Title: Silent Heart.

Author (including email): Morgana Email;
morganalebeau@yahoo.com

Pairing(s): Elrond/Erestor and Rumil/Glorfindel

Rating:  NC-17

Summary; At Helm's Deep Rumil loses his two brothers
to the swords of the Uruk-Hai. After the battle is
done he is stricken with grief and sent to Imladris to
recover, hoping Elrond's healing abilities can help,
but it are the twins and more importantly Glorfindel
who are there for Rumil. In the meantime Elrond and
Erestor are captured by Orcs and Uruk-Hai who plan to
raid Imladris. They know one of the Elves is, Elrond,
ruler of Imladris, and plan on getting the information
they need. Erestor, fearful that they will hurt
Elrond, whom he secretly loves, takes Elrond's place
and gets hurt in the process.
Disclaimer: Tolkien's, not mine!

Warning (only if necessary): Warning!! Character death,
though only hinted at. (Sorry, had to kill off Haldir
and Orophin for this story to work!)




Part 1



Elrond leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the
radiant sunset. The still-warm rays of the sun reached
his balcony and engulfed him in a soft glow. Sighing
heavily, he closed his eyes, remembering the Elves who
had fallen at Helm's Deep. Galadriel had told him that
the losses had been great, and that Haldir of 'Lorien
was among the dead. Before he'd had the chance to ask
any questions though, the connection between them had
been severed as her sorrow had increased. Now he was
waiting for another chance to contact her.



"My lord?" Erestor slowly entered the room and
remained standing near the doorway, hating to intrude
when Elrond was finally enjoying a moment of peace and
quiet. "A messenger from Lothlorien has arrived,
carrying a letter."



Elrond noticed the parchment in Erestor's hands and
signaled for his advisor to approach. "I will read it
now."



Erestor handed Elrond the letter and then stepped
back, waiting for instructions.



"Please seat yourself whilst I read."



Erestor sat down, folded his hands, and waited for
Elrond to address him again.



Elrond unfolded the paper and began to read, instantly
recognizing Celeborn's handwriting.



/Elrond,



You know by now about the great losses we suffered at
Helm's Deep, and I assume that your heart, like mine,
still has to recover from this great sorrow.



Galadriel has already told you that Haldir is among
the dead. So is his brother Orophin. I had hoped they
would survive, but their souls are now at Mandos. They
leave behind the youngest, Rumil.



Rumil witnessed his brothers' death at Helm's Deep. He
tried to defend them, but Saruman's foul creatures
were unstoppable. Seeing Haldir and Orophin die has
greatly affected him, and Rumil has been unresponsive
ever since.



When he was returned to us, two days ago, Galadriel
and I instantly grew worried. Rumil no longer speaks,
eats, drinks, or moves. He is like a statue, but his
heart still beats strong. We tried to get through to
him, but he does not acknowledge us.



Elrond, you are our last hope. You are a great healer,
and if anyone can pull Rumil back from the brink of
death, it is you. I would ask of you to look after
Rumil until he begins to recover. Will you welcome him
at Imladris and care for him?



I was also hoping that Elladan and Elrohir would show
an interest in him. Rumil has just lost his two
brothers, and we both know how close the three of them
were. Maybe Elladan and Elrohir will understand how
hard this is on Rumil and allow him to tag along once
he is recovering.



Will you look upon Rumil as a son? He needs a family.
Galadriel and I cannot reach him and we are hoping you
will succeed where we have failed.



I trust you will not deny me, and whilst you are
reading this, Rumil and I are already on our way to
Imladris. I do not want him to travel alone, and will
accompany him.



Elrond, I put my trust in you. Rumil is like a son to
me and I hope you will take him under your wing.



Celeborn./



Elrond raised a delicate eyebrow and looked up from
the paper, finding Erestor's gaze aimed at him.
"Celeborn will arrive shortly. Please arrange for
adequate guest rooms."



Erestor inclined his head. "Is there anything else you
would like me to attend to?"



Elrond nodded once. "With him, he brings one of the
Elves who survived Helm's Deep." He considered telling
Erestor now, but decided to wait until he had gathered
his sons and Glorfindel. "He will stay with us for
quite some time and will require rooms as well. Make
sure they are situated close to mine."



"It will be done," said Erestor, getting to his feet.
"Do you wish to send a reply?"



"That will not be necessary." Elrond glanced at the
text once more. "Tell my sons and Glorfindel to come
to my study. I will require your presence as well."



"I will be there." Erestor headed for the doorway.
Deep lines were etched onto Elrond's forehead and
Erestor had already gathered that the letter contained
ill tidings.



Erestor left Elrond's study and headed for
Glorfindel's rooms, recalling that his friend had
retired for a nap. Glorfindel had been extremely busy
securing Imladris' borders now that the scattered
remnants of Saruman's army had washed over the lands,
raiding the cities, raping the women and slaying men
and children. So far they hadn't reached Imladris, and
Glorfindel was determined to keep the vile creatures
from entering the peaceful realm.



Knocking on Glorfindel's door, he waited patiently for
the blond to reply.



"Nay, leave me. I am asleep…"



Erestor smiled warmly. Glorfindel sounded exhausted
and he hated being the one to disturb his friend's
much needed rest. "Lord Elrond demands your presence
at his study." Erestor's smile broadened at hearing
Glorfindel groan loudly. "Take your time, mellon-nîn.
I need to inform Elladan and Elrohir as well."



Glorfindel kicked down the covers and resigned himself
to the fact that he wouldn't get any sleep. Yawning,
he pushed himself into an upright position and
listened to Erestor's retreating footfalls. "Thank you
for seeking me out first," he whispered. At least now
he had the chance to go to the kitchen, eat a bite and
drink some herbal tea that would hopefully give him
enough energy to sit through this meeting without
falling asleep.



After rising from the bed, he cast a look in the
mirror and cringed at seeing his disheveled
appearance. He picked up a comb, disentangled his
locks and braided them. In the bathroom, he splashed
cold water onto his face, hoping it would help him
stay awake. Realizing he needed to change his clothes
as well, he slipped into a dark blue tunic, grey
leggings and soft leather boots.



Glorfindel left his rooms and headed for the kitchen,
hoping one of the maids would brew him some strong
tea.



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



Erestor knocked, hoping to find both Elladan and
Elrohir in their rooms.



"Enter," said Elladan, looking up from the book he was
reading.



Erestor entered, inclining his head in greeting, and
his gaze first settled on Elladan and then on Elrohir,
who was softly playing the flute, practicing his
skills. "Your father wants both of you to join him in
his study." When Elrohir raised an eyebrow, Erestor
was once more reminded that the youngest twin took
after their father the most.



Elladan closed his book and studied the advisor.
Erestor had been their teacher and mentor for many
years, and even now they still continued to learn from
the elder Elf. "Do you know why he wants to see us?"
Placing the book aside, he rose to his feet.



"I think I do, but your father will explain in due
time." Erestor waited for Elrohir to put away the
flute and then headed for the doorway, both twins
following. "A letter from 'Lorien has arrived."



"A letter from grandmother?" Elladan exchanged a quick
look with his twin. They were very fond of their
grandparents and it had been a while since Galadriel
and Celeborn had last visited Imladris. Maybe their
grandparents were announcing a visit? They hoped so.



"From Lord Celeborn," said Erestor thoughtfully.



Elrohir felt curious. "It must be a serious matter
then, for Ada to summon us."



"I was also ordered to summon Glorfindel," added
Erestor pensively.



"Glorfindel as well?" Elrohir frowned. "Something must
be amiss."



They had reached Elrond's study and entered, quickly
heading for their father, who stood gazing at the
setting sun. "Ada, what is wrong?" asked Elrohir in a
concerned tone.



Elrond turned about and smiled at his sons. Looking at
Erestor, he asked, "Where is Glorfindel?"



"I am here, my lord," said Glorfindel as he hurried
into the room, bowing slightly. "I apologize for being
late."



Elrond absentmindedly noticed the fatigue in
Glorfindel's eyes and the tea in the blond's hand, but
didn't comment on it. "Now that you are all here, we
can start. Seat yourselves."



Elladan and Elrohir sat down in the windowsill, whilst
Glorfindel and Erestor occupied chairs close the fire.
Elrond slowly paced in front of the balcony, carefully
considering his words before speaking them aloud. "I
received a letter from Celeborn, who will arrive
shortly." Elrond looked at Elrohir, hearing his son's
pleased chuckle. "I doubt he will stay long."



Elladan sighed, disappointed. "I had hoped to spend
some time with him. Why is he coming?"



Elrond drew in a deep breath. "Rumil is with him."



Elrohir released a surprised yelp. "Rumil?" Straining
his memory, he added, "Is he not one of the three
Elves Galadriel and Celeborn raised?"



"Aye, you met Haldir once, did you not? Rumil is the
youngest of the three brothers." Elrond watched his
sons closely, saying, "There is no easy way to say
this… Haldir and Orophin died at Helm's Deep." He was
forced to stop, seeing four shocked faces and hearing
their stunned moans. "Aye, I was shocked to learn of
their passing as well. My heart will mourn their
passing for many months. Celeborn asked me to look
after Rumil, who witnessed their deaths and has been
unresponsive since. Celeborn hopes I can break his
trance." Elrond's gaze came to rest on his sons.
"Rumil and his brothers were very close, and I hope
you will look after him as well. He will need all the
support he can get."



Elrohir nodded determinedly. "We will do the best we
can. We want to help."



Elladan's heart went out to Rumil as well.
Passionately, he caught his brother's hands in his and
locked eyes with Elrohir. "If Rumil was as close to
his brothers as I am to you, he will be devastated. I
am not sure I would survive losing you, Elrohir. I
understand Rumil's pain very well."



Elrohir moistened his lips, and after giving Elladan a
reassuring smile, he looked at his father. "Elladan is
right; I am not sure whether I could survive without
him, either. I do not pretend to know what Rumil is
going through, but we will support him in every way we
can."



Elrond smiled, pleased. "I can always count on you.
You make me proud." After his sons returned the smile,
Elrond looked at Erestor and Glorfindel. "I might need
your assistance as well."



"You have it," said Glorfindel, whilst Erestor replied
with a single nod of his head.



"Let us prepare for their arrival then," said Elrond.
Seeing Glorfindel's eyes turn empty, he addressed
Erestor instead. "Arrange for their rooms and inform
me the moment they arrive."



"As you wish," replied Erestor. "I will welcome them
personally whilst waiting for you to arrive."



"Elrohir, Elladan, you can leave now, but stay close.
I want you to be there as well when Celeborn and Rumil
arrive." After seeing the twins nod, Elrond's gaze
locked on Glorfindel's face. The blue eyes were now
completely vacant. Glorfindel had fallen asleep in his
chair. "Erestor? Take Glorfindel to his rooms and make
sure he rests."



Once Erestor's gaze came to rest on Glorfindel, he
realized the blond was sound asleep. "I will see to
it."



Now that they had been dismissed, Elrohir and Elladan
returned to their rooms and Erestor carefully lifted
Glorfindel in his arms to carry the blond back to his
rooms.



Elrond waited for them to leave and then sat down
behind his desk. Helping Rumil heal would be difficult
at best, and he wasn't sure he would be able to reach
the 'Lorien Elf. Seeing his brothers die had put Rumil
into a state of shock, and the Elf was mourning their
deaths. Maybe Rumil's soul was already on its way to
Mandos.



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



Celeborn felt deeply concerned, looking at Rumil.  The
younger Elf sat frozen against the trunk of a tree,
eyes wide open and staring into the distance. Rumil's
hands lay limply in his lap, and Celeborn had to
manhandle him every time he wanted Rumil off or onto
the back of his horse.



Opening a flask filled with miruvor, he let a few
drops drip onto Rumil's lips, who made no impression
that he would swallow. Celeborn massaged Rumil's
throat and was rewarded with one swallowing motion. A
few droplets had made it into Rumil's mouth and down
his throat.



"You worry me, Rumil," admitted Celeborn honestly. "I
understand that you grieve for them, but you cannot
allow yourself to be pulled this close to death. You
must stay with me. That is what Haldir would want."
The mere mention of Haldir's name caused Celeborn to
shiver with emotional pain.



"I am sure Elrond can help, Rumil. He is very wise and
skilled in the ways of healing." Elrond was his last
hope. Galadriel and he had tried so many things; they
had talked to Rumil, let him sleep between them,
prepared his favorite meals, but nothing had helped.
Rumil continued to lock himself away.



Celeborn continued, acting as if Rumil had understood
and nodded, but the young Elf still sat like he was
paralyzed. "Elrond has two sons. I do not think you
have met Elladan and Elrohir before. But you did meet
Arwen when she stayed at 'Lorien."



Thinking of Arwen, his thoughts drifted off to
Celebrian; another name that caused pain in his heart.
His lovely Celebrian had been tortured and raped by
Orcs, and had sought her refuge in the Undying lands.
Her departure had left Elrond without a mate.
Thankfully his children were a great source of
comfort. And maybe now Rumil would join Elrond's
family temporarily.



He was at a loss at what to do with Rumil. It had been
days since Rumil had eaten last, or drank his share of
water. The once shiny silver hair was turning grey and
had lost its former glow. But the eyes worried
Celeborn most. The greenish grey eyes usually sparkled
with life and joy, but they had become dull. At times
they were vacant, and no matter how hard Celeborn
tried, he couldn't get Rumil to react to him.



"It is about time we got moving again, Rumil. Elrond
is expecting us and I want to arrive at Imladris
before the sun sets again. Spending the night in the
dark woods is dangerous these days when raiding Orcs
and Uruk-Hai are scattered over Arda."



He had decided against building a fire, as he didn't
want to attract any attention, but the warmth would
have done Rumil's chilled form some good. Celeborn
maneuvered Rumil into a lying position and then
spooned behind the younger Elf, wrapping his arms
around the other's waist. He hoped his body heat would
keep Rumil from retreating farther away from him.



"I know your heart is heavy, Rumil. You miss your
brothers as I miss my sons. It is hard to believe that
Haldir and Orophin are lost to us." He had hoped that
mentioning the names would somehow cause Rumil to
react, but nothing happened.



"I wish someone else could have led our army, but it
was Haldir's duty to be with his men in the hour of
battle, and Orophin and you volunteered. Aiya, Rumil,
you expected all three of you to survive or die, but
you never considered that only one or two could fall,
leaving the other behind. My heart bleeds for you."



Celeborn rubbed Rumil's icy arms, worried that the
cold of Mandos was growing stronger in Rumil's body.
They needed to reclaim the younger Elf quickly or they
would lose him.



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



The sun's warm beams instantly awoke Celeborn and he
stretched slowly.



"Rumil? Can you hear me? Would you like to eat and
drink something? You need to keep up your strength –
the little that is left of it."



As expected, Rumil didn't reply, or react in any other
way. When Celeborn released Rumil, he cringed; Rumil's
limbs were losing their flexibility and it wouldn't be
long before the younger Elf turned into a living
statue, unable to move, frozen in time. "Aiya, Elrond,
you must find a way to help him!"



