Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof.
Author's note: I apologize, but this chapter has only been edited by me, not my beta-reader. Please note any errors and I will gladly correct them.
*****
When Glorfindel awoke the next morning, the sun was rising. It was beautiful, turning the sky more colors than he could name--but it was not of interest, not to Glorfindel at that very moment. The Elf remembered at once what he had to do and sprang from his bed. Nerves had kept him in wakefulness until the late, late hours, yet he was energetic and ready to go when he awoke in the morning. Inexplicably happily Glorfindel changed into appropriate clothing, then left his rooms to inquire about breakfast.
Just as Glorfindel finished eating, he heard shouts in the corridor. He chuckled. Why was it that two little Elflings could drag so when woken from slumber, yet moments later run through corridors with their teeth half- cleaned, their hair half-brushed, and, on a very good day for them and a very bad day for Elrond and Celebrían, half-clothed? The twins always had amused Glorfindel, and he thought that they always would. The two were just over twelve, about five years to a mortal. As Glorfindel smiled he heard a crashing louder than he would have liked, and at once felt two small forms clinging to him, one on either side. "Woah! Good morrow!"
"Good morrow, Glorfindel!" the boys chorused, just as one very harassed- looking Elven lord came into the room after them.
"Celebrían asked me to look after the twins this morning," Elrond said. Glorfindel took another look at the little boys. Elladan looked as though his hair had just been through a rosebush and was not wearing a tunic. Elrohir had the remnants of a braid hanging over one ear, though he, at least, was fully dressed. The boys flashed identical grins at Glorfindel and clung to him tighter.
"Do not go getting your hopes up, little ones," Glorfindel said, detaching Elladan from his tunic and proffering the boy to Elrond. Elrohir hopped over after Elladan. No matter what they went through, it would be together.
"Glorfy, you traitor!" Elladan howled, beginning to cry. Elrohir looked at his brother as if to tell him that he was very stupid, then plunked himself on the ground and began to wail, as well. Elrond looked hopeless.
"Glorfindel? Help?"
"I am sorry, my friend. I am no good with children." Glorfindel bit down laughter as he listened to Elrond try to calm the boys. 'Trick me into taking a job. . .'
*****
"I cannot help but wonder why it is no other could tend this animal," Glorfindel said as he met Elrond by the ring later that day. "Will you tell me, or shall I guess?"
"You know, Glorfindel," Elrond returned, "when I used to come out here asking a question, you would ask in return if we were here to work or to chatter like a fool bullfrog. Are you here to work?" The white horse was standing in the center of the ring, shaking despite the warm day. Elrond motioned towards him. Glorfindel did not even grin, but placed his hands firmly on one wooden post and hopped the white fence with ease. He began to very slowly approach the horse.
"Hey there," said Glorfindel quietly to calm the creature and alert it to his presence. "Hey, little horse, hey there, little one." The horse turned his head to face Glorfindel, and the Elf saw himself reflected in the huge brown eye. But he also saw something else, a glint of something: something dangerous, something feral. This was going to be a challenge, he knew. It would have been a challenge back when Glorfindel was in practice, but here he was, had not been near a horse in decades. . ."It will come back to you as you go along," Glorfindel muttered to himself hopefully. "All right, horse," he said, slipping a rope around the creature's neck--and then the horse reared.
Elrond started, worried. What would happen now? He worried that Glorfindel would lose faith again, would be frightened back to the shivering fëa he had been. All the prodding and reassuring and hinting, all of the work the Peredhil had done to help his friend could be unraveled in a few precious seconds. Elrond help his breath, wondering if he dared to hope.
In moments the horse was galloping as fast as he could, trying hard to shake off the rope around his neck, or perhaps simply afraid. Glorfindel had known to expect this. He dropped the rope as soon as the horse reared up and waited for the horse to pass him, then ducked out of the ring. "What are you doing?" Elrond asked, as the blonde stood and watched the horse run. "Did he surprise you?"
"Horses, they do not surprise me, Peredhil. I know horses," Glorfindel replied without taking his eyes from the stallion. Elrond looked at his friend and smiled. Something had come over Glorfindel, something. . .
