Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's and the plot, everything else belongs to Tolkien and those who currently own the rights to his work.
Chapter 32-Chapter 32 – Noro lim
Third Age 2805
The journey home went much as it did on the journey to Lórien, except every member of the party was keenly aware of the sadness emanating from its youngest member. Even the twins did their best to keep quiet, knowing their ill begotten humor would do nothing to lift Eruanna's spirit. The company took shelter in the same small cave as they did on their first crossing. Elladan and Elrohir sat with the guards around a large fire, relating a tale about some battle they fought with the Rohirrim. Eruanna sat a ways away lost in her own thoughts. Her hand found the star pendant that hung on a chain around her neck. Holding it did not alleviate the aching of her heart, but it lessened it a bit. The feel of the jewel in her hand kept the doubt from gnawing at her.
But doubt still lingered in her heart.
She dropped the pendant and it fell against her chest. She stared blankly into the darkness of the cave, wishing she had the power to know the future. It was a power none possessed. Even Lady Galadriel or Lord Elrond did not know all that was to come… and that, at least, gave her some small measure of comfort. The sound of soft gasps drew her attention back to the fire circle and the company of warriors listening to the young Lords. Eruanna studied their worried expressions but she could not make out the words that caused their concern.
"They do have a way with words."
Eruanna jumped at the sound of the soft male voice that invaded her private thoughts. She'd not heard the Lord's approach.
Glorfindel's step was as silent as ever and in Eruanna's distracted state, he knew she would not hear him. He took a seat on the floor at her side. He said nothing, but returned his gaze to the fire circle.
Eruanna cast a sideways glance at the ellon, responding to his offhand comment. "At least this tale is a quiet one," she remarked. It was strange. Elladan and Elrohir were normally far more theatrical in their storytelling.
"And tragic," Glorfindel added, his voice laced with sadness.
Eruanna gave her companion a questioning look. An expression Glorfindel knew quite well. In fact, he'd come to miss it during the years Eruanna was away.
Glorfindel was not a storyteller, but Eruanna's eyes demanded an answer. He gave it to her, in a far less entertaining version than the twins had related. "The Rohirrim held off a great many invaders from behind the walls of the Hornberg. The siege lasted through the winter. Many died from hunger. Elladan and Elrohir led raids on the enemy encampment to gather food for Rohan's women and children. This was nearly fifty years ago."
Eruanna's jaw fell open slightly. Her eyes flew to the identical faces of the young Lords. They had not mentioned this the last time they visited Lórien, "What happened?"
Glorfindel exhaled slowly. At least this tale had a somewhat happy ending. If one could call it that. "Reinforcements from Gondor arrived after winter broke and the Dunlendings were driven from Rohan."
Eruanna shook her head. She never understood why Elrohir and Elladan troubled themselves with mortal affairs. "Why do they involve themselves in the wars of men?"
Glorfindel closed his eyes. It was the same question he'd asked himself for millennia, first with Elrond and later, his sons. "They may have been raised as elves, but the Lords of Imladris have never forgotten their mortal heritage. While the elves may turn away from mortal suffering, Elladan and Elrohir can not. In that, they are much like their father."
Eruanna tried to empathize but with limited success. At least their mortal ancestors had been noble, worthy of regard, but Eruanna could not imagine that such was the case for the vast majority of men. "There are many books in Elrond's library but I have never read…that is…I do not care to read the books concerning men."
Glorfindel knew he'd touched upon a tender subject. He'd not meant to darken her mood further but did not think it right for Eruanna to think ill of an entire race, a race of which she was a part. "Men are a complicated race, far more so than the Eldar. They are capable of acts of great evil and great courage."
"I don't know about courage," Eruanna muttered.
A long silence fell between them in which Glorfindel sought a change of subject. He noted the sparkling jewel hanging around Eruanna's neck. Her fingers caressed its edges. "It is beautiful," Glorfindel nodded toward her hand.
Eruanna's hand clutched absently at the jewel. She took a deep, steadying breath.
Glorfindel studied Eruanna carefully. He was no fool. If it had been only Eruanna acting despondently, he would have considered it merely a response to parting with new found friends. It was not her behavior that suggested something was amiss…it was the unusually reserved behavior of the twins that alerted him to trouble. Glorfindel did not like to be kept out of the loop. "I have missed something," he left the comment open to reply. When none was forthcoming, he pressed Eruanna gently. "Who gave you the jewel?"
