A/N: Here's another part, and I can't promise when the next one will be
because I start class again tomorrow. *sniff* Good-bye summer vacation!
Okay, enough whining. I'm trying to finish up the next part of "The Stable
Boy" so I can have it out tonight, but I might not make it until Friday.
Maybe some reviews will speed the creative process *hint hint*.
************ Grief ************
All the halls were silent except for the muffled sound of sobbing that leaked from under closed doors. Glorfindel glided through the halls, not sure of his purpose or direction until he found himself standing in front of a door. He knocked hesitantly, unsure if his presence was welcome or not. He heard a slight cough, as someone clearing their throat, then a voice calling "Enter".
He swung the door open. The chamber was dark, though it was the middle of the day. No candles were lit around the room and the occupants were shrouded in the shadows, huddled on the large bed.
"Elladan? Elrohir?" Glorfindel asked as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He saw one of the twins lying on the bed, wrapped securely in the arms of the other.
"Yes," one of them said. "We are both here."
Glorfindel stepped up to the bed and saw that it was Elladan sobbing in his brother's arms. Elrohir looked at him with dry eyes, though Glorfindel could see the grief written plainly there.
"Will you not light some candles?" Glorfindel asked. "This darkness is not good to grieve in."
"No," came the strangled reply from Elladan.
Glorfindel stroked his midnight-dark hair in sympathy. Elladan had taken the departure of his mother over the sea the hardest of all Celebrian's children. It was only now, on their first night back in Imladris since the journey to Mithlond, that he openly showed his pain. The entire ride back from the Havens he had not spoken, relying on Elrohir to speak for him. Elrohir had done so willingly, allowing his twin to grieve in his own way.
Glorfindel moved from the bed and lit a single candle, placing it on the bedside table. Elladan closed his eyes and hid his face in his brother's shoulder. Glorfindel sat on the bed, placing a comforting hand on Elladan's shoulder. Elrohir laid his hand on top of his, adding his own strength.
"I don't understand!" Elladan said at last.
Glorfindel smiled sadly. "You are not meant to," he said. "Not now, at least."
"When then? When I am older, I'm sure," Elladan said, his voice turning hard. "What use is all of the ages of Arda if I still do not understand."
"No use at all," Glorfindel said. "You will understand when you are standing on the prow of your own ship, sailing west with your eyes on the horizon."
Elladan's sobs turned to muffled whimpers and finally silenced as he fell into an exhausted sleep. Glorfindel tucked the blankets around him and motioned for Elrohir to follow him out to the hall. He left the candle burning and the door cracked open, in case Elladan should awake.
"His pain will pass," Glorfindel said to Elrohir as they wandered down the winding corridor. "As will yours," he added after a heartbeat.
Elrohir rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeves. "Elladan was always closest to Mother. He feels her loss as keenly as though it was his own heart. He was her favorite," he added in a whisper.
Glorfindel looked at Elrohir in shock. It was true that Celebrian favored her firstborn over the other two, though they were all loved dearly. He wondered how Elrohir knew this, as she always showed all her children an equal amount of affection. "Does this not sadden you even more?" he asked.
Elrohir smiled, though it was a bit weak. "No. I know she loved me. Elladan has always had Mother and Arwen has father," he stated without malice or jealousy.
Glorfindel stopped, looking at Elrohir curiously. "And you, Elrohir? Who do you have?"
Elrohir looked at him a bit shyly. "I always thought I had you, Glorfindel. Out guardian who loves us as much as our own parents."
Glorfindel smiled, pulling Elrohir into a tight embrace. "Yes, Elrohir, 'tis true. 'Tis true."
************ Grief ************
All the halls were silent except for the muffled sound of sobbing that leaked from under closed doors. Glorfindel glided through the halls, not sure of his purpose or direction until he found himself standing in front of a door. He knocked hesitantly, unsure if his presence was welcome or not. He heard a slight cough, as someone clearing their throat, then a voice calling "Enter".
He swung the door open. The chamber was dark, though it was the middle of the day. No candles were lit around the room and the occupants were shrouded in the shadows, huddled on the large bed.
"Elladan? Elrohir?" Glorfindel asked as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He saw one of the twins lying on the bed, wrapped securely in the arms of the other.
"Yes," one of them said. "We are both here."
Glorfindel stepped up to the bed and saw that it was Elladan sobbing in his brother's arms. Elrohir looked at him with dry eyes, though Glorfindel could see the grief written plainly there.
"Will you not light some candles?" Glorfindel asked. "This darkness is not good to grieve in."
"No," came the strangled reply from Elladan.
Glorfindel stroked his midnight-dark hair in sympathy. Elladan had taken the departure of his mother over the sea the hardest of all Celebrian's children. It was only now, on their first night back in Imladris since the journey to Mithlond, that he openly showed his pain. The entire ride back from the Havens he had not spoken, relying on Elrohir to speak for him. Elrohir had done so willingly, allowing his twin to grieve in his own way.
Glorfindel moved from the bed and lit a single candle, placing it on the bedside table. Elladan closed his eyes and hid his face in his brother's shoulder. Glorfindel sat on the bed, placing a comforting hand on Elladan's shoulder. Elrohir laid his hand on top of his, adding his own strength.
"I don't understand!" Elladan said at last.
Glorfindel smiled sadly. "You are not meant to," he said. "Not now, at least."
"When then? When I am older, I'm sure," Elladan said, his voice turning hard. "What use is all of the ages of Arda if I still do not understand."
"No use at all," Glorfindel said. "You will understand when you are standing on the prow of your own ship, sailing west with your eyes on the horizon."
Elladan's sobs turned to muffled whimpers and finally silenced as he fell into an exhausted sleep. Glorfindel tucked the blankets around him and motioned for Elrohir to follow him out to the hall. He left the candle burning and the door cracked open, in case Elladan should awake.
"His pain will pass," Glorfindel said to Elrohir as they wandered down the winding corridor. "As will yours," he added after a heartbeat.
Elrohir rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeves. "Elladan was always closest to Mother. He feels her loss as keenly as though it was his own heart. He was her favorite," he added in a whisper.
Glorfindel looked at Elrohir in shock. It was true that Celebrian favored her firstborn over the other two, though they were all loved dearly. He wondered how Elrohir knew this, as she always showed all her children an equal amount of affection. "Does this not sadden you even more?" he asked.
Elrohir smiled, though it was a bit weak. "No. I know she loved me. Elladan has always had Mother and Arwen has father," he stated without malice or jealousy.
Glorfindel stopped, looking at Elrohir curiously. "And you, Elrohir? Who do you have?"
Elrohir looked at him a bit shyly. "I always thought I had you, Glorfindel. Out guardian who loves us as much as our own parents."
Glorfindel smiled, pulling Elrohir into a tight embrace. "Yes, Elrohir, 'tis true. 'Tis true."