I looked at a sealed letter addressed to the Lord and Lady of Imladris. It was with a packet of correspondence and personal letters. I sorted mail in piles on my desk and asked Lindir to distribute them. I saw a letter for Glorfindel that I also placed to one side. The Lord and Lady were gone that day with the twins for a trip to the horse canyon to see the newborn foals and Glorfindel was with them, leaving me in charge. It was supper when they arrived back, hungry and listening to the twins excitedly talk about all they saw. At fifteen, they were riding ponies of their own, but still had never left the sanctuary of Imladris.
We sat in the Lord and Lady's chambers while the boys went for baths before bedtime. I heard the rolling thunder break over the house and knew a spring storm was upon us. I passed out letters and waited to see who would comment first. It came swiftly from the Lady Celebrían.
"Naneth has the place ready for a wedding and we are of course invited." She waved the letter in her hand with excitement.
"When, meleth-nín?" Elrond looked up from his reading, as we all did.
"It says," she looked back to the letter her mother sent, "Summer Solstice. Oh dear, we don't have much time to pack and leave."
Elrond put his letter down in his lap. "You have the gifts ready?"
"I have been working on them since Ríllas sent word that Thranduil proposed. I just didn't know it would be this summer," Celebrían threw her hands up in exasperation. "Naneth wants us in the Havens by the end of May." She looked at her husband. "Elrond, that means we have to leave next week."
Elrond smiled at her. "And leave we shall. You are in charge of our clothes, the boys and gifts. I shall take care of everything else through judicious delegating."
The boys, fresh from their baths invaded the sitting room after they were put to bed in their own room, each finding the lap of a parent. They saw the adults not bothered by the storm and paused with their request, although it was the same one for the last ten years when they were scared. "Umm, can we sleep with you?" Elrohir asked as a clap of thunder slammed against the windows.
The parents looked at each other over the heads of an elfling they each cradled; for the boys didn't halt until each was encased within the safe arms of a parent.
"Well, just for tonight, but your naneth can't carry you, Elrohir," Elrond spoke as he rose with Elladan in his arms. He looked at me and I jumped up and took Elrohir from Celebrían and we made haste to the master bedroom. Celebrían pulled the thick white comforter back and we put the boys in the center of the large bed. As she covered her precious sons, a bolt of lightning struck outside the window and the little ones cringed and clung to each other.
Elrond looked at me. "I think we are done for the night and will remain with our iôns." As I shut the door, I saw the parents disrobing to climb into the bed to protect their elflings.
The next morning, Elrond and Celebrían at breakfast, broke the news to the twins.
"Elladan, Elrohir," Elrond demanded their attention with his tone. Upon his stern demeanor, both elflings focused on him and he continued. "Your mother and I have to go to the Havens. I trust you will behave while we are gone?"
Elladan, as usual, spoke first. "Why can't we go? We have attended our studies and are able to weld a bow against any foe on the road."
"You want to leave us? Are we not wanted?" Elrohir quickly added. It was becoming a ritual. Elladan would us logic and his twin, emotion.
"It's such a long ride and you can't bring the ponies," Elrond started to explain.
"Can we ride with you and Glorfindel?" Elrohir asked in anticipation, his earlier ploy for sympathy forgotten.
Elrond looked at Celebrían and she was smiling at the game they played with their sons. He turned back to them with a smile on his lips. "Well….. you can come, but" he held his hand up, "you two must act like mature elves and not elflings."
"We can do that…. I think," Elladan was nodding as he spoke.
"You two are under your Naneth's control. If anything comes to my attention between now and the time we leave, you two will not go." Elrond was firm in his tone and for once his sons were in complete obedience.
Glorfindel and I exchanged looks as if to say, 'Elrond, they are Celeborn's daeriôns, and you want them to obey?' We knew they could be complete orcs and their parents would take them to the sea. At fifteen, they weren't so certain.
True to Elrond's word, we rode out of Imladris exactly ten days later. The day arrived for our departure and the twin's first trip from Imladris. Elrond had his finest warriors on the trip and Celebrían was overseeing the boys so their adar could get us ready.
Glorfindel was dressed in his armor that morning as we sat to breakfast. The twins were so excited they fidgeted and asked nonstop questions, but Glorfindel told them to sit still and eat in a tone that had them complying immediately. We left the hidden valley the first of April and expected to be in the Havens twenty days later. Horns and songs bid us farewell as we thundered across the stone bridge and up the hill on the far side of the falls.
