Part 9
The
Vision
Elrond was amazed to see
how well some of Glorfindel’s injuries had already healed. The bruising on the
blond’s face and body was nearly gone. The wrists, once slit, sported new skin
and he couldn’t find any tearing inside his friend. Glorfindel was on the way
to recovery, but the reason why eluded him.
“
Elrond sat back in his
chair and studied his injured friend. “I cannot explain it.”
“What?” At his father’s
signal, Elladan began to wash Glorfindel’s feet. Then he moved up the legs,
doing the backside first. He had assisted his father before when Elrond tended
to injured Elves, and hoped to become as good as a healer as his father one
day.
“He is nearly healed.
Physically, that is. Emotionally it is a completely different matter. I have
never seen or heard anything like this. Glorfindel should be fading, but he is
not; he is healing. His healing ability even seems strengthened.” Elrond shook
his head in confusion. “Maybe Erestor can tell me what is going on here.”
“I am glad you assigned
Elrohir to tend to Erestor,” said Elladan, shivering. “I do not know how to act
around him.”
“Like you always did,” advised
Elrond. “Elladan, Erestor may be more than the scholar you have known all your
life, but that does not change the fact that he has always loved you, and
Elrohir and Arwen for that matter. When the three of you were born, he vowed to
protect you with his life.”
Elladan blushed slightly.
“It is just… He suddenly seems so much… more?” The word didn’t quite feel
right, but lacking a better one, he had to settle for it. “I am finished,”
announced Elladan, “We need to turn him around so I can do the front as well.”
Elrond rose from the chair
and helped his son to gently roll Glorfindel onto his back. “Just let me
examine him first.” There could be bruised ribs, broken bones; one never knew.
Gently moving his hands over the healing body, they stopped mid-air when
encountering a slight swelling in Glorfindel’s abdomen. “Oh… Elbereth… no.”
Elladan raised an eyebrow
at hearing his father’s shocked tone. “
“It is true then…” Elrond
had no idea how Glorfindel’s pregnancy could be progressing this quickly, but
he knew what his fingers were telling him. The blond was with child.
“What is true?”
Unexpectedly, Erestor’s voice echoed through the room.
Elrond’s head whipped up,
making eye contact with his old friend. “He is pregnant.”
The twins’ eyes widened,
staring at each other. What was their father talking about?
Erestor’s eyes hardened.
“I am going back to Orthanc to kill them.”
Elrond instantly knew who
Erestor was referring to; Saruman and the Uruk-Hai who had ravaged Glorfindel.
Quickly reaching out, he placed his hand on Erestor’s arm. “Nay, you are
staying. Glorfindel needs you here.” He shivered momentarily, meeting Erestor’s
predatory glare. “You know better than to run off, chasing after revenge, when
he needs you here.” He hoped his words would get through; Erestor could be
stubborn at times.
Suddenly Erestor’s eyes
softened. “You are right.” He had told Elrohir only moments ago that they
needed to stay at Glorfindel’s side, instead of hunting down Orcs.
“
“Continue your
examination,” said Erestor, addressing Elrond. “I will tell him.” Glorfindel
had said he didn’t want the twins to know, but now that an advanced pregnancy
was showing he didn’t have any choice. “Elrohir,” started Erestor, placing his
hands on the half-Elf’s shoulders.
Elrohir’s gaze shifted
from Glorfindel to Erestor.
“Pen-neth, Saruman cast a
spell on Glorfindel, making it possible for him to conceive. It clearly demonstrates
the degree of insanity Saruman has degraded to. He plans to start a new breed
of Uruk-Hai. It is my guess that they are to become the packs’ new leaders. And
he wanted Glorfindel to carry the first in the hope that this Uruk-Hai would
inherit our friend’s courage and cunning. It is an insane plan.”
Elrohir silently stared at
Glorfindel.
Elladan, who had managed
to remain calm during Erestor’s tale, had now reached the blond’s abdominal
area. The wash cloth tenderly moved over the slightly swollen abdomen. “And
what do we do now?”
“In the end, it is
Glorfindel’s decision,” replied Erestor, as he made eye contact with Elrond,
“but he mentioned to me that he wanted the pregnancy terminated.”
