Story Title: The Trials and Misfortunes of Lord Glorfindel

Story Author: GAMercy

Story Overview: Another story in which Glorfindel of Gondolin is prominently featured, as well as many other well-known inhabitants of Imladris and several slippery Istar.

Rating: Hardly a PG-13, I would think, but I shall leave it at R just to be safe and cover all of my bases.

Pairings: Elrond/Glorfindel and no other side pairings that have yet cropped up.

Warnings: Obviously AU in nature, owing to the fact that it is not at all likely that the following events, as recorded by myself, occurred the same way in Tolkien's conceived version of Middle-Earth, but one never knows. And material containing mentioning of homosexuality, and so on and so forth.

Disclaimer: I am not under the impression that I own the rights to any of Tolkien's characters or settings, though I might secretly envy the literary genius of his work and long to take it for my own. It is not mine. This story is purely out of the depths of my own imagination and is not intended as an infringement of copyright and no profit is being made from it. The Lord of the Rings and all other Tolkien works are the soul property of the Tolkien Estate.

Author's Note: With too many new ideas streaming into my head for my poor overworked mind to possibly hold, I have been forced to start another Rings story on this account, with my first LotR story left sadly incomplete for lack of inspiration. This one looks to be turning out much shorter than the first, which hopefully means that I shall have it all finished soon and be able to move on to the myriad of other ideas that plague me night and day to put them in pen, or, rather, computer script, I suppose.

It was commonly known between individuals who had ever met a blue wizard that they were hardly anything but trouble. Blue wizards, as the people had discovered soon after they'd arrived on shores of Middle-Earth, were natural born tricksters who held a simple, childish delight in all things silly, rude, and inconveniencing, usually thought no further ahead than their next planned prank, and, after a time, troubled themselves little with the order of the world. What mission they might have once come with was lost, though they eventually made their way back from the far east to which they had first traveled, they no longer held much interest in the troubles of the people they had been sent to serve. An encounter with one of this sort was hardly ever helpful or productive, and those with foreknowledge of their ways often took great pains to avoid them rather than have dealings. Thankfully there were only ever two blue wizards to come to Middle-Earth, and it was quickly learned that it was better for one's health to encounter Romestamo the blue than Morinehtar the blue.

Romestamo, known in Valimar as Alatar, was a robust, rosy-cheeked little bungler who was lucky enough to somehow survive the far east into which he had traveled and whose spells, however carefully they might have been planned, always went awry. He enjoyed performing his feats for village children, who were always enthusiastically impressed with his art, despite the fact that he usually only managed to summon all manner of tropical fruits rather than the rabbits he promised. He played harmless practical jokes that rarely ever ruined anything more than a hard day's work, which could always be done again, or destroyed anything but nerves. In fact, he did often accomplish some good through the bringing of smiles to otherwise world-weary faces, for laughter, it was said, was the best medicine. He had acquired, through sheer accident, a traveling companion in the form of an unembodied elven spirit named Tithenon who had at first made a most reluctant attendant; it had been very disconcerting for the poor elf, to be summoned all the way from the halls of Mandos, in which his spirit had resided and went about quietly minding its own business, simply because Alatar had cast a summoning spell for a 'scroll' and had inadvertently acquired a 'soul' instead. But after a time Tithenon at least became resigned to his dependence on Alatar, though the wizard could not find a spell to send him back, he might one day lead him back, and used whatever influence he had over him to spur the fumbling wizard on to tasks of good, or at least keep him to acts that didn't do too much harm, as it would have been quite impossible to keep the wizard from having his 'fun.' Morinehtar, however, was an entirely different matter.

Called Pallando by those who knew him on the blessed shore, he was as far from a harmless, incompetent bungler as he could be. His sense of humor was dark and he found more amusement in malicious acts than simple jokes. Wherever he went he provoked quarrels and created strife between good people, friends and neighbors. He twisted words and sowed seeds of discontent to bring about chaos and sorrow for his own questionable amusement. There were few as met him that came out of the encounter unscathed, for mischief against all people was his chief delight. Perhaps it could have come that Alatar became so as well, but he at least had the conscience of Tithenon to guide him wherever he went, while Pallando had none. As it was the two blue wizards were constantly at odds, one usually striving to undo the work of the other. Glorfindel, formerly of Gondolin, was one elf who learned the ways of Pallando and Alatar through much trying misfortune.

