A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I hope you like the new chapter as well!
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Questions and Worry
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I sighed quietly as I entered Erestor's room in the healing house. It was early in the morning and Elrond still sat with him. Knowing the half-elf long enough I could tell that he hadn't slept at all.
Slowly I approached the bed and smiled slightly at my friend. "How is he?"
"There's no change. He's still unconcious but at least his heartbeat and breathing is stabel."
I nodded. "That's good. Elrond, listen, you really should lie down for a while. You shouldn't be tired when he finally wakes up. He'll need you then. I'll stay with him," I added as he looked at me with worried eyes.
After a while he finally nodded. "Alright, I'll go to bed. But if his condition changes you must call me immediatly. But don't leave his side, call a servant." He gave me a greatful smile as he stood up. "You are right, mellon nîn. I really feel a little tired."
I just raised an eyebrow for response.
When he was at the door he turned around once more. "If he wakes up only touch him if it is really necessary."
I frowned. Why shouldn't I touch him? That was complete nonsense! Wasn't it completely normal to lay a hand on a wounded person's shoulder to reassure him or to take his hand to show him that he's not alone?
Elrond seemed to have read my thoughts. "He doesn't like it to be touched," he explained.
"Why don't you want me to touch him?"
"I'm sorry, Glorfindel. But that's really not my story to tell. Just believe me when I say that he has his reasons. Maybe someday you can make him trust you enough to tell you," he suggested.
"How can I make him trust me when he avoids me all the time? He doesn't talk to me more then he must."
"Well, did you ever really try getting through to him?" With that he turned around once more and left the room, leaving me with my thoughts.
Yes, he was right. I had never tried. But on the other hand I had seen no reason to. I hadn't be in fond of him and he hadn't been in fond of me, it had been rather simple until now. But now Elrond had made me curious. Why didn't Erestor like it to be touched? Why was he always that cold and distant? Was he really like that or was it just a mask he was hiding behind for some reason? If it was so - what was he hiding from? I sighed. So many questions and I would most likely never get an anwer because there was no reason for Erestor to trust me now after all those years. And did I even want to be his friend? Of course I wanted him to get well, but we had never come along with each other, so why should we suddenly become friends?
I sighed and sat down in the same chair Elrond had spent the night in and burried my head in my hands. Why did it all become as complicated as that suddenly? I looked at Erestor once more. He still looked deathly pale, I could barely see the rising of his chest as he breathed and when I carefully touched his cheek he was still so cold.
No, however he may have behaved he didn't deserve that.
I leaned back once more starring into the flames of the fireplace and continued to think about that whole situation.
But my thoughts were interrupted as the door was pushed open and two very distressed looking young Elves entered the room. I smiled slightly to reassure Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond's twin sons. They had been in Lòrien the past three months to visit their sister, who was staying with their grandparents, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. After Celebrian's departure the two of them and Arwen had found comfort in one another and so Elrond had allowed her to stay in the Golden Woods as long as she wanted to. Still she often came to Imladris for her bond to her father and brothers was still strong.
Elladan walked over to me. Sometimes I still wondered how I managed to keep those two apart so easily since they looked so much alike. "How is he, Glorfindel? Lindir told us what happened."
"He's still unconcious, since yesterday there was no change in his condition."
Elrohir, who had always been the more sensible one of the two brothers, sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at his father's chief counselor. "Do you think he can hear us?"
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. I knew that Erestor had been the twins' teacher and although they weren't much closer to him than I was they still cared.
I watched Elrohir leaning a little closer to the pale figure lying on the bed. "You have to fight, Erestor, you are needed here." To my surprise the younger son of Elrond had tears in his eyes as he sat up again. And his brother didn't seem to be surprised at all.
Elladan, who looked pretty worried as well, seemed to have noticed my surprised. "You know that Erestor often took care of us when we were still small," he simply said.
"Yes, of course." But I had always thought that the two of them hadn't liked that. After all it was absolutely normal that children didn't like someone as cold and strict as Erestor. "I thought you hated to stay with him."
"First we did. You know we didn't like him too much when we were so young. We even begged ada to let us stay with you instead. But after a few times of babysitting us he... changed."
I frowned slightly. How many more new things can you find out about a person you have known for centuries during one single day? "What do you mean?" I asked finally.
