Title: A First Time For Everything
Author: Eremir (eremir82@yahoo.se)
Website: http://leaves.forgottenjuliet.net/
Pairings: Erestor/Glorfindel, Erestor/Lindir, (Erestor/Elrond)
Rating: NC17
Summary: Erestor is the chief advisor of Imladris. He is calm, assertive, and 
withdrawn. He enjoys solitude and a good book. He spends most of the day 
in his study, hard at work... Or at least, that’s what everyone thinks. What 
they don’t know, is what happens when nobody is looking...
Warnings: Smut, silliness, angst
Disclaimer: All characters, names and places belong to Tolkien and New 
Line; I’m merely having my way with them and will bring them back alive 
and unspoiled.
Feedback: Would be lovely.
Notes: Prize-winning contribution to the Library of Moria First Time 
Challenge, September 2005
Beta’d by the irreplaceable Half Elf Lost. All remaining mistakes are mine, 
intentional as well as unintentional.

-------------------------------

Bored. So bored. So inconceivably and utterly bored.

Erestor tapped his fingernails against the polished surface of his desk. First 
the four sharp clicks of his fingers, and then the soft pat of the thumb, all 
repeated in a rhythmic loop. His eyes kept reading the same word on a 
parchment over and over again, yet it refused to stick in his brain. Had he 
ever been this bored? Of course, that was often his train of thought. Bored, 
bored, bored. Boring, boring, boring. Dull, dull, dull. Thinking of synonyms 
for his boredom was a long practised skill.

“Would you stop that!”

Elrond’s voice nearly made him jump out of his chair, and it took him a few 
seconds to realize why the elf lord was so upset. Erestor removed his hand 
from the desk and let it rest on his lap. He knew the half-elf needed silence 
when he worked, but Erestor only wanted the work to be over. Work, work, 
work. Read, read, read. Dull, dull, dull. The advisor desperately wanted to 
leave the office, but needed to at least pretend he was working for as long as 
Elrond was still in the room. Damn.

It was another gruelling, slow hour before Elrond finally stood and gathered 
his papers.

“All right,” he sighed heavily. “I think I have finished the most urgent 
reports. Could you send a messenger with these files to Lothlórien as soon 
as you’re done? I’m going to...”

Erestor tuned out the deep voice. It had such a soothing impact on his 
nerves. Bliss compared to the long silence he had endured the entire day.

“...so that should all work out for the best. I hope. Anyway, I enjoyed 
spending time with you today, Erestor.” Hearing his name finally got him to 
focus on what Elrond was saying. “Perhaps we should work together more 
often. There’s really no point in sitting alone in separate rooms when we 
could have company.” Elrond smiled and turned to leave.

“My lord!” Erestor stood so quickly he knocked his chair over. “I prefer my 
solitude, as well you know. Do not be mistaken, for I do enjoy your 
company greatly, but when I am working...”

The elf lord smiled sadly. “It’s because I shouted at you, is it not? I am 
sorry, meldir. I suppose I need my silence as much as you need your 
solitude. Forgive me. I will leave you in peace.”

Erestor hated to be so blunt with his lord and friend, but he felt as though he 
had dodged a terrible blow. One more day of this and he would lose what 
was left of his sanity.

“Thank you, my lord.”

As soon as Elrond left the room, Erestor shoved his papers in a drawer and 
hurried back to his rooms. He locked the door, as he always did, and made 
sure no elves were lurking close outside his window. When he was satisfied 
that the coast was clear, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Finally!”

In one fluid stroke he tore open his robes, stepped out of them and flung 
himself naked on the bed. He hated wearing clothes, always had, but the 
elves of Imladris were not fond of public nudity, so regretfully he was 
forced to endure them. After a few moments of savouring the fresh air on his 
skin, he climbed up to the headboard to retrieve his book. In a hidden 
compartment behind the bed, he stored a secret journal he had kept for 
centuries. A black, leather-bound book, filled with notes. Settling down on 
his stomach, Erestor began flipping through it.

“Hm...fountain...midnight...did I ever...yes I did.” He sighed.

A long time ago, a friend had told him that the best way to feel alive and 
enjoy life was to do something new every day. Something you had never 
done before. That friend had given Erestor this book, to write down all the 
new things he did. Now, being an immortal creature, he hardly had enough 
space in the book to write down everything he did, but he did take notes of 
the more spectacular things.

The first time he had kissed a she-elf. The first time he had kissed a male 
elf. The first time he had hidden in his brother’s bedroom and watched him 
masturbate. He giggled at the memory. He had to lie under the dresser for 
hours, waiting for his brother to finally fall asleep, so he could sneak out of 
there. He was only an elfling then, curious about everything. So many new 
things to do, so much to explore.

But lately, he had found that it was getting harder and harder to find 
something truly interesting to do for the first time. Flipping forward to the 
latter pages, he read through some of the things he had done in recent years. 
Painting Asfaloth blue before Glorfindel’s big celebration. That was fun! 
The Elda was angry for months, and yet no one ever found out who did it. 
Of course, who would ever suspect the chief counsellor? It was brilliant. All 
eyes had turned to the twins, and for a while Erestor was afraid Elrond 
would punish them, and force Erestor to confess out of sheer guilt. But 
luckily, the young twins had an airtight alibi.

What else...Oh! The time he had stolen all of Celebrian’s underwear, and 
worn them under his robes while in council with the Mirkwood king. Poor 
Thranduil could not figure out why the Rivendell advisor giggled during 
their entire meeting. And did anyone believe him when he told stories of the 
giggling counsellor? Certainly not! Not sombre old Erestor... Brilliant. 
Absolutely brilliant. Or course, the misunderstandings had led to a quite 
strained relationship between Mirkwood and Imladris, so Erestor had 
decided not to play tricks on foreign dignitaries ever again.

Erestor loved reading through his old book. It always made him smile. But 
what should he do today? On an average day he would settle for doing 
stupid little things when nobody was watching, like a silly little dance, or 
trying to do a handstand while wearing a female’s gown inside out. It was 
only meant to be for his own well-being. He would go insane if he had to do 
the same things day in and day out. Little things like that helped him stay 
sane.

But today...today had been an awful day. He needed to do something wild 
and reckless. Something that he had never done before. A new first time for 
his journal. Erestor got up and paced the room. He closed his eyes as he 
walked the boundaries of his soft wool rug, stretched his neck from side to 
side and swung his arms back and forth. Feeling inside himself, he tried to 
decide on what he wanted to experience today.

A prank? Like the time he put dye on Elrond’s chair and the half-elf spent 
the rest of the day walking around looking as if he had wet himself? No. He 
wasn’t in the mood for a prank. A dangerous stunt? Like the time he had 
nearly broken his neck trying to cross a glade by jumping from tree to tree? 
No. He didn’t feel like risking pain and injury today. He needed 
something...sexual. Yes! That was the answer!

Now he only needed to find a suitable victim.

-------------------------------

As soon as twilight fell on Imladris, Erestor snuck out of his rooms. With 
the drapes pulled and the door locked, he pretended he was asleep inside. 
Most elves in the household already thought that he went to bed early, when 
the truth was that he rarely needed much sleep at all. He wore only a light 
robe as he tiptoed through the Last Homely House.

The slightest breath in the hall, and the dark haired elf vanished into 
shadow. He must not be seen. Stealthily moving through dark corridors, he 
made his way outside. Once hidden by tall vegetation, he took off his robe 
and strolled naked through the garden. In the dark gloom only the moon led 
the way, shedding its soft light on the earth. He knew a place up ahead, a 
secluded and romantic place where lovers often withdrew. He had gone 
there many times, watching and listening to the lovemaking. It hardly held 
much of a thrill anymore. But every once in a while, a lone elf would 
venture there in hopes of finding another lone elf. Perhaps someone new 
would be there tonight.

Erestor settled in his usual hiding place and waited. From between the 
bushes he could clearly see the tiny pond, the little waterfall, and the creek 
that wound down the hill. The rocks and the grass where lovers found their 
pleasure were illuminated by the rising moon, yet still vacant. The Noldo 
laid back, letting his fingertips idly circle the skin on his stomach as he 
watched the stars and waited. No one came. After a while he got bored and 
went for a quick dip in the pond to cool off. Naked and wet, he returned to 
his robe.

Halfway back he heard voices, and hurried behind a large tree. It would not 
do to be caught naked in the garden. Two of Glorfindel’s guards passed him 
by, not noticing the advisor so barely hidden from their view. They appeared 
to be speaking of sword techniques, much the way they always did. Erestor 
wondered about the warriors sometimes. Was fighting all they thought 
about? Well, certainly it was most fascinating to watch them train, shirtless 
and sweating under the burning sun, but the actual sword fighting was of no 
interest to the counsellor. He preferred wrestling.

The two elves soon passed, and Erestor could continue on his way to fetch 
his robe. He returned to his chambers without trouble, and slumped down on 
the bed, wondering what else to do. He needed to get laid. Soon.

Quickly brushing through his hair and putting on some leggings and a thin, 
loose fitting tunic, he decided to go to the Hall of Fire and see if anyone else 
was still awake. He might catch a game of chess or a nice conversation if 
nothing else. He was more than delighted to find a single elf alone in the 
great hall. It was young Lindir, the minstrel, tightening the strings on his 
harp. Erestor purposefully closed the door not so silently, and watched the 
young blonde look up in surprise.

“Chief Counsellor!” Lindir nearly spilled his wine when trying to hide it. “I 
did not expect to see you up so late, my lord.”

“Apparently not,” Erestor smiled as he approached. “Are you drinking from 
Lord Glorfindel’s private stock?” The young elf nodded, frightened. “That is 
very rich wine. Are you sure you can handle it?” Again, the frightened nod. 
“Do not worry, my friend,” the Noldo said, and sat down beside the 
minstrel. “I won’t tell a soul. Glorfindel has plenty of wine.”

“Oh, thank you!” Lindir collapsed in the sofa, and had a big gulp.

Erestor chuckled and refilled the empty goblet. “You can drink as much as 
you want, as far as I am concerned. I’m not your father.”

