New stuff again. Chopped into chapters because...geez, that last one was WAY too long
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"Isn't it beautiful?" Bronwe grinned at the elf walking behind her, noting that he was holding on to the branches for balance less already. Moving with more of the grace that came naturally to elves – but was learned while they were small children.
Glorfindel, in the body of the adult he had been, now had to relearn all that he had known. To re-train this new body to react in ways that had been instinctive.
Though Bronwe was almost positive this golden haired Elf had never walked the boughs and branches as easily as strolling a lane in Gondolin. He had no resemblance to any Silvan relatives of her own, and that blonde hair was too gold to be Sindarin or Teleri.
Never too late for learning, however, and the trees had been calling to her to come away and commune in their leafed arms.
She smiled, resting her hand on the trunk before leaping lightly to another branch. "This is a wonderful tree. It's been here for Ages." The healer turned to see how her patient was progressing and found him standing on the branch, hand on the tree. Head cocked as if listening.
"Can you hear it?" Bronwe walked back to stand next to the blonde.
"It's…soft."
She nodded. "Until you're used to listening to them, trees are rather quiet." Raised grey eyes to the leafy boughs above them. "They'll tell you of rain coming, and which way the winds blow. What birds are in the air, or have alighted on them. Of the things burrowing in the dirt. The creatures that make their homes in their branches." Bronwe's expression was reverent, gaze unfocused. "Tell you of the Ages they've seen, and how the lands around them have changed."
Glorfindel gazed at her, eyes bright with curiosity. "Is…so aged."
"Yes." She smiled softly. "This is a very ancient tree."
"Sad." He frowned, struggling for words to express the sensations he was getting. "Many gone."
Bronwe nodded, her gaze going south to where Beleriand had once been. "Many of them sunk with the land," she told him softly. "It affected everything and everyone on Arda." She stroked the branches. "There were whole forests of these ancient ones where I grew up."
"Tree moves?"
Arching an eyebrow, Bronwe tilted her head. Frowned lightly. "This isn't an Ent, Glorfindel. Those…" Heavy sigh. "I fear they're long gone."
"Tree moves," he insisted, and pointed to the branches. Made walking motions. "When crossing from tree to tree. It moves with you. For you."
She blinked. It was something so integral, so a part of her, of being an Elf, she never thought that he didn't know. "Yes, they…" Shrugged. "Trees and Elves understand one another. They tell us what branches will not hold. Where it's best to cross."
"Move."
Bronwe laughed at his insistence. "Did it?" For all she knew it had. "Then I am, indeed, honoured." She gestured for him to follow, easily picking out the best path. She had ran through the limbs of trees as a child in Doriath and Ossiriand. Raced her brothers to see who could scamper through the forests without stirring a leaf. Walking the branches had been as natural to her as walking on the ground.
It made her happy to see she hadn't forgotten those skills. "I don't get out here often enough anymore," she mused to herself. Automatically gauged the distance, leaped lightly to a branch stretching out over the lake without a second's pause. She turned to see Glorfindel regarding the distance dubiously.
He looked around, searching for a different route and she chuckled. "Don't go that way…"
The blonde frowned. "Closer."
"It's not solid enough." Bronwe shook her head as he ignored her. "Stubborn…" Leaped lightly down another branch, heading towards him.
Glorfindel sprang off the branch he was on, landing a little awkwardly on the new one, but caught his balance almost immediately. Grinned up at her with a self-satisfied smirk.
Which quickly disappeared when the branch gave an ominous crack.
"Jump!" Bronwe tried not to laugh at the dismay on his face as the branch began to give underneath him.
The blonde ran forward and made a lunge for a nearby limb, grabbing it as the branch beneath him snapped and fell, tumbling down into the water with a splash. Swinging back up onto a new branch, Glorfindel regarded the tree with a deeply offended expression. "Doesn't like me!"
"It doesn't know you," she corrected. Sighed as she looked at the broken branch, making her way over to stand with him. "Trees are like people, Glor. Some welcome company and others are a bit grumpy."
Shooting a dubious look at her, Glorfindel climbed down the tree, dropping to the ground with a satisfied sigh. He watched the healer as she continued to almost…stroll through the trees.
