“You,” said Glorfindel as he shut and locked the door of Erestor’s quarters, “were magnificent. You nearly had me convinced, that’s how well you performed.” He turned to see Erestor gliding over to the desk, which was bare except for the pair of books he sometimes carried around the house with him. “Erestor?” Glorfindel slowly walked to him as the slighter elf sat down and pulled one of the books closer.
The only sound as Glorfindel stopped behind Erestor was the turning of the book’s heavy pages. “Erestor, please. Talk to me. You’ve said nothing since we left the hall. What have I done wrong?” He pulled back the loose hair that hung over Erestor’s shoulders and tucked it over his ears. “If I’ve offended you,” he said, “please, tell me what I’ve done so I may make amends.” He leaned down and kissed Erestor’s cheek, and the turning of the pages stopped.
“Please don’t do that.”
“I- I’m sorry.” Glorfindel stood back up and took a step away. “Is that what is bothering you?” Bowing his head, Glorfindel said in a somber voice, “I suppose it was silly to think that perhaps, perhaps there was a real attraction between us. You really don’t like me much, do you?”
“What? No. That’s silly.” Erestor sighed. “It is I who should apologize. I should never have involved you in my problems.”
“Oh, but I am happy that you did,” admitted Glorfindel, stepping closer again. “Very happy you did,” he said, intent upon kissing the mysterious elf whom he had become enamored with. “Can’t you understand, I’m falling in love with you,” he revealed, nuzzling Erestor after whispering his secret into the other’s ear.
“No, Glorfindel.” Erestor gently pushed him away. “Please, don’t.” Glorfindel’s forlorn look went unseen by Erestor, who continued with, “You can’t fall in love with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am blind!” Erestor buried his face in his arms upon the desk. “Because- because, Glorfindel! Because!”
“But, Erestor-“
“Glorfindel-“
A knock came upon the door. Swallowing hard and fighting back his tears, Glorfindel went to the door, composed himself best he could, and opened it. Elrond stood on the other side, arms crossed and quite contemptuous. “Lady Celebrian and I have agreed it best, for the mental health of all parties involved, that you stay here in the city for the next year or so. It will give you time to catch up on any overdue paperwork you need to get to me. Also, while you are here, I would suggest you send your training commander out to take over your field duties and see to his here in the city.” In a more concerned and lower voice, Elrond asked as he peered over Glorfindel’s shoulder into the room, “Is he going to be all right?”
“Fine, yes, he’ll be fine, and your plan, it works just fine as well.” Glorfindel bowed slightly. “Thank you, I should go to him, tell him now. I am sure that he will... well, I shall come to speak with you tomorrow,” promised Glorfindel, and he closed the door after bidding his lord a good afternoon.
Erestor was still at his desk, head bowed. Glorfindel ran one hand over Erestor’s hair until he raised his head. “May I ask you a question?” Hesitantly, Erestor nodded. “Why do you have only these two books?”
There was a pause, for this seemed not to be the sort of question Erestor had been prepared for. “I used to love to read. When I left Mirkwood, I brought these volumes with me. One is from the library; I had not the chance to finish it before I left. King Thranduil was kind enough to allow me to keep it. The other is a book Prince Legolas gave to me, one I had given to him long ago.” Erestor took hold of the book and lifted it up until Glorfindel took hold of it.
“ ‘Nursery Tales: Stories and Poems for Elflings’.” Glorfindel smiled. “That was very sweet of him.”
“There was a reason for it.” Erestor took the book back and turned the pages quickly, until he reached a thin sheet which he drew back to reveal a painted illustration. “I may not be able to read the words, but I can ‘read’ the pictures.” His fingers ran over the brushstrokes. “This one is ‘The Old Grey Inn’; I can tell right away from the cow.” Erestor’s fingers traced a brown and white heifer that was leaping over a great silver moon in the sky. “Here is the inn... the dish and spoon... the cat and his fiddle.” Erestor’s fingers found each item on the page, a smile slowly forming on his face. “I like to sit outside with them and pretend I can read the words, but at least I can read the pictures.”
All the while, Glorfindel had been crying silently. Tears dripped down his cheeks and were swallowed up by his collar. “Has no one offered to read the rest of your book to you?” Erestor did not answer. “Would you allow me to?”
“I do not think it a good idea,” he said, and he protectively drew the other volume closer.
This began an uncomfortable silence which Glorfindel broke with the question, “Do you like horses?”
Erestor’s answer was immediate. “Do I ever. I used to have the most beautiful grey stallion. His mane and tail were black as coal. Curious thing, he would follow me into the forest when we went on foot to look for orcs. One moment, it would be myself and the troops. The next, there he is, creeping along with the rest of us just behind me. Crazy horse.”
“What was his name?”
Here was when Erestor nearly smiled. “Jackass. Maybe, I never truly named him, but I used that enough to call him. Poor beast, fell at the last battle. At least he went quickly.”
