Title - Surrender

Rating - T (PG13)

Disclaimer – I own no characters from Lord of the Rings. I am making no proft from this. I only own Enid.

Cast – Erestor, Glorfindel, OC

Warnings – Would have been rated "PG15" or "T+" (if it existed) for mild sexual content.

Surrender

The afternoon's meeting had been dull. That was the poor man's way of describing it and thus, the way Glorfindel had decided things had progressed. Erestor, on the other hand, preferred to think of it as psychologically taxing.

Incidentally, that was the frame of mind in which the advisor viewed most things these days. What with paperwork flooding in from all corners of Middle Earth and only a limited number of quills of suffice their pages, the elf had been working almost non stop. He only paused in his labours to eat or sleep, and even at mealtimes, he seemed mentally elsewhere.

Now, today after the meeting, Lord Elrond had gifted him with further work regarding the sorting out and disposal of a box of old scrolls, many of which were several millennia past their peak. Erestor hadn't had the heart to refuse his Lord's wishes and had somehow convinced himself he could complete the stacks of mounting work by the time the week was out.

It came as no surprise therefore, that, when he arrived at dinner, Glorfindel looked upon the advisor with renewed concern.

'Erestor?' he questioned as his friend sat down beside him, 'are you feeling quite well?'

Erestor nodded in response and set about preparing himself a bread roll. 'I am faring quite well, Glorfindel. Why do you ask?'

Glorfindel raised a brow in faint disbelief. Erestor's complexion was more than usually pale and wan, and beneath his eyes, shadows of fatigue had begun to make their appearance. His eyes too seemed less bright and alert, and he seemed considerably thinner than he ever had before. It was the latter that worried the elven warrior greatest of all.

'Because you appear to be to be ailing, Erestor. You hardly eat. You barely sleep – and even when you do it is restless...'

'What is your point, Glorfindel?' asked Erestor calmly, though not quite meeting his companion's eyes as he spoke.

Glorfindel swallowed hard, and tried to speak kindly, for he knew with how much pride Erestor regarded his position as advisor and chief scribe. 'My point is, Erestor,' he began, choosing his words carefully, 'is that I think you are overworking yourself to a great extent. My friend. I am afraid it will soon make you very ill.'

Erestor's lips thinned, yet his voice remained quite steady. 'Fin, you need not concern yourself with my wellbeing, I assure you I am quite alright.'

Glorfindel regarded this with a raised brow, causing Erestor to force a smile.

'Really, Fin I am well. Though do not mistake my meaning. I do appreciate your consideration.'

Glorfindel sighed and returned to his broth. He knew it was useless trying to force information out of Erestor when Erestor himself did not want it divulged. The advisor would only get irritable and still no answers would be gained.

Even so, Glorfindel glanced out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. There was certainly something amiss but if Erestor would not confess through gentle questioning, there was no choice but to wait until he cracked under the pressure of the work. Glorfindel hated the very concept. But if years and years of close friendship with Erestor had taught him one thing, it was to let the elf do things his own way and eventually, he would admit defeat.

Dinner passed more or less in silence, each deep in his own thoughts and it was only when Erestor stood to return to his study, that Glorfindel spoke up.

'Not yet, Erestor.'

Erestor looked back in surprise and Glorfindel continued, regardless of the irked expression on his friend's face.

'The evening is pleasant and warm. Why do you not come out and enjoy it for a while?'

Erestor began to speak up but Glorfindel wouldn't let him. He knew he had suddenly gained the upper hand and was not about to let it go easily.

'Your work will not run anywhere, Erestor. Besides, an evening off will do you good.'

The advisor regarded the warrior with a steely glint in his dark eyes and finally he inclined his head. 'Very well, Glorfindel. I see I shall be afforded no peace until I consent to your mad ideas.'

Glorfindel smiled and rose. 'Excellent. I am pleased you are finally seeing sense.' he remarked with good humour, and was gratified to witness a true smile of amusement grace the advisor's face at his words.

Glorfindel's description of the evening could not have been more accurate. The gardens of Imladris were bathed in a golden blanket spreading from Anor's setting light. A gentle breeze blew though the gardens, lovingly cooling the heat of the day as it passed. The calming aromas of various blooms perfumed the air and thus created a most beautiful summer eve. Upon the lawns, elves and elleths sat hither and thither, each thoroughly enjoying the peace and tranquillity that now surrounded the valley.

