A/N: Don't own nothin' of Tolkien's. Das alles.
Chapter 4
"What happened?" Glorfindel stared down at the pair of them.
Elrond wished he knew the answer.
"Is she dead?" Elrohir's blue eyes were wide.
Elrond found his voice. "No," he said, a bit sharper than he meant to. At Elrohir's trembling lower lip, he softened his voice. "No, Elrohir, she is not dead. She had.a nightmare, that's all. No go back outside and play."
"But we want to stay," Elladan protested.
"No," Elrond said, trying to be patient as he carefully lifted Míriel from the floor and placed her in the bed. "She's sleeping. How would you like it if someone came in and disturbed your sleep?"
Elladan glanced at Estel, then Elrohir. All were lost in thought for a precious few silent seconds, then disappeared out the door. Elrond heard them outside a moments later.
"What happened, my friend?" Glorfindel asked softly, putting his hand on Elrond's shoulder. He glanced down at Míriel, then back up to Elrond. "You are pale."
"I saw-something," Elrond said hesitantly. "When she screamed, it felt like a hot dagger was cutting its way through my brain. And when I found her, she touched my face-"Elrond shook his head. "I saw her."
"Saw her how?" Glorfindel frowned.
"Saw her before this," Elrond said after a moment, gesturing to Míriel's still form on the bed. With a sigh, Elrond tilted his head to the side, indicating they should not speak in Míriel's albeit unconscious presence. They made their way to the library balcony, where they stood a long while in silence, feeling the heat of the sun beating down on their faces.
"She was with two other women," Elrond said at last, rubbing his eyes. "They were on horseback, just out for an evening ride. They came across a band of orcs-or, rather, the orcs came across them. The others went for help, but-" his voice broke, and he took a deep breath. "-the orcs laid hold of her, and they.they." Elrond could not bring himself to say it.
Glorfindel laid an understanding hand on Elrond's shoulder. Disgust and anger was written on his face as well. He knew Elrond well enough to know what had befallen without him having to spell it out. Elrond nodded, grateful, and continued.
"I was frozen; I could not move or speak, only watch. When the sun faded so did the vision. You saw the rest."
Glorfindel was silent for a moment. "Did you dream about your vision before you had it?"
"No."
"What about hearing her inside your head?"
"That I certainly cannot explain. I cannot sense any sort of ethereal prowess on her part at all-quite the opposite, in fact. She is like a blank slate. I sense nothing from her-no memories of anything save the emotions she faces here, at this moment. Nothing lingering."
Glorfindel mused over this. "It is a puzzle," he admitted.
"She does have a connection to you, I've noticed," Elrond said with a smile. "She trusts you more than anyone thus far. I've also noticed you have a softening spot for her as well."
Despite the mischievous glint in Elrond's eye and the tell-tale tugging at the corners of his mouth, Glorfindel refused to be pulled into Elrond's implication. "Ah, my old friend, sometimes I wonder if the years have not muddled your brain."
Elrond started to retort, but stopped before any words left his mouth, and turned around. Glorfindel raised his eyebrows then did the same, noticing for the first time Míriel had managed to find her way to the library and was standing behind them.
How long had she been there? Glorfindel wondered. Instead of asking, however, he extended his hand to her. "Come, child," he said softly. Míriel took his hand and allowed Glorfindel to guide her to the balcony rail. She glanced between Elrond and Glorfindel, then sighed, raising her face to the sky.
"Míriel!"
The childish cry came from the gardens below them. Both elf lords and Míriel looked down at the twins and Estel, who were waving madly up at them. She chuckled softly to herself as she watched them.
"Wanna come down and play?" Elrohir called up to her, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Come and play!" Estel echoed.
"She needs her rest, children," Elrond called down to them. Míriel smiled and waved, and allowed Elrond to take her elbow and lead her away from the balcony. Whines of disappointment emanating from the garden immediately ensued, and Elrond shook his head with a soft laugh.
Míriel glanced back toward the balcony, then paused. She pursed her lips, as if considering some plan of action, then broke out into a run back toward the balcony. Startled shouts came from both Glorfindel and Elrond, and they took off after her, but they were not fast enough.
She caught the balcony rail with one hand and swung her legs over. She fell quickly and gracefully, landing in a cat-like crouch at the feet of the children, who squealed with delight, promptly dragging her away to some adventure.
"Míriel!" Glorfindel's voice carried over the garden. It carried a mixture of concern and shock.
She did not notice his tone, but merely waved with a huge smile and allowed the children to take her where they would.
"Did she just jump off the balcony?"
Glorfindel turned at Elrond's question. His eyes were wide, and his face still reflected his surprise.
"Yes."
"And she was unhurt."
"Seemingly."
Elrond shook his head. "I hope the twins and Estel don't try that. It would be difficult to explain to Celebrían how all three of the children managed to suffer from two broken legs each."
Glorfindel's jaw dropped as Elrond turned and left the room. He could not quite decide if he was joking or being serious-of course, Glorfindel thought wryly, that was a daily question when it came to Elrond. He sighed, and, running a hand through his silky golden hair, tried to force the worry from his mind.