“Would you care to go riding with me?” Glorfindel tried not to sound too hopeful, but being shut into these rooms so oft over the last week had brought about the extreme desire to be outside.
“I can’t, Glorfindel, I won’t be able to see where I’m going.”
“I was supposing we might share a horse. Do you have riding clothes?” he questioned, not planning to allow Erestor to object.
The dark elf shook his head. “All I have are robes- robes, robes, and more robes,” he sighed.
“You seem unhappy about that. Why not have the tailor make you other things?” Glorfindel asked.
“I used to. But the Lady Celebrian was finally kind enough to explain to me that my appearance was dreadful. My clothing was always wrinkled or sometimes if I managed to start the buttons in the wrong hole, my shirt would hang lopsided. People laughed, but I did not hear it. I am grateful she said something, though I sometimes think I may have been better off not knowing what a fool I looked.” Erestor scratched behind his ear and said, “So I switched to robes, which are less easily mangled and never wrinkle. I do not think I have anything suitable for riding.”
“Perhaps I can fix that,” offered Glorfindel. “I believe you have a very similar height and build to Lindir, the young musician. I am certain he would lend something. Wait here, I shall return.”
- - -
“I would gladly let him use whatever he needs,” answered Lindir when Glorfindel caught up to him in the hall outside of the home he lived in with his parents.
“Thank you, Lindir.”
“We may have a slight problem,” added the youth as he opened the door and led Glorfindel to his room. Pulling back the door of the closet, Lindir motioned to the various bright and pastel colored clothing. “He is always so somber- will he not mind wearing something so colorful?”
“Well...” Glorfindel reached out and took hold of a white shirt and a pair of pale blue leggings, followed by a tunic which was blue and gold. “I shall simply take this black shirt, these black pants, and this completely, totally, all black tunic,” he said to Lindir’s laughter, “and hope they earn Erestor’s approval.”
- - -
“Nearly dressed?”
“Almost. I forgot how much more involved these things are,” called Erestor from the bathroom. He had insisted upon dressing himself, making Glorfindel wonder whether he was simply that independent, or hoping to stall the inevitable. While continuing to wait, Glorfindel spied the smaller of the two books on the desk. Creeping sneakily over to the desk, he looked cautiously around the room, as if Erestor might have spies somewhere, and then hastily took hold of it and had barely managed to squeeze it into the pocket hidden in his cape as Erestor came around the corner. “Did I put my feet through the arms of the tunic or something?” he asked when Glorfindel did not speak.
“Only on the one side,” he joked back as Erestor came to the desk and sat down and reached to where the smaller book had been. “Here, let me get those for you,” offered Glorfindel hastily, pretending to have pulled the first book away, and then closing the second one and taking hold of that. “Are they coming with us?”
“No, I just wanted to put them away so that the cats don’t play with them.”
“Ah. Excellent.” Glorfindel opened one of the desk drawers, found it empty, and placed the larger book inside. “Shall we, then?”
- - -
Lindir had taken the time to ready Glorfindel’s mount for the pair, so the horse was awaiting them at the entrance of the house when they walked out into the early evening sun. “Just a short ride,” promised Glorfindel as he hopped down the stairs and brought his horse right up to the bottom of the steps so that Erestor could mount by simply sliding onto him from the top stair, but Erestor was gone. “Erestor?”
A moment later, the elf mounted smoothly from the opposite side. “Are you coming?”
“Cheeky elf,” mumbled Glorfindel to the horse, who snorted in agreement with his master. “Erestor, this is Tinnim, the most deservingly spoiled horse in the valley. Tinnim, this is Erestor.” Tinnim turned his head and nodded his welcome with an accompanying whinny before facing forward again to await his orders.
“Very nice to meet you, too, Tinnim,” replied Erestor as Glorfindel swung himself up on the horse behind Erestor.
“To the river, Tinnim,” directed Glorfindel. “Gently,” he added as Tinnim raised up on his hind legs a little before turning himself around.
“Gently? Well, what good is that? Surely if we had walked, we would have-“
With a scowl, Glorfindel reached his hand behind him and slapped Tinnim sharply on the rear. The force of Tinnim suddenly breaking into a gallop pushed Erestor back into Glorfindel, whose hands were firmly around the other elf’s waist. His legs kept a grip on the horse so they did not tumble off.
“I’m sorry,” apologized Glorfindel as Erestor relaxed a little. “Should I slow us down?”
“Slow us down? Can we not go faster?”
With a grin, Glorfindel shouted for Tinnim to fly like the wind.
- - -
“I really enjoy this spot.” Glorfindel explained as the pair dismounted. He offered Erestor his arm, for the walking stick had been left at the house, and took him to the edge of the river. A number of large rocks suitable for two or three elves to sit upon or one to lounge across were situated beneath a grove of willow trees. Glorfindel led Erestor to the one closest to the water’s edge. “After patrols I come here to think. Sometimes when I just want to be alone. This used to be a popular spot for young lovers to come and swim or groups of elflings to come and play, but the snakes have kept many away.”
