Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof
Glorfindel swept down, slashing through air, bone and flesh. Blood flew, but the warrior hardly noticed, already spinning to desecrate another monster in his glorious dance of battle. As the Orcs fell at Glorfindel's hand, he spun and cut with deadly accuracy and undeniable beauty.
Suddenly a bigger Orc faced him, one larger than he had ever seen. Glorfindel cut upwards, but the Orc met his blow. In a stunning repost he flung his blade forward, only to again be blocked, this time by a rough scimitar. Yet Glorfindel did not doubt his ability. He slashed forward once more in a daring, dangerous motion, exposing his left side. His sword pierced the Orc's thick hide, and as the creature's life left it, it snarled, then began to cry.
Cry? Glorfindel shook himself awake. The crying continued. "Ai, Estel!" He had forgotten. Perturbed to have had a dream of battle's glory, knowing all too well the violence and disgusting nature of such things in truth, Glorfindel felt quite thankful to Estel for the wakening.
In the pale moonlight, Estel was nothing but a quivering heap of blankets. Unaware of this, the child continued to cry. He could not help it. Every night he dreamed of the Creatures, and they frightened him, and to wake alone...Estel hardly knew any longer who he expected, so long had that person been away. The boy was beginning to forget.
For a moment Estel paused in his crying, and Glorfindel smiled, believing that he had succeeded in calming the boy. But Estel only took a breath and continued with his hysterics. "Estel..." Glorfindel searched his mind. He didn't know what to do! What would Elrond say? Unfortunately, all Glorfindel could hear in his mind were the shades of their recent argument. Knowing at least one thing for sure, Glorfindel lifted Estel into his arms as gently as possible.
Not a minute later the warrior was knocking hard on Elladan's door, muttering, "Wake up, Half-elf, wake up..." and various unrepeatable things. As Glorfindel rapped on the door, his knuckles beginning to ache, he could have sworn that the child's cries increased in volume! His ears certainly felt all the more abused. "Elladan, open this door!" Glorfindel called, and Estel squalled noticeably louder.
"What are you doing to him, Glorfindel?" Elladan demanded, bleary.
For a moment Glorfindel could say nothing, shocked by the similarities to Elrond he had never before seen in Elladan. The tossle-headed raven boy, rubbing sleep from cloudy eyes, could easily have passed for his father-- perhaps not to anyone knowing them well, but to a vague acquaintance or from a distance...Swiftly he recovered himself, and whispered, "Elladan, I cannot calm him down, will you take him?" and he held out Estel.
"Glorfindel!" Elladan snatched his foster-brother away and cradled the child. "That is not the way to handle a child!"
"Pardon my ignorance," Glorfindel snapped back, "but how should a child such as yourself--"
"Will you hush? You are upsetting Estel; do you want to wake my father? You see how he fades. For a night let him take decent rest." He kept his voice low and even as he spoke harsh words rocked the child in his arms, hoping to lull him to sleep.
A new voice joined their conversation then. "It is too late, Elladan."
Ah. Now Glorfindel observed the differences in father and son. Elrond's temper remained in check as he took Estel from Elladan. His face showed age and sorrow in deep lines and in the tiredness of his eyes. Elrond looked from his friend to his son, steely-eyed. "Settle this," he said, in a tone not to be argued with, and before either could protest he had disappeared back into Estel's cell.
Guiltily, Elladan and Glorfindel looked away from each other. Elladan spoke first. "Why you?" he asked.
Glorfindel gave him a withering look. "The reason you have just given. Elrond is my friend, Elladan. Yes, I see him fading day by day. He is exhausted. I was trying to help!" He remembered in the nick of time to keep his voice down.
Elladan crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned over to peer through the open doorway, and watched his father speak to a now calmed Estel. "Well then," he answered, much surprising Glorfindel, "you will need my help."
"What?"
"Glorfindel." Elladan sighed, and regarded Glorfindel in such a way that the elder remembered his pupil of days ago. "You cannot even hold Estel without he cries. You need me. Now swallow your pride, and accept my help."
To be continued
I know, I know, this wasn't so good. While this story will be seen through to completion, I suspect it will not be of high quality, as I interact precious little with children and find them difficult to write. Sincerest apologies!