"Glory," Elrond whispered. When Glorfindel did not reply, Elrond said, a little louder and more insistent, "Glory!"
"Hush," said Glorfindel. "You will frighten him."
Elrond smiled, and turned to watch Glory's glory prance in the sun.
*****
After that, things seemed to move more quickly than they had over the past few decades. Glorfindel could constantly be found with the white horse, walking it slowly around with one hand tight on the halter, whispering gently and stroking the horse as Glory broke him for a saddle. At night he could be found in the stable, singing to the horse until it fell asleep. The horse showed vast improvements. He whinnied and stretched his neck whenever Glorfindel entered the stables. Not a month had passed before the horse was as good as new, and so, it is a delight to report, was Glorfindel.
"When I first started working with him, I was unsure of whether or not I was ready," Glorfindel confided as he and his friend the Peredhil. The two were laying stretched out in an open meadow, looking up at the stars.
"I knew that. And that is how I knew that you were ready," Elrond replied. Glorfindel turned, and for a moment studied Elrond's profile as the Half- Elven gazed up at the stars, then Elrond turned to face his friend. "You yourself were doubting that you were unready. Things turned out for the best, I think."
"Especially for him," Glorfindel agreed. "That horse had been abused before he reached this valley. Know that I will never stand for that, Elrond. If I ever see anyone hit or mistreat a horse, ever, I will kill him."
"I do not doubt you." Elrond replied. After a moment of chirping crickets, "Has he a name?"
Glorfindel did not reply at once, but sighed and shifted his arms beneath his head. Then a blissful smile came over his face. Just before Glorfindel fell asleep, he muttered, "Aye. Asfaloth."
*****
~*END*~
Coming soon: "The Horse-Master's Apprentice": Glorfindel has decided that it is time to pass on his knowledge of horses. Two candidates arise, but only one can be chosen. The pressure is on Glorfindel as Elladan and Elrohir strive to win his favor, and to keep their bond in the process.
Author's note: I apologize, but this chapter has only been edited by me, not my beta-reader. Please note any errors and I will gladly correct them.
*****
When Glorfindel awoke the next morning, the sun was rising. It was beautiful, turning the sky more colors than he could name--but it was not of interest, not to Glorfindel at that very moment. The Elf remembered at once what he had to do and sprang from his bed. Nerves had kept him in wakefulness until the late, late hours, yet he was energetic and ready to go when he awoke in the morning. Inexplicably happily Glorfindel changed into appropriate clothing, then left his rooms to inquire about breakfast.
Just as Glorfindel finished eating, he heard shouts in the corridor. He chuckled. Why was it that two little Elflings could drag so when woken from slumber, yet moments later run through corridors with their teeth half- cleaned, their hair half-brushed, and, on a very good day for them and a very bad day for Elrond and Celebrían, half-clothed? The twins always had amused Glorfindel, and he thought that they always would. The two were just over twelve, about five years to a mortal. As Glorfindel smiled he heard a crashing louder than he would have liked, and at once felt two small forms clinging to him, one on either side. "Woah! Good morrow!"
"Good morrow, Glorfindel!" the boys chorused, just as one very harassed- looking Elven lord came into the room after them.
"Celebrían asked me to look after the twins this morning," Elrond said. Glorfindel took another look at the little boys. Elladan looked as though his hair had just been through a rosebush and was not wearing a tunic. Elrohir had the remnants of a braid hanging over one ear, though he, at least, was fully dressed. The boys flashed identical grins at Glorfindel and clung to him tighter.
"Do not go getting your hopes up, little ones," Glorfindel said, detaching Elladan from his tunic and proffering the boy to Elrond. Elrohir hopped over after Elladan. No matter what they went through, it would be together.
"Glorfy, you traitor!" Elladan howled, beginning to cry. Elrohir looked at his brother as if to tell him that he was very stupid, then plunked himself on the ground and began to wail, as well. Elrond looked hopeless.
"Glorfindel? Help?"