Elrond shook his head. “I
am not sure my herbs can end a magically induced pregnancy, especially when it
is advancing this rapidly. I have never seen such a reaction. Normally it takes
Elves several months before they start to show any signs of pregnancy and
this…” Tenderly, he rested his hand on the swelling. “This is Saruman’s doing;
it won’t be a normal pregnancy.”
Erestor nodded once. “You
should talk to him about this when he wakes up.”
“I will.” Elrond searched
Erestor’s gaze and waited for Elladan to finish washing Glorfindel. Once his
oldest son was done, he asked them to give them a few private moments.
Elladan and Elrohir were
happy to oblige, for it gave them a chance to discuss this development
privately. Both still felt shocked after hearing what Saruman had done to
Glorfindel.
After the twins had left,
Elrond signaled for Erestor to sit down.
Erestor gingerly sat down
on the edge of the bed and gathered one of Glorfindel’s hands in his. “Be
honest with me,” he said, addressing Elrond.
Elrond continued to
observe Erestor. The love his friend bore Glorfindel had never been more
obvious, and the way Erestor was clinging to the blond’s hand, told him that
Erestor planned to be there for the
“Elrond?” Erestor looked
at the half-Elf inquisitively, when he didn’t get an answer.
Elrond cleared his throat.
“Glorfindel is healing fast. I expect him to make a complete recovery in a day
or two.”
“And emotionally? Did he
tell you…?” Erestor didn’t want to accidentally blurt out something that
Glorfindel hadn’t told Elrond yet.
“He told me he had been
raped, twice, and that, as a result, he slashed his wrists.” Elrond shifted in
the chair. “What I do not understand is how he can still be alive. I assume
that it is your doing?”
“I cannot tell you,”
whispered Erestor regretfully. He wasn’t sure Mandos would allow it. “But aye,
it is my doing.”
Elrond inclined his head.
“I do not know what you did, mellon-nîn, but I am glad Glorfindel is still
among the living. One visit to the Halls of Mandos should be enough.”
“I agree,” whispered
Erestor, “What do you plan to do next?”
“I will talk to him.
Chances are that the pregnancy cannot be terminated and judging by the speed
with which the child is developing I estimate that it will be born in a few
weeks. This is by no means a normal pregnancy.”
Erestor closed his eyes
momentarily. “A few weeks?” A normal pregnancy would last a year. “This will be
hard on Glorfindel… I am glad he has your support.”
“Mine?” Surprised, Elrond
raised an eyebrow. “Do you not plan to be there for him then?”
A stab of pain moved
through Erestor’s heart. “We both know that he prefers your company, -your
support-, to mine. He always did. I doubt that is about to change now.”
But Elrond wasn’t that
sure. “We will see,” he said cryptically. “For now, I have one other question.
Does he flinch at your touch as well?”
“At first he did. Do not
be discouraged by it. He will grow accustomed to your touch as he did to mine.
It just takes time.” But, being honest with himself, Erestor wasn’t sure that
was true. /I share a bond with Glorfindel; Elrond does not./
“But you will visit with
him regularly? He will need his friends close during these next few weeks.”
“Glorfindel has, -always
had-, my undying love and support,” said Erestor, staring deeply into Elrond’s
eyes. “I will be there for him until the day I die.”
“Good.” Elrond rose from
his chair and studied his patient. Elladan had covered Glorfindel with a
blanket before he had left and the healing Elf’s body had grown warm again. “I
will talk to him about the child when he wakes. By the looks of it we cannot
waste any time.”
Realizing their
conversation had come to an end, Erestor got to his feet as well. Bowing
slightly, he said, “Thank you for taking care of him. Please keep me informed
about his condition.”
“But of course,
mellon-nîn.” Elrond placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, looking deeply into
the dark and clouded eyes. “Do not despair, Erestor. Part of his child might be
Uruk-Hai, but…” Uncertain of what he wanted to say, his voice trailed off.
“But we will love it
because it is Glorfindel’s flesh and blood as well,” finished Erestor for the
half-Elf.