Celeborn busied himself by eating lembas and drinking
water from a nearby spring. When he returned Rumil
still lay frozen, and he manhandled the younger Elf
until Rumil sat in front of him. The stallion trod
carefully, knowing one of his riders was indisposed,
and set a slow pace. Wrapping his arms around Rumil,
Celeborn kept the younger Elf from falling. "I am not
giving up yet, ion-nîn. Elrond is an excellent healer
and he will help you. I promise."



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



Glorfindel exited his bathroom, feeling rested and
refreshed. Towel drying his hair, he looked at his
bed, remembering waking up in it, but he was unable to
recall how he had gotten there in the first place. The
last thing he remembered was Elrond telling them about
Rumil, and then he had woken in his rooms. What had
happened in between?



After slipping into a light blue shirt and brown
leggings he made his way into the corridor. His
stomach growled, reminding him it needed food, and he
headed for the kitchen. He had overslept, and the
maids had already tidied up after serving breakfast,
but he hoped to find something edible in the kitchen.



His eyes widened slightly, finding Erestor there as
well. The raven-haired adviser sat at the table,
nursing his tea. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow; a
memory nagged at him, and it had something to do with
Erestor.



Erestor inclined his head and signaled for Glorfindel
to sit down. Rising from his seat, he gathered lembas,
cheese, fruit and a cup of tea for the blond. "You are
late," he said, sitting down again to sip his tea.



Glorfindel buried his face in his hands. "Don't remind
me. I am still trying to figure out how I ended up in
my bed. I am sure I did not make my way back myself."



Erestor allowed a smug grin to briefly flash across
his face. "I returned you to your bed. I carried you."
Erestor sipped his tea, and quickly tucked away his
smile. "You were tired, mellon-nîn."



"Aye, I was." Glorfindel released a resigned sigh.
"Elrond was not annoyed at my inability to stay
awake?"



"He knows how busy you have been these last few days."
Erestor finished his tea and placed the empty cup on
the table. "It is important to him that you keep
Imladris safe."



Glorfindel heard the regretful tone to Erestor's
voice. "When do you plan to tell him, Erestor?"



Erestor's dark eyes failed to hide their discomfort
when they locked with Glorfindel's. "I cannot tell
him." He firmly shook his head. "This must remain a
secret forever."



"Forever is a long time, Erestor." Glorfindel took a
bite of lembas and washed it down with the tea. Next,
he ate some fruit and then more lembas and cheese. He
hadn't realized just how hungry was!



"I can never tell him," said Erestor stubbornly.
"Elrond can never find out."



"For how many centuries have you been in love with
him, Erestor?" Glorfindel wrapped his fingers around
his cup of tea and sipped, watching the other Elf
closely.



"Millennia," whispered Erestor in a miserable tone.
"But he never noticed my love. His heart belongs to
Gil-galad and Celebrian; I will never be able to claim
it." Erestor's eyes briefly closed. Even after so many
millennia, it still hurt. "I never wanted you to find
out either."



Glorfindel placed the cup on the table, leaned in
closer, and covered Erestor's right hand with his.
"Your expression is easily read once one knows what to
look for. You hide your feelings very well, but it is
a pity that hardly anyone knows the real you. You have
hidden behind this façade for millennia, making sure
the real Erestor never emerged. The children respect
you for your knowledge; you are a well-versed scholar
among our people. But Elladan and Elrohir do not know
there is another, passionate side to you. Arwen has
been in 'Lorien too much to really get to know you,
but— I am still trying to figure out how you continue
to fool Elrond."



Erestor sighed distressed. "Glorfindel, my love for
Elrond can never be. Even centuries later his love
still belongs to Gil-galad and Celebrian. I was part
of the Elven army that followed Isildur and Gil-galad
into their last battle and I will never forget the
love Elrond's face radiated when he was at Gil-galad's
side.  Later, I saw it again when Celebrian placed the
twins in Elrond's arms. When Arwen was born Elrond's
love was complete. He adored his wife and children and
they were the world to him; they still are."



"But Celebrian left for Valinor," reminded Glorfindel
his friend.



"She was too deeply hurt to stay." Erestor shivered.
"I assisted Elrond when he tended to her wounds. If
she had stayed in Imladris, the Halls of Mandos would
have claimed her. I will never understand why someone
delights in forcing an Elf."



Glorfindel's usually sparkling eyes darkened at the
memory. "Elladan and Elrohir have killed their fair
share of the creatures over the years, but they are
still mourning the loss of their mother. All children
were hurt."



"And Elrond is still hurting as well." Erestor drew in
a calming breath. "How can I tell him I love him when
his heart still grieves for her? I cannot. His heart
will never belong to me." Erestor added one more
thing, reluctantly. "And in all those centuries he
never showed any interest in me. Don't you think that
if he felt the same way about me he would have told me
by now? Nay, I cannot tell him."



Glorfindel raised his left hand and wiped away the
tear that had slid down from Erestor's eye.



Alarmed that he was crying, Erestor wiped furiously at
his eyes. "I have matters to attend to," he said,
quickly rising to his feet, "And so do you. Lord
Celeborn and his charge will arrive shortly." Looking
at Glorfindel, he flinched, reading sympathy and
sorrow in his friend's eyes.



"Erestor…"



"Do not worry about me; I made it through millennia
without Elrond's love. And Glorfindel? We never had
this discussion." Gathering his long robes around him,
Erestor left the kitchen.



"Aiya, Erestor, your feelings need a way out or they
will slowly poison your mind." Head bowed in defeat,
he sipped his tea, hoping against all odds that the
day would come when Elrond learned of Erestor's deep
love for him.



TBC



Beta read by Ilye, thanks!





All we have to decide is what to do with the time that
is given to us.



Silent Heart
Part 2


"Rumil, my child, we have finally reached Imladris,"
said Celeborn, relieved. The roads were dangerous and
he had been worried, especially now that Rumil was
with him. The young Elf was in no condition to defend
himself in the case of an attack. "I hope that Elrond
received my letter, and that he has prepared rooms for
you. You look so very tired, ion-nîn." The back of
Rumil's head rested against his shoulder, and when he
cocked his head, Celeborn saw a look of utter
resignation in Rumil's eyes.

"Lord Celeborn!" Erestor appeared at the doorway,
ready to welcome their guests, but he halted in his
tracks upon seeing the frozen expression in Rumil's
eyes.

Celeborn dismounted and Erestor quickly offered his
help. Together, Celeborn and he lifted Rumil from the
back of the horse and each wrapped an arm around the
blond Elf's waist. Erestor's barely hidden shock told
Celeborn how bad Rumil looked to the advisor. "He
needs to lie down."

"I arranged for rooms close to Lord Elrond and
Glorfindel's. Glorfindel is a light sleeper and will
wake in case Rumil starts to sleepwalk."

"He does not walk in his sleep," said Celeborn,
sighing contently as they stepped into the shade of
the corridor. The rays of the sun had become hot
during the day and he now welcomed the soothing
shadows.

Erestor led them to their assigned quarters. Arriving
at the right corridor, Erestor spotted Elladan and
signaled for him to approach.

Elladan felt joy at seeing his grandfather after such
a long time, but the smile froze on his face, seeing
the blond Elf in their arms. /That must be Rumil.
Grandfather did not exaggerate in his letter./ The
slight rising and falling of Rumil's chest was the
only indication that the 'Lorien Elf was still alive.

"Ata'da, how can I help?"

Celeborn nodded approvingly and took Elladan's arm,
folding it around Rumil's waist. "Help Erestor whilst
I talk to Elrond. I will be back to check on Rumil
later."

Celeborn's concern was hard to miss, and Elladan
tightened his hold on Rumil. "He is in good hands."

A smile stole across Celeborn's features. "I know he
is." Then he turned and headed for Elrond's study.
They needed to talk.

Erestor pushed the door open and told Elladan to head
for the bed. "Lower him gently."

Elladan carefully laid Rumil down on the bed, stepped
back and looked in surprise at the expression on
Erestor's normally emotionless face. Deep lines had
appeared on the elder Elf's brow and Erestor was
muttering softly, assuring Rumil that it was safe to
rest.

Erestor had forgotten Elladan was there as well,
concerned as he was for Rumil, and when he looked up,
he noticed Elladan's raised eyebrow. Carefully
schooling his emotions, the mask slipped back in
place. "You should join your father and grandfather in
the study."

Elladan was still trying to understand what he had
just witnessed. Concern and maybe even affection had
shone from Erestor's eyes, and now every indication
that he had felt concerned was gone. Erestor's stern
look didn't feel right, and Elladan was slowly
beginning to understand why. Erestor was hiding his
feelings. "And should you not join us as well?" asked
Elladan. Elrond wanted all of them present.

"I will join you shortly. I merely want to make sure
Rumil is resting comfortably."

Elladan walked over to the doorway and quickly cast
one final look over his shoulder. There! The concern
and affection were back on Erestor's face now that the
elder Elf believed he was alone with Rumil.

Puzzled, Elladan walked down the corridor. When
growing up, Elrohir and he had often joked about their
mentor's inability to show any emotions. But now he
wondered if they had been wrong. /Why does Erestor
feel he needs to hide his emotions from us? What is he
scared of?/ Did not everything come down to two
emotions in the end? Was it love or fear that caused
Erestor to hide behind a mask?

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

Elrond rose from behind his desk to welcome Celeborn.
He instantly noticed the other's worried expression
and the pallor that clung to Celeborn's skin. "How
emotionally hurt is he?" Rumil had to be in a bad way
for Celeborn to be this concerned.

"I am afraid his soul may already have reached Mandos.
The last time I looked at him I thought I saw a
corpse." Celeborn collapsed on a chair, exhausted.

"Maybe I should check on him now." Celeborn's words
worried Elrond. "We can inform the rest later, after I
have looked at Rumil."

Celeborn nodded, fatigued, and was about to get to his
feet when Elrond suddenly appeared next to him,
resting a hand on his shoulder and telling him to
remain seated.

"You look tired, old friend. Rest whilst I look after
Rumil."

Celeborn briefly closed his eyes. Elrond's words were
true; he was so very tired. "Let me know how he
fares." What he feared most was Elrond telling him
that Rumil's condition was beyond hope.

Elrond read that very fear on Celeborn's face and
gently squeezed the other's shoulder. "I will do my
best."

Celeborn listened to Elrond's soft footfalls as the
Lord of Imladris left his study. He had never before
felt this distressed, discouraged and alone; Galadriel
would sail for Valinor shortly and Haldir and Orophin
were gone as well. All he had left was Rumil, and he
didn't want to lose the young Elf.

"You look so sad, Ata'da."

Celeborn jumped at hearing Elrohir's voice this close
to him. When had the youngster entered? Elrohir was
kneeling on the floor, watching him closely. "I did
not hear you enter."

"You looked so thoughtful that I did not want to
disturb your musings." Elrohir frowned at seeing tears
simmer in Celeborn's eyes. "What has upset you?"

Celeborn drew in a deep breath. "I am worried about
Rumil."

Elrohir nodded. "Is that all there is? I have the
feeling there is more."

Celeborn suddenly realized how wrong he had been to
assume that Rumil was all he had left. He had a family
here in Imladris as well. It was a pity that he
couldn't spend more time here with his grandchildren.
"You are right. Something else is on my mind. My wife
is leaving for Valinor and I face losing the last of
my sons. I feel old and lonely."

"But you have Elladan and me! And Ada! Even Glorfindel
and Erestor count as family." His grandfather's
admission had slightly shocked Elrohir. "You are not
alone! You could stay here most of the time and visit
'Lorien when something urgent comes up. Elladan and I
would love for you to stay!"

"I would love to stay," said Celeborn, smiling.
Leaning forward, he folded his arms around his
grandson.

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

Elrond was not surprised to find Erestor sitting on
the edge of Rumil's bed. Although the other Elf always
put on a carefully constructed mask, passion, concern
and affection was hidden behind it, and appeared at
times like these. After inclining his head and seeing
Erestor nod, Elrond concentrated on the young Elf on
the bed. A terrible cold emanated from Rumil's body.
He had also felt it when Glorfindel had returned from
Mandos. When the blond had rested in his arms, his
newborn body had been icy cold. "His soul has already
entered Mandos."

"I thought so," mumbled Erestor and he released a
distressed sigh. "Can you reclaim him?"

"Maybe." Elrond sat next to Erestor, who immediately
rose to his feet to give Elrond space to work. "But I
cannot wait until after discussing this with Celeborn.
I must act now. Celeborn should be present; will you
fetch him, Erestor?"

A concerned look appeared in Erestor's eyes. "Are you
going to use your healing powers?" Elrond raised an
eyebrow inquisitively. "Because if you are I am not
leaving you alone," said Erestor in a determined tone.
"Using your healing powers leaves you weak and I will
not take the risk of you getting injured as well."

Elrond gracefully gave in, knowing when he was beaten.
"I will attempt to pull him back." Elrond rested his
hands on Rumil's face, after brushing back some grey
looks. "They were silver once."

"Grief can do terrible things to an Elf," remarked
Erestor thoughtfully.

Elrond wondered why Erestor's comment worried him, but
he couldn't explain it. Instead, he focused his energy
and closed his eyes. Rumil felt cold and distant, and
the Elf's life force was weakening with every passing
moment. Reaching out mentally, Elrond called Rumil's
name. Drawing from his own energy, he poured a large
amount into the Elf's soul, hoping to warm Rumil's
mind. "You cannot leave yet," he mumbled, knowing
Rumil's soul was listening as well. "You are still
needed here. Your brothers want you to live and so
does Celeborn. Do not leave, Rumil. Your time has not
come yet."

Erestor watched Elrond carefully and saw the other's
head and shoulders slump forward. Moving quickly, he
sat down and pulled Elrond close to him, encouraging
the half-Elf to lean against him and draw from his
strength. Rumil moved slightly and his eyelids
fluttered, telling Erestor that the Lord of Imladris
had been successful. The dark Halls of Mandos no
longer called to Rumil. "You did well," said Erestor
softly. "He is no longer slipping away from us."

"Erestor? What is happening here?" Glorfindel had
appeared in the doorway and now quickly advanced on
the three Elves. "Will Elrond recover, Erestor?"

Erestor nodded once. "Using his healing powers usually
exhausts him. I will take him to his rooms to rest and
then inform the others that the meeting has been
postponed. I want him to rest first."

Glorfindel gave Erestor a look full of understanding.
Erestor might never admit he loved Elrond, but the
half-Elf always came first and Erestor would sit with
him until Elrond felt stronger.

"One more moment," whispered Elrond in a tired tone,
running his fingertips over Rumil's brow. "The cold of
Mandos is receding, but it is still there. After I
have rested I can try to heal more of him."

"I will stay with Rumil," offered Glorfindel. "I have
been to Mandos and still remember the cold that dwells
in those great halls. I will look after him."

