Rest
Altril Narmolanya
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Eccentric Beauty- Thank you for your oh so kind review! I am glad to put a little brotherly "love" in this story. Thanks for beta-ing for me. You have this story shortly!
Grumpy- Yeah, I feel sorry for poor Glorfy. Lol. At least Arwen's not there to steal his horse this time.
Namarie02- I was bummed out in the movies when there was no Glorfindel so I have to keep myself busy by writing about him so that I don't go and kill Peter Jackson.
Chapter Four: Bath Time!
After about ten minutes Elrond saw Erestor walking down the hall. "Good morning, Erestor. I trust my son told you why I requested your help?"
"Elladan told me every little. My heart goes out to Arathorn's son and widow. But I was unable to extract much more information than that from your son."
"Gilrain and her son, Aragorn are missing. Even though they are relatively safe here in Rivendell, we must find them. I know that I was a bit preoccupied, but that is no excuse," Elrond would have gone on rambling about nothing in particular, but Erestor stopped him.
"Elrond, you must stop. Beating yourself over the head for something in the past that you cannot undo will not help us find Gilrain and Aragorn. You must pull yourself together!" said Erestor as he physically shook Elrond.
Sighing, Elrond hung his head, "I am a horrible father. For over a thousand years I have abandoned my children. Now when the Valar give me a chance to redeem myself I mess everything up again."
"Mellon," Erestor was becoming very peeved with his lord, "you are never going to be perfect and neither will your children. No one, not even I am perfect." Well, I almost am, thought Erestor to himself, but I can't make him feel bad. "Stop this childish behavior at once."
There was about a five minute pause of complete silence. At times like these Erestor wished that Elrond would just blow up and vent all of his anger, but instead of doing that Elrond would just clam up and not say a thing. Once Glorfindel had made Elrond so mad that he did not talk for a week until Celebrían threatened to move back to Lothlorien. Finally it was Elladan who broke the impermeable silence. "Ada, Erestor, I could not find Glorfindel. I have run everywhere in Imladris, but no one has seen him today," panted Elladan. Most Elves do not become winded, but you must keep in mind that Elladan had been running for almost an hour. After a few minutes when Elladan received no answer from his father or Erestor he knew something was amiss. "Oh no. Please tell me that you did not make father mad, Erestor."
Again Elladan could not elicit an answer from either one of them. "If you two don't start talking we will never find Gilrain and Aragorn."
Fro Elrond those were the magic words. "We will have to find them without Glorfindel's help."
"I suppose it would be the wisest course of action," Erestor sheepishly admitted.
"Well, now that we all seem to be on the same page, let us go and find them. Should we stay together or split up?" Inquired Elladan. "Together." Elladan blinked. True, he was use to hearing his twin speak in stereo with him, but not anyone else. Elrond and Erestor couldn't help but laugh at the confused expression on Elladan's face.
Slinging his arm around Elladan's shoulder, Elrond gently guided his son down the hall. "Ionn-nin, come let us go find little Aragorn and his mother. Erestor, I must apologize for my rude behavior. It was quiet out of place."
"No, my lord, it was my overly quick anger and rash words that need forgiveness, but we need to put all this aside and find our missing laes and his naneth." So all three Elves set out to find Gilrain and Aragorn.
During the meanwhile in the kitchen Glorfindel was enjoying a second breakfast while Gilrain and her son sedated their hunger. Aragorn was feasting on a piece of bread slathered with butter and honey, but by now most of it was in his hair, on his face or all over his clothes. The child did not seem to mind just as long as he was able to eat something.
"Mercy!" exclaimed Merithian, the cook, "this little one is just as messy as my twins." She scuttled about the kitchen preparing more food that they could possibly eat in a month. "It has been too long since there were little ones running around. Here, have a cookie."
"Meri, I do believe that the child will pop if you try to stuff him with anymore to eat." Glorfindel chuckled as Aragorn's eyes kept getting bigger.
Gilrain leaned back in her chair and let out a contented sight. "Thank you so much, Merithian. That was the best breakfast that I have had in a month of Sunday's. I think that I need to take my sticky boy and get him cleaned up."
"Here," Glorfindel pulled Gilrain's chair out for her, "I will guide you to your room until you learn your way about a little better."
"Hannad lle," Gilrain quietly thanked Glorfindel in Elvish. She had learned a little by listening to songs her husband would sing and sometimes he would give her lessons, but that was before Aragorn had been born. Aragorn was scooped up by his mother even though he was still covered in honey and anything else that he had been given to eat. "Come on, my beautiful boy," she said as she hefted the chunky boy up."
"Sticky!" the little boy squealed in delight as he tried to clap his hands. "Goooo…." It captured Aragorn's whole attention as he watched as the honey became stringy."
"As Glorfindel lead Gilrain back to where she and Aragorn were staying; she tried to pay close attention to land marks. "Here you go, my little man," said Glorfindel and Aragorn shimmied down his mother and scampered into his room. "My lady, I will be back, or send someone to escort you to dinner."
"Good day and thank you again, milord," with this Gilrain shut the door. "It is time for momma to give you a bath." Glancing around the large room she saw a foot sticking out from underneath the bed. "I hope he's not hiding." Hope. Elrond asked me to find a new name for Aragorn. I wonder what the Elvish word for hope is? Right now he is the only hope for me and the entire Dúnadain race. A small giggle escaped from the bed, "Hum… I wonder if he is in the closet?" She looked, "No, not in there. I guess he is lost." So Gilrain sat down on the bed and pretended to cry.
"Momma! 'Raragorn right here," the little boy wiggled his way out from under the bed and ran to his mothers lap. "No cry, Momma! I not losted now. Bath time?"
"All right, I am glad that my boy is not lost. Come and we will give you a bath." Aragorn padded in sock feet along next to his mother. "Here, let momma help you," said Gilrain as Aragorn struggled to get his sticky shirt off. "Skin the rabbit!" It was a little game that Gilrain had invented so that Aragorn would let her help with getting his clothes off. Soon the toddler was a bare as the day that he was born. The water was just the right temperature for the child to be comfortable. Gilrain allowed her song to splash about and enjoy his bath. Because of the conditions they had been living in Aragorn had only been bathed in an old washtub. Now he was in a huge marble tub, decorated with beautiful Elvish script flowing around the sides. Taking a deep interest in her surroundings Gilrain noticed that the deeper part of the bath had been blocked off. After Aragorn was beginning to resemble a prune Gilrain lathered her son's thick hair with shampoo, trying to get all the sticky honey out of it.
"Umph!" Gilrain wiped a wet clothe over the face of her son. "Ahh!" Aragorn tried to get away from his mother. "I am done. No more." Aragorn's bottom lip came out as he pouted. A few more quick swipes and Gilrain relented. She lifted Aragorn out of the tub.
"Time to dry off, my beautiful boy. After this you will be free to go."
"Done!" When Arathorn had been alive and at home he had taught his son that it was fine to run about nude after bath time. Gilrain had never liked the game, but allowed it go on while his father could supervise. "Aragorn, come back. I'm not finished yet." Quickly she sprang to her feet to catch the boy before he caught a cold by running about only in his skin. "Oh!" She marched into the bedroom determined to try her son off, but the sight that met her was not what she had been expecting.
A/N: I am evil and I will leave you with a cliffy for Christmas. Yeah! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have the next chapter written; now I just have to type it up on the computer.