Title: No More Lonely Nights…

Author: Morgana
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon

Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Erestor’s plea warms Namo’s heart.

Disclaimer: Not mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: AU of course.

Beta read by DA, thanks!!

All mistakes are mine.

No More Lonely Nights…

“Please, Lord Namo, hear my plea. Let him return to me.” Erestor bowed his head as he sent his prayer out into the night. Ever after all these millennia, it remained difficult to live without his beloved. Day after day he missed having his love at his side and night after night he went to sleep alone, not wanting another Elf’s presence in his bed.

Erestor turned around and headed for the bed, where he sat down. A small portrait of his beloved, painted from when the golden-haired warrior had still been alive, stood on the nightstand and seeing that much loved face caused Erestor to repress a strangled sob. Lying down, he curled up on his side and pulled his knees close to his chest. It was going to be another lonely night without Glorfindel.

~~~

“Still faithful after all these years…” Namo had heard Erestor’s plea...had heard it for the last few millennia. Each evening he thought that the Advisor would finally let go of the memories and forget about Glorfindel, but it had never happened. “Such loyalty should be rewarded…” He called one of his servants and ordered him to fetch Glorfindel.

~~~

Glorfindel thought little of it when Namo requested his presence since it had happened in the past before. He had been talking to Fingon, but excused himself so he could do Namo’s bidding. He entered the rooms set aside for the Vala and waited for Namo to address him. During the time he waited, he had time to study the Vala’s appearance. Dressed in red and gold robes with his long raven hair flowing down the back, Namo showed some resemblance to Erestor and that thought brought sadness to Glorfindel’s heart. He had been forced to leave his mate behind when he had died in the battle of Gondolin. “You sent for me, Milord?”

“Ah, Glorfindel.” Namo smiled at the warrior and gestured for him to approach. “I have a question for you.”

Glorfindel inclined his head and waited. “And what might that question be about, Milord?”

“Would you like to live again? To return to Arda?” Namo carefully monitored Glorfindel’s reaction. He had a hidden agenda where his questioning was concerned.

Eyes widening in surprise, Glorfindel knew that if he had still had a beating heart, it would have sped up. “It is my greatest desire to return to the living!” More thoughts of his beloved Erestor filled his mind.

“Just to return to the living or to some Elf in particular?” Namo advanced on Glorfindel and the Vala mentally reached out to search the warrior’s soul.

Glorfindel trembled and quickly nodded his head. “To Erestor, of course.”

Namo concluded his search of Glorfindel’s thoughts and tipped his head. “I am surprised that you still remember him, let alone love him. Normally the memories of the dead fade over time until they forget their loved ones.” It served to protect them so that they wouldn’t go through death tormented, remembering the things they could no longer have. “How can it be that you still remember him?” In Glorfindel’s case, none of the emotions or memories had dimmed and that was unheard of.

“Because I love him so deeply, Milord. Erestor is in my blood. He will always be a part of me. I once vowed that death would not part us and, while I may be dead, I refuse to forget the love we shared.”

Namo considered the brave soul standing in front of him. “You *do* know that I never allowed a soul to return to Arda before?”

Feeling miserable, Glorfindel nodded. “I know that, Milord so why did you ask me if I want to return when it is impossible? Do you enjoy tormenting me?”

Namo didn’t answer Glorfindel’s question. Instead, he asked, “How can you be sure that Erestor still loves you in turn? Maybe he has found a new love and entered a bond.”

Glorfindel’s eyes flashed with anger. “Milord, do not insult my beloved in that way. I know that he is faithful to me. He would never turn to another Elf for comfort.”

“Is that not rather selfish of you, Glorfindel to limit Erestor in such a way? You are dead and he is alive. Why do you want your beloved to suffer when he could find comfort in the arms of another Elf?”

Namo’s words caused Glorfindel emotional pain. He had never considered that fact before and he averted his gaze. He stared at the floor and fought his rising sadness. “I never…”

The Vala covered the distance between them until his face hovered only inches away from Glorfindel’s. “Are you certain he remained faithful?”

Glorfindel nodded once angrily. “We spoke vows, Milord, to forsake all others.” Now he wondered if that had been foolish. Back then, they had never considered being separated or one of them dying. “Maybe that was a mistake.”

Namo placed a finger beneath Glorfindel’s chin and lifted it. “Your instincts and your love for Erestor guide you well. Your beloved remained loyal to you. He goes to bed alone each night. The only lover he has ever known is you.” Tears swam in Glorfindel’s eyes and Namo blinked in surprise at the sight of them. The dead weren’t supposed to be capable of crying. He caught one of Glorfindel’s tears on his fingertip and stared at it in surprise. “How extraordinary!”

