A/N: Takes place the morning after "Wounded", and about 10 years or so
after "Somewhere Between". And THANK YOU to everyone who has been sending
me feedback, even though the review function on ff.net seems to be not
working right now.
*************** Treasure ***************
Elrohir awoke slowly, which in itself was strange. He was used to sleeping in the wilds and awaking suddenly, at once aware of his surroundings and situation. Now, he mused in his half asleep state, it was nice to wallow in the feelings of security and warmth around him. It was dim in the room, which made him wonder if it was very early, or if he had slept through the day and into the next night.
A soft sigh made Elrohir turn his head, as it was just about the only part of his anatomy he could move easily. His eyes widened as he realized that Glorfindel was lying next to him on the bed, sleeping soundly. It took him a moment to remember that he was wounded, and that Glorfindel had offered to stay the night with him. Glorfindel had apparently abandoned the chair for the bed some time during the night. Not that Elrohir minded in the least.
Elrohir burrowed deeper into the soft covers, flipping them over his bed companion also as the night or day or whatever was becoming drafty. He was just falling asleep again when his door creaked open, admitting a blinding shaft of light in from the corridor along with his father. Elrohir shut his eyes until he heard the door click shut again.
"Ada?" he asked, his voice a rough whisper.
"Shh, Elrohir," his father's voice answered. "It looks as though our Lord Glorfindel has had a rough day."
Elrohir smiled. "Is it day or night?" he asked, trying to get his bearings.
"Day, though there is not much of it left. It is six o'clock in the evening, and Anor has not yet set."
Elrohir groaned. "I have slept too much," he said.
"No, just enough. I was coming to wake you-both of you. You need to eat, and I need to check on that leg of yours," Elrond said, moving to open the shutters a crack.
The light from the setting sun fell directly on Glorfindel's face. He frowned and batted at it as though it were a fly. When that did not work to dispel the annoying sunbeam, he flipped the coverlet over his head, satisfied to return to sleep. Elrohir chuckled and Elrond simply dragged the blankets back down and smacked the blond head with a discarded pillow. Glorfindel sat up, awake and glaring at the Lord of Imladris holding the pillow guiltily. He snatched the pillow back and threw it at Elrond.
"Good morning to you too, milord," Glorfindel said, pulling his legs up so he sat against the headboard. He smiled down on Elrohir where he laid next to him, still comfortably under the blankets. "How is the leg, Elrohir?" he asked.
"Hurts," Elrohir answered. "But less now."
Elrond was already unwrapping the bandages to change the dressings and apply more of the healing herbs that would speed his recovery. Elrohir was always amazed at how his father's hands brought nothing but comfort with their touch. Glorfindel aided Elrond, fetching requested items that were not at hand. Soon, Elrohir was wrapped again in the blankets and sitting propped up with half a dozen pillows behind his back.
"Hello! Dinner is served!" Elladan's clear voice echoed into the room.
Elladan came into the room, balancing a tray laden with food in one hand and a pitcher of cool tea in the other. He set his burden on the bed, where it was accessible to all four of the Elves and collapsed onto the bed next to his brother. Glorfindel and Elrond were content to pull chairs up to the bedside, though Elrohir had to stifle a protest that there was still enough room for Glorfindel on the bed.
Elladan was in a fair mood and he chatted away inanely as he served the food from the tray and poured drinks. Elrohir sat quietly, taking the plate offered but only picking at his food. Elrond exchanged an odd glance with Glorfindel.
"Has someone switched my sons on me in the night?" Elrond asked of the room. "I don't believe I have ever known Elrohir to be the quiet one whilst Elladan's mouth ran away from him like an errant horse."
Elladan laughed and shook his head and Elrohir smirked a little, but he did not raise his eyes from his plate. Glorfindel reached over and touched his shoulder, pressing a glass of tea into his hands.
"Drink all you can at least," he said softly. "Your body needs to replace the blood it has lost."
Elrohir nodded and downed the glass obediently. He was feeling tired again, but it was worth staying awake to hear Elladan recount their adventures to their father, with a little strategically placed exaggeration. Glorfindel did not comment, though his eyebrows did rise a few times. Elrohir groaned when Elladan reached the part about the trolls, and how Elrohir had gotten it into his head that he could sneak into their cave alone and raid it for treasure. Of course, he did not expect dawn-and the trolls-to come so quickly, and had been caught in the cave along with its irate residents.
