Timidly, Glorfindel knocked on the door to Erestor’s rooms and nervously waited. He had received a few odd looks as he walked through the corridor, but had ignored them. When the door was clumsily opened, he was greeted with a smile. “Good, you are early. I was trying to open a bottle of wine, but the cork is being stubborn and I feel like such a dunce.” Erestor handed the corkscrew to Glorfindel. “Love the shirt,” he added as the blond entered the room.
“I did not have the courage to wear it until now,” admitted the warrior, looking down at the pale pink silk. “I had to tell the seamstress it was part of a costume, else she would have spread such rumors at the time. Probably all true, but still. Where is the stubborn cork residing?”
“In this bottle over here.” Erestor led him to the table where there was sometimes a chessboard and sometimes a few maps, but currently little more was there than flowers and candles, and the aforementioned wine bottle. “I have nearly stabbed myself twice now,” he added, handing Glorfindel the corkscrew.
Glorfindel easily removed the cork in five seconds, and with a practiced hand, filled the pair of goblets that had been sitting beside the bottle. As he handed one to Erestor, the counselor said, “Never again will I be taking such small things for granted.” He shook his head as he looked down at the sling that his healing arm was in.
“At least you are walking on your own again,” Glorfindel reminded the dark elf.
“Thank Eru! If I had to use that contraption that Elrond had for relieving myself in bed one hour longer, I would have hurled it at him!” threatened Erestor as they went to sit by the unlit fireplace.
Glorfindel took note of the tall woven basket close to the hearth. “I see you took possession of Gildor’s basket.”
“No, not Gildor’s basket. My basket now. And my snake inside of my basket, thank you very much.” Erestor gave a smug look to Glorfindel, who looked a little shocked. “She and I have come to an understanding. We are kin now, are we not, little one?” he said a bit louder in the direction of the basket. “Both of us sharing the same poison in our veins. Now when I am told in council how venomous my words are, it will not be such an untruth.” Over the edge of the basket, the cobra lifted her head. Flicking her tongue out a few times, she settled back down again.
“Well, this is an interesting development,” said Glorfindel.
“I promise you, she will not hurt anyone. She was scared at the time she bit me,” explained Erestor.
Another knock sounded on the door, and before Erestor could stand, Glorfindel said, “I have it. Stay here. That must be dinner – I wanted them to bring it right away before it got cold.” Glorfindel opened the door and took the tray from the kitchen maid. Setting it on the table, he began to arrange things while Erestor walked over.
“Smells good. As usual, the cook has done a fabulous job I am sure,” remarked Erestor.
Glorfindel smiled. “I gave the cook the night off. For the two of us at least; I am sure she and her workers are still cooking for the rest of the house.”
Erestor gave Glorfindel a puzzled look, and then sat down. “You made this?” he guessed. Glorfindel nodded. “No kidding? I never would have guessed that you enjoyed the art of cooking.”
“Enjoy it and excel in it, if I do say so myself,” Glorfindel said proudly. “Do not worry; there is no meat in anything here.”
“Thank you for remembering that,” said Erestor, looking over the spread. “You made dessert and everything?”
“I cannot take credit for churning the butter,” said Glorfindel, “but I baked the bread, cut the vegetables and stewed them, mixed the batter for the cake, and even...” Moving out of the way, he displayed the finishing touch. “...folded the napkins.”
“A little dove – how adorable,” said Erestor, picking up the napkin sculpture. “Oh, how am I supposed to destroy this?”
With a grin, Glorfindel said, “I can remake it.”
“I know, but still.” Erestor set the cloth dove beside his plate and frowned. “I just realized something.”
“What is that?” asked Glorfindel.
“With your painting. You depict me holding you, and you are the dove with the broken wing. Now, I have a ‘broken wing’ as it were, and-“ Erestor stopped and bowed his head to look at the little dove. “Well, just a little irony is all. I certainly cannot unfold him now.”
“You will have to eventually,” said Glorfindel. “He needs to rejoin the rest of his napkin kinfolk in the wash bin in the kitchen at the end of the night.”
Erestor looked rather appalled at that suggestion. “Would you mind... closing your eyes for a moment?”
“Erestor.” Glorfindel shook his head in a scolding manner, but did as he was asked. He heard the chair scrape over the floor, and a little bit later, the sound of a drawer opening and then closing again, followed by Erestor hastily coming back to the table.
“Alright. You may open your eyes.”
A finger was wagged at Erestor as Glorfindel noted that the napkin dove was missing. “What happened to it?” he asked, though he knew very well what happened to it.
“Flew away,” answered Erestor immediately, taking a tiny bread loaf from the basket.
