The Strong Heart

Chapter 8

Elrond and Glorfindel carefully placed Saercaeron on the litter the others had sent down to them. Ropes were securely tied to the four handholds to pull the elfling up. Glorfindel removed his tunic and tied it around the litter, securing the elfling to the litter so he could not fall off.

“Pull, slowly now – don’t rush this.” Glorfindel called out.

Saercaeron was carefully pulled up to safety. He was still unconscious from Elrond’s herbs. Elves rushed to take the litter when it reached the top, and laid it gently on the ground. Amarion knelt next to his little son, caressing his face. Faerlan lowered his long nose to his little elf and ‘snuffed’ into his long hair.

Elrond and Glorfindel easily climbed back up assisted by steady pulling on the ropes attached to their waists.

Elrond knelt next to Amarion. “He will be alright, my friend. Only his leg is injured, and we can fix that. He is young, and will heal well.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” Amarion said, shakily. “I don’t know what his mother and I would do if we lost him.”

Elrond patted his shoulder. “Come, let’s get him back and taken care of.”

Three of their escort and Amarion carried the litter, the others riding or walking beside them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Erestor took the pitcher to Nestoron and explained what had occurred in Gurvelon’s office.

Nestoron sniffed the contents of the pitcher. “It’s the same poison, but much stronger than the former dose. How did they get in the house to do this?”

Erestor was angrier than he remembered being in a long time. “I do not know, but I will find out.”

Erestor left the healing house and headed for the side of the stables. He removed his outer robe, folded it neatly and laid it on the ground, leaving him in only leggings and shirt. Jumping lithely into the tree, he quickly scaled it and was on the roof.

“Lord Erestor, what brings you up to my roust?” Turidon asked. And then he saw the look on Erestor’s face. “What has happened?”

“Whoever it is got into the house and tried to poison Gurvelon again.”

“I have not removed my eyes from the house! How did they manage that? Could it be someone already in the house?”

Erestor shook his head. “I do not think so. So how did they get in?” He stood next to Turidon and scanned the front of the house. “Look, the trees there.” He pointed to the area outside Gurvelon’s office window. “Those trees wrap all the way around the side of the house. He used the trees to work his way to Gurvelon’s window.”

“Aye.” Turidon nodded. “I was stupid not to have seen that and watched closer.”

“Nay, Turidon, it is not your fault. No one could have seen someone hiding there if they did not want to be seen. I was stupid not to have realized it and keep Gurvelon from his office.”

“Is he all right?”

“Aye. Fortunately Saercaeron was with him and kept him from drinking the poison.”

~ ~ ~ ~
Back in the house, Erestor headed to his little friend’s rooms. Caladir opened the door to his knock.

“Erestor, have you found out anything?” Caladir motioned him into the room.

Erestor nodded. “Where is Velon?”

“Resting. Should I have him join us?” Caladir asked.

“Nay, let him rest. He does not need to hear this right now. You can tell him later.”

The two elves sat and discussed what Erestor had found out.

“Our mistake was letting him go back to his office,” Caladir said. “But he does not want to be in hiding, and I think he will feel better if he can continue to work.”

Erestor nodded. “What about if we moved his desk into the library? Not only will there always be someone around, but I will make sure that there are two experienced guards placed there. If whoever it is can’t get to him with poison, he may try something else.”

“Aye,” Caladir agreed, “that should work. And I will be one of the guards.”

“I expected you would be, my friend. I will have his desk moved in there tonight so it’s ready for him in the morning. Choose whomever you would like for the second guard.” Erestor rose to leave. “ I will leave you with Velon now. Glorfindel was going to see what other information he could find out today, and I need to let him know the latest developments.”


Erestor found a servant and asked him to have Gurvelon’s desk moved, then hurried to Glorfindel’s office. Finding the door broken in, he rushed into the barracks, where Imladris guards assured him that his husband was fine. They told Erestor as much as they knew of what had happened.

Erestor had been nearly frantic when he heard what had occurred, and was now nervously pacing the courtyard, worrying about Saercaeron. Had the person who was trying to poison Gurvelon taken his revenge on Saercaeron for stopping the little scribe from drinking? It was late in the afternoon before he finally spotted them in the distance. He ran towards them, hair and robes flying.

Glorfindel saw him coming, and ran towards him. Capturing his little husband in his arms, he just held him tightly for a long moment. Finally speaking, he said, “Saercaeron will be all right, my love. His leg is broken. I have much to tell you, but not here.”

“I too, my love. We will wait until Saercaeron is safely in the healing house and you have taken care of what you need to, then we will talk.”

Saercaeron was safely installed in the healing house, and Elrond and Nestoron began the work of repairing his leg. Luckily, the little elfling was still unconscious.

Glorfindel sent one of their escort back to recover the cloak at the bottom of the cliff. “Do not tell anyone about it, or let them see it. Just bundle it up and deliver it to Lord Elrond.”

He next found Taurfaeron and told him about the cloak. “It will be delivered to Lord Elrond. Tell him when he is done taking care of Saercaeron. I want you to examine it and see if you can tell whose it is. If you can do it quietly, without anyone seeing, find out if Thalahir is missing his cloak.”

Taurfaeron nodded. “I will take care of it.”

Glorfindel posted two guards outside Saercaeron’s room, making sure they understood that there was to be two elves inside with the elfling at all times. Taking Amarion and Diwen aside, he said, “Saercaeron told me someone threw him over the cliff.” The elfling’s parents gasped in horror. “I am posting two guards outside his room. If either of you should ever have to leave him, I want you to have one of the guards go inside the room to replace you. I want two of you with him always. If you both need to leave, then both guards are inside the room.”

Amarion nodded. “We will do it, Glorfindel. But why would someone want to hurt our son?”

Glorfindel shook his head. “I don’t know, my friend. But I mean to find out. Just keep our little elfling safe. And Diwen, make sure Nestoron checks all of his food before he eats it to make sure it is safe.”

Diwen paled, but nodded.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you, Glorfindel. What you did…I don’t know how to thank you,” Amarion said.

“I need no thanks, my friend.” Glorfindel embraced the two worried parents, and left to join Erestor. He wanted to talk to Erestor, a bath with Erestor in his arms, and to make love with Erestor, in that order.

Tbc….