"Thank you," whispered Erestor in Elrond's place. The
half-Elf's eyes were closing and he needed to take
Elrond to his rooms before he was fully asleep. Rising
to his feet, he wrapped an arm around Elrond's waist
and guided him to the doorway. He had done this
countless times before; whenever Elrond had exhausted
himself by tending to the wounded, he had been there
to look after the half-Elf. There had been one time
when Elrond had teasingly called him 'his shadow' -
and wasn't that exactly what he was?

Glorfindel saw the raw emotion in Erestor's eyes, but
knew better than to address it in Elrond's presence.
So he sat next to Rumil instead, resting a hand on the
grey hair. The cold was fading away, but Rumil was far
from healed. He should probably inform Celeborn, but
he felt hesitant to leave the room; Rumil needed
constant supervision. Chills coursed through the lithe
body and Glorfindel reached for the covers, tucking
them around Rumil's form. Although Elves didn't feel
the cold, this chill was different. Mandos' cold had
the power to kill. As the shivers continued,
Glorfindel's worries increased. Suddenly a whimper
left Rumil's lips and Glorfindel leaned in closer to
catch the words.

"Hal…dir… O…ro…phin…" Rumil's face briefly contorted
and then the Elf released a keening wail.

"Shush, young one. You no longer dwell in the cold
Halls of Mandos." Acting instinctively, Glorfindel lay
down next to the shivering Elf and wrapped his arms
around him. Rumil immediately moved closer, yelping
softly as he buried his head beneath Glorfindel's
chin.

Glorfindel allowed a smile to break through on his
face when Rumil's fingers clawed at the fabric of his
shirt. "You are safe now." Unexpectedly, Rumil reached
behind him, as if searching for someone. "Aiya ,you
think I am one of your brothers, and now you are
searching for the other." He had known Haldir well and
knew how close the three of them had been. It would
take Rumil years to fully recover from this trauma.

"Glorfindel? Is that you?" Celeborn had been puzzled
at finding the door ajar, and had entered. Finding
Glorfindel holding an obviously distressed Rumil was
the last thing he had expected, but he felt relieved
that Rumil was once more reacting.

"Elrond managed to bring him back from Mandos," said
Glorfindel, "but we have still got a long way ahead of
us."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Celeborn
approached the bed and watched Rumil closely. Tears
were flowing down the Elf's cheeks; Rumil was finally
giving in to his pain and grief.

"He misses having his brothers close," explained
Glorfindel as Rumil awkwardly reached behind him.

Celeborn nodded and acted at once, spooning behind
Rumil who instantly calmed down, feeling a body behind
him. Stroking the once silver hair, Celeborn softly
sang a lullaby, hoping the familiar words and voice
would comfort Rumil.

Glorfindel smiled warmly, listening to the lullaby as
well. Rumil breathed firmly and steadily, the shallow
breaths gone. Celeborn pulled Rumil closer. Glorfindel
did the same and soon they were a tangled mess of
limbs.

Raising his head slightly, Celeborn was able to make
eye contact with Glorfindel. "This is how the three of
them used to sleep."

Glorfindel nodded once. "I have the feeling we will be
sleeping like this for many nights to come." He
chuckled softly. "Not that I mind." He really didn't.
Holding Rumil, and feeling the rise and fall of the
other's chest, soothed him as well. He didn't want to
even think about it, but he could grow used to this
feeling.

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

"Lie down, mellon-nîn." Erestor eased Elrond gently
onto the bed, looking for signs that the half-Elf had
finally succumbed to exhaustion, but the blue eyes
opened and locked with his. Elrond staring him like
that made Erestor nervous, and the mask involuntarily
moved back into place.

"Erestor?" Elrond raised a shaky hand, trying to touch
Erestor's brow now that the Noldorin Elf was leaning
over him, but his friend quickly pulled away. "Thank
you for taking care of me."

Erestor nodded sharply, pulled up the covers, and then
took several steps away from the bed. "You should rest
now. I will tell the others that the meeting has been
postponed."

Elrond cringed at seeing the expression in Erestor's
eyes. Only a moment ago concern and affection had been
reflected in them. Those two emotions were now
replaced with a clinical stare, which was meant to
keep him at a distance. "Erestor? Do not leave yet."
How many times had he asked Erestor to stay and watch
over him when the healing sleep came over him? And
every time Erestor had sat down, watching him from a
distance. And yes, Erestor once more seated himself
near the bed, watching him. Reassured that his friend
would remain close, Elrond allowed the healing sleep
to overwhelm him.

A choked sigh escaped Erestor's lips once Elrond was
asleep. The tears that he had kept back now swam in
his eyes, but still he did his best to not cry. Every
time Elrond used his healing powers, he worried. One
day Elrond would reach his limits and what would
happen then? Would it leave the half-Elf weak?
Injured? It was his responsibility to make sure that
never happened.

Folding his hands in his lap, he dotingly looked at
Elrond, sound asleep now. "I will never stop loving
you…"

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

Rumil stirred in his sleep when Celeborn removed his
arms from the Elf's waist. Glorfindel raised his head
a little to make eye contact with Celeborn, and that
was when he heard Celeborn's growling stomach. "Go,"
said Glorfindel softly. "Eat and freshen yourself up.
Rumil will probably remain asleep for a few more
hours."

"I can send someone to take my place." Celeborn
privately sent a prayer to Elbereth, thankful that
Rumil had returned to them. It would be a long time
before Rumil was back on his feet, but he had faith
that the day would come.

"I do not think that will be necessary," said
Glorfindel, slightly amused at the way Rumil had
wrapped himself around him. "He is quite charming."

"He is a rascal," laughed Celeborn softly as not to
disturb Rumil's sleep. "He is the youngest, and got
away with most of the tricks he played on us.
Galadriel and I always had a soft spot for him."

Glorfindel smiled when Rumil groaned softly, pulling
him even closer now that the body behind him was gone.
"I can barely breathe. His hold is awfully tight. I
had not thought him that strong."

"He looks young and naive, but he isn't." Celeborn
rose from the bed and stretched. "Rumil loves deeply
and is very loyal; that is exactly why he is in this
state. He is mourning his brothers' death."

"Which is very understandable." Glorfindel brushed
back some locks that had fallen into Rumil's face. "I
hope his hair will regain its normal silver glow."

"So do I." Celeborn headed for the doorway. "I will
check on you in an hour or two. I want to talk to
Elrond, and it looks like Rumil feels content sleeping
in your arms, so I can take my time."

"Do not hurry," said Glorfindel reassuringly. /I think
Rumil is adorable./ But he couldn't say that aloud.

Pleased that Glorfindel had taken a liking to Rumil,
Celeborn left the room and stepped into the corridor.
Elladan and Elrohir were just heading his way and they
smiled upon seeing their grandfather. Celeborn
returned that smile and grabbed each by a shoulder.
"Did you have breakfast yet?"

Elladan shook his head. "We wanted to check on Rumil
first."

Celeborn's smile warmed. It was good that the twins
already cared for Rumil. He had the feeling that the
three of them would get along perfectly. "Glorfindel
is with Rumil."

"Glorfindel?" Elrohir chuckled softly. "Now that is
interesting." Looking at Elladan, he said, "Shouldn't
Glorfindel lead this morn's patrol?"

Elladan nodded. "I wonder if they can cope without
him." A sly grin surfaced on his face. "Maybe we
should offer our assistance?"

Celeborn moaned softly. "Elrond wants you here,
remember?" Seeing the disappointment in their eyes, he
reconsidered. "We will talk to your father, aye?"

The twins nodded reluctantly. This would be decided at
breakfast.

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

A soft, pleased, moan woke Erestor from his sleep.
Alarmed, his eyes filled with awareness. He was in
Elrond's rooms and the half-Elf was watching him
intently, propped up on his elbows. Moving carefully,
Erestor stifled a whimper; his neck was cramped from
falling asleep in the chair.

Elrond caught the pain-filled expression before
Erestor carefully hid it. "You could have stretched
out on bed instead of falling asleep in a chair." To
his surprise, utter astonishment showed in Erestor's
eyes, but a moment later it was gone. "The bed is big
enough for both of us."

Erestor briefly closed his eyes. "I prefer the chair."
Opening his eyes again, he averted them, unable to
meet Elrond's gaze after hearing that offer. /The
offer meant nothing. He just does not want me sleeping
in the chair./

"I should check on Rumil," said Elrond, pushing down
the covers. Thanks to Erestor's care he'd had a full
night of sleep, and his healing powers had been
replenished.

"Are you sure you have rested sufficiently?" Erestor
left his chair to stand next to the bed, offering
Elrond his support if necessary. Elrond had been shaky
in the past when pushing himself to his limits.
Erestor couldn't help being worried.

Elrond would never stop wondering about his old
friend. Erestor usually acted calm and regal, but at
times his whole demeanor changed and a very concerned,
very caring person surfaced. He had often wondered why
Erestor felt the need to keep that caring persona
hidden. For centuries he had wanted to address this,
but the moment had never been right. "Erestor?" Elrond
grabbed the adviser's wrist and held it tight,
preventing him from pulling away. "Your concern means
a lot to me."

"My concern?"

Elrond couldn't believe his eyes when Erestor blushed.
A shy expression stole into his friend's eyes.

"I cannot help being concerned."

Elrond had the distinct impression that Erestor wanted
to add something, but for some reason the Noldorin Elf
didn't. "You are a very good friend, Erestor. Without
you, I would be lost." To his surprise, Erestor's
blush deepened. Had Erestor ever blushed before? He
couldn't remember!

"Thank you," whispered Erestor in a shaky tone. His
eyes were fixed on Elrond's fingers, which were still
curled around his wrist.

Elrond wondered what he was missing. There was
something in Erestor's manner and expression, which
puzzled him. "We will check on Rumil and then have
breakfast."

"Of course, my lord," said Erestor, trying to
emotionally distance himself again. He had to make
sure Elrond never found out about his feelings!

Elrond sighed disappointedly; he had hoped Erestor
would become more informal, but the mask was back in
place. Slowly he rose from the bed, tested his footing
and then nodded once. "Let us go. I need to see if
Rumil has improved overnight."

Erestor followed obediently. Like a shadow.

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

Glorfindel cocked his head to see who was entering
when the door opened. Seeing Elrond and Erestor walk
up to the bed, he smiled. "He is doing much better."

Elrond nodded and rested a hand on Rumil's brow,
relieved to find that the cold was leaving the young
Elf's body. "But his recovery will take time." He
raised an eyebrow inquisitively, seeing the
contentment on Glorfindel's face at holding his charge
close. "You like him. Good."

Glorfindel's smug smile disappeared and a deep frown
appeared instead. "However, there is a problem, my
lord. I should be leaving on patrol in an hour and –"

"Stay here," said Elrond. "I can use some fresh air
myself." Looking over his shoulder, he intercepted a
look filled with longing on Erestor's face. It had
been ages since they had ridden out together, always
busy with diplomatic matters. "Erestor and I will lead
today's patrol."

Glorfindel saw Erestor's perplexed expression and
laughed softly. "I hope you have not forgotten how to
ride a horse, Erestor! It must have been a while since
you joined a patrol!"

Erestor glared at Glorfindel, but the blond just
laughed. "You were a warrior before you turned into a
scholar," teased Glorfindel.

"I am still a warrior!" Erestor realized he had been
baited and quickly grew silent.

"My lord, you will be able to put Erestor to the
test," said Glorfindel, addressing Elrond. He felt
pleased now that Elrond and Erestor would be spending
some time away from the Last Homely House and all
diplomatic matters. He didn't expect them to encounter
any enemies, and judged it safe for them to go on this
patrol.

A grin surfaced on Elrond's face. "Maybe I will do
just that." Seeing the stunned expression in Erestor's
eyes, Elrond laughed warmly. "Glorfindel is right; we
were warriors once, but we have grown weak behind our
desks. We will leave after breakfast."

"And may I suggest a change of clothes?" said
Glorfindel in a wicked tone. "Robes can be a real
hindrance in battle."

Erestor still glared at Glorfindel, knowing very well
that the blond had set him up. "I will be there, my
lord," he said, as his gaze shifted from Glorfindel to
Elrond. /Glorfindel, I will get you for putting me in
this position./

Glorfindel smirked, averted his eyes and looked at
Rumil, who was still asleep in his arms.

TBC

Beta read by Ilye, thanks!


Silent Heart 
Part 3
 
 
Elladan, Celeborn and Elrohir looked up when Elrond
and Erestor entered. 
 
The first thing that struck Elladan was the fierce
glow in Erestor’s eyes. Something had upset the
advisor, which surprised him. He hadn’t known it was
actually possible to shock the Noldorin Elf, who
always appeared to be in complete control. 
 
“Rumil is doing better,” said Elrond as he seated
himself. A maid appeared to serve breakfast and Elrond
ate with appetite, knowing he would spend the rest of
his day in the open air, riding his horse. 
 
Celeborn eyed his son-in-law closely, wondering what
had changed since the last time they talked, but he
couldn’t label the feeling. “Glorfindel told me what
you did for Rumil and I want to thank you for that.”
 
“It was nothing,” said Elrond dismissively. “The hard
part is still to come. His soul may have joined us
again, but we must give him a reason to live or he
will give in to the call of Mandos eventually.”
 
Elladan cleared his throat. “We would love to spend
some time with him, but this morn’s patrol—“
 
Elrond cut his son short. “Erestor and I will join the
patrol.”
 
Elrohir’s knife dropped onto his plate with a metallic
thud. “Erestor and you? But Ada, respectfully, it has
been centuries since you last wielded a sword - and
what if you run into Orcs?”
 
Elrond studied his sons, realizing they had hoped to
join the patrol. “Do you think I am no longer capable
of defending myself?”
 
“Ada, I did not mean it like that, but –“ Elladan
cringed, seeing the annoyed expression in his father’s
eyes. “Aye, you might be able to fight off an
attacker, but what about Erestor?”
 
“What –about- him?” said Erestor in a calm tone. He
was annoyed that Elladan thought he couldn’t hold his
own in a fight! But that was probably his own fault.
The twins had never seen him wield a sword or shoot an
arrow; they only knew him as a scholar. 
 
Elrond grinned at seeing the very real emotion in
Erestor’s eyes. “Elladan, Erestor fought at my side at
the Last Alliance. He is a very skilled swordsman and
his archery skills were legendary.”
 
“I may have neglected maintaining those skills,” said
Erestor ruefully. 
 
Elrohir watched the scene unfold with amusement.
“Elladan, we should not begrudge them this chance at
reliving the past.”
 
Elrond now also glared at his sons. “Reliving the
past?” That made him sound ancient! 
 
Celeborn raised his hands, trying to pacify everyone.
“Elladan, Elrohir, we will spend the day with Rumil,
whilst your father and Erestor lead today’s patrol.”
 
The twins agreed reluctantly. “But tomorrow it is our
turn.” 
 
Elrond’s glare changed into an amused glance. “We will
see about that.” Exchanging a glance with Erestor he
encountered a thoughtful look on his friend’s face. 
 
