Title: Elven Hearts Part 4/? Author: Anonymous slashlover E-mail: katemahoney@prodigy.net Pairing: Elrond/Glorfindel, Glorfindel/Erestor, Haldir/Celeborn Rating: R Summary: Glorfindel comes to Imladris to assist the Lord, but the chaos he causes will force the Lord and Erestor to come to terms with their feelings. Disclaimer: They’re not mine. Enough said. Warnings: some rough slightly non-consensual sex, angst…okay, the non- consensual sex is a lot closer to rape, but in my mind it isn’t. Notes: Please give me feedback…please?? More Notes: yeah, this one gets kind a violent, there’s some torture. Deal with it. More Notes: I have a beta-reader now (thank you so much), but all remaining mistakes are overwhelmingly mine. “What?” asked Elrond, stunned beyond belief. “Well,” said Glorfindel. “Not technically. I will not fade because of it. But…he did not have my consent.” Elrond glanced at Erestor. Erestor did not quite look ashamed. The look on Erestor’s face reminded Elrond of how a child would look when they got caught doing something wrong. “Tell me what happened,” he commanded. Glorfindel sat down, running his hands through his hair. “I don’t expect you to believe me, Elrond. But it is the truth. Last night, he called me to his rooms. He said he had something he needed to talk to me about. I believed him. So I went to his rooms. He let me in, and we talked for…I don’t know, maybe ten minutes. It became clear to me that he had nothing to talk to me about. So I got up to try to leave. Only he wouldn’t let me. He’s quick, Elrond, and he’s strong. He beat me to the door. Then he…he bound me and took me to his bedroom. And then he raped me.” “Did you hit his face?” asked Elrond. “I tried to defend myself, Elrond.” Glorfindel took his shirt off. Elrond could plainly see a multitude of small injuries dotted across Glorfindel’s chest. “I had to.” “I walked in and saw you two asleep next to each other,” interjected Haldir. “Have you ever been raped, Haldir? Do you have any idea how exhausting it can be? I was still tied up and I was sore all over. I decided it was best to sleep and get out before he woke up. Which I did do. I don’t want to know what would have happened if he’d have woken up first.” Elrond didn’t want to believe the story. With all his heart, he didn’t want to believe it. He had been in love with Erestor for too long to want to think that Erestor could commit a crime of that magnitude. “Erestor, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Erestor shook his head. “I will not defend myself, as no defense is possible. I…things happened precisely the way Glorfindel described them. I am not going to say I’m sorry, because I am not.” “Erestor…” said Haldir, a pleading look on his face. “You’ve got to be joking…” “Shut up, Haldir. You mean nothing to me.” Elrond looked at Haldir and saw him recoil as if Erestor had struck him. “Glorfindel, do you swear that these events happened as you described?” “Yes, Elrond…I would also like to say that I…I beg your forgiveness for spending a night with someone else. It was not my intent, and I…” Elrond smiled a little. “It is not your fault what happened. There is no need even for forgiveness.” The smile disappeared. “Erestor, do you swear that these events happened as Glorfindel described?” “Yes, my lord.” “Elrond, I would like to say something,” said Haldir. “What?” asked Elrond. He doubted that Haldir could be of any use at the moment, but he was here and so Elrond supposed that he at least deserved a say in what happened. “Erestor didn’t do this.” “Offer your proof,” said Elrond. Right now, he was swaying extremely towards believing Glorfindel, as much as he didn’t want to. There was simply no evidence of Erestor’s innocence. “Think about all that has happened to Erestor since Glorfindel arrived. That bruise on his face a while back, his broken wrist, now this. Would it not be more believable that it was the other way around, that Glorfindel raped Erestor and has been beating him since he arrived?” “Only that isn’t the way it happened,” said Erestor calmly. “Haldir, stop trying to defend me. There is nothing that you can say to exonerate me. I did what I did and now that I have been caught, I must stand in judgment. Elrond…I deserve no leniency for my actions and I refuse to throw myself on your mercy.” Elrond wanted to believe that Glorfindel was lying. Elrond wanted to believe that the Erestor he had known for so long was still as good as he had been before this discussion started. But he had been mistaken in his judgments before in his long life, and this was obviously just another one of those times. “For your heinous crime, Erestor, a crime that…in my mind, is among the worst any elf can commit, I see only one possible punishment for you…you are hereby banished from Imladris for the rest of your life. I will send messengers to Lorien and Mirkwood detailing your crimes. I cannot say that I believe they will give you refuge. The Valar have mercy on your soul…you have until sunrise tomorrow to be out of Imladris.” Erestor bowed stiffly, then rose to his feet and walked out of the room. He closed the door quietly behind him. The three elves in the room could hear his quiet footsteps go down the hallway. Haldir was next to speak. “You are a fool, Elrond. You know as well as I do that Erestor is not capable of committing a crime like that. I am leaving tonight or tomorrow, and you can be sure I will inform Celeborn and Galadriel what kind of justice is offered in Imladris.” He slammed the door behind him and Glorfindel and Elrond could hear his noisy footsteps head off in the same direction as Erestor’s. Elrond walked over to Glorfindel. “I am sorry for what happened to you, my friend. There are no words that can describe what you went through, no way that I can understand, but you have all my sympathies…anything I can do for you, I will do. No matter what.” Glorfindel smiled. “Thank you. I think right now I just want to sleep. It has been a long day for me and…I can’t wait for it to be over.” “One thing I would like to ask you.” “Mmm?” “I would like you to take Erestor’s position as my Chief Advisor.” “Are you asking me to move permanently here?” “Yes, I am.” Elrond bit his lip, waiting to see what Glorfindel’s decision would be. A part of him knew that what he had said to Erestor was true, that Glorfindel wasn’t the kind of elf he permanently wanted in his life, but he knew that he needed someone. Glorfindel smiled a bit more broadly. “I would love to do that. But…what about the problem you called me for.” “It will be dealt with. Don’t feel obligated to go deal with it. I want to keep you here safe with me…meleth.” Glorfindel looked at Elrond with surprise. “Meleth? I…I didn’t know that you felt that strongly towards me, Elrond.” Elrond was struck with the sickening feeling that Glorfindel did not feel the same way. “I apologize for being so forward…I should not have been.” “Don’t kid yourself. I wanted to hear that as much as you wanted to say it. I have wanted…I have tried to drag your attention away from Erestor since I arrived here. And until now, I have felt that I have been in his shadow.” “The Erestor that I knew is not the Erestor he truly is. The Erestor that I loved would have never…done what he did to you. He lost all my love…he lost my respect…he lost my friendship. That is despicable. If it were not for the fact that I condemn kinslaying, he would be dead now.” “You would kill him for me?” “He won’t survive long out of Imladris. He is smart, but if Lorien and Mirkwood similarly banish him, he will have nowhere to run to. I feel no sorrow in knowing that he will soon die.” “I love you, Elrond. I love you so much. I just want you to know that.” “I love you, too.” ***** Erestor knew he wasn’t going to take much with him. The fewer things he brought with him, the faster his horse could go in getting him away from Imladris. He knew that Elrond was deadly serious for him to be out of Imladris by sunrise. Which meant that he would have to leave this room in about ten minutes if he wanted to accomplish it. He shoved a set of clothes into his bag, filling it. He