Elves don't get cold
by DreamboatSanny
Part: 2/4
"Erestor?"
The advisor buried his face in Vishas fur, because the cat had placed her front paws on the parchment roll, so he could no further write on it anyway, and seemed to appraise his work. He sighed yielding and let her have a look. At least she didn't bite into his quills anymore when he moved it while writing. "I am here, Elrond. What can I do for you?"
The lord almost collapsed into an armchair before the window of Erestor's study and rubbed his nose with thumb and index finger of his right hand.
"Tea?" Erestor offered him in sudden sympathy.
"That would be nice, thank you." Gratefully Elrond took a cup of hot tea, brought by his advisor, and stirred in it so that the honey, that he had added would melt. "Do you believe, that there are days, when simply everything seems to get sour? Days at which you should remain best in bed?"
For example today, Erestor thought and sat on the arm support of the armchair. For any reasons, the pains he had for days almost all over his body, were more tolerable if he sat.
"What happened? Did Glorfindel knock the Lórien ambassador mistakenly in the sludge?"
The Half elf grinned tiredly. "Worse."
"Has Thorin Oakenshield send you a favor letter to remove the Last Homely House because he assumes that there might be Mithril under the wine cellar?"
"You're close", the Lord smiled somewhat relaxed and therewith caused the Noldo to go on with this game.
"I'm close", he mumbled and closed reflectively his eyes with those long feminine eyelashes. "Ah, I have it! Thranduil got tired of Greenwood and he and his little pest are going to settle down here."
"May the Valar preserve us from that! Not from Legolas, but from his father!"
"When he was making little ships from your correspondence during his last visit, you've said something else", replied the advisor and remembered yet very exactly that he had spent the entire night at his desk in order to write all the letters again, which the charming small prince of Greenwood had sunk in the Bruinen.
Elrond had also not forgotten about this episode, however more because of the temper tantrum, his First advisor had got. Erestors wrath outbreaks were always an entertaining experience for all inhabitants of the Last Homely House - as long as if it was not aimed on one himself. "I am really sorry, that you had to do the entire work again, but who knows, which soldier was spared from your disgrace that night."
Erestor glared at him so fiercely, it had probably sent a Nazgûl fleeing, but said nothing. The Half elf was not that wrong with his comment and both knew about that.
"No, first leg", continued Elrond. "I need your aid."
The Noldo sighed. He was just getting warm after his excursion to the training field. Why did he suddenly feel so depressed?
"An embassy of the court in Minas Tirith surprisingly arrived. They wait at the stables. Could you please look for them?"
"Do you mean next to the organization on behalf of the Silvans, the inventory of the library, that cannot wait, the instruction of your twins and the lists for Imladris' winter supplies?" It was worse than he had thought and that was when he was in deadly need a hot bath and his bed.
"Please, Erestor. I do not know what to do without you." Sometimes it helped, to smear a bit of honey on the stubborn Noldo's mouth and the Lord had to admit, that he was not very far from the truth. He would be lost with his task if Erestor would not do all routine working, that kept Imladris running.
The small Elf bit hesitantly on his lower lip. "What is with Glorfindel?"
"The Lórien Elves wouldn't be too happy with permanent human company."
"So do I."
Elronds face suddenly lid up. "I owe you something."
"Not that again", was the not very enthusiastic answer, but the Half elf choose to ignore it. He had what he wanted and his centuries long experience with Imladris' most difficult and mysterious inhabitant told him that it was time to withdrawal.
But he was not able to hold back another last comment. "It is still terribly overheated here. Don't tell me, that this a new special habit of yours."
"OUT!"
The Elven lord closed the door in the last moment to avoid the flying book that crashed at the door with an accusing sound only to look into his wives askance face.
"What did you do to him?" Celebrían giggling wanted to know.
Elrond wrinkled his forehead. "I don't know, if I didn't know better I would guess, that he is working to much."
"Because he behaves silly and throws books?" She laughed and pulled him into an near alcove. "I would feel that something is amiss if he wouldn't do that daily."
Meanwhile Erestor bent down to claim his book, but when he tried to get up again suddenly everything around him began to swirl. He even had to hold on to the furniture to reach his chair. With trembling hands, he poured himself a glass of Miruvor, emptied it all at once and poured a second afterwards before he got up to start nursing his new protégés.
While he left, he put on another thick cape that was lined with fur, but nevertheless he was again chilled to the bone when he reached the stables.
The people from Gondor were counted as the most taught and most cultivated people among the humans and Anardil, their young king, had chosen the men who were allowed to travel after Imladris surely himself, but as well-bred as they might be they were not used to dealing with Elves.
Anardils ambassador, a strong man with dark blond hair, who was more than head and shoulders above the Noldo, observed his nearly heart-shaped face and the large dark eyes with a questioning look and also his companions didn't seem to know, what to do with the Noldorian Elf.
"I thought, Elves don't feel cold", whispered one and Erestor felt a sudden pressure to scream loudly. Gradually he developed an actual antipathy against this sentence.
Another Gondorian shrugged because the delicate creature in front of them looked as if it was nearly freezing. "Perhaps their women feel the cold."