With a sigh, Glorfindel stretched out upon the grass, his golden hair shimmering and gleaming as the sunlight danced across its surface. Erestor followed suit, though he remained sitting upright, his slender fingers toying absentmindedly with the pure white head of a daisy. Though he loathed admitting it, Glorfindel had been right. Now he was out here, he felt considerably calmer and the mere prospect of the work in his study seemed many hundreds of miles away. He closed his eyes briefly, taking time to inhale the lustrous fragrances that frolicked around the valley and only reopened them when quite suddenly, he felt the unnerving sensation of someone's eyes upon him.

Instinctively, he looked down and his brow furrowed in puzzlement as Glorfindel lay in light slumber. Therefore, by deduction, the onlooker could not possibly have been him. Erestor felt suddenly a little ill at ease as he chanced a fleeting glance around the surrounding area, and trying to decipher who exactly had been looking their way. Finally, and without any warning, his eyes locked with those of an elleth, a little way across the lawn sitting with a small group, chattering and laughing gaily. Something about her stirred some remembrance in him, but he couldn't quite recall when he had seen her before.

Why was she looking this way, he wondered silently to himself. There was no reason. Nothing exciting had happened to draw her gaze and attention from her friends and current occupation. It was then he realised. She must be looking at Glorfindel, he told himself. After all, the Balrog slayer was not in short supply of admirers, nor lovers for that matter. Erestor also noted that, lying on the ground as he was at that moment, the warrior must have looked particularly alluring to any elleth, especially with his hair spread out like an amber blanket beneath his proud head.

With a mental slap to himself, Erestor wrenched his gaze away from hers and went back to picking the petals from the daisy, resigned to his reasoning behind the elleth's sudden interest.

Finally, Anor disappeared completely and in the indigo sky, Elbereth's children came out to play. To quietly observe the world beneath their glimmering feet. It was then that the advisor decided it was time to retire for the evening and thus, he dug Glorfindel gently in the ribs causing the warrior to open one bleary eye.

'What?'

Erestor explained the situation to him and Glorfindel nodded in agreement, rising also from his reverie, yawning a little as his own labours of the day had evidently caught up with him.

They parted ways at the top of the main staircase, from which going in the left direction would lead you to Glorfindel's quarters, and to the right, Erestor's.

As he walked, Erestor couldn't help but think longingly of his bed. The downy covers and the soft pillow…then a thought chanced upon his mind that immediately, he mentally berated himself for even considering.

Perhaps Glorfindel was right.

Could he, Erestor, possibly be making himself ill through overwork?

Almost as quickly as the idea had come, Erestor shook it off violently. The concept … the mere idea was preposterous. Never, in all his life, had he caused himself to fall into sickness. Besides, he couldn't afford to be ill. The prospect of how much his current workload would suffer; ironically made him feel slightly nauseous.

So lost was he in these thoughts and musings, that the advisor almost failed to realise the faint footfalls some way behind him. He paused mid-stride and looked around.

No one.

With a shrug, Erestor continued on his way. However the sensation of being followed by someone who refused to be seen was not a pleasant one, and thus it made him hurry to his quarters, an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness setting in. As soon as he arrived back, he whipped the key from his pocket and turned it in the lock. With the door closed, Erestor admitted he felt slightly safer and with a sigh of relief, he sank down upon his bed and set about removing his boots.

Oddly enough, now he was back Erestor found he did not feel his fatigue held as strong a hold as it had been outside. Looking up, his eyes settled upon his desk and the slowly diminishing sea of scrolls and papers upon it.

Why not finish that letter?

After all, he had time.

Quickly, Erestor removed his outer robe and cloak and set about lighting the candles upon his desk. It did not take him long to settle down, quill in hand and inkwell at his side along with a fresh glass of brandy. Soon, the gentle sound of scratching upon parchment echoed through the silent room. The only other discernable sound being that of the crickets drifting in through the open window.

When he was satisfied with the contents of the letter, Erestor signed the bottom of the parchment, folded it and slid it inside the envelope. Then, taking the little ladle of simmering wax from its flame, he sealed the envelope, hissing slightly as a globule of boiling wax dripped onto the tip of his finger. It hardened quickly and so Erestor was able to peel it off with fair ease. Nonetheless, it still stung. Rolling his eyes, the advisor sucked the end of his finger almost fiercely, loathing how despite his very best efforts, the pain would not desist.

