Those were good days. Rumors of evil there were yes, but most people lived in a blissful time where concerns were few and joys were many. For as long as he was able, the Prince Legolas stayed with Erestor, to support his brother in these times of uncertainty for him, and Gil-galad's herald stayed also, keeping close company with Glorfindel in his new station: marriage.
The four spent much time together, lazing the days away on the shore and sharing picnics in the wilderness. Legolas and Elrond watched their friends closely, but Glorfindel and Erestor remained ever wary in one another's company.
One day, before Glorfindel was to return to Gondolin taking his unchosen mate with him, Elrond took the golden Lord aside and spoke with him. "Long have you been my close friend, Glorfindel."
"I sense this is the beginning of a heart-to-heart. You needn't soften me up, Elrond, though I am your friend. Say what you would and be done with it."
"Nothing is ever so simple in life," Elrond told him. "And I was wondering at your intentions regarding Erestor."
"Intentions?" Glorfindel queried. "I have none."
"As I feared," Elrond answered. "What shall he be to you, then? Some gift you take out to show off on special occasions? Will he be your servant? Your librarian? What will you do with him?"
"Do with him? I shall do nothing. He will have free reign in the realm as I do, and in my home. He knows I value his skills and I do not doubt he shall be the best diplomat this world has seen."
"And your personal relationship?"
"Our personal relationship is our own."
Elrond sighed dramatically. "Glorfindel, you must talk to someone. Who, if not me, will you confide in?"
Giving in, Glorfindel sat upon a fallen tree in the forest they had wandered to. "In truth, I do not know what I shall do, Elrond. You should have seen him. In those first moments alone together." Glorfindel sighed and bent, scooping up several stones from the rich dark brown earth. "Erestor has a remarkable ability to conceal himself, in many ways. He is intelligent and I dare say cunning. His words are never thoughtless and his beauty undeniable. But being bound, we have a certain sense of one another. I feel it will grow with time. And for the last three months, I sense how incredibly frightened he is of me. Behind the polite formality it was obvious the poor thing was terrified out of his wits. I do not know why or what I can do to alleviate it. I . . . frighten him."
Legolas took Erestor's hand. "You are frightened of him."
Erestor glared. "I am no such thing." He looked down. And then back up. "He intimidates me. A little."
"A lot," Legolas corrected. "I have known you since birth, Erestor, and you are not all that old. You cannot hide from me."
"Nor from him," Erestor admitted. "Our way will be hard, Legolas. I trust him immeasurably, even though I do not know him well."
"Do you think you may come to love him?" asked the Prince.
Erestor's smile hid a tremulous sorrow. "I do not think so."
Elrohir watched and listened to Legolas in fascination.
"I do not know if he believed his own words, or perhaps if he even lied to me," the Prince continued. "I lost a part of my friendship with Erestor that day when the mallorn blossoms fell. I lost a part of his trust. He only has so much he can give, you see. But now he has extended that trust to you, Elrohir. I hope you keep it well."
"I will," Elrohir promised, standing. "I will seek him out now to tell him so."
Elrond watched his son leave. "What has that boy stirred up?"
"I don't know," Legolas answered. He was smiling.
Again, Erestor answered the demanding knock on his door.
Elrohir burst in and took his chair.
Erestor stared at him.
"I will not betray this trust."
Curious, the Counselor tilted his head. "I never thought you would, Elrohir." He allowed himself a small smile. "I suppose you'd like to trust me a little more?"
Elrohir smirked.
The time came for Glorfindel to return to his people. He and the few men and women who had joined their Lord in Forlond packed up their belongings and left. Erestor went with them.
The journey was uneventful; much time was spent worrying about proper food and bedding and caring for the fires and animals.
Eventually, they arrived at the gates of Gondolin and passed within to the land of rivers and cliffs and short, flowery meadows. Glorfindel's House was a cliffside cave, though cave it could not truly be called, having been carved into beautiful shapes, all flowers and twisting vines on walls and ceilings, and full of the richness of a good life.
The day after his return, Glorfindel walked on the upper circle outside his House and greeted his people, who welcomed him with cheer and praise. And then he held out his arm and Erestor took it, and Erestor was presented to the people as 'Lord of Gondolin.' And the people of Gondolin welcomed him with cheer and praise.
For many years did the Lords of Gondolin live in the cliffside cave, often visited by their friends, Elrond Peredhel and Legolas Thranduilion. As far as anyone knew, and it was the truth, Erestor and Glorfindel slowly grew comfortable in one another's company. They worked together to uphold the realm of Gondolin and the people loved their Lords equally. Erestor spent his days with visiting dignitaries while Glorfindel spent his days amongst his people, learning their cares and concerns. The nights were their own however, and they dined near every evening together, speaking sometimes of things of great import and sometimes of things not so great. Lord Erestor quickly learned the ins and outs of the politics of the world, and none spoke ill of him or his words. Lord Glorfindel never lacked for generosity, and none spoke ill of him or his deeds.
They lived for centuries in happiness.
Then, a great evil was released into the world, and there were none who did not suffer.
"Evil?" asked Elrohir.
"I cannot speak of it," Erestor told him. "The telling has already grown too much for my weary heart. Go and seek my husband, if you think you can persuade word from his mouth."
Elrohir left his tutor, briefly resting a hand on the dark-clad shoulder before he departed.
Elrohir sought the bank of the Bruinen. Where the bend in the water wefted left and right and the overhanging rocks looked like the head of a stag. Glorfindel sat on the rocky shore and Elrohir sat beside him.
"Erestor told me a great evil was released into the world."
"It is true," Glorfindel told him. "There were none who did not suffer."
