Disclaimer: Still don't own Tolkien's world. Rats, foiled again! The OC's, of which there are so very many, are mine…sort of. The names are elvish so I guess those are Tolkien's but the….you get my point.

Chapter Sixteen: What We Think We Smell and Taste

What's past is prologue.

- William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Antonio at II, i)

Everything was covered in fire and ash, the veritable smell of evil was in the air. The city was swelling with panic, elves fleeing in every direction, desperate to get out of the walled city.

A great elf adorned in shimmering silver and diamond plated armor, face grey and covered in blood, hair unbound and flying wildly fought against a fire whip wielding foe of fire and smoke. The wounded elf, battle weary, continued to fight the enemy off in front of a glorious fountain.

Flowered wreathes and garlands littered the ground, broken and trampled, covered in blood and fire, tears and ash. The elf by the fountain started to fall, his enemy with him. Screams of terror and loss rang out through the afternoon air, as fire and steam from the fountains consumed the city and its people as easily as their enemies overcame them.

Morwen awoke with a gasp, her heart racing. She surveyed her room, its calm serenity a mere mockery of what she had just dreamed. She could still see the war torn city before her.

Hastily grabbing a robe, she ran from her chambers, desperate to bathe herself in the fresh night air. She clutched to the railing of the nearest balcony, praying that the immovable stone would ground her, stop her shaking, stop the sight of all those elves and all those children.

She forced a sob of despair back. In all her years, she had never seen such a thing as she witnessed in her dream.

And she knew what it as.

She knew what she had seen.

She had only heard the story told in glorified tales throughout her life.

There was no glory in that battle, only tears and scars.

"Morwen."

She looked up at the soft inquiry, seeing Glorfindel standing behind her, Merileth at his side, her dress low enough to show the silver rose she wore around her neck.

Morwen closed her eyes, praying to any Vala who would listen to take the vision of the battle away.

"Morwen, please, what is wrong?" Glorfindel asked again.

She shook her head and using all her strength she forced her voice not to waver, "It is nothing, Glorfindel. Simply a bad dream."

"You were tired enough after a day of a council to dream?" Merileth's incredulous voice asked. "Dear me, Glorfindel, you have been too hard on the girl to push her into a dreamscape."

The scathing looks thrown in her direction both by Glorfindel and Morwen silenced her and she bowed her head, properly chastised.

"Merileth, Morwen has not had a true sleep in many weeks. She, and the others, have been trying to preserve the peace and sanity of the realm. That peace and sanity threatened by your own councilor, may I remind you." Glorfindel said.

"I apologize for my comment, Glorfindel, Morwen. I did not think." She said.

Glorfindel waved the apology off but Morwen was far too concerned with staying upright to care for a princess's hastily spoken words. It was taking all Morwen had to not lay her head in her hands and sob for the loss of so many elves she did not know.

"Morwen," Glorfindel reached out a hand to touch her face.

She jerked back, "Do not touch me." She spat out.

Glorfindel took a step back from her, eyes wide, "Morwen, you are not yourself. What is wrong?"

She again swallowed back her sobs, "I beg you, do not ask me for I cannot tell you."

"Morwen did Saeros or another attempt to…" Glorfindel said.

"No!" she cried out. Closing her eyes she pleaded softly, "No. Glorfindel, please, just this once grant me my wish and leave me be."

He studied her some time and then shook his head, "I am sorry, but I cannot do that. Merileth, get Elrond and one of the female healers up here, perhaps they can…….."

"Glorfindel…." Morwen pleaded again.

"Morwen, something has happened to you and I will be damned if I will let someone get away with such an act without punishment. Now, let me send Merileth to…."

"I saw it, Glorfindel." Morwen interrupted.

"You saw what, Morwen?" Glorfindel asked.

"Gondolin." She whispered.

"Did Elrohir show you his recent rendering of the city? While not his best work I hardly think it qualifies as material for a…."

