The city is getting colder and I wonder when the first snowfall is going to happen. It is already halfway through November and I stop in the street and think about how long I have been in Middle Earth. It has been close to two months since I first arrived and the time has slipped by. I keep walking and a few people wave to me as I pass. It raises my spirits a little as most people still won't approach me. I arrive at Ecthelion's house and Inthel is polishing the stairs.

"Hello, Lady Kiera. I hope you enjoyed your free time yesterday. Lord Ecthelion is working in his study but he is waiting for you. Do you need me to show you the way or do you remember now?"

I shake my head no. "I remember but could you please just call me Kiera. I'm not a lady of any house."

She smiles, "certainly."

I wave goodbye as I pass by her and wander through the long halls to his study. I knock and he says come in. He is sitting behind his desk working and he looks up as I sit down. He gives me a warm smile and says, "I apologize for my absence yesterday. The king requested all the lords for an abrupt meeting. Nothing terribly important except that the winter food stores are a little lower than normal. We have solved the issue but the king gets flustered by news sometimes."

I grin at him, "no apology needed. I washed the laundry yesterday and this afternoon. The boys only had one wash bin so I can see why they hated doing laundry."

He chuckles at me and leans back in his chair. "I must say that not having to do the household chores has been a blessing. However, sometimes I wish to trade my house duties for simple chores. I wanted to let you know that I added your training sessions in the spring to Glorfindel's schedule. You will train with him daily for the first season and then we will reassess your abilities. I do not want to get too far ahead if you do not wish to continue after."

"Thanks, that means a lot. Honestly, I am not sure what I am going to do in the afternoons once we finish this story. I have a few others to share if you are interested but they are all single stories that will take a day each."

His eyes shine, "I would love to hear them. I promised you I would play for you in exchange for stories. I think after we finish this book we can meet once a week during the winter. With the guards back in the city I did not realize how much extra work I am going to have. I would still like to spend more time with you so we can plan for a day a week."

I nod happily at him, "whatever day works best for you. I don't have anything in terms of work except laundry. I might figure out what I want to do this winter though. I also wanted to invite you and Glorfindel to my Christmas party. It will be sometime next month."

His eyes sparkle and he claps excitedly, "I would love to come. I think if I enjoy the party I might add it to my house's festivals in the future. We hardly have any events during the winter and I think it would cheer my house up."

"I think you will like it. I am going to work on getting everything ready and set up. I am handing out gifts this year but I have told everyone not to worry about gifts. This is my tradition from my home and I want everyone to enjoy it for the first time. Everyone will be getting one gift from me. We will have dinner and a gift unwrapping but it is mainly a time for friends and family."

"I have enjoyed it in the books. I will respect your wishes about a gift and I am honored you are inviting us. Now, I have been dying to hear the last book and I cannot wait any longer."

I laugh but say, "I forgot to charge my phone so I will have to sit next to the window and let it charge. It is too cold for me outside today but it should be charged after dinner."

He smiles and gets out of his chair to move the chairs from the sitting area to the window. He picks the chairs up with ease and sits in one waiting for me. I take a seat across from him and pull my charger and phone out of my pocket. I plug everything in and open up the last book. The sun will charge it alright but I am not sure how fast it will be as I read.

I open the last book and begin reading. Ecthelion is on the edge of his seat the moment I begin reading. I read the rest of the afternoon and it is quite late when I stop after Dobby's death. My phone is only at 53% but that is more than enough to finish the book later. Ecthelion is crying a few tears as he says, "Dobby died a true Elven hero. I have no words to describe what I am feeling. This is the best story I have ever heard and I want to know how it ends but I am not hopeful."

"There is always hope. The remaining portion is much better than the beginning. It is late though and I am quite hungry."

He wipes a few tears and says, "I do not wish to eat with my house tonight. Do you mind if we eat at my desk?"

"I don't care where we eat."

Satisfied he gets up to move the chair. I grab my things and sit in the chair in front of his desk. He walks out of the room and is gone for a while. When he comes back he is followed by a few elves carrying the food and plates. Ecthelion makes room on his desk and the elves set everything up quickly. Like the previous meals, the food is delicious. As I am eating Ecthelion starts talking.

