Chapter Ten

A/N: I am sorry for the last chapter, not for what I wrote, not for why I wrote it, but because it seemed to startle a couple of you. I didn't mean to sound condemning, but I sometimes hear people say, "Oh, that's too bad," or "How horrible!" and then not really understand that those people over there dying are people. Some people don't realize that, and I was really fired up about it at the time. I, like my version of Glorfindel, believe that killing is a terrible thing and one of the worst things a person can do, but I also believe that you must defend yourself if someone else attacks you. My beliefs are complicated, but at any rate, as stupid and overused and clichéd as it sounds, my deepest wish is for peace.


Elrond looked at Glorfindel from the cushiony depths of his armchair. "Glorfindel, I just realized something."

Glorfindel nodded vaguely, trying to concentrate on the book in his hands. "And that is…?"

"I'm going to be a father."

Glorfindel looked up at him, astonished. "You just realized that?"

"Well, I've known it since the start, but I only just realized it," Elrond explained.

"I see," the Balrog-Slayer said, standing up from his perch in Elrond's windowseat. He brushed at his crimson robes. "And you don't know how to go about it?"

Elrond nodded.

"I can help you there."

Elrond glanced at him cynically. "How could you do that? You were never a father."

"I helped raise Eärendil."

Elrond was shocked. "My father? My grandparents actually trusted you with him?"

Glorfindel smirked. "Not everyone regards me as bungling as you do."

Elrond began to chuckle.

"Laugh all you want, Peredhil, but many a night I kept the babe in my room so that Idril could get some sleep. Your grandfather slept like a rock, and was even harder to budge when snoring," Glorfindel retorted indignantly.

This only made Elrond laugh harder. "How old are you?" he asked jokingly.

Glorfindel tried to maintain his defensive demeanor, but had to give in to the mirth. Solemn was one thing he couldn't pretend to be.


Three days later, Elrond and Glorfindel departed for Greenwood after being invited by King Thranduil for a feast. It was the custom of the two Elven rulers to invite the other each winter for a banquet to maintain good relations. Glorfindel was always mobbed by the King's children – especially the youngest ones, Prince Legolas and Princess Gil-aelin – so the Elf-Lord would be sufficiently entertained while they were there.

Celebrían had turned down Elrond's request for her to accompany them, because she simply didn't feel like traveling. Elrond had been horrified, telling her that it was common courtesy for the new Lady to be at the feast, but she had assured him that Queen Rilorn knew what it was like to be pregnant. Elrond had finally given in, but now Celebrían was feeling the consequences.

She was bored beyond all reason.

It was a dull evening, and all the Elves were staying to themselves, much to her dismay. She decided to take a walk.

As she strolled down the corridor, she was surprised to find Erestor sitting in the hallway, his head bent over a piece of parchment, scribbling crazily on it with a black quill.

"Lord Erestor?" she asked.

"Yes, Lady Celebrían?" he asked, never looking up.

"Well, Elrond and Glorfindel are gone, it's snowing, and I'm really bored."

"And?"

"And I was wondering if you'd like to come walking with me."

"Of course!" Erestor said cheerfully. "Just let me finish this…there!" He placed the parchment and quill aside and got to his feet. "I'll get my cloak and we'll head off."

Celebrían waited impatiently for him at the entrance to the grounds. He came hurrying down the stairs and bowed as he approached her.

"Oh, stop that!" she scolded good-naturedly. "Let's go."

The snow fell gently in large flakes and had completely covered the ground. It glittered in the pale moonlight, frosting everything with a gentle blanket of white.

"This is the first snowfall I've seen in Imladris," she said after a while. "In Lothlórien, the snow falls, but leaves don't. But this…this is beautiful as well."

"Indeed," Erestor replied, sounding almost sullen. The white flakes falling in his hair looked like bright stars in the night sky.

"Why do you speak so?" Celebrían asked, smiling.

"I've been irritated by most of the Elflings here, including Elrond and Glorfindel."

Celebrían began to giggle. "I never knew that my husband could be so…childish."

"Well, your being here has tamed him."

"If that's a good thing, then I am grateful," she replied. "But pray tell, what did he do to you?"

"Let's just say it involved an icicle and the back of my robes,' Erestor said, grimacing as he remembered the chilly ice dagger falling sharply down his back.

"But everything's so much calmer here," she said. "For instance, in Lórien, my mother would never have let me do this." She demonstrated by spinning around, her cloak dragging in the snow, her arms outstretched and her loose hair flying.

"And why not?" Erestor asked. He enjoyed seeing her so glad.

Celebrían knelt in the snow, touching it with her hands. "Mother was – is – always very proper. I like it here. Everything's so wonderful."

"It most certainly is," Erestor nodded.

Celebrían stood. "You will have to add me to your nuisance list," she grinned.

"Why?" Erestor asked, though he already knew. He had seen her hands flash behind her back.

"Because of this!" She threw a snowball at him and he dodged. It broke harmlessly against his shoulder. He gathered up a handful of snow and retaliated. A battle broke out, and snowballs flew back and forth as the white flakes fell lightly from the sky.

Half an hour later, they went inside, breathless and laughing.

Neither had won.


Elvish Translations:

Gil-aelin: star lake

Rilorn:literally,brilliance tree

Reviewer Responses:

Ithiliel Silverquill: Well, I'm not a warrior, nor have I a wish to be, but books and movies affect me greatly, and I've read and seen enough war stories to make me think the way I do. I think trying is all we can do for now. And yes, a chapter for you! You were asking for a new one! (hugs)

swee-haret179: Sorry that I almost made you cry! I'm glad I made you think, and thanks for the congrats!

Malara: I was really upset when I wrote that chapter, because I'd seen these pictures from Palestine, and I'm Palestinian, sooo… Yes, swords can hurt lots of things. Go on, read something happy! Cheer up! You're right, murder is not okay. I despise violence, for many reasons. About the tsunami: Yes, I know that it wasn't our fault, but some people don't realize the true magnitude of the destruction and that all those people who died had lives and dreams and families and hopes that are broken and gone now. It makes me cry to think about it. You're rich! YAY! About the rabbit ears-Elrond, good luck! And as for the publisher, I'm just hoping they accept my work :)

Miss Piratess: I feel strongly about it as well. I could go into long rant-mode, but I don't think you want to read it right now.

Kalayna: Thank you, and yes, there is enough devastation and hardship in this world for us to adding to it. Thank you for understanding, and as I said to Malara, the hard part about the publishers will be getting them to accept it.

Neige: Thank you. I'm glad to see a fellow anti-war…person…thing. Yeah. And I wanted to use Glorfindel to convey my thoughts at the time I was writing it.

Erestor: Thanks! I'm glad you don't see it as a bad thing, but I'm sorry it was so abrupt. That's how I see most Elves (Feanor, Celegorm, and Curufin I see as exceptions), and I'm glad you found it all interesting. I, thankfully, have never been kept from seeing things on the news, and unfortunately, American media is very guarded. We have Arabic satellite news, so we get to see a little more than most people here. I'm not ashamed to live here, and I'm not ashamed of my blood (my mother is American, and a Christian who converted to Islam), but I am ashamed of what mankind has done (conquerors, slavery, massacres, racism, war, murder, bombings, etc.). No one likes being reminded of these things, but I think sometimes we need to be reminded to teach ourselves what we've done wrong, and how we can maybe fix it. May our prayers help.

A/N: Thank you everyone for all your support. 68 reviews! (hugs the reviewers) Thank you!