closed the bag and headed for his door. He looked around his room, felt the two daggers at his waist, the bow and quiver over his shoulder, the sword belted to his waist, and knew that this chapter of his life was over. “This is madness, Erestor.” It was Haldir. He stood at the doorway, blocking Erestor’s exit. “Get out of my way, Haldir.” “I love you, Erestor.” “Get out of my way.” “I know you didn’t do this.” “I will give you one last chance, Haldir. Please don’t make me hurt you. You don’t deserve that from me. Let me leave.” “I’m coming with you. Wherever it is you plan to go, I’m coming with you.” “I’m not dragging you into exile.” “No, I’m following you into exile.” “I’m not letting you do that. You don’t deserve that…” “You don’t deserve this!” Erestor pulled the bow off his back and nocked an arrow. “Haldir, don’t make me do this. I have no desire to be a kinslayer. Just get out of my way. I…I apologize for wasting your time.” Haldir could tell what kind of mood Erestor was in and thought it wise to do as he was told. He stepped into the room, slightly away from the door. “I think Elrond is wrong and Glorfindel is lying. I don’t care whether you believe me or not, but I know you are innocent.” Erestor pushed past Haldir. “Innocent is the last thing that I am,” he said as a parting remark. ***** Legolas didn’t find out about the chaos in Imladris until the noon meal the following day. He had been secluded in his rooms. The strangest thing had happened; he had awoken in his bed with the clear marks of having made love with someone, but no memory whatsoever of having done so. Even at his drunkest moments, he had never been without any recollection. And that terrified him. So he had stayed in his room for a while, trying to remember. Nothing came to mind, so eventually, he left, seeking out food. Immediately, he noticed that both Haldir and Erestor were gone. He thought that, as they were lovers, they might just be skipping a meal in favor of some more enjoyable activity, but Elrond’s stony face told differently. A little hesitantly, Legolas walked over to that end of the table to sit down. “Where is Erestor, Lord Elrond?” “Banished,” Elrond said without a trace of emotion. Legolas paused, waiting for the punch line. When none came, he asked, “Seriously, my lord.” “Seriously.” Legolas paused, digesting this information. He could see no reason why Erestor had been banished. Legolas knew that the pair had worked together ever since the Last Alliance. To the best of everyone’s knowledge, they were the best of friends and, as was sometimes rumored, perhaps lovers. Legolas knew that they were not, but he had clearly seen the friendship between them. “For what crime?” “Rape.” Legolas was stunned. He couldn’t believe Erestor would do such a thing. Erestor could be cold, and was direct to the point of bluntness. He could be annoying and was persistent beyond all belief, but he was not one to abuse another, mentally or physically. Erestor just didn’t have the right mentality in Legolas’s opinion to be a rapist. “Are you certain, my lord?” “Please don’t pester me about this issue, Prince Legolas. I spent a long night last night discussing it. I am certain that I made the right decision and I am not used to having my judgments questioned.” “I was not questioning your judgment, just trying to discern the facts.” “Very well.” It was obvious to Legolas that Elrond was almost in physical pain from having to do this to his best friend. Legolas knew that Elrond had to be absolutely sure that this was true or he wouldn’t have been able to do it. Legolas couldn’t help but wonder who Erestor’s victim had been. Haldir? No, Legolas was relatively certain that they were in a loving relationship. Elrond himself? Almost certainly not. Elrond was strong; Erestor wouldn’t have been able to do anything Elrond hadn’t wanted to do. So who? “If I may ask, Lord Elrond, who was Erestor’s victim?” Elrond stared at him steadily, for a moment appearing as if he did not understand the question. “Lord Glorfindel,” he finally responded. “That’s absurd!” said Legolas. “Control yourself, Prince Legolas, or leave the table.” Legolas frowned. None of this made any sense. “And where is Haldir?” “I have no idea. It is not my duty to be aware of everyone in Imladris’s whereabouts.” “Is this going to affect our trade agreement?” “No. Lord Glorfindel will take Erestor’s place as my Chief Advisor. Everything will run as before, only without Erestor’s presence.” Legolas finished his meal in silence, and then left the room. He needed a lot of time to think this over. Had Erestor really been able to hide such a dark facet of his personality from everyone? Had Erestor really had that dark of a desire inside him? Legolas didn’t want to think so, but he didn’t know Erestor as well as Elrond did, and Elrond had obviously come to that conclusion. ***** Galadriel could feel Elrond’s mental anguish as he Farspoke her. “I have dire news,” he said. “Is someone of your household killed or injured?” she asked, knowing that that was one of the few things that could shake the ever-present calm that seemed to radiate around Elrond. “No, not as such. I would have spoken to you last night about this, but I was…I was not in control of myself.” “Because you are in control now?” “Much more than I was.” “Please tell me what is wrong.” She felt very kindly towards Elrond. She had known him when he was much younger and had been a sort of mentor to him until he had grown up. “Please tell me how I can help you.” “A terrible crime has been committed in Imladris by one whom I thought I could trust.” “Kinslaying?” “No, not that bad. An elf has been raped in the Last Homely House.” Galadriel gasped. “That’s awful. Is the…will the victim survive?” “I believe so.” Galadriel was willing to trust Elrond’s judgment. He was the best healer she had ever known and if he said the victim would not fade, Galadriel would take his word for it. “Have you caught the criminal?” “Yes, last night. It was Erestor, my Chief Advisor.” “No!” “It hurt me to find out the kind of elf he really is, but he did not deny it and his victim clearly pointed him out. I didn’t want to believe it, but I could not allow Erestor to remain in Imladris. I banished him.” Galadriel had long ago learned about Elrond’s attraction to Erestor and could understand how much Elrond had been hurt by his course of action and why he sounded so out of control. “Permanently?” “Yes. I cannot have him hurting my people. What I wanted to ask you is whether or not you will close your doors to him as well. I trusted him too long and then he betrayed that trust. I cannot force you to do anything, Galadriel, but I ask that you trust me and understand that Erestor is a dangerous elf, dangerous to himself and dangerous to others. I ask you to close your borders to him before he can hurt anyone else.” Galadriel could tell that Elrond was on the verge of tears and could tell that he had been that way for a long time, probably ever since he had condemned his best friend. “I will have to consult with Celeborn. I do not rule Lorien by myself. I can tell you, though, that it is almost certain that we will close our borders to him as well. We do not need such criminals in our midst.” “Thank you.” “Elrond? Be strong. I know how much you are hurting, but you have a people to rule, and you have those that truly care about you.” “Thank you, Galadriel. I know.” ***** Glorfindel was stunned that everything had happened exactly the way that he had planned. He hadn’t really wanted to get Erestor banished, but finally that elf was out of his way. Not that Glorfindel really minded his presence, but Erestor influenced Elrond too much, and Elrond was head- over-heels with Erestor, no matter what he had said to Glorfindel. Glorfindel hoped now that Elrond would turn his love away from Erestor and towards him. Another obvious plus to being the victim of such a terrible crime was all the attention showered upon him by Elrond. Elrond had barely left his side since last night, and apologized profusely whenever he had to be elsewhere. It felt good to have someone care that much about him. It had been a long time since he had been shown such affection. