When Glorfindel first woke up, he thought perhaps he had fallen out of bed. He soon remembered that he had moved the mattress onto the floor, and immediately looked around for Erestor.
Upon sitting up, he saw the lithe ellon hunched over the table. Instead of playing with the tiles, however, he was shifting the pieces around on the chess board that had once been at the center of the table. It had been a welcoming gift from Celebrian, though until now it had remained unused.
Standing up, the golden elf came around the table and leaned down beside Erestor. “Having fun?” asked Glorfindel as he picked up a rook and moved it to an open space.
Erestor frowned, took hold of the piece, and moved it back.
“Alright,” chuckled Glorfindel. “I will leave you to your fun.” He gave the other elf a gentle pat on the shoulder, then headed to the adjoining room to use the chamber pot. He was gone only a few minutes before returning to wash his hands and splash water on his face in an attempt to freshen himself up. Lifting the towel from the side of the washbasin’s cabinet, he dried his face and carried it with him.
Glorfindel was surprised to see that Erestor had reset all of the pieces back to their original positions, and that he was sitting patiently on one side of the table. “Do you want to play?” asked the slayer as he sat down in the other chair, draping the towel over the back.
Erestor nodded.
Cautiously, Glorfindel moved a pawn forward, unsure of whether Erestor knew quite how to play. After scanning the board, Erestor slid his own matching pawn into the battlefield.
Now curious, Glorfindel tried an illegal move – bringing his rook out of hiding. Before the piece could be set down, Erestor grunted and reached over the table, placing his hand upon Glorfindel’s. He guided the blond’s hand, and the rook, back to their proper position. “Sorry,” apologized Glorfindel. “Been a long time,” he lied.
Erestor relaxed a little, and so Glorfindel moved another pawn.
Next to move was one of Erestor’s knights.
“Shite.” Glorfindel looked up, meeting the other’s gaze. “Are you really good at this or something?”
The only reply was a smirk.
Erestor won three games in a row before Glorfindel finally admitted total defeat.
“I surrender,” he laughed as Erestor’s knight once again caused his king to fall. Glorfindel watched Erestor reset the board once again. “I have a feeling you are just a genius trapped inside a fragile shell,” he mused to himself. Erestor looked up and blinked. “I think we need to take a little break from this. Do you like music?” he asked very slowly when he was sure he was being focused on.
The soft, fleeting smile reappeared momentarily, and Erestor nodded.
“Come on. They keep telling me to come to the Hall of Fire, but do I listen? No, of course not.” Glorfindel stood up and went to the door, unlocking it to find a tray had been left there. “Of course – I forgot all about supper!”
The blond brought the tray in, carrying it over to the table. “This will not do,” he mumbled, and he brought the tray to the mattress, setting it down at the center. “Sorry, but we shall have to eat down here for now.” Glorfindel was well aware of the fact that the revelry continued long into the night in the hall, and that dinner would not cause them to miss it all.
Under the covered dishes, Glorfindel discovered a thick, meaty stew, warm bread, and jelly tarts. Included was a pitcher of water, but no wine. Filling the two glasses, Glorfindel tried to gain Erestor’s attention, but to no avail.
Standing back up, the blond warrior went back to the table, where Erestor was shifting through the various tiles. “Is something wrong?” he asked, noting the puzzled look on Erestor’s face.
Erestor’s hand hovered over a cluster of tiles, until he grabbed the one with a picture of a rabbit on it. Holding it up to show it to Glorfindel, he then took it and turned it upside down on the table, then pointed to himself.
“Uhhmm...” Glorfindel picked up the tile, flipping it over again. “Alright, a rabbit. Obviously, something you want me to know or figure out.” Glorfindel turned the wooden tile around and around, rabbit on its side, rabbit on its head, rabbit on its other side, rabbit right-side-up. Over and over, he played with it. “You... do not like to eat rabbit?” he guessed. “I think the stew is chicken, though.”
Erestor let out an exasperated puff of air.
“You just hate bunnies. You cannot stand the way they hop around. All the carrots annoy you... ahhmm... shite. I... I have no idea...” Glorfindel looked into Erestor’s pleading eyes and tried again. “Rabbit, bunny... bunnyrabbit... rabbit, bunny...” Glorfindel snapped his fingers. “Hare! Hare... uhmmm... hare... could be hair... you hate your hair and want a haircut?”
Blinking a couple of times, Erestor shook his head sadly and took the tile from Glorfindel’s hand, tossing it onto the table with the others. He rubbed his eyes, and then plopped down on the mattress.
Joining him on the other side of the tray, Glorfindel shook his head. “Sorry. I am sorry, Erestor, but I just have a feeling that I am not quite as smart as you are.”
Rapidly shaking his head to disagree, Erestor pointed to Glorfindel, and then positioned his hand out flat, above his head. He pointed to himself with his other hand, then raised that one up to the same level as the first. Lowering his hands, he then made a scowling face, one eyebrow up and one down. Glorfindel grinned when he realized who Erestor was imitating, laughing when a hand was positioned much further down.
“Oh, come now, Lord Elrond is not so bad,” chuckled Glorfindel as Erestor then made a face that reminded him of Lindir, and placed his hand somewhere near to Elrond, but just below it. “Well, I do not think I am quite that brilliant, but I thank you for the compliment.”
Erestor reached across the tray and patted Glorfindel’s cheek, then sat down with a smile to have dinner.
Glorfindel’s smile faltered only briefly as he realized that the friendly gesture was not the only touch he wished to share with this ellon.
