34: The Ice Storm Cometh

The ellith all squealed with delight at the news and went to hug Nimrodel while the ellyn, with the exception of Glorfindel, all had huge grins on their faces and were heartily congratulating Amroth. Glorfindel just stood there, not seeing the scene around him, not hearing the happy voices.

Twins...twins...twins....

It was Daeron who suddenly noticed that Glorfindel was the only one not offering his congratulations.

"Glorfindel? Are you all right, mellon nîn?"

Twins...twins...twins....

"Mae govannen, Glorfindel. These are Elurín and Eluréd. They’ve recently arrived. They could use a good friend. Would you like to be their friend... their friend...their friend...."

"What’s wrong with him?" Serindë asked.

Elrohir stepped in front of his captain, seeing the blankness in Glorfindel’s eyes. He glanced at Elladan and his twin nodded, recognizing the signs. "I think he’s lost in a memory," Elladan said.

"Glorfindel, Á cuiva oloretyallo!" Elrohir commanded in a ringing voice.

"Oh yes. That is, if it’s all right with you two....you two....two...two...."

"It doesn’t seem to be working," Alphwen commented, her concern mirrored in the faces of the others.

"He’s too deep in the memory," Vorondur said. "Has this happened before and do you know what triggers it?"

"Come. Let’s play...play...play...play...."

"I remember it happening once or twice when we were living in Imladris," Elladan replied, "but not like this. Glorfindel? Captain, can you hear me? Damn, I wish Ada were here. He was always able to bring him out of his fugues."

There was a flurry of lights and the scent of apples and mint and then Fionwë was in their midst, his expression worried. The Elves all stood back to give the Maia room as he took Glorfindel into his embrace. "Where have you fled to, child?" he asked gently.

Before anyone could question the Maia as to what he meant, there was another more blinding flurry of incandescent light and then to everyone’s utter shock, Námo was there in their midst. The Vala ignored them, his attention solely on Glorfindel still in Fionwë’s embrace.

"He seems to be suffering a psychic break," the Maia said to Námo. "I thought he was cured of it, but I see he’s not wearing the ring you gave him, lord."

"You mean the peridot and citrine ring?" Daeron asked.

At Námo’s nod, Elrohir spoke. "He wears it on a chain around his neck. Unless it’s a wedding band, wearing rings has gone out of fashion with the males of this society. As far as I know, he never takes it off."

Námo sighed. "He needs to actually be wearing it for it to work." He reached out and unbuttoned Glorfindel’s shirt to reveal a thin gold chain. He carefully unclasped it and took the chain in his hands, letting the ring slide off and, taking Glorfindel’s right hand, slipped it onto his ring finger. Then he covered Glorfindel’s eyes with his hand and crooned something soft and in a language none of them recognized, not even Daeron, and the Elves stood in wonder, dimly coming to the realization that they were hearing the ancient language of the Valar themselves, a language that pre-dated all of their histories.

At first, nothing seemed to happen and then Glorfindel gave a gasp and a shudder. Námo removed his hand and stepped back while Fionwë continued holding the Elf who was blinking as if waking from a dream. He looked at Námo with a stricken expression.

"Twins," he whispered. "They’re expecting twins. That’s all I bloody need." And then, to the utter shock and dismay of the other Elves, he fainted.

Fionwë lifted Glorfindel in his arms, giving Námo an amused look, which the Vala shared. "Let’s find someplace private for our little balrog-slayer, shall we?" Námo said.

Fionwë nodded. "I’ll take him to his office and make him comfortable."

The other Elves parted to give him room even as Námo was congratulating Amroth and Nimrodel and assuring them all that Glorfindel would be fine once he had some sleep. "Do not be concerned. He will be well. Now, did I hear someone mention hot chocolate?"