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Lie down,” said Erestor as Glorfindel tried once again to get out of bed. “You’re hurt and walking around is only going to make it worse.” Glorfindel groaned as he lay back down. “You sound like my mother.” “As you’re living with me now, I see that as my duty. To be a lover when you need it, and to be a mother when you’re acting like a child.” “I am not acting like a child.” “That’s a matter of opinion. Explain to me how games of war are not childish. Because it is precisely one of these games that broke your ankle. You won’t be able to fight again for at least a week, more likely two.” “Stop it, Erestor. Just come over here and kiss me.” “You are so romantic,” said Erestor sarcastically as he rose to his feet. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “I love you.” “I think I’d love you more if you weren’t such an idiot.” “Because that makes me feel incredibly loved. I just want you to know that.” Erestor gave him a very rewarding kiss. “Does that make it any better?” Glorfindel put on a face of agony. “Oh, my ankle hurts.” “Big baby.” Erestor smiled enticingly. “Now, I’ll tell you what I can do. I can either call in the healers to see if they can do something about that ankle, or I can try my best to make you forget that it hurts.” Glorfindel didn’t even have to think about his answer. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Glorfindel was a little upset that he had gotten Erestor exiled from nearly everywhere. That hadn’t really been his intention. He had just wanted Erestor out of here for a while. He supposed that he could have gone about it differently, but it was Erestor that was known for his subtlety, not Glorfindel of Gondolin. Honestly, could one expect a Balrog-slayer to have much in the way of tact? The door opened and Elrond walked in again. “How are you feeling, meleth?” “I’m fine, Elrond. I can’t say that I mind all this attention, but you are the Lord of Imladris and I know you have more important duties than attending to me.” “So you’d prefer I didn’t?” “I didn’t say that.” Elrond kissed him. “I love you so much.” But Elrond knew that that wasn’t entirely true, that he was kidding himself. He still loved Erestor, but now he hated that part of himself. He knew that Erestor was a criminal, but his heart didn’t seem to want to listen to his rational brain. His heart still raced to think of Erestor, to think of his smile, his beauty, his wit, his intelligence… Elrond shook his head. He knew he had to move on. Erestor had never loved him. Erestor had only ever used him and that was all Elrond had been to Erestor. Glorfindel, on the other hand, was real and caring. That, Elrond knew, was what mattered. Glorfindel could give him the kind of love that he knew he deserved. Erestor just wasn’t worthy of him. It was as simple as that. Erestor was a criminal and Elrond was the Lord of Imladris. Two such people would simply never be compatible. Elrond knew, though, that it would take his heart some time to adjust to that. ***** A part of Erestor felt alive to be living by himself in the wild. He had lived in the sheltered environs of Imladris for so long that he had almost forgotten what raw nature was like. It felt good and Erestor was glad that he got a chance to experience it. But Erestor was intelligent enough to know that it would grow old after a while. Then life would get harder, as he would have no home to return to. He knew he wasn’t going to head for Lorien or Mirkwood. Erestor knew that Elrond would make sure he wouldn’t be welcome there. There were a few scattered elven towns elsewhere, Erestor knew, but they were wary of strangers, and Erestor did not want to go somewhere only to be an outcast. He could fend for himself, he knew that, and that was what mattered to him. He would find a stretch of land and settle down on it. He knew how to farm, or at least, he knew the rudiments of farming. After a while, Erestor knew that he would probably be able to sustain himself and could travel to the small elven towns to trade for supplies he could not grow himself. But there was an important task that he knew had to be completed before he could settle down to his peaceful life. And that was the matter of the orcs on Imladris’s border. Erestor had made sure to steer well clear of the place on his exit, but knew that he would now have to do something about it. It was the very least that he owed Elrond. It took him the better part of two days to build a small shack for himself at the edge of a small grove of trees. Manual labor was nothing new to Erestor, but it had been millennia since he had last had to perform it extensively. He had thought himself fit, but by the time he collapsed down to sleep the second night, he hurt in places he hadn’t even known existed. But it was good work. It was good, simple, clean, healthy work. Erestor knew he could get used to a life of solitude. But not yet. As much as he wanted to leave Imladris and all her problems behind, he couldn’t do it. It just wouldn’t be right. So on the third day, he woke up at dawn, left all his unnecessary belongings in his shack, shouldered his bow and quiver, strapped on his sword, and put his daggers in their usual hiding places. Then he set out to do what he knew he had to do, however much he didn’t want to do it. ***** Haldir had never before in his life felt this useless or this helpless. He knew that Erestor was not guilty of rape. He knew that Erestor had been abused by Glorfindel and found it far more likely that Glorfindel just wanted Erestor out of the way. Glorfindel knew that Erestor would not contradict him and would admit to whatever crime Glorfindel accused him of. Haldir was disgusted by Glorfindel’s actions. He was almost as upset with Elrond for not seeing through the gaping holes in Glorfindel’s story. But that was almost forgivable. Elrond loved Glorfindel and wanted to believe him. Still, as he had promised, he couldn’t stand to stay in Imladris any longer. He wanted more than anything to chase after Erestor, but he knew Erestor well enough to know that he would want to be alone. Haldir just hoped that Erestor wouldn’t do anything dumb, like kill himself. Haldir hoped that someday he would meet Erestor again, after this incident was long forgotten and they could renew their relationship. Legolas caught up to him as he was readying to leave and asked him, “Do you think that Erestor did it?” “I know he didn’t.” “So why are you allowing this to happen?” “I am not of Imladris, Prince Legolas. I cannot interfere with Elrond’s judgments. And Erestor did not deny his crime.” “You were there?” “Yes. But I know that Erestor did not do it. Erestor is not capable of that. Of slaughter, of killing in battle, yes, he is capable of that, but not abusing someone. It just isn’t part of him.” “Are you going to try to find him?” “Erestor could hide from me for millennia. I hate to say it, but no, I am not going to chase after him. If it is truly meant for the two of us to be together, the Valar will show one of us the way.” “I wish you luck, Haldir.” “Thank you, Prince Legolas. Are you leaving as well?” “No, we still have not yet arrived at a trade agreement. I thought that Erestor was going to be essential to a decent negotiation, so I don’t know how much longer I’m going to have to stay here. I have no idea how competent Lord Glorfindel is, but I doubt that he will be able to match Erestor.” “Not very many elves were able to match Erestor,” said Haldir sadly. “That is, without a doubt, true,” said Legolas. “Farewell. I hope we meet soon.” “Farewell, Prince Legolas.” Haldir easily got on his horse and kicked it lightly to start it moving. He did not look back as he left. He wanted nothing more than to forget the past couple of weeks spent here. They were too painful for him to remember. He did not know how long it would be before he would be able to look back on these events objectively, but he felt that it would be a long time. ***** It was quite clear to Elrond that Glorfindel, while he was quite good