Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mirkwood's Plague II:

Aftermath

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 5 ~ Understandings

~*~

When Elrond entered the dining hall the next morning after being summoned at just gone ten o'clock, he looked to the large table and was surprised to find it full of food and Gandalf, the Hobbits, Gimli, Aragorn, Arwen and Glorfindel were all sitting around waiting to eat. "Good morning, my Lord," Glorfindel chimed. Elrond just winced in response to the overly cheerful voice of the Imladrian seneschal. "We prepared breakfast."

"So I see," Elrond said flatly, sitting down at the empty place at the table and wishing he was back in his nice warm bed. Once he was in his seat everyone took it as a cue to start eating. "I don't suppose anyone thought to look in on Legolas and Thranduil this morning," he said a little grumpily.

Glorfindel shot everyone a humoured look and Aragorn politely answered his father. "I checked in on Legolas just before I came here. Thranduil was still with him and he was looking a little better."

"Good." Elrond poured himself some tea and picked up his knife and fork.

"Did you sleep well, my Lord?" Glorfindel asked, tucking into a pastry.

"Perfectly well, thank you. That is, until someone started pounding on my door and summoned me to the dining rooms," Elrond grumbled.

Aragorn grinned over at his normally good-natured father. "I don't remember you ever being grumpy in the mornings in Rivendell, Ada," he smiled, buttering his toast.

"Now Elessar, your father is tired," Gandalf chastised, barely able to keep a straight face as he said it. "Give him a break."

"Thank you, Gandalf," Elrond smiled grimly, apparently unaware of the Wizard's mocking of him. Although Aragorn looked down at the table in shame, the twinkle in the Wizard's eyes told him that he was just joking and he smiled discreetly, as did his wife at his side. "I must admit that a good nights' sleep does the world of good. Glorfindel, did you get to bed last night?" he asked, looking up from his plate to his seneschal.

"No, my Lord. I was busy assessing the extent of the…damage." Glorfindel's constantly alert eyes flicked over to Gandalf only briefly as if gauging his reaction. He was a little concerned that the Wizard might mention something of their discussion the night before.

"All night?" Arwen asked in confusion, wondering what could have taken so long.

"I…Uh, no…I…."

"We met up in the Great Hall and I filled him in on everything he had missed. I'm afraid I went into rather a lot of detail," Gandalf smiled kindly, saving the seneschal from groping for an explanation.

"Well, just make sure you go somewhere quiet and get some rest some time today. It must have been quite a ride from Rivendell for you to have made it here so quickly," Elrond said, looking seriously over at his friend with a trained healer's eye. He knew that the loyal Elda would want to help Mirkwood as much as possible and probably over-exert himself in the process.

"Yes, my Lord," Glorfindel sighed, hating being dressed down by his Lord, especially in front of other people and especially about his own well-being. Not that he would ever say anything to his friend for he knew the concern was genuine enough.

Breakfast remained a cheerful affair, everyone relishing the few minutes of quiet they could get before having to dive right back in to the misery and chaos of the bustling Great Hall. Once they were all finished eating they departed to return to their respective positions within the Mirkwood palace. Before Glorfindel could leave with the others though, Elrond grabbed his arm, holding him back. The seneschal waited dutifully with his Lord until the dining hall was empty. As soon as they were alone, Elrond turned to him.

"Captain, I realise that you have only just arrived but I could really use your help around here. These people are terrified and scattered and I'm not sure there's a great deal more I can say to reassure them. I want you to start spreading the news that help will be soon arriving from Gondor and Imladris. It shouldn't take long for the word to spread. Start by telling the healers, they of all people could use some good news. A little morale boost won't do any harm. Then I want you to take a walk around the outlying settlements. Check that everything is running smoothly within them. I'm afraid that in all the chaos around the palace lately the villages have been somewhat left to their own devices. They have all been given the cure of course but I suspect they still suffer."

"Yes, my Lord."

"And Glorfindel, prepare yourself. I can't imagine it's a pretty sight out there. Take Gimli with you."

"A Dwarf? Is that really necessary?" Glorfindel asked.

Elrond smiled at his friend's reaction. "Yes, it is necessary. He has been invaluable throughout this crisis and people trust him."

"And they don't trust me?" Glorfindel asked, obviously a little offended. He had, after all, been coming to Mirkwood far longer than the Dwarf, not to mention the implication that his own people would trust a Dwarf over another Elf.

"Of course they do, mellon nin, but these people are fragile at the moment and you are a new face around here and they have come to trust Gimli during this crisis. Please, just humour me this once."

"Very well. I will do as you ask, sir."

"Thank you, Glorfindel. I must admit to being extremely grateful that you came."

Glorfindel smiled. "I was concerned you might think me overly rash for bringing Arwen here."

"Indeed, it was rather rash but I figured word would travel eventually and that she wouldn't wish to remain in Imladris long after hearing Aragorn was in trouble." Elrond smiled gently. "You did the right thing, Glorfindel. I'm glad you came."

"And what about Legolas? Will he be alright?" Glorfindel asked nervously.

