"Elladan," Glorfindel's head poked round the door.
The five heads around the table looked up from their breakfast curiously. Glorfindel, who from his dress had come straight from morning sword training, was not normally apt to call so early in the morning.
"Glorfindel, come and join us!" Elrond spoke jovially, waving a hand at an empty chair. He hadn't felt in such a good mood for centuries.
Elladan and Elrohir stopped their fight over the breadbasket, offering the prize to the newcomer. Grinning Glorfindel sat down and helped himself, being sure to leave an even number of rolls. He enjoyed the family time over breakfast, and it had been some time since he had been invited.
"Lady Gilraen, Glorfindel is one of my advisors and closest friends."
Gilraen looked up shyly at Elrond's introduction. The blond elf met her gaze with a smile.
"It is a fine morning," Glorfindel said politely with his thoughts elsewhere. It could not be easy for Elrond, having another woman at the table. Nor the boys, although it didn't seem to be affecting their appetites.
"You always take the largest roll!"
"I do not! It was you that hogged the jam!"
"Says the person who ate all the apples!"
Elrond coughed loudly. Both boys fell silent, but as the attention turned away from the pair of them Elladan leant across and switched his roll for Elrohir's with an angelic smile. Yes, Glorfindel decided, he enjoyed it all. Even the petty arguments that the twins felt it were necessary to have whenever food reached the table.
"Gofin?" Estel piped up, making a valiant attempt at pronouncing the new name. Glorfindel winced slightly. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, their faces breaking into identical grins.
"Oh no Estel. Not Gofin," Elladan said earnestly, "His name is Glorfy!"
"He loves being called Glorfy. . ." Elrohir chimed in.
"More than anything else in Arda. . ." Elladan caught Glorfindel's eye and pretended to die, much to Estel's amusement.
"Oh much much more . . . especially in front of other people!"
"Particularly the Imladris Guard!" Both boys choked on their laughter, tears running down their face. Gilraen looked at Elrond, allowing herself to smile only when he joined in the laughter. Glorfindel shook his head good-naturedly mouthing threats at the twins.
He did not really mind the nickname. The twins had come up with it when they were very young, only able to manage Glorfindel as they had got older. That should have been the end of it. However returning from battle one day Elladan, who had been but two at the time, had escaped his father's grasp and had run to hug him with a joyful shout of "Glorfy!" The name had spread quickly through the Guard and thereafter he had been prone to being referred to as Glorfy at inopportune moments. Elves had such long memories.
Estel looked at him with the kind of delighted smile that only a two-year- old could manage.
"Glorfy!"
"Well done Estel!" Elrohir ruffled the dark hair. Both boys smirked at Glorfindel. However he had his revenge up his sleeve.
"Elladan," Glorfindel's face was stern but his blue eyes were twinkling, "I had a visitor this morning."
"Oh," Elladan replied through a mouthful of roll.
"Chew Elladan!" Glorfindel and Elrond reprimanded simultaneously. Elladan obediently chewed and swallowed. Glorfindel was Head of the Imladris Guard and as Captain Elladan answered to him. In truth he should have reported himself to Glorfindel last night, but he wondered that that should cause such an early morning call.
"A visitor?" Elladan attempted with more success, "Glorfindel I should have reported to you last night."
"Yes," Glorfindel smiled slightly, "However that can be done later in the morning."
"The visitor?" Elladan frowned. He was not usually careless in these matters, but he had been tired the previous night.
"Ah yes," Glorfindel let a smile slip across his lips, "It was, oh I forget."
Elladan regarded Glorfindel suspiciously. Glorfindel had never before forgotten anything in all the long time he had known him.
"Wait," Glorfindel appeared as if he was searching for some long lost name, "Ah I remember. The mother of that pretty young elf that you have mentioned so often. Now what was her name?"
Elladan went pink as his brother and father's curious faces turned to look at him. Elrohir was grinning particularly broadly. Desperately he shot a look at Glorfindel, clearly saying 'You wouldn't'. Glorfindel smiled innocently, indicating that he would.
Elladan spent several hours a week with Glorfindel, training for archery, a remnant of a deal made when he was little older than Estel. During this time he had often discussed matters close to his heart, recently including a certain elf maiden that had caught his eye.
It was above Elrond's dignity to question his friend on such matters. Elrohir however had no such qualms.