He slid the letter to one side, ready for sending in the morning, reached for his glass and contented himself with a well earned draught of the amber liquid. What with the flickering quality of the candlelight and the fresh onset of weariness that in the last moments seemed to have crept up upon him, Erestor suddenly found it immensely difficult to keep his eyes open.

Combined with his fatigue and the darkness of the room, the hard spirit made his mind swim as it travelled slowly around his body, warming him and making the back of his throat tingle with its gentle heat. Succumbing to the inevitable, the raven haired elf could not help but allow his head to slowly slump to the desk surface and his eyes to slip closed, his breathing soft and contented…

He was so lost in slumber for several moments, that he did not notice the soft creaking sound of the door as it was opened and closed, nor the sudden presence of someone else in the dimly lit room. That is, until he looked up sharply and saw their silhouette.

'Who are you?' he said, nearly jumping out of his skin with shock.

'Merely a friend' the newcomer replied simply. 'I saw you this evening. Watching you watching me. I would be guilty of deception if I said you did not intrigue me.'

The voice was that of an elleth and Erestor's brow furrowed in puzzlement and slight annoyance. 'Yes, but who are you?'

'My name is Enid. You have seen me about I am sure.'

Erestor's confusion mounted and he gestured into the light. 'Come away from the corner. I cannot recognise you in those shadows.'

Slowly, the elleth complied and stepped forward into the dancing glow of the candlelight. It was then Erestor realised where he had seen her before. He had seen her talking with Glorfindel late one night, not long ago, outside the Hall of Fire. What their exact conversation was, Erestor could not recall, however he remembered distinctly her composure had appeared more than slightly intoxicated. It was for this reason that Erestor instinctively relocated the decanter from the desk top into the drawer.

Enid however, appeared to either not notice this swift movement, or ignored it deliberately for she continued in the same thread.

'I could not help but notice you looked somewhat subdued this evening, Erestor.'

Erestor raised a brow. How in Arda did she know his name? Another thing that was bothering him was how she had entered. He had locked the door securely.

Hadn't he?

'If I am, as you put it, subdued, my lady, it is simply because I was reflecting.'

Her eyes drifted to the mountain of papers on top of and surrounding his desk.

'Upon your work?'

'It is none of your business, but yes' he retorted, more sharply than he had intended.

For a moment, the elleth appeared taken aback by his hostile tone and whatever she had been about to voice, seemed hastily swallowed.

'You seem tense' she stated, moving a little closer to where he was seated.

Erestor gaped at her.

He seemed tense? What madness was this she was displaying? In the name of Eru, he hardly knew the elleth and the way her eyes never left him made him feel decidedly nervous.

'What is your meaning, my lady?' he asked, making a considerable effort to appear nonchalant. 'I cannot believe that you came here of your own accord. Something must have prompted your actions.'

'Nay I …'

Erestor raised a delicate brow, causing her to falter slightly over her words.

Enid let out a sigh and broke her gaze with him. 'Well, I confess Lord Glorfindel spoke to me briefly this morning….'

Ah.

'…and he happened to mention your workload…'

Did he indeed?

'…that we was concerned about you….'

Oh, the saint!

'…and that you were lonely.'

He was WHAT?

Erestor's eyes narrowed and despite his best efforts to restrain himself, he recovered the decanter and poured himself a fresh glass, downing it quickly, before returning his gaze to Enid.

'I see. So you and Lord Glorfindel are great friends, I take it?'

Enid shook her head. 'No. This was the first time he has spoken to me for several weeks. I admit it was odd him mentioning you to me after such a long time, but I assure you, the decision to come here was my own.'

'I am sure.'

For a moment, Erestor closed his eyes, trying to make any kind of sense of his situation when her voice came unnaturally close to his ear.

'I've been watching you, you realise.'

Erestor's eyes snapped open. Eru, how did that female move so fast? Then, the meaning of her words set in. Watching him?

He shivered. The thought of being watched by an elleth, whilst in theory, not wholly unpleasant, was nevertheless a little disturbing, given the current circumstances. Therefore, he replied with the only tangible sentence he could come up with.

'What do you mean?'

She smiled, almost knowingly and slowly removed the mithril clip that bound her hair, laying it noiselessly upon the desk. 'Exactly that. You saw me this evening upon the lawns. As I said before, ' she continued, moving close to his ear once again, 'something about you fascinates me.'

'You were looking at Glorfindel' he stated plainly, ' that much was obvious. Do not deny it.'

'I will deny no such thing. I looked at him, yes. But only because he was blocking my view!' she replied with an edge of amusement.