It came about that the twice-born defender of Gondolin was introduced to the wizard Morinehtar the blue through the means of the wizard, his friend and traveling companion, Gandalf the grey, who had hailed his fellow wizard as Pallando; and so did Glorfindel always call him to his face, though after a period of dealing with him, he developed other names for him which were rather less charitable and best not to mention here.

Glorfindel had taken up with the wizard shortly after his rebirth and return to Middle-Earth. Desiring to see the change of the lands since his last life upon it, Glorfindel joined with Gandalf, who, despite having come to the far shore only a few years ahead of the elven warrior, knew most of the distant places of the west and the south from his frequent journeys from one region to another. In this way Glorfindel made his studies of the new lands and those people that inhabited them.

Gandalf, for his part, tolerated Glorfindel's presence fairly well, even going so far as to enjoy his constant company. It was, he admitted, heartening to observe the reborn warrior's renewed and enthusiastic respect for life, even menial chores were carried out by him cheerfully. Glorfindel's personal philosophy seemed to be that every day that dawned was brighter and more beautiful than the last and, therefore, too fine to waste on a frown whether there was rain or sun, comfort or harsh conditions. His optimism was, under most circumstances, satisfying and ultimately refreshing. And it was some long time after making one another's acquaintance and traveling together that they finally came to a parting of ways. Glorfindel felt his learning sufficient and that it was high time he make his way to the one elvish realm that he had yet to see - Imladris, home of the Lord Elrond Perhedel descended of his own first lord, Turgon.

Imladris had always been in his mind as the place of his final destination. Along his way he had heard mostly good things about the realm and its ruler from those who knew of them, save the half-hearted ill grumblings of Thranduil, king of Mirkwood, and it already felt like home in his mind and heart. It was at least, he thought, as good a place as any he had already seen to settle and offer his services.

So it was that after following Gandalf back west through Lothlorien, belonging to a cousin of his, Galadriel, and her husband, down through the underground dwarf city of Moria, and then swinging north up past the remnants of Eregion before turning west again that the two prepared to part upon reaching the very banks of the Bruinen river. Gandalf planned to go still farther west by the East-West road all the way to Mithlond, where he said Cirdan the shipwright waited to entrust to him an artifact of some importance, and Glorfindel, being bound to Imladris, was set to follow the northeastern curve of the Bruinen until it ran up almost upon the very doorstep of the house of Elrond as Gandalf promised it would. It was a mere day before they parted that Glorfindel was introduced to Pallando.

Upon meeting the blue wizard in the wilds, Gandalf had been shocked, and later remarked to Glorfindel that he had thought his fellow still on business in the east. After the initial greeting of surprise, Glorfindel had watched him become apprehensive and then suspicious in turn. It was fairly obvious, however subtle the grey wizard's behavior, that Gandalf did not have a great deal of fondness or even respect for his fellow in magic, though Glorfindel did not think enough of it at the time to make inquiries into the reason behind his ill sentiments and misgivings; how he later wished that he had stopped to think of asking it.

Glorfindel, though he was a good sort, always trying to give people the benefit of the doubt and not make rash, harsh or unwarranted judgments, could also not help but feel mistrustful of the blue wizard. It was something about his eyes, Glorfindel decided, sly and sharp as they were, and always shifting about. But they did not stop to speak to him for very long, just long enough to discover that east to Mirkwood was his destination; Pallando learned then enough of Glorfindel's plan to Imladris and his unfamiliarity with the most of Middle-Earth to begin to form his own plan. Glorfindel was relieved when he left their company, as Gandalf was also.

Three days later, when he once again encountered Pallando on the banks of the Bruinen river fishing for his supper as easy as you please, Glorfindel knew there was something wrong. He liked this encounter even less than the first, the feeling was all wrong. Such a thing might be called a coincidence, but it was far from likely. Pallando had, in all appearances, continued his course east to Mirkwood upon bidding both Gandalf and Glorfindel goodbye and safe travels, but had obviously curved back around to meet the river again with the express purpose of arriving where he did before Glorfindel and there waylaying the elf. So it was with trepidation and a thought to his sword that Glorfindel approached him.

"Well met, Pallando," he hailed him, rather nervously. He had to go forward and speak, for he knew that the wizard had seen him.

