WARNINGS: not for this chapter. Maybe for the next, though.
TIMEFRAME: About 10 years or so after Somewhere Between.
A/N: There is a second part to this. I'll upload it soon if FF.net cooperates nicely.
*************** Wounded ***************
The clatter of horses' hooves on cobblestone announced the return of the twin sons of Elrond and the Lord Glorfindel from the wilds. They had been scouting for months, securing the passages and trails and routing out orcs from the lands surrounding Imladris.
It was late as they arrived at the Great House, though at least one of the small company was grateful for the lack of witnesses. Elrohir grimaced from his place in the saddle in front of Glorfindel, self-conscious of the fact that it was only the elder Elf's arm around him that kept him in the saddle. His leg was wounded quite badly, and it was fortunate that it occurred so close to home, as Glorfindel was keen on reminding him.
Elladan slid from his great stallion, Mornel's saddle and assisted Glorfindel in helping Elrohir to the ground. Elrohir met his twin's soft eyes. "Do not take any weight on that leg, brother," Elladan cautioned, taking his weight easily.
Glorfindel appeared on his other side and took charge of the wounded Elf. "Go fetch your father, Elladan," he instructed. "I will take Elrohir to his chambers."
Elladan nodded and skipped off. Elrohir grinned weakly as he tried to step forward. "Careful," Glorfindel said as he ducked under Elrohir's arm to half-carry him.
"A scratch!" Elrohir said, though his voice was tight. "You need not bother Father for it, even. A hot bath and I will be right as rain in the morning."
"Even so," Glorfindel said as they approached the stairs leading to the twins' rooms. "Your Father would have my hide if I did not wake him."
Elrohir chuckled. "He would do the same to us if it was you who were wounded," he said softly.
Glorfindel smiled at the thought of the great Lord Elrond, Master Healer and Master Worrier when it came to his family. Suddenly, the weight in his arms increased as Elrohir swooned, the stairs proving too much for him after the long ride. Glorfindel easily swung him into his arms and carried him up the remaining steps. He kicked the door to Elrohir's room open and laid the Elf carefully on the bed. Elrohir blinked as he came back to himself, but his eyes were dull with pain.
"Just rest," Glorfindel said. "Do not try to move much." He began to unlace Elrohir's tunic and slide it from unresisting shoulders. Lord Elrond arrived, Elladan following, as Glorfindel started on removing Elrohir's boots.
"Orcs?" Elrond asked as he examined the field dressing covering Elrohir's left thigh.
"Trolls," Glorfindel said. "Elrohir met with the wrong end of a spear."
Elrond nodded as he removed the bandages and soaked dressings. Elladan had slid onto the bed beside his brother and was petting his dark hair in comfort. Elrohir leaned into his touch, letting the soft hands and lilting voice carry him away from the sick, throbbing pain in his leg as Elrond probed and cleaned the wound. Glorfindel watched the brothers curiously as a pang of jealousy wrenched through him.
"Glorfindel..Glorfindel!" Elrond said.
"Yes, m'lord," Glorfindel answered, snapping back into the present.
"I asked if you could please fetch some more dressings from the cupboard," Elrond repeated with a small smile at his friend's distraction.
Glorfindel turned away, and Elrond focused his attention on his son. "Now this is an impressive wound, but it has already started healing as it should."
"I told you Ada need not be bothered," Elrohir said to no one in particular. Elladan merely rubbed his hand in sympathy.
"Any more serious, and you would not have a leg to stand on," Elrond chided with a raise of eyebrows. "And you have lost too much blood already."
Elrohir fell quiet as Glorfindel returned to the bedside. "He will live, then?" he asked Elrond.
"Yes, he will live," Elrond said in a half-sigh. He was quite used to his sons arriving in various states of injury, though he was thankful that they had Glorfindel with them this time. "Better?" he asked Elrohir softly as he finished bandaging the wound.
Elrohir nodded, beginning to feel embarrassed by his own foolishness of getting wounded in the first place. Elrond sat on the bed beside him, reaching down to brush the hair off his face and to check his temperature. "Can you sleep, or would you like me to give you something to help you rest?"