"Rumil," Eruanna whispered.
Rumil? There was only one Rumil in Lórien with whom Glorfindel was familiar, "Haldir's brother?"
"Yes."
Glorfindel nodded absently, "I sparred with him once before." He tried to pull up that memory of the young warden, to size him up, so to speak, "He performed quite well during the master trials."
Eruanna smiled. She'd heard all about Rumil's trials under the great Lord Glorfindel. "So I heard."
Eruanna's voice held a hint a humor that was not lost on Glorfindel, "Meaning?"
"Meaning Rumil told me about his master trials. He recalled your portion of the exercises…vividly." Eruanna made no attempt to suppress her laughter.
"I see," Glorfindel knew what that meant. He wasn't regarded as the greatest and worst combat instructor in all of Arda for nothing.
"He asked me to stay with him," Eruanna whispered, looking up into Glorfindel's surprised face.
The great Balrog Slayer was momentarily stunned into silence. Eruanna was too young, far too young to have ellyn vying for her affections. At least, this was his opinion on the matter. What was Erestor thinking, permitting…? Before Glorfindel could complete that particular thought, he was interrupted by an unexpected question.
"Have you ever been in love, Glorfindel?" Eruanna watched Glorfindel's face fall. His eyes grew distant, unfocused, and filled with a hidden sadness.
Love? Glorfindel felt as if the air had been knocked out of him. It was such an innocent question, but felt like a knife in his chest. Yes…he'd known love…he'd come close enough to touch it, to feel its light on his face…but then Morgoth and the Balrog took it all away. But maybe when this was all over…when he returned to the White Shores…maybe….
Glorfidel pulled himself back to the present. Eruanna watched him now. He had to give her an answer…something, "I came close…once."
Eruanna knew immediately upon voicing her question that she'd awakened a painful memory. It was not her intent. Why do I always ask the wrong questions? She placed a gentle hand on the ellon's arm, "I'm sorry."
Glorfindel shook his head, brushing aside her apology. It was unnecessary. He pulled Eruanna into a warm embrace, her head tucked beneath his chin. "You will see him again, little one, on this shore or the next."
Eruanna closed her eyes. She'd felt so lost and unsure these last few days. And yet, somehow, Glorfindel's gentle assurance calmed her troubled mind. If Glorfindel could wait, so could she….
Eruanna's mood lightened as they drew nearer to the borders of Imladris. She smiled at the thought of seeing her room, the library, the garden and of course, Lord Elrond. She was so lost in her own pleasant thoughts that she failed to notice two sets of eyes watching her intently.
"I believe that is the first smile I've seen since we left Lórien," Elladan chuckled lightly.
Eruanna turned and offered the young Lord a kind smile. "I just realized how much I've missed home… the sound of the falls, the taste of chef's cooking, the sound of Lindir singing deep into the night."
"Glorfindel waking you up before dawn for training exercises," Elrohir added wistfully.
"I heard that!" a voice called from the front of the company.
"Did you?" Elladan called back to the Seneschal, who gave the younger ellon a stern glare.
Eruanna was ready to defend her teacher. "I'll have you both know that I have missed training with Glorfindel."
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow in Elladan's direction, waiting for the young Lord to challenge Eruanna's words. When no challenge was forthcoming, Glorfindel turned his attention back to the road.
"You are good," Elladan whispered quietly into Eruanna's ear.
"It's always a good idea to stay on old Glorfindel's good side," Elrohir added drolly.
Arwen shook her head, having held her tongue during the brief exchange. "Strange how the two of you can't seem to follow that bit of advice."
Elrohir took his sister's arm in his, smiling broadly, "I said it was a good idea, not a rule to live by."
Eruanna had to suppress her laughter at Arwen's cross expression. The one she reserved only for her brothers. Eruanna turned to address Elrohir but something in his expression caused her to fall silent.
The party halted in its tracks and all fell silent. The wardens at the front and rear guard looked out into the surrounding wood. Eruanna could see nothing. She turned to Elrohir, "What's wrong?"
