Title: By Sunlight and Moonlight

Author: Elvensong

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Glorfindel wishes to know more about the elusive advisor to Elrond and in so doing gets caught up in his story and his curse.

A/N: Forgive me for taking longer in posting this chapter. Casualty of work, however the weekend has come and hopefully I can get back into the story and have more written soon. Let me know if you still like it. Thanks! This chapter has ANGST! Plenty of painful angst!!! (Just a warning)

I have no BETA, all mistakes are mine.

Chapter Four

Weeks passed and still no success. Try as I might, I could not seem to get this horse to come near me even when I was hiding as best as I thought possible. Obviously, something gave me away and in the end I only had time to go out on my search on my days and nights off. It began to grow a bit old spending all that time out there alone doing nothing, but the thought of the reward for my efforts kept me going. The image of that stallion was still in my mind as sharply as that fateful day when he saved me from probable death.

After dinner one night I wandered from the house and stared out across the fields, hoping for some sign. I did not wish to give up my chase, but some hope was needed in my heart.

"What are you searching for in the distance?" Came a question from behind me.

Startled, a turned around and saw Erestor slowing walking towards me. If I were a wiser elf, I could have impressed my friend with some insightful observation, but I have a warrior's mind and a soldier's mouth so all that I can say was a simple, "Nothing, just looking."

He kept his slow pace towards me, neither lazy nor rushed. "Ah, I see. The beauty around us is compelling."

Silence reigned while we peered out into the darkness of the night together.

It would be a few days yet before anything significant happened. I had grown weary of my current hiding place and took a walk through one of the open fields in the bright afternoon when something caught me eye. A flash of black and there he was! Standing there near the tree line staring at me.

All this time and all this work trying to find him and he merely walked out of the woods to find me. I almost laughed at this development. He stared and I stared back, both of is completely still. I finally got a bit bored with this situation and tried to think of a way to end the standoff. This horse had more patience than I for he looked perfectly at ease simply gazing at me and doing nothing more.

A pulled out one of the red apples from a bag I had over my shoulder to carry them in. Slowly, I extended my arm to offer it to him.

This was obviously cause for concern for my four legged friend. Neighing loudly he sprang from his still position and ran in large circles around the field, jumping and dancing away at the sight of the fruit. Perhaps it was the fact that he had not encountered many elves before, he had not been offered anything, or maybe it was just the sight of the treat that had him so excited. He finally came to a complete stop, very close to my position. I could hear his breath, loud and fast from his run. And we were back to the staring and evaluating show again.

Slowly, I held my hand out a bit further, raising the apple towards him. I took a stop forward, he look a step back. A took a larger step forward; he still took a step back, but not as big. Slowly, step-by-step I gained ground on him. Neck rigid, he slowly sniffed what I had and very quickly, with teeth so close to my hand, he snatched it.

Apple acquired, he turned and sprinted away like a bolt of lightning, a piece of night untouchable by the light of day.

No thank you given to me, either, simply took and ran. I snorted in amusement. This was an animal that knew what he wanted and once he had it, the strange creature that gave it to him was no longer interesting.

But it was a start, and my hopes were restored that one day he would be mine and we would run through these fields together.

And it was a good start, better than I ever could have expected and soon the dark horse was a daily sight for me. He would appear when and where he wanted, take his piece of fruit, study me once more, and depart. He did love the sunlight I discovered and only in the daytime would I see his dark form streaking through the air, almost in flight when racing within my view.

Finally, I judged it time to think about capturing him and bringing him to my care. The summer had been nice, but soon the coolness of winter would come and things would get harder for the stallion. Food would be scarcer and the cold would shiver his thin, muscular form. There was no doubt about it, a nice home within a warm barn with plenty of food about was better for his well being than being out in the wilds fending for himself. The predators, wolves and wargs, would no doubt also become more menacing and a horse would become a nice target, pestered all day and night until brought down. I had to save him from that existence, it was my duty! He was alone, no herd to bring comfort, not even a mate to run with. He needed me as much as I needed him. So I had convinced myself and so I had developed my plan.

Nearest the very edge of our realm was one of my horse's favorite ponds. Around it were some woods and through the trees there was a path wide enough for him to walk through. I peered at it from the treetops and judged that if I could lure him through this path, a light silk net could be dropped from the trees and confuse him long enough for me to place a herb mixture under his nose that would sedate him just enough to calm him. The tightness of the woods would mean he could not take off and escape me. I would only have one chance at this and if I failed I doubted I would never see my magnificent creature again. He had already proven how easily he could elude me if he wished to.