The advisor pushed all thoughts on striking down both away and told himself that they didn't know better. He turned to the ambassador, who bowed graciously and greeted him in somewhat humbling Sindarin. "It's an extraordinary honor for us to be allowed to linger in your valley, Lady…"
"Erestor", the Noldo helped out - deeply inhaling and in purest Westron. "Lord Erestor. I am lord Elrond's Chief advisor, so you may turn all your wishes or questions on me."
The ambassador at least had the propriety to blush. "Forgive me, please."
"No offense taken", the Elf said, however it didn't escape him, how both soldiers exchanged glances and one led a flat hand at his backside in order to demonstrate the Noldo's hair length. He glared at the two humans. "Is there a problem?"
None of the men gave something akin to an apology, but Erestor registered with satisfaction that both had their heads turned down.
"I guess, you want to recover from your long trip at first, ambassador", he suggested and was appalled when the young man shook the head.
"All men in Gondor are warriors. We are accustomed it to sit in the saddle."
Was that a taunt on me, or am I especially sensitive today?, asked Erestor himself while the mortal went on.
"However my men are very eager to learn about your valley."
"Just as you like it. While your quarters will be prepared, come, I will show you Imladris." The Noldo secretly sighed. Was there a conspiracy going on to wreck his day?
Cold, damp Mist was covering the Hidden valley and even if he had felt good, the advisor had never considered a walk in such weather. He suppressed a sudden cough attack. Elrond was convinced, that full blood Elves won't get sick and he wouldn't do a damn thing to remember him that there was indeed a group amongst the Elven kind, that got sick.
He whispered shortly with a servant and began subsequently his guided tour through Imladris. They were still in a short distance from the Last Homely House when the sleets began, but the mortals didn't seem to feel disturbed.
Erestor thought of the explanation, that he would have to deliver to his Lord if Elrond would notice, that he was actually sick, and tried vigorously to suppress the rattle of his teeth, while he explained to the Gondorian people, what they saw in the valley.
His protégés proved themselves as attentive and curious when they finally arrived at Elronds house again shortly before noon, the Elf was not only nearly frozen and highly bad tempered, but also totally soaked. As soon as he had delivered the ambassador and his entourage to their guest rooms, he hit the way to his rooms in order to change his clothes and dry his hair when it occurred to him, that probably no one had attended to the changed seat order for the meal. Immediately he turned around and nearly fell into a running while he hurried into the kitchen.
"Siriel, you must add three persons for the meal", he blurted out at the kitchens door. "Manwe alone knows, what they might eat."
Siriel, the cook, who had come from Thranduil's palace some years ago, set a severe look at him. "Lord Erestor, you are completely wet! Make sure that you get yourself dried, before lunch is applied. By the way, Lady Celebrían informed me about the humans several hours ago. And they will get the same meal as the elves."
The advisor bit down any comment. He shunned no discussion with Elrond, had fought against the combined forces of Galadriel and Celeborn and forced his will on King Thranduil, but nothing would make him confront the resolute cook.
Siriel observed him once again from head to foot. "Would you like some herbal tea with your meal?" That was no question, but rather a decision.
The taste of Siriels herbals teas matched with Elrond's, but nevertheless Erestor nodded obediently. Perhaps the tea would minimize even his pains while breathing.
Somehow calmed that someone had cared for the hopefully smooth flow of the lunch, he ran finally into his quarters, to change his clothing and dry his hair as far as possible in the short time left until lunch. He was so much in a hurry that he barely realized if Visha was in his rooms or in his study and only his tightly woven braid disguised, that his hair was still wet when he went for meal.
Next to Elrond and Glorfindel all guests were already gathered in the small dining hall when the advisor arrived. It took him only a look at the Silvan ambassador, to know that the Lórien-Elf was just thinking about whether the mortals possibly belonged to any bug type, and exchanged a look with Elrond. This going to be fun.
"There you are, finally." Glorfindel, radiating and beautiful like always, pointed at the seat next to him where instead of a wine glass a cup of steaming tea waited.
Somehow the seneschal always made sure that the Chief advisor sat next to him and Erestor had no idea why this was. Probably, because it's easier for him to make me fuming, he decided.
Then he sat down, pushed his appetizer to Glorfindel and drank his tea, while all others ate their soup. Surprisingly the abominably tasting brew mitigated his cough so much that he should be able to hold his planned speech without interruptions.
The speech! He almost coughed into the tea cup. He had wanted to prepare the speech in the morning, exactly at the time when he was then forced to nurse the Gondorians. Without any premonition how he should construct this, he raised little later on a small sign given by Elrond and sensed immediately that his legs refused to carry him again. Suddenly he was grateful for Glorfindel chose these seats because there was a leg of the table at which he could grab to steady himself with only the Balrog slayer noting his distress.
Without any notes, as always, but for the first time also completely without preparation he started the probably worst speech of his whole career first as an advisor to Oropher, then Gil-Galad and finally Elrond. It did not occur to the humans that there was something wrong, but the weak form of the usually brilliant advisor wasn't lost to any elf.
No elegantly formulated sentences, no witty comments? Elrond arched his eyebrow in irritation and shared this gesture, with the envoy of the Golden Wood. But Glorfindel was the only one who saw how the small elf steadied himself at the table, and he would have been more than happy to support him.
"What's up with you?", he whispered into his ear, after Erestor had ended his quite dry comprehensive speech about the new trade threads with Lothlórien and the agreements considering the exchange of warriors, but the Noldo only shook his head and gave his main course also to the Vanya.
- Tbc -