The young elf smiled at him, and the advisor kept refilling the goblet every 
chance he got. It was a very potent wine, and Lindir was very slight. He 
would be drunk in no time. Tinier than other elves his age, the minstrel had 
never as much as held a sword, and mostly avoided any type of activity 
associated with war. The elf could barely ride a horse, but preferred to stay 
on the ground. Some of the warriors would tease him for it, but they were 
quick enough to get on their knees in admiration whenever he would sing.

“So you shee, thish type of string ish much more durable, and ish the only 
type I use now. You shee? Mush better.”

The young elf had begun to slur slightly, but didn’t appear to know it 
himself. He was proudly showing his new and improved harp, plucking the 
strings so that Erestor could hear how much better it was. The counsellor 
didn’t care. All he wanted to know was if the minstrel was drunk enough to 
get into bed, but sober enough not to qualify as a rape victim. 
Experimentally, he wrapped an arm around the younger elf’s shoulders and 
pulled him close.

“Yes, that’s much better,” he said, and received a wide grin in response. 
“But there’s something I’ve always wondered about you.”

“What’s that?”

“If you have any more skills with that mouth of yours, other than singing 
and drinking the Lord Seneschal’s wine.”

Lindir put aside his harp and smiled groggily at his companion. “My lord 
Ereshtor...are you trying to seduce me?”

“Who? Me? Noooo,” Erestor lied. “I think it is you who are trying to entice 
me, what with those luscious lips of yours, and those big shiny eyes... You 
are enticing me, are you not?”

Lindir thought for a moment, wobbling slightly in his seat. “Yes.”

“Of course you are! You are a little slut, aren’t you?”

Lindir giggled. “Maybe.”

Erestor grinned. His subject was hardly unwilling, and ripe for picking. He 
eagerly claimed the young elf’s lips. Lindir immediately stopped giggling 
and accepted the kisses bestowed upon him. The dark haired advisor 
revelled in the new sensations. A mouth his tongue had never explored. Lips 
he had never tasted. Breath he had never felt on his face. The pretty blonde 
happily let himself be embraced and kissed deeply until Erestor decided to 
move on. Curious about the other elf’s endowment, his hand searched for 
the minstrel’s lap.

Lindir gasped. “I thought it was my mouth you wanted!”

“It is,” Erestor growled, and kissed the elf some more. The blonde 
whimpered beneath his touch. “So put your mouth on me.”

Erestor pulled up his tunic and revealed the considerable bulge in his 
leggings. Blue eyes widened at the sight. But Lindir did not delay in 
reaching for the waistband and hurried to find a way to free the hardness 
that was trapped inside. No sooner had the rigid flesh been exposed than it 
was engulfed in a hot, willing mouth. The wet friction induced a throaty 
groan in the receiver, and dark eyes rolled back in their sockets.

For such a timid creature, it was surprising to find the minstrel to be such a 
passionate and ravenous lover. He sucked as though his intentions were to 
drain Erestor of life itself, and his tongue massaged the swollen head with 
expert pressure. If Erestor had the capacity to think at this moment, he 
would have wondered how experienced Lindir really was. But his brain was 
complete mush by the time a hand began fondling his balls, so none of it 
mattered anyway.

The Noldo was caught in the vision. Hair of flaxen silk floating on his lap. 
The gently bobbing head. The soft red lips surrounding his own flesh. 
Ordinarily, Erestor thought of Lindir as a plain elf. Boring. Dull. All the 
things he despised. He used to think his voice was the only quality the 
young blonde had. It turned out he had been wrong all this time, and for 
once he enjoyed the consequences of not being right. For the young minstrel 
proved very skilled in at least one more area. It did not take much longer 
until Erestor climaxed, and entranced watched his seed disappear between 
greedy lips.

Breathing heavily from release, Erestor closed his eyes and let the waves of 
pleasure sweep through his body. By the time he had recovered, he realized 
that his companion was snoring. The blond head lay limp on his lap. The 
Noldo chuckled and petted the soft hair. Poor little thing. Perhaps he had 
had too much wine after all.

Erestor carefully stood, lifting the minstrel’s head off his leg and lowered it 
onto the sofa. He covered the unconscious elf with a blanket and hid the 
remaining bottles of wine before leaving the great hall. He was anxious to 
get back to his chamber and make a note of this in his journal: ~The first 
time I was sucked by Lindir~

----------------------------

A few days passed. Lindir never mentioned their encounter, nor did he act 
out of the ordinary as far as anyone could tell. Perhaps the truth was he 
didn’t remember much of what had happened. Glorfindel had noticed that 
three bottles of his strongest wine were missing, but he didn’t bother to 
investigate. Elrond didn’t want him to drink it anyway.

Erestor went about his usual business, and since Elrond stayed in his own 
study, he was free to work any way he liked. Doing his silly little dance 
around the shelves as he looked for the book he needed. Singing a silly little 
song he made up in his head while eating blueberries out of a bowl on his 
desk. And he could tap his foot, click his fingernails and crack his knuckles 
all he wanted. He was in a very good mood. That’s when he had a wicked 
idea.

On his supposed midday break, he climbed the stairs to the confined attic 
space and sought out his confiscation storage. Over the centuries, he had 
confiscated several dangerous toys and devices that had come into the 
possession of the twins, and as far as Elrond knew they had all been 
destroyed. But the advisor had kept them. Seemed like a waste to burn a 
perfectly good slingshot. Too bad he would be forced to waste some 
delicious blueberries, but it would be worth it in the end.

From the attic Erestor had no problem crawling out onto the supportive 
beams of the roof, and once he got to the very end he had a perfect shot at 
the other counsellors sitting down for lunch outside. He loaded his slingshot 
with a large berry, and cackled fiendishly to himself.

“Ha, ha! I will get you, Counsellor of Evil! I will ruin your fancy hair! Ha, 
ha!”

Flat on his stomach under the roof, the assassin Noldo took aim at the 
nearest head. There was a light pop as the berry struck its target, and the 
baffled elf grabbed his head and looked to the sky. Erestor nearly choked 
laughing when another elf asked the shot one if he had been pooped on by a 
bird or something. The first elf looked at his fingers, which had turned 
purple from the crushed blueberry in his hair. The four counsellors at the 
table pondered this mystery, and analyzed the facts the way true intellectuals 
were supposed to.

Erestor decided to give them one more mystery, and took aim at the second 
elf. Unfortunately, he missed ever so slightly, and accidentally hit him 
square between the eyes. The four counsellors ran screaming from the table, 
convinced that some wizardry was in play. Up under the roof, Erestor 
laughed hysterically, clutching his stomach as it cramped.

On a balcony not far away, Elrond thought he heard laughter coming from 
the ceiling. In the end he shook his head and dismissed it. There was no one 
in the ceiling. Silly idea.

----------------------------

Supper that evening was a tense affair. The counsellors were edgy and eyed 
everyone in the room with suspicion. Lindir offered a song to lighten the 
mood, but that suggestion only made him the centre of attention for 
venomous stares. Erestor had to use all his might not to pee on his seat from 
contained laughter as the last of the counsellors showed up sporting a blue 
mark in the middle of his forehead.

Elrond truly had no idea what was going on in his house anymore. 
Sometimes the strangest things would happen. The story his advisors told 
him today was quite peculiar, and the mood in the dining room was even 
worse. And now Erestor was making strange noises and trying to hide his 
face behind a napkin. What was happening here? He looked at his seneschal, 
who appeared to be thinking the same thing. Glorfindel’s brow was deeply 
furrowed as he beheld the coughing Erestor.

“Erestor? Is something wrong?” Elrond asked.

“No, my lord,” the Noldo answered, and tried to keep a straight face. “I 
think I ate too fast, that is all.”

He could see that the elf lord was far from convinced, but it was the best he 
could think of. No one truly suspected him anyway. No one ever did. For as 
long as Erestor had lived in Imladris, he had never once been caught. But 
then again, there’s a first time for everything.

After supper, Erestor escaped the stale conversation with a plausible excuse, 
and headed back to his rooms. He snickered to himself as he walked. The 
image of the stiff advisor with the blue mark on his face...it was too funny 
for words! If only there was someone with whom he could share his pranks. 
He knew the twins would love to hear all about it, but he couldn’t risk them 
knowing. This was his own business. Besides, part of the thrill was no one 
knowing. Though...sometimes...he was dying to tell someone.

Erestor froze in his step.

“Why are you following me?” he said without turning.

His shadow said nothing. In the end he turned to look at him, and sighing 
deeply, Glorfindel stepped forward. Erestor glared at the seneschal, who still 
said nothing.

“I repeat my question,” the Noldo said coldly.

“Something is going on,” Glorfindel said. “Something strange is at work 
here, and I think you know what it is.” Erestor replied with an indignant 
look. “Erestor, this is not the first time something like this has happened. 
Remember the time someone painted my horse? Or when all of lady 
Celebrian’s underwear were stolen?”

“Do not underestimate my memory, seneschal,” Erestor said impatiently. “Is 
there a point to this, or are you simply accusing me?”

“No! I’m not accusing you, Erestor.” Glorfindel stepped closer and put a 
hand on the advisor’s shoulder, an action clearly not appreciated, but he held 
on nonetheless. “I am only saying that I think you know something.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Oh, please,” the Elda sneered. “You are the most intelligent and cunning 
elf I know. Besides, I heard you giggling.”

Erestor snorted. “And I suppose you don’t think it was the least bit funny?”

“Well...” Glorfindel smiled. “That mark is going to take at least a few days 
to wash away.”

“Indeed.”

Erestor returned the smile, and gently moved away from Glorfindel’s touch. 
The heat of the palm burned through his robes. The tall blonde was 
admirable in every way. He was beautiful, strong and brave. He was most 
desirable. Therefore he was dangerous. Erestor could not let himself be 
attracted to the Elda. He would inevitably expose himself. Little Lindir he 
could handle, but this creature was out of his league. Now, if there was a 
drug powerful enough...

“What are you thinking?” Glorfindel asked. “You have the most peculiar 
expression on your face.”

“Never mind what I’m thinking.”

Erestor quickly covered up what little emotion he had shown with his usual 
cold demeanor. It was ordinarily enough to discourage anyone from 
initiating further conversation, but this was Glorfindel, and he was not easily 
fooled. The Elda looked at him warily, as he always did, and raised an 
eyebrow in surrender.