Erestor quickly averted his eyes. He suddenly had
second thoughts about accompanying Elrond. What if his
mask slipped and Elrond realized the truth? He had to
be extremely cautious. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Glorfindel involuntarily held his breath when the
vacant expression in Rumil’s eyes changed to
awareness. The younger Elf was waking up! What would
Rumil’s initial reaction be like?
 
Rumil blinked several times, trying to establish where
he was. Then the horrid memories flooded his mind and
he wailed terrified, reliving his brothers’ deaths.
“Hal…dir! Oro…phin!” His voice shook violently and his
eyes filled with tears. He had lost his brothers! They
were dead and he was alone now! Why hadn’t he died as
well? He didn’t want to live like this!
 
“Shush now, Rumil, I cannot imagine your pain, but you
do not have to bear it alone.” 
 
At hearing the strange voice, Rumil’s eyes widened.
Gradually he became aware of the fact that he wasn’t
alone. A strange Elf was holding him close, stroking
his hair. Still trembling, he blinked one more time.
“Who… are you?”
 
“My name is Glorfindel and you in Elrond’s Last Homely
House.” Glorfindel took pity on the younger Elf and
explained, “Celeborn brought you here. He is extremely
worried, you know.”
 
Rumil could only stare at the blond vision of beauty
in front of him. “Glorfindel of Gondolin?” Haldir had
regaled him with stories about the Balrog slayer when
he had been little, and he had never thought he would
ever meet Glorfindel in person.
 
The haunted expression left Rumil’s eyes. /Distract
him! Keep him from reliving the past!/ Glorfindel
slowly nodded his head. “One and the same.”
 
“Hal…” Rumil choked on his brother’s name. Haldir had
always told him stories when he was little and now the
emotional pain instantly returned. “I miss him… and
Oro…” His voice faltered again and he buried his face
in Glorfindel’s shirt, uncaring what the skilled
warrior thought of his behavior. His heart was
grieving, and the pain needed a way out. 
 
Glorfindel tightened the embrace. “Let it out. Keeping
the pain inside does not help.” His heart went out to
Rumil, who sobbed in his arms. “It is the first step
toward healing.”
 
“Who says… I want to… heal? I want to… die!” Rumil
stuttered, his emotions getting the better of him. “I
was almost there! I… could sense… them and then… Who
pulled me… back?” Sobs wracked his body and he
defiantly raised his eyes to stare at Glorfindel.
“Who?”
 
“Celeborn asked Lord Elrond to bring you back,” said
Glorfindel softly. “You must understand how worried
Celeborn was. He refused to let you go after already
losing Haldir and Orophin.”
 
“He should have… Let me go,” stuttered Rumil in an
upset tone. “I am all alone now.” 
 
“You are not. Celeborn loves you dearly, and Lord
Elrond’s sons are eager to meet with you. And you also
have me.” Glorfindel added that last sentence in a
barely audible tone. By Elbereth, when had he felt
like this for the last time? Could it be that he was
falling in love?
 
“You?” Rumil looked at Glorfindel with a saddened
expression in his eyes. 
 
“Aye, me.” Getting nervous, Glorfindel opted for a
change of subject. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
 
Rumil shook his head. “I do not care about food.” 
 
“But you should! You need to regain your strength!”
Glorfindel realized he was in for a fight. Rumil had a
stubborn streak about him. “Let me send for some
food.”
 
“I will not eat it.” Rumil stared chillingly at
Glorfindel. “I do not want to live!”
 
Glorfindel sighed, deeply. “Rumil, it is not your time
yet to dwell in Mandos.”
 
“How would you know?” Rumil screamed at him. “I am not
supposed to be left behind! We belong together!”
 
“Rumil, I have been at Mandos and the Valar decided I
was to go back and live again. They won’t allow you
entrance.”
 
“But I was almost there! If only Elrond had not pulled
me back, I would—“
 
Glorfindel cut him short. “The Valar would have turned
you away.”
 
“No!”
 
“Rumil, you must face life.” Glorfindel’s voice
softened. “I know Arda holds little for you to live
for, but believe me when I say that your place is
here, not in Mandos.” Rumil’s glare made Glorfindel
cringe. “You will understand in time.”
 
“You did not change my mind!” Rumil suddenly realized
how tight his hold was on Glorfindel; he was holding
onto the blond like Glorfindel was his lifeline. He
tried to let go, but Glorfindel’s hold on him was
strong as well and he resigned himself to the
situation, growing silent instead.
 
Glorfindel’s heart broke at seeing the expression in
Rumil’s eyes. “I am so sorry, Rumil, but we cannot let
you leave for Mandos. Too many of us care about you
and we will not let you go.”
 
Rumil remained silent. He wanted to be furious with
Glorfindel, but couldn’t. He felt lonely and lost, and
the blond was the only one he could hold on to.
Involuntarily his hold tightened and more tears
surfaced from the depths of his eyes. /Aiya, Haldir,
Orophin, I miss you so much! Why did you leave me
behind?/
 
Tremors coursed through Rumil’s body and Glorfindel
returned to stroking the long hair. “Cry, Rumil, let
go of the pain.” The younger Elf didn’t reply, but
Rumil’s shoulders shook with violent sobs. Glorfindel
whispered reassuring words into Rumil’s ear, kept on
the caresses to the grey hair, and held him until the
sobs died. Looking at the ‘Lorien Elf, he found
Rumil’s eyes empty again. “Good, sleep. Time heals all
wounds, even the mortal ones.”
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Erestor shook his head at seeing his reflection in the
mirror. He had exchanged his robes for a brown tunic
and black leggings. At Elrond’s request he was also
wearing a sword. 
 
Recalling breakfast, he was still annoyed that the
twins thought he couldn’t hold his own in a battle. /I
have buried myself in books, and although I love to
study, I should not have neglected my fighting skills.
I hope we won’t encounter any Orcs or Uruk-Hai./
 
After gathering his courage, he draped a brown cloak
across his shoulders and stepped into the corridor,
heading for the courtyard where Elrond was already
waiting for him to join them. 
 
Elrond, already on horseback, approached. “Erestor!
Hurry, we are ready to leave!” He was actually looking
forward to inspecting the northern borders today.
 
Erestor mounted and steered his stallion closer to
Elrond’s.  Elrond looked breathtaking in his black
tunic. A sword hung from his hip, and a quiver with
arrows and a bow was on his back. “It almost looks
like you are hoping we will run into Orcs.”
 
“You are right; I would not mind running into them.” 
 
“I rather enjoyed the peace and quiet,” said Erestor,
calmly. 
 
Elrond blinked. /Is he teasing me?/ Riding out
together was proving to be an excellent idea. 
 
Erestor stayed at Elrond’s side when they left the
courtyard and headed for the northern borders.
Occasionally, he peered at Elrond, who seemed content
and confident. /I love him so much, but I can never
tell him./  Sorrow drowned his heart and he barely
refrained from releasing a distressed sigh. 
 
Elrond glanced at his friend and wondered about the
distant expression in those dark eyes. /What troubles
you, Erestor? And why won’t you tell me?/ 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Glorfindel had to go to the bathroom. It was as simple
as that, but Rumil’s possessive hold made leaving the
bed impossible. Growing nervous, Glorfindel began to
stare at the doorway, hoping help would miraculously
appear. Just when he was about to give up hope,
Elladan and Elrohir entered. Signaling for the twins
to approach, he whispered, “Help me. I need to visit
the bathroom and he won’t let go.”
 
Elladan reached the bed first and managed to
disentangle them. Elrohir rolled Rumil onto his back
and suddenly found himself wrapped in long arms.
“Help!” he squealed in turn when Rumil pulled him
down. 
 
Elladan chuckled softly, and was reaching to help his
brother when Rumil grabbed his wrist, pulling him down
as well. Elladan yelped softly when he collapsed on
top of his brother. Rumil had succeeded in folding one
arm around each of them and was now holding them
close. 
 
Glorfindel quickly got to his feet and laughed warmly.
“I will be back to help you... in due time.” Hearing
the twins curse softly, he entered the bathroom,
relieved himself, washed his hands and returned to the
bedroom. Once, long ago, he had seen the sea and an
octopus; Rumil reminded him of that creature. “It
almost seems like he has eight arms instead of two!”
 
Elladan scowled at Glorfindel. “Help us escape! He is
squeezing the life out of us!”
 
But Glorfindel shook his head, amused. He sat down in
a chair and watched the three of them. “Cute,” he
decided, and smirked. “He has caught you.”
 
Elrohir released a resigned whimper, knowing
Glorfindel would make them suffer for all the stunts
they had pulled on their former mentor in the past.
“Have mercy, Glorfindel!”
 
“Not yet,” said Glorfindel, jokingly. “First I am
going to eat lunch and take a stroll in the gardens.
The weather is lovely.” He would take pity on them in
a few hours. Until then, Rumil was in good hands, and
he could stretch his abused limbs; Rumil did have a
strong hold. 
 
“Glorfindel, please!” begged Elladan, but Glorfindel
rose from the chair and left the room, chuckling
softly. “I cannot believe he left.”
 
Elrohir glanced at his twin. “But he did and we should
work on attaining a more comfortable position.”
Elladan’s weight was pressing him down and he wiggled
until Elladan managed to lie down on his side. Rumil
immediately rolled onto his side as well and wrapped
his legs around Elladan, making sure he couldn’t
leave. 
 
Elrohir lay now spooned behind the ‘Lorien Elf and
resigned himself to the situation. “I am not sure I
would be as strong as Rumil.”
 
Elladan looked at his brother questioningly.
“Meaning?”
 
“I am not sure I could go on after losing you. You are
so important to me, Elladan. I feel incomplete when
you are not close. And Rumil lost two brothers, not
just one. He must be hurting terribly.”
 
Elladan nodded. “Aye, he is very brave.” He paused,
and eventually added, “I am not sure I could survive
losing you either, Elrohir.” 
 
“Let us hope we will never be put to the test,”
Elrohir whispered, suddenly stricken at the thought of
losing his brother.
 
Looking at each other, a weak smile surfaced on their
faces. They would keep a close eye on each other and
make sure they survived any danger they encountered.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrond stood in his stirrups, studying their
surroundings. He had sent their escort into the
opposite direction so they could check beyond the
hills for intruders. Elrond judged it safer to remain
back with Erestor, unwilling to expose his friend to
any unnecessary danger. 
 
“It does feel invigorating to be in the open again,
does it not?” said Elrond, pleased, “We lock ourselves
away in our studies too often.”
 
Erestor nodded once, enjoying the warm beams of the
sun caressing his face. “It is a beautiful day,” he
agreed. Locking eyes with Elrond, he was stunned to
find the blue orbs radiating warmth and energy, and it
made him fall in love with Elrond all over again. 
 
Noticing the strange expression in Erestor’s eyes,
Elrond leaned forward in the saddle. “I have been
meaning to ask you if anything troubles you,
mellon-nîn.”
 
“I am fine,” said Erestor quickly. “There is nothing
for you to worry about.”
 
Elrond didn’t quite believe him and was about to
question Erestor again when load roars echoed through
the sky. “What?” Looking over his shoulder, he found
that one of his archers was being chased downhill by a
hoard of Orcs and Uruk-Hai.
 
“Lord Elrond, alert the others!” called out the
archer, panting hard.
 
Elrond sucked in his breath when the Elf’s back was
cleaved open by sword. Several of the feral creatures
were heading their way, carrying the heads of their
Elven escort on the tip of their swords. 


Acting instinctively, he slapped the back of Erestor’s
horse, and as it galloped away, he quickly followed,
shooting arrows at the group of Orcs and Uruk-Hai. /I
was careless! I should have been more alert!/
 
Erestor drew his sword, finding that more of the
creatures were headed their way, this time closing in
on them from the right. “We cannot outrun them!” He
raised his sword, decapitating one Orc, but that only
served to enrage the others. 
 
Elrond’s breath caught, seeing one Orc launch himself
from a branch. “Look out!” But his warning reached
Erestor too late. The Noldorin Elf was knocked out of
his saddle, and tumbled from his horse, still fighting
off the Orc. Several others joined and began beating
him. 
 
Elrond stopped his horse, turned it around and
charged. Wielding his sword, he managed to take down
quite a few of the monsters, but in the end he was
pulled from his horse as well and thrown onto the
earth, receiving his share of the blows. 
 
Suddenly the pummeling stopped and his eyes sought out
Erestor’s. His friend maintained a calm posture, but
he could see Erestor’s hands shake with anger at being
a prisoner. 
 
One Uruk-Hai, still carrying the white hand of Saruman
on his face, stepped up in front of them. He spat onto
the ground, and then eyed them closely. “Which one of
you is Elrond, the ruler of Imladris?”
 
Elrond’s heart thundered in his chest. “Why do you
want to know?”
 
The Uruk-Hai laughed. “Because I want to raid Imladris
and ravish its beauty. But first I need to know about
its defenses, and I am sure the ruler of Imladris can
explain them to me!”
 
Erestor froze, realizing the Uruk-Hai’s intention. The
foul creature would stop at nothing to retrieve the
information it needed. “I am Elrond,” he said,
ignoring the shocked expression in Elrond’s eyes. “I
am Elrond Half-Elven.”
 
“No,” exclaimed Elrond in a shocked tone. “He is not!”
What was Erestor thinking? He couldn’t let his friend
do this! “I am Elrond!”
 
“Nice try,” spat the Uruk-Hai at Elrond, “but I don’t
believe you.” 
 
Erestor sighed relieved. The Uruk-Hai believed him to
be Elrond, which meant the half-Elf was safe. “But I
won’t tell you a thing.”
 
“We will see about that,” said the Uruk-Hai
menacingly. “Take them to our shelter and make sure
they don’t escape.”
 
Elrond was still staring at Erestor in disbelief when
they were bound hand and feet. “Why did you do that?” 
 
An Orc hauled him onto his feet and then slung him
over his shoulder. “No talking, Elf,” he warned.
 
Elrond’s eyes fastened on Erestor. A Uruk-Hai draped
the advisor over his shoulder and Elrond stared deeply
into Erestor’s eyes. /Why?/
 
Erestor shook his head and closed his eyes. /Because I
love you and do not want you to get hurt./
 
TBC

Beta read by Ilye, thanks!

Silent Heart 
Part 4
 
 
When Glorfindel returned to Rumil’s rooms one hour
later, he leaned against the doorway and smiled
warmly. Elrohir was stroking Rumil’s hair and Elladan
had actually managed to fall asleep. “You look
comfortable,” teased Glorfindel. 
 
Elrohir pleadingly raised his eyes and met
Glorfindel’s gaze. “Will you now have mercy on us?”
 
Glorfindel smiled, sitting down on the edge of the
bed. “It is time for Rumil to wake up and eat and
drink.” 
 
Their voices woke Elladan, who wanted to stretch, but
found someone was holding him tight. “Rumil,” he
whispered softly. 
 
Hearing his name made Rumil stir from his sleep.
Waking slowly, he was startled to find another
stranger in his arms. “Who are you?” And where was
Glorfindel? Or Celeborn, for that matter?
 
“I am called Elladan and my brother Elrohir is right
behind you.”
 