****

Glorfindel woke to darkness, wondering what had happened. He could tell that he was in his office, but beyond that, he had no memory of how he’d gotten there. The last thing he remembered was Amroth and Nimrodel arriving and everyone heading for the cafeteria for some hot chocolate. He struggled to a sitting position, only then realizing that he was lying on a fold-away cot that was shoved between the desk and the door, leaving very little room for maneuvering.

"Ah… awake at last."

Glorfindel blinked to see Lord Námo sitting behind the desk, apparently reading something from the computer screen.

"What happened?" Glorfindel asked as he climbed off the cot and stood, stretching.

"You had an… episode," Námo said, switching off the computer, thus plunging them into further darkness. Neither bothered to turn on a light. Glorfindel simply stood there staring at the Vala.

"That hasn’t happened in… in ages," he said meekly.

"You actually need to be wearing the ring on your finger in order for its properties to work," Námo said, standing. "I am told it is no longer the fashion for males to wear rings, other than wedding bands, but I think you should continue wearing this particular ring from now on. I really don’t want to have to keep retrieving you from the Past." He gave the Elf a significant look. "Do we understand each other?"

Glorfindel nodded and Námo smiled. "Good," he said. "And now that you’re awake, you may wish to go and reassure your friends that all is well with you. I’ve lingered here long enough." With that he faded from sight. Glorfindel wasn’t too surprised when the cot disappeared as well. Resisting a sigh, he left the office to go in search of the others. He didn’t have to look far; Daeron and the Twins were coming down the hall.

"Are you all right?" Daeron asked, giving him a worried look. "We were just about to check on you."

"Yes, I’m fine," Glorfindel replied. "Sorry about that."

"Don’t ever do that again, mellon nîn," Daeron demanded. "If I were Mortal, I swear my hair would’ve turned white from the fright you gave us."

Glorfindel couldn’t help smiling. "I’ll try not to do it again," he said. "What’s been happening while I’ve been… er… sleeping."

"Well, most of the children are abed," Daeron answered. "There are a few who are still up doing laundry and a bunch of them discovered a Monopoly board so they’re happily ensconced in the game room buying up real estate and swapping tall tales about their latest sexual conquests. Jud is playing with them."

Glorfindel snorted in amusement. "And Derek? How is he doing?"

"Derek crashed an hour ago and is sound asleep in the reading room," Elladan answered.

"What about our people?" Glorfindel enquired.

"They’re in the cafeteria," Elrohir replied with a grin. "They’re still trying to get used to the idea of elflings on the way."

"Not to mention seeing a Vala sipping hot chocolate and expounding on the proper way to process cocoa beans," Elladan added with a laugh.

"Lord Námo liked my recipe," Elrohir said shyly.

Glorfindel gave the younger ellon a hug. "If everything is under control for the moment, then, why don’t we join our friends in the cafeteria? I’d like some of your hot chocolate myself, assuming there’s any left."

"Sounds good to me," Daeron said and the Twins nodded in agreement.

****

As they entered the cafeteria, Glorfindel was surprised to see Fionwë sitting with the other Elves. The Maia was the first to notice their entrance and stood, giving them a wide smile. "Feeling better?" he asked solicitously.

Glorfindel nodded, but did not answer. Instead he walked over to where Amroth and Nimrodel were sitting. "I offer you my congratulations on your good news," he said somewhat stiffly.

Amroth raised an eyebrow. "Your enthusiasm is rather underwhelming."

"Sorry. I think I’m still in shock. Babies are the last thing on my mind right now."

"Well, you have a whole year to get used to the idea," Nimrodel said with a sniff.

Glorfindel allowed a small smile to reach his lips. "I really am happy for you both. To have children added unto you is a blessing and when this present crisis is over we will have a proper celebration."

Both Amroth and Nimrodel appeared to be mollified by his words. Elrohir, meanwhile, had gone into the kitchen and now came out with a tray of mugs filled with hot chocolate, passing them out to those that did not have any. He took his own mug and lifted it. "A toast to new life," he said and they all raised their mugs before drinking.