“As you wish. I will not question you further.” As Glorfindel made to leave, 
he looked back at the counsellor. “I still believe you know more than you 
admit, Erestor.”

“How lovely,” the dark haired elf replied sarcastically. “Will you be 
following me around often from now on?”

Glorfindel sighed sadly and walked away. Not until the blonde had vanished 
from sight did Erestor release the breath he had been holding. It was hard 
being so cold to Glorfindel. The Elda probably thought the chief counsellor 
truly hated him. It hurt. But he could not allow any feelings to stir for the 
beautiful seneschal. It could only lead to disaster.

Back in his room, Erestor did what he always did. Locked the door, 
removed his clothes, and settled naked on the bed with his book. There were 
so many elves in there...so many elves, yet none who really mattered. 
Servants, visitors, guards, minstrels... - nobodies. True, there was an odd elf 
lord or two, including Elrond. There had been a time, long ago... Erestor still 
didn’t know what had come over him that night, but the half-elf had been 
beside himself with grief for his long-departed wife, and it seemed like the 
right thing to do. Elrond had been starving for intimacy, and Erestor was his 
closest friend. It was one of those first times that wasn’t actually planned.

They had never spoken of that night. Erestor had left the half-elf’s room 
before dawn, and no one had been the wiser. He was only happy their 
encounter had never affected their friendship. That was the most important 
thing to him.

But Glorfindel...he was a completely different story. He was also mentioned 
several times in Erestor’s black book, but never in a sexual way. He was 
always the subject of some childish prank. It was sad somehow. Such a 
lovely elf, humiliated and ridiculed. Sure, he could handle it - he handled it 
better than most, which was probably the reason Erestor chose him for the 
pranks to begin with - but it was still sad. Such an extraordinary elf could 
better serve another purpose.

Oh, but he must not think in those paths. He had heard the rumours, same as 
everyone else. Glorfindel was very particular with everything in his life. He 
only drank the finest wine, only ate the sweetest apples, only slept on the 
softest sheets. Why should lovers be different? As long as Erestor had 
known him, he had never heard of the seneschal having a lover. No one was 
good enough for Glorfindel. Who could be? Erestor certainly was not.

Sad and depressed, the Noldo put his journal away.

The chief advisor did go to bed early that night. But he lay sleepless, 
plagued by thoughts of blond hair and blue eyes. A strong, straight nose and 
lightly curved lips. Broad shoulders and long legs. Firm muscle and smooth 
skin. Everything that was beautiful about Glorfindel, haunting Erestor’s 
mind for hours. It was no use. He was destined to lie awake in torment. 
There had to be something he could do to distract himself! Perhaps Lindir 
was still up...

Why did he suddenly feel so lonely?

He got out of bed and wrapped himself in his favourite red silk robe, then 
quietly exited his chamber. It was past midnight, and the halls were empty. 
When Erestor didn’t meet a single elf in the house, he went to the kitchens. 
There was some apple pie left from dinner, he knew, and decided to finish it 
off. It had been a long time since he felt this miserable. He might as well 
resort to comfort food. See, this is why he avoided speaking with Glorfindel. 
It made him grieve for all the first times that would never make it into his 
journal.

Erestor thought of it as he sat down and ate the pie. There was one first time 
in his black book that was particularly dear to him. “The first time 
Glorfindel kissed me”. It was his birthday, many years ago. A round number 
had caused Lord Elrond to organize a big party, despite the counsellor’s 
modest wishes for a more discrete celebration.

Elrond had said: “Nonsense! When have we ever had a party just for you? 
When have I ever been able to thank you for all the things you’ve done for 
me - nay, for Imladris - and all the people that live here? You are most 
precious to all of us. It is time you learned. Now go and put on the garments 
I gave you, and for Valar’s sake, smile! Tonight is for you alone.”

Erestor had been so moved by the half-elf’s words, he had no choice but to 
comply. He had worn the luxurious clothes Elrond had had made for him, 
and he had danced and laughed like no other time in his life. When the food 
was gone and the musicians had begun their last melody, Glorfindel had 
approached him. The blonde had smiled, lain an arm over his shoulders, and 
kissed him on the cheek.

“Happy birthday,” was all he said.

Those few short seconds had been the most precious of the entire night. 
Erestor did not want to ponder what that meant, but it was clear to him now 
that he had wished for more then. He still did.

As he licked the few remaining crumbs off his fork, the Noldo realized he 
had indeed finished the entire pie. He did a lap around the kitchen looking 
for more food he could shove in his mouth, just to pass the time, but there 
was nothing. Not yet wanting to return to his empty chamber, he aimlessly 
wandered the Last Homely House. All was quiet. He passed through a 
corridor of domiciles, and through one of the doors he could clearly hear the 
voices of two elves, engaged in romantic activity. This did not help ease his 
suffering or quench his lust. He quickly left the corridor.

Not long after, he found himself standing outside Glorfindel’s door. He put 
his hand on it, almost expecting to feel a heartbeat under the smooth, hard 
surface of the wood. How many times had he passed this door, wondering 
what went on inside? Wondering how the Elda acted when he was all alone? 
Perhaps he read in front of the fire. Or perhaps he spent hours polishing 
his...sword. Erestor could easily hide in there and find out, like he had with 
his brother once, but he did not like the idea of spying on Glorfindel. He had 
put the poor elf through enough.

Pressing his ear to the door, the advisor listened. Was the blonde inside? 
Was he sleeping? Most likely, the answer to both questions would be yes. 
Glorfindel had to leave for patrol in the morning, and needed all the rest he 
could get. He would be gone for two weeks, and the mere thought of it 
drove Erestor mad with longing. Why this sudden burst of emotion? He had 
suppressed his feelings for the Elda over hundreds of years. There was no 
need to start feeling them now.

But he did feel them. He felt the presence of the seneschal through his thick 
wooden door. He could feel the elf’s steady heartbeat, hear how his chest 
gently heaved. Erestor felt dizzy, the hyped sensitivity of his senses 
surprising him and causing him to sway. Before he realized he was doing it, 
he had leaned on the door handle, and found himself staring into 
Glorfindel’s rooms.

There was no darkness in the Elda’s chamber. A fire crackled in the hearth, 
and dozens of candles were lit around the room. At the far end was a large 
four-post bed, and an elf lay sleeping in the middle. Erestor was hypnotized. 
Suddenly afraid that someone would pass by and see him, he stepped inside 
and closed the door. His heart beat madly in his breast. He was no longer 
thinking. Only moving. Moving towards the bed.

Naked, and only covered by a thin sheet, lay a golden being asleep with the 
night. Limbs sprawled over the mattress, the ancient face relaxed in sleep, 
and the long shiny hair fanned out over the pillows. Erestor had never seen 
Glorfindel like this, and in this moment he was certain it was the most 
beautiful sight he had ever seen. For the first time he could truly behold him. 
Absorb every vision, memorize every feature, and let his eyes wander freely 
the paths of the forbidden. He could let his gaze roam every inch of exposed 
flesh without fearing discovery. He was no longer afraid. He felt only desire.

----------------------------

Glorfindel slowly grew aware that he was being watched. He shifted in bed 
as his gaze focused on a dark being in the fire lit room. He smiled when he 
saw who it was, and relaxed back into the mattress. There was no need for 
alarm. It was only a dream.

The dark haired advisor stood but a few paces away, dressed in a long silk 
robe, deep red in colour. The light from the fire made him glow 
mysteriously. The seneschal, still half asleep, watched him through hooded 
eyes. He knew it was only a dream, for never would Erestor look at him in 
that manner - desire clearly in his eyes. Never would the sombre advisor 
wear any garment of such bright colour. Never would he come into 
Glorfindel’s rooms in the middle of the night. No, it was but a dream. But 
what a dream.

Then Erestor moved, untying his robe and letting it fall to the floor. He wore 
nothing underneath. Glorfindel gasped. Eyes wide with wonder fixed on the 
naked being that stood before him. The splendour of it was far beyond 
anything Glorfindel had ever dreamed before. It came closer, this glowing 
creature, and climbed onto the bed. The Elda felt the mattress shift beneath 
him. This was more real than any dream, but more dreamlike than any 
reality. Finally, the image of the once-so-cold advisor hovered above him, 
their faces closed from the world by a curtain of midnight hair. All 
Glorfindel saw were those eyes. Those passionate eyes.

If anyone had asked him to name the colour of the counsellor’s eyes, he 
would not have been able to say anything other than dark. There was no 
other description for them. He had never been close enough to the advisor in 
broad daylight to properly behold those mysterious eyes. But in this dream 
they pierced him. Circles of vivid blue and green, like the deep end of the 
ocean, pulling him down into their depths and holding him to drown. 
Suddenly he found it hard to breathe.

A touch of soft lips upon his own. Tentative kisses to save his life. He drew 
breath again, his body filling with lust as air filled his lungs. He groaned 
with desire as the body lowered onto him, its full weight pressing him down. 
His mouth opened willingly to welcome the tongue that sought entrance, 
and his arms wrapped around elf that now ruled him completely. Only a thin 
layer of cloth separated their naked hips, but in his haze Glorfindel still felt 
the hardness that pressed against his own.

The seneschal accepted every kiss, and returned it with interest. His hands 
wandered down the smooth, muscled back, and at last settled on the firm 
buttocks. Grabbing them harshly and grinding the hips against his own, he 
was able to extract a whimper from his lover - a battle won for the yet so 
passive Elda. Glorfindel snickered into the kiss as he continued to massage 
the firm flesh beneath his palms. After all, this was his dream, and it was 
time to take charge.

It only took a few kicks to rid himself of the hindering sheet, and both elves 
were finally settled flesh against flesh. Glorfindel imagined he felt a shiver 
shake the advisor’s form as he undulated his hips against him, but again, it 
was only his imagination. Overcome by lust, the seneschal pulled at the 
thighs that straddled him, moving the body into a position where it would be 
easier to penetrate. He wanted the Noldo. Had wanted  him for a long time. 
Erestor often came to him in dreams, especially after a few glasses of wine, 
but not like this. Never like this.