"Why, hello again, friend Glorfindel. Without Gandalf this time, I see," Pallando returned his hail in a greasy manner that affected surprise at a happy coincidence. Glorfindel felt sure that, truly, the wizard was not at all surprised to see him, and without Gandalf.

He shifted uneasily as Pallando set aside his fishing pole, picking up what appeared to be an innocent walking stick at his side - that Glorfindel knew to be his wizard's staff - and raised himself to his feet with it. A slow smile spread over his face, much as the smile one would find upon the face of a large cat as it considers its cornered mouse prey.

"I thought you bound for Mirkwood," he said finally, for lack of conversation, and with his fingers itching to get at his sword at Pallando's approach. "What do you here?"

Pallando moved his shoulders in a careless shrug. "There's been a change of plans, you see, my boy," he answered, his self-satisfied grin widening. "It seems that my business now lies in Imladries instead."

Glorfindel did not at all like the thought of the wizard in Imladris, and he hoped that Elrond, if he were truly wise and any good judge of character, might refuse to admit him. "How fortunate for you," was his rather stiff reply.

"But you see, there's been a change of plans for you as well," Pallando continued slyly. "You are no longer required in Imladris, but out in the wilds might be a more fitting place for a mutt such as yourself."

Before Glorfindel could make any response to this outrageous dismissal, the wizard gave a casual wave of the long staff which he carried and Glorfindel began to feel very odd indeed. There was a dizzy and sick feeling as the world began to twist, and things and faces melted and blurred together. He felt almost loose inside of his own body, like he was no longer attached.

He was shrinking and the world around him was growing steadily dimmer. While there wasn't as much light as there had been, even with the sun still high in the sky, everything had gotten much louder, even more than his sensitive elven hearing was accustomed to, and it seemed that he could hear all manner of life for miles around, and his scent became keener as well. And his perspective had shifted. He was now looking up at a smirking Pallando. He tried to shout at the wizard - to ask him just what he thought he was doing - but all that came out of his mouth, which now felt strangely elongated, were harsh guttural sounds.

And suddenly, as he had felt a drastic change in his own body, he watched as Pallando underwent something similar. To his confusion and ever mounting horror, it became now his own face that Glorfindel was looking up at. The same light traveling garments, the same brilliant golden hair, and deep blue eyes. And his mouth formed the words, and Glorfindel heard them all too well, "But don't worry, Elrond will never miss the services of Lord Glorfindel, I'll make sure of that."

"Now goodbye, friend of Gandalf, and best of luck - you will certainly need it," the wizard said finally, using, of course, Glorfindel's own voice. "I shall promise to take good care of Imladris."

It was the last thing that Glorfindel heard before another wave of the accursed staff sent him into a dizzying darkness. Once more he raised his voice in anger, but all his ears could hear was a dog's frantic bark from somewhere far away, and then, nothing at all.

TBC...

Notes:

1). On the subject of the blue wizards, the two missing Istar, there is not much information. Alatar and Pallando were, I believe, the first names given to them by the great professor. They were mentioned in other texts as Morinehtar and Romestamo. Darkness-slayer and East-helper.

"...But there were others, two dressed in sea-blue...of the Blue little was known in the west [of Middle-earth], and they had no names save Ithryn Luin 'the Blue Wizards'; for they traveled to the east with Curunír, but they never returned; and whether they remain in the East, pursuing there the purposes for which they were sent; or perished; or as some hold were ensnared by Sauron and became his servants it is not now known. But none of these chances were impossible to be."

As stated by the Unfinished Tales. Yes, it does mention that they were not known in the west where I am placing them, but I'm taking liberties like all fan fiction authors. After all, whose to say that they didn't have at least a few exploits in the west that no one was willing to speak of? Perhaps Glorfindel kept the information hush-hush to save his dignity. ;)

GAMercy: And thus ends the first installment.

Glorfindel: Woefully short. You can never get Mercy's chapters to be anything but.

GAMercy: You'll learn more soon enough.

Glorfindel: One would hope so.

GAMercy: There is an end in sight for this story, at least. Not one that will come in less than four chapters, I think, but still, I have a plan!

Glorfindel: Plans are such novel things. Most advantageous.

GAMercy: Stop mocking me!

Glorfindel: Review please. Stop and take the time to tell us how you like what you've seen. We really do work hard.

GAMercy: Critiques and constructive criticism always welcome. :)