Hi people!

Let's remember that Lord Glorfindel had pushed away Laura for fear that he felt something deeper than just a friendship for her; however, in the end, he has decided to ammend his mistake. What will he do for doing so?

And in this chapter the first encounter between two characters that will be very important in Laura's life as well as each other will happen.

Before starting, I want to thank Celridel for her help in her wonderful editions and invite all the readers to leave their reviews which will be welcomed.

Now... let's go for chapter 31!

Chapter 31: Viento Nocturno

During the following days, Glorfindel had often visited Laura's cottage, often in the evening, because during the day, it was near impossible to find her. She had found a strange refuge in Maeglin, a new friendship that did not please Glorfindel. He was honest enough to recognize his own prejudice towards the young Mole, but he thought it was grounded in truth.

But she never came out to greet him when he called. Glorfindel knew she both heard and recognized his voice, and was willfully ignoring him. It astonished him. He had never imagined that such a thing would happen, he would never have imagined that he would hurt her so much. So he thought long and hard about what he could do save their vanishing bond.

" Hwa -Young? Are you here?"

Alassë's sweet voice echoed emptily around the huge forge of the Mole. It was an enormous place, with a solid, earthy feel to it. There was a kind of chaotic order to it, something that said its master could find what he wanted in the snap of a finger, while it would take others years. Alassë believed Maeglin spent more time here than anywhere else.

"Can I help you?"

The voice was a soft baritone, reverberating through her bones. Alassë looked around, and her breath caught in her throat as the blood rushed to her head. Maeglin must have seen the shock on her face, for he smiled slightly.

"Welcome. I do not often see my kin in the forges." His voice was rich, magnetically compelling.

"Your kin?" she managed.

He shrugged as if to say, let us not quibble. "Half my kin," he amended. "But were you searching for someone?"

"Yes. Yes," Alassë answered, combing her mind for words. "I was….looking for Hwa-Young, my lord. I don't know if you have seen her."

"I'm afraid she is busy at the moments. Perhaps you could come another time?" he suggested.

"Oh, that would please me, but Lord Glorfindel is searching for her. Perhaps I could give her the message. It wouldn't take long," Alassë added, smiling shyly.

Lord Maeglin was taken a back. He was not often he was gifted with smile. Alassë was looking at him hopefully, and he thought her eyes were very blue. Not the hue of Idril's eyes. No, they were lighter, warmer, a bright cornflower blue that glowed with life. So he called Laura, who appeared after a few minutes, with dirty hands and sweat on her forehead.

"What is it, Lord Maeglin?" she asked. Then she saw Alassë, and began to smirk. "Your friend ..." Maeglin turned to the elleth questioningly.

"Alassë," she said, smiling.

"Alassë has brought a message for Lord Glorfindel."

"I don't have time to talk to him," Laura snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

Maeglin looked at her silently, and after a few minutes Laura sighed. "Alright. Let me get my stuff."

After they were alone, Alassë said, "You are very convincing, my Lord. She can be quite stubborn when she wants to be."

Maeglin nodded, his voice polite. "How long have you known her?"

"A few months. She is an excellent friend, although a little strange," Alassë said, her intrinsic cheerfulness prevailing over her fear.

"Yes, she is strange," Maeglin agreed. "But it takes all types to make a world, does it not?" He found himself talking freely, and actually wanting to talk to this young Sinda.

Alassë nodded, smiling. "Indeed it does. All types, from all different upbringings. Where would be the color in this little mosaic of ours if we were all the same?"

Maeglin was about to answer when Laura appeared again, cleaner, although there were still smudges on her hand. "Until tomorrow Lord Maeglin. Have a blessed day," she said.

"Likewise, Hwa -Young."

"May you have a blessed day, my lord," Alassë smiled, curtseying.

"Likewise, Alassë,"

The elleth smiled and followed Laura out of the forge.

Lord Maeglin watched them go until they were out of sight.

"So it looks like your dream came too," Laura declared playfully.

"Oh! He is so courteous and gentle," sighed Alassë. She was shaking slightly as she walked, and felt her head spinning as if she had drunk too much of a rich wine.

"And did you tell him what you feel for him?"

Alassë looked at Laura like the woman was the greatest fool Eä had ever suffered. "No! Of course not!"

Laura smiled. "I heard part of what you said to him, Alassë. That took guts, my friend, and I'm proud of you for that."

Alassë looked down. "You would have done it too,"

"I would have done it because I don't care."

"That's a lie."

Laura turned sharply on her Sinda friend, who had stopped walking. "You care. You care about Glorfindel. I know you did, because you were hurt when he pushed you away. You care about Maeglin. And I think you also care what I think. Don't you?" Alassë demanded.

