*Peace, you are safe amongst friends though not of your people*

And while the elf's eyes did not open again nor did he get any other actual response he could tell that the elf had relaxed at hearing Sindarin. Over the next few days the mysterious elf became more alert and that's when they ran across a new problem, the unknown elf had forgotten everything but Sindarin it appeared

"What now?"

"Now we try and trigger his memories in any way possible and winter here since it is now too dangerous to head to Rivendell"

"Speak only Sindarin in his presence?"

"No, however whenever you speak in the Common tongue make sure it is simple phrases only until we're sure he's understanding the language"

And with that the group mostly spoke in Sindarin around the mysterious elf though they also spoke Common as plainly as possible doing their best to try and trigger the elf's memories and then one day shortly before spring they finally manage to do so

*We all need to make a decision about something very serious and make it soon*

*What is it?*

*As many of you are aware, Rivendell holds an annual memorial feast for Lord Glorfindel a month before his actual death and on that day they patrol the areas where he died with extra vigilance, however I have heard rumors that this year that tradition shall end, as such I want to know if we shall continue that tradition in their stead since the area does need to be patrolled*

*I know...what of Lothlorien or Mirkwood?, have they also given up hope of Lord Glorfindel ever being found?*

*I'm not sure, as it is the decision as apparently only just been made by Rivendell to give up the search since the patrol is the signal that the search is ongoing*

*How did you find this out Thanidar?*

*I got lucky that's how, you remember how it was reported that while I was alone it was obvious I had received care of some sort due to where I was found?*

*I remember*

*Somehow, and don't ask me how, but somehow a patrol from Rivendell found me when I got seriously lost in the storm that we had recently and treated my broken leg and a few other injuries*

*Who exactly treated the injuries?*

*They didn't exactly give me their name but they either trained alongside Lord Elrond's twin sons for a time or learned from Lord Elrond's twin sons since the elf treating me wasn't quite as good as either Lord Elrond or his sons but good enough at least*

*I see, and the Lord's Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir have all stayed in Imladris at this time?*

*Yes but apparently this patrol had it confirmed by someone in the know to pass onto other patrols that the search for Lord Glorfindel was ended*

*I see*

*Maybe ask via messenger what their plans are? I mean they aren't obligated to follow Rivendell's path regarding the situation right?*

*True but where one realm leads the others generally follow, especially in regards to something like this*

*Good point, it having been so long...we've been raised with those stories*

*Precisely*

The group continues to discuss it and that's when Aragorn realizes that their unknown elf had gone very, very still while they had been talking about Rivendell and Lord Glorfindel and thus spoke directly to him

*Thandorinon what is it?*

*How long has this memorial feast for a lost Captain been going on?*

*Since before any of us were born Thandorinon*

*I see, how much longer until it is safe to head to Imladris?*

*At least another month if not longer*

(Sighs) *I see, and to head to either Lothlorien or Mirkwood?*

*Two months or longer*

*Very well then, if that's the case I must insist on two things*

*What two things are you going to insist on?*

*The first is that I join your patrols until we can head to Imladris and the second is that you call me by my rightful name*

*As to the first I'm afraid that as a healer I can't allow it, you're still not quite healed enough to handle battle, as for the second what is your rightful name?*

*You're as stubborn as Elrond when it comes to his patients young one*

*I take that as a compliment, he's been my teacher for a while for reasons that I will explain to you in time if I deem it necessary, now then about your name...*

*My name is Glorfindel*

Aragorn gasps at hearing that

*It can't be*

*It is though, Rivendell believes me dead and for some years if what I'm hearing is true but I am alive*

*It's been at least a thousand years since that day if not more how is it possible you survived so long in captivity?*

*Part of that was because of amnesia young ones, the other part though is because apparently my original captors didn't want to kill me for some reason and since then I have been basically sold from captor to captor like a slave, my last captors who you killed finally decided that they didn't want an elf and also decided that they didn't want to sell me either and so did their best to kill me slowly and painfully*

*I see...you and I must talk later in private then Lord Glorfindel, there are things you must know and understand ere we are able to return to Imladris*

And so later that day Aragorn and Glorfindel spoke in private and that's where Aragorn explained his status as the adopted son of Lord Elrond and a few other things he felt it was important Glorfindel should know and then exactly a month to the day after he regained his memories Glorfindel was told that he could finally head home after being away for so many years

*Really?, the path is safe?*

*Yes, the path is safe now*

*Home...it's been a long time since I have ever thought about the possibility of me ever going home because even without my memories I now realize I dreamt of Imladris regularly over the years*

A month and a half later and Aragorn and Glorfindel are almost at the Valley's entrance when suddenly Glorfindel stops his horse

"What is it?"

