Over the next two days the tone of life in Edoras was much quieter than usual. Turn of events had been strange, to say the least, and most people had a lot to think over. The Elven guests of Rohan picked up on the pensive moods around them, but kept from becoming involved. In fact, they were rather glad for the quiet, even if there were no fine forests nearby that one could relax properly in, at least it wasn't as clamorous as usual in the mortal city. As for Legolas, he could scarcely say the same as most of his kin. With each passing day, Gimli talked ever the more of the wonder of the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep. However, revenge was exacted well enough when Legolas began delving into thousands of years worth of tales and histories of the Ents.
It was decided that despite recent actions, the departure from Rohan would carry on as planned. Since Aragorn deemed Éomer would be well enough if he kept himself rested for a while, and since Gandalf was very adamant that Isengard needed to be looked in on, the small group of what was once the Fellowship of the Ring set out from Edoras.
Before their departure, Lady Lothiriel of Dol Amroth, daughter of Imrahil and cousin of Faramir, asked Aragorn if she might assist some way in caring for the King of Rohan. Aragorn had already laid into Faramir's hands a good bit of athelas that would probably have gone dry before most of it could be used; but in the maid's eyes he recognized something that he was rather sure he caught at the feast as well.
Lothiriel could hardly keep her eyes from Éomer, and every so often Éomer had found himself looking her direction in a degree of wonderment at the fair lady. Aragorn charged Lothiriel with seeing to it that Éomer and Éowyn both got the rest they needed. If he knew anything about those two, it would take much more than just Faramir, Imrahil, and his own wife to keep them at respite.
And so departed the last riding of the Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and four worldly wise Hobbits, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took. Also on the ride were the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadhriel of Lorien and their people (for whom the months long outing had been the most extensive they'd had in many a moon), and Lord Elrond Peredhil and his twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir (the latter of whom some inhabitants of Edoras were decidedly not sorry to see go). All together these rode to Helm's Deep and dwelt there for several days before going on to Isengard and then their separate ways, some never to meet more.
It had been less than two months since Faramir rode from Minas Tirith, leaving Elrond's two chief representatives to care for his city and kingdom. Erestor no longer slept at night. Glorfindel had already gone through young Estel's secret store of Dorwinion and was frantically appealing to Thranduil, via thrush, for more. It was agreed between the two Elves (the first thing they had agreed upon in ages, literally), that Glorfindel should handle everyday affairs with the people and delegate them as necessary, while Erestor dealt with foreign affairs and the missives that arrived several times daily.
In their time there had a contingent of dwarves arrived from Erebor, eagerly ready to get to work on setting the stonework of Minas Tirith to right. Erestor had not expected this invasion for some weeks yet, at a time when Aragorn would have been returned to deal with it, and the raven-haired advisor had since gone into seclusion, rarely even looking out windows unless it was night. Glorfindel, on the other hand, had no trouble at all with them, for his part.
The Dwarves, though, were rather distrustful that there was suddenly an Elf where they had expected a King of Men telling them what needed to be done. In short, they were on strike until Aragorn returned and were very unhappy that they had come early to get more work done before the cold season and all for naught. Though they did greatly enjoy strolling all over the city inspecting the existing stonework, of which there was much.
However, there is only so much stonework that even a Dwarf can take. After weeks of waiting for Aragorn's return, the Dwarves of Erebor grew restless without work to be done, and with so much yet to be done. They began complaining to Glorfindel frequently, en masse. By the end of two days worth of their moaning, Glorfindel had gone the way of Erestor and took to hiding out in Faramir's study.
The first time the Balrog-slayer walked into the Steward's office to see Erestor steadily at work on the piles of papers that hemmed him in, he could not suppress his laughter. Never before had the raven-haired perfectionist been seen in such disarray, and clearly Erestor did not like that fact being so noted. Glorfindel's laughter earned him a very Elrond-like stare.
"Oh, feeling a little perturbed, are you?" Glorfindel asked irritatingly. "At least you have not a pack a Naugrim turning up every few hours with the same complaint."
"If they did, mellon-nín," Erestor said in a frighteningly calm tone, "I would know how to make their complaining cease, permanently."
This time Glorfindel's laugh was almost cheerlessly sarcastic, though he really did enjoy getting such a reaction out of his colleague. "I am sure you would... the Valar know you could bore the most hard-of-hearing Dwarf directly to Mandos."
Erestor's eyes went stone cold and he stood tall, several papers fluttering to the floor. The advisor's jaw was so set that his words came across in a low, mordant tone. "A Dwarf, even the most insufferable, being sent to Mandos by my boredom-inducing speech, would remain there, instead of driving Lord Námo so annoyed that he sent back the pestilence."
Glorfindel became indignant at that remark and stepped closer to that desk that Erestor no longer appeared to be hiding behind but defending. "At least i actually did something heroic enough to wind up in the Halls of Mandos! Unless you cut your finger on a poisoned parchment, you will be remembered by these mortals in the ages to come as 'Erestor: Chief Advisor to Lord Elrond,' whilst i have the honor of 'Glorfindel: Warrior of Gondolin, Defender of the People, Selfless Slayer of Balrogs, Servant of the Vala Lord Námo....' Well, i think you understand. One day these mortal children shall wonder that one Elf could really have ever been so great and some will be convinced that there must have been two Elves named Glorfindel. I shall be remembered as -"
Glorfindel's egocentric rant was cut off by Erestor's sudden and unexpected charge. The Balrog-slayer drew his sword only just in time to block Erestor's blow.
Yeah, you have to love those two.
Guesses so far are MacBeth and Richard II... neither is correct though. This is indeed a rare one i suppose, but one of my absolute favorites by Billy Wigglestick.