The blond Elf stood frozen in front of the Vala and wondered about the strange behavior Namo displayed. The Vala seemed fascinated. “I might be making a mistake,” Namo said aloud to share his thoughts with Glorfindel. “But I think it is the right thing to do.” He left Glorfindel standing where he was and walked over to the doorway. “You should leave now.” He opened the door and gestured for Glorfindel to start moving.

Glorfindel, dazed by what had just occurred, obeyed without questioning what was happening. He headed for the doorway and then stepped into the corridor…or at least, that was what he thought that he was about to do. Instead, he fell into a cradling darkness and fainted.

~~~

Fresh, salty air caressed his face and the scent brought Glorfindel back to awareness. The wind tossed his hair and he tasted salt on his lips as his eyes opened and he looked about. He was on the deck of a ship that was sailing towards Arien, which stood high in the sky. A quick glance revealed that he was alone on the deck, maybe even on the ship. His hands moved lower and encountered fabric that felt familiar. He was wearing his old uniform, the one he had worn that day when the Balrog had taken him down.

His knees almost buckled as he pushed himself to his feet. He stood unsteadily on his feet and placed them wider apart to gain some balance before deeply inhaling the salty air and throwing back his head. He howled, sending his scream to the heavens.

Once he had calmed down again, he stared at the sea and tried to slow down his breathing. “What has happened?” What was Namo up to? No soul had ever been allowed to return to Arda and, although it looked like Middle-Earth, Glorfindel knew that it couldn’t be. Namo wouldn’t make an exception for him. So where was he heading and what were the Vala’s plans for him?

~~~

Surprised, Erestor stared at the scroll that was awaiting him on his desk. Sealed with wax, it sported a seal he had never seen before. Erestor walked over to the desk, picked up the scroll, and examined it. He really didn’t recognize the seal, but his curiosity was piqued, so he broke the seal and unrolled it.

“Be at the Bruinen at noon. It will be worth your while.”

The letter wasn’t signed and Erestor didn’t know what to make of it at first. Someone was either playing games with him or some Elf wanted to meet him in secret. Sitting down behind his desk, he considered all of his possibilities. There was always the chance that one of his spies wanted to report and didn’t want to show himself in Imladris. Elrond and he had created a network of informants that tracked Sauron’s activities and that of his subjects. Erestor slipped the scroll into a pocket and decided to go to the Bruinen at noon.

~~~

Glorfindel didn’t recognize his surroundings. He had briefly considered jumping into the water and swimming ashore, but when he had wanted to lower himself into the water, an invisible force had kept him back, forcing him to climb back onto the deck. It became clear that he had no choice but to wait. Hopefully he would shortly find out what Namo’s plans for him were.

~~~

Erestor paced along the river bank. Dressed in black, as had become his habit since that fateful day in Gondolin, he stood apart from his surroundings. It was summer and the flowers stood in bloom, spreading their sweet fragrances. The branches of the trees were occupied by birds building nests or already nurturing their young ones. Butterflies danced in the air in their travel for food. In the midst of all the happiness, Erestor felt miserable. He still didn’t know who had ordered him there and there was no sign of an informant yet.

Eventually Erestor sat down and stared at the river. Occasionally a fish jumped from the water or an insect managed to float on the surface. Everything was at peace and in balance except for Erestor’s heart, which still yearned for his beloved Glorfindel.

Suddenly, motion attracted his attention and Erestor’s gaze swept toward the horizon where a shape had appeared. Stunned, he realized a large ship was sailing toward Imladris, but that was impossible! The river was rather shallow and the ship should already be stuck!

He jumped to his feet, wanting to find out how the ship was able to make her way down the river when the water was too shallow. The only conclusion Erestor could draw was that magic was at work.

~~~

Glorfindel had positioned himself near the bow and scanned the horizon. It was obvious that the ship was taking him somewhere special. An invisible hand, probably Namo’s, was guiding it.

He liked the lands that he was entering. They were green and luscious with fauna. Several animals like deer, rabbits, foxes, and birds either stared at him from the river bank or circled above the ship. It almost seemed like he was being welcomed home. The only problem was that Glorfindel didn’t know these lands. He was certain that he had never been there before.

~~~

Erestor considered his options. He could either ride back to the Last Homely House and alert Elrond or he could investigate the matter himself. Returning to the Last Homely House would take an hour at the least and by then the ship would have berthed and the crew would be able to roam the bank freely. That was not desirable as far as Erestor was concerned. He would meet the crew and its captain himself. Erestor only regretted not having brought a weapon with him, but he seldom felt the need to be armed in Imladris. He could have used his sword with him though.