Positioning himself at the gateway, he was ready to plunge in and forget all 
his worries for the sake of a few seconds’ bliss, but something was holding 
him back. Erestor resisted. The Elda looked up, concerned with this sudden 
change in his dream advisor. What did this mean? But the dark haired elf 
smiled at him and took his hand. Glorfindel watched two of his fingers 
disappear into the counsellor’s warm mouth. The dark, lust-filled eyes never 
left his as the advisor sucked on his digits. With a last lick from a wet 
tongue, the hand was repositioned on the elf’s backside, and Glorfindel took 
his cue from there.

Their kisses grew more fervent as the Elda traced his wet fingers up and 
down the awaiting cleft. Erestor groaned appreciatively. A lone fingertip 
tested the entrance, and was instantly clenched in a deadly grip. Glorfindel 
could not help but wonder what it would feel like to have his entire being 
clasped in such a vice. The mere thought made his groin throb hungrily. He 
could not delay much longer, or he would spend himself simply from the 
sounds of arousal that escaped his lover’s throat. That would not do.

Two fingertips pressed through the ring of muscle, forcing it open and 
slicking it with saliva. The advisor groaned loudly in his arms, and 
Glorfindel felt the elf’s seeping erection rub against his stomach. Perhaps he 
should indeed hurry, lest they both spent themselves. Withdrawing his hand, 
the Elda pushed at the other elf’s hips, trying to get him to raise them. 
Erestor eagerly complied, sat up straight on top of his lover and took the 
awaiting arousal in hand. Slowly lowering his hips, he impaled himself on 
the hard cock.

Glorfindel gasped, watching his entire length vanish inside the counsellor’s 
body. It was beyond words. No feeling could ever compare to this. He didn’t 
only feel it in his crotch, he felt it in his whole body. Every fibre in ever 
muscle, every impulse in every nerve, all screamed for satisfaction. The 
Erestor of his dreams once again took charge, ruling his pleasure with an 
iron fist. He alone decided if friction was to be had. To the seneschal’s utter 
relief, he decided that it was.

A slow rhythm at first, escalating with forceful determination, Erestor 
moved himself over the thick shaft. The Elda was left speechless, breathless, 
holding onto slim hips for dear life. His sword-trained fingers inadvertently 
bruised pale skin as he struggled for some control over the motions that set 
his loins aflame. Lights danced before his eyes, eyelids fluttering from the 
intensity of his passion. Warm palms were braced against his chest, the 
fingers lightly teasing the hard nipples that dwelt there. There was no escape 
from this sweet torment.

Glorfindel gazed up. His eyes followed the line of his arms to the hips they 
held onto. Hips moving in tiny circles as they simultaneously went up and 
down, squeezing and rubbing the most sensitive part of Glorfindel’s 
anatomy. The Elda continued, tracing his gaze up the taut stomach, 
watching the muscles ripple beneath the skin as the elf moved. There was a 
strong chest, veiled in moist ringlets of raven hair. Every inch of skin shone 
with perspiration. And all the way on top, that face. That beautiful, sad face, 
contorted in ecstasy. Lips parted in mewls of lust. Glorfindel could not take 
any more.

Grabbing onto the tiring advisor, Glorfindel pulled him down and smashed 
their mouths together, kissing him like he had never kissed another before. 
Bracing his feet on the mattress, he slammed his hips upwards, delving far 
into the hidden depths of his lover with breathtaking speed. He heard 
Erestor’s heated screams, but excited lips and tongue missed their target, 
and was unsuccessful in silencing them. The sheer force and speed of their 
coupling drove them both mad, and it was not long before the advisor cried 
his release, pulling the exhausted Elda with him as they tumbled over the 
edge.

Glorfindel lay on his back, panting for long seconds. The body on top of his 
felt strangely heavy, the smell of sweat and sex palpable in the air. He held a 
fistful of tangled dark hair between his fingers as he petted the sweaty back. 
Something felt odd. His dreams had never gone this far before. His dreams 
had never felt so real before. His heart pounded madly behind his ribs, and 
he felt a matching rhythm in the pulse beneath his touch. Heat still 
surrounded his softening sex, and a sticky wetness clung to the skin on his 
stomach. If this indeed was a dream, then it was more real than any reality 
Glorfindel had ever experienced. It was nothing short of amazing.

Fatigue replaced desire in every ounce of the elf’s being. Hugging the other 
body tightly to his chest, he uttered a silent wish that this feeling would last 
forever, before slipping into dreams.

----------------------------

Erestor lay panicked on his own bed. What had he just done?! He had made 
love to a sleeping elf, that’s what he had done! And not just any sleeping elf 
either. Glorfindel. His beloved Glorfindel. How had it come to this? 
Somewhere along the course of their recovery, Erestor had snapped out of 
whatever spell he was under, and realized what he was doing. The Elda was 
blissfully asleep, and the counsellor had fled the room as though chased by 
wargs. Oh, Valar, what had he done?

It was nearly dawn when the Noldo finally fell into a restless sleep.

A knock on the door.

“Erestor? Meldir, are you awake?”

The advisor slept too heavily to waken. Had he any consciousness he might 
have remembered that in his panic he had not locked the door to his 
chamber, and Elrond entered undeterred. The half-elf found his closest 
friend asleep on top of the covers, still wearing his red silk robe. Elrond 
didn’t even know his friend owned such a garment.

The peredhel sat down on the side of the bed and looked his friend up and 
down. The Noldo looked dishevelled, and Elrond couldn’t help but wonder 
if something had happened. He had worried when Erestor didn’t show up for 
breakfast, and grew even more so when he missed morning council. The 
Noldo was always punctual. But not this day. What could have happened?

“Erestor?”

The elf lord’s deep, soothing voice so close to his ear slowly managed to 
rouse his senses, and Erestor blinked as daylight assaulted his eyes.

“Elrond? Why are you here?”

Elrond smiled. “I was worried. You never showed up for council this 
morning.”

Erestor sat up and looked out the window. It was indeed almost midday. “I 
am sorry, my lord. I did not sleep well. Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive, my friend. It has been a long time since you 
had a day off. Might as well be today.”

Erestor slowly grew aware of his appearance, and with that knowledge came 
also the realisation of what he had done last night. Pulling the robe tighter 
around his body he rose from the bed, avoiding the peredhel’s inquisitive 
gaze as he spoke.

“Did the patrol leave already?”

“Yes,” Elrond confirmed. “They left at dawn.” He stood and approached his 
chief counsellor. “I must say, it has been a long time since last I saw 
Glorfindel in such a good mood. I suppose he had a very good night’s sleep, 
unlike you.”

“Oh.”

Erestor didn’t know what to say. But what did he need to say? Glorfindel 
probably thought it all a dream, and now he was gone anyway. He would be 
gone a fortnight at least, and no one would have to know what truly 
happened. But Erestor would know. He would know in his heart what he 
had done, and it pained him so. He had taken advantage of the one elf he 
truly loved. Loved? He tried the word out in his mind. Did he love 
Glorfindel? Did he only just realize this now? Perhaps he had known all 
along. He had been suppressing so many emotions for so many years, the 
labels were no longer of importance.

“Erestor? Is something the matter?”

“No, my lord,” he answered quickly, meeting the half-elf’s gaze for the first 
time. “Don’t mind me. I’m not myself today.”

Elrond looked sympathetically at his advisor, and placed a supportive hand 
on his shoulder. “Take a day’s rest, my friend. You look like you need it.”

Elrond didn’t know why, but something in the elf’s face told him there was 
pain hidden in the back rooms of his heart, and he pulled the weary form 
into a firm embrace. It had been long since he expressed his affection for his 
closest friend, and he berated himself for being so lacking in the ability to 
display his emotions to those dearest to him. He knew that Erestor was 
strong and proud, but he was also modest and even shy at times. Elrond had 
always had his family to turn to, whereas Erestor had no one. He really 
should try and make more of an effort to make sure Erestor always knew he 
too had family.

The Noldo sighed, and let himself be held for a moment. Rarely did Elrond 
make such a gesture, so when it happened there was no other option than to 
accept it. Erestor felt like he wanted to cry, and he almost did, but stopped 
himself. It had been years since he truly let himself cry, and he was not 
going to open the floodgates in front of his lord and friend. He hugged the 
peredhel back and kissed him affectionately on the cheek before letting go.

“I am all right, meldir. I’ll be back to my duties after lunch.” With this said, 
Erestor began looking through his wardrobe for something to put on after 
his bath.

Elrond knew better than to argue. Erestor always had the last word, one way 
or another. He wasn’t Chief Counsellor for nothing. “Very well,” he smiled. 
“I will see you later then?”

Erestor nodded, and the elf lord seemed satisfied. Though hesitating slightly 
in the doorway, Elrond at last left the Noldo to his thoughts.

----------------------------

The water had gotten cold, but the elf in the bathtub didn’t notice. He was 
consumed with thoughts of a golden haired elf. He wondered why the Elda 
had been so quick to accept him into his bed, and why there were so many 
candles lit in the room. Had he been expected? No, that was just silly. He 
had seen the initial shock on the seneschal’s face. But why then? Was there 
more going on with Glorfindel than he knew?

Indeed, there was always more to others than what met the eye. Erestor if 
anyone could understand that. No one knew of his secret life. The pranks, 
the risks, the sexual escapades...the black book behind his headboard. All 
his own personal secrets. How could you know what anyone did behind 
closed doors? Just a couple of days earlier he had found Lindir drinking 
stolen wine in the Hall of Fire in the middle of the night. Perhaps that 
occurred more often than just that once. Everyone had something to hide, 
didn’t they?

Erestor finally realized that he was sitting in cold bathwater, and his hair 
was almost dry. At least he felt clean now. He got out of the tub and dried 
himself, sauntered into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

The best thing he could do right now was to go back to work and forget all 
about what had happened. Put Glorfindel out of his mind. Though he wasn’t 
sure he could.

----------------------------

Days passed. Long, excruciating, boring, grey days. Erestor sat behind his 
desk, working harder than he had in months, trying desperately to occupy 
his mind with things far from sweaty bodies and long golden hair. Each and 
every time he let his mind slip from the task, he instantly saw Glorfindel’s 
face. Heard his cries of passion. Felt his writhing body between his legs. 
The moment he lost his focus, he could think of nothing else. He felt like he 
was spiralling into the abyss. A never-ending darkness swallowing him 
whole.

