Aragorn and Faramir took their lunch along with Belthil rather quietly in the King's private chambers. It had been a while since any one of them had eaten a decent meal, and each was glad to have the company of the others.

After taking the light meal the three Men took to sitting by the hearth. Winter had at long last broken, but the chill still permeated the stone city. Aragorn drew out his pipe and just stared into the fire for some while before bothering to light it.

"You grow more like Mithrandir every day," Faramir mused of his father. "How i do miss him," he said softly.

"I? Become like Gandalf?" Aragorn said incredulously, taking advantage of Faramir's eased mood. "Perhaps it is time i trim my beard in that case!" he said tugging at his chin as if trying to gauge how long his beard had gotten. Faramir chuckled as did Belthil, who knew the wizard by name alone.

Someone at Aragorn's door cleared his throat noticeably. For the first time since Aragorn had mentioned going to Rivendell with Erestor and Glorfindel, what seemed months ago, Faramir's eyes lit with gladness instead of tears and Aragorn smiled genuinely.

"I take it my father kicked you out?" Aragorn asked his long-time friend as Faramir embraced his erstwhile mentor.

Gandalf straightened at that remark. "Master Elrond did no such thing!" he said with all dignity. "He might have given me a little nudge on my way...," the wizard added in a mumble.

Both Faramir and Aragorn smirked. "I know all about your nudges, Gandalf," Aragorn commented as they, too, embraced. "How is home?" Aragorn asked.

"Imladris is managing, though Elrond dearly wishes to have his two highest officials returned to him. Never has he done so much of his own work," Gandalf said with a wink. "But that is hardly important. How is your home, Aragorn?"

It was amazing the tendency one had to forget one's troubles when the old wizard was around. Aragorn and Faramir glanced at one another. Neither could be fooled by Gandalf's innocent acts. For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence, then Gandalf sighed in defeat.

"I am truly that legible in these days? Well, of course you know that i know what has been going on. The future of Men and of all of Arda would not be in your own four capable hands otherwise," he said almost to himself before drawing Faramir toward him again. "I am sorry, Faramir. Too many losses have you had to bear in your few years." As much as Faramir had been trying to get a reign on his emotions, especially after he snapped at Éomer, with Gandalf to lean on the young Steward did not feel it necessary to hid his tears. "You do still remember what i told you when i first met you, do you not?" Gandalf asked kindly and so that only Faramir could hear.

"Of course i do, Mithrandir," Faramir said more calmly, feeling he had shed all the tears he had been hiding for the moment. "I would not have gotten far in my life without you."

"None of us would have gotten far at all without Gandalf," Aragorn said, eternally grateful for the wizard's presence at this time.

Gandalf then turned to Belthil. "Oh... young Belthil," he said with a grin. "I see you have found your way home. And sufficiently healed, i take it?"

Belthil recognized Gandalf the moment he had appeared at the door. "You saved my life," Belthil said in awe, remembering the elderly man who got him off the battlefield when he was wounded at Pelennor.

Gandalf smiled warmly. "Of course i did. What else could i do for your uncle's only nephew?"

"How can i ever rightly thank you?" Belthil said, feeling at a loss.

"You already have," Gandalf said genuinely. At the young man's puzzled expression he continued, "You have returned to where you belong, where i knew your presence would do the most good, Belthil, son of Boromir."

Aragorn smiled bittersweetly. He knew he would sorely miss Gandalf when he sailed to his home in the West in not so long a time. "You will excuse me, gentlemen," Aragorn said, slipping away to go have a chat with Éomer now that he was sure Faramir would be all right. It was true that one did tend to feel a great easing of one's pain when Mithrandir came to call. Aragorn sincerely hoped that his old friend had come across his wife at some point, since he would be going to her immediately once he and Éomer finished their discussion.

---

Erestor's fingers had just touched the hilt of his knife when his assailant tighten his grip with his left arm, allowing his right hand to travel over the Noldo's shoulder and neck... down his chest... over his thighs... and all capped with the tiniest flicker of his tongue at the Elf's ear-point.

That was all Erestor was going to stand for. Some might have gone along just to deny their attacker the satisfaction of exerting force, not to mention the fact that no Elf alive was able to resist that manner of sensation at the extremely delicate ear-point.

Erestor, however, was not the kind of Elf to let hedonism run away with him. Not by a long shot.

Getting a good grip on his knife, Erestor first thrust his right arm back into his captor's ribs so suddenly and forcefully that the invader, having allowed that bit of weakness on that side by only keeping a hold of him with his left arm, immediately let go. Erestor knew at once that he was not truly hurt, but more stunned at the response. The advisor's knife went directly to the throat of the attack.

"Man le? Pedo hí!" Erestor hissed.

A strangled laugh came from the captor turned captive. "Ai! Meleth! Turn not kinslayer, i beg of you. Saes!"

Erestor dropped his knife immediately and stood in shock. "Glorfin-.... You idiot!" he cried, giving the blond a shove and going to start a fire in the fireplace. "Le dol na lost!"

Glorfindel grinned. "Yes, i am glad to be back. No, the trip wasn't terribly boring. Really? I missed you too, meleth." Glorfindel prattled on, pretending to have a conversation with Erestor, only without Erestor's participation.

"All right! Welcome back, i missed you... you idiot," Erestor amended his greeting. "What in Elbereth's name were you thinking, anyway, lying in wait for me to come through that door and then attacking me? I might have killed you. Have you any idea what has gone on around here?"

"Actually, i was really lying in wait for Faramir," Glorfindel said in a mock-confession. Erestor was not amused. Glorfindel sighed. "Fine, have it your way. I just thought that after a while on the road... you know, an Elf does like to come back to a warm bed. And i definitely had a mental image of my beautiful dark one waiting for me...," Glorfindel said, punctuating his words with soft kisses to Erestor's neck.

Erestor was still not amused. The dark-haired Elf slipped away from his lover and planted himself firmly behind Faramir's desk after drawing back several of the heavy curtains. "You really don't know how things have been here, do you? Otherwise you are just so incredibly selfish and single-minded...." Erestor said. "Well, let me fill you in."

Glorfindel waved a hand. "There is no need, Ere'. I know something is wrong with the Lady Éowyn. I envisioned her death and thought there was nothing for her, but then i realized that if Aragorn and Faramir reached her with enough speed.... Well, tell me they did, of course. They left days ago and had good winds."

Erestor just shook his head.

---

Elenhin: Was that enough of a plot-twist? :) Not quite young Belthil, but i didn't forget about him either.

linda: Glad i'm not rushing. I always try to be realistic and put a "human" face on things. And yes, Aragorn has the hardest job in Middle-earth. He has to take care of everyone's needs. He's rather been neglecting his own since he left Rivendell at 20, though.

I guess you all knew i couldn't leave Glor' and Ere' alone for long. Nice to see good old Gandalf again, too.