"Well, he stopped being so distant and strict, he even played with us sometimes or read stories to us if we asked him to. And when we were upset once, you surely remember that, too, when we broke nana's vase, we ran into his room and he even took us into his arms to comfort us. He was very hesitant, as if scared to touch us like that, but we felt that he meant it well. He never hugged us again. And when we became older he became distant once more. It was as if he didn't like us anymore."
"No," came Elrohir's voice from Erestor's side. "He just couldn't deal with the fact that we weren't children anymore. For some reason it scared him. At least it seemed so." The young Elf's voice was sad.
Elladan nodded in agreement. "Elrohir is right. There are many secrets lying around Erestor. But ada and nana never told us anything. First we were too young in their eyes and then it was none of our business." He shrugged. "We tried to find out, we even asked Erestor once, but he just said that there was nothing." With that Elladan sat down in the chair next to me. "You don't mind our company, do you?"
I smiled slighly. "Of course not."
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In the early afternoon Elrond returned. After greeting his sons he walked over to his counselor. Carefully he touched Erestor's forehead and sighed. "He has a little fever. It's not too high, though. Erestor, can you hear me?" He asked gently but didn't get any reaction. After trying three or four times he finally gave up and had a look on the head-wound and the leg.
"How is he, ada?" Elrohir, who was now standing behind his father, asked worriedly.
"I don't think that his condition will change during the day, or even tomorrow. We will have to wait until the fever has gone down and his head has healed a little." He turned around, looking at his sons slightly amused. Would you mind going into your rooms to change clothes? I don't think it's necessary that you walk around in your travelling clothes all day." The Elf-lord's dark eyes became a little sad. "I think he won't even know if you are here or not."
"We will still be back," Elladan said as they left the room and his younger brother nodded in agreement.
I shook my head and smiled at Elrond. "You are aware that you have two wonderful sons, aren't you?"
"I would be and idiot if I wasn't." He looked at me. "Would you stay with him a little longer? At least until Elladan and Elrohir are back. There's so much to do in the office. And I fear that I will really miss Erestor."
I smiled a little. "Of course I will stay."
TBC
A/N: In the next chapter Erestor will finally wake up! Will he have a chance to lead a normal life again? Will he accept Glorfindel's help? Please review if you want to find out (-;
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Questions and Worry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sighed quietly as I entered Erestor's room in the healing house. It was early in the morning and Elrond still sat with him. Knowing the half-elf long enough I could tell that he hadn't slept at all.
Slowly I approached the bed and smiled slightly at my friend. "How is he?"
"There's no change. He's still unconcious but at least his heartbeat and breathing is stabel."
I nodded. "That's good. Elrond, listen, you really should lie down for a while. You shouldn't be tired when he finally wakes up. He'll need you then. I'll stay with him," I added as he looked at me with worried eyes.
After a while he finally nodded. "Alright, I'll go to bed. But if his condition changes you must call me immediatly. But don't leave his side, call a servant." He gave me a greatful smile as he stood up. "You are right, mellon nîn. I really feel a little tired."
I just raised an eyebrow for response.
When he was at the door he turned around once more. "If he wakes up only touch him if it is really necessary."
I frowned. Why shouldn't I touch him? That was complete nonsense! Wasn't it completely normal to lay a hand on a wounded person's shoulder to reassure him or to take his hand to show him that he's not alone?
Elrond seemed to have read my thoughts. "He doesn't like it to be touched," he explained.
"Why don't you want me to touch him?"
"I'm sorry, Glorfindel. But that's really not my story to tell. Just believe me when I say that he has his reasons. Maybe someday you can make him trust you enough to tell you," he suggested.
"How can I make him trust me when he avoids me all the time? He doesn't talk to me more then he must."
"Well, did you ever really try getting through to him?" With that he turned around once more and left the room, leaving me with my thoughts.
Yes, he was right. I had never tried. But on the other hand I had seen no reason to. I hadn't be in fond of him and he hadn't been in fond of me, it had been rather simple until now. But now Elrond had made me curious. Why didn't Erestor like it to be touched? Why was he always that cold and distant? Was he really like that or was it just a mask he was hiding behind for some reason? If it was so - what was he hiding from? I sighed. So many questions and I would most likely never get an anwer because there was no reason for Erestor to trust me now after all those years. And did I even want to be his friend? Of course I wanted him to get well, but we had never come along with each other, so why should we suddenly become friends?