Laura cursed internally. She had changed so much over these three and half years. Was it good? Was it bad? And she wondered if it was bad because sometimes it hurt.

"Look!" Alassë exclaimed, pointing towards her booth. "Glorfindel is waiting for you!"

"I'm not going," Laura answered. She could deal with pain, but she wasn't a sadist. She didn't need to keep changing.

"Yes, you are." Alassë answered firmly. "You will go, and you will be well-dressed."

"What?"

Alassë stooped and plucked a white rose from the hedge, and tucked it carefully behind Laura's rounded ear.

"You deserved that," Alassë whispered, and pushed her towards Glorfindel.

By the Vàlar! She looks beautiful! the Elf-Lord thought, amazed. Laura stood in the street, confused and embarrassed. When she caught Glorfindel's eyes, she blushed against her will.

Alassë, already several steps away, waved at her. "I must sell my fruit now, Hwa-Young."

Laura was about to call after her, but Glorfindel's voice made her stop and turn. "Hwa-Young, would you come with me?"

Lord Glorfindel's POV

'By the Válar! I could not have imagined this woman could look so beautiful! The rose her Sinda friend gave her makes her look so different, and the emotion on her face…..Hwa-Young, you look pretty when you blush-

It doesn't matter, of course it does not. I am here to repair our friendship. After all, we are friends, and nothing but that'

Laura's POV

Alassë and I will talk very seriously. Putting flowers in my hair…bullshit! What do you think I am? Some dumbass Elf? I don't need to look pretty for Glorfindel, and I don't need to assimilate.

Blondie looked so surprised. Yeah, who would have that? Your tough little mortal, dancing around with flowers in her hair. But he looks kinda cute with his mouth hanging open.

Oh crap! What's happening to me? It's like the time he gave me the braid, and I kept it, idiot I am. For God's sake, Laura, he's not even a friend. Get yourself together'

" And why should I do it, Lord Glorfindel?" Laura asked.

"I want to show you something," he answered.

Laura crossed her arms and smiled. "I don't care."

"Hwa-Young-"
"Don't call me that!" "

Glorfindel raised his eyebrows in surprise, not at the outburst, but at the flare of emotion that made the woman's voice crack. "What do you want me to call you?"

"I don't. I want you to just leave me alone," she snapped at him.

"What if I was going to apologize?" he asked evenly. "What if I asked you to forgive me for pushing you away? What if I said that in token of my regret, I wanted to show you something?"

He saw her reluctance, but the words seemed dragged out of her. "Where are we going?"
"Down to the north side of the city."

"Why the hell are we going there?"

"You'll see," he said, smiling.

Laura rolled her eyes, but Glorfindel paid no attention to it. "Come on," he said, and began to walk.

Laura was drinking in the sights greedily. She was seeing what she had not seen for a long time: hundreds of horses, beautiful horses lovingly cared for. Each horse had its own wide stable with straw and fresh water, and an entrance out into a green paddock. There was no saddles or reins in sight, which caught her attention.

"Elves do not need these things," Glorfindel explained. "We understand our horses, so we can work together."

"How do you do that? I mean, horses are intelligent, but they aren't telepaths," Laura asked, really curious.

Glorfindel gestured, and they both approached a snow-white horse, full-flanked and strong-limbed. "This is Valocco. He knows when I need him to charge or run. We are friends. We look out for each other's good." He reached up and tugged the stallion's forelock gently, and whispered something in his ear. Then he turned to Laura. "I've told him to greet you. Don't be nervous."
Laura raised her eyebrows. "Why would I be afraid of a horse?" She approached the stallion, and lifted a hand for the horse to smell. After a minute she began to caress Valocco, who whinnied and nuzzled the woman's hair in answer. She chuckled, and Glorfindel smiled.

"Well meet, Varilocco," she said

" Come," Lord Glorfindel said after a moment, "I want to show you this."

He led her out of the stables to a huge corral, where several dozen horses were grazing. "The Elves do not choose our horses, our horses choose us. Whichever one chooses you will be yours."

Laura looked up at Glorfindel, surprise widening her eyes. "You are…..giving me a horse?" she asked slowly.

Glorfindel nodded. "You loves horse, do you not? You could ride it around the city, and perhaps I could accompany you sometimes on Valocco."

Laura's face lit up with a girlish joy, and she had to hold back an impulse to embrace Glorfindel. She smiled at him gratefully and climbed over the corral to approach a cream-colored mare that was grazing near the fence. Glorfindel watched her from the other side.