"I am troubled by the things we have learned about Dumbledore. I thought he was a great man and a great wizard, but now I am not so sure. Ron left them which was terrible but I have to agree that he set them up poorly."

I chew my food and he waits for my answer. He must be fishing for information but I do not want to spoil anything for him. "He was a very flawed man but he made changes later in his life."

He waits for more but I don't say anything. He groans softly to himself and I smile into my plate. We eat the rest of the meal in comfortable silence and I can see he wants to get back to hearing the rest of the story.

He picks up the dirty plates and takes everything back to the kitchens. I move closer to the fireplace but I sit on the couch and spread out my legs instead. Sitting in the chair by the window was uncomfortable. Ecthelion returns and I ask, "do you have a small blanket? I am a bit cold."

He walks out of the study from the connecting door and I see it opens up into his bedroom. He comes back carrying a small fluffy blanket. He hesitates by the couch, "may I join you? I would like to stretch out my legs as well."

I laugh, "sure. I was a bit uncomfortable in the chair earlier so I wanted to stretch out my legs."

He takes a seat on the other side and sits with his back against the pillows. He stretches his long legs next to mine and he throws the blanket over us both. I open up the book and begin to read again. I read slowly to make sure I don't miss any words. It takes me a few more hours and I hear him gasp and cry in places. I can feel his legs tense up next to mine towards the end and I glance up a few times to see him watching me intently. I finish up the story but I pause before I read the epilogue. He has tears streaming down his face and he asks, "what happens after?"

I read the last chapter to him and then set my phone down on my lap. He sniffles and wipes the tears from his eyes. "I loved it. Thank you for sharing it with me. I will treasure it always." He gives me a small smile at that. "I am not sure how I feel just yet about some of the revelations. I think I will need some time to soak the ending in. This last one is my favorite out of them all. There were many fights and everything finally got all wrapped up and Voldemort has been defeated for good."

"The sixth one is my favorite. Followed by the third. I like them all so much for different reasons and I am happy to share them with you. I..."

A loud bang sounds out from down the hall and I jumped. Ecthelion and I look towards the door as shouting is coming from the hallway. I have no idea what is going on and I glance at Ecthelion who is just as confused as I am.

Glorfindel storms into the door and throws open the door with a bang. I see Inthel is following close behind and whatever he was going to say dies when he sees us.

"WHAT IS THIS?" he bellows.

Ecthelion just looks at him calmly and says, "Kiera was reading the last book to me from the series I have told you about. What is the matter? Why have you barged into my study in a rage."

Glorfindel fumes but doesn't answer his questions. "Why are you sitting together on the couch? She should be reading to you in a chair, not lounging on the couch with you."

Ecthelion gives him a very strong look but I can see the confusion in his eyes. Glorfindel doesn't give either of us a moment to speak before he rounds on me again. "ONE LORD ISN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU. HOW MANY MEN ARE YOU GOING TO STRING ALONG? FIRST VORONWE, THEN MAEGLIN, AND NOW ECTHELION."

I'm stunned and a bit speechless, Ecthelion recovers first and yells, "THAT IS ENOUGH. Kiera has shown me nothing but kindness and friendship. We can sit together on a couch without there being something between us. Why are you yelling at her, she does not deserve your anger. Apologize to her!"

Glorfindel clenches his teeth and spits out at me, "GET OUT! I don't want you here. I need to speak to Ecthelion alone."

Not needing to be told twice I grab my things and fly off the couch. I don't even register the words that Ecthelion is saying but Inthel wraps an arm around me. She hurries me out of the room as the two start screaming at each other.

Inthel closes the door behind us but we can still hear them shouting. I am trembling and Inthel walks me further down the hall before she speaks. "I am very sorry Kiera. I tried to keep Glorfindel at bay as Ecthelion wished to be left alone for the evening. Glorfindel is not angry with you. When he gets like this he lashes out at everyone around him. I have seen him enough times to know that they will both be screaming at each other for the rest of the evening. I am not sure what has upset Glorfindel but it is must be truly terrible. I am sure he will apologize profusely once he calms down. You won't see either of them again tonight."

