CHAPTER 10
"Please, Lady Galadriel. Anything that you can do . . . " Glorfindel had never begged in his life . . . in both of his lives . . . but he begged now.
Elrond lay still and totally unresponsive to all attempts to rouse him. Bathed in perspiration, his long wound was showing signs of infection again at many points, but he was so weak that Glinkuil saw no point in putting him through any more discomfort with a procedure that would be unlikely to result in thesaving of his life. The healer had left a while ago to take some rest and Eithel had faded into the background at the arrival of the Galadriel and one of her ladies.
The Lady of the Golden Wood stood, still and composed, at the foot of the bed. Those unfathomable silver eyes rested unwaveringly upon Elrond's face and her head was tilted to one side, as though listening to some song Glorfindel could not hear.
"He has surrendered." Galadriel rounded the bed drifting to stand by Elrond's shoulder. "The death of his closest friend and this physical illness have combined to push him into despair."
"How can that be? Only a few days ago he was determined to go on. He saw it as his duty to stay in Middle earth," his friend insisted.
He found himself the subject of her serene gaze and decided he preferred Elrond's glare. "What our minds say, and what our hearts feel are not always the same," she replied enigmatically.
Glorfindel felt some relief when the Lady turned back to her charge, her regard growing softer as she looked into that pale face. "Does he ever talk of his family to you?" she asked calmly, as though they were chatting over a cup of tea.
"Not much. And I would not pry," the warrior answered, shifting impatiently.
"Perhaps that is the problem," Galadriel replied thoughtfully. "He has locked away too much pain."
"I know he has not had an easy life," Glorfindel offered, all the time wishing that the Lady would simplyDO something before it was too late.
"No." Galadriel began to stroke Elrond's fever damp hair with a mother's care. "His father was at sea for much of his children's formative years. Oh. There was much love when he was there, I have no doubt. But as a child, Elrond must have wondered what he had done to make his father stay away. And atiny part of his fea splintered away, remaining a hurt little child while the rest of him grew up."
Glorfindel drew closer, seeing his Lord's strong face in a different light.
Galadriel continued. "And then there was his mother. You could argue that to leave as she did, with the last jewel, was the only course of action. But to a child it must have felt like betrayal. Another tiny splinter locked away."
Her voice was so soft that Glorfindel had to step closer to hear it, entwined in the stillness of the moment. "Then he and Elros fell into the hands of their enemies. He has not spoken of that time but it cannot have been easy, especially for one not yet come to his majority. What was shattered and locked away there, I wonder?"
"At least his discovery by Gil-gallad was a blessing. He grew to be a brother," Glorfindel offered hopefully.
"Indeed. And then his birth brother, his twin, took a different path, and Elrond had to watch him grow old and die. He was no longer a child, but the death of a sibling, particularly a twin, must have been painful indeed." She sighed. "And now Gil-gallad."
Once more her eyes turned to Glorfindel and this time they were so filled with compassion that he could feel tears prickling hisown in unbidden response. Galadriel smiled softly. "What his head tells him is, "Duty" and what his heart feels is, "Abandonment", yet again. Little wonder then, that his heart falters and his broken body follows."
Glorfindel sagged against the doorframe. "Then Glinkuil is right and there is nothing we can do."
Galadriel's voice held only gentle censure. "I did not say that there was nothing to be done. I merely said that he has fallen into despair."
The Lady's silver haired companion smiled gently at the elven warrior, her glance bringing comfort and understanding. The air about Glorfindel suddenly lost some of its weight and he straightened hopefully, watching as Galadriel touched her fingers to Elrond's temple.
TBC