Rumil’s eyes widened, feeling another body behind him.
Looking over his shoulder, he stared at Elrohir,
finding his features identical to Elladan. Then he
remembered; Elrond’s twin sons. 
 
“It is about time you woke,” said Glorfindel, drawing
Rumil’s attention to him. 
 
Rumil felt relieved at seeing Glorfindel. “Why are you
here?” 
 
“We are watching over you,” explained Glorfindel in a
kind tone. 
 
Rumil blushed weakly. The only ones ever to watch over
him were Haldir and Orophin, but his brothers were
gone. Dead. His heart missed a beat as sorrow washed
over him. 
 
Elrohir felt Rumil tense up and whispered into the
Elf’s ear, “You are very strong and brave. Do not
drown in your sorrow. Elladan and I will help you fill
the void in your life.”
 
Rumil was about to sneer at Elrohir when he suddenly
realized how hurt one twin would be if the other died.
Maybe they understood his pain just a little. 
 
Glorfindel uncovered the glass flask filled with
miruvor, which he had fetched from Elrond’s study.
“This should help rebuild your strength.” 
 
Aided by Elrohir and Elladan, Rumil managed to sit
upright, and the oldest twin pushed a pillow behind
his back. Rumil felt miserable, still wishing Elrond
had let him go. His shaky fingers reached for the
flask, realizing arguing with Glorfindel would get him
nowhere. 
 
But Glorfindel didn’t release the flask and steadied
Rumil’s hand when the Elf swallowed his first
mouthful. “And again,” he said encouragingly, watching
Rumil swallow more of the sweet liquid. “And you
should eat something as well.”
 
“I will fetch something from the kitchen,” offered
Elladan, who slowly rose to his feet. After leaving
the room, he briefly leaned against the wall, thanking
Elbereth that Rumil had survived. Then he headed for
the kitchen.
 
Glorfindel studied Rumil closely. “Some fresh air
would do you good.”
 
Elrohir nodded his agreement. “I will move one of the
chairs onto the balcony.” He also left the bed,
finally realizing Glorfindel’s interest in Rumil. He
chuckled privately, wondering if Glorfindel knew he
was falling hard for the ‘Lorien Elf. Looking over his
shoulder, he watched the two Elves; they looked good
together. 
 
Rumil sighed nervously. “Instead of one baby sitter I
now have three?”
 
“Four actually,” said Celeborn entering the room.
“Aiya, ion-nîn, I was afraid I would never hear your
voice again!” Relieved at finding Rumil sitting up and
talking to Glorfindel, Celeborn seated himself on the
other side of the bed and enfolded him in a warm
embrace. “You scared me, Rumil.”
 
“I am sorry,” whispered Rumil ruefully, “I never
wanted to worry you, but…” His voice faltered. “I miss
them so much.”
 
“So do I,” Celeborn assured Rumil. “But you cannot
give up like that. Haldir and Orophin would want you
to live.”
 
Deep down inside his heart Rumil knew Celeborn was
right, but admitting it was hard. “I will try, but I
feel so lost.”
 
“I got the food!” Elladan enthusiastically placed a
tray on Rumil’s lap. “Eat!”
 
Rumil sighed; he wasn’t hungry at all, but he would
eat to please them. Tentatively, he ate some lembas
and cheese. Celeborn told him to drink the tea, and he
complied. 
 
Elrohir returned from the balcony. “The sun is warm
and pleasant and will do him good.”
 
Celeborn urged Rumil to finish the lembas, which he
did, and then fussed over the younger Elf, whilst
helping him to his feet. “You are much too thin,
Rumil.”
 
Rumil was too busy concentrating on putting one foot
in front of the other to comment. Suddenly, a strong
arm wrapped itself around his waist, and he found
Glorfindel at his side. The blond’s expression was
worried. 
 
“Uhm, Ata’da? Glorfindel? Do you still need us?”
Elladan and Elrohir looked at them. “We are quite
hungry ourselves, and—“
 
Celeborn nodded his approval. “Off you go then, but
join us for dinner later.” Celeborn smiled after them
when the twins left. Their company had done Rumil much
good. Glorfindel was now leading Rumil to the chair. 
 
Celeborn leaned against the railing, watching the two
of them, and liked what he saw. Realizing he wasn’t
needed, he left the balcony and prepared to contact
his wife. Galadriel would want to know how Rumil was
doing
 
Rumil collapsed onto the chair and shivered.
Glorfindel clasped the younger Elf’s hand in his,
sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Those chills won’t
go away for another few days.”
 
“How do you know?” Rumil looked curiously at
Glorfindel and then remembered that the blond had been
at Mandos himself. “What was it like for you?”
 
“Cold and lonely,” said Glorfindel in a pained tone.
Pushing his memories away, he looked up at Rumil and
caught another shiver. “I am glad you returned to
Arda.”
 
Rumil blushed weakly at hearing that admission. Lost
for words, he smiled at Glorfindel, but suddenly
images of Haldir and Orophin’s corpses made him
whimper softly. His eyes widened, tears flowed from
the grey eyes, and he wrapped his arms around his
waist, rocking back and forth.
 
“Aiya, Rumil.” Glorfindel gently lifted Rumil in his
arms and held him tight. Sitting down on the floor, he
cradled Rumil against his chest and sat quietly while
the younger Elf sobbed. He stroked the hair, and
noticed that silver was returning between still grey
locks. “Being able to let go of your pain like that
will be your salvation.”
 
Rumil raised tear-stained eyes, staring at him
questioningly. Glorfindel’s heart broke, seeing the
desperate expression in them. “Their deaths will haunt
you for a long time.”
 
Rumil nodded, and violent tremors shook his body. “I
cannot forget the look in their eyes when…“
 
“When they died,” said Glorfindel softly. “Child, you
saw too much.” If only he could take away the ugly
memories, soothe the pain. “Hold onto me. I will keep
you safe.”
 
Another wail left Rumil’s lips as his fingers clawed
at Glorfindel’s shirt. He buried his head in the soft,
golden locks and held on to the blond for dear life as
memories and pain ripped through him. “Do not leave me
alone… Do not leave me… Stay…”
 
“I will stay. I won’t leave you,” promised Glorfindel
passionately, hoping he could keep his promise.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrond released an angry growl when the Orc threw him
onto the floor. Erestor landed hard close to him and
Elrond glared at the Uruk-Hai, who now closed the oak
door behind him. Alone, the two Elves exchanged a
look. 
 
Erestor immediately recognized the fury in Elrond’s
eyes and said defensively, “I did not have a choice!
My first duty is to protect you!” 
 
Growling softly, Elrond tried to calm down. “I cannot
believe you did that! Do you realize what will happen
next? They will question you… hurt you,” he added in a
softer tone. “I do not want to see you hurt!” 
 
Lowering his gaze, Erestor stared at the floor. “I
could not risk them questioning you. I do not doubt
that you will keep quiet about Imladris’ defenses, but
they would hurt you! I would rather have them hurt me
instead.”
 
Elrond brushed the dirt from his tunic and sat down
next to Erestor, who still refused to meet his gaze.
“You should not have done that.” Elrond grew quiet,
wondering why Erestor was this determined to protect
him. How many pieces of the puzzle was he missing?
“Erestor, why did you do it?”
 
“I already told you. My first duty is to you.” Erestor
didn’t dare look Elrond in the eyes, afraid that the
half-Elf would see behind the mask. 
 
“You will tell them you lied when they return.”
 
“They won’t believe me.” Erestor drew in a deep
breath, trying to mentally prepare himself for the
grueling hours to come. 
 
The shivers that ran down Erestor’s spine made Elrond
fold an arm around his advisor’s shoulders. To his
surprise, Erestor jerked away from him, staring in
shock. “Mellon-nîn?” Who would Erestor shun his touch?

 
Erestor flinched at seeing the hurt expression in
Elrond’s eyes. “I am sorry,” he whispered, wishing he
could give in and enjoy Elrond’s comforting touch, but
he did not dare let down his guard. 
 
Elrond was about to reassure him when the door
abruptly opened. Two Orcs, and the Uruk-Hai who had
been in charge earlier, entered. “You,” the Uruk-Hai
growled, pointing a claw at Erestor, “You’re coming
with us to answer some questions.”
 
“I won’t tell you a thing,” said Erestor calmly, but
he trembled when the two Orcs hauled him to his feet. 
 
“Leave him alone! It is –me- you want! –I- am Elrond
Half-Elven!” Elrond jumped to his feet, trying to push
the Orcs away from Erestor, but the Uruk-Hai stepped
forward and shoved him hard against the wall. A knife
was pressed against his throat and Elrond glared at
his enemy. “Leave him alone,” he hissed. A loud roar
rang in Elrond’s ears and the knife pressed into his
flesh, drawing blood. 
 
The Uruk-Hai cocked his head and glared at him. “You
are expendable, Elf. I will kill you if you give me
any trouble.”
 
Elrond wasn’t going to antagonize the creature any
further, wanting to stay alive so he could help
Erestor later. His gaze shifted from the Uruk-Hai to
Erestor and he caught a ripple of fear in the large
brown eyes. “Please do not do this,” he said in a
pleading tone. Growing quiet, his eyes begged Erestor
to reconsider.
 
Erestor shook his head. “I must.” He went willingly
when the Orcs led him out of the room. Looking one
more time over his shoulder, he imprinted Elrond’s
features in his memory, not sure he would ever see the
half-Elf again. 
 
Elrond’s heart missed a beat, seeing the determined
expression in Erestor’s eyes. The Noldorin Elf would
not break, would not tell the Uruk-Hai what he wanted
to know and endure all pain. Elrond’s head slumped
forward in defeat as he waited for the screams to
start.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrond was furious. For the last hour Erestor’s
screams had echoed through the corridor and Elrond
banged a fist into the wall, blaming himself for
getting them in this situation. Why had he suggested
joining the patrol? Erestor should be safe in
Imladris, not being tormented by these foul creatures!

 
The pain-filled screams slowly faded away and Elrond’s
jaw was set firmly, hearing footfalls in the corridor
and a strange scraping sound. Elrond swallowed hard,
realizing Erestor was being dragged toward their cell.
Had the beasts injured his friend that badly?
 
Elrond stayed clear of the door. The Uruk-Hai had
warned him earlier and he would do nothing to cause
the creature’s wrath. Erestor needed him alive, not
dead or severely injured! 
 
The door finally opened and Erestor was dropped
unceremoniously onto the cold stone floor. Elrond
glared at the Uruk-Hai in hate, but when the door
closed, he concentrated on Erestor. 
 
Erestor’s face was badly bruised and he sported one
black eye. Blood showed at the hair roots from when
they had pulled his hair out and a few bald spots
showed between the black tresses. Erestor’s breathing
was shallow and wheezing. A closer examination showed
a bruised, maybe even broken jaw. Elrond cradled
Erestor’s right hand in his and whimpered softly,
encountering broken fingers and bleeding fingertips.
Had those monsters actually pulled Erestor’s nails?
 
A furious howl started deep in his throat and Elrond
groaned, finding more injuries when his fingertips
slipped inside the tunic. At least one rib was broken,
maybe even more! “They will pay for what they did to
you,” vowed Elrond in an icy tone. His heart fluttered
when Erestor’s unfocused gaze locked with his. “This
must stop.”
 
Erestor tried to smile to reassure Erestor, but his
jaw hurt too much and it turned into a grimace. “I…
won’t… tell them,” he stuttered in a weak tone. He
almost raised his left hand to caress Elrond’s face,
but he stopped himself just in time. “Help… will
arrive… shortly.”
 
Elrond shook his head, saddened. “It will take a while
before Glorfindel realizes something is amiss. The
patrol is not supposed to return to Imladris until
late tonight.” Carefully, he brushed some long,
bloodied locks from Erestor’s face, which was becoming
black and blue. “I can lessen the pain.” He wanted to
place his hands on either side of Erestor’s head to
start the healing process when his friend weakly shook
his head. “You do not want me to help?”
 
“You will need… your strength… later. They might…
resort… to tormenting you… when I do not break.”
Erestor’s eyes closed momentarily. He was trying hard
to not breathe too deeply, for his chest hurt. “I
still think that… I did the right thing.”
 
Elrond tenderly caressed Erestor’s hair, cringing at
the bruises that were still forming on the Elf’s face
and throat. “You –“ Lost for words, he moistened his
lips. “Erestor –“
 
Erestor raised his left hand to stop Elrond. “The only
thing… that matters… is that you survive… Your
children… need a father…” 
 
Elrond’s features contorted in agony. “But I need you
too.”
 
Erestor’s weak smile returned. “You do not need me…
You never did.”
 
“But I do! You are so wrong!” Elrond’s eyes widened.
“You are important to me, very important!” The
expression in Erestor’s eyes changed, and Elrond
involuntarily held his breath. “What is it?”
 
Erestor flinched, hearing footfalls return to the
corridor. He was about to confess his love when the
Uruk-Hai flung open the door and entered. Cringing, he
gathered his strength and courage, realizing the
questioning was about to continue. 
 
“You cannot have him!” Elrond carefully lowered
Erestor’s battered form onto the floor and stood
protectively in front of the Elf. “I won’t allow it!”
 
The Uruk-Hai laughed loudly, raised a hand, and at his
sign three Orcs marched into the room, pushing Elrond
against the wall, keeping him in place. “Don’t defy
me, Elf. The only reason you are still alive is
because I might need you later. Maybe hurting you will
loosen Elrond’s tongue.” 
 
Erestor’s lips were a straight line when the Orcs
dragged him into the corridor, never releasing a
groan. Unable to walk unaided, he hung limply in their
hold. 
 
Elrond’s anger amused the Uruk-Hai. “I might torture
you later, just for the pleasure of it!” Turning
about, he left the cell. The Orcs released Elrond, who
shook them off. Laughing, the Orcs left as well. 
 
Dropping to his knees, Elrond glared at the door. A
moment later, the screams started all over again.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrond stood frozen in the corner of the cell. Erestor
had stopped screaming some time ago, and that worried
him most. /Elbereth, please let him be alive./ In all
those millennia he had never thought he could lose
Erestor. The Noldorin Elf had become his other half
without him noticing it. 
 
He raised his eyes, hearing footfalls in the corridor.
His body was tense like a bowstring, ready to fling
himself at their capturers, but when the door opened,
he whimpered in shock. 
 
Erestor was thrown into the cell and Elrond caught him
quickly, cradling him in his arms and lowering him
onto the floor. “By Elbereth, what did they do to
you?” Choking with emotion, he smoothed back the dark
hair. Erestor’s bruised face and bloodshed eyes made
him cringe and he gently buried his friend’s face
against his chest. “Do not die on me, Erestor.”
 
Erestor’s eyelids fluttered and it took him most of
his strength to look at Elrond. There was no place
that didn’t hurt and the metallic tang of blood in his
mouth told him they had hurt him so badly that he was
bleeding internally. They had beaten him for what
seemed hours. But had it really been hours or just
minutes? He had lost all track of time. 
 