at what he had been told to do, was not Erestor. Erestor would willingly sacrifice his time to get Elrond’s work done. He would spend long nights alone finishing some vital report or seeing that urgent tasks actually got completed. Glorfindel was not nearly that dedicated. He would work from just after the morning meal until the evening meal and then he considered his day done. Elrond saw that things were soon going to get behind and he would need to get more help, but he didn’t want to do that. He wanted to believe that his lover could do what Erestor could do without any difficulty. But it was clear that Glorfindel didn’t want to become like Erestor. And the negotiations with Legolas couldn’t have been going worse. Erestor was usually the only one that could remain cool-headed during tough negotiations, and Glorfindel couldn’t. Elrond could see that Legolas was losing patience with Glorfindel’s heavy-handed attempts at diplomacy. The last thing that Elrond wanted was for Legolas to leave holding a grudge. Elrond didn’t need Mirkwood at odds with him. There were enough problems within Imladris and outside her borders for Elrond to be able to deal with another threat. “Is something wrong, Elrond?” asked Glorfindel at the end of yet another long day. It was, Elrond realized, only two days since he had banished Erestor. Somehow, it seemed so much longer than that. “I don’t see how Imladris is going to keep running without Erestor. I had not realized how essential he was.” “Erestor was not essential. You were just used to his way of doing things. And that way of doing things is just different from my way of doing things. In time, I’m sure you’ll adjust.” “I hope I will.” “Elrond, you doubt yourself too much. You are brilliant at everything; you could run this place single-handedly if you really had to.” Elrond smiled at the compliment, but knew that it wasn’t true. Erestor and he had made an excellent team. They had thought enough alike to do things the same way, but differently enough to always be able to solve a problem, no matter how difficult. Elrond just got the feeling that Glorfindel, while quite bright, was not even close to his or Erestor’s intellectual equal. Very few very smart elves were warriors, himself and Erestor excluded. Smart elves saw the futility in war and tried to avoid it. Besides, he and Erestor had only fought when all was in danger of being lost. They were good at things other than war. Glorfindel was only a warrior. He knew a bit of lore, and knew something of healing, but it just wasn’t the same. Elrond missed Erestor more than he thought was possible. Erestor had sometimes disappeared off for months at a time to go deal with difficult negotiations elsewhere. But then, Elrond had been consoled by the thought that Erestor was coming back. Now Elrond knew for a fact that he was not. Erestor was lost to him forever. ***** The messenger that entered Thranduil’s hall was disheveled and tired. Thranduil immediately knew something was wrong. The messenger was dressed in Imladris colors, and, not for the first time, Thranduil wished he possessed the power to farspeak. He wondered if something terrible had befallen Legolas. He sincerely hoped not. Legolas was easily his favorite son; though that was not something he would mention to his two other sons. “What is it?” he asked the messenger. “Sire,” said the messenger, bowing down low. “Just give me the message,” said Thranduil impatiently. Ceremony was important to him, but not so much when dealing with a possible disaster. The messenger took out a rolled scroll and handed it to Thranduil. “I was told to bring this as fast as I could, sire.” Thranduil unrolled it and read it. Thranduil, an atrocity has been committed at the Last Homely House. A guest invited by myself was raped by my Chief Advisor, Erestor. To assuage your fears, the guest was not Prince Legolas. Nor do I believe that your son is in danger any longer. I have banished Erestor from Imladris. Celeborn and Galadriel have closed their borders to him as well. I ask you, for the safety of your own people that you do the same to Mirkwood. Though we have long been enemies, we are in a new age now and cannot afford to be so divided. Respectfully, Elrond. Thranduil considered the message. He had met Erestor not all that long ago and Erestor had seemed like a careful, reasoned elf to him, not the kind that would do something like this. The morbidly curious part of him couldn’t help but wonder who Erestor’s victim had been. Thranduil looked up at the messenger, who was clearly waiting for a reply. “Tell Lord Elrond that I will do exactly as he recommends.” He rose to his feet and began to pace the hall after the messenger had left. These were troubled times if the elves one thought one could most count on turned out to be the ones that, in fact, were the most devious and evil. ***** Erestor had found the orc base. It was a filthy place. Erestor had been scouting it for some hours now, looking for the best place to get in. He knew he had to find the leader of the group and kill him. Then the others would be easier to dispatch. One thing was clear to him. This was a well- organized group. They had come to present a serious threat to Imladris. That made it more essential than ever for Erestor to destroy them. He couldn’t let anyone threaten Elrond. Erestor estimated there to be between a hundred and two hundred orc. That was an annoyingly large number, especially for one elf to deal with. But he knew that orcish organization hinged on one commander. Everyone else just followed that commander blindly and once he was dead, everything fell apart. Erestor had always been shocked by the fact that no one had had the brains to change it so that it would take more than one assassination to destroy an orcish army sometimes. Near the end of the day, he captured one of the orcs, knocked it out, and dragged it back to his shack. Once there, he tied it firmly up, gagged it, and went to sleep. In the morning, he was awoken by its howls. Erestor went outside, to where he had tied it. “Good morning,” he said in orcish. No one knew that he was nearly fluent (or as fluent as one could be in a language that consisted mostly of grunts) in orcish, not even Elrond. “Scum,” said the orc. “Talk to me or you will die very painfully,” said Erestor calmly. “I will say nothing.” “How many orcs are in this company?” The orc did not answer. Erestor walked closer. He took out his dagger and quickly, efficiently, removed one of the orc’s eyes. The orc howled in pain. “How many orcs in the company?” asked Erestor quietly. “A hundred twenty,” said the orc. “Good. We’re getting somewhere. What is your mission?” The orc chose not to answer. Erestor sighed. “Perhaps you are just a slow learner.” Erestor relieved him of the other eye. “Now tell me what your mission is.” “Destroy Imladris.” The orc could barely speak for all the pain he was in. “Good. Now, you still have just the one commander?” “Yes.” “Wonderful.” Erestor slit the orc’s throat and then walked to the nearest stream to wash the orc blood off of him. Tomorrow, he would have to repeat the task, but right now, he just wanted to be clean. There would be plenty of time to get dirty tomorrow. The rest of the day, Erestor went about, clearing land for a small farm. He knew he wouldn’t have to grow much, as he didn’t need all that much food to survive, and he could supplement his food with that of the fruits and mushrooms of the grove of trees next to him. Before he left Imladris, he had stolen a modest amount of vegetable seeds and grains. Hopefully, enough of them would grow and he would survive. Otherwise, he would have to find some way to steal more. Being a thief was nothing new to him, but it seemed a shame to have to slip back to the way he had been shortly after he and Glorfindel had ended their relationship. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Erestor had been disgraced. Or rather, he had disgraced himself. But that didn’t matter. All Erestor knew was that he had no place to live anymore and that he was going to have to adjust his life to fit the way his life was going to have to be. He wasn’t surprised at Glorfindel’s actions; Erestor knew he would have done the same thing was the situation reversed. But thinking about that, Erestor knew, wouldn’t make his life any easier to live. The first night, he slept in a dark alley. He had been terrified, but he survived the night. And that was what counted. The first time he stole was for breakfast. Then he stole lunch, and dinner. It was shortly after dinner that he robbed a passerby. That gave him enough money to be able to rent a small room for a week. It was not great, but Erestor knew it was a start. He was so terrified that his whole life was going to be a failure now. He knew he had come so close to having a bright career as a scholar. But that stupid decision of his had wrecked everything. Now nothing would be the same, that he knew for sure. It had all started a week ago, when Glorfindel had started making the announcements that they were to be bonded. Erestor loved Glorfindel and had come to feel the same way that Glorfindel did. They had been together for more than eighty years and it was time to make that commitment real. But that had also been when they had started to fight. Erestor got cold feet. “Can’t we postpone this?” he asked Glorfindel, sure that Glorfindel would understand. “Do you not love me anymore?” “Of course I love you. That’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m…I just don’t know what everyone’s going to think…” “Erestor, don’t be ridiculous. Everyone who counts already knows we’re together. I love you and you love me. We can be happy together forever. Don’t tell me that you don’t want that.” “No, I do want that. I’m just…I guess I’m just a little nervous.” Glorfindel walked over and kissed him. “Don’t be. I love you. We will make this work.” It was not so much the problem that Erestor didn’t love Glorfindel; he did. It was that Erestor knew already that he wasn’t the settling-down type. He wanted to experience life fully; he didn’t want to be tied to one elf. “I love you, too…I just…please, can we postpone this…” “Erestor, we have been postponing this for years! I cannot stand to have you any longer, to know that you are mine, but also, in some strange way, to know that you are not mine. I want to make you mine forever.” “You never asked if that was what I wanted,” said Erestor quietly. “You don’t want to be with me, to love me forever?” “Of course I do.” But Erestor knew that he did not. “Then let’s not fight about this. Okay?” Erestor nodded. “You’re right.” “I’m always right,” said Glorfindel smugly, claiming another kiss. “And after tonight, you will be mine forever. And this is going to be the happiest night of my life.” “Mine, too.” But Erestor meant that even less. And so that was why Erestor stood Glorfindel up. Glorfindel sought him out the next morning, a furious look on his face. “What was that? Why weren’t you there last night?” Erestor answered calmly, “I don’t love you.” “I am disgraced now in front of everyone, you lowly little scribe. I can’t understand what I ever saw in you. I want you out of my sight. I never want to see you again.” “This is my home as well as yours,” said Erestor calmly. Glorfindel pulled out his sword. “Get out. I will inform everyone that you are not to be allowed back in. Your life is over now, Erestor. Do us all a favor and go die somewhere. Just somewhere out of my sight.” And so Erestor left. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ***** Legolas wanted to pound the table in frustration, but he knew he couldn’t be that visibly annoyed. So he forced a smile and said, for the millionth time, “Those agreements won’t be suitable, Lord Glorfindel.” “By the Valar, why not?” demanded Glorfindel. This, he knew, was definitely not his forte. He hated the delicate game of diplomacy. He much preferred war to this. Battle, at least, was over and done with and no one had to play these ridiculous mind games that Legolas, Elrond, and apparently (he had been told) Erestor liked to play. “This gives a definite advantage to Imladris. My father would kill me if I returned home with an agreement like this.” *I may kill you if you don’t.* “Well, Prince Legolas, what do you propose in response?” “I have already made my demands clear. And I am not going to change my request.” Glorfindel folded his arms and sat back in his chair. “Neither am I.” “Where are the terms that Erestor drew up?” “These are them.” “No, they aren’t. I’ve negotiated with Erestor before. He’s not nearly as heavy-handed as that document is. I’d say that you did it yourself. And I would also say that you consulted no information whatsoever before drawing your conclusion and writing that. I don’t think that Mirkwood’s yearly grain surplus has ever even been even half of what you propose we should deliver every six months. Erestor would not overlook something like that.” “Erestor is not here, Prince Legolas. So you must deal with my demands.” “Then a trade agreement will not be possible between Mirkwood and Imladris.” Legolas rose to his feet and walked to the door. As he pulled it open, he turned and said, “Trust me, this was a mistake.” After pacing the halls for a while, Legolas went to see Elrond. Elrond, at least, was typically reasonable. Elrond seemed surprised to see him. “Glorfindel told me you were leaving,” he said. “Excuse me for saying this, my lord, but Glorfindel is an idiot and no diplomat. Without Erestor, I don’t think we will be able to reach a trade agreement.” “We have to.” “I am of the same opinion. Can I not conduct negotiations with you? Before, it was not necessary, but now I am tired of dealing with Glorfindel…Elrond, have you ever admired someone so deeply that you would do anything they wanted…only then you get to know them, and suddenly you want nothing to do with them?” “Yes, I have, Prince Legolas.” *Erestor.* “Well, that’s how I feel about Glorfindel right now. I always thought of him as my hero…but now I just can’t look at him the same way.” “I don’t fault you for that, Legolas. We all make bad judgments from time to time.” “Those are truly spoken words, Lord Elrond. So, do you think if we work together, not as diplomats, but as…friends, that we can reach a trade agreement that both of us will be able to deal with?” “I believe that could be possible.” *But if Erestor was here, it wouldn’t be necessary.* Elrond couldn’t believe how little time Erestor had been gone and already Imladris seemed just about ready to fall apart. ***** Haldir had finally reached Lorien. He reported back to Celeborn, who could immediately tell something was wrong. Celeborn had known Haldir as a baby and had been a father to Haldir. “Tell me what’s wrong, Haldir.” “I hate Imladris. I hate Lord Elrond.” “Hate is a very strong word, Haldir, especially in reference to things such as that.” “Lord Elrond is an idiot…” “That he is not, Haldir.” “He made a really bad judgment.” “That does not make him an idiot.” “I know,” said Haldir. “Just give me some really hard work to do so I can get everything on my mind to go away.” “Forgetting things isn’t going to help anyone.” “It’s all so complicated,” said Haldir. He wanted to just go curl up next to Celeborn and cry, but he was no longer an Elfling and it was no longer appropriate to do that. So he stood in front of Celeborn. “And I didn’t mean to get tangled up in it…” “Does this have anything to do with Erestor?” Celeborn couldn’t believe that the Erestor he knew would do something as terrible as rape. “Yes.” “Were you friends with Erestor?” Haldir shook his head sorrowfully. “No, we were…we were lovers and that’s how I know he didn’t do it I know that Glorfindel’s lying and I wish there was something I could do about it but Erestor lets Glorfindel do whatever he wants and now Erestor’s gone forever and I was really starting to care about him he’s so lonely Celeborn and he was finally starting to open up to me when this happened and now he’s going to be so messed up and that’s if he doesn’t die…” “Calm down.” Celeborn had never seen the reserved Galadhrim act so excitedly. Hearing those words from Haldir also sparked a little jealousy in