We make it back to the entryway and Inthel gives me a warm hug. I leave the house in a daze as I am still shaken as to what has happened. The night is very cold so I fast walk across the city back to my house. Desperate for some information I hope Cele is still awake.

When I get into the house, I see all three of them are still up and in the living room. They are all laughing and having a good time. Cele is working on his knitting projects again while the other two are nursing some wine.

I sit in the chair and they immediately cease their conversation at my face. "What's wrong? What happened?" asked Cele.

"What have you heard about Glorfindel? He just stormed into Ecthelion's house in a rage and started screaming at me. He said some awful things to me and then told me to get out. They were screaming at each other as I was leaving."

They all sit back and relax while Cele goes back to his knitting. Completely stunned now, I wait for someone to explain. Cele explains, "So you have finally seen the famous rage of Glorfindel. I have heard the tales of his anger but I have yet to see it myself. I haven't heard anything about him lately but maybe something happened last night at the celebration. All the lords were attending and something could have happened then. He didn't mean what he said and I have heard he comes around begging like a lost kitten for forgiveness. Do not take his words to heart."

I am still stunned when Echadron chimes in. "From what I have heard, he used to be terrible when we lived in Valinor. His temper tantrums and anger problems would come out all the time until he started training with a sword. Ecthelion was one of the only ones who stuck by his side when he was growing up. He has a calm demeanor and he is more understanding. He knows that he doesn't mean what he says and helps him work through his anger. Glorfindel channels his anger into fighting. I have heard that he hardly ever gets upset now. Maybe a handful of times since the city was built but nothing like it was before."

I hmm at him and they all sit in silence. The only sounds are from Cele's knitting needles. So Glorfindel has a very bad temper. He is usually so happy-go-lucky and the life of the party but I suppose everyone has those flaws. I am still a bit hurt by his words but if he apologizes to me, I will forgive him. I have no idea what could have upset him this bad but I hope Ecthelion helps him.

I look to Cele, "can you teach me how to knit now. I will have my evenings free most nights. I want to make the sweater before the end of December for my Christmas party. I also need some help with the decorations and possibly some of the gifts."

"Sure we can go to the market tomorrow afternoon to pick up all the supplies. What kind of decorations do you need?"

Stumped for a moment I wonder how much I can make or get here. "Is it possible to get a tree? Like a fir or pine tree? Do they have any around the mountainsides?" I look at all three of them but they are all looking at me with blank looks. "We cut down a small pine tree and decorated it for Christmas. We put a star on top and then add other smaller decorations on the tree. The night before Christmas, we put gifts under the tree for our family. The next morning kids open the presents but once we became adults my family would just have us over for the afternoon and evening. My mother would cook dinner and we would have our meal then exchange gifts in the evening."

Echadron said, "I have no idea if there are trees around the mountain. There might be but you will have to ask someone in the house of the swallow as they hunt in the mountains. It would probably be best to ask a Noldor though as the Sindar are finicky about nature."

Noted, but I don't know anyone in that house. Cele must guess, "we will stop tomorrow after we leave the market. I know a few of them from Valinor that might be able to help find you a tree. It is a bit of an odd tradition but if it makes you happy."

We keep talking for the rest of the evening and I find myself getting sleepy. I excuse myself and head to bed. I fall asleep quickly as I didn't get the most sleep the night before.

Cele wakes me up as usual but when he comes into my room with the water he says, "Glorfindel and Ecthelion are waiting for you downstairs. He wants to apologize for his harsh words. There is no rush though."

Great, just what I needed this early in the morning. At least he is actually going to apologize, unlike Idril. Sighing, I roll over and bury my face into the pillows. It is way too early to be dealing with this but I know he isn't going to go away until he speaks to me. I rise slowly and take my bath and get dressed for the day. I put on a thicker dress as we will be outside in the market today.

I head down the stairs and I can hear them talking in the dining room. When I turn the corner into the room the first thing I see is the table is covered with a few packages. Ecthelion and Glorfindel are sitting on the other side of the table with Cele at his usual spot at the end. I don't make it to my chair before Glorfindel moves around the table with speed and falls to his knees in front of me.