Looking into Elrond’s eyes, he saw tears in them. “Do
not…cry for me…” The pain in his jaw had worsened and
he tried to speak or move as little as possible, but
there was one more thing he had to say. His chances at
survival diminished with every beating and he doubted
he would survive another one. He wanted to unburden
his soul before traveling to Mandos. 
 
Elrond caught Erestor’s good hand in his and squeezed
it gently. “Do not speak. Do not tire yourself. Help
will arrive shortly.”
 
“It won’t,” whispered Erestor exhausted. The pain was
growing worse and he was worried he would lose
consciousness before admitting his feelings. “Elrond?”
 
Elrond leaned in closer, pulling Erestor close to his
chest. “What do you want to tell me?” Seeing Erestor
in this much pain tore his heart in two. 
 
Erestor moistened his lips, tasting dried blood. “I
love you, Elrond… I never wanted… you to know…but now
that…” Agony coursed through his body and he tensed in
Elrond’s arms, trying to hold onto consciousness a
little longer. “Loved you… for so long…”
 
“How long?” A lump formed in Elrond’s throat at
hearing Erestor’s unexpected admission. Finally he had
found the missing piece of the puzzle.
 
“For… millennia…” Erestor’s eyes suddenly rolled back
until only the white showed. 
 
Elrond whimpered softly. “Do not leave me!” Pulling
Erestor close to his chest, he fought back his tears.
This was not the time to give into despair. “I cannot
believe you never told me. So this is why you always
hid behind a mask, never showing your feelings. You
loved me for millennia and never told me.” Cautiously
holding the raven haired Elf, he hoped Glorfindel had
realized by now that something was amiss.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
“My lord Celeborn?” Glorfindel urgently signaled for
the silver haired Elf to enter. He had managed to move
Rumil back to the bed, but the younger Elf still clung
to him, making it impossible for him to carry out his
usual duties. “I need your help.”
 
Celeborn nodded once, pleased that Glorfindel was
still at Rumil’s side. He knew his youngest well
enough to realize that Glorfindel would be stuck with
Rumil for some time. Apparently he had chosen
Glorfindel as his lifeline. 
 
“One of my men told me that today’s patrol has not
returned yet and I am worried something has happened
to Elrond and Erestor.” Glorfindel bit his bottom lip,
angry with himself for not noticing earlier, but it
was hard to keep on top of things with a ‘Lorien Elf
stuck to you. “Would you ride out, with an escort of
course, to see what happened?”
 
Celeborn frowned deeply, worried as well. “Elrond and
Erestor might be in danger, then.”
 
“I should not have allowed them to join this patrol!
What was I thinking? Endangering them like that?”
Guilt showed on Glorfindel’s face.
 
Celeborn headed for the doorway, eager to check on his
son-in-law and his advisor. 
 
Glorfindel swallowed hard. “What if they ran into
Orcs? He was mad with himself for not thinking this
through. “Forget it, I am riding out myself. Here,
take Rumil.”
 
But Rumil had other ideas. In his sleep, he refused to
let go of Glorfindel and tightened his hold until it
became hard for Glorfindel to breathe properly. Only
when he stopped trying to move away did Rumil relent
somewhat. 
 
“Stay here,” said Celeborn in a firm tone. “Rumil
needs you. I will ride and secure Elrond and Erestor.”
 
“I will never forgive myself if someone happened to
them!” Glorfindel stared hard at Celeborn. “You must
find them!”
 
“I will.” Celeborn marched into the corridor, headed
for the twins’ rooms, knocked, and waited for them to
appear. Apparently Elrohir had already been asleep,
because the eyes that met his were still heavy with
dreams. “Get dressed. We are riding out.”
 
Elrohir instantly fully awoke. “Elladan, we are
leaving!’
 
Elladan joined them. Seeing Celeborn’s worried
expression, he raised an eyebrow questioningly. 
 
“It is your father and Erestor. This morn’s patrol has
not yet returned.” Celeborn’s heart twisted in his
chest when he saw realization dawn on them. 
 
“Then what are we waiting for?“ Upset, Elrohir grabbed
his cloak and boots and pulled Elladan along as he
headed for the stables. “What if they met with
Saruman’s creatures? By Elbereth, Ada and Erestor are
no match for them! I knew it was folly to let them
go!” His stallion was already saddled and he mounted
quickly, followed by Elladan and Celeborn. Looking
about, he noticed twenty of Glorfindel’s men had
joined them. Apparently Glorfindel also thought
something terrible had happened! 
 
Elladan sensed his brother’s anxiety and mounted as
well, riding behind Celeborn who led the patrol. His
hands were clammy and his mouth awfully dry. He didn’t
dare think of what could have happened to his father
and Erestor! 
 
“We will find them,” said Celeborn in a reassuring
tone, but privately he worried as well. He should have
kept an eye on things now Glorfindel was taking care
of Rumil. He was to blame for this!
 
Elrohir urged his stallion to greater speed and
scouted ahead. When Elladan broke free of the escort
to join him, he looked at his twin. “We must hurry.
Every moment might count.”
 
“What possessed us to let them go?” Elladan’s dark
eyes simmered with emotion. “We should have stopped
them from joining that patrol!”
 
“It is too late now,” said Elrohir softly. “They left
and all we can do now is hope we will find them
quickly.” Suddenly Elladan released a distressed
whimper and Elrohir immediately followed the direction
of his twin’s gaze. On the ground, partly hidden by
fallen leaves, was one of the Elves that had been part
of Elrond’s escort. 
 
Shaky, Elrohir dismounted to check on the Elf. “He is
dead,” he whispered, saddened, and raised the sword
that lay next to the Elf. “Orcs.” It was one of the
dark blades forged in the pits of Isengard. 
 
“Ada...” Elladan’s voice faltered. “Where is he? And
what about Erestor?”
 
Elrohir studied the tracks on the ground, thankful
that Estel had taught him how to read them. “Someone
struggled here…”
 
“Ada and Erestor. Follow those tracks, Elrohir.”
Elladan signaled Celeborn and their escort to join
them. His burning eyes locked with his grandfather. 
 
Celeborn paled, seeing the dead Elf near the tree. His
worst fear was quickly becoming true! Realizing
Elrohir was walking away from them, they followed the
half-Elf. 
 
Elrohir mounted again, urging his stallion into a
gallop. “This way!” Elrohir signaled for them to
follow, which they did. “There are ten Orcs at least
and one larger set of footsteps. There might be
Uruk-Hai as well.”
 
“I am ready for them,” hissed Elladan; the hate in his
voice was palpable. 
 
Celeborn’s sharp eyes made out a small cottage in the
distance. Men once settled at the Northern borders. 
 
Elrohir bared his teeth. “I will kill them one by one.
Slowly, if they have hurt Ada.”
 
Celeborn shivered at his grandson’s tone, but
understood perfectly.
 
TBC
 
Beta read by Ilye, thanks!
 
 
Silent Heart 
Part 5
 
“No! Let him be!” Elrond stared numbly as the door closed behind the 
Uruk-Hai, who had taken Erestor. His heart told him that Erestor wouldn’t 
survive more torture and he banged his fists against the door. Maybe if he 
managed to draw the Uruk-Hai’s attention the creature would leave 
Erestor alone!
 
/If only I had used my healing powers as I wanted. Why did he stop me? 
Erestor would be stronger now./ But he had barely had the chance to heal 
Erestor. The Uruk-Hai had appeared too quickly for him to heal the 
damage done to Erestor. Sliding down the wall, he hit the cold floor and 
sat cross-legged, staring dazedly in front of him. 
 
Erestor’s blood clung to his hands and he shuddered, recalling the state his 
friend was in. Growing back those fingernails would take six weeks at 
least and -- /Why did he never tell me he loved me?/ Elrond still hadn’t 
come to terms with that admission. /He loves me. Erestor has loved me for 
millennia and never told me! Erestor, why did you keep silent for so many 
years? Why suffer in silence?/  His heart twisted in his chest and Elrond 
wrung his hands as despair came over him. 
 
/What if he dies? Elbereth, do not let him die, not now when I finally 
found out about his feelings. Fate cannot be that cruel./ Forgotten was Gil-
galad; forgotten was Celebrian. Erestor had loved him all this time and 
had respected the lovers he had taken, never uttering a word of 
disapproval. Erestor had always been loyal to him and now he fully 
understood why. 
 
Long moments passed by and Elrond stared listlessly at the floor. He hated 
being this helpless. /Why did I convince him to come along? He liked the 
peace and quiet and I had to --/ Unable to finish that thought, he buried his 
head in his hands. 
 
He jumped to his feet, suddenly alert at hearing a marching sound in the 
corridor. Once more feet dragged over the floor. “Erestor, be alive!” 
 
When the door opened, Erestor was once more thrown into the cell and 
Elrond caught him. Looking at Erestor he forgot to breathe momentarily; 
the Elf’s face had been cut with a knife and the slashes were still bleeding. 
“No,” he whispered in misery, lowering the Elf onto the floor. Feeling 
eyes on him, he glared at the Uruk-Hai who was leaning against the 
doorway with a smug grin on his face. /You will pay for this,/ vowed 
Elrond privately. 
 
Studying them, the Uruk-Hai finally realized what would make his 
prisoner talk. Next time, he would threaten the Elf’s companion; that 
might loosen his tongue! The time that it was taking to break the Ruler of 
Imladris annoyed him. He had thought the Elf to be weak and fragile, but 
the opposite was the case. However, he wasn’t giving up.  
 
The Uruk-Hai closed the door behind him and now that their tormentor 
had left, Elrond gently rocked Erestor in his arms. The raven haired Elf’s 
injuries were countless and Elrond could feel Erestor slipping away from 
him. 
 
He felt grateful that Erestor was unconscious, for now the pain didn’t 
register. “I won’t listen to you any longer. I refuse to let you slip away.” 
Only a day ago he had pulled Rumil back from the brink and using his 
healing powers again this shortly would surely exhaust him. But he didn’t 
have a choice; he couldn’t let Erestor die. 
 
Placing his hands on either side of Erestor’s head, he drew in a deep 
breath, trying to concentrate, but a sudden noise attracted his attention. His 
eyes widened at hearing the voices. /Is that Elrohir? And Celeborn?/ 
 
Staring at the door, he waited, hoping help had finally arrived.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrohir saw red when two Orcs raised their swords, wanting to attack him. 
Shooting an arrow, he took out the first and then buried his sword in the 
other’s throat. Both dropped dead to the ground. 
 
“Leave some for me, brother,” hissed Elladan. He jumped from his horse 
and charged at the Orc that was defending the doorway. 
 
“Do not worry, Elladan,” sneered Elrohir, “There are enough of them 
left.”
 
Celeborn shivered, seeing the hate in the twins’ eyes as they took out 
another Orc. Suddenly a larger pack appeared from behind the house. 
There were about twenty-five of them and he signaled for his escort to 
dismount and take care of the threat. He chose to follow the twins into the 
house, trusting them to lead him to Elrond. 
 
“Elrohir!” Celeborn called out a warning, seeing the Uruk-Hai appear 
from the shadows. The creature was wielding two long knives, and 
lurched for Elrohir. 
 
Elrohir stepped back, raised his sword and blocked the attack. “He is 
mine,” growled Elrohir angrily. He had already noticed the blood clinging 
to the Uruk-Hai’s hands and armor, and mentally prepared for the worst 
possible scenario. /If that is Ada’s blood on his hands I will kill him very 
slowly…/ 
 
Driven by anger, he managed to disarm the Uruk-Hai who was now 
backed up against the wall. Although he was at Elrohir’s mercy, defiance 
and loathing shone from the creature’s eyes.
 
“Where are the Elves?” Celeborn stopped Elrohir from striking a lethal 
blow, locking eyes with the creature. “Where are they?”
 
The Uruk-Hai laughed. “I’m not telling you.”
 
“We will find Ada without his help,” said Elladan in a disgusted tone. 
 
Elrohir nodded once, raised his sword and with one swift stroke 
decapitated the Uruk-Hai. The head dropped first onto the floor, quickly 
followed by the body whilst spasms coursed through the now headless 
corpse. 
 
Celeborn sighed, distressed. “He could have told us where to find Elrond.”
 
“We do not need him,” said Elladan in a firm tone. He closed his eyes, 
cocked his head, and listened to that special connection that had formed 
between them at birth. “Follow me.” Elrond had often teased them with 
the fact that they always managed to find them, even when he was trying 
to have an undisturbed moment, but Elladan now thanked Elbereth that he 
was able to do this.
 
Elrohir followed his twin downstairs, sensing his father’s presence as well. 
 
Celeborn watched them come to a stop, glaring at the oak door that kept 
them from reaching Elrond. “We need an axe.”
 
Elladan nodded, climbed the stairs again and returned with an axe. “Stand 
back.” Swinging the axe, he let it crash near the lock, which shattered into 
tiny pieces. Finally the last obstacle had been removed. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Elrond held Erestor tightly, ignoring his friend’s injuries as the need to 
feel him close overwhelmed the half-Elf.  Then he heard metal clashing 
and the roar of outraged Orcs.  “Help is on the way, mellon-nîn. Hold on a 
little longer!” His heart thundered, hearing an axe impact on the lock. A 
moment later, the door opened and Elladan stormed inside. 
 
Elladan’s first reaction was to smile at his father, but that smile froze on 
his face seeing the state Erestor was in. “By Elbereth…” His voice trailed 
off and the axe fell from his hand, dropping hard onto the floor. The 
metallic noise sent shivers through Erestor’s body and the Elf’s eyes 
suddenly widened with pain when he regained consciousness. 
 
Erestor’s bruised lips opened to release a scream, but no sound emerged. 
His eyes blinked when blood dripped into them and his body tensed, 
expecting another beating. 
 
Elrond soothed him at once, whispering softly, “You are safe now, 
mellon-nîn. I am going to take you to Imladris where you will make a full 
recovery. I will look after you.” Elrond was so focused on Erestor that he 
never realized tears were gliding down his face. 
 
Erestor’s eyes closed, and his body went limp as he lost consciousness 
again. 
 
Celeborn and Elrohir now entered as well, both cringing at the condition 
Erestor was in. 
 
“Why did they do this to him?” Elrohir dropped to his knees and gently 
brushed bloodied locks away from Erestor’s bruised face. “Ada?” Looking 
to Elrond for answers, he was shocked to see tears running down his 
father’s cheeks. 
 
“They wanted to know about Imladris’ defenses. I wish he had told them.” 
Elrond looked up and made eye contact with Celeborn. “I know that there 
are packs of raiding Orcs and Uruk-Hai about, but we would have found a 
way to deal with those!”
 
“But why question Erestor?” Elladan’s voice trembled, addressing his 
father. Turning away, he addressed a member of their escort and asked 
him to construct a litter; Erestor was in no condition to ride a horse. 
 
“Erestor told them he was me. They thought they were questioning Elrond 
Half-Elven.” Elrond shook his head. “I tried to tell them, but they did not 
believe me.” His fingers clawed at the dirtied fabric of Erestor’s robes, 
still holding on tight. “Why are we wasting time talking? I want him safe 
at home, not lying here on the cold floor!”
 