“Aye, those were the words
I was looking for.” Elrond managed to smile weakly. “We will make sure the
child is raised properly.”
“And loved,” added
Erestor. “Being loved can make the difference. If the child has Uruk-Hai
traits…” Now it was his time to struggle in finding the right words. But he
meant what he had said; he would love this child because it was Glorfindel’s
flesh and blood.
“I will leave you so you
can tend to him.” Reluctantly Erestor moved toward the doorway. He would have
preferred to stay, but Glorfindel would want to be with Elrond.
“I will keep you
informed,” promised Elrond, “And I expect you to visit with him regularly.”
Erestor nodded and placed
his hand on the door handle, but then Elrond’s voice made him freeze.
“When will you tell him
you love him? Have loved him since his arrival in Imladris?”
Shivers coursed through
Erestor’s body, hearing those questions. Slowly, he turned around to face
Elrond. “We both know Glorfindel chose you centuries ago when he came to your
bed.” He quickly raised a hand, stopping Elrond who was about to voice his
protest. “And no, I never blamed you for accepting what he offered. You were lonely
and did not know I had fallen in love with him. My feelings are not important
right now. The only thing that matters is that *you* give him the support he
needs.”
“But, Erestor—“
“No, trust me on this,
Elrond. Knowing he would return to you was the one thing that pulled him
through.” /Well, the bond might have helped a little./ “It was your name that
encouraged him to follow through.”
Elrond sighed dejectedly.
“I wish you would reconsider, Erestor. I really believe that Glorfindel has a
right to know.”
But Erestor shook his
head. “Glorfindel learning the fact that I have been in love with him for these
last few centuries would not change anything about this situation,” said
Erestor in a saddened tone. After exchanging one more glance with the half-Elf,
he closed the door behind him and headed for Elrond’s study. Now that the
healer was tending to Glorfindel, he would handle all formal matters for a
while.
/I wonder how the twins
are dealing with this./ Erestor sighed. /I know you did not want them to know,
Glorfindel, but you will need their support as well./
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elrohir and Elladan sat in
the rose gardens, which their mother had designed and planted. Both were trying
hard to understand what had happened to Glorfindel, --what was still happening
to the blond’s body.
“I cannot believe it,”
said Elrohir eventually, “A male Elf being pregnant is unheard of.”
“It is Saruman’s doing.
Erestor is right, you know. We should go to Orthanc and take care of the insane
wizard.”
“Peace, Elladan. Remember,
he is the mightiest of the Istari. I doubt we can end his life.” And Elrohir
did regret that. “Why did Saruman do this? Why bring a life into this world in
such a way?”
“You know what we have to
do, don’t you?” Elladan looked at his twin. “We need to be there for him.
Erestor was right when he said that Glorfindel needs us here, needs our
support.”
Elrohir nodded once. “We
will support him. Glorfindel is part of this family.”
They felt better now that
they had made up their mind and he smiled weakly. “And then there is Erestor,”
mused Elladan thoughtfully. “I do not know what to make of him.”
“I feel the same way,”
admitted Elrohir, “Maybe we should make an effort to get to know him all over
again?”
“I am still embarrassed
about the way he could creep up on us like that.” But at the same time
Elladan’s eyes glittered with excitement. “Do you think he would teach us some
of his tricks?”
“We can ask,” replied
Elrohir, smiling at his brother. “I think they will be done talking and
“Aye, let us return to the
Healing House.” Elladan got to his feet. There were long and troubled days
ahead of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/Am I dreaming? Or did I
die after all?/ Glorfindel looked about in amazement, unable to identify his
surroundings. /Where am I?/ The last thing he remembered was talking to Elrond
and then falling asleep again.
“Glorfindel? Come over
here…”
A woman’s soft voice
pulled him from his musings. Following the sound, he approached a stone circle.
In its midst sat a she-Elf, weaving a burgundy and gold colored tapestry, --
and suddenly he understood.
“Aye, you are in Valinor… Well,
your mind is,” said Vaire, looking up from her weaving to meet his glance.
Respectfully, Glorfindel
bowed his head. He felt lost for words and after raising his head again, he
tried to peek at the tapestry. He gasped, catching sight of himself in one
section.
