A Warrior's Destiny

Author’s Note: Thank you so much to all those who reviewed last time. Here the truth is revealed.

Thanks go to Esteliel and Milly for reading through this chapter.


Chapter Six

A few more weeks passed quickly, and Glorfindel no longer had any wish to actually meet Erestor. He was happy with the compromises Thenindhír managed to strike between them. And if he admitted the truth, Glorfindel was certain that if he and Erestor were to meet, he wouldn’t be able to hold his tongue, and that would make Thenindhír’s position even more difficult.

But then luckily, with the completion of the main body of the house, most of Erestor’s more unreasonable demands ceased while he was kept busy seeing to the library and the design of the offices. Glorfindel had no hand in that, and instead was free now to concentrate on establishing the army’s barracks and training fields. Now that most of the work was done, his position had changed to what it should be. He was the Captain of the small army. And it was small – although now they were settled, their population would grow as more elves travelled from Lindon and other places to join them.

Too soon though it seemed that Erestor had things organised to his satisfaction at the house, and Glorfindel’s problems began all over again. Erestor would not give him enough elves to get everything done that he wanted. Even when the population of Imladris began to swell, as he had expected, his life wasn’t made any easier by the advisor. He began to confess his problems to Thenindhír again, and again the other elf encouraged Erestor to make exceptions, and generally made his life easier.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, sometimes, meleth nín.” Glorfindel sighed happily as he contemplated the fair feast that Thenindhír had brought with him to their lunchtime meeting. “But I’m far hungrier for something else,” he said with a wicked grin, pulling his lover close to him for a kiss. But Glorfindel did settle down to eat after teasing Thenindhír for a little while. And when he was finished he sighed in satisfaction.

“Is there something wrong?” Thenindhír asked. Glorfindel shook his head. He was always so nervous, and it hadn’t really changed in all this time.

“Oh, only the usual.” Thenindhír looked even more nervous, and Glorfindel laughed. “Erestor is annoying me again,” he admitted, and after a moment his lover relaxed.

“Oh,” he said, “are there things you want me to ask him about?” Glorfindel considered.

“Yes,” he said at last, and explained to Thenindhír exactly what he needed so that he could do his job adequately while his lover listened resignedly. Glorfindel noticed this and fell quiet, moving to sit closer to Thenindhír, vowing to forget what he needed to change with respect to Erestor’s demands for a while.

“I’m sorry,” Glorfindel said sincerely. “What can I do for you?” he asked, beginning to tease at Thenindhír’s clothes, undoing his tunic while his lover sighed and lay back to allow it. Soon he wasn’t so coolly passive though, Glorfindel noted with a smile. Sometimes he wished his lover would be a little more aggressive. Well, all right, a lot more. But then, he would never say anything. It was so easy to take him, to possess him, and Glorfindel found that as long as Thenindhír enjoyed it, then he could take pleasure from it too. There was something about having his lover beneath him, crying out his name that made Glorfindel feel protective. In fact, at times like these, when Thenindhír’s body was giving him so much pleasure, it almost felt as though he owned his lover, and the thought pleased him somehow. It also made him come hard inside Thenindhír, hard enough so that there were tears in his lover’s eyes by the time he had done.

Glorfindel leaned over to softly kiss the tears away, and then pulled out to relax next to him on the grass in the warm sunshine. It was a nice day, the birds sang above him, making Glorfindel smile, and he actually began to drift off with Thenindhír in his arms. He was vaguely aware of Thenindhír talking to him, but he didn’t know what about – and it didn’t matter. He was never forceful. Glorfindel drifted away on a dream.

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“Well?” Glorfindel demanded impatiently, seeing that it wasn’t good news. The elf who stood before him grimaced.

“Well,” he began uncomfortably. “Erestor has refused our request on the basis of the fact that we are not under attack, and there is no sign of Sauron mobilising any forces near this area.” Glorfindel swore. It may well be true that Sauron was concentraing his efforts further afield from them, but that didn’t make him feel any better. The ‘may’ was not a sure, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt fact. Did the so-called ‘advisor’ even realise that Glorfindel was responsible for intelligence too? And that because of his interference, the reports that came back may not be entirely reliable? Erestor had also refused to give Glorfindel enough elves to cover intelligence with any degree of certainty. This had to stop. Here and now it had to stop.

Everyone turned to look when Glorfindel stormed from the training field. But all got back to their practice when Glorfindel’s second-in-command barked out an order, and by the time Glorfindel had reached the house it would be hard to tell the Captain was missing from the field. Certainly it was difficult for Erestor, who chose that moment to look out of his office window. He barely glanced at the field, and then went back to his desk, and his work. When Glorfindel burst into his office a few minutes later, it was a complete shock, or at least it would have been had he bothered to look up. He stifled a sigh – Elrond never bothered to knock.

