my twin. He has a quick wit, and he will know what to do with Arato.”

“But no matter what, you shall return, and things will go back to normal,” Glorfindel whined, hating feeling this helpless.

“Don’t you worry about that, my friend,” Elladan said darkly. “You just focus on mending Erestor.”

-tbc-