“They are building a litter,” said Elladan reassuringly. He placed a hand 
on his father’s shoulder and squeezed gently. He was worried that more 
injuries were hidden beneath the robes. 
 
Elrohir cleared his throat, trying to do away with the lump that had 
formed. “Erestor is always in control, and seeing him like this is…” Lost 
for words, he made eye contact with his father. “He looks so vulnerable.”
 
Elrond cradled Erestor against his chest. Lifting his charge, he slowly rose 
from the floor. When Celeborn offered to help him carry Erestor, he 
refused. From this moment on, Erestor’s recovery was his responsibility. 
 
Elladan and Elrohir followed and fell into step at their father’s side when 
they stepped into the open. 
 
Elrond’s face was emotionless, encountering the slaughtered Orcs. “What 
about the Uruk-Hai?”
 
“He is dead,” said Elladan firmly. “Was it he who did this to Erestor?”
 
Elrond nodded once. “I wanted to kill the beast personally.” But the Uruk-
Hai was dead and now he had to concentrate on helping Erestor heal. He 
walked over to the litter, and gently placed Erestor’s battered form on it. 
Cradling Erestor’s good hand in his, he said, “Give me your cloaks.”
 
Elladan removed his cloak and Elrond covered Erestor with it, tucking it 
around the other’s form. He repeated the procedure when Celeborn handed 
him his cloak as well. It was not the cold of the air he worried about, but 
the chill of Mandos. Was Erestor’s healing ability strong enough to keep 
him from slipping away? 
 
“He would not have survived another beating,” whispered Elrond, walking 
next to the litter. He refused to mount his horse, unwilling to leave 
Erestor’s side. Two Elves carried the litter while he gently rubbed 
Erestor’s knuckles. 
 
Elladan and Elrohir didn’t mount either and walked on the other side of 
the litter, keeping close to their father and Erestor; their instincts told them 
that Elrond needed their support.
 
Celeborn rode at the head of the escort, making sure they didn’t run into 
additional trouble. Looking over his shoulder, his gaze became sad, seeing 
Erestor’s blue lips and closed eyes. /How do I tell Glorfindel what 
happened? He will blame himself, but this was not his fault. I should have 
taken over when Rumil kept him from performing his duties./
 
Elrond briefly met Celeborn’s gaze, but then concentrated on Erestor 
again. “Only a little longer, mellon-nîn and then we will be home again.” 
He would take Erestor to his private rooms where he could supervise his 
friend’s recovery. 
 
Channeling a small amount of his healing power, he sent the energy 
through his fingers and into Erestor’s hand. It was just enough to drive 
away the blue hue from Erestor’s lips. “Do not give up, mellon-nîn. Stay 
with me.” 
 
Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a look at hearing their father’s words. 
Elrond was expressing their feelings as well. “I never realized how much I 
care about Erestor,” said Elladan thoughtfully. “He was always there for 
us. A bit distant, but always ready to help.”
 
Elrond nodded, saddened. /And now I know why he was this distant. He 
was hiding his feelings from us, but not any more. I will confront him with 
those feelings once he is recovering. I won’t let him get away with this./ 
 
“He is a part of this family,” added Elrohir, “but we never said it aloud.” 
 
“Maybe it is time we did,” said Elladan, “Especially since he was hurt 
trying to protect you, Ada.” He was still baffled that Erestor had pretended 
to be Elrond; the advisor must have known what the Orcs would do to 
him! /I never realized just how loyal he is!/
 
They grew silent and Elrond continued to rub the back of Erestor’s hand, 
sending tiny amounts of his energy into the battered body. Looking up, he 
saw the last Homely House appear to his right. “We are home, mellon-
nîn.” But Erestor, still unconscious, didn’t respond.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Glorfindel heard the party return. The horses’ hooves announced their 
arrival and he finally managed to free himself of Rumil’s vice-like grip. 
He still blamed himself for not realizing anything was amiss; hopefully 
nothing had happened to Elrond and Erestor!
 
Rumil groaned pitifully, squirming in the bed, searching for Glorfindel’s 
warm body. 
 
Glorfindel was tempted to return to the bed, but first he had to make sure 
Elrond and Erestor were well. He tiptoed over to the window, making as 
little noise as possible, wanting Rumil to remain asleep, and looked down 
at the courtyard. 
 
His eyes widened in shock and he grabbed the windowsill, needing to 
anchor himself at seeing Erestor’s battered face. What had happened to his 
friend? Glorfindel’s knuckles were white, and he released the breath he 
had involuntarily been holding. His next glance was at Elrond, and he was 
relieved to find the half-Elf unhurt. 
 
Suddenly it was very important to him to check on Erestor for himself and 
he dashed out of the room, momentarily forgetting about Rumil.
 
Rumil’s eyes opened, as the need to feel Glorfindel close overwhelmed 
him. He was startled to find the bed empty and his eyes hungrily scanned 
the room. Distressed, he realized he was alone. 
 
Alone. He had been alone since his brothers had died and no, he didn’t 
want to think of them. Glorfindel had kept the memories at bay, but now 
that the blond was gone, they were surfacing again. Curling up into a tight 
ball, he wrapped his arms around his knees. Why had Glorfindel left? Had 
the elder Elf finally tired of his childish behavior? 
 
Rumil sat upright, swung his feet onto the floor and tentatively rose from 
the bed. He reached out to the wall for support and he halted in his 
movements, trying to deal with the fact that the room was spinning. A few 
moments later, the dizziness left and he cautiously took another step 
toward the doorway. Slowly, he made his way into the corridor. Hearing 
voices, he recognized Celeborn and Glorfindel’s, and followed them. 
 
A full moon illuminated the dark midnight sky and his eyes narrowed, 
trying to take in the sight in front of him. A litter was being carried inside, 
followed by three dark-haired Elves. Celeborn and Glorfindel stood near 
the horses and both sounded distressed and worried. 
 
Still unsteady on his feet, he leaned against the wall, watching them. 
Celeborn was the father he had never had, and Glorfindel — he wasn’t so 
sure what Glorfindel meant to him. He was so easily confused now that 
Haldir and Orophin were gone. He wasn’t used to dealing with everything 
on his own! 
 
Drawing in his next breath became increasingly difficult and his eyes 
briefly closed as he tried to steady his breathing. 
 
Glorfindel suddenly saw movement near the doorway and nearly cursed, 
seeing Rumil sway on his feet. 
 
Celeborn’s gaze followed Glorfindel’s and he grew worried as well, 
seeing the pallor and cold sweat on the younger Elf’s face. “What are you 
doing out here?”
 
“You should be in bed!” Glorfindel folded one arm around Rumil and 
pulled him down the corridor, heading for Rumil’s guest rooms. “You are 
not yet strong enough to leave your room!”
 
Rumil managed a weak smile, but lacked the energy to voice his thoughts. 
They didn’t make sense anyway as they were running in circles, constantly 
focusing on his brothers’ deaths. It felt good to have Glorfindel close 
again and he leaned into the embrace, drawing strength and comfort from 
the elder Elf. “I am sorry I am being a bother,” he whispered eventually. 
 
Glorfindel’s eyes lit up at hearing Rumil speak. The younger Elf had come 
a long way since his arrival at Imladris, and Glorfindel felt it was safe to 
say that Rumil would eventually recover. “You are not a bother, Rumil. 
You are hurting and I feel honored that you are letting me in. That cannot 
be easy on you.”
 
They had reached the guest quarters and Glorfindel guided Rumil back to 
the bed. “Lie down. You need rest.” 
 
Rumil complied and enjoyed the fact that Glorfindel was fussing over him. 
He was reminded of Haldir, who had always watched over him whenever 
he had been injured. Usually those injuries stemmed from fighting or 
rough housing with Orophin, who most of the time also ended up battered. 
 
“Thank you for staying with me.” It still amazed him that the famous 
Balrog slayer chose to spend time with him. Rumil raised his eyes in silent 
gratitude and met Celeborn’s gaze in the process. “I am sorry I scared 
you,” he said apologetically. “That was never my intention. I did not know 
how to handle this.”
 
Celeborn walked up to Rumil and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You 
could not possibly know how to handle this. Only very few Elves ever lost 
two relatives at the same time, and the three of you were so close. My 
heart mourns as well.”
 
Celeborn’s words brought tears to Rumil’s eyes and he sobbed softly, not 
minding that the two Elves witnessed his pain; they understood why he 
was hurting. “I want them back! Why did they leave me?” 
 
Glorfindel and Celeborn exchanged a look. Celeborn nodded, indicating 
that the Elda should comfort Rumil. 
 
Glorfindel folded both arms around the sobbing Elf’s shoulders and held 
him close, rocking him slowly. Words of comfort wouldn’t come to him, 
so he remained silent and settled for rubbing Rumil’s back in soothing 
circles. 
 
The sobs slowly faded away and Glorfindel gently lowered Rumil onto the 
bed. Looking at Celeborn, he nodded once. “I will look after him. See if 
you can find out how Erestor fares.”
 
“And I will perform your duties while you are watching over Rumil. This 
cannot happen again.” Now that he knew Rumil was in good hands, 
Celeborn left the guest rooms to enquire about Erestor’s injuries.
 
Glorfindel deeply inhaled Rumil’s scent and pressed a chaste kiss on the 
hair that was slowly turning silver again. “Sleep. I will watch over you.”
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
“Take him to my private chambers,” instructed Elrond. “Elladan, fetch 
clean cloths and warm water. Elrohir, come with me.” Elrond marched 
into his rooms and quickly selected the herbs, healing plants and salves he 
needed to tend to Erestor’s injuries. Looking over his shoulder, he found 
that Erestor had been placed on his bed and that Elrohir was standing next 
to the wounded Elf, obviously at a loss for what to do. 
 
“We must remove his robes and check on his injuries.” Elrond placed the 
herbs on the nightstand and signaled for Elrohir to assist him. Slowly, they 
maneuvered Erestor into an upright position, carefully peeling the robes 
from the battered body. Small pieces of fabric stuck to Erestor’s skin 
where the blood had dried. 
 
Elladan returned with the cloths and water and placed them onto the table. 
His eyes widened at seeing the lashes on Erestor’s back. “By Elbereth, 
they really hurt him.”
 
Elrond nodded absentmindedly, concentrating on gently removing patches 
of fabric from Erestor’s body. “Elladan, soak the cloth in the water and 
hand it to me.”
 
Elladan complied and handed his father the wet cloth. Elrond drew in a 
deep breath, and first cleaned Erestor’s bruised face. The long gashes, 
caused by a dirty knife, had finally stopped bleeding and he applied salve 
made of healing herbs, hoping it would help close the wounds. 
 
“What about his hair?” asked Elrohir softly. His fingers encountered dried 
blood and small bald spots. Luckily the long, dark tresses covered most of 
those. 
 
“Wash his hair. Use these.” Elrond dropped several herbs and healing 
plants into the bowl, their essence mixing with the water. 
 
Elrohir signaled for Elladan to move behind Erestor and the older twin sat 
down, pulling the elder Elf to his chest. Together, they managed to wash 
Erestor’s hair, removing the dried blood cloths from the long locks. 
 
Elrond now moved to Erestor’s chest, carefully examining his friend’s 
ribcage. “One rib is broken and several are bruised.” He thoroughly 
bandaged Erestor’s ribcage, making sure the bandages offered sufficient 
support. 
 
Elrohir refrained from braiding Erestor’s hair, wanting him to be as 
comfortable as possible. 
 
“Remain in that position,” said Elrond, addressing Elladan. “Continue to 
support him - and Elrohir, sit down here.” He waited for his youngest son 
to seat himself in front of Erestor and then helped his friend lean against 
Elrohir. That way he could tend to Erestor’s back. “I hope you made that 
Uruk-Hai suffer.”
 
Elrohir moistened his lips. “His death was too swift.” He almost regretted 
killing the monster that quickly. 
 
Elrond finished cleaning the gashes on Erestor’s back and applied the 
healing balm once more. “He will be in a considerable amount of pain for 
some time.”
 
Elrond, aided by Elrohir, removed Erestor’s leggings and he was relieved 
to find no unexpected injuries. 
 
“What about his hand?” Elladan had noticed the missing fingernails. 
 
“They will grow back, but the flesh will remain tender for some weeks.” 
Elrond stared at Erestor’s injured hand. “But I am more worried about his 
broken fingers.” After setting them the best way he could, he wrapped 
them tightly in long strips of cloth. “I need a sling.”
 
For the first time in his life, Elladan felt thankful for his father’s lessons in 
first aid. Elrond had taught his sons how to care for the wounded and 
Elladan quickly constructed a sling. With his brother’s help, he fastened 
the sling and settled Erestor’s arm and hand in it so the limb was properly 
supported. 
 
Elrond groaned softly, seeing specks of blood on Erestor’s lips. “He is 
bleeding internally.”
 
“What do we do?” Elladan wrapped his arms around Erestor’s waist. It 
was hard to believe that the battered Elf in his arms and his former, distant 
mentor were one and the same person. He had never seen Erestor weak or 
injured before. The regal Elf always seemed untouchable. 
 
“-You- can do nothing,” said Elrond, after drawing in a deep breath, “but –
I- can.” He placed his hands on Erestor’s belly and tenderly stroked the 
warm skin. Concentrating, he focused his energy and allowed it to flow 
into Erestor’s abdomen, hoping it would stop the bleeding. He had closed 
his eyes, and so did not see the awed expression in his son’s eyes. 
 
Elrohir wondered if he would ever be able to do this as well. He would 
welcome having his father’s healing ability, but for now he had to settle 
for supporting Erestor. 
 
Elrond’s eyes opened and his gaze came to rest on Erestor’s face. “He 
should rest now, but one of us must sit with him at all time. When he 
wakes up, he won’t know where he is or what happened.”
 
“We will take turns,” said Elladan determinedly. “Erestor was always 
there for us and now it is our turn to be there for him.”
 
Elrohir nodded his head once. “Ada, we will sit with Erestor as well.” 
 
Elrond’s fingertips still tingled from the release of energy and a rush of 
dizziness swept over him. Elrohir was instantly at his side and he allowed 
his youngest son to guide him to a comfortable chair, where he sat down, 
feeling tired to the bone. 
 
“You should rest as well,” said Elrohir, who knelt in front of his father. 
“Using your healing powers always tires you.”
 
“You are right,” sighed Elrond, tiredly. He was beginning to doze off, but 
fought sleep a little longer. “Wake me when he regains consciousness.”
 
“We will,” promised Elrohir. “Now rest.”
 
Elrond dozed off, but his last thought was for Erestor. /You won’t go 
through this alone. I will be there for you, and now that I know you love 
me, I will pursue you./ 
 
Elrohir and Elladan exchanged a glance. “We must watch both of them,” 
said Elladan thoughtfully. 
 
“We should help Erestor attain a more comfortable position,” said Elrohir. 
He rose from the floor and helped Elladan to lower Erestor onto the bed. 
Elladan skillfully maneuvered away from behind the elder Elf and sat on 
the edge of the bed, covering Erestor with a blanket. 
 