Chapter 4
"What happened?" Glorfindel stared down at the pair of them.
Elrond wished he knew the answer.
"Is she dead?" Elrohir's blue eyes were wide.
Elrond found his voice. "No," he said, a bit sharper than he meant to. At Elrohir's trembling lower lip, he softened his voice. "No, Elrohir, she is not dead. She had.a nightmare, that's all. No go back outside and play."
"But we want to stay," Elladan protested.
"No," Elrond said, trying to be patient as he carefully lifted Míriel from the floor and placed her in the bed. "She's sleeping. How would you like it if someone came in and disturbed your sleep?"
Elladan glanced at Estel, then Elrohir. All were lost in thought for a precious few silent seconds, then disappeared out the door. Elrond heard them outside a moments later.
"What happened, my friend?" Glorfindel asked softly, putting his hand on Elrond's shoulder. He glanced down at Míriel, then back up to Elrond. "You are pale."
"I saw-something," Elrond said hesitantly. "When she screamed, it felt like a hot dagger was cutting its way through my brain. And when I found her, she touched my face-"Elrond shook his head. "I saw her."
"Saw her how?" Glorfindel frowned.
"Saw her before this," Elrond said after a moment, gesturing to Míriel's still form on the bed. With a sigh, Elrond tilted his head to the side, indicating they should not speak in Míriel's albeit unconscious presence. They made their way to the library balcony, where they stood a long while in silence, feeling the heat of the sun beating down on their faces.
"She was with two other women," Elrond said at last, rubbing his eyes. "They were on horseback, just out for an evening ride. They came across a band of orcs-or, rather, the orcs came across them. The others went for help, but-" his voice broke, and he took a deep breath. "-the orcs laid hold of her, and they.they." Elrond could not bring himself to say it.
Glorfindel laid an understanding hand on Elrond's shoulder. Disgust and anger was written on his face as well. He knew Elrond well enough to know what had befallen without him having to spell it out. Elrond nodded, grateful, and continued.
"I was frozen; I could not move or speak, only watch. When the sun faded so did the vision. You saw the rest."
Glorfindel was silent for a moment. "Did you dream about your vision before you had it?"
"No."
"What about hearing her inside your head?"
"That I certainly cannot explain. I cannot sense any sort of ethereal prowess on her part at all-quite the opposite, in fact. She is like a blank slate. I sense nothing from her-no memories of anything save the emotions she faces here, at this moment. Nothing lingering."
Glorfindel mused over this. "It is a puzzle," he admitted.
"She does have a connection to you, I've noticed," Elrond said with a smile. "She trusts you more than anyone thus far. I've also noticed you have a softening spot for her as well."
Despite the mischievous glint in Elrond's eye and the tell-tale tugging at the corners of his mouth, Glorfindel refused to be pulled into Elrond's implication. "Ah, my old friend, sometimes I wonder if the years have not muddled your brain."
Elrond started to retort, but stopped before any words left his mouth, and turned around. Glorfindel raised his eyebrows then did the same, noticing for the first time Míriel had managed to find her way to the library and was standing behind them.
How long had she been there? Glorfindel wondered. Instead of asking, however, he extended his hand to her. "Come, child," he said softly. Míriel took his hand and allowed Glorfindel to guide her to the balcony rail. She glanced between Elrond and Glorfindel, then sighed, raising her face to the sky.
"Míriel!"
The childish cry came from the gardens below them. Both elf lords and Míriel looked down at the twins and Estel, who were waving madly up at them. She chuckled softly to herself as she watched them.
"Wanna come down and play?" Elrohir called up to her, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Come and play!" Estel echoed.
"She needs her rest, children," Elrond called down to them. Míriel smiled and waved, and allowed Elrond to take her elbow and lead her away from the balcony. Whines of disappointment emanating from the garden immediately ensued, and Elrond shook his head with a soft laugh.
Míriel glanced back toward the balcony, then paused. She pursed her lips, as if considering some plan of action, then broke out into a run back toward the balcony. Startled shouts came from both Glorfindel and Elrond, and they took off after her, but they were not fast enough.
She caught the balcony rail with one hand and swung her legs over. She fell quickly and gracefully, landing in a cat-like crouch at the feet of the children, who squealed with delight, promptly dragging her away to some adventure.
"Míriel!" Glorfindel's voice carried over the garden. It carried a mixture of concern and shock.
She did not notice his tone, but merely waved with a huge smile and allowed the children to take her where they would.
"Did she just jump off the balcony?"
Glorfindel turned at Elrond's question. His eyes were wide, and his face still reflected his surprise.
"Yes."
"And she was unhurt."
"Seemingly."
Elrond shook his head. "I hope the twins and Estel don't try that. It would be difficult to explain to Celebrían how all three of the children managed to suffer from two broken legs each."
Glorfindel's jaw dropped as Elrond turned and left the room. He could not quite decide if he was joking or being serious-of course, Glorfindel thought wryly, that was a daily question when it came to Elrond. He sighed, and, running a hand through his silky golden hair, tried to force the worry from his mind.