Afterwards, as they sat around the table, Glorfindel told them something about why he had blanked out as he had. "When you mentioned twins, I was suddenly back in Mandos where I met the twin sons of Dior. I was instrumental in helping them find peace. I’m not sure why my memories took me back to that time. I rarely recall what happened while I was in Mandos. There’s no real sense of time passing and what memories I have are jumbled up."

"I’m just sorry that our news upset you as it did," Amroth said. "It certainly wasn’t our intent."

"Of course not, nor do I blame you. I blame myself. Now, why don’t we change the subject?"

"You promised you would tell me about this Brethorn person and a blizzard when you were in Aman," Elrohir said.

Glorfindel nodded. "Then I guess this is as good a time as any. Mind you, I wasn’t there myself. I was with Eärendil and Elwing and I only heard about it afterwards from Finrod and some others. To give you some background, there was some unrest in Aman, a lot of tension between those who never left Aman and those who did and were now returned and living on Tol Eressëa or were reborn. Anyway, to help resolve certain issues, an All-Aman Council was called for and held in Valmar, courtesy of the Valar, who hosted the council. Unfortunately, there was some upset at one of the meetings and the council was dismissed until everyone cooled off. The Valar decided to take matters into their own hands and extended the cool-off period with a blizzard that was quite localized...."

Fionwë, standing away from where the Elves were sitting, watched with amusement as Glorfindel regaled them with his tale about the events surrounding the first All-Aman Council and slowly faded, satisfied that one more crisis had been weathered, knowing that there were many more to come. No one noticed when he disappeared.

****

The kitchen staff was startled to find the Elves sitting at the table in the cafeteria when they arrived in the early morning hours to start breakfast. Most of them had ended up bunking in the student center where the college administration had put up cots in several meeting rooms for staff members unable to go home. None of them looked particularly rested, but they started preparing breakfast with the same efficiency as always under Grace’s watchful eyes. The Elves decided to simply stay where they were and wait for the cafeteria to open to the students.

"We’re celebrating," Glorfindel told Grace when she came over to ask why they were all up so early. "We’ve actually been here all night drinking hot chocolate and swapping stories."

"And what are we celebrating?" the Woman asked with a smile.

"In one year, our little family will be increased by two," Glorfindel answered. "Della’s expecting twins."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Grace said, giving the elleth a warm hug. "Baby showers! I’ll have to start planning for them."

"Whoa!" Amroth exclaimed with a laugh. "We’ve got a whole year before we need to worry about that."

"Nonsense," Grace said with a sniff of disdain. "Men! What do they know?" And she went back to the kitchen to supervise her staff.

All the ellith started laughing while the ellyn sat there looking rather bemused. "You might consider looking for your own home," Glorfindel said after a moment, "unless you would prefer to remain at Edhellond. We can probably remodel some of the bedrooms into an apartment for you and the children."

"It’s something that will need to be considered, of course," Amroth said. "Let’s table it for now, though. We can explore our options after the New Year."

"Well, once breakfast is done with, we need to organize the students," Glorfindel said. "Let’s continue with the Sindarin and history classes and intersperse them with games and hands-on workshops."

"Physical activity is probably the best way to stave off boredom," Vorondur said with a nod. "Can we clear one or two of the classrooms and use them as gyms? I’m thinking we can requisition some mats from the phys. ed. building and continue with our self-defense classes, but encourage everyone, even those who aren’t taking it, to join in."

"Dan and I can look into that," Elrohir said.

"Actually, if you don’t mind, I would rather you two, along with Misty and Della, check on the students who are still down with the virus. Obviously, the virus has to run its course, but perhaps between your healing abilities and the ellith’s herbal remedies, you can at least alleviate some of their misery."

"No problem, and we can get an update on who’s sick and who isn’t," Elrohir said.