"No, Glorfindel," Morwen shook her head, "I dreamt it. The Fall. As if I was there watching it all."

Glorfindel gave her a look, "That is impossible…"

"I saw Ecthelion fall." She murmured, no longer paying attention to the other occupants of the balcony.

"Morwen, stop this." Glorfindel coolly stated.

"You never said there were so many screams, so much, so much blood. How many died, how the streets were covered in ruined garlands, how the steam rose…."

"Morwen!" Glorfindel's yell silenced her own babbling.

"Glorfindel, what is going on?" Lord Elrond's voice caused all to turn to him.

Glorfindel glanced to his Lord, "Morwen had a dream, Elrond, that is all. She thought she saw…"

"From what I heard," Elrond interrupted, moving towards Morwen and gathering her into an embrace, "she did see, not thought she saw." He stood by Morwen, whispering soothing words into her ears to quell her shaking. "Glorfindel, please go wait in my study, I will soon meet you there. Merileth, I am sad to say Glorfindel will be otherwise preoccupied for the night."

Merileth gave a small curtsy to Elrond and hurried off to the guest quarters. Glorfindel gave Elrond and Morwen a long look before turning and slowly making his way towards Elrond's study.

"Come now, my child." Elrond gathered Morwen closer to him and started guiding her back inside.

Morwen buried her head into his robes, focusing on the sound of her face rubbing against the heavy velvet.

She could still hear the screams.

Elrond brought her to the family wing, softly knocking on one door, he waited until a very alert Elrohir appeared from inside. Seeing the state Morwen was in, he took her from his father. Giving Elrond a nod, Elrohir closed his door and made his way across the hallway to Elladan's chamber and entered the darkened rooms.

Elladan woke up from his light sleep and studied his intruders. He looked from Elrohir to Morwen and back. Silently he pulled back the covers to his bed and welcomed his twin and his close friend.

Morwen clung to Elladan, quietly sobbing out all she had dreamed and what had happened after she awoke. The twins exchanged looks over her head, silently communicating their concerns. They did what they could, holding the soul weary elf, lending her their strength when she now had so little, attempting to calm her again.

Morwen breathed in the scent of the twins, smelling nature and life, laughter, and all things good that could have a distinct smell, if only in her mind. She willed the familiar and beloved scents to take over.

She could still smell the fire.

She could still taste the fear.

Elrond walked into his study, seeing Glorfindel mesmerized by the midnight sky. Erestor, most likely summoned by Glorfindel, sat by the hearth, quietly flipping through a book and petting the newest feline intruder of the household.

Elrond sat down next to his Chief Councilor, "I did not send for you."

"After hearing his," Erestor gestured towards the window, "graceless bellow, I was coming in this direction. I do not think it would be wise to interrupt him now. He has much to think about."

"I agree." Elrond said.

They both glanced at their golden-haired friend.

"It seems I am not the only one tired of Glorfindel taking his time." Erestor said.

Elrond, despite the recent events, smiled, "Yes, I believe this can be viewed as a push, though I must admit I did not think it would be in this way."

Erestor shrugged, "Lorien may have been bored and wanted to make this visit especially memorable for our Green Wood guests. I am sure they had their reasons for scaring Morwen the way they did. Elrond, did she really…."

"From what I heard of it, yes. She did. Perhaps not all, but enough to scar someone who has never seen a real battlefield." Elrond said.

Erestor sighed, shaking his head in despair, "And where is she now?"

"With the twins, of course."

"Ah, yes, our little trio of sleepers. It has been many years since I thought of their special sleeping arrangements as children. You could never find them in whatever bed they should have been in."

"I often wonder why as children we have no problem seeking out the comfort of our friends in our times of need and yet……." Elrond trailed off.

Erestor studied him, a small smile on his face, "Dear Elrond, if we did not still seek comfort from out friends as adults, we would not be her right now. Albeit, we are not currently bunking down in a bed together, but we still comfort each other in our own way."

"Yes," Elrond said, "I suppose you are correct."