On the tenth day it rained. The entire valley seemed submerged in the 
depressing gloom that had claimed its chief advisor. Elrond was passing by 
his friend’s study when he noticed how the Noldo stared at the rain. Erestor 
didn’t notice when the peredhel entered the room, but was transfixed with 
the constant drizzle of water outside his window.

“Erestor?”

The counsellor started at the sudden voice, but quickly gathered his papers 
for Elrond to sign.

“Yes...I have finished all of these, so all it requires is your seal, my lord.”

“There was no hurry with these reports, Erestor,” Elrond commented, 
amazed that his chief counsellor had finished calculations for a bridge that 
would not be built until next summer. “What is wrong, meldir? You have 
been sitting in this room for ten days, I...I have barely seen you. Have you at 
least been sleeping?”

“Yes,” Erestor said, annoyed, and got up from his desk. “I have slept. I have 
eaten three meals a day and I have bathed myself. Satisfied?”

“Forgive me if I offended you,” Elrond said apologetically. “I worry about 
you.”

“No need to worry yourself, Elrond. I can take care of myself.”

Erestor cleared his desk for the day and made to leave. As he passed the 
peredhel, a hand latched onto his arm and kept him from exiting the room. 
Sighing deeply in exasperation, he looked at the half-elf. Grey eyes studied 
him for a minute, and then...a softness he was unable to describe appeared in 
the ancient eyes.

“Erestor...my friend...” The hand around his arm loosened, but didn’t let go. 
“If there is ever anything you need...anything at all...”

Erestor knew perfectly well what the peredhel was offering. He had offered 
it himself once, long ago, and Elrond had accepted. Surely, the half-elf must 
see in him now the need he had felt himself. The loneliness and the longing. 
It must be plain in the Noldo’s eyes for all to see. But this invite could not 
have come at a worse time.

Erestor leaned in close, bringing his face only inches from the elf lord’s. He 
spoke with silent determination.

“Forgive me for saying this, my lord, but you have nothing I need.”

Wringing himself free of Elrond’s grip, the chief advisor of Imladris walked 
back to his room.

----------------------------

Erestor spent the next two days in his chamber. Still it rained. There was no 
more work for him to do until the patrol returned, and he didn’t feel like 
seeing anyone. He sat in the window, staring out at the never-ending rain. 
Never before had the valley seemed so bleak and grey. No one else appeared 
to care. Elves still went about their business, caring for the horses and 
tending to the gardens. Elflings played in the puddles, splashing mud at each 
other, their mothers laughing. But nothing could bring a smile to the 
advisor’s face.

In his lap he held the book bound in black leather, a possession that had 
mattered so much to him over the centuries. He had not written anything in 
it for two weeks. He dared not print the letters that would spell out his most 
horrid act yet. He dared not write Glorfindel’s name.

How could he face the Elda after what he had done? What would he say to 
the elf he had used and taken advantage of? How could he ever forgive 
himself for what he had done?

Suddenly Erestor found it quite appropriate that it was raining. The weather 
reflected his mood precisely. There was no reason for him to be sitting 
inside. He had to go outside and face the misery he had brought upon 
himself. Swiftly rising from his seat, the Noldo got dressed and left his 
chamber. He left the last homely house, hurried away from the safety of his 
home and ran into the downpour of dark grey skies.

----------------------------

“Glorfindel!”

The Elda smiled as his lord came to greet him. His company was soaking 
wet and tired to the bone, but they knew they had many days of rest to look 
forward to. They were dismounting and removing heavy saddlebags from 
the backs of their horses as the lord of the valley approached them.

“My Lord Elrond! I trust Imladris did not fall apart without me,” he grinned 
and embraced his lord. “Though, you should not come running out into the 
rain like this. No need for you to be wet also.”

“It does not matter. I wanted to see you. I’ve missed your company 
dreadfully.”

“Oh?” Glorfindel was surprised at this. “Has Erestor not been keeping you 
company?”

“No, he has not.”

There was a grave tone in the peredhel’s voice that deeply disturbed the 
Elda. Something was amiss in Rivendell.

“In fact,” Elrond continued, “I have not seen him in three days. I knocked on 
his door this morning, but there was no answer. The door is locked and the 
drapes are pulled, so I cannot tell what’s going on inside.”

“What about the master key? It opens all the doors in the house.”

“Do you not remember? Erestor was appointed gatekeeper. He has the 
master key.”

“Oh...”

It was obvious something was wrong. Erestor would never behave that way. 
Glorfindel handed Asfaloth’s reins over to a stable boy and followed Elrond 
inside. On the way the half-elf told him what had been happening with the 
advisor since the patrol had left. It seemed strange that Erestor’s new mood 
should collide with the departure of... Or perhaps that had nothing to do with 
it.

They arrived at the counsellor’s room, and still there was no answer. Not a 
sound from inside. It was most disturbing.

“Elrond, why don’t you go and get the blacksmith. I will try to get the lock 
open myself.”

“Very well.” The elf hurried off.

Glorfindel could tell how worried the peredhel was. And he had good reason 
to be. Erestor was a very responsible and mature elf, not likely to engage in 
childish games or disappearing acts. Something must be terribly wrong.

Erestor... Ever since that dream he had the night before leaving, Glorfindel 
had been unable to think of anything else. It had been so vivid, so real. He 
had awakened the next morning with stains on his sheets. It must have been 
a powerful dream indeed. He deeply wished he could one day know the real 
thing, but knew it was hopeless. The cool advisor despised warriors, 
especially him. What was it he had once said? “All fists and no wits”?

“Erestor? Are you sure you’re not in there?”

He knew he was talking to an empty room, but one last warning couldn’t 
hurt. Pulling his knife from his belt, he stuck it in the lock and twisted it. 
One hard wring and he heard the latches breaking inside. Now all he had to 
do was step back and give the door a hard kick. With a loud crash the door 
flung open, and revealed the darkness that was Erestor’s chamber. 
Glorfindel quickly strode inside and pulled the curtains aside. As expected, 
the room was empty. No sign of Erestor anywhere.

Glorfindel sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes. All he wanted was a nice dinner 
and a good night’s sleep, but apparently such luxuries would have to wait. 
He could not rest until he knew Erestor was safe. The seneschal was about 
to leave when he noticed a black journal lying in the window. Not stopping 
to think whether he should read it or not, he picked it up and opened the 
cover.

It was a strange journal. Dates and notes that didn’t make any sense at all.

“Naked in garden? Now what in Mordor does that mean?” He turned page 
after page, not able to figure out the meaning of these random notes. Some 
of them were downright strange, and others seemed familiar. It wasn’t until 
the latter pages that Glorfindel began to understand. He read out loud.

“Glorfindel’s big celebration. Painted Asfaloth blue. Glorfindel not happy.” 
The seneschal felt his heartbeat quicken. Did this mean what he thought it 
meant? “Stole Celebrian’s underwear. Wore them to Mirkwood council. 
Thranduil clueless.”

Stricken by this revelation, Glorfindel began frantically flipping through the 
journal, making connection after connection about what had really been 
going on in the advisor’s life. He found the notes about Lindir in the Hall of 
Fire, and the slingshot with blueberries, and finally saw how it all made 
sense. Erestor had done these things. All of them. So...what had he done 
now?

The very last entry in the journal was a date without a note. It was dated 
thirteen days ago; the same day as Glorfindel left on patrol. What happened 
that Erestor had not written down? It certainly couldn’t be what Glorfindel 
thought it was, for that would mean... No. It was not. He couldn’t think that 
way.

Glorfindel made sure to put the journal back exactly how he found it, so 
when Erestor came home he wouldn’t know someone had touched it. He 
really shouldn’t be snooping around. When he heard Elrond’s voice behind 
him, he turned quickly, embarrassed at the mess he had made with the door.

“I suppose we won’t need the blacksmith after all?” Elrond said 
humourlessly.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I will have the door repaired later, but first I think we 
should find Erestor. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“No sign to tell us where he went?”

“No. Nothing.”

“So he might have been gone for three days and I never even knew?”

Elrond was clearly upset, so Glorfindel approached him and laid an arm 
over his shoulders.

“I doubt it’s quite that bad, Elrond, but from what you’ve told me I think 
Erestor is in a dark mood. I will ask and see if any of the guards have seen 
him leave the house. It’s important that we find him quickly, especially if 
he’s outside in this weather.”

“I agree. I’m sorry you haven’t had a chance to rest, meldir. I promise you 
will be fully compensated as soon as Erestor is back safe in this house.”

“Of course, my lord,” Glorfindel smiled. “Do not worry. I will find him.”

----------------------------

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, Captain. I have asked all my men, and none of them have seen him. 
As far as I can tell the Chief Counsellor has not left this valley.”

Glorfindel sighed. “I don’t know where else to look. I have searched all the 
buildings and asked every one of the staff...there is no sign of him 
anywhere.”

“How about the gardens? He likes to sit there, does he not?”

“I told you. I have looked everywhere. Nothing.” The seneschal was losing 
hope. If indeed Erestor wanted to disappear without a trace, he could easily 
have done so. Perhaps he left in the dead of night. No one would have seen a 
black creature sneak out in the dark. “Thank you, my friend. You have done 
all you can.” Glorfindel dismissed the guard and sat down on a nearby 
bench.

It was still raining. It would be dark soon, and their hopes of finding the lost 
advisor would diminish greatly. The Elda chuckled at himself, sitting in the 
rain like this. He had not been warm and dry for three days, and it was 
beyond his comprehension why anyone willingly would wander out in this 
weather. But he was not alone in the wet landscape. There was another elf 
still outside, jumping in the puddles just a few feet away. The little elfling 
screamed with joy as the water splashed up his legs, despite his mother’s 
desperate plea for him to come inside.

“Not yet, nana! Just a little while longer! Please?”

The elfling’s mother finally relented, and let her son continue his splashing a 
few more minutes. Glorfindel smiled. What a careless existence, he thought, 
to be an elfling and fret about nothing else than jumping in puddles when it 
rained. A child that young did not need to worry about losing his friends to 
orcs or wargs or worse, as they wandered the woods alone. The dirty elfling 
finally noticed the seneschal, and wiped his face on his sleeve.

“Come here, pen-neth,” Glorfindel urged him.