"Good. Ron, Conan and Amroth can go to the gym and get the mats and anything else they think we can use. Barry, why don’t you organize the Sindarin classes while Alpha organizes the history classes. Assign students to certain classes to meet at certain times during the day. We’ll hold these classes every day for the duration, that way they still have a routine of study so they don’t get out of the habit. Even if we lose power, we can still hold these classes."

The others nodded in agreement and they continued fleshing out ideas for keeping the students occupied for however long they might be snowed-in. As they continued their discussion, the cafeteria opened for breakfast and they were the first in line. Jud and Derek showed up and joined them at the table.

"How was the Monopoly game?" Glorfindel asked Jud.

"Well, I’d like to say I cleaned up, but that would be lying," Jud replied. "But I had fun and so did everyone else. We finally packed it in around three, I think. I’m only awake because my stomach insists that it’s time to be fed even though all I really want to do is sleep the day away."

"Well, have some breakfast and then go back to bed," Daeron said with a smile. "If you want privacy, you can use my office."

"Thanks, I just might do that," Jud said.

"How are you faring, Derek?" Elrohir asked the young man.

"Better," Derek replied. "I think I’m pretty much over it. Last night was the first night I was able to sleep through, but I’m still feeling a bit weak around the knees. Climbing the stairs wore me out."

"Then, I suggest you occupy yourself with quiet pursuits, such as reading or playing a board game," Elrohir said and Derek agreed with him.

"How long do you think we’re going to be stuck here?" Jud asked.

"Longer than most are expecting," Glorfindel replied. "Apparently we’re due for an ice storm. Reports say it should hit sometime today or early tomorrow. We may lose power. The Academy has a couple of generators, but they are designed to provide power for the cafeteria more than anything else."

"So, if we lose power, does that mean we’ll be holding classes by candlelight or flashlight?" Derek asked with a frown. "Candles can be a problem. How often do you read of people accidently setting their houses on fire because of an unattended candle?"

"We need to be vigilant about that," Glorfindel replied. "Darren, have a general announcement made that any student found with a candle will be summarily dismissed from the Academy, no exceptions. In fact, we should confiscate any candles the students may have to avoid the temptation of lighting them."

"A bit harsh, don’t you think?" Holly asked.

But Glorfindel shook his head, looking stern. "Wiseman is under martial law and that includes the college and this Academy. A hundred years ago or so, it wouldn’t have been a problem. People still used candles and oil lamps to light their homes and knew how to handle them properly. That’s not the case today. I don’t want someone being careless and we end up standing outside watching the building go up in flames in the middle of a blizzard and ice storm."

"We can collect candles and make sure there’s a flashlight in every room as we visit the sick," Elladan suggested and Glorfindel gave his approval.

"Have you heard anything about Alex?" Derek asked then.

"He was resting comfortably according to the nurse when I called earlier," Daeron answered. "If he continues to improve, he should be released by the weekend, though, if this storm continues, they may just keep him there for the duration."

"So, if we have our agenda for the day, let’s get to it," Glorfindel said, standing, and the others followed suit.

****

Thus, the day progressed. The snow had finally stopped long enough for Maintenance to be able to start plowing again. Schedules were created for lessons and games and such and the students adapted themselves to the new regimen. There were a few grumbles about having to participate in games, but most were happy enough to do whatever they were asked to do by the Elves to stave off the inevitable boredom of not being able to go anywhere.

Sometime in the evening, after the dinner hour, the predicted ice storm arrived, plunging temperatures into the minuses. The wind howled around the building and the lights flickered several times, though they never went completely out.

"So far, so good," Daeron said to Glorfindel as the two stood in the cafeteria looking out one of the windows as the storm blew around them.

"Don’t hold your breath," Glorfindel warned. "This is just the beginning. Things will get worse before they get better."

As if to underscore his words, there was an audible crack and they watched in dismay as several branches of a pine tree which they could see from where they were standing suddenly broke under the weight of snow and ice. Even from a distance the two Elves could sense the tree’s pain and they both grimaced.