him. He was perfectly happy with Galadriel (and his chief advisor), but that couldn’t stop him from harboring the occasional thought about Haldir, whom he found incredibly attractive. “There’s nothing you can do…you’re from Lorien, you can’t interfere with Elrond’s judgments…” “That doesn’t mean I can’t think they’re wrong…” “Correct, but you can’t let this destroy you.” “But I want so badly to be able to do something.” Celeborn took both of Haldir’s hands in his own. “I know that feeling, Haldir. But sometimes there isn’t anything that you can do and you just have to stand by and let things run their course.” “I didn’t know I could hurt this badly, Celeborn. No arrow I’ve ever taken hurt me this much.” “It’s called heartache,” said Celeborn, drawing the much younger elf into a warm embrace, banishing all the thoughts that popped up into his mind. Haldir was upset right now, and Celeborn had no right to take advantage of that. ***** Glorfindel had decided that he wanted Legolas again. He remembered fondly the fight that Legolas had put up and decided that he was in the mood for that again. Only now he was plainly aware that Legolas did not worship him anymore and so there would be no easy seduction. And this time, he almost got caught stealing the forgetfulness potion from Elrond’s workshop. But all went well and soon Glorfindel was knocking on Legolas’s door. Legolas opened the door and sighed. “What do you want, Lord Glorfindel?” “To apologize for being so stubborn today.” He smiled. “I thought that maybe we could have a drink together…?” “No, Glorfindel, I don’t think that would be appropriate.” “Why not?” “Because I vaguely remember what happened last time I chose to drink with you. And I don’t think I want a repeat performance. You need to keep in mind that you have a devoted lover and you should stay faithful to Elrond.” “What makes you think I am suggesting anything…?” “I know you slept with Erestor…I suspect that you have slept with others…I know you are unfaithful…you are not capable of being faithful…” Glorfindel lost his temper and smashed his fist into Legolas’s chest. Legolas went down heavily, gasping for breath. His face was contorted in agony, which led Glorfindel to think that he had perhaps broken a rib or two. He leaned down close to Legolas and said, “Tell someone. I dare you.” He took out a dagger and put it at the prince’s throat. “I’d like to see what happens to you next.” ***** “What happened to you, Legolas?” asked Elrond, hurrying over to support Legolas, who was clearly in danger of falling. “I was out riding,” lied Legolas. “And I fell. The horse stepped on me…Gods it hurts, Elrond.” Elrond made a quick diagnosis. “I think you’ve got at least two broken ribs. You should be more careful, Legolas. Your father would not be pleased with me if I have to inform him that he died in Imladris because I was too careless to watch for his safety.” “What, are you my keeper now?” “I’m older than you are.” “So is Glorfindel.” “Do you really want him shadowing your every step?” “No,” said Legolas emphatically. He couldn’t believe he had lied to Elrond about his injury, but something about Glorfindel had been so threatening that Legolas couldn’t work up the courage to tell the truth. *Now I know exactly how Erestor felt.* ***** Erestor crept through the early morning shadows. He was dressed in all black, a shadow hidden within the shadows. He was well-armed and knew he was ready for anything. He doubted that this would take long, but it was something that he really needed to get done, both for his own sanity and for the safety of Imladris. He was well within the compound when dawn began to break. He stayed within the shadows (of which there were many), and moved ever closer to the center of the camp, where he felt the commander of this group would surely be. The security of the camp was quite lax, and he only had to dispose of four or five sentries before he made his way to the main building. He had only just walked into the building when he heard voices behind. Mumbling a curse under his breath and then a hasty prayer to the Valar to protect him, he took out his two daggers; they were better for fighting up close and in a cramped area. He kept moving towards the center, hoping beyond all odds to find the commander before the orcs found him. He opened a random door and saw an orc sleeping. There were a lot of what Erestor believed the orcs thought were trophy objects, and so assumed that this was the commander. He walked up to the still-sleeping orc and sliced the orc’s throat open with one of his daggers. He wiped the bloody dagger on the orc’s filthy clothes and then began to try to figure a way out. This was enough work for one day; he needed time for the orcs to realize that their leader was dead. Then panic would set in, and Erestor could take advantage of the chaos. Then a foot darted out in front of him and he tripped. He landed hard; the wind was momentarily knocked out of him. He cursed his stupidity and his hurry that had made him a lot less cautious than what he should have been. “You have killed our commander, scum,” said the orc that had tripped him. The orc gave Erestor a foul smile. “You will have to answer for that.” Erestor tried to get back to his feet, and had gotten halfway, had his daggers out again, but they were knocked out of his hands and a heavy foot was pressed onto his chest. Another orc approached; he was carrying heavy metal chains. The orcs chained him and then pulled him to his feet. Erestor half-walked, was half-dragged through the hallways. Jeers surrounded him on all sides. Erestor knew what his treatment was going to be like and he didn’t want to think about it. *I’m sorry, Elrond. I failed you. * ***** Haldir was roaming the hallways when Celeborn found him. Haldir looked so miserable that Celeborn wanted nothing more than to take him to some secluded spot and do whatever he could to cheer Haldir up. But as much as Celeborn wanted that, he was old enough and had enough experience to know that it was best not to push such matters. If Haldir came to him looking for comfort, Celeborn would give it, and give it gladly. But he would not force it upon Haldir. “What is it?” asked Haldir. He had been swathed in misery ever since he had returned here to Lorien. The thought that Erestor was out there somewhere, suffering perhaps, was more than Haldir could take. “I just got a message from Lord Elrond. He is assembling a force to destroy an orc encampment on the edge of his border. He has asked for a contingent from Lorien. I was wondering if you would like to command that force.” “I need something to do, Celeborn. I would rather not have to work directly with Lord Elrond, as I don’t think I could talk to him. But if it’s just fighting…it will help me to get my mind off of things.” “Be careful, Haldir.” Celeborn stepped closer, and put a hand delicately on Haldir’s shoulder. Haldir moved forward and embraced Celeborn. Celeborn had always been there for him and he was glad that Celeborn still was. But there was something that Haldir had noticed recently; that the look in Celeborn’s eyes had changed from one of friendship to something that Haldir would have termed lust. But Haldir didn’t want to think about Celeborn wanting him; that was too complicated for him. “Celeborn?” “Mmm?” “Do you want me?” Haldir felt that he needed to know this; it wouldn’t change the friendship between him, but it would affect the way Haldir acted around Celeborn. “And please tell me the truth.” “Then…yes, I do.” Celeborn was all but certain that Haldir did not feel the same way about him. In a way, that saddened him, but he could deal with it. “But I don’t expect you to feel the same about me.” In that instant, Haldir saw Celeborn, not as his Lord or a trusted friend, but as the attractive elf that he was. His heart began to beat a little faster. *What about Erestor* asked his brain of his traitorous heart. *Does he mean nothing to you?