The child ran towards him, and happily attached himself to the Elda’s leg, 
grinning.

“Did you see me jumping, lord Findel? Did you see?”

“I saw you,” he chuckled, and petted the boy’s wet hair. The elfling giggled 
and hugged his knee, looking up at him with big round eyes. “Tell me, little 
one, did you see lord Erestor in the rain?” It was a long shot, but he knew 
children to be very perceptive.

“Lord Estor? Uh-huh. I saw him yesterday. I was jumping all day. Nana 
says I should be tired, but I’m not. I just keep jumping.”

Glorfindel felt his heart soar. At last, some trace of the advisor. Patiently he 
got down on his knees in the mud and looked the little elf in the eye.

“Tell me, pen-neth, where did you see him? Which way did he go?”

To his surprise, the elfling took his hand and pulled him to his feet. He was 
lead around the west wing of the last homely house, to the side where 
Erestor’s window lay. There, the little elf took him to a wet path, filled with 
big puddles.

“This is where I was jumping yesterday, but nana says I should not jump 
here today, because the puddles are too big now. You should never jump in 
puddles that are bigger than you are, that’s what nana says.”

“You have a very clever nana,” Glorfindel smiled, and sat down on his 
haunches to get the boy to focus again. “Now, where did you see lord 
Erestor?”

The child raised his arm and pointed. “He came from the house and went 
that way.”

“Thank you. You have been a great help to me, pen-neth. Now go inside to 
your mother, all right? I will bring you some sweetmeats later.”

“You will?” The elfling’s eyes grew big in wonder.

“Yes, I will,” he smiled. “But only if you go inside right away. It will be 
dark soon, and you don’t want your nana to worry, now do you?”

“Thank you, lord Findel!”

To his surprise the boy hugged him before scurrying off in the rain, only to 
stop halfway and wave. Glorfindel waved back and smiled. Such a sweet 
child. As soon as he was alone he went to the location the elfling had 
pointed out, and tried to follow the path Erestor must have taken. If he had 
been outside since yesterday, there was no telling how far he might have 
gone, but the seneschal certainly hoped he was still close by.

Walking a few minutes down the path, he still saw no sign of the counsellor. 
The rain had washed away any footprints and such that might lead him 
forward, and tracking seemed useless. He finally made the decision to fetch 
Asfaloth and go for a last ride around the premises. It wouldn’t hurt.

Asfaloth. Glorfindel still had trouble believing that Erestor had painted him 
blue, but he could not help laughing at it. And Celebrian’s underwear! Who 
was this elf really? Did anyone truly know Erestor at all? It didn’t appear 
that way. It would seem as though the counsellor had been leading a double 
life. On one side he was the cool-headed advisor and ruthless negotiator, a 
great asset to Imladris. On the other side he was the mysterious shadow that 
snuck around the house doing Valar knows what, and dwelt in secret behind 
the cold facade of his other self. Which one was the true Erestor? Glorfindel 
would love to find out.

And what about the black book? And the darkness that was Erestor’s room? 
Why all the dark robes? Glorfindel had never realized how many questions 
he had for the dark haired Noldo. There was so much mystery around him, 
yet no one had ever tried to breach his defences and find out what lay 
beneath. Glorfindel would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued. He had 
always thought he knew who Erestor was, and accepted it long ago. When 
he first met the counsellor, after his rebirth, he had been captivated by the 
beauty and character he saw. The silent strength and fluent movements of 
his body.

But the counsellor had shattered his hopes for any kind of lingering 
friendship. For some reason he had always felt as though Erestor despised 
him, but maybe he was wrong about that as well. He had certainly been 
wrong about many other things where the Noldo was concerned. Very 
wrong.

If he ever was to discover the phenomenon that had replaced his vision of 
the chief advisor, he first had to find him. He hurried towards the stables. 
The darkness was already hovering dangerously at the horizon, and there 
was no sign that the rain might let up. The rivers were high and rapid, and 
paths had turned to mud in many places. Glorfindel couldn’t bear the 
thought of Erestor, all alone out there. He must hurry.

As he came upon the main road, he turned towards the stables, but stopped 
in mid step. For a second he thought he saw the shape of an elf coming up 
the road. Peering through the rainfall, he watched the dark figure approach. 
Glorfindel was filled with a sudden hope. Perhaps it was a guard returning 
with good news. Or bad news... Horrified and excited at the same time, the 
seneschal changed direction and ran towards the stranger in the rain. Not 
until he came closer did he see whom it was, and halted instantly.

“Erestor? Erestor!”

The drenched Noldo merely gave him a quick look, then continued on his 
stroll up the road. Glorfindel remained in shock. There didn’t seem to be 
anything wrong with him, but there were many questions to be asked, even 
if Erestor looked as though he wouldn’t answer any of them. He was 
absolutely soaking wet. It looked like he had gone swimming with his 
clothes on. The Elda watched him pass, then followed him quickly, 
determined not to lose sight of him again.

“Erestor, where were you? We have been searching everywhere for you.”

“I went for a walk.” His voice was so faint it could barely be heard over the 
noise of the rain.

“Alone? In the rain? Since yesterday?!” Glorfindel was getting angry. 
Didn’t Erestor care about how worried they had all been?

“I needed some time to think.”

“And you couldn’t think in the house?!”

Erestor stopped walking and turned to Glorfindel. There was a weary 
expression in his eyes, and suddenly Glorfindel felt bad about raising his 
voice.

“What do you want from me?” the Noldo asked tiredly. “You found me. 
Mission accomplished.” He began walking again, the seneschal close on his 
tail. “I thought you were not supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

“Ah, so you intended to return before I did?”

Erestor stopped again, frustrated. “I repeat my question. What do you want, 
Glorfindel?”

“A little honesty would be nice for a change.”

He looked sternly at the other elf, but there was only pain in the counsellor’s 
eyes. He didn’t know why, but he stepped closer to the dark elf, gazing 
deeply into the dark eyes. There was something...something in them he 
wanted to see. The deep end of the ocean, pulling him down to drown. But 
before he found it the Noldo turned away, resuming his walk towards the 
house. They remained silent until they were out of the rain and the cold, and 
inside the warmth of the Last Homely House.

“Valar...look at us,” Glorfindel said, holding out his arms to see the water 
dripping from his sleeves. They had both made instant puddles on the floor 
inside the door.

“Yes. It almost seems wrong to say ‘I need a bath’.”

The Elda chuckled. “Indeed. Though I would not mind a hot bath myself.”

There was the faintest of smiles on Erestor’s face, but it felt like victory to 
Glorfindel. The counsellor looked like someone had tried to drown a cat, 
and it was most pitiful. Glorfindel’s greatest desire was to take him into his 
arms and hold him tight, give him comfort for whatever it was that weighed 
on his soul. For weighed it did. He seemed to carry a heavy burden, and all 
the Elda wanted was to ease it from his mind. But the only way he could 
help was if Erestor talked to him, and that seemed very unlikely.

“I will go to my room now,” Erestor said. “I would appreciate if you did not 
follow.”

“Of course,” the seneschal agreed. He wanted to go see Elrond himself, and 
tell him that Erestor was safe, but perhaps he should explain something first. 
“Oh, and I’m sorry about your door. I will have it repaired in the morning, I 
promise.”

“My door?” Erestor frowned, but then he shrugged. “Never mind.”

“I suppose you didn’t know everyone would be so worried about you.”

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“I know that,” Glorfindel nodded. “But you have never gone missing like 
that before. It seemed very out of character for you.”

“Out of character? What do you know of my character? How do you know I 
don’t go missing every night? You know nothing about me, and neither does 
anyone else.”

Erestor glared fiercely at the blond warrior, but Glorfindel only smiled. 
“Believe me, that much I have figured out for myself.”

The Noldo shot one last glare in the seneschal’s direction before turning and 
dragging his wet robes down the hall, leaving a visible trail on the floor. 
Glorfindel snickered. Say what you would about Erestor, but he looked 
rather funny walking like that, his boots squishing with every step. The Elda 
found himself smiling. There was something so immensely endearing about 
the advisor in that moment, something very reminiscent of the little elfling 
jumping in the puddles. Which reminded him. He owed a little one a box of 
sweets.

----------------------------

“Are you sure you are all right?” Elrond was still not convinced. “Out in the 
rain all night...”

“I am perfectly well, Elrond, please. Do not worry yourself.”

“That is all you tell me these days. Not to worry.”

“And I mean it.”

Erestor sat by the fire, drying his hair with a towel. Right now he regretted 
leaving the house, but only because everyone was making such a fuss about 
the fact that he came back in one piece. He had never strayed very far, he 
merely wanted to be alone in his misery. This was nearly worse, though. 
Being waited on like a sick old man. And Glorfindel... He had faced the 
Elda without any problems, keeping his cold facade up like he always did, 
but it had hurt badly this time. Seeing the beautiful blonde again had only 
made him more certain of his love for the warrior, and his guilt about 
betraying him. It was a double-edged sword hurled through his chest. The 
rain did nothing to wash it away.

“Is there anything more I can do for you, meldir? Was the bath all right? Is 
there enough food here? Would you like some more tea? I can fetch...”

“I am perfectly happy, my lord. There is nothing else I need,” Erestor 
assured him.

“At least nothing I can give you.”

There was such sadness on the peredhel’s face, Erestor felt like reaching out 
and stroking it away. In the end he only nodded and had another sip of his 
tea.

“Yes,” he acknowledged. “What I need...is not for you to give. I am sorry.”

“I am not,” Elrond smiled, and took his hand. “I am glad that you are honest 
with me. Such an offer should not be accepted lightly. A union of the bodies 
can easily scar the soul if you’re not careful. I know this only too well, and 
so do you.”

Erestor nodded. He did know. Rape could kill an elf, and it had forced 
Celebrian to sail across the sea to be saved. But this also made him think. 
Glorfindel did not appear to be hurt by what he did, only he himself was in 
pain, wracked by guilt and regret. If he ever was to regain his peace of mind 
and be forgiven, he would have to tell the Elda the truth. The dreadful truth.

A hand on his hair woke him from his musings. Elrond bent down and 
kissed him on the cheek affectionately, then stood to leave.

“Promise not to make me worry about you.”

