7: Trouble in Paradise

Not long after the night of falling stars Glorfindel expressed an interest in learning about the garden. The gardens of the Reborn were tended by Maiar in the service of Yavanna, though they generally did not make themselves known to the elves residing there. When Glorfindel asked to be allowed to work in the garden surrounding his sleeping chamber Olórin introduced him to Cemendillë, who agreed to teach him.

Glorfindel, however, was not an apt student. In point of fact, he was rather inept. He had difficulty telling flower from weed and was no good at pruning for he would burst into tears every time he had to deadhead the roses. Cemendillë would then have to take him into her arms and comfort him until he calmed down enough to be given some other task, such as watering the plants, though he tended to drown them more often than not.

Secretly, though, both Maiar were pleased. The very fact that the ellon had even expressed an interest such as gardening, however inept he might be, was a sure sign that he would soon be ready to move on to Lórien.

That did not mean, however, that there weren’t setbacks.

One afternoon the two Maiar discovered Glorfindel happily "weeding". They were loath to tell the ellon that he had just pulled out an entire row of asëa aranion and when they did the elf burst into tears and ran away. They found him sitting naked in "his" maple tree, clothes strewn all around the ground. The ellon refused to come down and no amount of cajoling on the part of the Maiar could entice him from his perch and they were forced to leave him there. He would not even leave the tree for the evening meal, though once Olórin spied him running to the privy before climbing back into the tree.

The tree was no help at all, even when Cemendillë asked. The maple loved having the Reborn nestle in its branches and could see no reason why it should tell him to leave. The two Maiar shrugged at one another and sighed. Dealing with the mercurial emotions of the Reborn was not always easy; dealing with the stubbornness of trees was even harder. They left the ellon and the tree to their own devices.

"He’ll come down eventually," Olórin said with a resigned smile as he picked up Glorfindel’s discarded clothes and returned them to the sleeping chamber.

In that, the Maia was proved wrong. Glorfindel would not come down and the Maiar could hear him weeping softly through the night. It broke their hearts to hear such anguish but they knew they had to leave the elf to find his own way.

When morning came and Glorfindel still refused to come down Olórin was ready to lose his patience, but was saved from exploding by an unexpected visitor.

Or rather, two visitors.

He was standing under the maple trying to convince an unresponsive Glorfindel to finally come down and have some breakfast when two Presences made themselves known. Olórin turned and bowed as Yavanna and Námo walked towards him. Yavanna was dressed in a gown of summer green, her chestnut brown hair crowned in a wreath of grapes and ripened wheat. Her eyes were warm and full of love for all living things. Námo’s eyes were bright with amusement.

"I understand you have a problem, Olórin."

The Maia sighed. "Apparently so, my lord. My charge has decided he doesn’t want to be an elf anymore. He would much rather be a bird." He glanced up into the tree with a wry look. "A rather naked bird."

The two Valar chuckled at that and looked up into the tree to where the aforementioned elf sat unmoving on a high branch. The ellon was so wrapped in his own misery he hadn’t even notice their arrival.

Yavanna smiled at her companion. "He is still under your authority, Námo. Will you bring him down, or shall I?"

Námo shook his head. "Let us see what you can do, Yavanna. I prefer not to exert my authority in this matter unless I have to. The repercussions on Glorfindel’s recovery would be too severe if I have to take action."

The Earth-Queen nodded and looked back up into the tree. The maple, recognizing its mistress, trembled slightly, but a single thought from the Valië stilled it.

"Glorfindel," she called up softly. "Come down, child. It’s all right. I’m not angry."

They heard a soft whimper from above and saw the elf shift his position slightly but otherwise he made no response. Olórin gave Yavanna a startled glance.

"Is that what this is all about, my lady? He thinks he’s angered you?"

Yavanna smiled at the Maia and nodded, then turned her attention to the elf. "You cannot hide there forever, meldanya."

With that she placed a hand on the trunk of the tree and slowly a change came over the maple. Its thick canopy of leaves began to change color and in minutes seasons changed from summer to autumn within the garden and the maple’s leaves began to fall. A wind came up and soon every leaf was gone and the maple stood bare with a naked elf sitting in its branches, shivering.

"You see, child. You cannot hide. Come down now, and let me see you."

The two Valar and Olórin stood silently, waiting. When Glorfindel still wouldn’t move, Námo sighed, reluctant to intervene but seeing no other choice.

"Glorfindel, if you don’t come down you will never see your friend Finrod again," the Lord of Mandos said in his most forbidding tone. "I will not allow it."

That brought a most unexpected response. Glorfindel suddenly stood up, one hand on the tree’s trunk to hold him steady, and shouted down at them.

"I don’t care! I don’t deserve to see Finrod. I don’t want to be Reborn anymore. I’m no good at anything, I can’t do anything right. I want to return to Mandos!"

The elf’s outburst left them all nonplused. Námo, of course, had the power to command obedience from Glorfindel, but not the right. The ellon would have to come down of his own free will.