'Most enlightening' Erestor replied dryly, though his tone did not mask the heated flush that involuntarily crept up his cheeks at her words.

The advisor stiffened in his chair quite suddenly as with no prior warning he felt her hand close about his shoulder, and became increasingly aware of how dangerously close her lips were to his ear.

'What do you wish from me?' he asked, his voice low with combined concern and the onset of a desire that greatly surprised and unnerved him.

'Nothing,' she replied, 'it is what I am able to give to you that I am interested in. You work too hard, Erestor…'

Erestor screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the tingling sensations her hand gave as she kneaded his shoulder quite precisely. Desperately trying to rid the blissful echoes of how foreign and exquisitely sweet his name sounded as she purred in his ear. Attempting to shake off the delicious geranium scent that surrounded her and captivated his senses..

'What sorcery is this you bestow upon me?' he forced himself to speak, his voice inexplicably thick, suddenly aware of how uncomfortable his pants were becoming.

Enid did not reply, but his words and tone made her mouth curve upwards into a victorious smirk. Reaching up with her free hand, she gently brushed aside the waterfall of ebony hair and dealt a soft kiss to the back of his neck.

'I act in alliance with no sorcery, dear scribe.'

For a few moments, Erestor felt his resolve weakening. But as soon as her lips brushed his bare skin, he whipped around to face her, a hybrid of uncertainty and fury flaming in his usually stoic eyes.

'What exactly do you think you are doing?' he growled, his voice low and dangerous. 'What game is this you bait me so unkindly with?'

Slowly, the elleth removed her hand from his shoulder and reached up to brush away a stray lock of ebony hair that had fallen across his face. 'I play no games, Master Erestor' she replied.

Erestor considered her for a moment as he gazed intently at her. There was certainly no falsehood reflected in her eyes. He swallowed hard as those green depths stared back, sincere and strangely persuasive.

Finally, he relented and even against his otherwise better judgement, allowed his eyes to close as she brushed his fair cheek with an ever so gentle sweep of her hand.

'Hush now' she whispered silkily in his ear, 'I believe I am the answer to your prayers.'

Erestor let out a throaty chuckle. 'You seem extremely assured in your convictions, my lady.'

Enid chanced a glance downwards, grinning slightly as she spied the sudden and clear evidence of his arousal.

'Can you really blame me?'

Erestor's cheeks flushed a fiery crimson and taking advantage of his lowered guard, Enid leant forward and nibbled firm and long upon the nape of his neck. Finally, her lips showered the small wound with feather light kisses to soothe it.

Her impulsive actions drew a soft moan from Erestor's throat that surprised him greatly. However, the advisor leant up against her, shuddering slightly as rivers of fire assaulted his veins and spread to his innermost core.

He was completely undone. Every barrier he had ever erected around himself had been unexpectedly and successfully destroyed. He didn't even want to think what this may do to his reputation. But right now, at this very moment, none of that seemed to matter.

'Lay your head upon the desk'

Erestor's eyes flickered open and her strange command and he could not help but question it.

'Why?'

'Trust me' she replied, brushing her lips swiftly against his own. 'You won't regret it…'

Though he could not help feeling a little annoyed that she had hedged his question, Erestor surrendered to her wishes, and laid his elegant head upon the mahogany surface, and closed his eyes…

Quite suddenly, he was aware of the room being filled with a sudden inexplicable light, wincing a little as some filtered under his eyelids.

'What are you doing?' he whispered.

No answer.

Odd, Erestor thought. He slowly opened his eyes fully…and instantly he felt his heart plummet.

Morning had arrived.

Erestor raised his head from the desk, peeling away a sheet of parchment that had stuck to his cheek and groaned as he felt how stiff his upper body was. Disappointment and sadness flooded through him. It had all been a dream. A stupid, meaningless dream. His workload still existed and there was nothing left to distract him from it.

With a resigned sigh, he stood, and after stretching his aching limbs and yawning widely he poured himself a shot of brandy for no reason other than it would make him feel better disposed towards such a cruel vision as his had been . Moving over to the window, he opened the curtains and squinted as the full force of daylight streamed in.

His mind drifted automatically back to his work.

Well no time like the present.

Erestor turned back his desk…and heard only the delicate tinkle of the glass as it fell from his hand and shattered into a million shards upon the floor.

For there, upon the desktop, shimmering and gleaming as Anor's rays caressed its surface, was a finely wrought mithril clip…

-Fin-