“I promise,” Erestor smiled reassuringly, and watched the elf lord close the 
door behind him.

Staring at the door lock, Erestor wondered how they had managed to break 
it in such a way. They must indeed have been worried. Perhaps they thought 
he lay dying in his own room. But he still could not believe they broke in. 
Rising from his seat by the fire, the counsellor went to the window and 
stared out into the darkness. It rained still. Would not the heavens run out of 
water eventually? He saw no end to it.

Lowering his eyes, he noticed something on the windowsill. His journal. 
Did he really leave it here? He must have forgotten to put it back behind his 
bed when he ran off into the rain. Then a terrible thought struck him. What 
if someone had seen it when they broke into his room? What if Glorfindel 
had seen it? No. That was impossible. Nothing in his room had been 
disturbed. They had left as soon as they saw the Noldo was not there. 
Besides, Glorfindel would have said something. There was plenty of 
compromising material held within the pages of that journal. He would 
never have been able to keep a straight face in front of Erestor.

He picked up the black book and took it to bed with him. Looking at the last 
note again, he wondered why he couldn’t finish it. He had not done anything 
new since it happened, and it was killing him. Well, as a matter of fact, he 
had wandered in pouring rain for more than a day, even slept a few hours on 
the wet ground, and that had to count as something he had never done 
before. It was a first time. He had to write it down, but it meant finishing his 
note about Glorfindel. Well, it had to be done.

Retrieving his ink and pen, Erestor sat down and wrote the dreaded words. 
“Went to Glorfindel’s room in the middle of the night. Made love to him 
while he was half asleep. I think he believes me a dream.” There. Done. It 
wasn’t all that hard. He had finally accepted what he had done. Now he had 
to find a way to deal with it.

----------------------------

The chief counsellor awoke in the middle of the night from an unfamiliar 
noise. Blinking in the darkness, he realized he saw nothing. The fire had 
been put out before he went to sleep, as always, and the only he chance he 
had was lighting the candle by his bed. He fumbled for it, but his hands 
found only empty space. Then he heard another noise, and was certain there 
was someone else in the room with him. He held his breath in anticipation.

A flash of light. A lit taper, lighting candle after candle in the room. As the 
room grew brighter, Erestor could see the face of the half naked elf who 
stood but a few feet away. It was Glorfindel. What was he doing here? The 
Elda seemed utterly focused on the candles, and didn’t even look in 
Erestor’s direction.

“I never could understand how you exist in this darkness,” Glorfindel said as 
he lit another candle. “I cannot stand it myself. Ever since Mandos I cannot 
endure the dark. It gives me nightmares.” He finally looked at the shocked 
advisor in the bed. “I bet you didn’t know that about me.” Shaking his hand, 
the blonde extinguished the match. “We all have our secrets, Erestor, and I 
think I finally know yours.”

Erestor could only lie back, stunned, as Glorfindel climbed onto the bed and 
straddled him, much the way he himself had done thirteen nights ago. The 
beautiful face hovered but a breath away from his own, and golden hair fell 
on either side. Erestor had trouble finding his voice as he spoke.

“Why are you here?”

“Is it not obvious?” the Elda grinned. “I am here to retaliate.”

And then he kissed him. Soft, full lips pressing down onto matching ones. A 
gentle tongue coaxing its way inside the other mouth. Erestor opened up 
only too willingly, accepting every sensation the blonde bestowed upon him 
with great enthusiasm. He couldn’t stop to think, not now when all his 
dreams were coming true, but what if they weren’t? What if this was a 
dream? Oh, but it was too good to be a dream! Glorfindel’s hands 
wandering his skin. Glorfindel’s eyes gazing deeply into his own. 
Glorfindel’s mouth, kissing him. He let out a happy groan of satisfaction as 
the larger body of the warrior descended on him.

“I knew it was no dream,” Glorfindel breathed between kisses. “I should 
have trusted my instincts, for my mind tried to deceive me.” He was 
hungrily kissed by a love-starved advisor who tried his best to fondle as 
much flesh as he could reach, and it was somehow hindering the speech 
Glorfindel had prepared for the occasion. The Elda had to seize hold of the 
slender wrists and hold the counsellor down. “Erestor, listen...”

“Less talking, more kissing,” Erestor insisted, flinging the warrior onto his 
back and settling comfortably on top of him, taking charge of their kisses.

Glorfindel groaned as the familiar weight was once again on his chest. The 
advisor’s slim hips lay cradled between his thighs, and the only thing 
separating them this time was a pair of silk sleeping pants Glorfindel had 
worn in case someone passed him on the way to the counsellor’s rooms. 
With incredible eagerness, Erestor claimed his body and held it so tight the 
Elda had trouble breathing through his growing excitement. Turning the 
tables again, Glorfindel rolled them over, making sure to pin the other elf 
down properly this time.

“Erestor, calm down!” He watched the tousled advisor pant below him. “Are 
you worried I might vanish into the night?”

The Noldo wrung his wrists free and reached up to embrace the seneschal, 
pulling him down until they lay nose to nose. “You’re not going anywhere,” 
he whispered, rotating his hips upwards and letting the blonde feel what was 
waiting for him.

Glorfindel gasped, his arousal suddenly climbing new heights. A wicked 
tongue ghosted over his lips, begging him for more kisses, but the 
movement between his legs was far too distracting. If he could trust his 
memory, Erestor was quite well endowed, and it was his turn to impale 
himself. He was starting to get nervous. He had not taken a lover in many 
long years, and wasn’t certain of how well he would do without Erestor 
taking the lead.

“What are you waiting for?” Erestor whispered, his breath hot on 
Glorfindel’s face. “Take your pants off.”

A gentle squeeze to the blonde’s rear finally woke him from his trance, and 
their mouths joined again in delicious combat. Erestor struggled to get the 
seneschal naked, and still keep their mouths connected as the kisses grew 
more and more urgent. He could feel the Elda’s erection through his 
sleeping pants, and was overwhelmed with a desire to see it, touch it, taste 
it, and feel it inside of him. Their last meeting had been hurried, and Erestor 
had not had the opportunity to properly worship the beautiful cock he so 
longed for. Unknown to him was the fact that Glorfindel was thinking the 
same.

Their lips never parted even as the Elda snaked out of his pants, and as soon 
as they had untangled their legs Erestor parted his knees to make room for 
the now naked elf. They lay kissing for many minutes, simply rubbing their 
bodies together and letting hands explore skin. With every passing moment 
their need for each other grew, and they prolonged it, stretched time to feed 
their lust of discovery. They took what they could reach with hands and feet, 
but when that no longer satisfied their hunger, mouths strayed. Lips found 
ears, throat, nipples and navel, and not until every inch of skin had been 
touched and tasted did they move on to sweeter sensations.

Glorfindel laid a wet trail down the front of Erestor’s body where his lips 
and tongue suckled the skin. As he passed the border of a round navel, a 
shiver shook the counsellor, and the blonde teasingly nipped at the sensitive 
flesh, knowing he was drawing nearer to the source of all his fantasies from 
the past two weeks. The Noldo lay trembling, strong hands and soft hair 
moving over his stomach and hips. There was a potent smell of arousal in 
the air, sweat breaking out on pale faces. Ragged breathing and heavy 
heartbeats the only sound that broke the silence. Fluttering candlelight 
dancing on shiny muscles.

A gasp. Trembling worsened as the Elda kissed and licked his way around 
the tightened sac. A tongue wandered up the shaft, stopping before it 
reached the head, and started all over again. Erestor whimpered and grasped 
the golden head, urging it to take him. No sooner had he done that, than the 
dripping head disappeared into a wet mouth, sucking it hard. He groaned 
loudly, trying with all his might not to explode then and there. It was painful 
bliss. Slowly, his entire length was engulfed in the heat of Glorfindel’s 
mouth, and repeatedly assaulted until he could take no more.

“Stop!”

Erestor took a firm hold on the blonde’s arms and pulled him up, instantly 
reuniting their mouths in a deep kiss. On that silent tongue he tasted his own 
flesh, and the images it caused to run through his mind made him dizzy with 
want.

“It’s my turn,” he panted, pushed the Elda over on his back and went 
straight for the prize.

Glorfindel nearly screamed. It was quite obvious that the advisor did not like 
to wait. Immediately the seneschal’s cock was grasped, swallowed, and 
sucked so hard he actually thought for a second it would come off. Never 
had he thought of Erestor as impatient, but perhaps he needed to rethink that 
too about his dear advisor. Everything was happening so fast, Glorfindel 
barely had the presence of mind to notice when a finger slipped inside him. 
He was swiftly tumbling towards his release, and just when he thought he 
would lose it a hand squeezed the base of his erection, withholding his 
pleasure and drawing a yelp from his throat.

On top of him once more, Erestor kissed the stunned Elda, wanting him to 
taste himself as Erestor had. On the advisor’s tongue lingered a taste he had 
not known till this moment. A new taste, a thrilling taste, that made his body 
tingle with delight. The taste of pure Glorfindel. It was raw, it was spicy, 
and for some reason it made Erestor think of a deep dark forest. There was 
nothing like it in the world, and he felt privileged for having sampled it.

He lay on his golden lover, soothing him with kisses while gently fondling 
the soft ball sac. They both knew they would go further, but right now this 
was the sweetest moment. The deep breath before the plunge.

“Erestor....” Heated speech from a heated elf, sending shivers down the 
Noldo’s spine. “Take me,” the blonde whispered, parting his legs. “I cannot 
wait any longer.”

Erestor wanted to protest. This was not how he had envisioned their first 
meeting, but alas, this was not their first meeting after all. He recalled how 
perfect that large cock had fitted inside him, how it had reached all his 
deepest places and stretched him wide. He wanted that feeling back. But 
looking into the seneschal’s pleading blue eyes, he knew it would be selfish 
to ask such a thing. What else could he do than grant his beloved his wish?

The Noldo kissed him one last time, then got out of bed to search his 
dresser. He knew there was a vial of oil somewhere. If he was going to do 
this, he was going to do it right. Valar only knew when Glorfindel had last 
had a lover. As soon as he found what he was looking for he hurried back, 
settling comfortably between the Elda’s long legs. He sat back and looked 
down upon the beautiful blonde that lay spread out before him. He let his 
hand wander the moist skin on a taut stomach, watching it heave below his 
touch.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.

