"Have you considered only taking on one apprentice at a time?" The question was posed by the blond who was lounging on the settee, a glass of wine in one hand, and one of a mountainous pile of letters in the other. He had moved the furniture close to the fireplace so that he only had to make two piles -- one to respond to personally, and another to have an aide address. The rest, such as this one, were destined to be filed in the flames.
Zhie might have narrowed her eyes or spat back a nasty comment had it been anyone else. Instead she sighed and watched as he tossed the stack of paper past the grating that kept the occasional cat that wandered in from stepping too close to the warmth. "At one point in my career, I was minding four very quick-witted lads at the same time."
"You were also much younger then," Erestor reminded her. "We both were," he added, chuckling as she gave him that 'age has nothing to do with it' look. "There is a great difference between teaching children the basics -- pretentious children though they were -- and teaching young ladies and gentlemen," he said in regards to the seven boys that they both had a hand in tutoring in the years before the wrath of Morgoth brought them both across the sea. "Perhaps that should not even be so difficult, but you are trying to teach both of them how to be Elves, and each is from a different background. On top of that, rune-keepers are so rare.. it is not the sort of thing where one just decides upon that vocation. One does not choose such a thing like a young soldier chooses a bow over a sword."
"I know," interrupted Zhie. "They are both extremely talented. Perhaps I should have turned them over to one of the rune-keeper trainers, but it is not often that one sees such innocence in this age. I want them to grow and experience things, without losing that quality."
"So that is why you were so upset when that fellow winked at Culgondrian when you went to see Elladan, and why you acted as you did when he followed both of you to Rivendell and said those fine, amorous words about her," mused Glorfindel as another letter was thrown from his hand, destined to become ashes.
Zhie said nothing to this, but Erestor burst out laughing, almost choking on the smoke of the pipe he had recently lit. "You are worried about Culgondrian? The woman has come of age at least three-fold now, has she not? Still in the flower of youth, but certainly not a child for all her wonder and childlike quality. The one you should be worried about is Bainith."
"I do not worry about Bainith because there is little chance he is going to wander home some day and make me a grandmother," warned Zhie.
"Ah, well, and I suppose the minstrel he has been seen with has been granted your approval."
"Culgondrian is different," stated Zhie firmly, avoiding discussion on the younger of her apprentices. "I fear someone would take advantage of her, or break her heart, or worse."
Another letter met its doom, and Glorfindel looked up with furrowed brow. "Correct me if I am wrong, but did you not once tell me that Bainith had dealt recently with a similar situation? Is that why you have such concerns for Culgondrian now?"
"I hate it when you analyze me," she mumbled, refilling her glass of wine. Erestor chuckled again, and held out his half-empty glass to be refreshed.
Glorfindel sat up now, and held his glass closer so that the remaining wine could be distributed to him. "It is good that you have such concern about them." He paused, as if thinking over his response carefully, then said, "Would you like me to talk to him? I know you are doing a very good job with Culgondrian - despite some of the awkward things she has said to me--"
"You do stand too close to that waterfall for modesty," remarked Erestor with a smirk.
The blond cleared his throat and began again. "I only wondered if perhaps I could offer some advice to him. From what you have told me, he seems uncertain about many things. Perhaps I can offer words of clarity. I do not want to step on toes, though."
"I think that might be helpful. You just have a way with people that others do not," said Zhie.
Glorfindel smiled. "Good. Besides, I was starting to feel a little left out after the stunt the two of you pulled with the scholar guild the other day."
Erestor winked. "I have no idea what you are talking about..."
