The yard of Imladris was deserted when Glorfindel rode in. "I'm afraid there won't be a homecoming feast Asfaloth. Everybody seems to be hiding." Opening the stables he slowly walked up to his old box. He opened the gate and stepped back, astonished. Two pairs of identical gray eyes stared up at him. These had to be Elrond's sons.
"What are you doing here?" he asked friendly.
"You are not allowed to come in-" one twin started "-this is Asfaloth's place." The other continued with a stern look at Glorfindel.
"Good to know that my memory didn't deceive me. And Asfaloth should thank you that you kept his place vacant. Go in Asfaloth and meet Elrond's sons."
The stallion stepped inside and sniffed at the two elflings on his straw. Both twins stared at Glorfindel in wonder. "You're Ada's friend `Del." The elflings had easily warmed to the big white horse and petted his muzzles.
"`Del." Echoed the second twin. Glorfindel had raised his eyebrow at the shortened form of his name, but accepted it. The elflings obviously knew him as their father's friend which meant that he might be allowed to stay.
"Would you take me to your ada and nana?" The two elflings stared at him in shock and before he could stop them, they weaseled out of the gate, running as if he had threatened their lives. Glorfindel shook his head and was quite taken aback at the twins reaction. But as he could find his way into Imladris blindfolded, he walked on his own in the direction of the Last Homely House, the main house. In the hall he ran into Erestor.
"Glorfindel!" he was hugged, fussed over and hugged again by Elrond's chief advisor.
"Mae govannen Master Erestor!"
For some time they talked amiably and Erestor released a hundred questions upon him which he answered laughingly. Glorfindel ended his tales with telling him of his homecoming and the strange encounter with the twins. But then Erestor became serious: "You don't know it, do you?"
"What?" Glorfindel was confused at the hard expression on Erestor's features.
"Celebrian died." He said.
"What?" Glorfindel almost screamed. "She was making a visit in `Lorien and on the way back she was captured by orcs. Elrond could only retrieve her dead body. That happened over two years ago."
Glorfindel was shocked speechless. Though he had feared Celebrian's rejection of his presense in Imladris, he had not wished her ill. He fondly remembered the little daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel and when he heard that she had married his love, he had been happy for them. For both of them.
Erestor sighed. "He misses her. Every single day. - Much like he missed you." He added almost like an afterthought. "Are you done running Glorfindel? Are you here to stay? For I would keep you from him, if you only break his heart some more." The advisor glared at him.
"I'm here to stay for the remaining time." Glorfindel answered brokenly. "I thought it would end well for him if I was gone..."Erestor looked questioningly at him, but Glorfindel was already on his way to Elrond's study.
He opened the door and saw Elrond sitting behind his desk, almost covered from view from a pile of scrolls.
"I'm working Erestor, please leave." The Half-Elf said not even looking up.
"I'm not Erestor." Glorfindel replied.
Elrond knocked the papers all over the the small room in his haste to get up."You." He stuttered.
"Aye, me." Glorfindel forced a cheerful smile on his face.
Elrond seemed weary, tired: "What are you doing here Glorfindel? It is not time yet."
"I know. I come to pledge myself to thee, for better or worse till the end of Arda." Glorfindel said with sudden inspiration.
Elrond heard his declaration and sat back into his chair."Oh." The Half-Elf exhaled staring at his scattered papers.
"Shall I help you sort the papers my Lord?" Glorfindel gently asked.
Elrond nodded baffled: "Please?"
And with that Glorfindel became part of Elrond's house. His tasks varied greatly through the years and he accepted each of them. He became a fierce instructor to Elrohir and Elladan, but also their source for comfort and occasionally cookies. He brought life back into the Last Homely House, forcing its Lord out of his grief. The patrols guarding Imladris became his to command and before long his position was that of a seneschal. Yet he still kept his distance from Elrond, not wishing to invade his privacy. Instead of using his name, he called Elrond by his title, even if all of the court wondered loudly about it. Glorfindel didn't care. He became close to the twins, Arwen and even Erestor, but he did not allow himself the pleasure of Elrond's company. To his mind he didn't deserve it outside of council meetings and work related inquiries. Still Elrond wouldn't totally tolerate his choice. When night came and nightmares of old plagued Glorfindel, the Lord of Imladris quietly sneaked into the bed of his seneschal and held him tight till the morning broke. Then he left as silent as he had come and neither talked about it in daylight. This was the only thing remaining from their days as lovers. And still everything had changed. Life had taken its toll, and Glorfindel didn't mourn his return to Arda anymore. He didn't mind spending every day in the prospect of losing his life, on the contrary he rejoiced in all the beauty life offered, being alive as much as possible. The remaining time to the day Elrond had foreseen Glorfindel decided should be enjoyed. Often visitors to Imladris remarked that Glorfindel seemingly vibrated with life. Many even claimed that he radiated a visible light and remarks on it brought a smile to his lips.
Centuries passed and with them the time of the elves in middle-earth ended. Glorfindel knew his last day had come even before Elrond called him into his study early one morning in a time that would one day be called the third age. The air was filled with silence and Arda was whispering to him of dangers close to the frontier of Imladris. He followed his Lord's call and carefully listened to the instructions he received. Elessar, Elrond's foster son, was on the way to Imladris with four halflings, one of them being the Ringbearer. His task was to find them before the Nazgul could harm them.
When Elrond finished Glorfindel took courage and touched his Lord's face.
"I do love you, you know? I never stopped."
Elrond traced his lips with a finger. "I didn't either."