I knew I would need help to implement my plans and I knew exactly who to ask. The twins would be perfect to be the ones to drop the net. They could easily hide in the trees above and with the silk dyed green the horse would not spy it. They would approach the area from the trees so as not to disturb one leaf or branch along the trial and I would drop down by the water and wait with the bait for him.

Of course my eager pupils agreed to help me. They also shared my love for horses and when I explained to them about the nature of this wild stallion they wanted to help.

It was a beautiful afternoon when we made everything ready. The twins did not make a noise as they took their position above and I had in my hand one of the nicest fruits I could find. Now all we had to do was wait.

I feared the waiting part. My students were still young elves and they do not take to waiting around very well. Luckily, a neigh of greeting broke the silence. There he was! At the other end of the path through the trees exactly where I'd hoped he would be. He snorted and stomped one hoof and I knew Elladan and Elrohir were in awe from their location above. I could describe him until I was blue in the face, but only once you saw this horse did you truly understand his magnificence.

Again a stomp and a step forward. He had finally grown accustomed to me and maybe he even trusted me. I knew I would need every once of trust in the days ahead when he would be in my tender keeping.

He began approaching me, with caution, but steadily at the same time. The wind played with his long dark mane and I smiled at him, hoping to boost his confidence as he strode towards me.

Then, suddenly, the sound of a sharp metal snap broke the silence and it took me a moment to realize what had happened.

It was the unthinkable, occurring right before my eyes!

I had not walked down the path; I had not looked upon that ground more closely.

A trap, a hunting trap made by humans had been triggered when the horse stepped on it and now its steel jaws were cutting into his skin and muscle no doubt trying to crush the thin, delicate leg. The devise had been covered with forest debris to keep it hidden. Still in shock I couldn't move as the stallion shrieked in pain and tried to pull his leg out of it, only hurting himself more!

When he pulled upon the chain that was attached to the horrible steel jaws my terrible vision became my worst nightmare. The contraption was attached to a lever and when he pulled upon it the full trap was sprung and the ground beneath the black horse gave way and he fell. Straight down he went into a pit below which was lined with blades and set with spears sticking up from the ground.

No doubt men had built this terrible thing to end the lives of Wargs which were known to live in this area and prey upon passing men.

My stallion's scream split the air and I rushed to the side of the hole and looked down at a terrible sight. The trap still had his leg but now one of the spears fixed into the ground had sliced through the side of his chest from below and he was thrashing about in hopes of escape but only making things worse as he cut himself on the blades lining the sides and made his other injuries worse. The hole was deep enough that he could not see over it, yet not so far that I could to try to reach down and touch him. I tried to give him some comfort, but my touches only upset him more and so I stopped trying to reach down to him in any hopes of calming him, but I knew those chances were slim.

This was obviously meant to be a torturous end to an evil creature of our world and now this beautiful thing was facing that end.

I felt sick. This was all my fault! I lead him to his demise. Try as I might, it was too narrow to jump in there with him, he would push me right onto one of the blades and kill me in turn. There was nothing I could so, I was helpless.

Elladan and Elrohir were at my side gasping at the fate of the horse we had tried to capture.

"We must do something!" Elladan cried, "He'll kill himself!"

I couldn't see below the horse's body, but he was no longer standing straight. My heart lurched with the notion that the jaws of the trap had finally sliced through his bone and broken his leg. If that were true, we would have no choice but to put him down. How would I ever be able to do that, I thought to myself! How would I live with myself afterwards? This entire mess was my vanity, my need to have whatever my heart desires!

I needed to know if it was true, I needed to know if his leg was already broken, for if it was I would want to put him down now and spare him more torture from the evil trap. I prayed this would not be his grave, but as his cries grew higher pitched, more pained, I knew his condition was deteriorating rapidly.

"Elladan, you can help." I said, "Go and get your father. Tell him to bring with him the most powerful drugs for tranquilizing horses. Hurry!" He did not need another word from me and ran off quickly.

Elrohir gave me a questioning gaze. "The only way we are going to be able to get him out of there is if he's unconscious. Otherwise, he will kill us without even meaning to." I explained.

Soothingly, I hoped, I spoke comforts to my friend down in the pit. His struggles were waning, but his calls of distress still pierced my heart as loudly as ever.

I looked away from the terrible sight for a moment in order to control my panicked breathing and saw the apple lying forgotten on the ground.

What had I done?

TBC