"It's just...I've been gone for so long, believed killed during a patrol, do you honestly think I should surprise them like this?"

"Oh Captain...I truly believe that you should enter your home now, if you want you can keep your hood up since we have cloaked you in the clothes of the Dunedain, that might work until father sees you and confirms for himself that it's truly you"

After a few more minutes of hesitation Glorfindel follows Aragorn's suggestion and puts the hood of the cloak up and finally returns home after being gone for a very, very long time as it would turn out Elrond himself would greet the two of them at the entrance

*Father, it's good to see you, we have much to discuss in private *

*Estel, welcome home, who is your companion?*

*That is part of the private discussions actually*

*Very well, do either of you need healing?*

*No*

*Then we shall head to my office*

The group heads to Elrond's office with Glorfindel keeping his silence though it was hard for him to do so, but he also knew that it wasn't yet time to reveal himself and once in his office Elrond switched to the common tongue

"Now then before we go any further I need to know why you took longer than expected to come home Estel"

"Actually...that's part of the discussion we actually need to have"

And so Aragorn tells the story of why it took so long to come home including mentioning his comrade right with him without mentioning names or race

"We spent three months fighting to keep him alive and twice we thought we lost him, after the first time is when we gave you the name you went by while in the encampment, that was so that at least if we lost you you wouldn't have a nameless grave"

"My thanks"

"In any case, after he woke up we discovered he was amnesic and then we simply waited until we could travel here"

"I see, then you're here to see if I can help you regain any of your memories?"

Aragorn and the mysterious person looked at each other and with a nod Aragorn turns the conversation over to his companion who speaks up in Sindarin

*No my Lord, we are simply here because of the fact that this is my home*

The person pulls down the hood and Elrond instantly recognizes the person though his soft and shocked voice lets the two know how missed the person was and of course they already knew that this reveal was unexpected

"Glorfindel...but how?, your patrol reported that you had fallen off the cliff"

"And I did, but I was found by a group of human slavers and have ever since been sold from one group to the other, I had forgotten my name and where I came from, but I always remembered that I was an elf and I also always remembered the language of my people"

"I see...then the group that had you..."

"Yes when Estel here rescued me they were tired of me and had decided to kill me"

When Glorfindel described his final group of owners Elrond gasped again

"You could have been home ten years before Estel ever arrived if you had been brought here, for they had come asking for supplies after a storm, they mentioned that they had split up in case one of the two groups didn't find help"

"They lied, the half that you didn't see kept me in a camp some wheres keeping an eye on me after my most recent escape attempt. It was shortly after that day that you are talking about that they made sure that one if not both of my legs were always broken"

"I re-broke the legs during the three months you were unaware of it since unlike humans elves can heal without permanent disability no matter how many times they suffer injuries to limbs as long as the injury is broken bones"

"I see, thanks for that by the way"

"So...how are we going to reveal that he's alive father, after all..."

"I know, you heard about how the memorial feast last year was the final one"

"Yes, the Rangers were going to continue the tradition and also take over the patrol since you guys weren't, but that was before we knew that Captain Glorfindel here was alive"

"I see, and Glorfindel part of the problem is Thalomir, I gave him command after..."

"I see, just like I thought you would, maybe...maybe we can now be equal in rank once I get used to those under my command again"

Three days later and Glorfindel is revealed to Rivendell to be alive and once he had readjusted to those who protected the Valley Thalomir and Glorfindel found a balance that was needed since Elrond had declared them equal in rank and would remain Co-Captain until he sailed to Valinor with Elrond's twin sons seeing as how Thalomir also stayed behind