The Fell Winter
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-Multi-Age › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
15
Views:
7,855
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
15
Views:
7,855
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
The Fell Winter
Title: The Fell Winter (1/?)
Author: Aglarien
Type: FPS
Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine, except for the cats. The great Master Tolkien’s estate owns everything else. I promise to return his elves when I’m done playing with them.
Warning: AU. Complete disregard for canon, JRRT’s timelines (although the years of The Fell Winter are accurate), and the fact that only the peredhil of Elrond’s lineage got to choose between human and elf. Lots of fluff.
Timeline: The Fell Winter, T.A. 2911-2912
Beta: Patricia and Lady Mirfain – Thank you Gwathil.
Summary: Middle-earth is in the middle of the harshest winter ever known, and Erestor is suffering from the cold. A small child and a golden warrior warm his heart.
For Dark Dreamer.
Chapter 1
Erestor was freezing. Even though Imladris was buried in one of the harshest winters he had ever known, he shouldn’t be this cold. His desk was sitting directly in front of the roaring fireplace, and his too-thin body was wrapped in furs, and still his hands and feet felt like blocks of ice. Each year for the past five years he had felt the cold more and more. Elrond had tried every concoction he could think of, and nothing helped. Erestor wondered sadly if he would survive this winter. Or if anyone other than the children and healers would notice if he didn’t.
~~~*~~~
Glorfindel entered Elrond’s office and found his lord staring absentmindedly out of the window at the heavy snowfall. After calling Elrond’s name two or three times and getting no response, Glorfindel walked over and touched his shoulder. “Elrond, are you well?”
Elrond jumped, startled. “Oh, Glorfindel. Forgive me, I was thinking about a problem.”
“Is something wrong?” Glorfindel asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Elrond nodded. “It is Erestor. I do not know what to do to help my old friend, and I fear for him this winter.”
“What is wrong with Erestor? He cannot be ill….we elves do not become ill.”
Elrond shook his head. “I cannot understand it. For the past five years he has suffered from the cold weather, but this year it is much worse. I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing helps. He is in his office, working in front of the fire, wrapped in furs, and shivering.”
“For five years?” Glorfindel was shocked, and felt more than just a little guilty for never noticing. “I should have noticed, Elrond. I never noticed a thing.”
“You should not feel guilty, Glorfindel,” Elrond sighed. “You and Erestor do not come into contact all that much, except for meetings, and he manages to cover it up then. You spend most of your time in the barracks, and he in his office. He has not been coming to dinner in the hall; he prefers to stay in his rooms or his office where he can be warmer.”
“I thought he was just working – like he always is. I never even paid attention.” Glorfindel flopped down in a chair across from Elrond.
“He doesn’t always work,” Elrond said. “Did you really think I would allow my chief councilor to work hours like that?”
“I never really thought about it, I suppose,” Glorfindel responded, mortified. “It just always seemed that he was. It’s what everyone thinks. He doesn’t associate much with other elves or come to the Hall of Fire with everyone after dinner. What does he do if he isn’t working?”
“No, he doesn’t take the time to make many friends, not because he doesn’t care or doesn’t want to, but because he sees a need elsewhere to devote himself to. You know we have a constant influx of wounded and ill human men, women and children into the healing halls, I suppose? He spends most of his spare time housing their families, making sure they have enough food and clothing, entertaining and caring for the children whose parents are ill, visiting and reading to those who are by themselves, teaching the older children to read and write, and even teaching some of the adults.” Elrond sighed. “He has never wanted anyone to know much about it. Very few elves outside of the healers know how good-hearted Erestor is. I have known him to sit up with a sick child all night on many occasions, work the following day without rest, and then sit up with the child all night again. I usually have to order him to take some rest if we have a sick child in the halls.”
Glorfindel rose and paced the room. “Does no one help him?”
Elrond nodded. “Of course. Nearly everyone here does in one way or another. Celebrian and the other ladies tirelessly make clothing and blankets for them, the cooks prepare food, our carpenters build shelters for them, many work in the greenhouses to ensure we always have the healing herbs and food we need, and I work in the healing halls several hours a day. Even you, Glorfindel, you protect this valley and keep it a safe haven. Erestor is the only one, however, who devotes such time to them – especially the children. They are his passion.”