It was true. Evil spread through the lands like a drop of poison in a river. None knew where its next victim would be. And the poison took over the land with terror to the east and fear to the north and painful anger to the growing south. Only in the west did hope shine, and it was not a bright hope.
The Elves of Middle Earth faced the evils they were charged with, and many lost their lives. The evils of Dol Guldur plagued the Greenwood, renamed Mirkwood. Those of Lothlorien kept to their home and few dared travel to or from the Golden Wood. The Harbors were far away. Gil-galad sought alliance with the Men of Gondor as the evils of Mordor grew.
Consumed with the troubles of their own lands and people, Legolas and Elrond lost almost all contact with their friends in Gondolin, but for the rare letter. Isolated as they were, those in Gondolin fell into an ideal of false security. But they were sorely mistaken. The evil came to their very door.
"Then what happened?"
Glorfindel looked his former pupil in the eye. "I died."
"DAD!!!"
Elrond had the door open before Elrohir could charge right through it. "Do come in," he invited after Elrohir had already taken three steps in.
He sat down and looked up. "He died."
Glorfindel of Gondolin took down the Balrog, and the Balrog took him down too. The battle had been fierce. Many bodies of its warriors already littered Gondolin's cliffs and meadows.
Only two still fought the beast, forcing it up the side of the tallest cliffside. The pair of Elves were battle sore, their tattered hair in tangles and their tattered clothes in shreds. The Balrog's fire had singed and burnt and their skin was flayed and crisped. A layer of soot covered everything in Gondolin, including the two lone warriors. One limped up the side of the cliff and the other's right arm hung useless at his side.
Erestor may not have been raised in the exercise yard, but he had spent centuries with Glorfindel, and it showed in his skill with a sword. The Lords of Gondolin fought to protect their lands and people. They fought till the end.
Both swords pierced the lava-like skin of the demon; howling, it was pitched off the cliff, wings flailing wildly as its shriek pierced the air.
Glorfindel huffed a sigh of relief, his blue eyes vibrant in his soot-covered face.
A hot claw impaled his shoulder. He screamed. The demon pulled him down, but Erestor was faster. Glorfindel dropped his sword and Erestor gripped his left hand. The dark-haired Elf fell to the ground, holding onto his mate with only one hand. Glorfindel screamed again when the claw was pulled out of his shoulder as the demon fell back, and he felt his life leaving him. Blue eyes glazed.
Erestor screamed. The demon made one last scramble for life, seizing Glorfindel and tearing him from Erestor's grasp.
Erestor was left holding a mithril ring, all that he could hang on to when his nearly lifelong companion was ripped from him in a blaze of fire and shadow.
Tears fell from Elrohir's eyes. "I knew he was . . . but I never realized," he explained. "And Erestor, what must he have felt . . . Then what happened?"
Legolas smiled kindly at him. "There is no need for tears, little prince. They are alive and well. Perhaps if you think, you will remember why."
Elrohir looked to his father. "It was you. You made them bond, you and Galadriel and Gil-galad."
Elrond nodded. "It is true. T'was I who foresaw the fall of Glorfindel. T'was I who dreamt a dream of Erestor pulling him back. I convinced my contemporaries of the need for the marriage, and not only a marriage, but a bond. A bond to ensure one of two things."
Legolas spoke what Elrond could not. "That Erestor's strength would pull back his mate. Or that Glorfindel would take Erestor with him into death. We all put our faith in Erestor those many years ago when they were wed. And we were right."
"But how?"
"Settle down, young one," Erestor spoke as he emerged from the shadows, weary and seemingly weak. He joined the three Elves in Elrond's office. "Long have these two desired to know, and now you as well. I shall tell you, since I shall never hear the end of it if I do not."
Erestor stood, the ring in his hand. He walked. His leg had been skewered by an orc's cruel spear and his hands burnt, his lungs scorched and his hope devastated. But still, he walked. He passed down the long roads he had climbed with Glorfindel beside him and though he was unarmed, all foul foes fled before him at the sight of his fell anger and despair. But still, a single glimmering of hope must have shown within him, for he continued on, weak in body but strong in spirit. From the tallest cliff down to the deepest valley where the long river ran. There, on the shore of the river, lay two bodies. The huge stinking carcass of the Balrog lay half in the water, and the steam rose from his heat in the cool water, laying a blanket of mist on the low valley, the rocky land scarred black with fire and worse from the battles that Gondolin had seen that day.
But beside the steaming body of the evil demon lay another. Erestor saw first the waving, golden hair, yet undimmed by dirt or death. He rushed to Glorfindel's side and fell to his knees, turning Glorfindel face up and pulling him into his lap.
He wept in his heart, knowing the body he held was lifeless, that Glorfindel's spirit had fled, called to a different home far from Middle Earth. Erestor held Glorfindel's broken body to his breast and sang out to any who could hear to return to him his beloved. In his hand he still gripped tight to Glorfindel's ring.
He opened his hand and looked down upon the mithril band. His tears fell upon it. He took Glorfindel's left hand, and replaced the token of their bond and his tears fell on Glorfindel's fair face, washing away the soot in streams of salty sorrow. When his tears ceased, he bent his head and kissed Glorfindel's lips.
Breath filled Glorfindel's lungs. His eyes opened and he saw Erestor's own tear-stained face.
Erestor's only words were, "They sent you back to me," and he hugged Glorfindel tight.
"I did not know that that was how it happened," Glorfindel said.
Four Elves turned to the doorway to see the golden Lord standing there. "I did not know. But I can finish the story."
Elrohir stood, offering his seat. Glorfindel sat beside Erestor. And he spoke.
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