"I am very sorry for my harsh words. I was angry and upset last night and I lashed out at you. You are very kind and you do not deserve to be spoken to like that. I did not mean the words that I spoke and I beg for your forgiveness," he cried.

He puts on a very sad face and I can feel the corners of my mouth twitch. Lost kitten indeed. I take a quick glance at Ecthelion who has a small smirk on his face. I turn back to Glorfindel who has his hands folded together in front of him and looks up at me with big doe eyes. "I accept your apology."

He claps his hands with excitement and lunges forward to wrap my waist in a hug as he buries his head in my waist. I pat him on the head awkwardly and he sniffles. He lets go a minute later and springs up with ease. "I have brought you some gifts as an apology."

He grabs the first and hands it to me. I gave him a look, "you didn't have to get me anything. An apology is enough." He waves my words away and waits for me to open them. I unwrap the paper and see he has gotten me a thick cloak.

He said, "Ecthelion told me you never wear a cloak and I wondered if you had one. If you do, now you have another."

It was beautiful and made very well in a dark blue color. I thanked him and he handed me another. This one was a box of different pastries. The last was a small box and inside was a flower bracelet. There were daisies connected by a gold chain. I set it down by the others and say thank you. Glorfindel moves back to his seat and Cele grabs the bracelet to examine it.

Cele speaks as he admires the craftsmanship in the bracelet. "You are too forgiving. If I were a woman, I would make him beg for days for forgiveness. I would make him take me to the market where I could pick out all the things that I wanted and make him pay for it." He wiggles his eyebrows, "I would make him do other things before I would forgive him."

I cough and Glorfindel has a slight blush on his cheeks. Ecthelion is watching the scene with amusement. Glorfindel clears his throat, "I am thankful that Lady Kiera is not like you. Ecthelion told me I wouldn't need the gifts but I already bought them. I apologize again for my words. My anger gets the best of me sometimes and I lash out at people around me. I was very upset and when I saw the two of you together last night and I snapped. It used to be worse when I was younger and I have lost many friends over the years who were not so forgiving. Since I took over the training, I direct my anger into fighting and it helps."

He looks down at the table and fidgets with his hands. "Something horrible happened at the party a few nights ago. I do not wish to discuss it but it made me very upset to the point where I lost control. I wanted to speak to Ecthelion as he has been my friend for many years and knows how to help. I did not like being told I couldn't see him last night and by the time I got to his study, my rage had boiled over."

He is still staring at the table in shame and so I say, "we all have moments where we lose control. I know you don't want to talk about what happened, but are you ok now?"

He looks up at me. I can see a flicker of sadness in his eyes but then it is gone. "I am better now. I have taken care of the issue and I do not wish to discuss it. Thank you for asking, as it means a lot to me."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cele give Ecthelion a look but he shakes his head ever so slightly. Glorfindel is oblivious to motion and I ask, "would you both like to stay for our morning meal, or do you have plans?"

Ecthelion says, "thank you for the kind offer but Glorfindel and I need to take care of a few things. We are both going to be busy for the next few days but I will send Inthel over when I find a day that will work for us. I was going to tell you last night but I didn't have the time. Tuor spoke to me at the party and wishes to see you and Voronwë. He has been a bit lonely since you both moved here. I told him I would pass the message as I was going to be seeing you the next day."

I haven't seen Tuor in over a week. I am sure he is lonely with only Idril and the king for company. "I will go see him. I have been a bit busy and preoccupied but I will visit him soon."

The two left and Cele pulled out his sketches again. He seems to have the same routine most days and I wonder if I will be like that soon. Curious, I ask, "so what do you think happened to make Glorfindel upset. Have you heard anything else?"

He gives me a scathing look and I flinch at the sight. "Yes, I have heard. I do not feel comfortable sharing if Glorfindel does not wish to talk about it. I think it would be best to just let it go and not discuss it anymore. Very few people know what happened. If it happened to me, I would not want people to know."

With the look he gave me and his explanation, it must be something horrible. I push away my curiosity and watch him work on his sketches as I wait for the morning meal.