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Estel - Hope  by Laikwalâssê

Estel - Hope

 Chapter 4:  downfall

Glorfindel had just emerged from the Hall of Fire, closing the door silently, as Elrond had rushed past him. Before the warrior could call out to his friend the Elf-lord had vanished around a corner and shortly after that had left the house.

Glorfindel suspected that he knew what this hurried departure meant. He and Erestor had kept watch throughout the night. He had even hovered at the Half-elf’s bedroom two times, listening to discern if something unusual was happening behind the closed doors. But either Elrond had been asleep or so very quiet that he had heard nothing.

Obviously, the healer had fooled them again. After the quiet night, the warrior had hoped that the Half-elf had calmed down and would be ready for a clarifying talk. However, this had been another erroneous belief.

Glorfindel took only one glimpse at the healer’s face to know that Elrond was not in his right mind. Without further thought, he hastened after the Half-elf, ignoring the irritated looks that followed the two elves as they rushed past.

He had just crossed the front porch and rounded a cluster of bushes when he knew that he would be too late. The healer had stopped in the middle of the lawn closed his eyes and collapsed onto the grass. Glorfindel broke into a full run but he could not reach his friend before he hit the ground.

He skidded to a halt, falling to his knees beside Elrond. Carefully he pillowed the healer’s head in his lap, looking sharply at the ashen face of the elf. Elrond’s eyes were tightly closed and his muscles were relaxed.

“No, Elrond, no!” Glorfindel whispered in a choked voice. He recognized this state. The healer was fading; he had relinquished his hold on life. His fea was fleeing his body because his mind was no longer able to suffer through the anguish.

Glorfindel rocked Elrond's limp body back and forth, pouring as much life energy as he could spare into his friend's devastated soul. He prayed to every Valar listening that they would not grant the healer’s wish to leave this world.

Although he continued this process, he suspected that he would not be successful. The years of Elrond's pent-up grief had finally found a vent and he knew he was not powerful enough to prevent the process happening beneath his very hands.

He did not look up when elves begun to gather around them knowing that not even one of Imladris´ famous healers would be able to help. They had to reach Elrond's mind, to talk to his fea and convince it that life was still worth living and that would be an almost impossible task.

Glorfindel was becoming desperate as he felt the bond connecting Elrond’s fea with his body grow thinner by the minute. He looked up when he felt a familiar presence at the edge of his consciousness.

“Erestor please fetch the twins. Only they may be able to call their father back.” He whispered, even though he was sure that every bystander was aware of what had happened to their Lord.

Erestor only nodded and after straightening he ran down the path toward the brothers’ cottage.

Glorfindel raised his eyes again when he felt someone kneel next to him already extending a hand to touch the Half-elf’s body. Tinár, Elrond’s head healer said nothing, only silently assessed the situation.

“We should bring him inside,” the healer announced but stopped his examination when Glorfindel shook his head.

“Any place is as good as this. He is surely not feeling anything right now. Erestor is already fetching the boys and I do not want to lose time.”

Tinár nodded even if he did not entirely share the warrior´s opinion. Although the many gathered elves meant well and their whispered comments expressed their anguish, it was always best to shield the patient from an audience even if they were as compassionate as this.

While Glorfindel kept his gaze fixed on the fallen healer Tinár directed his gaze toward the cottage Erestor had just reached, willing the councillor to go faster.

He wondered why the twins had not already appeared on their own. They must have felt what was happening to their father and they could not have ignored the commotion occurring just in front of their doorstep.

Just as Tinár thought that too much time had already passed by, the door to the cottage opened and Erestor rushed from the hut. Tinár frowned when he could not glimpse either of his Lord’s sons. He had expected the twins to be following and running toward them.

Before he could think further about where the brothers were, Erestor had reached them.

“They are not in the cottage. Their travel bags and cloaks are also missing. Glorfindel, I fear they left again last night,” Erestor informed them with a quiet voice.

Glorfindel looked up sharply for a second. Then he looked around the elves gathered around the little group.

“Someone please check if Elrond’s sons are still somewhere on the grounds.”

Two elves immediately departed heading for the stables. Tinár was sure that the twins had already left to resume their hunt, even before they received confirmation that their horses were gone.

Glorfindel tried to quiet his fraying nerves. Even if he knew that the recent bad behaviour of the twins had caused the Elf-lord´s breakdown, he was also sure that they could not rescue the healer without his sons´ presence. While all elves had a very strong connection to their children, Elrond´s bond with his sons and daughter was central to his existence.

Elrond’s childhood had been formed from loss and disappointment, flight and destruction. He had always been determined to give his children a loving home and to provide them with all the attention and compassion he could give.

The healer had been deeply affected when his beloved children had turned away from him in his hour of need. Arwen had gone to live with her grandparents, the ever-present grief at her home finally no longer endurable for her. Her brothers had become rare visitors at a home where they could no longer find peace.

For three hundred years the Half-elf´s soul had silently endured until last night when his desperate hold on sanity had snapped.

Glorfindel was angry, mostly at himself. He should have known that something like that would happen. The healer had never really grieved and had buried himself in work trying to fill the hole in his soul. Yet, while denying the depth of his sorrow, he had been ever moving closer and closer to the state he had fallen into today.

“Let us bring him inside,” Tinár tried again to persuade the warrior. Glorfindel was staring without focus and the healer feared that if he did not react quickly his patients would have doubled.

Contrary to his fears however, Glorfindel was very alert. After looking up, he nodded.

Before he could stand, the two elves who had been looking for the twins returned.

“My Lord,” one of them panted, “Lord Elrond’s sons are definitely no longer on the grounds. A forester, living further down the Bruinen told me that he had seen them leave just before dawn.”

Glorfindel thanked the elf. He had expected nothing else. If the twins had been around somewhere they would already have appeared. But had not he forbidden them to come near the house? Angrily he shook his head. Nothing could be changed now.

He stood, carefully lifting Elrond's limp body in his arms. He briefly wondered at how light his friend suddenly was. Yet another fact he should have noticed much earlier.

Without another glance around Glorfindel started toward the house followed by Tinár. The gathered elves slowly dispersed but not without sending worried gazes after their Lord.

To be continued……………………..

 





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