“You want me to spy on him.”
“What I want for you to do,” Elrond said in a low voice while swirling his wine, “is make sure that he is teaching a legitimate class. I do not need two dozen irate parents coming after me because of some farce.”
“You want me to spy on him.” Glorfindel reached across the dinner table for another roll. Across from him sat Erestor, listening to every word but not commenting upon any of it. “I have a free period midweek; I can stop in and see what he is doing then. Is that soon enough?”
“It’s not spying, it is...” Elrond looked to his right. Erestor glanced up and swallowed a mouthful of peas.
“Glorfindel, he wants you to spy on Orophin. As soon as possible,” Erestor continued as Elrond rolled his eyes. “Midweek should be fine.”
Glorfindel smiled and buttered his roll. “As you wish,” he answered.
- - -
“So... how is you secret assignment going?” questioned Lindir as Glorfindel slid into the music room. Glorfindel was barely able to suppress a chuckle.
“Oh, he is pulling it out of his ass, forgive me, Lindir,” he answered, brushing the chalk off of his hands. “I suppose he could say he is teaching algebra, but then some of it is absolute gibberish. I thought I would pop in here before I went to Elrond, though, not that Orophin is not suspicious already, I am sure of that. Two visits in a week’s time, he must be wondering.”
“Two? No, three,” answered Lindir as he wiped the dust of rosin from a violin and then hung it upon a shelf.
Glorfindel counted off one finger for himself, and a second for Elrond. “Who else interrupted his lessons?”
“Erestor. Two days ago, I believe. He came in here just like Elrond did before, and you now. If it were up to me, I would say keep Orophin – I have never had so much traffic before.” Looking the warrior up and down, Lindir asked, “Speaking of that, it has been a while since you have been down for a lute lesson.”
“Ah...” Glorfindel attempted to come up with some sort of really great excuse as to why he had been unable, but ever since the duel with the balrog, finding a reasonable excuse for anything was nearly impossible. Luckily for him, yet another elf burst into the room. “Erestor! Fancy meeting you here, what brings you to this part of the school?”
“Glorfindel, I need you.” Erestor turned and shut the door behind him, locking it, completely missing the pleasantly surprised look on Glorfindel’s face, and the silent snicker from Lindir. Turning around to find two utterly composed elves, Erestor held out a stack of papers, and with a distraught look on his fair face, he said, “I have never done this before, but I know how experienced you are, and I need you to teach me how to do it.”
Lindir spun around, grabbing hold of a bass viol, pretending his best that he was doing something very important with it, while in fact he was merely using it to keep himself standing. Glorfindel cleared his throat and licked his lips, taking the papers he had been offered. “What is all this?” he asked trying to sort through the pages of gibberish.
“It is from Orophin’s class, next door,” whispered Erestor, as if Orophin could perhaps hear them. “It is the assignment for next week. I had someone ask me a question about it, and I felt like such an idiot. I do not know a thing about anything mathematical, I can barely count past one-hundred and forty-four,” he said sadly. “I know you are busy, and, oh, nevermind, this is just stupid to ask.” Erestor tried to take the papers away from Glorfindel, but he held tightly onto them.
With a soft smile, Glorfindel said, “It would be a pleasure to help you with this new math, Erestor. Just let me, uh, reacquaint myself with some of the principles, and I shall meet you tonight, perhaps in the Hall of Fire after dinner?”
“Oh, no. Not there. I really do not want anyone else to know...”
“I shall come to your rooms then,” Glorfindel said casually, tucking the papers under his arm. “Right after supper,” he promised.
“Oh, thank you, Glorfindel,” said Erestor, a wave of relief washing over him. He squeezed Glorfindel’s arm and said, “I will see you tonight. Thanks again.” Erestor let himself out of the room, closing the door again once he had left.
“You can breathe again, Lindir,” suggested Glorfindel. Lindir’s limp form slid down from the side of the viol as he gasped for air and pounded the floor, still silent in his laughter. “Give it a rest. I knew he was not talking about... well... THAT.”
“But you are letting your mind think that he was,” Lindir scolded as he grinned mirthfully.
Glorfindel unconsciously licked his lips again. “I am letting my mind think all KINDS of-“ He stopped himself as the door was opened once again. “Erestor? Something the matter?”
“Well, I just remembered,” Erestor said in a hushed voice, checking back over his shoulder. “I have a late meeting with Elrond. So after dinner will not be any good.”
“Oh.” Trying not to show his disappointment, Glorfindel was about to suggest another day, when Erestor continued, “You would not mind coming later, would you? After dark?” Glorfindel blinked a few times, and Erestor frowned. “Sorry, that was rather rude of me to ask your help, and then suggest you come so very late. Perhaps-“
“Late is good. Fine. Yes, I can come. That is, I will be there.”
Lindir had to double himself over so that Erestor did not see the look on his face.
“Dear me, are you well, Lindir?” questioned Erestor, looking rather worried.
“I... I just dropped a reed from a tuba... nothing to worry about... ah, there it is.” Grabbing at the nothingness in the rug, Lindir stood up and took the imaginary object around the corner into his office.
Staring the way that Lindir had gone, Erestor said to himself, “I think sometimes he works too hard.” To Glorfindel, he said, “Well, I shall see you tonight, then. Thank you again, Glorfindel.”
Glorfindel was barely able to nod as Erestor left again. He turned his head to shoot a glare in Lindir’s direction as the minstrel poked out from around the corner. “Have you so little self control?”
Lindir grinned and nodded his head, and snorted when he tried to speak. The door opened yet again, and Lindir sobered, bowing slightly. “Lord Elrond, twice in one week. I might almost think you were interested in a few more violin lessons.”
“Oh... well... yes, but... not at the moment,” Elrond said quickly, not about to be caught off guard by yet another of the instructors. “Glorfindel, I was awaiting your report on, ah, that THING we discussed.”
“Oh… ah… oh! Oh, that, that thing! Yes... yes... ah, everything appears to be in order-“
“What?!” Elrond crossed his arms over his chest. “You can NOT be serious.”
“-but, I think I may need a little more time to figure things out. We cannot rush into conclusions without enough information, can we?” Glorfindel tried not to look nervous as he showed the papers that he was holding to Elrond. “I have been taking careful notes- I plan to study them this evening with the aide of Master Erestor. I promise you, between the two of us, we shall get to the bottom of this.”
Elrond nodded with appeasement. “I have complete trust in the both of you. Keep me informed. Lindir.” Elrond gave a nod, and then left, and once again the door was closed.
Lindir merely stood and pointed for the next three or four minutes while Glorfindel sighed repeatedly and tossed unamused looks in his direction. “Done yet?” After numerous attempts to answer vocally, Lindir was barely able to shake his head. “Good. You will be less trouble to me if you just stay in here.” Glorfindel swept his hair back over his shoulder as he approached the door. “Now, if you will excuse me, Lindir... I have a date...”
