Chapter Four: Gil-galad
Imladris celebrated every night with a great feast but that night was the first that I dared attend. The mood was light as I walked into the Hall that night with Enhith on my shoulder. Elrond and Celebrìan were seated at the head of a great table and when they saw me enter they beckoned me to join them. I walked the length of the hall and Elrond ordered an extra chair to be brought up next to a great Elven Lord and a perch with suitable feed for Enhith. I sat down, looked around and caught my breath in my throat, for sitting on Elrond's immediate left was the mighty Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor. He and I had never met, though Cìrdan had raised us both, he had long left Mithlond when I arrived. There was an immense sense of power radiating from his stature, he caught my eye and I quickly looked away. Sitting beside me was an elf that I recognized as being present at the Council so many weeks before. He caught me looking at him and smiled. "Fair evening young Lhunrothien." He said, his voice like music. He was not much older then I, perhaps two hundred years at most. "Fair evening." I responded, "I know you were present at the Council weeks before, but I know not your name." "I am Glorfindel." He laughed, "You are not one to avoid topics are you?" "No, I suppose not." I smiled, "tell me, why has the King Gil-galad come to Imladris?" "I know not in great detail." He responded, "Perhaps he has come to discuss with Lord Elrond matters of the Nazgul." "Perhaps." I mused. After the feast, I went with the host into the Hall of Fire and sat beside a young Elf who I did not know. The Elven Minstrels sang, there was joy, but there was also pain of memories past in the room. After a while it became too hard to bear and I got up to leave. The moon was full as I walked through Rivendell's gardens. Enhith sat calmly on my shoulder and after a while I came to a carved stone bench; I sat and stroked Enhith's majestic head paying little attention to my surroundings. "Are you alright?" Someone asked, snapping me back to reality. I looked up to see Gil-galad standing a mere two feet away, his blue eyes clear and concerned in the moonlight. "My lord." I said, kneeling before him. "Please." He responded, and I returned to my seat. "The pain in the Hall was immense." I said, nodding He came and sat next to me on the bench, "Sometimes, it's like that for all of us." He said softly, placing his strong hand over mine, "It will get better, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, it will." With that, he stood and placing a soft kiss on my brow, walked down the path, leaving me staring after him.
Imladris celebrated every night with a great feast but that night was the first that I dared attend. The mood was light as I walked into the Hall that night with Enhith on my shoulder. Elrond and Celebrìan were seated at the head of a great table and when they saw me enter they beckoned me to join them. I walked the length of the hall and Elrond ordered an extra chair to be brought up next to a great Elven Lord and a perch with suitable feed for Enhith. I sat down, looked around and caught my breath in my throat, for sitting on Elrond's immediate left was the mighty Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor. He and I had never met, though Cìrdan had raised us both, he had long left Mithlond when I arrived. There was an immense sense of power radiating from his stature, he caught my eye and I quickly looked away. Sitting beside me was an elf that I recognized as being present at the Council so many weeks before. He caught me looking at him and smiled. "Fair evening young Lhunrothien." He said, his voice like music. He was not much older then I, perhaps two hundred years at most. "Fair evening." I responded, "I know you were present at the Council weeks before, but I know not your name." "I am Glorfindel." He laughed, "You are not one to avoid topics are you?" "No, I suppose not." I smiled, "tell me, why has the King Gil-galad come to Imladris?" "I know not in great detail." He responded, "Perhaps he has come to discuss with Lord Elrond matters of the Nazgul." "Perhaps." I mused. After the feast, I went with the host into the Hall of Fire and sat beside a young Elf who I did not know. The Elven Minstrels sang, there was joy, but there was also pain of memories past in the room. After a while it became too hard to bear and I got up to leave. The moon was full as I walked through Rivendell's gardens. Enhith sat calmly on my shoulder and after a while I came to a carved stone bench; I sat and stroked Enhith's majestic head paying little attention to my surroundings. "Are you alright?" Someone asked, snapping me back to reality. I looked up to see Gil-galad standing a mere two feet away, his blue eyes clear and concerned in the moonlight. "My lord." I said, kneeling before him. "Please." He responded, and I returned to my seat. "The pain in the Hall was immense." I said, nodding He came and sat next to me on the bench, "Sometimes, it's like that for all of us." He said softly, placing his strong hand over mine, "It will get better, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, it will." With that, he stood and placing a soft kiss on my brow, walked down the path, leaving me staring after him.