The animal looked up at Laura and snorted. Laura crouched down a few steps away from the horse, extending her hand slowly. After a minute, the horse sniffed it slowly. She stood as Laura prepared to mount her, but at the last minute thought the better of it, and wheeled sharply away, so that Laura tumbled gracelessly to the ground.

Glorfindel laughed aloud, and Laura wrinkled her nose at him, leaping to her feet. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

Laura moved from on horse to the next, and each time, the story was the same, until Glorfindel finally said, "Hwa-Young, just let them choose you .Horses are intelligent beings, only be patient."

Laura sighed, wiping grass stains from her hands on to her tunic. "I know horses are smart. Otherwise one of them would have chosen me." She shook her head, and began to comb the dust and grass from her hair. "I'm a lost cause. Thank you for the thought, but…."

A shrill neigh made them both jerk, and then a hubbub of Elven voices arose. A black mare was galloping through the corral, glossy as silk, muscles moving fluidly as she ran. After a minute, she paused, looking back scornfully at the stable hands.

"Who is that?" Laura asked.

"She doesn't have a name. We've never been able to tame her." Glorfindel answered. "And…..Hwa-Young, what are you doing now?"

Laura had left Glorfindel and approached the mare. She was already in love with it: that mare would be hers, no matter the cost.

"Hwa-Young!" Glorfindel called in a harsh whisper, but Laura ignored him. The mare was beginning to prance again, ears laid back. "Hey, easy there, girl," Laura said softly. "Calm down. I said calm down, don't you understand?" Her voice was becoming harder as the mare ignored her for the third time.

The mare rushed her, but at the last moment, Laura ducked to the side and seized the horse's mane, swinging easily on top. The horse reared on its hind legs, whinnying furiously. Laura clung to her back like a limpet as it began to buck and caper. Finally, the mare buckled her front legs and rolled, trying to trap the woman. Laura leapt nimbly out of the way, never letting go of the horse's mane, although her hand was pinned under the horse's back in doing so. Both horse and woman lay on the ground, eye to eye.

After a long moment, Laura let go. The mare shook itself and stood up. Laura did likewise.

"Peace?" the woman asked.

In answer, the mare snorted and nosed Laura's head. The woman laughed. "Yeah, that was a good rodeo. Now, you need a name." She put one hand on each side of the horse's face, so their foreheads touched.

"Good idea," Laura announced at last, and then turned and began to walk towards Glorfindel, the mare following close behind.

"Let me introduce you to my horse," Laura told him. "We're challenging you to a race."

If Laura's speed and agility had surprised Glorfindel, he was equally surprised at her horse's speed and spirit.

Valocco had found a formidable opponent, and even though his stride was longer, Laura's mare was never far behind, and they had gone rushing through the Tumladen grasses side by side.

At last, the mare had put on a sudden burst of speed, pulling ahead of the stallion by a little, and at a whisper word from Laura, rise up on her hind legs, pawing at the air. Valocco swerved sharply to avoid a collision, skidding to an ungraceful halt so that Glorfindel nearly fell off. Laura laughed, dismounting.

"Karma," she announced cheerfully.

"Cheating," Glorfindel returned.

"No, that was karma. It's justice."

"Justice?"

"Yeah. You laughed at me when I fell on my ass. Now it's my turn. You know what? I'm going to name her 'Viento Nocturno'."

"What does that mean?"

"'Night Wind'.Doesn't it fit?""

Glorfindel smiled. Yes, the name fit perfectly. He was looking around, for to him, watching the sun set over the Echoriath would never grow old, when Laura said, "I forgot! Here is your consolation prize!" She took the white rose, now crushed and bruised, from her windblown hair.

"I'll take it with pride," Glorfindel said. "I prize the creations of Kementári above all gold."

Laura laughed incredulously. "You're not really going to put it in your hair?!"

"Why not?" He asked, amused at her astonishment.

"You're kidding me! It's crushed and bruised!"

"Would you give me my consolation prize, please?" he asked, holding out his hand. The woman shook her head and gave him the rose. Their hands brushed. "

Again, time stopped, the presence of both horses disappeared, the wind stopped blowing, the stream was not heard, there was nothing and nobody but them in that glass bubble. And once again, it was Laura who broke the charm by jerking her hand away, so the rose fell on the ground. Her voice was angry and cold. "What the hell is going on here? And you better give me a good explanation, or we are going have a problem."

Seems that the strange enchantment that happened to Lord Duilin and Elyéta is starting to happen between Laura and Lord Glorfindel with the difference that both don't want to care about it.

Waiting for your reviews, guys!