Since he had no choice but to wait, Erestor walked toward the water, wondering what magic had brought the ship to Imladris.

~~~

Glorfindel’s blue coat moved in the breeze and his golden locks danced around his face. Identifying a single, dark form on the river bank, he wanted to reach for his sword, but to his distress, he found it gone. He was unarmed! His eyes quickly scanned the deck in search of a means to defend himself, but his search remained fruitless. He would have to face this being unarmed.

~~~

The Chief Advisor of Imladris couldn’t believe his eyes when he identified the pattern on the sleeves of the blue cloak the Elf was wearing. The past assaulted him with memories of Glorfindel standing in the courtyard dressed like that while awaiting his return from another patrol he had led. They had both been warriors back then with special duties. While Glorfindel’s were clearly dictated by the station of his house, Erestor had had to earn the privilege to serve the King. Erestor had earned Turgon’s respect after serving the King as his Advisor and had been promoted to Seneschal. The two Elves under Turgon had complimented each other’s personalities and had become devoted lovers.

Erestor closed his eyes as the memories threatened to overwhelm him so he could concentrate on calming down. Glorfindel was dead and dwelled in the Halls of Waiting. So, this Elf couldn’t possibly be Glorfindel. Namo had never answered his nightly pleas and he had given up hope many years ago even though he had still begged the Vala night after night to return Glorfindel to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ship began to steer towards the river bank so her passenger could disembark and Glorfindel realized that his journey had come to an end and wondered what awaited him. The Elf dressed in black was finally close enough for him to study and his heart missed a beat when he recognized the beloved face. “Erestor!” He didn’t know what madness, sweet dream, or out-of-control fantasy this was, but the fact that he was allowed a glimpse of his beloved made it all worthwhile.

~~~

Hearing that familiar voice caused shock to travel through Erestor’s body and mind. It was Glorfindel’s voice! There was no denying it! Shaking like a leaf, he followed each move the golden-haired Elf made closely and then ran toward the ship. Maybe everything was an illusion, or a hallucination caused by the heat, but for one moment he allowed himself to believe that his beloved had returned to him as he started to run. Wading into the water, he tried to get as close to the ship as possible.

~~~

Glorfindel jumped into the water and fought a way over to the Elf dressed in black. “Erestor, is that you? Is that really you?” Although the face was familiar and the eyes looked at him in adoration, the fact that Erestor wore black threw him off. His lover had never worn black! Green and silver had been Erestor’s colors!

Erestor shook fiercely as he stood in front of the blond warrior. His gaze took in every inch of Glorfindel’s face and he desperately wanted to reach out and touch his love. “It can not be you! You are dead!”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Glorfindel opened his arms and pulled the raven-haired Elf close. The moment he encountered a body – flesh and blood – he cried out and went down to his knees. Erestor had no choice but to follow as he went down with him. “Erestor… Meleth, how can this be?” Glorfindel stared at the beloved face and then reverently touched the skin, wiping away the tears that flowed from Erestor’s dark eyes.

“It is me,” Erestor whispered in shock. “But how can you be here? You are dead, Glorfindel, you are dead! I saw you die!” Erestor collapsed against Glorfindel’s chest and held on tight. “You died, Glorfindel!” He wept precious tears as he shook violently.

Glorfindel couldn’t repress his tears any longer as he held Erestor close, rocking them together while inhaling the other Elf’s scent. “It is me, Erestor. I am really here. I do not know how that can be, but I am back. I do not understand it either.”

Erestor calmed down and rested his head against Glorfindel’s shoulder. The body supporting him felt familiar and he instantly recognized Glorfindel’s scent. His lover was really there...had returned to him.

“Namo asked me if I wanted to return to the living,” Glorfindel shared. “But since he has never released a soul before I thought he was playing games with me. I never considered that he could be serious.” Glorfindel finally caught on and realized Namo’s hidden agenda. “He returned me to the living...to you, meleth.” Overcome with emotion, Glorfindel kissed Erestor passionately and reconnected with his beloved.

“You are alive…and you are back!” Erestor finally started to accept the truth. “I prayed to Namo… Each night I beseeched him to send you back. I did not think he would listen… Not after so many millennia.”

“You must have touched his heart, Erestor.” Glorfindel chuckled. “I did not believe he actually had one…” Glorfindel smiled and closed his eyes, concentrating on feeling Erestor so close to him. “You will have to guide me, beloved. I do not know this time, these lands, these Elves.”

“Do not worry,” Erestor promised. “I will show you.” Erestor was convinced that Glorfindel would like living in Imladris. “You are back!”

“No more lonely nights for you or for me,” Glorfindel whispered and caressed Erestor’s lips with his fingertips. “We are free to love again…forever!”

The end