"Swords!" Elrohir defended himself. "I was looking for the Elven swords that were rumored to be lost. We heard that the trolls had them."
"Did you find any swords, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, giving his son the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, no, actually I didn't," Elrohir admitted.
Elrond merely smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "It was worth a good look anyway, I'm sure," he reassured him. "But it is late, and you need to rest if you want to be in shape to raid for more treasure soon." Elrond leaned down to whisper, "I would run out and become a burglar if I were you, though."
Elrohir laughed. "I will not, Ada. I will leave that to more cunning creatures than I."
Elrond helped Elladan to gather up the dishes to bring them back to the kitchens.
"I will return," Elladan promised, trying to open the door and balance the crockery at the same time. Elrond followed Elladan out, shaking his head and still believing that his twins had somehow switched places.
Elrohir watched the door close with an almost ominous click. He was again left alone with Glorfindel. He was about to say something-anything-to fill the silence, but Glorfindel's voice cut him off.
"I'm sorry, but I must be off to my duties again this evening," Glorfindel said apologetically.
Elrohir smiled. "I understand. We all have responsibilities," he said.
Glorfindel came to stand next to the bed again. "I will come by tomorrow, in the morning after I have returned from the dawn patrol. I trust you will still be here?"
Elrohir laughed at the last comment. "As though I have a choice," he said ruefully.
Glorfindel smiled, and drew something from around his neck. It was a pendant on a gold chain, one that Elrohir had never seen him without. It was the crest of Glorfindel's house, and one of the few items recovered from Gondolin. The Eldar unfastened it and looped it around Elrohir's neck. "For your bravery," he said. "And now you cannot say that you faced a troll without coming back with a treasure."
Elrohir did not know what to say as he fingered the golden pendant. Glorfindel smiled at his speechlessness and bent down to kiss his cheek. "Sleep now. I will see you in the morning."
Glorfindel turned and left the room as Elrohir sank down in bed, pondering the definition of treasures.
*************** Treasure ***************
Elrohir awoke slowly, which in itself was strange. He was used to sleeping in the wilds and awaking suddenly, at once aware of his surroundings and situation. Now, he mused in his half asleep state, it was nice to wallow in the feelings of security and warmth around him. It was dim in the room, which made him wonder if it was very early, or if he had slept through the day and into the next night.
A soft sigh made Elrohir turn his head, as it was just about the only part of his anatomy he could move easily. His eyes widened as he realized that Glorfindel was lying next to him on the bed, sleeping soundly. It took him a moment to remember that he was wounded, and that Glorfindel had offered to stay the night with him. Glorfindel had apparently abandoned the chair for the bed some time during the night. Not that Elrohir minded in the least.
Elrohir burrowed deeper into the soft covers, flipping them over his bed companion also as the night or day or whatever was becoming drafty. He was just falling asleep again when his door creaked open, admitting a blinding shaft of light in from the corridor along with his father. Elrohir shut his eyes until he heard the door click shut again.
"Ada?" he asked, his voice a rough whisper.
"Shh, Elrohir," his father's voice answered. "It looks as though our Lord Glorfindel has had a rough day."
Elrohir smiled. "Is it day or night?" he asked, trying to get his bearings.
"Day, though there is not much of it left. It is six o'clock in the evening, and Anor has not yet set."
Elrohir groaned. "I have slept too much," he said.
"No, just enough. I was coming to wake you-both of you. You need to eat, and I need to check on that leg of yours," Elrond said, moving to open the shutters a crack.
The light from the setting sun fell directly on Glorfindel's face. He frowned and batted at it as though it were a fly. When that did not work to dispel the annoying sunbeam, he flipped the coverlet over his head, satisfied to return to sleep. Elrohir chuckled and Elrond simply dragged the blankets back down and smacked the blond head with a discarded pillow. Glorfindel sat up, awake and glaring at the Lord of Imladris holding the pillow guiltily. He snatched the pillow back and threw it at Elrond.
