Disclaimer: Still not mine, and never will be.
Early Frost
Chapter 10
Legolas blinked several times rapidly, disturbed from his repose by the golden light of the sun shinning through a window, heralding the coming of the dawn. He was confused as he felt warmth radiating through his body from under and around him, not just over him as blankets would provide. His confusion rose as he felt his upper body steadily lift up from the surface he was sleeping upon, and then lower once more before the action was repeated again, and again, steadily…almost as if what he was on was breathing. Then he felt something around his shoulders tightened, along with something that felt similar along his waist. At this feeling he squirmed, whatever was applying the pressure brushing against the still tender new skin, trying to get away from whatever was making the motion. The rhythm of the rising and falling shifted, and he heard laughter that reminded him of sun on the leaves come from beneath him. He started, turning his head to see Glorfindel's fair features. Unbidden a blush came upon the prince's face, and he attempted to draw away from the elder, only to moan as his muscles protested the quick movement, and the light started to slice through his head as he realized that he had the worst headache that he had ever experienced. He closed his eyes against the pain and buried his head once more into the joint of the warrior's shoulder and neck to hide away from the light. He then twisted his body around so that he could curl up into a ball while still on top of the blonde warrior and tried to contain his moan as pain sliced through his head when Glorfindel chuckled at his reactions.
The seneschal of Imladris then carefully unwrapped the twin's arms from the prince and untangled the both of them from the middle of Elladan and Elrohir, carefully clutching Legolas in his arms as he moved over to the couch where he lay him on the soft cushions. He sat on the floor after he had moved over to the window and covered the glass carefully with the thick draperies in order to darken the golden light to save the young elf as much pain as he could. With gentle hands he smoothed back the soft coppery locks of the prince speaking gently, only loud enough for the young elf to hear him. "It is alright, my prince. How are you feeling?"
Legolas opened his eyes, and Glorfindel was amazed by the depth of sorrow that was shown in the emerald green eyes. "I hurt, Lord Glorfindel," he said, his voice slightly stronger than it had been the day before, but with a softer tone in order to avoid more pain slicing through his temples. "But I am alive."
A gentle smile crossed Glorfindel's features at this admission. "I am glad that you are, penneth." He then glanced over at the bed where there was a soft rustling, and he chuckled when he saw that they had moved together in their sleep, and continued dreaming. He then turned back to the prince who had lifted his right hand to cover his eyes. With gentle fingertips he massaged the prince's temples, rubbing soothing circles onto the pale skin, and his smile widened as the prince moaned in what Glorfindel interpreted was relief from the pain. Glorfindel used this opportunity to force some of his strength into the still ailing prince. When the charming features smoothed into relaxation, he removed his hands and asked, "It has been a full day since you have had anything to eat, are you hungry?"
Legolas thought for a moment as his mind was brought back from the state of floating relaxation he felt at the skillful fingertips of the ancient lord, before his stomach answered the question before he could speak a single word. He smiled and shrugged uncertainly, "I guess I could stand to eat some." He then moved to sit up, almost concealing the wince at the ache that had returned to his lower body, only to find him being pressed back down by the same gentle hands. He looked at the golden figure questioningly, and made to sit back up once more.
Glorfindel smiled as he gently pressed the prince back down amidst the soft cushions. "Stay here, my prince," he whispered gently into the pointed ear, "I will bring you back some light food. It will do you some good to rest for a little while longer before you move around too much or you will risk tearing back open your wounds that are still paining you." He then rose to his feet, and put a hand on a shoulder giving a brief farewell before he left the room.
Legolas was then left with his thoughts, alone except for the two sleeping twins that were still oblivious to the world around them. He did not know exactly what to think about what he felt at that point in time. There was something that had been added since the night before, something that seemed to anchor him to life while he distinctly remembered his dream during which he knew that he had given up the will to live. He knew that the something had to do with Lord Glorfindel, but he did not know whether to be angry or relieved. He felt stronger than he had before, and yet with that strength, came the return of the aching pain, as well as the grief that was assailing his heart at the thought of his mother. The world appeared darker with the absence of the ancient lord, and he felt his senses dull as he burrowed himself into the cushions, allowing the blanket from the back of the couch to fall on top of him in order to feel some warmth against the chill that was sinking into his tired muscles. Slowly he felt his eyes slip closed, drifting back into the darkness of his mind.