“Yes,” Glorfindel breathed. “I have wanted it for thirteen days. I have 
dreamed of it for thirteen nights. But were I to be utterly truthful, I believe I 
have wanted it far longer than that. I wanted you the moment I saw you, but 
something kept me from pursuing you. Now that I’m here...I don’t 
remember what I was waiting for.”

The counsellor, deeply touched by the Elda’s admission, leaned down to 
kiss him once more. “I was waiting too,” he spoke softly onto damp lips. “I 
do not know what came over me that night, but suddenly I could wait no 
more. I needed you.”

“And now it is I who need you.”

Erestor nodded and sat up. It was time. Opening the vial, he poured clear oil 
into his palm. Coating his fingers, he gently touched them to pristine cleft. 
He circled the puckered entrance, massaging it and slowly getting it used to 
a strange presence. When Glorfindel’s breathing levelled, and he felt 
relaxed, Erestor experimentally slipped the tip of his finger inside. It met no 
resistance, so he slid it all the way inside.

It was so hard to lie still. Glorfindel could feel it moving inside him, and 
every now and then it brushed the most hidden of nerves, forcing his 
muscles to contract involuntarily. Soon there was a second finger, crooking 
and purposefully rubbing that so sensitive spot, making him groan and 
whimper like he had never heard from his own lips before. It would not be 
the first time he gave himself to someone, at least not if you counted his 
previous life, but this somehow seemed different. Had his stay in the Halls 
of Mandos truly twisted his memory so profoundly that he no longer 
recognized the feeling of making love?

When Erestor was satisfied with the preparations, he poured more oil in his 
hand and coated his erection. Posing himself over his trembling lover, he 
sought eye contact as his cock nudged the slippery entrance. Glorfindel 
looked up at him and nodded his consent. This slow proceeding was torture 
to the Noldo, who merely wanted to plunge in hard and fast, fucking the 
blond warrior like there was no tomorrow. But he had to be gentle. He saw it 
in those kind blue eyes. The trepidation and the anxiety. So as carefully as 
he could, the counsellor eased his way through the tense ring of muscle.

Glorfindel did his best to relax and let Erestor in, but he felt as though he 
was being cleaved in two. Looking down to watch as they were joined, he 
saw the immense flesh that slid further inside him. It felt bigger than it 
looked. Glorfindel groaned and threw his head back, shutting his eyes 
tightly until he felt Erestor’s hips against his rear. He knew then it was all 
the way inside, and it filled him completely. He received wet kisses on his 
neck, and the panted hot breath in his ear told him of the other elf’s arousal. 
Erestor was shaking.

Again, the seneschal forced himself to relax and give the counsellor some 
room to move. Erestor felt the devastating tightness around his cock ease up 
a little, and he gave an experimental thrust. The Elda gasped below him. 
They set up a steady rhythm, slow but forceful, moving in unison with their 
heaving chests. Erestor helped the blonde, who was desperately trying to 
keep his legs up and apart, and soon their bodies were naught more than a 
tangled heap of clenched muscle and vibrating nerves.

Arms wrapped tightly around the other elf, Glorfindel held onto his sanity. 
The invasion, the friction, the sheer intimacy he felt at that moment was 
greater than he ever could have anticipated. Their bodies swayed and 
rocked, reminding the Elda of being adrift at sea, and his mind reeled from 
the sensations. It was liquid. Erestor’s slick body in his embrace. The hot 
breath against his ear. This lusty creature moving between his legs like some 
ancient sea serpent. Like powerful waves hitting the beach over and over, 
every time pushing harder and faster against the shore, crumbling its very 
foundations. How much longer would it hold?

Erestor was losing himself also, the drumming of his own pulse loud in his 
ears. Yet it did not drown out the other noises in the room. Their loud 
voices, groaning and panting, pleading and whimpering, begging for more. 
The wet sounds of bodies moving against each other, in each other, around 
each other, an eternal spiral that kept climbing forever upwards. Faster and 
faster the Noldo pushed himself. Thrusting himself inside his lover and 
relishing the close heat that swallowed his throbbing shaft over and over 
again.

Mouth sought mouth, but kisses failed. Breaths mingled between their faces 
and dark eyes pierced azure ones as the highest pinnacle was reached. They 
could hold on no longer. Glorfindel’s breathing grew suddenly desperate, 
his eyes wide as he shouted his release. Muscles contracted and clamped 
down on the intruding flesh, pushing Erestor into the abyss. The counsellor 
groaned, his mouth hanging open, unable to breathe. His body jerked, 
turning inside out and spilling itself in the dark places of his love.

A strange warmth spread through the seneschal’s body. From the inside to 
every fibre of his being, a warmth much unlike the heat he had just felt. 
Every limb went soft, and he melted into his lover. Glorfindel sighed 
contentedly and smiled. Had it always been like this? Had he really 
forgotten? He felt as though he was still at sea, only now lying in the warm 
sand, letting the gentle waves wash over him and take all his worries away. 
Erestor was the sun that shone down on him.

The counsellor lay heavy and panting on his sated lover. A wet patch on his 
stomach told him it was so. The trembling subsided, and left him only 
feeling warm, almost drunk. This was the most intoxicating feeling he knew. 
The few precious seconds after climax when your entire body relaxed, and 
all that existed in your mind was the feeling. Your lover beneath you, your 
cock still inside him, his come on your skin... It was the most powerful drug 
of them all. Though, Erestor was afraid to admit he liked it better the other 
way around. What he wouldn’t give to switch places. To have Glorfindel on 
top of him, heavy and spent, and the Elda’s seed shot deep inside him. He 
wished it to be so.

At last rolling off his lover, Erestor regretfully withdrew from the dark vice 
that had held him and lay beside his lover. For long minutes they breathed 
and said nothing. The counsellor felt his body relax and his breathing slow, 
but after a while he realized that the same thing was not happening to 
Glorfindel. The Elda’s breath grew more rapid and shallow, his body no 
longer loose and weary. Erestor looked up and saw the hardness that had 
formed between the warrior’s thighs. It could not be true! But it was.

The blue eyes that turned to him were so filled with lust that the look he 
received went straight to his groin. Something stirred inside him, something 
he had not felt before, and soon he was also hard and shaking with want. 
Not a word was needed, for they lunged at each other simultaneously, 
kissing with more rapture and carnivorous greed than a pack of wargs 
fighting over a piece of meat. Erestor clawed at the Elda’s ass, grinding their 
hips together, and expressing his deepest want. Their erections rubbed 
together as they moved, mimicking the actions of their tongues, and they 
held each other tight in the midst of tangled sheets.

Still no words were needed, for they moved in perfect synchronicity, always 
knowing what the other wanted. Erestor shifted onto his stomach, and 
Glorfindel did not delay in climbing on top. Oil was added to the equation, 
generously dripped down the eagerly offered cleft, and Glorfindel rubbed 
his cock in it, sliding up and down the slick crease until he was completely 
coated. Erestor whimpered, urgently sticking his rear up for the seneschal’s 
convenience. Glorfindel was not late to accept the invitation.

With one smooth stroke Glorfindel buried himself to the hilt in the vast 
darkness of the advisor. The Noldo whimpered again, excitement and 
ecstasy mingling inside him. Arms folded themselves around his chest as the 
Elda attained leverage for his thrusts, and soon they were moving again, the 
way Erestor had meant them to move all along. Fast and hard. Glorfindel 
knew this. He set a mind blowing pace for their coupling, slamming into the 
counsellor until they were both nearly screaming with lust. Glorfindel 
panted through clenched teeth, holding the advisor tightly to his chest as he 
delved deeper into the mysterious elf he once thought he knew.

Erestor grunted louder every time the blonde pounded against his prostate, 
and spread his legs wide in the hope of getting hit harder. He felt lips and 
teeth nibbling at the tip of his ear, and his arousal reached an entirely new 
level. He screamed and groaned, shuddering from strain as the relentless 
cock kept pumping in and out of his stretched flesh. A flash of coherent 
thought in his mind told him: this was everything he ever dreamed. But then 
it was gone. All that existed was the delicious feeling of liquid flesh, all oil 
and juices that mingled as they moved.

The explosion that followed was ten times that of the first. The moment that 
froze in time was the one where they both came, their release so powerful it 
all but left them bereft of consciousness. They screamed in unison, and 
moments later Erestor got his wish. Glorfindel heavy on top of him. The 
Elda’s seed shot deep inside him. Their bodies still joined.

Glorfindel sighed deeply, collapsed on his lover. Damp hair clung to his 
skin. A dull throbbing in his groin reminded him where his softening sex 
still lay, enclosed in warm velvet. The body of the counsellor lay limp 
beneath him, but unless the Noldo were to protest, there wasn’t enough 
strength in his body to move. Below his cheek was the precious head of dark 
hair, and a delicately pointed ear, red at the tip. Erestor’s eyes were closed, 
and he looked utterly peaceful.

Behind those pale eyelids were a gaze that would have spoken of complete 
happiness and contentment. Even love. But the counsellor hid those feelings 
and saved them, waiting for the right moment to surrender. It would be a 
crime to disturb this perfect scene. He and Glorfindel. The pairing he 
thought unattainable, unreachable, had somehow come true, and he needed 
to feel it to know it was real. He spoke it in his mind. Erestor and Glorfindel. 
Glorfindel and Erestor. At last he smiled and opened his eyes.

Their limbs were weak, and parting seemed difficult. Finally they lay facing 
each other, eye to eye and smile to smile. For long moments they stayed 
quiet, merely beholding the other’s face and exchanging gentle touches. 
Erestor was living his dream, at last having unlimited access to that beautiful 
face and body. As soon as he realized he could touch it whenever he wanted, 
he did just that. Light fingertips explored the smooth surface of skin with 
rapt attention. Glorfindel only smiled and returned the gesture.

The seneschal was amazed that they had still not exchanged a single word. 
Somehow they had connected in their lovemaking, and needed not to speak. 
Though, he wanted desperately to speak to Erestor, to ask him all the 
questions he had been storing since he found the black journal in the 
advisor’s window. He was completely entranced by this dark figure, and he 
needed to know more. