Elrohir drummed his fingers impatiently on the table. Where was Legolas? He had promised to come and see him and that was hours ago. Surely he couldn't still be with his father. Elrohir pushed his empty plates away. He had long ago finished his dinner. Darkness was falling and….no Legolas.
His door swung open with a crash and he leapt to his feet startled, swinging round to see who it was who dared charge into his rooms.
Legolas was standing there and he was furious. His eyes flashed with rage. Elrohir was speechless. What on earth was wrong?
" Why did you do it?" Legolas demanded. His voice was cold and icy.
Elrohir struggled to gain his composure. He had no idea what was going on. He simply couldn't keep track of Legolas's moods. He was so changeable. Laughing and happy one minute and then fiery and angry the next. He had been volatile in Imladris but not this bad. What was it now?
" What do you mean?" He asked. What more could he say, he really didn't know what was expected of him.
"Is that all you have to say." Legolas demanded.
"Well yes…"Elrohir was totally bemused.
"It is true then, you really did just do this for your own amusement." Legolas spun around and charged out of the door slamming it loudly behind him.
Elrohir wasn't about to let him get away that easily. At least not without some kind of explanation. He took off out the door chasing Legolas down the corridor.
"Legolas, wait!" He called
Legolas paused in his mad rush and turned to face him.
"Changed you mind then." He said coldly. " Do you realise how much this hurt. I would have thought …..after your mother…..you of all people would understand. Or did you? Did you understand all too well and that is why you did it?"
"Did I do what?" Elrohir cried in frustration, " and what has my mother to do with anything?" Now he was closer to Legolas he could see just how upset he was. Had he been….had he been crying?
"You will not even admit it!" Legolas was shouting now. "Have you no courage….I suppose I should have expected that from a …..Kinslayer."
Elrohir could hear the pain in his voice but that…..that was a step too far.
"I am no Kinslayer." He said a lot more calmly than he felt. "You will take that back."
Legolas sneered at him. "Your Father was raised by them. I am sure some of it rubbed off on him."
Elrohir had had enough. He still had no idea what this was about but Legolas had crossed one too many lines.
"You will leave my Father out of this" he said angrily.
"Oh, so you can say what you like about MY father but yours is out of bounds? Is that how it is….Elrohir?" Legolas strode forward leaning over him so his face was right in front of Elrohir's, he could feel Legolas's breath across his cheeks as he spoke, his voice chilling and cold.
"Stay. Away. From. Me." And he spun around on his heels and left.
This time Elrohir didn't follow. He stood there confused and distraught. What had he done? He could think of nothing. There was a pain in his chest and he struggled to catch his breath. He brushed his hand across his face and was startled to see it come away with tears on his fingertips. Why was he crying?
He needed Elladan. That was all he could think of, he had to get to him, but as he stumbled back down the corridor to Elladan's rooms he remembered Elladan would be with Glorfindel and he couldn't go there.
Elrohir realised he was all on his own. No brother, no father, certainly no lover to run to. He slid down against the wall, put his head in his hands,
and sobbed.
…..
Glorfindel walked into the breakfast room more than a little bit nervously. Thranduil had seemed quite pleasant last night, there had been no mention of the Eagles. Perhaps it was just a trap though to lull him into a false sense of security. He paused just inside the doorway. Thranduil was already there. He had meant to get there before him, this was not what he had planned.
Elladan smiled sweetly at him from across the table so he crossed the room and took a seat next to him. Elrohir however was nowhere to be seen. Glorfindel frowned. Could the boy not make the effort to get here on time at least on the first day.
" So you have managed to make it here." Thranduil's voice was harsh and bitter. He glared at Glorfindel. So yesterday's pleasant mood was a trap then Glorfindel thought to himself.
" Yes indeed," Glorfindel tried his best to smile calmly. He would not let Thranduil know how nervous he was. He was Glorfindel, Balrog slayer. Thranduil was nothing compared to a Balrog…was he?
" Your other charge seems not to have arrived. Such bad time keeping might be usual in Imladris but we are not used to it here." Thranduil's mood was obviously very bad this morning.
Glorfindel glanced around for something to divert the conversation from the wayward Elrohir. He noticed Legolas was also missing.
"Where is Legolas?" He enquired politely.
It was obviously the wrong subject to choose.
" Legolas," Thranduil said firmly. "has been out on patrol for hours. This is not Imladris. Our life is hard. The enemy surrounds us. Legolas is a warrior. He has duties to attend to that do not include babysitting spoilt Noldor." Glorfindel cringed. He should have known better than to point out Legolas's absence.
"He should not have gone out on patrol today though," Thranduil continued softly almost to himself.
Glorfindel was diverted from following that up by Elrohir's arrival. He slunk in to the room head down. Glorfindel observed him closely. His eyes were reddened as if he had been crying…or drinking. Yes, Glorfindel thought, He had probably located a bunch of unruly Wood –Elves already and spent the night having far too much to drink. Could he not behave himself just this once.
" It is so nice of you to grant us your presence Elrondion." Thranduil could not have been more sarcastic if he tried.