* Haldir looked up at Celeborn, unsure of what to do. Celeborn could see the conflicting emotions in the younger elf’s face. He released Haldir from the embrace. “As I said, I don’t expect you to feel the same. But if you do…if you ever do…I would love to get to know you on a more personal level.” He smiled. “But the contingent to Imladris leaves tomorrow morning.” Haldir smiled. “I will think about it, Celeborn.” And he knew that he would, and he hated himself for feeling like that. He turned away from Celeborn and walked down the hall purposefully, to his room. He would have to get ready to leave. Suddenly, he was no longer as drained as he had been. There was work for him to do, and there was an elf that cared about him to come back to when he was finished. Celeborn watched Haldir walk away, and could immediately detect the change in Haldir. He smiled to himself. Maybe, at last, he would get what he had hoped so desperately for. He shook his head and continued to walk. He had to go meet his chief advisor. Ostensibly, they were to be discussing some reports of orc activity, but Celeborn had gotten the feeling that that was explicitly not going to be what happened. ***** Erestor muffled his cries as they pulled his last fingernail. His hands were now a bloody mess. They had already beaten him, but this pain was far more exquisite. He wasn’t sure yet what they wanted out of him, but whatever it was, he had no intentions of telling them. So he suffered as silently as he could, though the occasional whimper did manage to find it’s way out. “Elf, tell me your name,” said one of the orcs. Erestor grit his teeth and remained silent. He wasn’t going to say anything. His life meant nothing anymore; he had nothing to live for. It didn’t matter if they killed him now “You know, there’s a lot more we can do to you, elf.” Erestor remained silent. He was well aware of the methods of torture that orcs could use. He was all but certain that they could come up with quite imaginative ways to make him hurt. But that didn’t mean that he was going to talk. “Tell us now, elf, or we will make your life worse than you could possible imagine it.” Erestor suppressed a smile. A month ago, he would have agreed. But now his life had become so unlivable that any physical pain they put him through would not come even close to equaling the emotional and psychological pain that he had been through since Glorfindel arrived. “Bring it in!” called the orc. An orc walked in, carrying a steaming basin and some rope. Erestor eyed it with morbid curiosity. Very carefully, the orc set it down. Using metal tongs, he pulled out what Erestor immediately saw were hot coals. Mentally, he winced. He felt that he knew what was coming and tried to mentally brace himself. But the preparation was not enough. When the hot coals were tied firmly onto his hands, Erestor lost control. When the orc asked him who he worked for, the first thing that came out of his mouth was, “Elrond…Imladris.” ***** A message had arrived in the night for Elrond. Elrond was pulled out of his warm bed to go read it and was not all that happy about it. He treasured his good nights of sleep because they were so rare. He sat down in his study and snatched up the message. We have one of your spies the message read he will not reveal his name but he has told us that he works for you. We will return him to you if you give us his body’s weight in jewels and mithril. Elrond was perceptive enough to know that this was from the orcs on his border. *But who have they captured? I have sent none up there.* And then a name popped into his head: Erestor. *That fool. He went there by himself and now he’s gotten caught. And now he wants me to do something about it. He can keep dreaming.* What the orcs wanted was extortionate, and Elrond had no intention of paying the ransom, especially if it was Erestor. Erestor deserved no favors from him. Glorfindel walked into the study. “Why did you get up?” he asked sleepily. “They have Erestor,” said Elrond. Glorfindel appeared a little more alert. “Who has Erestor?” “The orcs.” Glorfindel knew that he couldn’t appear too alarmed. He didn’t want to give that much away to Elrond. “And what do they want from you?” “His weight in jewels and mithril.” Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. “And do you plan to give it to them?” “Absolutely not. I don’t give in to ransom demands like that. And why should I care about Erestor? After what he did to you…I owe him nothing.” “What do you think he will tell them?” *A lot* realized Elrond. Erestor had been his Chief Advisor for more than a millennia, he knew so much about Imladris and its workings. And now he would feel no need to be loyal to it, as Elrond had kicked him out for good. *Erestor could easily destroy us.* “He could tell them everything,” admitted Elrond. “But there’s nothing I can do about it.” “You could send someone in to kill him,” said Glorfindel. “I am no kinslayer,” said Elrond firmly. “Well…there are other ways of silencing someone besides killing them,” mused Glorfindel thoughtfully. “You sound like you want me to send you out there. What do you want, revenge?” *No, nothing of the sort.* “I do want you to send me out. I know how to do what needs to be doing, and Erestor trained me. What more do you want?” *The knowledge that you are not dead nor held captive.* “Meleth, please reconsider. You know how dangerous this could be and I don’t want to lose you.” Glorfindel smiled. “I have to do this, Elrond. You know that. The groups from Lorien and Mirkwood will be arriving in a few hours. It’s important that I get out of here before they come. So let me go now. I promise you that I will return.” Elrond didn’t want to agree. He felt that he would be sending Glorfindel to his death. And he had grown to care about Glorfindel; not as much as he once had cared about Erestor, but still enough to not want him to die needlessly. But he could see the sense in Glorfindel’s arguments. “Very well, then. Go. But don’t you dare get killed, Glorfindel.” ***** Haldir was heartsick to arrive at this place again. He wanted nothing more than it to be like it had always been, with Erestor here and Glorfindel gone. Haldir didn’t think that that was too much to ask. He didn’t even really care if Erestor loved him or not. In some way, that was immaterial. What mattered to him the most was that Erestor be here, be safe, because Haldir loved him and wanted more than anything for Erestor to be happy, even if it was not with him. Elrond came out to meet the group and seemed slightly surprised to see Haldir there. “You will be staying the night here and will leave at dawn tomorrow,” Elrond said. “You will be part of a group of about a hundred and fifty elves, fifty from Imladris, the fifty of your group, and fifty from Mirkwood. Haldir, could I speak with you privately for a moment.” Haldir followed Elrond off. “What is it, Lord Elrond?” “Why are you back here?” “Because Celeborn asked me to come.” “Don’t think that you are going to be causing trouble here…” “Don’t worry, Elrond, I wasn’t planning to. I want to spend as little time here as possible. The gods only know what crime you would plan for me to have committed before long…” “Erestor raped Glorfindel! It was not a crime I planned; it was not one I would have even believed Erestor capable of committing. Just because he was your lover for a week does not mean that you knew the inner workings of his mind…” “But you did. You knew how he thought, you knew that he would never hurt someone like that. It is Glorfindel you blindly trusted, and it is Glorfindel that you know nothing about. And here is something that differs: I know about Glorfindel, I know about his past and I know what he is capable of. He wanted Erestor out of the way, so he planned to make up a heinous crime for Erestor to have committed!” “Keep your mouth closed while in Imladris, Haldir,” said Elrond in an icy tone. “Or I fear that some accident may befall you.” Elrond paused for a moment. “And now leave me alone, get your elves settled in, and do not seek me out again.” Elrond turned and walked away. Haldir scowled at Elrond’s retreating figure. “I swear that you will answer for your crime someday, Elrond of Imladris,” he murmured. “You will pay for the terrible thing you did to