"Oh who is it!" Elrohir smirked at his brother getting revenge for the roll incident, "Do tell us Glorfindel!"
Elladan slowly turned beetroot, sinking lower in his chair. Glorfindel grinned at him, being answered with a scowl.
"Now was it beginning with A. . ." Glorfindel pondered, ignoring the pleading looks Elladan was giving him, "Or was it E."
"Estel," Elladan turned in desperation to the last resort, "His name is Glorfindel. Glor-fin-del."
"Glorfy!" Estel called happily. Everyone except Elladan began laughing, even Gilraen managing a soft laugh.
"Come Elladan," Glorfindel got up and grasped the younger elf's shoulder, "We have much to discuss you and I. Thank you for breakfast Elrond."
Elladan walked down the corridors to the gardens, his burning cheeks fading back to their normal colour, in stubborn silence.
"You would not have told?" he managed eventually. The name of the elf maiden and the so far unsuccessful attempts to catch her attention were not the only or the dearest secrets that Glorfindel held.
"Never," Glorfindel reassured him sitting down on a stone bench under a tree and indicating that Elladan should do likewise, "Now my visitor tells me that a group of riders walked through her daughter's singing class last night. She was most distressed."
Elladan glanced at Glorfindel to see if he was really angry. He may be a close friend and practically a member of family but he cut Elladan no slack in meeting his standards. The blue eyes were twinkling and Elladan relaxed slightly. All the same he was glad that this had not been brought up in front of his father.
"I did not know that the elf maidens' singing class had moved to the North Hall. I am sorry," Elladan realised that Glorfindel was waiting on some sort of explanation for their state of undress, "It was cold and wet."
"Indeed it was a foul night," Glorfindel stretched out his legs, gripping the edge of the bench with both hands, "Never again Elladan."
Elladan nodded seriously, smiling slightly when he saw Glorfindel's grin.
"And you did not know that she would be there?"
Elladan shook his head, "I really did not."
"You caused quite a stir," Glorfindel's smile faded as he returned to business, "And you found orc?"
"Yes," Elladan looked at Glorfindel's dismayed face, "They come ever closer. . ."
The five heads around the table looked up from their breakfast curiously. Glorfindel, who from his dress had come straight from morning sword training, was not normally apt to call so early in the morning.
"Glorfindel, come and join us!" Elrond spoke jovially, waving a hand at an empty chair. He hadn't felt in such a good mood for centuries.
Elladan and Elrohir stopped their fight over the breadbasket, offering the prize to the newcomer. Grinning Glorfindel sat down and helped himself, being sure to leave an even number of rolls. He enjoyed the family time over breakfast, and it had been some time since he had been invited.
"Lady Gilraen, Glorfindel is one of my advisors and closest friends."
Gilraen looked up shyly at Elrond's introduction. The blond elf met her gaze with a smile.
"It is a fine morning," Glorfindel said politely with his thoughts elsewhere. It could not be easy for Elrond, having another woman at the table. Nor the boys, although it didn't seem to be affecting their appetites.
"You always take the largest roll!"
"I do not! It was you that hogged the jam!"
"Says the person who ate all the apples!"
Elrond coughed loudly. Both boys fell silent, but as the attention turned away from the pair of them Elladan leant across and switched his roll for Elrohir's with an angelic smile. Yes, Glorfindel decided, he enjoyed it all. Even the petty arguments that the twins felt it were necessary to have whenever food reached the table.
"Gofin?" Estel piped up, making a valiant attempt at pronouncing the new name. Glorfindel winced slightly. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, their faces breaking into identical grins.
"Oh no Estel. Not Gofin," Elladan said earnestly, "His name is Glorfy!"
"He loves being called Glorfy. . ." Elrohir chimed in.
"More than anything else in Arda. . ." Elladan caught Glorfindel's eye and pretended to die, much to Estel's amusement.
"Oh much much more . . . especially in front of other people!"
"Particularly the Imladris Guard!" Both boys choked on their laughter, tears running down their face. Gilraen looked at Elrond, allowing herself to smile only when he joined in the laughter. Glorfindel shook his head good-naturedly mouthing threats at the twins.