Glorfindel walked back into the room with a tray of fruits, breads and honey, as well as several of the left over honey cakes that the prince had seemed to enjoy the previous morning, and gently put the tray onto the floor near the couch. He saw that the prince's eyes were closed once more, hiding in the cushions with the thick decorative blanket from the back of the couch lying over him. The seneschal smiled fondly at the small figure and sat on the edge of the couch and softly said, "Legolas. I have returned with your breakfast." His presence was unacknowledged. Legolas continued lying on the couch with his eyes closed, not a muscle twitching at his close presence. He reached a hand out to the only exposed portion of the prince's body, his face. He was surprised at the chill of the skin, and he tried to rouse the prince once more, calling to him both vocally and mentally. The pain and grief filled emerald eyes of the prince wearily blinked open, taking a few moments to focus on the golden figure in front of him. "I have brought you breakfast my prince," Glorfindel said gently, not removing his hand from its caress of the pale, sunken cheek of the prince, trying to send some of his warmth and strength through the prince. "May I help you to sit up a little so that you may eat a little easier." He saw the prince nod slightly, and moved to help him sit against the rearranged cushions. He was pleased to see that the prince sat with less discomfort than the day before, and he took that as a good sign that he was recovering. He then lifted a plate off the tray and filled it with the same foods as the day before and lay it on the prince's lap, silently encouraging him to eat his fill, and was happy to see that he began to eat without any more encouragement than that, slowly eating the entirety of the food that he had been served, even as Glorfindel also ate his fill from the remaining food upon the tray.
Legolas was puzzled as he sat eating quietly, splitting his attention between his food and Glorfindel, his thoughts continuing from earlier, even more confused. The darkness that he had seen in his vision at the ancient elf's absence was gone, replaced with a lightness that encouraged his determination to recover. When his plate was empty, he reached for the glass of water that was offered by the perceptive warrior and slowly drank it, savoring the coolness as it slid down his throat. He then returned the glass to the strong hands before sinking into the cushions that were supporting his body, feeling content for the moment.
Glorfindel saw this contentment and allowed a warm look to light upon his face, speaking up, "What would you like to do this morning, my prince?" Legolas looked at him with one of his eyebrows raised in confusion, unknowingly mirroring the same gesture that the Lord of Imladris used for the same purpose. "Erestor has released me from my duties for the day which puts me at ease to see to your pleasure for the entire day."
Legolas dropped his eyes to the intricate pattern of the blanket that was draped over his legs. "You do not have to spend time with me if you do not wish to, my lord. I understand that you are a busy elf, and I am but a convalescent that needs to be watched over. You do not have to waste your time with me," he said softly, the words of the figure of the mighty lord in his dream crystal clear in his sharp memory. Even with the expectation of rejection, he steeled himself for the words that he knew would hurt when they passed the graceful lips, and tried to make himself as small as possible.
Seeing this lack of confidence as just another clue as to the tortures that had been done to the small body, he shifted his position until he was sitting right next to the prince and put his arm around the small shivering body. "Never think that about yourself, my Prince," he said softly, yet forcefully, his tenor voice carrying the clear note of command. "You are worth more than you will ever understand. I am asking you what you want to do today, not because of anything that has been asked of me, but because I want to spend time with you. I want to help you to move past your experiences, and reach the point where they are just that, experiences that will make you stronger in the future." When he received no answer from the elfling he reached for the sculpted chin with his free hand and pulled the face over until he was looking the prince directly in the eyes, showing the young one the sincerity in his eyes. "I promise you, Prince Legolas Thranduilion, I have offered to spend time with you, not because of anything that I have been told either by my lord or his sons. I choose to spend my free time today with you because that is my choice. I wish the chance to know you." He remembered the words the prince had spoken as clearly as his own when he had used his power to help they elfling, and knew that he had a long way to go until the prince would trust his words. "Come, if you do not know what you wish to do today, I have something to show you that I think you may enjoy." He was pleased when the prince did not pull away from his embrace and chose to ignore his sink back into silence. He took the blanket and wrapped it securely about the still cold body and lifted the prince into his strong arms, allowing him to bury his head into his shoulder, anticipating the light that he would be exposed to and not wishing for the headache to return.
With swift steps Glorfindel retreated from the room with the prince and carefully avoiding the most populated portions of the house made his way outside and past the gardens until he reached a small single story cottage nestled into the forest with a small stone wall built around it and a fountain in the carefully groomed courtyard, its musical flow of water pulling the prince's face from where it was hidden. Instinctively he knew that this cottage must have been designed by the ancient, reborn seneschal as its entire design recalled an ancient time before both Imladris and its lord. Altogether it was elegant and had the prince wide eyed and instantly in love with the small home. "It is lovely," he murmured to no one in particular but the muttering brought a smile to Glorfindel's lips once more.
"Thank you," the seneschal said, "I thought that you would like it. I built this for occasions when I feel I must get away from the life of court in Imladris. I must confess that even though I have spent more than my fair share of time in courts during my two lifetimes, I find it trying." He smiled at the look of agreement on the prince's face and began to walk forward once more, entering through the picturesque wrought iron gate that was decorated with vines heavy with pale golden flowers. Once they had officially entered the yard Glorfindel asked, "Would you prefer to start inside or out? I leave it up to you."
"Can we start inside?" asked the small voice. "I don't want that headache to come back again."