Erestor.” ***** Legolas understood that there had to be a certain amount of chaos, as there was a lot happening at Imladris, but that didn’t mean the whole world had to end, as it appeared to be doing. All of Imladris was in chaos. There were delegations from both Mirkwood and Lorien, and along with an Imladris contingent, were going to deal with some problem with the orcs. Legolas had been trying to meet with Elrond today. It was important that they get this whole trade deal out of the way. He had been here longer than he had planned to. And this place now had some rather unpleasant memories associated with it. Even his father wanted him home; his father had sent him a message a couple of days ago. Legolas missed Mirkwood and was rather sick of Imladris. “Can we talk later?” asked Elrond, when Legolas tried to talk to him. “No,” said Legolas. “My father wants me to leave here today or tomorrow.” That was a stretching of the truth, but that didn’t matter. Elrond sighed. “Have we not discussed the issue to death already?” “Please, Lord Elrond, we need to go sit down and iron this out firmly. Do we really want to have to do this all over again simply because we overlooked some minor detail this time around?” Elrond’s logical brain kicked in. Whatever he might be thinking right now, it was important to concentrate on the things that would affect his future. *Though having either Glorfindel or Erestor killed would definitely affect my future.* “Okay, Legolas. Let’s talk.” He led Legolas to another room, where they could talk in private. Legolas could tell something was bothering Elrond, and was fighting his curious impulse to ask Elrond what was wrong. Finally, it came out, “Is something wrong, Lord Elrond?” “No,” snapped Elrond. “That simple word states its own falsity,” said Legolas with a small smile. “Does it have to do with Glorfindel leaving?” He had not found out Glorfindel’s mission, as it was apparently one of the utmost secrecy. “No,” said Elrond. If it had been Erestor grilling him for the truth, he knew that it was much more likely for him to break down and confess. But this was Legolas; he barely knew the elf, so felt no compulsion to break down the same way. *Erestor isn’t here* Elrond reminded himself. *And if Glorfindel gets his job done right, Erestor will never be the same afterwards. I don’t think Glorfindel will kill him, but if he cuts out Erestor’s tongue, or something similar, Erestor will never be the same elf that he was before I exiled him.* “But I thought that we were supposed to be discussing our trade agreement.” “If there is something in particular bothering you, it could affect your judgment. Maybe we should talk about it so that it doesn’t affect your negotiating.” Legolas gave Elrond a cocky, knowing smile. “I’m fine,” said Elrond through clenched teeth. “Let’s just get on with it.” ***** Erestor knew that he was close to death. He had long since stopped trying to remember what he screamed out in his moments of agony. That didn’t matter anymore. He lay soaked in his own blood on the floor. Hazy memories passed through his mind. For some reason, they all seemed to focus on Haldir. One in particular, continued to appear. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Erestor was huddled in a dark corner of the encampment. It was about a week after he had seen Lord Elrond for the first time. Since then, Elrond had been using him for meaningless, insignificant tasks, and that just made Erestor feel even worse. Elrond had never asked his name, never even really looked at him. And that somehow hurt even more than Elrond’s thoughtless remark when Erestor had first seen him. Suddenly, a figure appeared above Erestor. “What are you doing out here?” asked the voice, not unkindly. “It’s starting to rain.” “I have nowhere to go,” mumbled Erestor, wishing the other would just go away. But he persisted. “What do you mean?” “Just leave me alone,” said Erestor, not wishing to be rude, but only wanting to be alone. The elf crouched down in front of him. He frowned, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. “Have we met before? I am Haldir of Lorien.” When the elf did not reply, Haldir smiled and said, “It is customary to give one’s own name.” “Erestor.” “Of?” “Nowhere.” Haldir smiled a little more. “I see, Erestor of nowhere. It is getting cold tonight and will soon rain. If you have nowhere to go, then I am sure that you will be welcome in my tent to have something to eat and drink if you would like.” He could see that this elf was barely more than an Elfling, small and underfed. Haldir was struck by a sudden urge to take care of the elf. “If you want,” said Erestor uncaringly. “Come on, then,” said Haldir, standing back up. Erestor stood up as well, and Haldir saw that Erestor was reasonably tall, even though he was quite scrawny. “How long have you been here, Erestor?” “A couple months, my lord.” Haldir laughed. “I am no lord, Erestor. Simply Haldir.” As the night passed on, and Haldir and Erestor talked, Haldir became more and more intrigued by the elf. Haldir’s interest in Erestor stunned him. Ever since he had broken up with Glorfindel, he had thought of himself as worthless and unworthy of companionship. As the evening dragged on, Erestor felt that he should leave and let this obviously better elf get some sleep. He stood up. “I should leave.” Haldir smiled. “You don’t have to, you know.” “Hmm?” Haldir rose just far enough to caress Erestor’s face. “You don’t have to leave.” “I don’t even know you.” Haldir fought another smile. This was obviously not an elf that believed in one-night stands. “Okay. I apologize for asking you that. But I would like to talk to you again.” Then Erestor surprised both himself and Haldir by leaning down and kissing Haldir. In Erestor’s mind, this evening had redeemed Haldir of those comments he had made to Elrond a week ago. Haldir looked up at Erestor and smiled. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Erestor was pulled out of his reverie by elven voices. He opened his eyes and found Glorfindel standing above him, a sad look on his face. “Why’d you have to get yourself caught?” asked Glorfindel. Erestor struggled to speak and eventually managed to say, “Just kill me.” “I don’t want to do that, Erestor, meleth, I don’t want to kill you, I love you too much.” Glorfindel turned as he heard other voices. He frowned. “I have to leave, Erestor, Elrond doesn’t want anyone to know I was here…I hate to do this, Erestor, really I do. Please understand.” Glorfindel pulled out a dagger, bent down, and gently pressed the blade to Erestor’s neck. ***** Elrond was pacing his study. He felt so lonely now. Erestor was gone, so were Glorfindel and Legolas and Haldir as well. The companions he had had for the past few weeks, for better or worse were gone and he felt so alone now. He wished that he could go back in time far enough that Glorfindel was no longer here and he still had Erestor around. Even if Erestor didn’t love him, at least he would not be in the hands of the orcs and he would still be here in Imladris. A knock at his door and then an elf walked in. “Lord Glorfindel has returned, my lord.” “Send him in,” said Elrond. Glorfindel walked in a few moments later. He looked downcast. “Hello, Elrond.” “How did it go, meleth?” “I was too late,” lied Glorfindel easily. “They had already killed him by the time I got there. I saw no sense in staying.” Those words hurt Elrond more than anything that had happened in his life. *The love of my life is gone, gone forever.* “What did you do with his body?” “I buried it outside the camp. I felt that he at least deserved that much.” “Yes, he deserved at least that much.” *Oh, poor Erestor. All the wrongs I’ve done you, and now I won’t even have a gravesite to go to and beg your forgiveness for everything. You will never know now what I would have done for you, how much I would have loved you. You are gone from me forever.* He looked at Glorfindel. “I’m just glad that it’s all over.” “Is it over?” asked Glorfindel. “Yes,” said Elrond. “It is over.” Feedback…please please please please. Minor note: no, this isn't over yet.