Glorfindel swept down, slashing through air, bone and flesh. Blood flew, but the warrior hardly noticed, already spinning to desecrate another monster in his glorious dance of battle. As the Orcs fell at Glorfindel's hand, he spun and cut with deadly accuracy and undeniable beauty.
Suddenly a bigger Orc faced him, one larger than he had ever seen. Glorfindel cut upwards, but the Orc met his blow. In a stunning repost he flung his blade forward, only to again be blocked, this time by a rough scimitar. Yet Glorfindel did not doubt his ability. He slashed forward once more in a daring, dangerous motion, exposing his left side. His sword pierced the Orc's thick hide, and as the creature's life left it, it snarled, then began to cry.
Cry? Glorfindel shook himself awake. The crying continued. "Ai, Estel!" He had forgotten. Perturbed to have had a dream of battle's glory, knowing all too well the violence and disgusting nature of such things in truth, Glorfindel felt quite thankful to Estel for the wakening.
In the pale moonlight, Estel was nothing but a quivering heap of blankets. Unaware of this, the child continued to cry. He could not help it. Every night he dreamed of the Creatures, and they frightened him, and to wake alone...Estel hardly knew any longer who he expected, so long had that person been away. The boy was beginning to forget.
For a moment Estel paused in his crying, and Glorfindel smiled, believing that he had succeeded in calming the boy. But Estel only took a breath and continued with his hysterics. "Estel..." Glorfindel searched his mind. He didn't know what to do! What would Elrond say? Unfortunately, all Glorfindel could hear in his mind were the shades of their recent argument. Knowing at least one thing for sure, Glorfindel lifted Estel into his arms as gently as possible.
Not a minute later the warrior was knocking hard on Elladan's door, muttering, "Wake up, Half-elf, wake up..." and various unrepeatable things. As Glorfindel rapped on the door, his knuckles beginning to ache, he could have sworn that the child's cries increased in volume! His ears certainly felt all the more abused. "Elladan, open this door!" Glorfindel called, and Estel squalled noticeably louder.
"What are you doing to him, Glorfindel?" Elladan demanded, bleary.
For a moment Glorfindel could say nothing, shocked by the similarities to Elrond he had never before seen in Elladan. The tossle-headed raven boy, rubbing sleep from cloudy eyes, could easily have passed for his father-- perhaps not to anyone knowing them well, but to a vague acquaintance or from a distance...Swiftly he recovered himself, and whispered, "Elladan, I cannot calm him down, will you take him?" and he held out Estel.
"Glorfindel!" Elladan snatched his foster-brother away and cradled the child. "That is not the way to handle a child!"
"Pardon my ignorance," Glorfindel snapped back, "but how should a child such as yourself--"
"Will you hush? You are upsetting Estel; do you want to wake my father? You see how he fades. For a night let him take decent rest." He kept his voice low and even as he spoke harsh words rocked the child in his arms, hoping to lull him to sleep.
A new voice joined their conversation then. "It is too late, Elladan."
Ah. Now Glorfindel observed the differences in father and son. Elrond's temper remained in check as he took Estel from Elladan. His face showed age and sorrow in deep lines and in the tiredness of his eyes. Elrond looked from his friend to his son, steely-eyed. "Settle this," he said, in a tone not to be argued with, and before either could protest he had disappeared back into Estel's cell.
Guiltily, Elladan and Glorfindel looked away from each other. Elladan spoke first. "Why you?" he asked.
Glorfindel gave him a withering look. "The reason you have just given. Elrond is my friend, Elladan. Yes, I see him fading day by day. He is exhausted. I was trying to help!" He remembered in the nick of time to keep his voice down.
Elladan crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned over to peer through the open doorway, and watched his father speak to a now calmed Estel. "Well then," he answered, much surprising Glorfindel, "you will need my help."
"What?"
"Glorfindel." Elladan sighed, and regarded Glorfindel in such a way that the elder remembered his pupil of days ago. "You cannot even hold Estel without he cries. You need me. Now swallow your pride, and accept my help."
To be continued
I know, I know, this wasn't so good. While this story will be seen through to completion, I suspect it will not be of high quality, as I interact precious little with children and find them difficult to write. Sincerest apologies!