“What happened to stealing being a bad thing,” teased Glorfindel.
“I am not stealing it; I am merely borrowing it permanently. Like I did with the snake,” he added.
Dishing out stew for both himself and Erestor, Glorfindel asked, “You truly plan to keep the snake?”
“I am keeping her, I gave her a proper name, and she is free to leave at any time. She much prefers it here where she can roam as she pleases and warm herself by the hearth,” said Erestor.
Glorfindel froze. “She roams?”
“I can ask her to stay in the basket if it bothers you,” offered Erestor.
Looking around cautiously, Glorfindel stood up and took one of the bowls to Erestor. “No... it just seems odd to have a cobra wandering around.”
“Yes, it is odd. Odd, but I am enjoying it,” Erestor said. “Just this morning I was sitting in my chair over there reading, and she came and coiled in my lap and fell asleep.”
“What did you name her?” wondered Glorfindel.
“Caraxë.” Erestor grinned. “It suits her. And it was how we were acquainted.”
“Quite,” laughed Glorfindel. He folded his hands and asked, “Do... do you want to say the blessing over the meal?”
Erestor looked quite happy over the fact that Glorfindel had remembered this. It was only the Sedrynerins who bothered with such a thing for each meal. “I think you should. If you are comfortable doing that.” Erestor had to fold his hands in his lap due to his injuries.
Thinking over what to say for a moment, Glorfindel bowed his head and spoke. “Dear Lord, we thank you for this day, for this meal that we are sharing, and for being among friends. Namar.”
“Namar,” added Erestor. He looked around on the table. “Drat. Now that my napkin flew away, I will have to be especially careful eating.”
“Was that alright?” asked Glorfindel of the prayer.
“Yes. You did very well,” commended Erestor.
Glorfindel sighed with relief. “It was nowhere near as good as the ones I have heard you say,” he said, in reference to the fact that even at large gatherings in the main hall, Erestor would always take a few moments to give thanks before eating.
“It is not a competition,” Erestor reminded him with a smile. “So... while we are almost on the topic, let me move us there. When do you plan to have the final rite of passage performed?”
“As soon as you are able to,” Glorfindel answered with certainty before taking a sip of wine. “I know that you cannot go into the water right now with your arm mending like that, but I feel-“
“Yes, how do you feel?” interrupted Erestor. His eyes fell upon Glorfindel with curiosity. “It has taken you very little time to accept what many here have fought for centuries. Even I did not convert so quickly or even so willingly at first.”
“You? But you love this. I can tell,” remarked Glorfindel as he buttered his bread.
With a smile, Erestor said, “When I arrived in Greenwood after Gondolin’s fall, I was surrounded by a population that was heavily Sedrynerin – which, by the way, is where the majority of them are, except for in Valinor. There were many who told me that the reason Gondolin fell was because of our ‘wicked ways’, and it disgusted me to no end to hear them say such things. Luckily, I did eventually learn that with all things, not all Sedryners are alike, and not all of them believed in that ridiculousness. So I wonder still, how do you feel now?”
Glorfindel set down his bread on the edge of the stew bowl and placed the knife beside the butter. “I feel... this is hard to put in words. I feel... like I belong, like I am not alone,” he began. “I feel as if I am... loved. I feel better, and more at peace about things. I no longer feel fearful about dying, again, although perhaps that is just one of my little quirks regarding all of this. I have a better understanding of things – that book you loaned to me made so many things so clear. Clarity – I have a more focused outlook, I suppose. Are those the right answers?” he asked with a little light laughter.
“There are no ‘right answers’,” said Erestor. “But those are your answers, and they are good answers. Your thoughts mirror many of mine, Fin.”
Glorfindel smiled and went back to eating his dinner.
Across the table, Erestor was looking off at the wall, in thought. “If all goes well, my arm will heal in little more than a week. It more than gives us time to request the time off from Elrond; it may cut things a little close with regards to inviting others.”
Stiffening, Glorfindel said, “You told me once that we did not need to invite anyone else.”
“If you want this to be private, no, you need not have anyone else there.” Erestor smiled. “Most of the time the reason to have others present is to have witnesses to the event.”
“I care very little about that. I am not close to any of the others like I am to you. Melpomaen, I suppose,” he added. “But that would seem a little awkward, to invite only one other along.”
“I understand,” nodded Erestor. “I requested the same, and it was only myself and Thranduil who were there. I take it you would rather skip the customary celebration after the fast?”
“Well,” said Glorfindel, grinning, “there is no need to rid ourselves of all traditions.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Glorfindel's other hidden talent is revealed