Chapter 7: The Marchwarden
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"You summon me, my lord counselor?"
Glorfindel opened the door to Erestor's office after knocking it once.
"Yes, my lord seneschal. Please sit down." Erestor said while still reading a parchment in his hand.
"Well?" Glorfindel sat on a chair in front of the oak desk opposite the counselor.
"The emissary from Loth Lorien is approaching the valley. We need to send soldiers to escort them here."
"Alright." Glorfindel nodded his head. "What route they take? How many elves are in the group? I need to estimate the number of soldiers I will send."
Erestor handed the parchment in his hand to the captain. "The details are in here."
Glorfindel took a minute to browsed through the message. He lifted his eyebrow when he saw a name in the parchment. "The marchwarden led the party here. Is this THE marchwarden, your special friend?"
"Haldir, Orophin and Rumil are lady Galadrial's adopted sons. Yes, they are my friends." Erestor tried to ignore the subtext in Glorfindel's question.
"Then I think I will go greet them myself." Glorfindel said.
"Thank you my lord." Erestor said calmly. He knew that Glorfindel was trying to irritate him. He must not show his emotion in front of the vanya, Erestor promised to himself.
A while passed when Erestor raised his head from the documents he was concentrated on, and found the vanya still sat there looking at him.
"Glorfindel?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you still here?"
"Why? My dear counselor, I just need your company." Glorfindel chuckled.
"Right." Erestor mumbled disbelievingly. "I believe you need to setup a party to escort the emissary from Lorien, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, your special friend and his wardens." The vanya smiled.
Erestor started to feel annoy. "Special or not, they are the emissary from our allied kingdom. We need to welcome them, and bring them here safely. No matter what. You, our captain, is the representative of our land. Can you do just that without bias or whatever you are thinking right now?"
"I am not thinking whatever you think I was thinking." Glorfindel's eyes sparkling with mirth. This annoyed Erestor even more. "I just want your company for a little while before going to prepare myself for the trip. May I do just that?"
Erestor's heart dropped. He felt that he was too harsh to Glorfindel sometimes. He was afraid that he would show how much he care for the vanya when they were near. He did not want the vanya to love him because they were lovers. He just wanted the vanya to love him for just being him by starting all over again. That day might not come if he was so cold toward Glorfindel every time they met. Erestor sighed heavily.
"Erestor? Am I troubling you?" Glorfindel asked softly.
"No, Glorfindel. I'm sorry I was too harsh to you."
"Ahhh.." Glorfindel laughed. "Don't say sorry. I like it when you were too harsh to me."
"What!?" Erestor was confused.
"It means you care!" With that, Glorfindel was gone with lightening speed. Only his laugher was heard along the hallway.
Erestor massaged his temples tiredly, then chuckled to himself. This was really Glorfindel, the only one he ever loved.
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Glorfindel stood on a cliff overlooking the area beyond Rivendell's border. From this point, he could see a group of elves traveling through the path, approaching the secret entrance of the valley. The one in the lead drew his eyes instantly. Well built, silver hair and handsome face with the aura of authority; this must be THE marchwarden, Erestor's special friend. From where he stood, he was certain that the Lorien elves would see him in some point.
The vanya was right. The marchwarden felt his presence a short while later. Haldir felt unease. Someone was looking at him intensely. Even though it was not in a harm way, it still made him feel uncomfortable. He looked around and found the source of his unease feeling, standing on the cliff, looking at him and his party.
Angel!
Haldir felt like he was looking at something ethereal. It was someone with a glowing light surrounded him.
"Valar!" His party murmured. "Who is that?"
"I've heard that Lord Glorfindel, the Balrog slayer, has reborn. That might be him!" Someone said excitedly.
"Probably." Orophin said eagerly. "Let's find out!"
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"Welcome to Rivendell, party from Loth Lorien." Glorfindel greeted Haldir and his party. "I'm captain of the guards of Rivendell. I will escort you to Imladris."
"Thank you, captain. I'm Haldir, marchwarden of Loth Lorien. Thank you for your hospitality." Haldir bowed to the captain, who nodded his head slightly in return.
"Are you the Balrog slayer?!" Someone blurted out excitedly.
All eyes turned to look at the young silver-haired elf, who now had a very red face and tried to hind behind the marchwarden.
"I'm sorry, my lord." The young one whispered.
"It's alright, pen-neth." Glorfindel smiled kindly. "Yes, I'm Glorfindel of Gondolin and now of Rivendell."
"We have heard a lot about you and your heroic actions. I'm honor to meet you here. I'm Rumil, by the way." The young one smiled broadly.
"Rumil, not here." Haldir whispered sternly to his brother.
"I agreed with your brother, young Rumil. Here is not a place for making conversation. Please follow us. We will be in the safety of the last homely house in one and a half days."
"Thank you, my lord." Haldir bowed his head slightly and signaled his party to follow Glorfindel and a half dozen Rivendell soldiers into Rivendell's border.
"He knows I'm your brother." Rumil whispered to his brother a while after.
"Erestor must have informed him of our arrival." Haldir said quietly.
"Yes. Yes." Rumil smiled widely. "I miss Erestor so much! Do you miss him, brother?"
"Of cause, I do." Haldir smiled, but his smile vanished quickly when he felt that unease feeling again. He looked at the head of the group, and found that Glorfindel was looking at him with those undecipherable blue-eyes. 'What's wrong with him?' Haldir thought.
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The party arrived at the last homely house in the evening of the next day. Elrond and Celebrian came to greet the party at the entrance of the house themselves.
"Welcome to Imladris, my friends!" Elrond said to the party. Celebrian hugged her step-brothers and her friends delightedly.
"I missed you so much, brothers." Celebrian told her brothers, while kissing their cheeks.
"We missed you too, Celebrian!" Rumil, the always excited one, said gleefully.
"You look bigger!" Celebrian laughed.
"Of cause, I am!"
"You must be exhausted." Elrond said to the party. "Let's go inside. My assistances will escort you to your chambers."
"Thank you, Lord Elrond." Haldir bowed to Elrond. "Where is Erestor? I haven't met him for a while. I have a lot to talk to him."
"Erestor is in his office. He is busy right now. He is in charge of the event preparation." Elrond said.
"I see." Haldir nodded his head in understanding.
"I think you would better go to your chambers first, take a rest. You will see him in no time."
"Thank you my lord." Haldir bowed slightly and followed a servant to the guest chambers.
Elrond turned to see Glorfindel who was still standing nearby.
"Thank you, Glorfindel. You'd better go taking a rest too." Elrond smiled to his friend.
"I think I will go see Erestor, first." When he saw Elrond's eyebrows rose, he then added. "To inform him that the party from Loth Lorien is here, that is."
"I think he already knew that." Elrond's eyes now sparkling with mirth.
"Better be certain." Glorfindel winked to his lord, and then left to Erestor's office.
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[..tbc..]
A/N: I'm truely sorry for the late update. Author block tho. m(_ _)m