“I can see how that would ruin a romantic evening,” said Erestor.
Glorfindel chuckled. “We won’t stay long,” he promised.
Erestor nodded. “Wish I had my books with me,” he said wistfully. “This would be such a lovely place to sit with them.”
Fidgeting for a moment, Glorfindel said, “Well, actually-“
“Ha! I knew it! You thief!” Erestor jabbed Glorfindel in the side, causing him to double over in laughter. “I thought you took my-“ Erestor paused and then experimentally poked Glorfindel in the ribs again. Glorfindel promptly scuttled off of the rock and onto the grass. “You’re ticklish!”
“Shhh!” Glorfindel chuckled and scooted away from Erestor, still on the grass. “Not so loud!”
“How ticklish are you?” Erestor slid down from the rock and leaped at Glorfindel, who was caught by the legs. “Hmm?” Erestor’s hand found Glorfindel’s stomach and he wriggled his fingers.
“Very! Very ticklish! Stop it! Stop!” Glorfindel squirmed and tried to yank himself away, uprooting fistfuls of grass. “Stop!” Grabbing for Erestor to restrain his wrists, the pair rolled back and forth until Glorfindel’s hand reached blindly and took hold of the mask Erestor wore. Very quickly, he found himself flat on his back, gasping for air.
“Don’t touch that again.” Erestor, disoriented, sat himself on the ground and reached around to adjust the velvet that covered his eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to-“
“My fault,” apologized Glorfindel as he settled down next to Erestor after catching his breath. “Whew. You hit hard,” he said, rubbing his shoulder.
Erestor straightened himself up. “I was a soldier once, you know.”
“Yes. I keep being reminded of that.” Glorfindel pulled his cloak down from the rock he had placed it on and retrieved Erestor’s book. “Here. I’m sorry I took it. I thought you might want me to read it to you out here.”
Folding his hands in his lap, Erestor said, “I don’t think you’ll want to read it.”
“On the contrary, I would very much enjoy reading to you,” said Glorfindel. “Where did you leave off?” he asked, opening the book randomly.
“Page two forty-four,” whispered Erestor, biting his lip. “Halfway down or thereabouts.”
“I’ll start at the top of the page to refresh your memory,” offered Glorfindel. He turned the pages until he found two-hundred and forty-four. His eyes skimmed over the words and his voice caught in his throat.
“Bad idea,” mumbled Erestor as he groped for the book and pulled it out of Glorfindel’s grasp. Hugging it to his chest, he said, “I shouldn’t have let you see that.”
“Now I am for certain,” spoke Glorfindel finally, “that this was fated for us.”
“Nay, ‘tis only a coincidence,” mumbled Erestor, but he himself sounded unconvinced. His hands caressed the spine of the book until Glorfindel removed it from his grasp and set it aside.
“A coincidence that you last read of me?” Glorfindel asked as he drew Erestor closer with one arm. “A coincidence that here we are, perhaps not accidentally together?” He tilted Erestor’s chin towards him. “Erestor?”
Erestor reached over Glorfindel, feeling the ground for his book. As soon as he had hold of it, he pulled it into his lap and said, “We should be heading back to the house.”
- - -
The ride home was at a slow trot. Neither elf said anything until they had left Tinnim at the stables. “Thank you for the ride today,” said Erestor as they walked down the main hallway to the living quarters.
“You’re welcome,” Glorfindel answered simply. As they rounded the corner, they nearly collided into Elrond. Glorfindel protectively pulled Erestor closer to him, and was thankful he was not pushed away. “Lord Elrond, good evening to you.”
“Good eve, Captain. General, I am glad to see you are looking well,” Elrond took a good look at Erestor and then with a smile said, “That blue suits you well.” Glorfindel cringed
inwardly. “I shall not keep the two of you. Good night.” Elrond disappeared around the corner.
Biting his lip, Glorfindel took them to Erestor’s room and reached for the handle of the door. A hand gripped his and kept him from opening it. “Blue? You told me these were black.”
“Uh...” Glorfindel managed to open the door and pulled them into the room and shut the door. “ Oh, oh my... well, in THIS light, it is a very, very dark blue, very close to black, and-“
Erestor managed to find and light the candle on the main table.
“Well! With the light... it... it does make it a lighter blue, and-“ Glorfindel stepped back from the advancing Erestor, hitting the door. He suspected that beneath his mask, he was narrowing his eyes. Swallowing hard, and deciding to come clean, he said, “Well, I couldn’t very well have you wear a black tunic and pants with a while shirt. You’d look like the kitchen staff.”
“Yesterday,” Erestor said smugly, “you might have gotten away with this.”
“B-but, today?”
“Today,” grinned Erestor, “I know you’re ticklish.”
