Chapter 4

"He was here when we left. He may have gone to his rooms. Glorfindel let him go now," Elrohir said while trying to remove Glorfindel's hands from Legolas.

Elrond tried to pull Glorfindel back, "We will find him and I will tell him it was I not you, my friend, I will fix this. I am sorry for my part in this; I should never have kissed you. You were not mine to kiss," Elrond said, lowering his gaze as grief entered his heart at the way he had treated his friends.

Glorfindel, seeing the pain his Lord was in, said, "Do not fret so my Lord, if my heart was not already taken by Erestor, I would have welcomed your advance. I'll find him and together we can talk to him."

They walked quietly to Erestor's chambers; each occupied with their own thoughts. Glorfindel knocked on Erestor's door and when he did not get a response he slowly opened the door. Upon opening the door Glorfindel noticed two things; first, Erestor was not there, and second, his wardrobe was open with clothes missing and others thrown about the chamber. Glorfindel slumped dejectedly to the floor. Putting his head in his hands, "He has left Imladris."

Elrond sat down beside Glorfindel; "we will find him my friend."

Glorfindel looked up at Elrond with unshed tears in his eyes and said, "But we will not find him. You know Erestor as well as I do. We will not find him if he does not wish to be found. We don't even know where he comes from Elrond. For all we know that's where he is headed now."

"We should send out scouts to see if they can pick up his trail," Elrohir told his Ada (Daddy), "I don't think he is in any condition to be out there alone."

"I think we should get some sleep so we can head out first thing in the morning," replied Legolas.

"I agree we need to get our rest. Tomorrow we will find him," Elrond said.

"No, I need to find him now," stated Glorfindel

"It is too dark to find him tonight Glorfindel. Let the scouts find his trail and tomorrow at first light we will be able to find him better," Legolas added.

They all headed to their own chambers, each determined to find Erestor.

Erestor sat on the cold ground and stared at the fire, he could not believe he had left. He felt betrayed by his love and his Lord. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Glorfindel and Elrond kissing. He angrily threw a stick into the fire. 'I had to leave,' he told himself, 'I should never have came to Imladris in the first place, I should have listened to Thranduil all those years ago when he told me the Noldor could not be trusted. I should have listened to him.'

As he felt the presence of someone close he smiled to himself, "I should have known you would find me," he said into the night.

"I am one of the few elves in Arda that does know you. Where else would you head to other than home to Mirkwood?" Legolas stated.

Erestor looked back at the fire, "I could not stay there and watch the two of them together. He betrayed me."

Legolas sat down by Erestor and the two of them stared into the fire for several minutes before Legolas spoke again, "listen to me my friend. We have known each other for many years. You watched me grow up. My Ada and you have been friends for longer than I have been in existent. When you left Mirkwood to see Arda we never stood in your way. When you became Elrond's Chief Advisor we wished you well," holding up his hand to quiet his friend, he continued, "I know we have not came to Imladris to visit you, you know why Ada still does not trust Elrond fully. It has only been through you that they have been talking at all. Do you really want to break the fragile alliance that the two realms have?"

"I do not think if I returned to Mirkwood that the alliance between the two realms would break so easily, little one, especially since Elrohir has found a place in your heart. Have you told him yet?" Erestor asked.

"No, but we are not talking about Elrohir and I, we are talking about Glorfindel and yourself. You know you at least owe him the time to explain. It may have not been what you think," Legolas said

Erestor let out a low and hollow laugh, "Explain what, that he had lie to me. To give them a chance to laugh at how much of a fool I was for falling for him, for loving him."

"So you do love him; then go back and talk to him," Legolas begged his friend.

"I can't," was the only reply that Legolas got from his dark-haired friend.

"Then I guess we are headed home then," Legolas stated.

'Home,' thought Erestor, 'What is home?' "They have scouts looking for you," Legolas told Erestor

"Why?" Erestor asked, turning to look at Legolas for the first time, "Why would they even bother?"

"I will only say that you should go back and talk to him, to both of them," Legolas said in a final attempted to get Erestor to head back.

"I'll let you know in the morning," Erestor said as he lay down to sleep, "Right now I just need to rest."

"Fair enough, my friend, fair enough," Legolas said as he turned to stare into the fire. Rest would not come easy to him this night. He had his own feelings for a certain elf to think about.