Part One
With a slight groan, he began to wake up. A dull throbbing in his head made sure he didn't slip back into sleep, though that was all he wanted to do.
With an effort greater than he had ever thought possible, he managed to open his eyes, only to be looking at the worried face of Elrond.
"He wakes!" Came the familiar voice of Erestor somewhere off to the left.
"How do you feel?" Ellrond asked, peering down at him and making him feel quite uncomfortable.
He opened his mouth to speak, but had to clear his throat before being able to make a legible sound. "I feel as though I have been crushed under a tree." He finally managed to rasp out.
Laughter greeted his ears at that. "Rest and get well. You will need it."
Glorfindel looked up at Elrond and frowned. "My head hurts..." A hand went up to feel his forehead and touched a very tender spot that shot needles through his brain...or so it felt like. He groaned as the world spun in front of him at the small touch, nausea turning his stomach.
A basin was placed next to him, but he didn't need to use it. "I will get no rest like this, Elrond." After a few deep breaths, he looked into the eyes of the healer in front of him. "I feel as though I have been poisoned. My stomach is roiling."
"That is what the basin is for." Erestor stated with a chuckle.
While the advisor was speaking, Elrond lifted his head from the pillow and probed at the bump. The reaction to that was instantaneous.
Lurching forwards slightly, he expelled his last meal, thankfully into the basin that Erestor was now holding.
"You have a concussion it seems. That was quite a nasty bump to the head you took."
If Elrond said anything else, he didn't hear it. He passed out shortly after he had calmed his breathing, falling into a healing sleep.
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"I do not know what to tell him when he wakes again." Elrond muttered, staring down at the only patient he had at the time.
"The truth, though I do not want to be here for his reaction. He will be angry, Elrond." Came the reply the Lord of Imladris had been expecting from his Chief Councellor.
A slight laugh escaped Elrond then, knowing that to be true. There was not one bit of humour in the laugh though. Truthfully, it was no laughing matter at all. Not only was Glorfindel going to hate the news when he was told, it would change all their lives.
Glorfindel was a warrior in both body and heart. It was in his very soul some might say, for him to fight the foul creatures of shadow. This might only be temporary, but if not, the life Glorfindel had known would be altered severely.
No, indeed he did not want to say the words, but knew he had to.
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The early morning sky was lightening with the rising of the sun. The birds about the woods and gardens were singing happily outside, greeting the dawn.
The headache wasn't bad now, just a faint throbbing, but it was once again what woke him. He didn't find it hard to open his eyes this time, he was more trying to find a reason to do so.
The sound of one of the Healers moving about the room came to him then and he knew that people would just worry if he didn't wake soon.
Opening his eyes, he sighed as he was confronted not with a Healer, but a tired-looking Chief Advisor.
"What are you doing here, Erestor?" He asked, groggily, his head not clear enough for fine speech.
"Lord Elrond did not want you to wake alone, so he got me to stay with you. He should be back shortly. He wanted to get some herbs that may help with any pain you are in."
Glorfindel grunted then, not sure if he was hurt except in his head. Mostly, he felt numb, like he was still pumped full of adrenalin, or was in shock. "I don't feel much of anything, but a throbbing in my head."
His voice was still raspy and he was grateful to Erestor when thhe Advisor gave him a glass of water. Drinking it down fast, he felt a little better.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome." Erestor replied to his thanks. A moment later and Lord Elrond came back, a bag of herbs clutched in one hand.
Erestor bowed slightly, before leaving in somewhat of a hurry. Glorfindel watched him disappear out of the door, before turning his attention to the half-Elf.
"Elrond. I hope that there is nothing more serious than a knock on my head." Glorfindel said, knowing that something else was wrongfrom the guarded look in his friend and Lord.
"I am afraid something much more serious has happened. First though, I want to thank you for saving my boys. If you hadn't pushed them out of the way, they would have been crushed."
Hearing this, events came rushing back. He knew a tree had fallen on him, but not much of anything else. He remembered hearing something snap just before he was knocked unconscious. "Elrond, what broke?" He asked, a glint of fright showing in his blue eyes.
Elrond glanced at him, before turning his gaze to the floor. Glorfindel had to wait long minutes before the half-Elven Lord looked back up to his face. "One of your legs was broken, but it wasn't a bad break. It will heal fast...."
Gllorfindel glared at Elrond then, knowing that wasn't all of it. "Why do I feel no pain? How much of your herbs have you filled me with?"
Elrond sighed, laid a hand on the blond Elf's shoulder and squared his shoulders, like as if getting ready for a battle of some sorts. "I had waited until you woke to give you anything for pain. Unfortunately, your leg wasn't the only bone broken. The tree fell across your waist and broke bone in the lower half of your back."
Glorfindel froze at that. He had seen both allies and Orcs fall to the ground, unable to move after a strong blow to the back, breaking bone and therefore severing one half of the body (sometimes even the whole body) from the main nerve system and effectively paralysing the victim.
Paralysed. The thought terrified him. "How bad was the break?" He asked, his voice thicker than it usually was.
"Not very bad fortunately. If there wasn't too much damage done to your nerves, you may gain use of..."
"Don't finish that sentence, Elrond. I don't want to hear it."
"You realise that you will not be able to move your legs, I suppose that is good. I could start exercising your legs to try and help you, but only after the bone has healed."
"Be quiet."
"Glorfindel, this could be a temporary problem. It might take months, even years, before there is much progress, but it may happen."
"Be quiet!"
"Would you rather be stuck like this? I somehow doubt that. You are a warrior, I know this must be hard for you."
"SHUT UP!"
Glorfindel's shout stopped Elrond's next sentence quite effectively. He could feel tiny tremors through the shoulder he was holding and decided the best thing to do would be to leave the warrior alone for a while to sort out things in his mind.
"I am sorry, Glorfindel. I will be just outside the door if you need anything."
"I don't need your help." Mumbled Glorfindel, watching as the Lord walked to the door and out of the room.
Alone, he tried to move his legs, but they didn't co-operate with him at all. He glared at the useless limbs through the sheet covering them.
Paralysed!
Not being able to move slammed the idea fully in his mind and for the first time since he could remember, he broke down.
A/N - There! Updated! I hope someone out there likes it. I am a meanie, I know. It is bigger than the prologue, to which I am thankful for, hehe. Also, I am sorry if any information in this is wrong....that would be my own mistake.
Answers to my reviews, something I rarely do:
Amthramiel - Glorfindel is my favourite character at the moment. I like stories about him too. Obviously, lol.
Erestor - There wasn't much to go on was there? Hope you continue reading this story though.
Professor M. McGonagall - Well, now you know what happens, hehe.
Tari telemnar - I got very confused by your review....what name did you have before? As to that, shouldn't you use a name you like, not one someone else picks out for you? Did you read this story, or another of mine, as this one just started and is nowhere near its end yet.
aronoiiel - This is what happens to him. Thanks for thinking that the start of this story was spiffy.
ILoveGlorfy - I am not going to abandon this, or any, of my stories. Most haven't been done for a long time because I move on to other factions, but they will be finished eventually, including this story here.
Barbara Kennedy - Yes, they must be terrified of storms now. Think how much more scared they will be when they hear what happened to poor Glorfindel?
thehobbitgirl - Yes, I suppose Elves would be naughty when they are young, but so would any other species for that matter, lol. Built in reaction to be little horrors. Well, there si a definite pattern. Usually it involves taking something that a character takes for granted away, leaving them helpless.
merlyn1382 - Is this bigger? hehe, glad you like it.