Glorfindel nodded and quickly his steps brought them in through the door that was painted the same brilliant blue that was reflected in the water of the fountain from the sky and a bronze handle decorated with the same delicate flowers that were growing on the gates. He deposited the prince upon his favorite couch that was made of the softest material the wood elf had ever felt and allowed you to sink into the stuffing just like a luxurious mattress. He then moved towards an elaborately carved book shelf and pulled out a well used massive tome, before returning to the couch and sinking onto it next to his charge. He lay the book in his own lap and pulled the elfling into a strong embrace. "I remember you being interested in Gondolin at breakfast yesterday," he stated revealing the cover of the book to the prince who looked on with poorly disguised curiosity, and saw the famous crests of the Houses of Gondolin carefully tooled into the worn leather, so high quality was the work that the colors were even painted in their respective colors. "This book is full of sketches from my memory of my time in the Hidden city. I thought that you might like to see them, as well as hear about them."
The rest of the morning was spent in just that way, the gentle turning of crisp pages of the book while Glorfindel explained them as well as told entertaining anecdotes that had occurred in the places as well as his favorite memories of his friends. Much time was spent on his best friend, Ecthelion, the Lord of the House of the Fountain, and on the figure of one Laiqualassë, from the House of the Tree, whose picture bore a striking resemblance to the Greenwood's prince. Glorfindel explained to him this was because his mother had been the Great Granddaughter of the exalted elf that had since found his way to the Halls of Mandos. The hours passed and yet only allowed for the viewing of about half the amount of sketches and showed Glorfindel that the prince still had a light for life that was required for his continued living. Now that he had seen the prince's curiosity and intelligence it was his next goal was to try to coax him into sharing his memories.
The time for the midday meal came and was met with a knock on the door, which was answered by the seneschal and revealed to be Elladan and Elrohir standing with a basket full of picnic food. The noon meal was spent within the strong stone walls of the yard of the cottage with friendly banter from the twins that at several points regressed into brotherly wrestling matches in the soft, thick grass. Laughter was shared along with the finely prepared finger foods and sandwiches that had been prepared by the cooks for their pleasure. At the close of the meal the jovial, energetic twins waved farewell with apologies that they duties they had to fulfill been neglected for far too long, leaving Glorfindel and Legolas alone once more.
A soft smile lit the Lord's features as he saw the prince trailing his fingers in the cool, clear waters of the fountain. "Would you like to stay outside for a while, my prince?"
"Legolas," the prince said softly, uncertainty returning to his voice, just as it always seemed to when he spoke of things concerning himself.
"Pardon?" Glorfindel asked in return, unsure of the exact sentiment the prince was trying to express.
"My name is Legolas," he answered even more quietly, his voice losing any confidence that may have been hidden in his original uncertainty. "Prince is just my title, I would rather be known by my name, not because of my station of birth."
Glorfindel place a hand on the slumped shoulder of the prince and smiled gently, once more turning the thin face to his own. "I understand. I will call you by your name only if you agree to call me by mine, without the addition of Lord in front of it. I repeat my question from before. Would you like to stay out of doors for a while, Legolas?"
"I would like to if that is alright," Legolas answered, his tone of voice not changing in the slightest from his previous statement and he sank into the fetal position at the base of the fountain.
Glorfindel joined him on the ground and pulled him once more into his strong embrace. "I wouldn't have offered if it would not have been alright for you to choose to stay outside, little one." He sighed deeply as he looked at the cheery surroundings for a moment before he lowered his voice, "Perhaps it is best that I tell you my next story while we are in the sun. It will at least lend an air of hope to the telling." The prince looked at him questioningly. "I must confess that I truly do have another reason for wishing to help you through your experience, but in order for you to truly understand all of those reasons I have to tell you a story that will hopefully explain." He looked deep within the sorrow filled eyes of the prince, and was saddened to see the deep hurt that was within the emerald depths. He pulled his embrace about the prince's shoulders tighter trying to pass along his sorrow at having to share the story that he must.
Legolas looked at him, trying to hide the hurt that he felt at the hidden agenda of the golden lord. He thought that he was being so kind out of a genuine wish to help him, not because of some hidden reason that he was sure must approach the same words that were spoken in his dream, those of duty. "I will listen if you feel you must tell me." he said, his voice small, and uncertain, he didn't even know whether or not it was his right to give the ancient lord permission for something that would happen whether or not he wanted it too.
The smile dropped off Glorfindel's face, and he peered off at the flowers that he had taken the utmost care of since their planting after the founding of Imladris, his mind becoming lost in memories. "By the end of my tale, I hope that you understand my reasons," he said gently, before he began the telling of his tale, beginning haltingly at first, but his voice growing more confident in the telling, especially at the attention that was shown by the elfling at his side.
A/N: There you have it, Chapter 10. Next will be Glorfindel's story. As always, drop me a line and let me know what you think! I have had a distinct lack of reviewers and it makes me feel as if no one is reading this. Please!