"It is hard to stay awake right now as it is," Elrohir confessed.
"Sleep then, and stay in bed in the morning!" Elrond instructed. "You will have to keep off that leg for quite a while for it to heal properly."
"I will, Ada," Elrohir promised. At the moment, the idea of never leaving the bed again was quite attractive.
"I will be here if you need anything," Elrond said as he rose. He kissed Elrohir's forehead. "I am happy that you are home, and I am even glad of your injury if it ensures that you stay in Imladris for more than a few weeks out of the season."
Elrohir laughed as Elrond knew he would. "Good night, Ada," he said.
Elladan also rose and stretched tired muscles. "I believe it is time for me to retire as well, though I will go to the stables to see to the horses first," he said. He touched Elrohir's shoulder gently. "I will be in the next room. Call if you need anything and I will hear."
Elrohir returned the touch, but allowed Elladan to follow their father out the door, watching as they shut it quietly behind them. It took Elrohir a moment to realize that Glorfindel was still in the room, tidying up what he could. Glorfindel smiled to himself as he felt the cool grey eyes following him around the room.
"Perhaps you were not as tired as you thought?" he asked the younger Elf.
"Perhaps," Elrohir replied, stifling a yawn.
Glorfindel chuckled and went to snuff out the candles. "Would you like me to leave you to your rest, or would you allow me to stay with you for a while. No doubt your father and brother will be in to check on you half a dozen times tonight, so you will not lack company."
Elrohir's eyes were dark in the light of the last candle, but the emotion there was plain to see. "I would like you to stay with me tonight, Glorfindel. I think I would ask it of you, if you did not offer first."
Glorfindel's smile turned true instead of teasing. He pulled a chair next to the bed, settling himself into it. Elrohir burrowed into his pillow with a sigh, the fine lines around his eyes finally relaxing as he gave in to his body's plea for rest. Glorfindel reached out to stroke his midnight- dark hair, his gaze turning out the window to the skies above.
"Oh, Elbereth, what have I gotten myself into?" he whispered. He knew the emotions raging inside him would give him no rest this night.
TIMEFRAME: About 10 years or so after Somewhere Between.
A/N: There is a second part to this. I'll upload it soon if FF.net cooperates nicely.
*************** Wounded ***************
The clatter of horses' hooves on cobblestone announced the return of the twin sons of Elrond and the Lord Glorfindel from the wilds. They had been scouting for months, securing the passages and trails and routing out orcs from the lands surrounding Imladris.
It was late as they arrived at the Great House, though at least one of the small company was grateful for the lack of witnesses. Elrohir grimaced from his place in the saddle in front of Glorfindel, self-conscious of the fact that it was only the elder Elf's arm around him that kept him in the saddle. His leg was wounded quite badly, and it was fortunate that it occurred so close to home, as Glorfindel was keen on reminding him.
Elladan slid from his great stallion, Mornel's saddle and assisted Glorfindel in helping Elrohir to the ground. Elrohir met his twin's soft eyes. "Do not take any weight on that leg, brother," Elladan cautioned, taking his weight easily.
Glorfindel appeared on his other side and took charge of the wounded Elf. "Go fetch your father, Elladan," he instructed. "I will take Elrohir to his chambers."
Elladan nodded and skipped off. Elrohir grinned weakly as he tried to step forward. "Careful," Glorfindel said as he ducked under Elrohir's arm to half-carry him.
"A scratch!" Elrohir said, though his voice was tight. "You need not bother Father for it, even. A hot bath and I will be right as rain in the morning."
"Even so," Glorfindel said as they approached the stairs leading to the twins' rooms. "Your Father would have my hide if I did not wake him."
Elrohir chuckled. "He would do the same to us if it was you who were wounded," he said softly.
Glorfindel smiled at the thought of the great Lord Elrond, Master Healer and Master Worrier when it came to his family. Suddenly, the weight in his arms increased as Elrohir swooned, the stairs proving too much for him after the long ride. Glorfindel easily swung him into his arms and carried him up the remaining steps. He kicked the door to Elrohir's room open and laid the Elf carefully on the bed. Elrohir blinked as he came back to himself, but his eyes were dull with pain.