For three days we rode through the pines and occasional high moors, with their spring flowers blanketing the ground with sprays of white, gold and purple. Elladan was seated before his father and Elrohir before Glorfindel as the horses flew with freedom to the west.
Nighttime brought more adventures with elflings as the boys still had energy to burn and Elrond and Glorfindel put them to shooting pinecones while camp was set up and food prepared. I shared a tent with Glorfindel and the boys slept with their parents. While the guards kept us safe, the twins ran and played games where pinecones were orcs and wargs.
Elrond sat before the fire on the fourth night watching his boys and I sat with him, as he seemed to be contemplating something. "It's going on three years now since Celeborn has seen his daeriôns," Elrond finally parted with his inner thoughts. "With each visit, I feel like I'm the one examined for my parenting skills. Have I taught the boys to be polite enough or the proper greeting to Círdan in his kingdom? What have I missed, Erestor?" He looked to me for an answer.
"My Lord, I don't think you are going to be judged by how your iôns behave. An entire community is eagerly a waiting to see them. Many mariners remember Elros and you as youths and if anything, will be looking for the same mischievous elflings."
"It was Elros who always led me into trouble. I just couldn't tell him no; much like Elladan does with Elrohir."
"What is really bothering you?" I asked him, although I had a good idea. "You are Peredhil as your iôns. No matter how much you wish to be pure elven, you are not and nor are they."
"Celebrían should have married a pure elf, like her. I don't want to bring shame upon her or her parents with my poor breeding." Elrond stared into the fire and in the distance I heard Celebrían laughing with the boys and encouraging them to make further shots at the pinecones.
"I've never known the one who turned down the position of High King to worry about blood. Dior led the Sindar and had more human blood than you. Tuor was Turgon's acknowledged heir. Celebrían and her parents have never once commented on you being lesser for your unique makeup." I thought what could be bothering my lord and had an epiphany. "There is a certain Lord at North Mithlond who I heard Lady Celebrían was quite fond of." I could see I hit the mark and gave an inward smile and congratulations.
Elrond confirmed my suspicions. "She should have wed Lord Fálmar. He asked her many times, or so she told me. He wasn't invited to our wedding, as I didn't want her to leave me at the altar for him."
"I'm sure if he was her one, she would not have waited fifteen hundred years for you," I told the Lord sarcastically. It went right over his head and I started to worry. He really was insecure. "If Lord Celeborn wanted Lord Fálmar for a son-in-law, he would be the one in her bed and not you."
"When Elros and I were elflings, living with Círdan, Fálmar was our age and playmate, being his father was Lord of Brithombar and then North Mithlond before he sailed and left it to his son. Fálmar always made me feel inferior, first for being Ñoldor and second, not pure elven. We were rivals in almost everything." Elrond threw a stick into the fire he had been twisting in his grasp.
"You want I should toss him off a pier?" I got my desired result when Elrond snorted, then laughed.
He rose and went in the direction of his family.
We made excellent time on the Great East Road and reached Bree in Arnor in fourteen days. Elrond stopped a few miles east and sent scouts ahead to see if anyone was camped near the town. They reported a band of dwarves to the south so we looped to the north to the disappointment of young elflings who wanted to see a dwarf and the village of men. Elrond assured them on the return trip they would have more time, but needed to get to the Havens so their naneth could insert herself into the wedding planning.
"Glorfindel, may I impose on you to hit my husband when you cease laughing like an elfling."
This caused the Balrog slayer to laugh harder and it was a merry group that swung to the north around Bree Hill. That night we stopped in a wooded area on the Baranduin River. We set camp as usual and I set the boys to cleaning up at river's edge. Many days on the road had them looking like human lads. The spring water was too cold for a swim, but clean hands and faces were an improvement. One of our warriors jokingly said they couldn't be just fifteen as nobody could get that dirty in so few years. They were having an adventure to tell their friends in Imladris and memories to last forever.
