Chapter 4:  much needed reassurance

Elrond´s POV

When I had killed the Uruk threatening Elrohir I sank to my knees utterly exhausted. If another enemy appeared in the next few moments I was not sure if I would have the strength to raise my sword again.

Elrohir was still sitting holding the dead child in his arms. I was not sure if he even realized how narrowly he had escaped death. But, I asked myself, what difference would it make in the end? Our haven was destroyed, most of the residents had been killed and I had failed to protect those who had placed their trust in my hands.

I could still hear the noises of fighting inside and outside the house. Before the day ended the population of Imladris would be no more. The miracle I had hoped for earlier had not come. Never had I imagined such a situation to be possible. Had I been too confident in our hiding place?

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. It was too late for such musings and too late for regret. However, I would NOT die cowering on the floor. If this was to be my last day then I would send as many foul beasts to the abyss as I could.

The sound of my laughter however startled Elrohir from his stupor. My son looked at me with tear-filled eyes. It seemed that only now he registered my presence.

His expression changed suddenly from depressed to curious. “Ada, what….?” he asked, but I heard his words through a mental haze.

My vision suddenly blurred and I felt a presence in my mind. Instinctively I tried to guard my senses and shut the invasion out, yet I was unsuccessful.

Surprised but also worried, I was unable to withstand the wave of demanding thoughts suddenly flooding my brain. The feelings coming my way seemed familiar but had a tinge of otherness that felt foreign. Never had I experienced anything like this.

I was too tired and desolated to resist. With a last attempt I gave up and sank into black oblivion….

……………………………………………………..

Elrohir looked up when the door to his father’s chambers opened and Glorfindel strode into the room. Tinár had just finished his examination. Even though all the bodily functions of his father had again reached normal levels the Elf-lord still remained unconscious. Nearly twelve hours had passed since Glorfindel had tried to call Elrond back. Apart from the fact that the Elf-lord appeared calmer, Elrohir could not sense any improvement.

“Give him time, Elrohir,” Glorfindel said and the younger elf looked at the warrior in surprise. Elladan, who was lounging on a settee near the bed, narrowed his eyes. He had still not learned exactly what Glorfindel had done the day before.

“Are you feeling well again, my Lord?” Tinár asked while packing the last of his items into his bag.

Now Elladan rose to his feet. “Why should Glorfindel not be feeling alright?” he asked the healer.

Tinár looked at the Elf-lord and after receiving a permissive nod he directed his gaze at the older twin.

“After…helping…your father Lord Glorfindel lost consciousness. He only awoke an hour ago. Now I am glad to have only one prominent patient again.”

The healer’s stumble had not gone unnoticed by the brothers. Elrohir wondered if Tinár was as clueless as they were about what Glorfindel had really done. Nonetheless he sent calming thoughts toward his brother.

Elladan was hard pressed to demand an explanation, but at the same time he was as shocked as Elrohir to learn that Glorfindel had fallen unconscious after trying to help their Adar.

“It would be nice if one could still get some information these days,” Elladan grumbled under his breath before he sat down on the edge of his father’s bed. Elrohir smiled realizing Elladan had accepted that he would get no information out of Glrofindel if the Elf-lord was unwilling to share it. He would tell them in his own time or never.

After Tinár had left Elrohir sighed and took Elladan’s place on the settee. The important thing was that Glorfindel had tried to help.

“Look, young one!” the warrior said suddenly.

Elrohir’s head jerked up at the comment and a moan came from the bed. Within seconds he was standing next to his brother. Glorfindel however stepped back, out of the Elf-lord’s range of sight. Elrohir frowned. Why would he move back?

He had no more time to ponder this thought because his father had finally opened his eyes. The reaction of the Elf-lord was much different from what they had expected.

Elrond’s eyes widened and with a sound between a sob and a silent cry he looked at Elladan. “You are alive?” he finally whispered.

The shock on Elladan’s face at his father’s words was highly visible. Glorfindel had his lips pressed into a thin line. Elrohir’s frown deepened. Why shouldn’t his brother be alive?

Elladan´s mind however was working quickly.

“Of course I’m alive, Ada,” he said while bending forward and hugging his father carefully. “And you are too!”

Pulling his arms around his son and hugging him tightly the Elf-lord took a deep breath. As Elladan drew back Elrond caressed his son’s cheek gently.

“I thought I had lost you,” he said with a thin voice that sent shivers down Elrohir´s spine.

“It is all is so confusing…why am I here?”

Elladan was at a loss. Irritated he looked over his shoulder at the warrior who was still standing out of sight.

Coming to a decision Glorfindel stepped forward until the healer could see him. As he had expected, Elrond jerked upright, his expression - incredulous.

“Glorfindel, what….?” he whispered squeezing his eyes closed. Glorfindel advanced to the bedside and motioned for the older twin to move aside. Stunned, Elladan complied without complaint.

The warrior sat down and took both of the healer’s hands into his.

“Elrond, listen to me.” He waited patiently until the healer had opened his eyes again.

“Elrond, nothing of what you experienced was true. We are still in Imladris and we are all alive. All is as it should be.”

Elrond looked at the warrior unbelievingly. What was he telling him? That all of the horrors he had seen over the last two days had not happened? But he could still smell the blood. He could still hear the screams of the dying and the cries for help.

As much as he wanted to accept Glorfindel’s words, he still too shocked to comprehend the words.