Elrohir looked over his shoulder, and after seeing that Elrond was sound 
asleep, his gaze shifted to Erestor’s face. “If Erestor had not told those 
Orcs he was Elrond Half-Elven we would be tending to Ada now.”
 
“I know. Erestor is far more loyal to Ada than I thought.” Elladan studied 
Erestor’s bruised face and suddenly his eyes narrowed. “Elrohir?”
 
Elrohir gave his brother a curious look.
 
“Do you think it possible that Erestor…” Elladan’s voice trailed off. 
 
Elrohir quickly made eye contact with his twin. “What?”
 
“I would only sacrifice myself for someone I love, like Ada, Arwen or 
you.”
 
Elrohir nodded, realizing what Elladan was hinting at. “Maybe you are 
right. Maybe Erestor loves Ada in ways we never realized.”
 
Elladan swallowed hard. “Do you think Ada feels the same way? What 
about mother?”
 
“She left many years ago,” said Elrohir slowly. “And I do not want Ada to 
be alone for the rest of his life.”
 
Elladan nodded his head once. “What do we do now?”
 
“Encourage them,” said Elrohir and finally a smile broke through on his 
face. “Ada deserves to be happy.”
 
“Even with Erestor?” But Elladan had to admit his opinion of Erestor was 
changing. 
 
Elrohir examined his feelings and then answered his brother. “Aye, if 
Erestor loves him back.”
 
“I have the feeling he does,” whispered Elladan, taken aback, fully 
realizing how deeply Erestor must care about Elrond. /Both of them 
deserve to be happy./ 
 
 
TBC
Beta read by Ilye, thanks!
 

Silent Heart
Part 6
 
 
Glorfindel woke from his sleep, filled with pleasant dreams, and only then 
realized he had fallen asleep in the first place. /How can I sleep when 
Erestor is so badly hurt? Why did I let them go in the first place? How 
could I take my duty to protect them so lightly?/ Swimming in an ocean of 
guilt, he sighed, distressed, and suddenly stared into alert grayish green 
eyes. Rumil was awake and that encouraging fact momentarily drove 
away his guilty feelings. 
 
“Glorfindel,” whispered Rumil softly. “You are still here?” He was 
surprised to find the blond still at his side. Glorfindel surely had better 
things to do than look after him, but at the same time he was grateful to 
find him this close. It was good to feel Glorfindel’s body heat and to listen 
to the Elf’s breathing now that he could no longer enjoy his brothers’ 
company. He had never thought that death could ever touch his life in that 
way, but now that Haldir and Orophin were dead, he felt lost. It had 
become very clear to him that Elves were mortal after all. A sword, arrow, 
or knife could kill them very well. 
 
Glorfindel wondered about the odd expression in Rumil’s eyes and 
suddenly realized how tight entangled they were; Rumil’s lips were so 
close. Close enough to kiss… Nay! What madness was taking hold of 
him? He shouldn’t even be thinking about kissing Rumil when the 
younger Elf was hurting!
 
Rumil felt mesmerized, looking at Glorfindel. Somehow he had pictured 
the fabled Balrog slayer differently, not this… approachable. In some 
ways Glorfindel reminded him of Haldir. He stifled a gasp, as the loss 
washed through him again. He didn’t want to ask this question, but 
Glorfindel was the only one who knew. “What is Mandos like?”
 
Glorfindel tensed slightly; he had hoped Rumil wouldn’t ask him that 
question. “What do you remember?”
 
“Not much. I do not think I ever really entered. I only remember the cold.”
 
Rumil’s hopeful eyes made Glorfindel uncomfortable. He knew Rumil 
wanted to hear the truth, but he doubted the younger Elf was ready, not 
yet, not now. “It is peaceful there,” he said eventually, lying. 
 
“Do you still remember the ones you loved in life?”
 
Glorfindel barely kept from flinching, remembering his own haunted 
existence there. “Aye, you do. You keep your memories.”
 
“Good, they will offer a lot of comfort then.”
 
Glorfindel nearly averted his eyes, but forced himself to maintain eye 
contact. /Aiya, Rumil, you have no idea how much it hurts to remember 
the ones you love and to be so far apart from them. It is torture, and offers 
no comfort./
 
“Glorfindel?” Rumil moistened his lips, wondering about the look in those 
entrancing blue eyes. 
 
“I was remembering,” said Glorfindel softly. 
 
“You spent many years there.”
 
“Centuries.” Glorfindel hoped Rumil didn’t hear the bitter tone to his 
voice. /And I do not ever want to go back there. Maybe it is different for 
Haldir and Orophin because they have each other./ He had felt utterly 
lonely at Mandos. 
 
“I never witnessed an Elf’s death before – not until Helm’s Deep,” 
whispered Rumil, staring at Glorfindel’s lips. He really wanted to kiss 
them! What was wrong with him? He had never been interested in a male 
before! Suddenly Glorfindel moistened his lips, and that simple movement 
sent a jolt of desire through his body, pooling at his groin.  The sensation 
took him completely by surprise. What was he doing? Thinking? He had 
just lost his brothers and now he was developing feelings for Glorfindel? 
He should be mourning their deaths instead!
 
Glorfindel suddenly recalled Rumil’s admission and added his own, trying 
to distract them from the attraction forming between them. “I saw many of 
them die during my long years, and mainly during the great wars. Most 
Elves think themselves immortal, but it only takes a well aimed blow to 
end a life.”
 
Rumil’s arousal faded, and he buried his head against Glorfindel’s chest. 
“I never realized that before.”
 
“You are still so young.” Glorfindel stroked the long hair that was slowly 
returning to silver. 
 
“I am not –that- young,” said Rumil, slightly annoyed. 
 
Glorfindel managed a smile. “I apologize,” he whispered teasingly. A 
spicy, sweaty scent invaded his nostrils. “Maybe you would like to take a 
bath?”
 
Rumil nodded once. “I would love to.” When was the last time he had 
taken a bath? Glorfindel tried to rise from the bed, but the motion startled 
Rumil, who instantly tightened his hold. 
 
“I have to prepare your bath,” said Glorfindel with mild amusement in his 
voice. 
 
Rumil sighed dejectedly, letting Glorfindel leave the bed. He watched as 
the blond stretched, agile like a cat, and his gaze followed Glorfindel when 
he disappeared into the bathroom. 
 
Glorfindel returned to the room, walked to the bed and gently lifted Rumil 
in his arms. 
 
“I can walk!” protested Rumil. 
 
“You can walk later. I am not taking any risks.” Glorfindel carried his 
charge into the bathroom, sat Rumil down on a chair and began to remove 
his tunic and leggings. Looking at the younger Elf, he found Rumil’s face 
growing flustered. Glorfindel kept his touches light and superficial, and 
when Rumil was finally naked, he led the younger Elf to the pool. 
 
Rumil slowly descended into the pool and sat down. The water was warm 
and drove away what remained of Mandos’ cold. 
 
“I will fetch food and water from the kitchen,” said Glorfindel, feeling like 
a voyeur for staring at Rumil like that. It was time to remove himself from 
the situation and to allow Rumil some privacy. After seeing the younger 
Elf nod his approval, he quickly fled from the room.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Celeborn was on his way to the kitchen when he ran into Glorfindel, who 
looked flushed and slightly nervous. He reached out, grabbed a shoulder 
and forced Glorfindel to stop in his tracks. The blond looked at him like he 
only noticed him now. “Is something amiss with Rumil?” 
 
Glorfindel shook his head. “Nay, he is fine. He is taking a bath and I 
wanted to get him something to eat.”
 
A smile crossed Celeborn’s features. “That is good news indeed. Rumil’s 
pace of recovery pleases me. Must be your company.” Interestingly 
enough, Glorfindel’s blush deepened. Celeborn frowned, trying to recall a 
time when Glorfindel had also blushed, but failed. He had never seen the 
blond in this state. 
 
Glorfindel kept his mouth firmly closed; he was at a loss for words. 
 
Celeborn decided against questioning Glorfindel any farther. “Would you 
like me to look after matters until Rumil no longer demands your complete 
attention?”
 
Glorfindel knew it was the smart thing to do, but still he hesitated. “Keep 
me informed of all urgent matters?” he said eventually. 
 
Celeborn nodded once. “I will.” 
 
They had arrived at the kitchen and each filled a tray with food items. 
Celeborn told Glorfindel what Rumil liked best, and the blond added 
apples, oranges and cherries to the tray at Celeborn’s advice. “Thank you.”
 
“Take good care of him,” said Celeborn before heading in the opposite 
direction to check on Erestor again. Hopefully now Elrond would find a 
moment to update him. The healer hadn’t left his rooms since they had 
arrived and Elladan, who had been sent to fetch water and bandages, had 
been unable to give him any useful information. He was about to turn 
around the corner when Glorfindel’s voice reached him. 
 
“Celeborn, is there any news on Erestor?”
 
Celeborn looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “Not yet.” 
 
“He looked seriously injured.”
 
Celeborn nodded once. “I am going to Elrond’s quarters now. Should I 
find out more, I will tell you.”
 
“Thank you,” said Glorfindel again, before turning around and heading 
back to Rumil’s rooms.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Rumil had nearly dozed off in the warm water, but hearing the door open 
caught his attention. He hoped it was Glorfindel. His reactions to the blond 
Elda confused him, but he couldn’t deny that Glorfindel was aiding his 
recovery by staying this close to him. 
 
“You will turn into a prune,” said Glorfindel jokingly, walking over to the 
pool. “Are you ready to get out? I brought some brown leggings and a 
shirt; I have the feeling you might be more comfortable in them than 
robes.”
 
“You are right.” Rumil pushed himself back to his feet and left the pool. 
“Robes are too formal. I prefer a tunic and leggings.” He blushed slightly 
when Glorfindel wrapped him up in warm towels, rubbing lightly to dry 
his skin. /Don’t grow aroused. Don’t grow aroused. Don’t.../ After 
growing erect earlier his greatest fear was that that it would happen again. 
He didn’t know how Glorfindel would react and he had no desire to find 
out. 
 
“Lean on me.” Glorfindel waited for Rumil to place his hands on his 
shoulders and then helped the younger Elf into the leggings. Looking up, 
he caught the sleepy expression in the grey eyes. “Would you like to lie 
down?”
 
Rumil’s gaze sought out the window, and found that Arien still warmed 
the sky. “Can I sit on the balcony for a short while?” He hated being 
confined to the bed. 
 
“Of course you can.” Glorfindel helped Rumil into his shirt and then 
wrapped one arm around the other’s waist. “I brought something to eat, 
but we can do that whilst sitting in the sun.” He noticed the thankful 
expression in Rumil’s eyes and led him onto the balcony, where he spread 
a blanket onto the floor. With his help, Rumil sat down and bathed in the 
golden sunlight. 
 
Glorfindel quickly fetched the tray and placed the food and tea in between 
them. “Eat, you are much too skinny.”
 
“I am –not-,” said Rumil indignantly. “I only missed a few meals.”
 
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, and handed him some cherries. Rumil 
munched contently, and briefly Glorfindel managed to forget the doom 
that had hung over the other’s head only a few days ago. “You seem to be 
getting better.”
 
“I feel better,” admitted Rumil softly, “but I still miss them. I do not dare 
to think of them.” Tears formed in his eyes. “I still want them back!”
 
Moving quickly, Glorfindel covered the distance between them and 
enfolded Rumil in a warm hug. Rocking him slowly, he waited for 
Rumil’s tremors to stop. “You will always miss them, but the pain will 
lessen in time.” Rumil pulled back slightly so they could lock gazes. 
 
“Will you stay with me until that happens? I need someone close. I need 
you close.” Rumil was startled at hearing those words leave his lips and he 
quickly covered his mouth with a hand, wishing he could take them back. 
“I am sorry. I cannot ask that of you. It would take years for—“
 
Glorfindel cut him short. “I will stay with you. I cannot say for how long, 
but you won’t be alone, I promise.” His heart leapt joyfully in his chest 
when Rumil completed the embrace once more. Contently, he held Rumil 
close.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
A keening wail tore the air apart and Elrond’s eyes immediately fastened 
on Erestor, who now sat upright in bed. Erestor’s hands were raised 
defensively in front of his face and pain showed in the dark eyes when his 
injured hand sent ripples of agony through his arm. The dark eyes were 
large with terror and Erestor’s breath came in short gasps. 
 
Elrond rose from the chair he had been sleeping in and headed for the bed, 
but Elrohir, who had fallen asleep on the floor next to the bed, beat him to 
it. 
 
“Erestor? You are safe now. You are back in Imladris.” Elrohir’s eyes 
widened in worry when Erestor reacted with another terrified scream. He 
didn’t dare touch the injured Elf and looked to his father for help.
 
Elrond had now reached the bed and sat down on the side. “Erestor? 
Listen to my voice. You are in my private rooms and your tormentor is 
dead. Please come back to me.” Elrond found he was holding his breath, 
hoping Erestor had heard him. Slowly, he stroked the long, dark locks and 
was stunned when the other Elf flinched away from his touch. “Erestor? 
Mellon-nîn? 
 
Elladan, who now joined them as well, stood motionless as if afraid he 
might startle Erestor and drive his former mentor deeper into the shadows 
of his memories. 
 
“Erestor,” said Elrohir when Elrond’s words didn’t seem to register, “Lie 
down, you are injured.” Erestor’s lips were moving, but no sound left 
them. “Do not attempt speech. You have suffered a broken jaw.” 
Exchanging a worried glance with his father, Elrohir wondered if they 
should force Erestor to lie down. 
 
Elrond tried reaching Erestor again and this time he cradled his friend’s 
good hand in his. “Celeborn and the twins came to our rescue. You are no 
longer at their mercy.” Carefully watching Erestor, he noticed how 
awareness returned to the dark eyes. Erestor blinked, panted softly and 
then emitted small noises of pain. “Elrohir is right, you should lie down.” 
 
Erestor only now recognized Elrond’s voice and stared at the Lord of 
Imladris with stunned disbelief in his eyes. His entire body hurt. 
 
Elrond’s handsome features briefly contorted at seeing the hurt expression 
in his friend’s eyes. “Everything will be well in the end,” he promised 
passionately. “I will see to that, but now you must lie down. Let me help.” 
He slipped one hand behind Erestor’s back and helped his friend lie down 
again. Seeing the hurt and afraid look in Erestor’s eyes pained him. “I 
won’t hurt you, mellon-nîn, you know me better than that. It is normal for 
you to be confused after what you have been through.” A few hours had 
completely changed their lives.  
 
Elrohir pulled up the blanket and covered Erestor’s shivering body with it. 
Ugly memories caused Erestor to tremble violently, and, like his father, 
Elrohir wished he knew of a way to take away the pain and fear. Elladan’s 
gaze caught his and their thoughts ran along similar lines; never before 
had they seen Erestor this weak, this vulnerable, and the twins were 
surprised at their eagerness to protect him. Their former mentor meant 
more to them than they had ever realized. 
 
Elrond co