He lifted a hand to silence her, his eyes sweeping the treeline. "Eruanna," Elrohir whispered, "Draw your sword."
There was no humor in Elrohir's voice or eyes when he spoke these words. Eruanna looked to Arwen, who had silently drawn her own weapon, "Arwen?" The fear that was beginning to blossom in Eruanna's mind could be heard in her voice.
Arwen took a step toward her young charge, her voice low but firm. "Remember your training, Eruanna. I'll be at your side."
It began with a shriek. A sound so terrible it could only be matched by the sight of the creatures that followed it. Eruanna had never before seen an orc, but there was no need for anyone to tell her what it was that emerged from the wood.
The clashing of blades and feral growls drowned out the sound of Eruanna's beating heart. No amount of training had prepared her for the feel of her blade slicing through flesh and bone, for the spray of blood that fell across her face with each successful blow or the guttural cries of the creatures that fell beneath her blade.
Her blade arced once more through the air, striking an orc's throat with blinding precision. Her triumph caused the adrenaline to pump harder in her veins. It was the only thing that kept her from crying out when the dagger entered her shoulder.
She hadn't seen it coming. She was supposed to keep her back to the others but in the chaos, she'd turned aside. Eruanna fell to her knees. She could see the tip of the blade protruding from her shoulder. It can't end like this.
A terrible shriek sounded from above her as the creature that stabbed her was run through.
"Eruanna!" Erestor drove his blade deep into the creature's chest, cutting it nearly in half as he did so.
"Erestor." She did not know when Erestor had made his way to her side. Had he been fighting alongside her the entire time? Eruanna collapsed onto her side. She watched in fascination as her gentle teacher took down one orc after another. Time fell away as she watched him. He was no longer Elrond's counselor, her teacher and father; he was the warrior that slew the elves at Sirion, who marched against the armies of Morgoth. It was a part of Erestor that he would never willingly allow her to see…but she saw him now. He was beautiful. They were all beautiful…dancing…light and shadow…blades singing….
Erestor fell to his knees at Eruanna's side. Her eyes were open but unfocused. "Eruanna, look at me child."
"Erestor," Eruanna's voice sounded strange in her ears, like she was three feet under water.
"I am here, child," he brushed the hair that had fallen across her face away. The orc blade stuck grotesquely from her back. He could not pull it out without knowing what damage doing so might cause. "Glorfindel!"
The yellow haired warrior appeared at his friend's side. His wardens were slaughtering the last of the orcs. He kneeled at Eruanna's side, barely suppressing the horror of seeing the child lying there with a blade in her back. He cut away the cloth with his own dagger. "The wound is not bad."
Eruanna's eye lids felt heavy. She had to close them. It was strange…she'd expected to feel pain, but all she felt was cold. Tendrils of ice inched out from the point where the blade entered her shoulder.
"Eruanna?" Erestor's voice rose in panic. "Eruanna…Eruanna…look at me. Keep your eyes open." Erestor looked up into his friend's face. The expression he found there made his blood run cold. Glorfindel held the blade he'd pulled from Eruanna's shoulder, his eyes wide in horror.
"Glorfindel?"
Glorfindel's eyes flew swiftly from the blade to his friend. "The blade…it is poisoned."
"No." Erestor thought he could feel his heart ripped from his chest at those terrible words.
Glorfindel was on his feet in an instant. He whistled for his horse that fled to safety when the orcs attacked. "Bregolien!" the seconds felt like an eternity but at last the horse returned to its master. It understood well the urgency in his tone. Glorfindel swung himself onto the saddle, "Erestor, hand her up to me."
Erestor could not hear Glorfindel's command, so possessed he was by the horror of Eruanna's injury.
"Erestor!" Glorfindel yelled. There was no time for this.
The urgency in his voice was heard by another. Elrohir emerged from the wood where he and his brother had pursued the fleeing orcs. His eyes fell on Eruanna. "No."
"Give her to me!" Glorfindel commanded the young Lord.
Without question, Elrohir swept Eruanna into his arms, handing her up to Glorfindel. Clutching tightly onto the Seneschal's arm he gave the ellon his own command. "Get her to adar."
Glorfindel nodded sharply, before urging his steed forward, "Noro lim, Bregolien!" The horse sprang into motion, kicking up a cloud of dust as it raced toward home.