“Glorfindel might complain to you about the allowances for defence this month, but I assure you, Elrond, they are more than adequate.” He looked up, and the colour drained from his face. It’s over. That was his first thought. And for all the times he had believed that Glorfindel must at last know, he suddenly realised that the panic and fear couldn’t possibly compare with this sick, dark feeling. It’s over. He couldn’t seem to think past the words. He felt too calm at the prospect of losing so much, while Glorfindel looked positively stormy, and Erestor wondered if he had looked that way when he entered, or if the realisation had hit him. Soon he had an answer.

“You’re Erestor?” Glorfindel growled, suddenly seeing the pretence. His shock stopped him from even thinking about the reasons why.

“Yes,” Thenindhír – no – Erestor answered faintly. Glorfindel suddenly smiled and walked confidently behind the desk, pulling the advisor from his seat when he turned to face the warrior. He held Erestor close and kissed the little patch of skin just below his ear.

“Now I know I can have what I want,” Glorfindel said suggestively, and laughed a little, feeling Erestor trembling in his arms. He assumed it was the usual desire. He didn’t recognise the anger until Erestor’s behaviour changed.

“I don’t think so,” Erestor said, too coolly. Out of sight of Glorfindel he had picked up a pen, and now he held it against the warrior’s neck, forcing him to move back and away. Still in shock, and still unable to reconcile this Erestor with his Thenindhír, Glorfindel decided to lighten the situation.

“Erestor,” he said charmingly, and smiled. “You’re threatening me with a pen.” Glorfindel raised his eyebrows mockingly; after all it did look sort of comical with the feather. But it didn’t serve to make the threat go away.

“Yes,” Erestor said simply. “Feel it?” Yes, he did indeed feel it. Erestor held the sharpened nib of the quill to his neck in exactly the right place. Just over his artery. Glorfindel had moved back for that reason. That was also the reason he was so still. The entire situation began to take on a feel of danger and threat he didn’t like.

“What’s the matter with you?” he demanded suddenly, frowning, finally managing to wonder why Erestor had lied to him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I have my job to do.” Erestor shrugged coldly, and Glorfindel realised he didn’t know this elf. He stepped back again, away from the sharp press of the pen, and walked to the other side of the desk.

“Who are you?” he asked suspiciously. “Why are you being like this? What do you want from me, Erestor? You shouldn’t play silly games with me – I don’t appreciate them.” He hoped he sounded as threatening as he felt. Glorfindel was beginning to get angry, and no amount of pens would help Erestor then.

“No games. I just wanted to know why you are here. Why you were sent back. I needed to know what your intentions were.” Suddenly Glorfindel remembered how it had been, and he remembered all those seemingly innocent questions, all those careless enquiries that he realised now weren’t so careless. For a moment, even he was speechless. He glared at the advisor, and then leaned forward over the desk menacingly. Erestor had sat down behind the desk again, and now he shrank back a little. He licked his lips, and Glorfindel sneered at him. Did Erestor really think he had any such intentions towards him anymore?

“Don’t seek me out again.” And then Glorfindel stalked out of the room. He didn’t return to the training grounds, but headed for the barracks. Everything fell into place. Little comments Elrond had made, things that other elves had said. It all suddenly made sense. He had enough presence of mind to be thankful that Erestor’s deceit was clearly only between them. That was why he always insisted they be alone, and didn’t allow Glorfindel to talk to him in the presence of others. And to think that he had been an instrument in his own deception, keeping quiet about their relationship when he had wanted to share his happiness with everyone. He had been such a blind fool! He told the first person to disturb him that he wished to be alone, and to let all the others know. Then he proceeded to get drunk.

The advisor disturbed him some hours later. Glorfindel knew it was Erestor without looking around in the dark. There was that scent of something that was only him. Glorfindel lifted the bottle in his hand and took another drink of the strong wine to remedy it.

“Why are you here?” he asked coldly, not missing the fact that he was in a way echoing the entire basis of their so-called relationship.

“I don’t know.” Erestor sounded hurt and uncertain. Welcome to my world, Glorfindel thought with a snort of self-mocking laughter.

“How infuriating for you,” he said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. “Here’s a suggestion. Go to your room, blow out the candles and really get to know yourself, Erestor.” Glorfindel noted the shocked gasp with a cold grin in the dark. “Maybe you’ll let something slip when you cry out that has it all make sense.” He laughed low to break the silence, then heard Erestor leaving the room quickly. He deserved it!

“Here’s to you, Thenindhír! And to us!” Glorfindel lifted the bottle again and drank the rest of the contents. Then he started on another one.


To be continued…


Author’s Note: Thank you for reading, I hope you are enjoying it. Comments and/or constructive criticism appreciated. Please review, or email me: pip@pippychick.net