I sighed and sat down in the same chair Elrond had spent the night in and burried my head in my hands. Why did it all become as complicated as that suddenly? I looked at Erestor once more. He still looked deathly pale, I could barely see the rising of his chest as he breathed and when I carefully touched his cheek he was still so cold.
No, however he may have behaved he didn't deserve that.
I leaned back once more starring into the flames of the fireplace and continued to think about that whole situation.
But my thoughts were interrupted as the door was pushed open and two very distressed looking young Elves entered the room. I smiled slightly to reassure Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond's twin sons. They had been in Lòrien the past three months to visit their sister, who was staying with their grandparents, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. After Celebrian's departure the two of them and Arwen had found comfort in one another and so Elrond had allowed her to stay in the Golden Woods as long as she wanted to. Still she often came to Imladris for her bond to her father and brothers was still strong.
Elladan walked over to me. Sometimes I still wondered how I managed to keep those two apart so easily since they looked so much alike. "How is he, Glorfindel? Lindir told us what happened."
"He's still unconcious, since yesterday there was no change in his condition."
Elrohir, who had always been the more sensible one of the two brothers, sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at his father's chief counselor. "Do you think he can hear us?"
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. I knew that Erestor had been the twins' teacher and although they weren't much closer to him than I was they still cared.
I watched Elrohir leaning a little closer to the pale figure lying on the bed. "You have to fight, Erestor, you are needed here." To my surprise the younger son of Elrond had tears in his eyes as he sat up again. And his brother didn't seem to be surprised at all.
Elladan, who looked pretty worried as well, seemed to have noticed my surprised. "You know that Erestor often took care of us when we were still small," he simply said.
"Yes, of course." But I had always thought that the two of them hadn't liked that. After all it was absolutely normal that children didn't like someone as cold and strict as Erestor. "I thought you hated to stay with him."
"First we did. You know we didn't like him too much when we were so young. We even begged ada to let us stay with you instead. But after a few times of babysitting us he... changed."
I frowned slightly. How many more new things can you find out about a person you have known for centuries during one single day? "What do you mean?" I asked finally.
"Well, he stopped being so distant and strict, he even played with us sometimes or read stories to us if we asked him to. And when we were upset once, you surely remember that, too, when we broke nana's vase, we ran into his room and he even took us into his arms to comfort us. He was very hesitant, as if scared to touch us like that, but we felt that he meant it well. He never hugged us again. And when we became older he became distant once more. It was as if he didn't like us anymore."
"No," came Elrohir's voice from Erestor's side. "He just couldn't deal with the fact that we weren't children anymore. For some reason it scared him. At least it seemed so." The young Elf's voice was sad.
Elladan nodded in agreement. "Elrohir is right. There are many secrets lying around Erestor. But ada and nana never told us anything. First we were too young in their eyes and then it was none of our business." He shrugged. "We tried to find out, we even asked Erestor once, but he just said that there was nothing." With that Elladan sat down in the chair next to me. "You don't mind our company, do you?"
I smiled slighly. "Of course not."
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In the early afternoon Elrond returned. After greeting his sons he walked over to his counselor. Carefully he touched Erestor's forehead and sighed. "He has a little fever. It's not too high, though. Erestor, can you hear me?" He asked gently but didn't get any reaction. After trying three or four times he finally gave up and had a look on the head-wound and the leg.
"How is he, ada?" Elrohir, who was now standing behind his father, asked worriedly.
"I don't think that his condition will change during the day, or even tomorrow. We will have to wait until the fever has gone down and his head has healed a little." He turned around, looking at his sons slightly amused. Would you mind going into your rooms to change clothes? I don't think it's necessary that you walk around in your travelling clothes all day." The Elf-lord's dark eyes became a little sad. "I think he won't even know if you are here or not."
"We will still be back," Elladan said as they left the room and his younger brother nodded in agreement.
I shook my head and smiled at Elrond. "You are aware that you have two wonderful sons, aren't you?"
"I would be and idiot if I wasn't." He looked at me. "Would you stay with him a little longer? At least until Elladan and Elrohir are back. There's so much to do in the office. And I fear that I will really miss Erestor."
I smiled a little. "Of course I will stay."
TBC
A/N: In the next chapter Erestor will finally wake up! Will he have a chance to lead a normal life again? Will he accept Glorfindel's help? Please review if you want to find out (-;
