“L-lord Glorfindel, what an unexpected surprise! You’ve arrived home e-early. I-I-I-“
Glorfindel looked curiously down at the dark-haired elf from atop his horse. “You what? Spit it out, I haven’t all day.”
“I... I do hope there isn’t anything terribly amiss,” replied the elf.
Shaking his head, Glorfindel clicked his tongue, pulling the reigns in the direction of the stables. “You’ll find out at this afternoon’s briefing, sergeant.” As he rode away, he looked once over his shoulder to see the normally confident guard turn his back and wring his hands. Wondering if something had gone wrong on the training fields while he had been away, he made a note to speak with the sergeant about his behavior later. His first order of business, after taking his mount back to the stables for a well-deserved rest, was to speak with Elrond about the events above the valley where he had been patrolling.
As he apologetically dropped the reigns of his filthy, tired horse into the hands of the stable master, he heard someone cry his name. Glancing in the direction of the gardens, he smiled as Lindir ran over to him, his lyre under one arm. “Good day to you, penneth, what news of the valley?”
“It is good to see you again, Lord Glorfindel.” Lindir haphazardly gave the captain a friendly hug, and the blond elf stopped and ruffled the lad’s hair. Though he was beyond his majority, Lindir’s tragic past had seemed to buy him extra years of innocence when he had been brought to the valley. Letting go of the elf who had saved him and his family years ago, Lindir walked beside Glorfindel with a bit of a skip in his step. “I have heard a rumor,” he began, and was tsked at by Glorfindel.
“What have to told you about spreading the idle talk of the kitchen maids?” Lindir shuffled his feet as Glorfindel continued, “Most of it is most personal, not things ever meant to have been made public.”
Lindir nodded his head in agreement. “I know! I have ignored most of it, as you have told me to, but in the last week everyone has been talking about you.”
Glorfindel abruptly stopped mid-step as Lindir continued on. “Me?” he finally asked when the young elf had made it many steps ahead. Lindir practically bounced back over to him, and hurriedly told his tale with very few pauses between words.
“Yes, the soldiers in the courtyard, they have been talking about you, and how it is that you would take as your lover an old fool who cannot use a sword nor fire an arrow. I didn’t know who they spoke of at first, but then when I was in the halls practicing my flute, they came in and they stayed far from the corner where Erestor likes to sit with his books. I heard them talk amongst themselves and point to him a lot, and they were a little upset with what you would do to them when you came back. Then one of them went to him and asked him if he was really your lover, and all he did was smirk at them, and then they all left. So I asked him if it was really true, because I have not ever seen the two of you together, but he sighed and said it wasn’t and-“ Lindir gasped for air as Glorfindel put a hand upon his shoulder to calm him.
“Lindir, I’ve only understood half of what you’ve said. Let us go back for a moment.” He led the lad to a bench in an open area, far enough from the house so no one inside might hear, and easy enough to watch for others who might approach. “What you are telling me is that Erestor lied to the house guards and told them he and I are lovers.” Lindir nodded. “Slowly now, why did he tell you he did that?”
Lindir took a breath and then said, “Because the guards were teasing him. They took away his walking stick.”
Glorfindel blinked, and then, snorted. “They took his walking stick, and made fun of him, so he said he was my lover.”
Lindir nodded.
“You are sure? That is what he said?”
Lindir nodded again.
“Mmm.” Glorfindel himself nodded, and then said, “I have one more question, if you would not mind.”
Lindir nodded in earnest.
“Who is Erestor?”