" Forgive me Sire." Elrohir said, his voice was hoarse and rough. "I overslept. My apologies" Glorfindel sighed. Elrohir sounded as if he had spent the night carousing, overslept was probably a euphemism for hungover he decided.
The meal continued in stony silence. Thranduil spent his time glaring at Glorfindel and Elrohir alternately. Glorfindel fidgeted nervously in his chair and Elrohir simply radiated misery. Elladan on the other hand was consumed with anxiety about his brother. Glorfindel could feel the worry coming off him in waves. Elladan fussed quietly around him but Elrohir stonily shrugged off his help making Elladan all the more anxious. What a nightmare , Glorfindel thought. When next he saw Elrond he would have his head for sending him here.
Eventually, thankfully, the torture came to an end and they finished eating.
"What are you plans for today?" Thranduil snapped at the twins.
Elladan looked up his brows creased with worry.
"Oh. Legolas suggested we check out your archery range. The reputation of the archers of the wood is second to none My Lord. We thought we might watch them train." He gazed earnestly at Thranduil.
"Very well" Thranduil grumbled as they stood to leave. "Perhaps you could try not to spread any malicious rumours while you are there."
"My Lord?" Elladan was confused.
"Just be gone." Thranduil snapped. "But not you Glorfindel." He said as Glorfindel tried to exit with the twins.
"You promised me we would speak this morning I believe."
"Ah…yes." Glorfindel could see no way out, The moment of truth was upon him.
In abject misery he followed Thranduil slowly down the hall to his study wishing the whole time the floor would collapse from under him. Even a serious injury was beginning to look more favourable than speaking with an angry Thranduil. He entered the room and Thranduil shut the door firmly behind them. He strolled to the centre of the room, his back to Glorfindel.
"It has been long since we last met Glorfindel."
"Yes. It has." Glorfindel agreed.
"The Last Alliance…." Thranduil mused. "I was not myself then, grief and anger affect us deeply, would you not agree?" And he swung round to stare icily at Glorfindel.
"They do, Thranduil." Glorfindel wondered exactly were this was going.
" I am afraid I must apologise to you" Thranduil continued. Glorfindel was taken aback. What ever for he wondered.
"It seems, you see, that my grief and pain have inflicted upon me a rather strange amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Now Glorfindel really was completely confused.
"Yes, indeed. I seem to have totally forgotten the fact that you and I…." He paused for effect. " Apparently, and I am not quite sure how we managed it, you and I spent our time at the Last Alliance having an affair!"
Glorfindel's stomach sunk to his boots. No. No. No. could not be happening. Surely Elladan had not told anyone of that ridiculous idea of his. How could he have been so stupid.
" Thranduil…this has not come from me…."
But Thranduil was not ready to allow him to speak. He was just warming up. He pounced upon Glorfindel, his anger shone from his eyes and Glorfindel felt like a mouse being stalked by a vicious cat.
" Do you know, I didn't remember this fling of ours until last night, when I had my son confronting me, enraged, that I had betrayed his mother….his DEAD mother….with YOU!"
Oh it really was as bad as it could get, Glorfindel shuddered. Elladan had told Elrohir…of all people, was he crazy?...and Elrohir of course had told Legolas. Suddenly the Eagle religion seemed like an entirely preferable thing to be discussing.
"I can explain….a misunderstanding….it is not….I swear nothing was meant by this.." Glorfindel knew he was babbling but he just couldn't stop.
"Nothing was meant by it?! Do you know how this has hurt my son?" Thranduil was in full swing now and Glorfindel found himself edging away from his rage.
" I will not tolerate it Glorfindel. You will keep these charges of yours away from him. You Noldor can find someone else to play your cruel games with. It will not be Legolas! Do you understand me?"
Glorfindel opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the door swinging open and Galion striding in. He looked stressed.
Thranduil scowled at him.
"I am busy. Leave us." He snapped.
"Thranduil, this is urgent." Galion would not be ignored. Glorfindel breathed a sigh of relief, something had happened to take Thranduil's mind off this nightmare of a mess.
" What is it." Thranduil growled, making it be known he was in no mood to be interrupted by matters of state.
" Two members of the western patrol have returned, they ask for help."
"The Western patrol? What is wrong?" Suddenly Thranduil was all ears.
Glorfindel watched as Galion approached Thranduil and placed a steadying hand on his arm.
"They stumbled across a group of orcs? Strangely clever ones they say, who seemed to target the Prince. Legolas was separated from them."
"Separated?" Thranduil gasped, and Glorfindel's palms began to sweat as he realised exactly how serious this was.
" They cannot find him." Galion said and Thranduil's eyes widened in horror. " Legolas is missing, they have sent for help to locate him."
Thranduil swung round suddenly to confront Glorfindel.
" This is your fault. Yours and those damned Sons of Elrond. Legolas was not fit to go on patrol. I told him to withdraw. He was too upset, too distracted by the nastiness they had thrown at him. This would not have happened otherwise."
He advanced on Glorfindel.
" They cannot find my son and it is all because of you!"