To say Glorfindel was shocked was an understatement. When he had first arrived in Imladris, he had been attracted to the beautiful councilor, but Erestor’s lack of response had made him suppress his desires and move on. Not that he’d ever “moved on” to anyone else. He had simply constructed a wall of frozen ice around his heart at Erestor’s perceived rejection, and buried himself in his work. Now he realized part of what had initially drawn him to Erestor – and it wasn’t just his beauty. It was Erestor’s shining inner goodness and kindness. Erestor had never rebuffed him – he simply hadn’t pursued the returned balrog slayer as so many others had done. What Glorfindel had assumed was coldness and lack of interest on Erestor’s part was really a lack of time for trivial social gatherings when he was needed to help elsewhere. He felt the ice around his heart begin to crack. “I feel so guilty for misjudging him…for not noticing. I shut him out – blinded myself to what was going on because I assumed he wasn’t interested in anyone or anything other than his work. I was a fool.”
“I do not know what to do to help him, Glorfindel. It tears my heart out to see him suffer, knowing I can do nothing.”
“Five years, you say? Why five years? What changed five years ago to make him to susceptible to the cold?” Glorfindel stopped pacing and looked at Elrond.
“Nothing happened that I am aware of,” Elrond said, shaking his head.
Glorfindel resumed pacing, and Elrond resumed thinking. After several minutes had passed, Elrond stood suddenly. “No. It cannot be that simple,” he said quietly, almost to himself.
“What? What did you think of?” Glorfindel said.
Elrond sat back down and stared at his captain. “Five years ago I married Celebrian. I began spending most of my evenings with her instead of Erestor. Could it be because he is….lonely? He gets close to those in the healing halls, but then they leave, or die, and it starts all over with new ones. And then *they* leave, or die. He does not spend time any longer with other elves just for companionship.”
Glorfindel thought of the human graveyard hidden in a sheltered corner of Imladris. There were always fresh graves there. “How much of his heart breaks each time someone he had devoted himself to dies or leaves?” Glorfindel said, as more of the ice around his heart cracked. “With no close companion to share his heartbreak with, how does he manage? With no one to strengthen him, how can he keep doing it? All those fresh graves, all the graves of the children, and no one to show him that they care.”
Tears began to pool in Elrond’s eyes. “It is all my fault. I abandoned him except for work after I married. How could I do that to him? How could I just send him to rest, thinking that was all he would need, without considering what it was doing to him?”
Glorfindel walked over to Elrond and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You were not to know, Elrond. It is right that you spend time with your wife.” Another crack. “Perhaps, if I…I want to try, Elrond. It is the least I can do, after misjudging him so badly.” Glorfindel stopped for a moment, and the icy wall crumbled. “No. It is more than that. I *want* to be that companion for him.”
“But why? You hardly know him.” Elrond stared at Glorfindel, puzzled.
“I have wanted to be a companion – a friend, and perhaps even more to him ever since the moment I arrived here and first saw him. I tried for a little while, but he never seemed to have time for me….always turned down my offers to dine with me. So I gave up and stopped pursuing him. I thought he didn’t care. I could have been there for him, Elrond. I should have discovered more – found out what was going on instead of just closing myself off from him and burying myself in my work. I want to do this. I have to try – for both of us.”
Elrond simply nodded.
~~~*~~~
Erestor finished his work as quickly as he could, and then hurried through the cold halls to the healing house, pulling the heavy furs around his body and trying not to shiver. He couldn’t give in to the cold now. Sarah needed him – and her brother. He had to find a good family for them when her brother was healed. Entering the healing house, he saw one of the younger female healers named Taurien trying to comfort the crying child, to no avail. Sarah fussed and sobbed, thrashing about in the healer’s arms.
Seeing Erestor enter, the healer breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, little one. Here is your Erestor, come to visit you.”
Sarah’s little arms immediately reached out to Erestor, and her dark, tear-filled eyes pulled at his heart. “Did you miss me, my little darkling?” Erestor asked, taking the child who appeared to be about five years old from the healer and kissing the dark head he held against his chest. Carrying the child to a rocking chair, he sat and cradled her in his lap, wrapping the furs around them both. Gently stroking the long, dark, softly curling hair, he whispered, “Everything is all right now, little one. I wish I could bring your parents back, sweetheart, but I’m here now. I’ve got you.” For the first time that day he wasn’t positively freezing.
“Erestor,” the little one whimpered, curling a small fist into Erestor’s robe.