Glorfindel knew his friends were talking in the background, about what he did not know. His mind was to focused on those things he had once lived.

He could still see the battlefield, his king, his friends, his people, his city.

He could still hear the screams of his comrades, those loyal to him, the roars of the demons, the cracking of whips, the sounds of steel meeting steel.

He could still smell the fire, the brimstone, the scent of death and evil and all that surrounded him. The smell of loss. And the flowers, all those flowers…….

He could still taste the blood, the blood from his enemies and his own, as he plunged to his demise.

Glorfindel closed his eyes, willing himself away from that past, that life.

He had lived and died and lived again. He did not need to waste time dwelling on the past, a past he could not fix, nor would it disappear.

He was revered in legends, though he felt Ecthelion had fought much more bravely. He was proclaimed glorious and a hero, though at the time all he could think of was surviving and getting those he held so dearly out of the prison that was once their beloved home.

He opened his eyes, staring at the night sky of Imladris, the peace and tranquility a world away from where his mind had been.

He turned to his old friends, both talking quietly as a small fire burned, contained in the hearth.

There were winter flowers on Elrond's desk.

There was laughter and light here, in this open realm, no walls to keep the people in or the others out.

Imladris was not Gondolin and Glorfindel had never been more thankful for that than he was in this moment.

"Why did they do it?" he asked, surprised at the harshness of his own voice.

Elrond and Erestor looked at him, "Who?" Elrond asked.

"You know who." Glorfindel said. "They had no reason to show her that."

"They had plenty of reasons, Glorfindel." Erestor said slowly.

"Please, give me one." Glorfindel said.

Erestor and Elrond exchanged a look and after a nod from his superior Erestor said, "To understand you. Your fears and your misgivings. What has shaped you, even in you new life. From what Elrond has told me, I do not think she has seen it all, Glorfindel. There will be more dreams."

Erestor studied him, "And will you be there to comfort her? Or should we just have her and Elladan and Elrohir move into one chamber together until this passes?"

Glorfindel glanced down at the floor, studying the swirls and patterns in the carpet.

"I do not think…" he started softy, "I do not think I can comfort her. At the mere mention of my past I yelled at her. I do not……I am not the one to offer comfort at this time."

Elrond looked at his seneschal, "I must confess, I did not think you could. I will do some study, see if it is possible to force these dreams out of her as quickly as possible, for while they linger I fear Morwen will not be in a highly functioning state. If you will excuse me, I must go see her now."

Elrond stood, patting Glorfindel softly on the arm as he walked past.

Glorfindel and Erestor stared at each other, willing the other to speak first.

"This will not destroy her, Glorfindel."

"You did not see her, Erestor."

"But I know her, Glorfindel. Do you really trust her strength and character so little? Do you really doubt her abilities that much?"

"You did not see her, Erestor." Glorfindel reiterated.

"But I know her, Glorfindel. Morwen is delicate now, yes, but give her some time, a few moments to analyze, a few days to heal, and she will be fine. If not wiser and stronger than before, unlike you, my dear friend, I believe Morwen knows how to listen to the Valar when they decide to speak to her. If she has survived your countless brushings-offs and, all things considered, infidelities with others.."

"I have not…."

"Glorfindel, do not argue this. One does not prepare for their future mate by…"

"I had already decided…" Glorfindel tried to argue.

"You think this is your decision? That you have control over it? That you have control over her? Glorfindel, have you learned nothing from both of your lives?" Erestor asked sadly.

Repeating the gesture of Elrond he patted Glorfindel on the shoulder, handing him their new feline companion. He left the room, giving Glorfindel the time he needed to think.

Glorfindel looked down at the small cat, it's luminous green eyes staring into his own, "And I suppose you also think me a fool." He said to the cat.

The simple meow was his only answer.

A/N: Once again, thanks for all the reviews, I love to hear the thoughts and input of the people reading this story, be it great, good, or telling me to deal with my comma splice problem.