"I'm sure, given time, he'll pull through. He has Thranduil with him. I'm sorry you had to be the one to…pick up the pieces yesterday."

Glorfindel shook his head, waving off Elrond's concerns. "I was pleased to help."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be fine after a little rest. I'll be in the Great Hall if you need me."

"Thank you, my Lord."

~*~

When Elrond entered the lounge later that night he was startled to find Glorfindel sitting in the dark on the couch, a glass of wine in his hand and a half-empty open bottle on the table before him. He appeared to be in deep thought and didn't notice Elrond's entrance.

"Glorfindel?" Elrond asked softly but the Elda didn't seem to hear him. So he called his name a little louder, "Glorfindel." The blonde jumped, nearly spilling the wine from his glass. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Elrond," Glorfindel said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?"

"Sorry?"

"What are you doing sitting in the dark?" Elrond asked, closing the door and lighting a lamp so they could at least see each other. "Captain?"

"What?"

"I said why are you sitting in the dark?" Elrond asked again, walking over to him.

"I…It wasn't dark when I sat down," Glorfindel answered vaguely, looking out the window as though surprised that night had fallen. "I didn't realise it was so late."

"Is anything wrong?" Elrond asked, suddenly concerned.

"No. I mean, yes." Glorfindel looked almost pleadingly up at the Elven Lord. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly understanding what was wrong, Elrond sat down next to the blonde Elf who was again reclining back in his seat. "Is it the villages?" Glorfindel looked across at him but quickly looked away again when he met with Elrond's probing brown eyes. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, mellon nin. It must have been quite a shock. I should have better prepared you for it."

"What? Yes. I mean, no. It wasn't your fault." Glorfindel took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm sorry; I seem to have lost the ability to speak lately." Elrond merely smiled understandingly. "I didn't know it would be quite that bad."

"Welcome to my world," Elrond laughed grimly.

"I'm sorry, Elrond." Glorfindel downed the contents of his glass in one.

"Don't be." Elrond watched Glorfindel for a long moment. The seneschal looked worn out. "Did you get a chance to catch some sleep earlier?"

"Uh, no; it completely slipped my mind," Glorfindel admitted.

Elrond took the glass from the Elda and placed it on the table in front of them. "Go to bed. There is nothing more you can do tonight."

"Yes." Glorfindel nodded, thinking that was the best suggestion he had heard since he came to Mirkwood. He stood up to leave but turned to look at his Lord. "How is Prince Legolas?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"He's still sleeping. I think that medicine knocked him out. Don't worry about the prince; I've left a healer with him in case he needs anything."

"Then King Thranduil is not with him?" Glorfindel asked.

"No, he went to rest a while back. But Legolas is in good hands."

Glorfindel thought for a moment then came to a decision. "If you don't need me tonight I'll go and find somewhere to lie down for a couple of hours."

"Please do. I believe there are some spare servant's quarters on the lower level."

"I'll find somewhere, thank you."

"Goodnight, Captain."

"Goodnight, sir."

Instead of searching for somewhere to sleep though, Glorfindel went straight to Legolas' rooms. He nodded to the guards at the door and they dutifully stood aside to let him pass. He slipped inside and crept across the living room before opening the bedroom door. A healer stood from the chair by the fire and looked to the Seneschal of Imladris.

"You can leave now. Wait outside, I'll stay with him," Glorfindel whispered and the healer nodded and left quietly, closing the doors behind him, rather disappointed at being dismissed from the simple and pleasant task of watching over the sleeping prince. Still, he could hardly say no to Glorfindel.

Now he was alone with Legolas, Glorfindel walked quietly up to the bed, carefully taking a seat on the edge. For a few minutes he simply watched the golden prince sleep, revelling in the beauty of the sight. Although he was clearly unwell, Legolas looked warm and content lying in his bed, his eyes closed, the glow of the fire creating the illusion of his cheeks being more full of colour than they really were. Reaching out his hand, Glorfindel gently brushed sleep-ruffled hair from Legolas' face, his fingertips ghosting over the prince's fine features.

Even though he was extremely gentle in his touches, his actions still disturbed Legolas from his sleep. Blue eyes fluttered open and briefly searched the ceiling in confusion before finally finding Glorfindel at his side. The Elda smiled down at him. "Glorfindel?" Legolas asked, his eyes still heavy from sleep.

"Hello," the seneschal whispered, still smiling down at the slightly dazed prince.

Slowly, Legolas became more alert and he managed to pull himself into a semi-sitting position, leaning against the headboard. "What are you doing here?" he asked tiredly.

The question seemed to stump Glorfindel for a moment. "I…I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have come. You're obviously tired. I'll leave you to rest."

Legolas laughed gently and Glorfindel stilled. "No, I meant what are you doing in Mirkwood?"

"You…you don't remember me telling you last night?" Legolas shook his head. "Of course you don't. I came here with Lady Arwen. She was concerned about Estel."

Surprisingly, Legolas dropped his gaze to the bed sheets. "Arwen," he whispered almost sadly.