Unseen by the councilor, someone watched from the shadows as Erestor comforted the child, singing to her softly. Glorfindel motioned the young healer Taurien over and whispered, “Tell me about that child.”
“The harsh winter has driven the wild wargs down from the mountains in search of food, my lord,” Taurien answered. “Sarah’s village was attacked and her parents killed defending their children. Her older brother was severely injured. We are amazed that he has survived and is healing. Sarah was not hurt, but the poor little thing was very traumatized and has hardly spoken, except to say Lord Erestor’s name and a few other short words.”
“What will happen to her?” Glorfindel asked.
“Lord Erestor will find a good family for her and her brother with a human couple who lost their children or have none. He always does. That is why she is still here – he does not want her to be separated from her brother until he can find them a home together. He spends every moment he can with her and has become very attached to her. This one will be especially hard for him to lose. She really is a little dear. I sometimes think he would like to keep her and raise her himself, but he knows it will be better for Sarah and her brother to have a mother and father. He loves her.”
“Yes,” Glorfindel said. “I can see that. Tell me, will Erestor stay here all night with her?”
The healer nodded. “Yes, my lord. He usually falls asleep in that rocker holding Sarah.”
“That will not do. No wonder Erestor is so thin – he doesn’t take the time to eat or care for himself. Tell me, has the child eaten her dinner, and can she be taken out of the healing house?”
“Yes, to both questions, my lord. We fed her a while ago, and there is no reason she has to stay here, as long as Lord Erestor is with her.”
“Good,” Glorfindel said. “I am going to take them both out of here and make sure Erestor eats and rests, which he will not do without her, it seems.”
Taurien gifted Glorfindel with a beaming smile. “A wonderful idea, my lord. You might see if you can get the little one to eat more, too. She was a little fussy tonight without Lord Erestor, and did not eat much.”
Glorfindel thanked the healer and went to Erestor. Kneeling in front of the rocking chair and leaning up to Sarah, he smiled at the child and said softly, “Hello, little one. My name is Glorfindel.”
The child’s eyes went wide as she stared at the golden lord. Reaching out, she grabbed a hank of golden hair in one hand and traced one of Glorfindel’s pointed ears with the other. “Ada,” she whispered, and threw her arms around Glorfindel’s neck.
Tbc……..
Author: Aglarien
Type: FPS
Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine, except for the cats. The great Master Tolkien’s estate owns everything else. I promise to return his elves when I’m done playing with them.
Warning: AU. Complete disregard for canon, JRRT’s timelines (although the years of The Fell Winter are accurate), and the fact that only the peredhil of Elrond’s lineage got to choose between human and elf. Lots of fluff.
Timeline: The Fell Winter, T.A. 2911-2912
Beta: Patricia and Lady Mirfain – Thank you Gwathil.
Summary: Middle-earth is in the middle of the harshest winter ever known, and Erestor is suffering from the cold. A small child and a golden warrior warm his heart.
For Dark Dreamer.
Chapter 1
Erestor was freezing. Even though Imladris was buried in one of the harshest winters he had ever known, he shouldn’t be this cold. His desk was sitting directly in front of the roaring fireplace, and his too-thin body was wrapped in furs, and still his hands and feet felt like blocks of ice. Each year for the past five years he had felt the cold more and more. Elrond had tried every concoction he could think of, and nothing helped. Erestor wondered sadly if he would survive this winter. Or if anyone other than the children and healers would notice if he didn’t.
~~~*~~~
Glorfindel entered Elrond’s office and found his lord staring absentmindedly out of the window at the heavy snowfall. After calling Elrond’s name two or three times and getting no response, Glorfindel walked over and touched his shoulder. “Elrond, are you well?”
Elrond jumped, startled. “Oh, Glorfindel. Forgive me, I was thinking about a problem.”
“Is something wrong?” Glorfindel asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Elrond nodded. “It is Erestor. I do not know what to do to help my old friend, and I fear for him this winter.”
“What is wrong with Erestor? He cannot be ill….we elves do not become ill.”
Elrond shook his head. “I cannot understand it. For the past five years he has suffered from the cold weather, but this year it is much worse. I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing helps. He is in his office, working in front of the fire, wrapped in furs, and shivering.”
“For five years?” Glorfindel was shocked, and felt more than just a little guilty for never noticing. “I should have noticed, Elrond. I never noticed a thing.”