“I am Vaire,” she said.
“Wife to Mandos.”
“You weave Arda’s history
into these tapestries,” mumbled Glorfindel awed. But he still wondered why he
was here and why Vaire had chosen to talk to him.
“Aye, and I wove your
fight with the Balrog into a tapestry that now adorns the Halls of my husband.”
She raised a hand and signaled for Glorfindel to approach. “And now I am
working on a new one.”
Glorfindel nodded
nervously. “Why am I in it?” He hoped it wouldn’t depict the humiliation he had
suffered at Orthanc!
Vaire smiled reassuringly.
“You still have a very important part to play, Glorfindel.”
Now that he was focusing
on a section of the tapestry, -which constantly changed under her hands-, he
saw he was sitting up in bed, holding a bundle of some sort.
“That is your son,” said
Vaire tenderly.
“My son? Why can’t I see
his face then?” Glorfindel was growing uncomfortable under her look. Under her
hands, Erestor’s face took shape on the tapestry. The dark-haired Elf was
sitting next to his bed, smiling at the blond.
“You cannot see your son’s
face because he has not been born yet.” Vaire looked him in the eyes. “You are
here because you need to know that this child, and the union whence it came
from, is blessed by the Valar.”
”You want me to bear this child?” Glorfindel flinched. How could the Valar be
this cruel? “But I do not want to.” Why would the Valar bless this child, this
union?
“Glorfindel,” Vaire said,
momentarily abandoning her weaving so she could rise from her chair and look
straight into the Elf’s eyes. “You must trust me.”
“Trust…” Glorfindel
cringed at his tone. “I…”
“I know you are hurting, but
know that you will be rewarded in the end.” Her smile warmed. “You will love
this child. You will treasure it and… you will be loved in return.”
Glorfindel lowered his
eyes. /I doubt an Uruk-Hai is capable of giving love…/ But he didn’t voice his
doubts, reluctant to contradict the Vala.
Vaire sensed he needed
more convincing and added, “Not just the child will love you. There is
another.”
“Another child?”
Glorfindel looked stricken. He couldn’t be carrying twins!
Vaire laughed amused.
“Glorfindel, be at peace. There is only one child in your future, but there is
also a lover. A very dedicated lover. One who would challenge Mandos himself to
prove his love for you.” She regretted being unable to tell him about Erestor’s
love at this moment, but all would be revealed in time. “He loves you more than
life itself.”
Glorfindel frowned. “A
lover?” Had Elrond finally fallen in love with him after all these centuries?
Maybe the Valar weren’t that cruel after all.
Vaire sensed his thoughts,
knew he had reached the wrong conclusion, but didn’t enlighten him. Glorfindel
had to find out for himself. “Will you keep this child? This gift from the
Valar?”
Glorfindel sighed deeply.
“I do not really have a choice.”
“I am afraid you are
right, Glorfindel, you do not have a choice.” Vaire smiled warmly at him and
squeezed his shoulder. “Elrond cannot undo this pregnancy. Saruman’s magic is
strong and it almost proved too strong for us. We had to work with it, instead
of against it.” She sat down and returned to her work, beginning to weave
another section of the tapestry.
Glorfindel watched a
moment longer, but he was already being pulled back to consciousness. The last
thing he saw on the tapestry was himself, smiling warmly and happily at his son
who was bundled up tightly in his arms. But still the baby’s face remained
hidden to him.
“You must go now,” said
Vaire, looking at him over her shoulder. “Trust me. Let this child be born and
accept the love that has come into your life. It has been there for centuries,
but you never saw it. He did not let you see it.”
Frowning at her words,
Glorfindel’s vision exploded with light and the next moment he was back in the
Healing House. He was staring at the ceiling and immediately grew aware of a
warm hand, tenderly clasping his. /Elrond… Vaire must have been referring to
Elrond!/
Turning his head to the
right, he expected to see Elrond seated at his side, holding his hand and
gently rubbing the knuckles.
But it wasn’t.
It was Erestor.
TBC
Beta read by Lizzle, thanks!