"I am sorry, my friend. I am no good with children." Glorfindel bit down laughter as he listened to Elrond try to calm the boys. 'Trick me into taking a job. . .'
*****
"I cannot help but wonder why it is no other could tend this animal," Glorfindel said as he met Elrond by the ring later that day. "Will you tell me, or shall I guess?"
"You know, Glorfindel," Elrond returned, "when I used to come out here asking a question, you would ask in return if we were here to work or to chatter like a fool bullfrog. Are you here to work?" The white horse was standing in the center of the ring, shaking despite the warm day. Elrond motioned towards him. Glorfindel did not even grin, but placed his hands firmly on one wooden post and hopped the white fence with ease. He began to very slowly approach the horse.
"Hey there," said Glorfindel quietly to calm the creature and alert it to his presence. "Hey, little horse, hey there, little one." The horse turned his head to face Glorfindel, and the Elf saw himself reflected in the huge brown eye. But he also saw something else, a glint of something: something dangerous, something feral. This was going to be a challenge, he knew. It would have been a challenge back when Glorfindel was in practice, but here he was, had not been near a horse in decades. . ."It will come back to you as you go along," Glorfindel muttered to himself hopefully. "All right, horse," he said, slipping a rope around the creature's neck--and then the horse reared.
Elrond started, worried. What would happen now? He worried that Glorfindel would lose faith again, would be frightened back to the shivering fëa he had been. All the prodding and reassuring and hinting, all of the work the Peredhil had done to help his friend could be unraveled in a few precious seconds. Elrond help his breath, wondering if he dared to hope.
In moments the horse was galloping as fast as he could, trying hard to shake off the rope around his neck, or perhaps simply afraid. Glorfindel had known to expect this. He dropped the rope as soon as the horse reared up and waited for the horse to pass him, then ducked out of the ring. "What are you doing?" Elrond asked, as the blonde stood and watched the horse run. "Did he surprise you?"
"Horses, they do not surprise me, Peredhil. I know horses," Glorfindel replied without taking his eyes from the stallion. Elrond looked at his friend and smiled. Something had come over Glorfindel, something. . .
"Glory," Elrond whispered. When Glorfindel did not reply, Elrond said, a little louder and more insistent, "Glory!"
"Hush," said Glorfindel. "You will frighten him."
Elrond smiled, and turned to watch Glory's glory prance in the sun.
*****
After that, things seemed to move more quickly than they had over the past few decades. Glorfindel could constantly be found with the white horse, walking it slowly around with one hand tight on the halter, whispering gently and stroking the horse as Glory broke him for a saddle. At night he could be found in the stable, singing to the horse until it fell asleep. The horse showed vast improvements. He whinnied and stretched his neck whenever Glorfindel entered the stables. Not a month had passed before the horse was as good as new, and so, it is a delight to report, was Glorfindel.
"When I first started working with him, I was unsure of whether or not I was ready," Glorfindel confided as he and his friend the Peredhil. The two were laying stretched out in an open meadow, looking up at the stars.
"I knew that. And that is how I knew that you were ready," Elrond replied. Glorfindel turned, and for a moment studied Elrond's profile as the Half- Elven gazed up at the stars, then Elrond turned to face his friend. "You yourself were doubting that you were unready. Things turned out for the best, I think."
"Especially for him," Glorfindel agreed. "That horse had been abused before he reached this valley. Know that I will never stand for that, Elrond. If I ever see anyone hit or mistreat a horse, ever, I will kill him."
"I do not doubt you." Elrond replied. After a moment of chirping crickets, "Has he a name?"
Glorfindel did not reply at once, but sighed and shifted his arms beneath his head. Then a blissful smile came over his face. Just before Glorfindel fell asleep, he muttered, "Aye. Asfaloth."
*****
~*END*~
Coming soon: "The Horse-Master's Apprentice": Glorfindel has decided that it is time to pass on his knowledge of horses. Two candidates arise, but only one can be chosen. The pressure is on Glorfindel as Elladan and Elrohir strive to win his favor, and to keep their bond in the process.