Night fell quiet under a blanket of stars and Eärendil was tracking his path over our heads. Crickets suddenly shut up and for some reason I woke. Glorfindel was tenting with me and was sitting up also. He silently rose and buckled his sword on and reached for bow and arrows. Slinging his quiver over his back, he left without making a sound. Years of soldiering taught me to listen, and then I heard it, a soft neigh from one horse that said danger. I knew it must be Asfaloth and was hurrying to pull my boots on and grab my sword. I made my way to Elrond's tent close by. I hooted softly and Elrond responded from within while I spun and searched the night. Elrond's worst fears were coming to life. He was without the protection of Imladris for his family.
Suddenly Elrond was beside me and saying, "Celebrían is dressing the boys. Your task is to guard them and if things turn badly for us, take them and make a run for the Havens."
"Yes, my Lord." Elrond didn't need an argument from me and I was in complete agreement.
I saw our warriors were up and ready. In the dark silence, we waited. Ithil chose not to grace us with light this evening and I'm sure whoever was attacking took that into consideration. Suddenly arrows started piercing the tent walls and I ducked inside to see Celebrían holding her fingers to Elladan's upper arm. He had an arrow shaft sticking out from what was surely lodged in the bone. I didn't hesitate. While there was confusion, I pulled it out. He never said a word until I jerked, then let out a cry of pain. Celebrían quickly bound the wound with a strip of cloth from Elrond's healing bag and then clutched him to her. Elrohir was as scared as I ever saw him and he flinched as another arrow flew through the roof. He was gripping his tiny sword tightly and breathing rapidly.
"We need better cover than woven walls," I needlessly stated.
I stepped outside and motioned Celebrían to get directly behind me with Elladan in between and Elrohir in the rear. It didn't take but a few incoming arrows to see the trajectory and know where our attackers were located. There were a few gaps in the incoming arrows so I moved during one, hoping to get to the trees and boost them into one. Glorfindel was beside me in an instant, his quiver empty. "It's not locals, I'm sure. They stole our horses, so I'm going after them to get Asfaloth back. Stay low near the base of the trees." With that he melted into the night. I knew his horse would answer his summons, but without mounts, we would have to stay put until more were either procured in Bree or runners made Mithlond. I placed Celebrían on the ground with her back to a bole and made sure the twins were securely in her arms. I stood in front of her with just my sword. The sounds of fighting on the far side of camp let me know just how close the enemy was.
The fighting didn't diminish as reinforcements kept arriving from the men. They were fierce fighters, but no match for trained elves. Suddenly, Glorfindel was in camp on Asfaloth. He motioned for us to stay put and threw my saddle onto his precious mount. Leading it to the tree, he gave a command. Glorfindel was easy going with joking and laughter foremost in his life. Now, I was seeing the one who fought in Gondolin; the one who died with a Balrog.
"I could only get Asfaloth to break free. The horses are tethered together and being led south by men of unknown dress. They are not from Eriador. Take Asfaloth and get help from the Havens. I'll watch over the family of Elrond with my life." He gripped me in a tight hug, which I returned and leapt nimbly on his horse. I crossed the river using the bridge at a full gallop. Arrows landed at the feet of Asfaloth, but he soon distanced us from their range. I gave him his head and was along for the ride. I always wanted to ride Glorfindel's horse like this, but never under these conditions. By morning I was on the road through the Old Forest. I thought briefly of stopping by Tom Bombadil's house, but had my orders. I passed a group of Dúnedain in the distance and with a wave kept my pace. Another morning had us approaching Emyn Beraid or the White Towers in Westron and I knew by noon I would be in Mithlond.
I heard the blast of a horn announcing my arrival a mile before I thundered onto cobblestone and through the arched gate. I trotted Asfaloth and then slowed him to a walk, all the while telling him mentally how wonderful he was and all that waited him at the stables. I pulled up and looked around. It was several hundred years since I last graced these cobblestone streets lined with stone buildings.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Lord Celeborn," I addressed an elf who was looking curiously in my direction.
"Try the house of Círdan. Do you know where it is?"
"If my Lord hasn't moved in the last four hundred years, I know exactly where to go." I thanked him and turned Asfaloth's head. "Just a short distance and you'll not have to carry anyone for weeks."
The guard stopped me at the gate to Círdan's private palace. "State your business."
"I'm Lord Erestor from Imladris, with an urgent message for Lord Celeborn."
He waived me into the courtyard where I dismounted for the first time in almost twenty hours. I addressed the guard. "I've ridden far and fast and my mount is in dire need of care. He is the horse of Lord Glorfindel and I would see the best for him."