He closed his eyes and again felt a presence in his mind, enveloping his fea with a gentle light and leading his thoughts away from the horror. He leaned forward until he was enveloped in strong arms.

He willingly gave in to the subtle command to let go and sleep. Then he knew no more.

When Glorfindel felt the taut body leaning against him relax he carefully laid his friend back on the bed and covered him with the blanket.

After making sure that the Elf-lord’s sleep would not be disturbed he rose and motioned for the two young elves to follow him out of the room.

Too perplexed to argue Elladan and Elrohir followed the warrior, but not without sending a last look back at the now sleeping elf. They entered a small office adjoining their father’s bedroom. Barely inside, Elladan’s restraint snapped.

“Glorfindel, would you please be so kind and explain what is happening to Adar? My patience is running thin.”

“A virtue you have still to learn, Elrondion,” Glorfindel answered while taking a seat behind the great desk. However the initial scowl had vanished from his face, replaced by an unreadable mask. He motioned for the brothers to each take a seat.

Elrohir looked at his brother, silently advising him to comply or they would learn nothing. Still fuming Elladan finally took his seat.

After a while Glorfindel looked up and gazed sharply at the twins, making them both squirm. Again Elrohir was reminded why this elf was so different from all the others he had met in his life. The power of ages long past shone from the warrior’s eyes - eyes that could be kind and gentle but instantly change to threatening and demanding.

“What ailed your father was no vision, nor was it an attack of the usual kind. Rather, it was a powerful assault, the source of which we have yet to determine. The force which gained access to your father’s mind pushed his perceptions beyond anything imaginable. He experienced cruel and horrible things during the time he appeared unresponsive to us. Even if I could not perceive exactly what he was experiencing I could tell that it had reached and even exceeded his power of endurance. Maybe he will speak of it to you, or maybe not. It is enough for you to know that he was caught in this malice to a degree that he really thought it was true. Thus his awkward reaction when he saw the two of you or even me. I assume he saw us dead or something similar to that.”

When the warrior had ended the brothers frowned while digesting what they had heard. The enemy had opened a new field of battle and the attack level had now reached a new stage. And somehow the Balrog slayer had been able to repel the attack or at least guard their father’s mind against any further assaults.

Since the warrior did not elaborate further the brothers accepted the explanation knowing that they would never be able to force the ancient elf to give any explanation he was not willing to give.

“Fine,” Elladan declared after Glorfindel’s silence continued. “Then we are glad, my Lord, that you found a way to support our father’s struggle against the attack.”

Elrohir cringed at his brother’s anger but if he or Elladan were expecting Glorfindel to fall to the older twin’s provoking tone then they were disappointed.

“Always at the service to the line of Eärendil, penneths,” Glorfindel replied, his face still an expressionless mask.

Even though Elrohir was as angry at the dismissal as his brother, he stood and practically dragged Elladan from the room. Out in the corridor the older twin leaned against the wall balling his hand into fists.

“I hate it when he does this,” he groused while closing his eyes. Elrohir smiled and tugged at his brother’s arm.

“Come, we will learn everything eventually. Now let us look after Ada. I’m still worried about him.”

While following his brother Elladan nodded. They had known Glorfindel for their whole lives and still there were moments like this where the elf acted almost foreign and they glimpsed secrets he was unwilling to reveal.

……………………………………..

When Glorfindel entered the room he was pleased to see the healer was sitting in a comfortable chair at the open balcony door. However the far away look on the Elf-lord’s face revived his worry.

Three days had now passed since Elrond had regained consciousness but still the Half-elf had not returned to his former self much less taken up his duties. This was highly unusual behaviour for his friend.

Long had they talked, both with and without the Elf-lord’s sons present, but only walking through the house and the surrounding grounds had finally chased away the last doubts that it had all been only a bad dream.

Yet the Elf-lord was still shaken, partly over the still vivid memories and partly because he had been unable to repel such an invasion. In some way unknown to him, someone or something had found a way into his mind. That had shaken his confidence.

The healer raised his eyes when he heard someone approach and motioned for the warrior to take the other seat. Glorfindel inclined his head and complied with the invitation. They sat in companionable silence, both elves contemplating the happenings of the past days.

Glorfindel knew what was plaguing his Lord. Until now they had managed to hide the beautiful valley from unfriendly eyes and mask the knowledge that a refuge existed. Imladris was forgotten to the world through the unfailing dedication of the warriors led by the Balrog-slayer day-by-day partnered with the alert watchfulness of their Lord.

Now the enemy had shown them that their assumed safety was not as complete as they had thought. Of course there was nothing imminent truly threatening their existence but the attack had shown a new direction and that was disturbing.

“Maybe it was simply coincidence and I am worrying over nothing,” the healer suddenly said. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. In fact he had come here to give some comfort but his friend’s words made his reassuring words vanish.

“In my long life I have learned that there is no such thing as coincidence. All happens with a purpose behind it even if we do not always discover it. One can surely never be too cautious. We will take this as seriously as any other threat to our valley and we will continue – what other option do we have anyway?” the warrior asked.

Elrond smiled thinly, silently thanking his friend for trying to comfort him. Yes, he would return to his normal routine but he would remain even more careful and alert then usual.

Glorfindel inclined his head again.

“As I said to your sons recently: It is always my pleasure to be at the service of the line of Eärendil.”

Now Elrond smiled openly and accepted Glorfindel’s outstretched hand to help him up to his feet. Yes, he counted himself lucky to have the support of this elf. Together the healer and the warrior left the room. Their people awaited them.

End.