He did not really mind the nickname. The twins had come up with it when they were very young, only able to manage Glorfindel as they had got older. That should have been the end of it. However returning from battle one day Elladan, who had been but two at the time, had escaped his father's grasp and had run to hug him with a joyful shout of "Glorfy!" The name had spread quickly through the Guard and thereafter he had been prone to being referred to as Glorfy at inopportune moments. Elves had such long memories.
Estel looked at him with the kind of delighted smile that only a two-year- old could manage.
"Glorfy!"
"Well done Estel!" Elrohir ruffled the dark hair. Both boys smirked at Glorfindel. However he had his revenge up his sleeve.
"Elladan," Glorfindel's face was stern but his blue eyes were twinkling, "I had a visitor this morning."
"Oh," Elladan replied through a mouthful of roll.
"Chew Elladan!" Glorfindel and Elrond reprimanded simultaneously. Elladan obediently chewed and swallowed. Glorfindel was Head of the Imladris Guard and as Captain Elladan answered to him. In truth he should have reported himself to Glorfindel last night, but he wondered that that should cause such an early morning call.
"A visitor?" Elladan attempted with more success, "Glorfindel I should have reported to you last night."
"Yes," Glorfindel smiled slightly, "However that can be done later in the morning."
"The visitor?" Elladan frowned. He was not usually careless in these matters, but he had been tired the previous night.
"Ah yes," Glorfindel let a smile slip across his lips, "It was, oh I forget."
Elladan regarded Glorfindel suspiciously. Glorfindel had never before forgotten anything in all the long time he had known him.
"Wait," Glorfindel appeared as if he was searching for some long lost name, "Ah I remember. The mother of that pretty young elf that you have mentioned so often. Now what was her name?"
Elladan went pink as his brother and father's curious faces turned to look at him. Elrohir was grinning particularly broadly. Desperately he shot a look at Glorfindel, clearly saying 'You wouldn't'. Glorfindel smiled innocently, indicating that he would.
Elladan spent several hours a week with Glorfindel, training for archery, a remnant of a deal made when he was little older than Estel. During this time he had often discussed matters close to his heart, recently including a certain elf maiden that had caught his eye.
It was above Elrond's dignity to question his friend on such matters. Elrohir however had no such qualms.
"Oh who is it!" Elrohir smirked at his brother getting revenge for the roll incident, "Do tell us Glorfindel!"
Elladan slowly turned beetroot, sinking lower in his chair. Glorfindel grinned at him, being answered with a scowl.
"Now was it beginning with A. . ." Glorfindel pondered, ignoring the pleading looks Elladan was giving him, "Or was it E."
"Estel," Elladan turned in desperation to the last resort, "His name is Glorfindel. Glor-fin-del."
"Glorfy!" Estel called happily. Everyone except Elladan began laughing, even Gilraen managing a soft laugh.
"Come Elladan," Glorfindel got up and grasped the younger elf's shoulder, "We have much to discuss you and I. Thank you for breakfast Elrond."
Elladan walked down the corridors to the gardens, his burning cheeks fading back to their normal colour, in stubborn silence.
"You would not have told?" he managed eventually. The name of the elf maiden and the so far unsuccessful attempts to catch her attention were not the only or the dearest secrets that Glorfindel held.
"Never," Glorfindel reassured him sitting down on a stone bench under a tree and indicating that Elladan should do likewise, "Now my visitor tells me that a group of riders walked through her daughter's singing class last night. She was most distressed."
Elladan glanced at Glorfindel to see if he was really angry. He may be a close friend and practically a member of family but he cut Elladan no slack in meeting his standards. The blue eyes were twinkling and Elladan relaxed slightly. All the same he was glad that this had not been brought up in front of his father.
"I did not know that the elf maidens' singing class had moved to the North Hall. I am sorry," Elladan realised that Glorfindel was waiting on some sort of explanation for their state of undress, "It was cold and wet."
"Indeed it was a foul night," Glorfindel stretched out his legs, gripping the edge of the bench with both hands, "Never again Elladan."
Elladan nodded seriously, smiling slightly when he saw Glorfindel's grin.
"And you did not know that she would be there?"
Elladan shook his head, "I really did not."
"You caused quite a stir," Glorfindel's smile faded as he returned to business, "And you found orc?"
"Yes," Elladan looked at Glorfindel's dismayed face, "They come ever closer. . ."