"Good morning to you too, milord," Glorfindel said, pulling his legs up so he sat against the headboard. He smiled down on Elrohir where he laid next to him, still comfortably under the blankets. "How is the leg, Elrohir?" he asked.
"Hurts," Elrohir answered. "But less now."
Elrond was already unwrapping the bandages to change the dressings and apply more of the healing herbs that would speed his recovery. Elrohir was always amazed at how his father's hands brought nothing but comfort with their touch. Glorfindel aided Elrond, fetching requested items that were not at hand. Soon, Elrohir was wrapped again in the blankets and sitting propped up with half a dozen pillows behind his back.
"Hello! Dinner is served!" Elladan's clear voice echoed into the room.
Elladan came into the room, balancing a tray laden with food in one hand and a pitcher of cool tea in the other. He set his burden on the bed, where it was accessible to all four of the Elves and collapsed onto the bed next to his brother. Glorfindel and Elrond were content to pull chairs up to the bedside, though Elrohir had to stifle a protest that there was still enough room for Glorfindel on the bed.
Elladan was in a fair mood and he chatted away inanely as he served the food from the tray and poured drinks. Elrohir sat quietly, taking the plate offered but only picking at his food. Elrond exchanged an odd glance with Glorfindel.
"Has someone switched my sons on me in the night?" Elrond asked of the room. "I don't believe I have ever known Elrohir to be the quiet one whilst Elladan's mouth ran away from him like an errant horse."
Elladan laughed and shook his head and Elrohir smirked a little, but he did not raise his eyes from his plate. Glorfindel reached over and touched his shoulder, pressing a glass of tea into his hands.
"Drink all you can at least," he said softly. "Your body needs to replace the blood it has lost."
Elrohir nodded and downed the glass obediently. He was feeling tired again, but it was worth staying awake to hear Elladan recount their adventures to their father, with a little strategically placed exaggeration. Glorfindel did not comment, though his eyebrows did rise a few times. Elrohir groaned when Elladan reached the part about the trolls, and how Elrohir had gotten it into his head that he could sneak into their cave alone and raid it for treasure. Of course, he did not expect dawn-and the trolls-to come so quickly, and had been caught in the cave along with its irate residents.
"Swords!" Elrohir defended himself. "I was looking for the Elven swords that were rumored to be lost. We heard that the trolls had them."
"Did you find any swords, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, giving his son the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, no, actually I didn't," Elrohir admitted.
Elrond merely smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "It was worth a good look anyway, I'm sure," he reassured him. "But it is late, and you need to rest if you want to be in shape to raid for more treasure soon." Elrond leaned down to whisper, "I would run out and become a burglar if I were you, though."
Elrohir laughed. "I will not, Ada. I will leave that to more cunning creatures than I."
Elrond helped Elladan to gather up the dishes to bring them back to the kitchens.
"I will return," Elladan promised, trying to open the door and balance the crockery at the same time. Elrond followed Elladan out, shaking his head and still believing that his twins had somehow switched places.
Elrohir watched the door close with an almost ominous click. He was again left alone with Glorfindel. He was about to say something-anything-to fill the silence, but Glorfindel's voice cut him off.
"I'm sorry, but I must be off to my duties again this evening," Glorfindel said apologetically.
Elrohir smiled. "I understand. We all have responsibilities," he said.
Glorfindel came to stand next to the bed again. "I will come by tomorrow, in the morning after I have returned from the dawn patrol. I trust you will still be here?"
Elrohir laughed at the last comment. "As though I have a choice," he said ruefully.
Glorfindel smiled, and drew something from around his neck. It was a pendant on a gold chain, one that Elrohir had never seen him without. It was the crest of Glorfindel's house, and one of the few items recovered from Gondolin. The Eldar unfastened it and looped it around Elrohir's neck. "For your bravery," he said. "And now you cannot say that you faced a troll without coming back with a treasure."
Elrohir did not know what to say as he fingered the golden pendant. Glorfindel smiled at his speechlessness and bent down to kiss his cheek. "Sleep now. I will see you in the morning."
Glorfindel turned and left the room as Elrohir sank down in bed, pondering the definition of treasures.