"I've never wanted to hurt you. I thought if I left you'd lead a better, a happier life."
"I had a life full of joy and pain, but Glorfindel I chose that life on my own. You were never responsible for my actions, for me falling in love with you or with Celebrian. My grief in this life came through my choices and I take it gladly for it means that I have been loved and loved in return with all of my heart." Elrond declared. "Stop feeling guilty. Just listen once to me: You're not at fault. Let go of the past."
Glorfindel smiled sadly: "Better late than never?" and kissed him.
The kiss was brief and Glorfindel forced back tears to make their goodbye less bitter. He wanted his lover to remember him smiling, not frightened of death. And with a bright expression he added: "So I'm leaving this world with a lighter heart than I stepped into it."
On the second day of his search for the halflings and Elessar Glorfindel and the Nazgul crossed blades at the bridge over the river Bruinen. He was not afraid to die and three servants of the Dark Lord had to flee under his fierce attack. He followed them west, meeting two other ringwraiths that didn't stand against him either. But when he finally found the small group around the ringbearer, doom was close. Frodo was severely wounded. He and Elessar tried to hold the group together, but they had to quicken their pace. The Halflings couldn't keep up with th hastened pace and soon the Nazgul were following them again. They had felt the ring moving to Imladris and its bearer falling under their spell. Elessar and Glorfindel decided to split the group, Glorfindel should ride Asfaloth with Frodo, and Elessar would follow more slowly with the other halflings. But before they could put their plan into making the Nazgul attacked. Glorfindel took Frodo in his arms and called to his horse: "Noro lim, noro lim Asfaloth!" and the stallion obeyed. The Nazgul hunted them mercilessly and Glorfindel felt their cold fingers reach for his charge. But every time he got Frodo away from them. At last they reached the river Bruinen but the ringwraiths kept following them into the water.
"Give us the Halfling Dead-Elf! Give him to us!" they howled. Asfaloth rose and Glorfindel raised his sword.
They would not get Frodo or the ring. He was the one destined to fight on this day and no Ringwraith could easily overpower him. Taunting his opponents he screamed: "If you want him, come and get him!"
The Nazgul screeched and forced their reluctant horses into the floods. "Give him to us!"
He felt the water of the Bruinen calling out to him, warning him to get back on land. Asfaloth climbed the riverside just in time. The waters rose and waves in the shape of horses broke free. The Nazgul and their black horses were pulled into the swirling waters and driven away.
He didn't wait for the water to ebb down because he felt the halfling in his arms fading. He was so close to Imladris, he was so close to fullfilling his task. The Ringbearer had to survive and so he forced Asfaloth again into a wild run up the last miles to Imladris.His arrival on the yard had been awaited and his charge was carefully lifted from his arms and into Elrond's. Erestor who helped him down Asfaloth hugged him and said: "Lord Elrond will meet you in his study, when his task is completed. Now go and dry Asfaloth."
Following Erestor's advice he got his horse into the stables and cared for the one friend who had truly walked the wild with him. He knew it would take Elrond some time to examine Frodo and heal him, but he was sure that Elrond could save the Ringbearer. They had been just in time.
Glorfindel walked the way to Elrond's study as if he was asleep. He was alive though he had completed the purpose he had been sent back for. The Ringbearer was rescued. And Glorfindel of Imladris was still alive! It didn't make sense at all. The Half-Elf sat in a chair near the fire place, staring into the flames. He didn't turn his head when Glorfindel made a rather noisy entry. It seemed as if he had expected the banging doors and the sound of heavy boots heading in his direction. For all Glorfindel knew about his lover, it could be that Elrond had foreseen his fight and his return long before they had met for the first time in `Lorien.
"You are home mellon-nin." Elrond greeted him softly.
The endearment drained Glorfindel. He fell to his knees in front of the Lord of Imladris and put his head onto Elrond's lap. He choked on the words he wanted to scream, and he remained silently in this position a long time, not even noticing the soft stroking through his hair and the fact that Elrond carefully repaired his loosened braids.
After some time Glorfindel raised his head and stated: "I.... I didn't die this time. I didn't fail."
Elrond looked calmly into his eyes : "I knew you would not."
And with that simple sentence he made Glorfindel understand that he could have prevented their heart break all along for the Valar had given him a second chance in restoring him. History was not repeating itself, history was in the making. He had not been bound to Elrond's vision, it had been his choice to fullfill the prophecy.
"I'm so sorry that I made you wait all this time. That I broke your heart over and over. That I wasn't there to protect Celebrian..." His frantic confession was stopped when Elrond kissed him.
"Stop it. This time it will be alright. We'll make it alright."
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Glorfindel of Imladris by Gasdil
Chapter end notes: Elvish Translations:
"Galadriel! Utúlien o'Mandos sinome maruvan. Si Morgoth-alantiero?" - Galadriel! I have come back from Mando's Halls to this place. Has Mandos been defeated (fallen)?
"Umin quette mea"- I'm not speaking well.
"Tiro Glorfindel!" - Look at me Glorfindel!
"Antuvanye estel-i-cen" - I will give hope to you.
"Na care indómelya"- Your will shall be.
"Anar caluva tielyanna!"- May the sun light your path!
"Noro lim, noro lim Asfaloth!"- Run, run Asfaloth!
"mellon-nin"- my friend
source: Helmut Pesch, Elbisch (Grammatik, Schrift und Wörterbuch) Bastei/Lübbe 2003
Music that inspired this story: Sting- A thousand Years, Dido- Hunter, Maroon 5-She will be loved and Mike and the Mechanics- Another Cup of Coffee.
