Chapter Twenty-five

Much later, she woke to the sound of someone thrashing back and forth near her. She was leaning against a tree of great girth and her hands were tied above her to a substantial-looking branch. The thrashing sound came from a figure under a tree near her. Upon further examination, she found that it was Glorfindel.

Looking around further, she found Morgoth leaning casually against a tree, facing both her and Glorfindel. He was looking at Glorfindel, indifferent to the pain the elf was experiencing. As she carefully watched his expression, he turned to look at her, and then smiled as he saw her looking back. He rose and walked over to her. He carefully bent down and put his hand on her cheek saying, "There is still time to change your mind."

"For his sake, I must say no."

"His time is almost spent. I bandaged his wound and treated the broken rib, but that will make little difference, except to lessen the pain."

"I thank you for that, but my resolve is steadfast. You should remember that... Farotur." She had called him Farotur when he had pursued her into Fangorn forest in the Elder Days. For a time, she had trusted him until she found that he was actually Morgoth.

"Is there no way for me to win you?" he asked, putting his other hand on her cheek.

"As you well know, there is not."

"He is close to death. I would estimate he only has around five hours left. If he does not get the antidote within about four hours."

"The point of no return?"

"Indeed."

"Please, reconsider. Don't kill him."

"Only if you give me your word."

"I cannot."

"Get comfortable. We'll be here awhile," he said. Once he finished saying that, he rose and returned to the place he had been before.

"If you think that what you have done is right, then you're a fool! You monster!" she said to him, spitting out the words.

"Is it so monstrous that I love you and wish to never be parted from you again?" he said eloquently.

"No, but threatening to kill someone to achieve that goal is," she said, disgusted.

ooooooooooooooooo

Over the next hour, Glorfindel thrashed and moaned in agony. The elf-maid watched him suffer with pain written into her face deeply. After watching patiently for that long, the elf-maid fell into a deep, unnatural slumber. During her unnaturally deep sleep, the Vala came over to her and cut the bond tying her to the branch of the oak. He softly lowered her still-bound arms to her lap.

As soon as her arms were lowered, her breathing became regulated and even. Quickly, he cut the other bond holding her wrists together and tore the ropes away from her wrists, thinking that she should never be bound.

Once her hands were free, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and studied her calm features. As he looked down at her, he said rather quietly with deeply felt emotions, "How could I ever not love you? Your emerald eyes? Your midnight hair? The sympathy that inspired me?"

His head quickly snapped up as he remembered something. He quickly carried Glorfindel off to a new location near a river. Once he had accomplished that, he shed his heavy cloak and set down his heavy, iron crown that held all of his carefully hoarded power. He now wore just leggings, boots, and a tunic, all black. He quickly returned to Silasea.

He gazed down upon her for some time, then gently picked her up and brought her away from the hard tree roots to a clear river about twenty feet across with trees right up on the banks. One of these trees had roots that extended right out several feet into the river before going underneath the surface. The roots would clearly support several hundred pounds in weight.

He carefully sat on these roots with his feet resting just above the waterline and his back resting against the great trunk of the large tree. He laid her down on his lap with her torso leaning against his well-muscled chest and her head resting against his neck. He laid her legs out in front of her. He gently placed her feet in the water where they floated freely, drifting back and forth (she had lost her slippers some time ago). Gently, he set one of her arms on his shoulder and one of her hands lay in her lap. He kept her there as she slept, singing ancient songs of love and loss.