Chapter 19 On to Rivendell

Glorifindel and Aragorn could not go as fast as they wished, for the hobbits could not keep up with their speed. But the hobbits were trying, their legs were burning and their chests were tight and it was hard to breath. What was bothering them the most, especially Sam, was the not knowing. Sam needed to know what had happened to Frodo and Arwen. Strider had told them that Arwen was already in Rivendell, in fact had probably been in Rivendell since the day and the evening that she had left. He had told him that Arwen was using an elvish horse that could run almost as swift as the wind. He told Sam this, but in Striders heart there was still an uncertainty, though he believed that that if something had happened to Arwen he would know.

Glorifindel was a great comfort to the Hobbits and Strider. The few times that they had stopped, so that the Hobbits could rest, he had told little stories to the hobbits to distract them from their fear and their pain. It was said that Glorifindel had seen far more than the 7,000 plus years of middle earths history since the second age and was one of the few that had died and left the halls of Mandos and had been sent back to Middle Earth for reasons that were unknown to all except my brothers and sisters.  His people believed that He had been "The" Glorifindel that had been there on that long distant time, to see the fall of Gondolin, a place that was destroyed in the first age of Middle Earth. The Fall of Gondolin had happened so long ago that it was just the stuff of legend to a hobbits mind. Weather that was true or not only Eru and we Valar knew the truth. Yes it is true that we Vala loved to have our own little mysteries. And Glorifindel did not ever talk about the validity of any of these thoughts to many people. There was much history of middle Earth both bright and sad. If you sat for a thousand years and told a story every night you would still not have all that had been done in the history of Middle Earth. Glorifindel told the Hobbits little stories about those long ago days. Pippins was fascinated, he had heard stories all of his life but never ones so grand and glorious as the ones that Glorifindel told and they were just bits and pieces of age old stories. They would rest for just a little while, Glorifindel would bring what comfort he could afford, but the resting never seemed like enough time, and then Strider and Sam would get impatient to be off and they would begin the journey to Rivendell again.

While they were walking Pippin found a way to walk beside the elf lord. Pippin had never seen anyone that looked like him. He was tall and slender and had Golden hair that reached down the middle of his back. Pippin wanted to touch it for it really looked like gold in the light, but he knew that it would be very presumptuous of him to ask. Glorifindel saw into the thoughts of Pippin and he realized that there was more to Pippin than the playful Hobbit ever let them see. He decided he wanted to know more about Pippin. The next time they stopped he called Pippin over to him. "Peregrin you are young to be on such an adventure, why is it that you are here" Pippin looked at him and for one instant Pippins face was not the cheerful face that everyone was used to. He looked at Glorifindel and the Elf Lord could see tears unshed in Pippins eyes. Then knowing that he could tell Glorifindel what was in his heart, Pippin started pouring out all of his thoughts to him." I know that I am young" He looked at Glorifindel and The elf Lord nodded " and at first it was just Merry and I being out on a lark, coming along with Frodo and Sam, but now" Pippin took a deep breath " it is more than that. I do not understand all that is going on with dark riders and such, but now I want to make Frodo feel better and not be in pain" Tears started quietly falling down Pippins cheek "I do not really like this part of me, a part that is forgetting about the happy things. And sometimes, I do want to run and hide but I do not want to leave my cousin, for you see I love Frodo. He has always loved me and protected me when I was little, and now I have this feeling inside of me, that I catch a little bit of, that wants to help him do what ever it is that he needs to do, and that is why I am here." Glorifindel looked into Pippins eyes and he saw there something that I was so happy he had seen. The great Elf Lord began to see into the depths of a Hobbits heart for just a small instant in time, And what he had seen was that maybe just maybe, there was some hope for Middle earth after all, and these Gentle Hobbits might just possibly have a key to the salvation of the world inside of them.

Many of the Elves had begun to lose hope, and many of them had already returned to Arda. Even though there still was much need for their strength and wisdom in Middle-Earth, some were giving up. Glorifindel himself had felt it, a feeling that there was very little hope left in a world that would soon belong to the race of men. Yet in this moment I accomplished a good thing as Glorifindel looked into the Hobbit's face, he was able to see that there was more than despair left in the world. There were still elven kind that had not given up, that still fought to keep back the dark tide, and there were people in Middle Earth that had the blood of 3 different races flowing through their veins; the blood of the first born the elder race of Elves, the blood of The Atani. The second born called Man, and the blood of the Maiar. Such a One was Elrond Peredhil, and it was to his home of Rivendell that the Hobbits were bound...