Shaking his head, he followed – on the ground. Wondering idly if she had ever met Yavanna.
Yavanna. Something sparked in his mind at that name, and he looked up at the trees frowning.
She had asked him something. Asked him while facing the Máhanaxar. Something he had not been prepared to answer, not even after so long in Mandos' care, searching his soul.
Right before …before the light had become blinding, ripping him away to-
Glorfindel grunted as pain lanced through his head. Stopped walking and pressed the palm of one hand to his forehead, grimacing. Everything suddenly became louder, brighter. His own breathing was so loud. Nauseated, he dropped to one knee, willing the pain away.
Rustle of leaves and a cool hand touched his, gently pushing it aside. "Try to relax. Deep breaths."
He sat suddenly, with a thump that jarred his head, making him grunt in pain.
"Just give me a moment," Bronwe said softly. She reached under his hair, fingers trailing along the back of his neck. Felt the muscles knotted there and snorted. "Tense much?"
He jumped as her fingers dug into the knot of pain, fisting his hands to control the impulse screaming to shove her away. Focused on breathing in. Out. Felt like his head was going to split. Possibly spilling his stomach in the process.
Finally, after what felt like a whole age, the pain decreased to a dull throb. He sagged a bit in relief. "Hurts very bad," he said softly.
"I can tell." Bronwe shook her head, continuing to work at the knots of muscle. Pushed his hair to one side, and shifted around behind him to get a better angle. "What has you so tense, Glor?"
Letting his hair loll forward, he only grunted in answer.
He didn't want to think about that again.
Ever, if it could possibly be avoided.
Leaned back slightly into the kneading hands, back arching in pleasure as the pain receded. "Mmmmm…." Touch. He had missed that above all else. The simple contact with another being.
Bronwe chuckled at the purr. "I think you're fine now."
He turned his head, giving her a dismayed look. "Don't stop!"
The healer shook her head, grinning at him. "I bet they sent you back because you were causing a ruckus, didn't they?" Nodded at his guileless grin. "Mmm- hmm. You, my friend…" Bronwe stood with a pat to his shoulder. "..are going to fit right in at Court."
Glorfindel scrambled to his feet, walking close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm. Unwilling to lose that contact so soon. "Elrond is at Court?" He missed the dark haired elf.
"Usually, yes." Slanting a look at the elf following almost on her heels, Bronwe snorted and took his hand in hers. "You miss that, don't you?" Stopped as he did, smiling slightly at his surprise. "It's all right, Glorfindel. The need for touch…to feel loved, is something we all crave." Shrugged one shoulder. "I have no idea what it was like there for you, but I can imagine it was rather…lonely."
He drew in a long breath and seemed to be struggling with something. The light blue eyes conveyed a sense of distress. "Can I …hug?" At her nod, he stepped forward, gently slipping arms around her waist to loosely embrace her. Dropped his head to her shoulder as her arms wound around his waist.
Nothing intimate about it, yet it was as satisfying to him as that first touch of the ocean on his skin. Just to feel the vital sense of life in the other. A heartbeat. Breathing. Warmth.
That comfort couldn't come from anywhere else. Even the Valar, for all the power they wielded, had not the warmth of another living being. Possibly because of the power.
He stepped back first, dropping his arms to his sides. Innate sense that more would be unwelcome. Gained a bright smile from her.
"Friends can comfort friends, Glor." Bronwe reached up, tucking his hair behind his ear.
"We're…friends?"
"I'd like that."
The pair started walking again, heading back towards Mithlond, which really wasn't very far. A meandering path through the woods that led to the garden area behind her cottage.
He grinned suddenly. "Bron?"
"Hmm?" She reached up to trail a hand along the leaves of a branch above her.
"When can I make more friends?" Suddenly restless. Wanting more.
"Tired of me already, eh?" She winked at his dismayed look. "I'm teasing. We'll go to the market tomorrow. There will be a lot of others there. See how you do in a crowd, all right?"
He nodded. "Yes." Walked a ways before slanting a sly look. "Will be pretty girls?"
Bronwe laughed, tilting her head back to look up through the canopy of green above them. "Yes, Glor. There are plenty of pretty elves in Mithlond."
