"I don't think you'll understand unless I start at the beginning," said Erestor after everything was set out on the grass for the meal. Erestor had preferred to eat wherever it was easiest for Haldir. As the younger elf still had trouble standing or sitting, the ground was where most everything happened, including meals.
"By all means, then," said Haldir. He waited patiently, but when Erestor said nothing, he remembered their deal and picked up a slice of the bread and began to eat.
"When I was in Gondolin-"
"Gondolin?" Haldir swallowed quickly so that his words would not be muffled. "Gondolin, Erestor? I never knew you were there. I had thought you to have been born in Doriath. That is what everyone says."
"I came from Doriath, aye." Erestor paused. "What I am going to tell you has not been spoken of since the sack of Gondolin, at least, I have spoken naught of it. I must ask you for secrecy, until a time when I and those involved allow the knowledge to be shared with anyone who wishes it. Do I have your assurances?"
Haldir nodded uneasily. "If you do not wish for me to know-"
"I am here to heal you, penneth, and something tells me that the tale I have to tell may help," said Erestor.
"So…I am somehow led to believe you were not born in Doriath, then."
"No."
"Valinor?" Haldir tried, knowing Erestor was a Noldo, but hoping the fear he had in this was unfounded.
"Before Valinor," smiled Erestor. "I know what you are thinking. No, I did not slay kin to make my way here. I came another way."
Helping himself to another slice of bread, Haldir gave Erestor a look of mild disbelief. "That's the only way the Noldor came," he said.
"That's the only way the Noldor came that was worth writing about," Erestor corrected him. "Rather boring to say, 'And then later a few more left Valinor in search of the bloody idiots who left and killed some Teleri along the way'. Think who wrote the histories, Haldir - anyone who could write and owned pen and parchment. There is more than one version of practically everything - I've seen versions of texts that name Amroth as your parents' son, I've heard tales of your father being one of the Teleri present on a ship during the slayings, I've read nineteen different translations for Elrond's name, and I'm sure to find one or two more before the end of the age."
"So, you're telling me not to believe anything I read?" asked Haldir.
Shaking his head furiously, Erestor said, "I'm telling you to use caution. Or at least, consider the source."
"When you did come to Middle Earth-"
"Came back to, penneth. But we'll get to that later if we have time."
Closing his eyes, Haldir tried to sort things out so that he didn't get sidetracked. "You came back…fine…you came first then to Doriath?"
"Oh, yes. Doriath was first, but when Gondolin was being built, I went there. Doriath was caves and darkness, Gondolin was fresh air and light," Erestor explained. Haldir opened his eyes once more and continued to eat, and Erestor began to retell the tale of his coming to the city.
---
Erestor was happy he had decided to travel light. He had presented himself to the king as a scribe with letters of recommendation from Oropher and Thranduil of Doriath, and that seemed well enough to appease them. His accommodations here were much better than those he had had in Doriath, though twice he was apologized to that they were the most that could be offered. Now in the courtyard, he looked for a spot to sit and ease the weariness of his legs.
At the center, a large fountain seemed to call to him, and he wasted little time in finding a spot on the ledge. It was early in the day, and few were busy at work. When more came, Erestor decided, he would likely retire to his room for the day. He was here to work, not to make friends. Opening his book, he began to read, paying little attention to that going on around him.
"Lo, but someone is sitting on your fountain," he heard a voice whisper after a short time.
"Hush. He can sit there if he likes."
There was a pause, and Erestor concentrated less on his reading now and more on the voices nearby.
"You told me the penalty to sit on your fountain was death," the first voice said.
"The penalty of death comes to those who dance on the edge and decide the fountain should be anointed with the fluid of one's bowels."
"I was drunk."
"Isn't that always the way?"
"I should never think to do such a thing while sober. Besides, you didn't kill me the first time."
"A mistake I intend never again to make, Fin."
Erestor let his eyes flash up, and across from the fountain on a bench he saw a pair of elves. One was golden-haired, dressed in silver and white that sported marking of deep blue 'round the throat and in patterns on his breast, while the other was clad in gold and red with hair much like Erestor's own in color. They had been talking to one another, but watching him the entire time, and Erestor attempted unsuccessfully to pretend as though he had not heard them.
"You do not blend in that well with the scenery, master scribe," the darker elf said, this time loud enough so that there was no mistake to whom he was speaking.
"I apologize. I shall move away from your fountain." Erestor began to stand, but was stopped by a raised hand.
"It's not exclusively MY fountain," said the elf, moving to sit next to him. "I mean, I call it my fountain, I'm quite particular to the fountain, but it isn't really my fountain."
Erestor turned slightly to regard the structure, closing his book as he did so. "It is a rather nice fountain."