“You should not feel guilty, Glorfindel,” Elrond sighed. “You and Erestor do not come into contact all that much, except for meetings, and he manages to cover it up then. You spend most of your time in the barracks, and he in his office. He has not been coming to dinner in the hall; he prefers to stay in his rooms or his office where he can be warmer.”
“I thought he was just working – like he always is. I never even paid attention.” Glorfindel flopped down in a chair across from Elrond.
“He doesn’t always work,” Elrond said. “Did you really think I would allow my chief councilor to work hours like that?”
“I never really thought about it, I suppose,” Glorfindel responded, mortified. “It just always seemed that he was. It’s what everyone thinks. He doesn’t associate much with other elves or come to the Hall of Fire with everyone after dinner. What does he do if he isn’t working?”
“No, he doesn’t take the time to make many friends, not because he doesn’t care or doesn’t want to, but because he sees a need elsewhere to devote himself to. You know we have a constant influx of wounded and ill human men, women and children into the healing halls, I suppose? He spends most of his spare time housing their families, making sure they have enough food and clothing, entertaining and caring for the children whose parents are ill, visiting and reading to those who are by themselves, teaching the older children to read and write, and even teaching some of the adults.” Elrond sighed. “He has never wanted anyone to know much about it. Very few elves outside of the healers know how good-hearted Erestor is. I have known him to sit up with a sick child all night on many occasions, work the following day without rest, and then sit up with the child all night again. I usually have to order him to take some rest if we have a sick child in the halls.”
Glorfindel rose and paced the room. “Does no one help him?”
Elrond nodded. “Of course. Nearly everyone here does in one way or another. Celebrian and the other ladies tirelessly make clothing and blankets for them, the cooks prepare food, our carpenters build shelters for them, many work in the greenhouses to ensure we always have the healing herbs and food we need, and I work in the healing halls several hours a day. Even you, Glorfindel, you protect this valley and keep it a safe haven. Erestor is the only one, however, who devotes such time to them – especially the children. They are his passion.”
To say Glorfindel was shocked was an understatement. When he had first arrived in Imladris, he had been attracted to the beautiful councilor, but Erestor’s lack of response had made him suppress his desires and move on. Not that he’d ever “moved on” to anyone else. He had simply constructed a wall of frozen ice around his heart at Erestor’s perceived rejection, and buried himself in his work. Now he realized part of what had initially drawn him to Erestor – and it wasn’t just his beauty. It was Erestor’s shining inner goodness and kindness. Erestor had never rebuffed him – he simply hadn’t pursued the returned balrog slayer as so many others had done. What Glorfindel had assumed was coldness and lack of interest on Erestor’s part was really a lack of time for trivial social gatherings when he was needed to help elsewhere. He felt the ice around his heart begin to crack. “I feel so guilty for misjudging him…for not noticing. I shut him out – blinded myself to what was going on because I assumed he wasn’t interested in anyone or anything other than his work. I was a fool.”
“I do not know what to do to help him, Glorfindel. It tears my heart out to see him suffer, knowing I can do nothing.”
“Five years, you say? Why five years? What changed five years ago to make him to susceptible to the cold?” Glorfindel stopped pacing and looked at Elrond.
“Nothing happened that I am aware of,” Elrond said, shaking his head.
Glorfindel resumed pacing, and Elrond resumed thinking. After several minutes had passed, Elrond stood suddenly. “No. It cannot be that simple,” he said quietly, almost to himself.
“What? What did you think of?” Glorfindel said.
Elrond sat back down and stared at his captain. “Five years ago I married Celebrian. I began spending most of my evenings with her instead of Erestor. Could it be because he is….lonely? He gets close to those in the healing halls, but then they leave, or die, and it starts all over with new ones. And then *they* leave, or die. He does not spend time any longer with other elves just for companionship.”
Glorfindel thought of the human graveyard hidden in a sheltered corner of Imladris. There were always fresh graves there. “How much of his heart breaks each time someone he had devoted himself to dies or leaves?” Glorfindel said, as more of the ice around his heart cracked. “With no close companion to share his heartbreak with, how does he manage? With no one to strengthen him, how can he keep doing it? All those fresh graves, all the graves of the children, and no one to show him that they care.”
Tears began to pool in Elrond’s eyes. “It is all my fault. I abandoned him except for work after I married. How could I do that to him? How could I just send him to rest, thinking that was all he would need, without considering what it was doing to him?”