"Good."
Shaking her head, Bronwe arched an eyebrow. "Race you back?" She took off running before he could respond.
Staring after her in shock for a moment, Glorfindel tore off in pursuit, laughing.
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The market was alive with sighs and sounds, smells. Almost overwhelming hubbub compared to the near solitude Elrond had surrounded him with. Glorfindel blinked as a large being, arms loaded with parcels, almost ran into him, grunting an apology before continuing on. Stopping, the elf stared after the being, tilting his head in curiosity.
"Glor." Bronwe captured his arm with a light laugh. "Try not to stand here staring. You'll be run down."
"Who?" His eyes followed the burly figure through the crowd.
"A Man." The healer pulled him to one side, out of the flow of traffic. "Númenóreans, to be exact."
The golden-haired elf turned his gaze to hers, dubious expression drawing his brows together. He remembered humans.
"Edain, Glor." Bronwe used the term he would have known. He had fallen before the Valar had raised the island for the faithful. She released his arm and turned to continue through the market, glancing back to make sure he was following.
Finding a stand with fresh fish, the healer stopped to talk to the fisherman.
Glorfindel listened for a moment, looking around. A loud clang and sudden flash almost made him jump. Drawn, almost against his will, he slowly walked towards the open area of dirt. Set off to one side, almost by itself, a small table was set up displaying various metal items.
It was the fire that drew the elf's attention. Coals, stoked and banked, kept glowing by a judicious use of the bellows. Bare-chested, skin gleaming with sweat, the smithy pulled the piece he was working out of the coals, set it on the anvil and brought his hammer down with a clang that reverberated through the air. Grunting, he jammed it back in the coals, rotating it, and sparking the coals to flame.
Glorfindel stiffened, blue eyes going round. Hugely, unnaturally wide, as he stared at the flames.
Flame.
Heat. Unbearable heat. Suffocating him. Ripping the air from his lungs. Beating against his skin, tingling in pain.
Distantly, the elf heard a rasping sound, air drawn in to lungs more ancient than his own. The breathy, grating bellow of the creature nearing.
Glorfindel shivered, trembling in the heat of the smithy's fire. Caught in a waking dream, he couldn't escape. Couldn't move. Bronwe hurriedly shoved her basket at the fisherman and ran over to the smithy's. She couldn't miss the unadulterated terror radiating from the elf standing, staring at the smithy's fire.
"Glorfindel." She didn't touch him, but stood between him and the fire. "You're all right, Glor." Trying to divert his attention, wishing she was just a bit taller and could see eye-to-eye with him.
He trembled again, expression collapsing into a mask of pain and terror.
"No…" Bronwe grabbed his arms, just below the shoulders, and he jerked at the contact. His gaze dropped, meeting and tangling with hers. "Glorfindel, you are in Mithlond. There is no Balrog here." She grimaced, feeling the swirl of his memory rushing against her, trying to tug her in with him. Bronwe felt the ground beneath her feet, the sun on her face, the swirl of beings around her. Used that to ground herself and shoved the vision back, gripping his arms even tighter. "Come back to the present, Glorfindel."
Like water draining from a culvert, the vision of flame and heat faded. Leaving him trembling, the fear and anger pumping through him, to fight. To run. Scream. Something… No, someone held him, and he stared, trying to reconcile the past with the present.
Blinked as a shaft of sunlight hit his face. Smelled the fish across the way. Felt a cool breeze against his face carrying the tang of the ocean.
With a groan, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the solid, breathing reality who stood before him.
He was hurting her, holding too tightly, but couldn't loosen his grip. Bronwe wrapped her arms around the golden-haired elf, murmuring quietly to him. Stroking his back in circles to ease the tension-wracked frame. Slowly let go the mental connection she'd bound him with as he sighed. Leaning back as his grip relaxed, Bronwe tucked his hair behind his ears. Met his gaze, hers searching.
Glorfindel nodded shakily, offering a weary smile.
Bronwe nodded. "Enough for one day, hmm? Let's go." Taking his hand, she went back to retrieve her basket, before weaving the quickest, quietest route through the market to reach home.
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