The maple tree, however, had other ideas. While it enjoyed having the elf in its branches, it knew that Glorfindel did not really belong there. So, with the slightest shifting of its branches it caused Glorfindel to lose his balance and fall shrieking into the arms of the Lord of Mandos.

Glorfindel trembled and clutched at Námo’s tunic as Yavanna stroked his hair. "There, there, child. You’re safe now. Do not be afraid."

"You know you’ve been behaving very badly, don’t you?" Námo asked gently as he continued to hold the elf in his arms.

Glorfindel nodded. "W-will I st-still be able t-to see Finrod?" he asked in a small voice.

Námo grimaced to himself, regretting having made that threat, though he had been prepared to carry it through had it proved necessary. He put Glorfindel down and forced the ellon to look at him.

"Do you promise to behave yourself from now on?"

Glorfindel nodded. "Promise."

Námo smiled. "Then I don’t see any reason why you can’t see your friend."

"When?"

Námo laughed. "You’re persistent if nothing else. When the time is right and not before."

Yavanna motioned for Glorfindel to come to her. She smiled warmly at the elf, who suddenly felt self-conscious in his nakedness.

"You were afraid I would be angry at you for pulling out all the asëa aranion."

Glorfindel sighed. "They looked like weeds."

Yavanna nodded. "And many will see them as such, but looks can be deceiving. Someday one will come who will recognize the full worth of this unassuming plant and it will come into its own. In the meantime...."

She paused and considered the ellon before her for a moment. "In the meantime, you and I will replant the asëa aranion together."

Glorfindel’s face lit up. "Truly?"

"Truly, but only if you put your clothes on and keep them on."

He nodded and with a quick glance at Olórin for permission, practically ran back to his sleeping chamber to find his clothes. In his excitement he did not notice that the maple was again in full leaf.

The Valar and Olórin laughed. Yavanna gave Námo a mischievous grin. "Will you stay and help us replant the asëa aranion, hánonya?"

Námo gave her a jaundiced look. "I’ll leave you to play in the dirt with our elfling, nésanya. I have better things to do."

Yavanna merely laughed as the Lord of Mandos took his leave of them. Soon Glorfindel emerged from the chamber suitably clad and he and Yavanna, now joined by Cemendillë, spent the rest of the morning replanting the asëa aranion once Yavanna revived them from their withered state. As they planted, Yavanna gently probed Glorfindel, determined to learn what had prompted the outburst earlier.

"Do you really feel you are no good?"

Glorfindel stopped what he was doing and sighed. "I know I’m no good in a garden, but..."

"But what, child?"

He looked at her with frustration written all over him. "If I can’t be a gardener, what can I be?"

"You were once a warrior," Cemendillë said.

"Aman doesn’t need any warriors," he replied with some bitterness.

"Aman doesn’t," Yavanna said quietly in agreement, "but Endórë does."

Glorfindel stared at the Valië in surprise. "But I can never return to Middle-earth."

"No? Well, I suppose you are right."

Yavanna hid a smile at the thoughtful look in the elf’s eyes. It would be long and long before their plans for this Child of Ilúvatar were realized in their fullness, but the seeds had been planted. Yavanna’s purpose for coming here today had been two-fold and more than just the asëa aranion had needed tending.

Olórin came then with some lemonade and a light snack, insisting that Glorfindel eat something as the elf had not had any sustenance since the day before. As the ellon ate, Yavanna continued her questioning.

"What would you like to do?"

"I don’t know," came the reply, the elf sagging somewhat in dejection.

"You used to play the harp, I understand," Olórin said. "Perhaps when you go to Lórien you will pick it up again. Your friend Finrod plays the harp quite well, I hear."

Glorfindel perked up at that. "Truly?"

The Maia nodded and Glorfindel looked thoughtful again as he nibbled on a biscuit.

"In the meantime, Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower," Yavanna said, her voice going stern with the echo of thunder and earth tremors in her tone, "you must never wish to be Unhoused again. That is not your destiny and such a wish is an insult to Ilúvatar who has granted you this time to live once more. Do I make myself clear?"

Glorfindel went white, his eyes wide with fear, and he could only nod. Yavanna nodded and stood, satisfied that the ellon understood.

"Good. Now I will leave you. Remember, meldanya, there is more than one way to tend to a garden and not all gardens are made of flowers and trees. Cultivate beauty and the love of it in yourself and in others wherever you may go and you will please me greatly."

She paused for a brief moment and then with a glint of amusement in her eyes said, "And do try to keep your clothes on, child. I fear the ellith of Lórien will be too distracted by your beauty otherwise."

With that the Lady of Earth faded away, leaving Glorfindel to ponder her words. Olórin and Cemendillë exchanged knowing glances and smiles above the elf’s head.

The seeds were indeed beginning to take root.

****

Asëa aranion: Athelas, kingsfoil.

Meldanya: My beloved, my dear, my sweet.

Hánonya: My brother.

Nésanya: My sister.