"Just rest," Glorfindel said. "Do not try to move much." He began to unlace Elrohir's tunic and slide it from unresisting shoulders. Lord Elrond arrived, Elladan following, as Glorfindel started on removing Elrohir's boots.
"Orcs?" Elrond asked as he examined the field dressing covering Elrohir's left thigh.
"Trolls," Glorfindel said. "Elrohir met with the wrong end of a spear."
Elrond nodded as he removed the bandages and soaked dressings. Elladan had slid onto the bed beside his brother and was petting his dark hair in comfort. Elrohir leaned into his touch, letting the soft hands and lilting voice carry him away from the sick, throbbing pain in his leg as Elrond probed and cleaned the wound. Glorfindel watched the brothers curiously as a pang of jealousy wrenched through him.
"Glorfindel..Glorfindel!" Elrond said.
"Yes, m'lord," Glorfindel answered, snapping back into the present.
"I asked if you could please fetch some more dressings from the cupboard," Elrond repeated with a small smile at his friend's distraction.
Glorfindel turned away, and Elrond focused his attention on his son. "Now this is an impressive wound, but it has already started healing as it should."
"I told you Ada need not be bothered," Elrohir said to no one in particular. Elladan merely rubbed his hand in sympathy.
"Any more serious, and you would not have a leg to stand on," Elrond chided with a raise of eyebrows. "And you have lost too much blood already."
Elrohir fell quiet as Glorfindel returned to the bedside. "He will live, then?" he asked Elrond.
"Yes, he will live," Elrond said in a half-sigh. He was quite used to his sons arriving in various states of injury, though he was thankful that they had Glorfindel with them this time. "Better?" he asked Elrohir softly as he finished bandaging the wound.
Elrohir nodded, beginning to feel embarrassed by his own foolishness of getting wounded in the first place. Elrond sat on the bed beside him, reaching down to brush the hair off his face and to check his temperature. "Can you sleep, or would you like me to give you something to help you rest?"
"It is hard to stay awake right now as it is," Elrohir confessed.
"Sleep then, and stay in bed in the morning!" Elrond instructed. "You will have to keep off that leg for quite a while for it to heal properly."
"I will, Ada," Elrohir promised. At the moment, the idea of never leaving the bed again was quite attractive.
"I will be here if you need anything," Elrond said as he rose. He kissed Elrohir's forehead. "I am happy that you are home, and I am even glad of your injury if it ensures that you stay in Imladris for more than a few weeks out of the season."
Elrohir laughed as Elrond knew he would. "Good night, Ada," he said.
Elladan also rose and stretched tired muscles. "I believe it is time for me to retire as well, though I will go to the stables to see to the horses first," he said. He touched Elrohir's shoulder gently. "I will be in the next room. Call if you need anything and I will hear."
Elrohir returned the touch, but allowed Elladan to follow their father out the door, watching as they shut it quietly behind them. It took Elrohir a moment to realize that Glorfindel was still in the room, tidying up what he could. Glorfindel smiled to himself as he felt the cool grey eyes following him around the room.
"Perhaps you were not as tired as you thought?" he asked the younger Elf.
"Perhaps," Elrohir replied, stifling a yawn.
Glorfindel chuckled and went to snuff out the candles. "Would you like me to leave you to your rest, or would you allow me to stay with you for a while. No doubt your father and brother will be in to check on you half a dozen times tonight, so you will not lack company."
Elrohir's eyes were dark in the light of the last candle, but the emotion there was plain to see. "I would like you to stay with me tonight, Glorfindel. I think I would ask it of you, if you did not offer first."
Glorfindel's smile turned true instead of teasing. He pulled a chair next to the bed, settling himself into it. Elrohir burrowed into his pillow with a sigh, the fine lines around his eyes finally relaxing as he gave in to his body's plea for rest. Glorfindel reached out to stroke his midnight- dark hair, his gaze turning out the window to the skies above.
"Oh, Elbereth, what have I gotten myself into?" he whispered. He knew the emotions raging inside him would give him no rest this night.