I saw awe cross the ellon's face. "I've heard of him, the twice born. I'll get a page immediately."
I didn't wait to see if my request was carried out and hurried into the cool open vestibule that divided the house into two sections. It was lined with statues and verdant foliage and smelled of a spring rain and lemons. I could see drops of water on the leaves and knew they had just received moisture. Not sure which door to use, I did the unthinkable. I called mentally for the Lady Galadriel.
"Up here, Erestor." I followed the voice and saw Lady Ríllas smiling and beckoning.
Taking the steps three at a time, I stopped before her with a bow. "My Lady, it is with gladness of heart to find you thus. The letters from Lady Galadriel are most informative about your health and upcoming nuptials."
"The lady knew you arrived when you were still at the gate. She assumes her family is nearby and you sent ahead for to make ready. She would greet you, but is currently indisposed."
"No, my Lady, I come alone. I must speak with all haste to Lord Celeborn."
"Please, follow me." Without further pleasantries we went into a commodious room with two fireplaces and no less than three sectionals for seating in groupings. Another door from within opened and Lady Galadriel appeared. I shuttered to give her the news.
"Lord Erestor, I foresee you rode hard and fast. Tell me, where did you leave my family?"
"On the River Baranduin. We were attacked in the night and our horses stolen. Glorfindel was able to coach Asfaloth to pull out of his noose and return to him. I know not the manner of men who attacked."
"There is a meeting of Lords or Celeborn would be here already. Come, they will welcome your intrusion." Galadriel led Ríllas and I down a hall and flight of stairs to what I remember as Círdan's study. Without knocking, she opened the door and we were among the leaders of Lindon.
I saw Círdan at the head of a long table with Celeborn to his right and Thranduil his left and many Lords of the area.
"Ahh, Lord Erestor, it has been far too long since you have graced our community. Did Elrond arrive?" Círdan asked for everyone.
"No, Lord Círdan. We were attacked by men on the River Baranduin. They stole our horses and I alone came to fetch help." I threw a look at Celeborn, who started to rise until Círdan laid a hand on his forearm. "Elladan was injured in the arm," I quickly added. This time Celeborn did rise and stalk to me.
"Did Elrond not travel with enough warriors to fend off a band of thieves?" Celeborn was too close for my liking. He had a reputation of unpredictability and more than one hapless soul was tossed over a table or out a door.
"They attacked in the dead of night when Ithil didn't show her face. They were after the horses, but outnumbered our company."
"Could be the same ones," Thranduil spoke from his position.
Círdan motioned for Celeborn and I to the table. Someone quickly vacated next to Celeborn and I sat. "We have been fighting off more Umbar Raiders. They eluded our ships in the fog. Most likely they sailed up the Baranduin under its blanket. Their ships might have run aground or been burned and they are looking for mounts." He looked at the golden haired elf at the far end of the table. "Galdor, the Havens are yours. I will personally ride out and escort Elrond here."
While Círdan issued orders, I looked at the elves in the room. Most I knew and some accompanied Círdan on his recent trip to Imladris. At no time have I ever seen Galdor and Círdan far from Mithlond together, outside Elrond and Celebrían's wedding.
Let me take a moment to describe the great Lord Galdor. He was born during the Noontide of the Valar and crossed the Helcaraxë with Fingolfin's large group of Ñoldor. His naneth was Teleri from Alqualondë and adar a Ñoldor lord. Young Galdor sought adventure in Middle Earth and was one of the twelve houses of Gondolin and outside Tuor, the only Lord to escape the fall of Gondolin alive. He was rescued by Círdan when the Havens of Sirion was attacked in FA 538 and taken to the Isle of Balar and made one of his lords. He rose in rank to second Lord of the Havens, a position he holds to this day.
Everyone started standing and I rose with them intending to return and assist. Celeborn's hand on my shoulder caught my attention.
"Stay and rest, Erestor. You have earned it. I will be back within the week, I'm sure. How many horses were taken?"
"About sixty, my Lord," I quickly answered. "Thirty warriors are with us and our pack horses." I knew the Lord gave me an indirect order, but no way was I not returning. "Lord Celeborn, I am riding back with you." He looked me over and gave a brief nod.
"We leave in an hour. Be fed and I'll have a horse ready."
I watched as he strode from the room. The air was as a lightning storm when Lord Celeborn issued orders and took charge, as he did now. It was his family in peril.