Glorfindel walked over to Elrond and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You were not to know, Elrond. It is right that you spend time with your wife.” Another crack. “Perhaps, if I…I want to try, Elrond. It is the least I can do, after misjudging him so badly.” Glorfindel stopped for a moment, and the icy wall crumbled. “No. It is more than that. I *want* to be that companion for him.”
“But why? You hardly know him.” Elrond stared at Glorfindel, puzzled.
“I have wanted to be a companion – a friend, and perhaps even more to him ever since the moment I arrived here and first saw him. I tried for a little while, but he never seemed to have time for me….always turned down my offers to dine with me. So I gave up and stopped pursuing him. I thought he didn’t care. I could have been there for him, Elrond. I should have discovered more – found out what was going on instead of just closing myself off from him and burying myself in my work. I want to do this. I have to try – for both of us.”
Elrond simply nodded.
~~~*~~~
Erestor finished his work as quickly as he could, and then hurried through the cold halls to the healing house, pulling the heavy furs around his body and trying not to shiver. He couldn’t give in to the cold now. Sarah needed him – and her brother. He had to find a good family for them when her brother was healed. Entering the healing house, he saw one of the younger female healers named Taurien trying to comfort the crying child, to no avail. Sarah fussed and sobbed, thrashing about in the healer’s arms.
Seeing Erestor enter, the healer breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, little one. Here is your Erestor, come to visit you.”
Sarah’s little arms immediately reached out to Erestor, and her dark, tear-filled eyes pulled at his heart. “Did you miss me, my little darkling?” Erestor asked, taking the child who appeared to be about five years old from the healer and kissing the dark head he held against his chest. Carrying the child to a rocking chair, he sat and cradled her in his lap, wrapping the furs around them both. Gently stroking the long, dark, softly curling hair, he whispered, “Everything is all right now, little one. I wish I could bring your parents back, sweetheart, but I’m here now. I’ve got you.” For the first time that day he wasn’t positively freezing.
“Erestor,” the little one whimpered, curling a small fist into Erestor’s robe.
Unseen by the councilor, someone watched from the shadows as Erestor comforted the child, singing to her softly. Glorfindel motioned the young healer Taurien over and whispered, “Tell me about that child.”
“The harsh winter has driven the wild wargs down from the mountains in search of food, my lord,” Taurien answered. “Sarah’s village was attacked and her parents killed defending their children. Her older brother was severely injured. We are amazed that he has survived and is healing. Sarah was not hurt, but the poor little thing was very traumatized and has hardly spoken, except to say Lord Erestor’s name and a few other short words.”
“What will happen to her?” Glorfindel asked.
“Lord Erestor will find a good family for her and her brother with a human couple who lost their children or have none. He always does. That is why she is still here – he does not want her to be separated from her brother until he can find them a home together. He spends every moment he can with her and has become very attached to her. This one will be especially hard for him to lose. She really is a little dear. I sometimes think he would like to keep her and raise her himself, but he knows it will be better for Sarah and her brother to have a mother and father. He loves her.”
“Yes,” Glorfindel said. “I can see that. Tell me, will Erestor stay here all night with her?”
The healer nodded. “Yes, my lord. He usually falls asleep in that rocker holding Sarah.”
“That will not do. No wonder Erestor is so thin – he doesn’t take the time to eat or care for himself. Tell me, has the child eaten her dinner, and can she be taken out of the healing house?”
“Yes, to both questions, my lord. We fed her a while ago, and there is no reason she has to stay here, as long as Lord Erestor is with her.”
“Good,” Glorfindel said. “I am going to take them both out of here and make sure Erestor eats and rests, which he will not do without her, it seems.”
Taurien gifted Glorfindel with a beaming smile. “A wonderful idea, my lord. You might see if you can get the little one to eat more, too. She was a little fussy tonight without Lord Erestor, and did not eat much.”
Glorfindel thanked the healer and went to Erestor. Kneeling in front of the rocking chair and leaning up to Sarah, he smiled at the child and said softly, “Hello, little one. My name is Glorfindel.”
The child’s eyes went wide as she stared at the golden lord. Reaching out, she grabbed a hank of golden hair in one hand and traced one of Glorfindel’s pointed ears with the other. “Ada,” she whispered, and threw her arms around Glorfindel’s neck.
Tbc……..