"Yes it is, isn't it?" The elf smiled and said, "You don't remember me, do you?" Erestor shook his head. "I am Ecthelion, one of the elflings you used to threaten you'd tie up in the tree in your garden if we didn't stop trampling your flowers whenever we ran through."
"Ah. Yes." Erestor nodded with realization. "I had not known what had happened to you."
"You know why we left," answered Ecthelion, puzzled. "I assumed you…well, I had thought you must have crossed the Helcaraxë, for I came on the ships and did not see you numbered among us there."
Erestor shook his head. "I came another way," he simply said.
"Of course, leave me out of the conversation, as per usual," sulked the other elf, stepping forward.
Ecthelion regarded him with a wave of the hand. "This is Glorfindel of Beleriand. He is a moody thing, and please feel free to tie him upside down in a tree if he comes nearer to my fountain than he already is now."
"I was drunk," protested Glorfindel once more in a calm voice. "And what's more, a troubled youth."
"Aye, you were," agreed Ecthelion, giving Glorfindel a grin and a wink. "Good thing I straightened you out when I did."
"Pleased to meet you," Erestor said, bowing his head.
"You're the first," laughed Ecthelion as Glorfindel bowed his head to Erestor, standing solemnly by the fountain. "Don't worry, he does not bite, and he may even smile now and again if you catch him quickly enough." Ecthelion looked to the sky and said, "It is nigh time we found our way to our posts, friend Erestor."
"I assume you both guard the city."
"Aye, but not just any guards, for it is Glorfindel's job to guard the Fifth Gate, and mine to see to it that the Sixth Gate is guarded, because Valar forbid he would have to try to actually protect his gate," winked Ecthelion. Glorfindel did not look very amused at this, and arched one brow as if issuing challenge to his ability as a guard, but Ecthelion either did not notice or did not care. "It is pleasant to see you; I should like to talk more with you at dinner."
Forgetting that his plans had been to eat alone, Erestor nodded, and actually gave a little smile. "I shall see you then."
---
"Glorfindel? Solemn? Not possible," Haldir said.
"Ah, but he was. His father had taken the oath, and something about that didn't sit right with the youth when he discovered it. He was troubled, and ran away from his home in Dorthonion, coming to Gondolin after wandering for a brief time. Glorfindel was a lonely lad, and it was his good fortune that Ecthelion took a liking to him, despite his ability to have greatly insulted most of the city within a day of his arrival," Erestor told him. "I was not in Gondolin for that, but I was told that Glorfindel was soon well loved by all, and well trained by Ecthelion. His want was a family who listened to him and saw him for the young warrior he was. Gondolin adopted him wholeheartedly.
"I did not arrive until the city was near complete. Glorfindel quickly became a good friend of mine in those days. Along with Ecthelion, we were practically inseparable while off duty. Although we didn't dance on the fountain - well, actually, there were a few times when Ecthelion and I did, but never Glorfindel," chuckled Erestor.
"You danced on a fountain."
"On the edge of it. With Ecthelion, though, he once fell in shortly after we began," recalled Erestor with a smirk. "Glorfindel thought us immature and told us so, but fetched us then towels, for I was drenched by Thel as he climbed from the fountain, and Glorfindel had tea waiting for us in his study when we were drier and more sobered."
Haldir attempted to imagine this scene, but it was difficult for him to visualize. "I always thought you and Glorfindel disliked one another. You seem to have been downright civil, dare I say good friends, from what you're telling me," said Haldir.
Erestor folded his hands, his smile slowly fading. "Most forget that Glorfindel of Imladris is not the same as Glorfindel of Gondolin."
"But it is the same Glorfindel, is it not?" questioned Haldir.
Nodding, Erestor said, "Glorfindel of Gondolin was killed when he was barely more than four hundred years old. He spent centuries awaiting his rebirth after such a short life of service and duty. He was not the same after his time as Glorfindel of Mandos."
"I never thought about it in that way before," admitted the younger elf. "Not to seem impatient, but when do we get to the part about the markings on your ankle?"
"Why seem impatient when you are impatient?" asked Erestor with amusement. "You haven't finished all of your dinner."
"I did finish. I just don't want anymore of this, that's all," he said, lifting the glass of juice that had been brought with his meal. "Please, Erestor?"
Shaking his head, Erestor began to put the empty dishes onto the tray. "We shall have to wait until our next meal to continue," he said.
Haldir gave the glass a resigned look, and then quickly swallowed the rest of the liquid. "Now can you tell me the rest?" he asked when he had finished.
"If I did," said Erestor, taking the glass from him, "I'd have nothing to bribe you with for next time."