"Let’s hope we don’t lose too many trees to this," Glorfindel muttered. Daeron could only nod, unable to muster up a response.

****

Ice quickly formed on the windows, blocking people’s view and there was the constant sound of ice pellets hitting the roof. Around ten the lights flickered, went out, flickered back on for another second and then went out again and stayed out. The Elves immediately went into action. Vorondur and Barry went to start the generators while the others scattered to designated areas where the students had been instructed to meet if the power went so a head count could be made. Even when power came back on fifteen minutes later, no one was permitted to leave until everyone had been accounted for. As the Elves were ready to dismiss the students back to their rooms, however, the power went out again, much to the dismay of all.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was in communication with the college administration, checking in to assure the officials that everything at the Academy was under control. The generators, when they kicked in a couple of minutes later, offered enough power to provide lighting in the hallways but nowhere else. Most of the power was routed to the cafeteria so there would always be hot water and food for the students.

As soon as Glorfindel was satisfied that all the students had been accounted for, he ordered them to report to the cafeteria with sleeping bags and toiletries and anything they cared to bring to keep themselves amused since it was now the only place that had heat. The Elves stationed themselves to help any who needed it. Those who were still sick were told to remain in their rooms for now. There had been some debate about where to put them and under other circumstances they would have been brought to the cafeteria, but in the end it was decided to place them in the upper lounge areas on either side of the cafeteria which were nearer to the bathrooms. The Elves had spent part of the day covering the windows with heavy blankets to help insulate the rooms.

Once the other students were settling themselves in the cafeteria, the Elves helped the sick to the lounges, with the female students in the one closest to their wing and the male students on the other side of the cafeteria, bringing their mattresses and bedding with them, as well as their sleeping bags, so as to make them as comfortable as possible.

Elrohir and Elladan then went around and sent them into healing sleep. They would take turns checking on the sick throughout the night.

Most of those in the cafeteria settled down to sleep, though a few huddled together and talked softly or occupied themselves with reading by flashlight while the Elves stood watch. Daeron walked between the sleeping bags, softly singing, sending forth his power as a minstrel to encourage sleep and by midnight only the Elves were awake. Elrohir returned from checking on the sick students.

"One case of vomiting," he reported to Glorfindel as the two wandered through the halls, stretching their legs, "but otherwise it’s pretty quiet. Dan is staying with the men and Sarah is watching over the women."

Glorfindel nodded as they came to the stairs and headed down to the ground floor where they checked out the various common rooms, making sure all was well. "We seem to be doing all right for the moment. Barry, Conan, Amroth and Gil are outside checking for any structural damage from the ice. Holly, Alpha, Daisy and Misty are in the kitchen concocting some herbal remedies that they hope will help keep everyone more or less healthy. Della and Darren are somewhere working out additional contingency plans and Ron’s checking on the generators."

"Looks as if we have things well in hand," Elrohir said with a nod of approval. "You want some coffee or anything? I’m going to make a pot for any who wants some."

"Not at the moment, thanks," Glorfindel said. "I’m going to go check with Darren and….What was that?"

The two Elves held themselves to stillness, listening.

"There it is again," Glorfindel said. "It sounds like pounding."

"It’s coming from the front," Elrohir said and the two Elves ran to the foyer where they saw someone leaning against the door weakly pounding on the glass. In the dark, with the snow swirling around, they could not see who it was at first. Glorfindel opened the door and the person stumbled into the building, collapsing onto the floor. Glorfindel shut the door and turned to see Elrohir kneeling over the person, gently turning him over, giving a gasp as he recognized who it was.

"Pui-in-orch!" Glorfindel muttered as he stared down at Alex’s unconscious form. "How did he get here?"

****

Á cuiva oloretyallo: (Quenya) ‘Awake from your dream/vision’.