Glorfindel seemed to realise his mistake and hastily assured. "I was worried too. But I didn't know whether you would really want me here," he confessed quietly. "I didn't want…I mean, after everything…"

"I'm glad you did come. I'm pleased you're here," Legolas admitted, his eyes steadily meeting Glorfindel's once more. "I'm sorry about last night…"

"Do not apologise to me again," Glorfindel laughed brightly.

"I wasn't exactly showing my best side. And this is the first time you've seen me in nearly four years. I had hoped to make a better impression upon our next meeting but it appears it was not to be," Legolas laughed softly, tugging at the wrinkles in his nightshirt and pressing a hand to his untidy hair.

"I think you look just fine," Glorfindel complimented genuinely.

"Liar," Legolas laughed. He rested his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired," he whispered.

"Probably the stuff Elrond dosed you with."

"What?" Legolas asked, opening his eyes and looking up at the seneschal.

"You don't remember that either? He gave you something last night to help you sleep."

Legolas sighed. "Well, at least we know it is working."

Glorfindel watched Legolas dozing peacefully for a while, the sight heart-warming after witnessing so much death and devastation during his tour. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in the same room as the Elven prince. All his troubles seemed to melt away as Legolas slept. Their split had been mutual, both realising that their relationship couldn't continue under the circumstances. It had been Glorfindel's indiscretion. He had been the one who had brought about the end and to this day he regretted it deeply; hated that he had hurt the young prince so much. To his utter amazement though, Legolas had not been openly angry with him. He had calmly spoken to Glorfindel and together they had agreed that they should end things before it got out of hand. Stunned by Legolas' reaction, Glorfindel had numbly agreed, not wanting to hurt Legolas any more and agreeing to whatever it was the prince said he wanted. They had finally parted not long before the forming of the Fellowship of the Ring and had had virtually no contact ever since.

"Legolas?" Glorfindel asked after a while, looking down to the prince.

"Yes," Legolas prompted sleepily.

"You know that I'm sorry, right? About…what happened."

"That is all in the past now," Legolas said, not bothering to open his eyes. "I really have more important things to worry about right now, Captain."

Although slightly hurt by the words, Glorfindel understood. "Of course." He cleared his throat and stood up, straightening out his robes. "I'd better leave you to rest now, Your Highness," he said, rather more coldly than he meant to.

Legolas opened his eyes at the sudden change in tone and looked up at the Elda, who was still watching him closely. "Glorfindel, I didn't mean…"

"You don't have to explain, my Lord. I'm sure I'm needed in the Great Hall."

"How are things in there? People seem so reluctant to tell me the truth lately. Is it still that bad?" Legolas asked, slipping down a little so he was flat on the bed again.

Glorfindel watched the younger Elf for a long moment before answering. "Yes, it is," he spoke truthfully much to Legolas' surprise. People had done nothing but tell him that everything was 'fine' since he had collapsed outside the healing room. To hear someone contradict that was quite a shock.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, now more alert.

"Things are still pretty bad out there, especially in the surrounding settlements. But Lord Elrond and King Elessar appear to have everything under control," Glorfindel added.

For a few beats Legolas couldn't think of anything to say.

"I appreciate your honesty," he finally settled on.

"I figured enough people must already be lying to you about the situation. I don't want to add to that deception," Glorfindel said rather bluntly.

"Thank you," Legolas whispered uncertainly. He looked up in concern at Glorfindel.

"You should rest now. I'm sure your father will return soon."

"Glorfindel, why did you come here?" Legolas asked suddenly.

"I already told you, Arwen wanted to check everything was well with Estel."

"You know that's not what I meant. Why did you come here tonight?"

Glorfindel sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I was worried about you. I wanted to see that you were alright after last night. No ulterior motives, I promise." Legolas just stared at him. "I shouldn't have come here, should I? I knew this was a bad idea. First thing tomorrow morning I'm going to tell Elrond that it would be best for me to return to Imladris. You have enough to deal with without this…" Legolas merely watched him silently, his piercing blue eyes seeming to search Glorfindel's soul. "I'm sorry, mellon nin."

"Stay," Legolas said before Glorfindel could turn away.

"Excuse me?"

"Please stay," the prince repeated quietly. "I want you to stay."

"You…you're certain?"

"As certain as I can be at the moment. Glorfindel, you're my friend. Whatever happened between us is in the past. We can't dwell on it forever. Not to mention that I could really use some help around here right now."

Glorfindel smiled gently. "Then I'll stay, if that's what you want." Legolas nodded. "I should go and start helping in the Great…"

"Actually, I was hoping you might stick around here for a while," Legolas said quietly, looking sadly down from Glorfindel's gaze.

"Yes, of course." Glorfindel sat slowly down on the chair next to the bed and took Legolas' outstretched hand. "You should go back to sleep now," he advised although it was rather redundant now as Legolas already looked ready to drift off. He received a nod and a small smile before the prince fell asleep and he found that he never wanted to leave the young Elf's side again.

To Be Continued…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Translations

Ada – Dad

Mellon nin – My friend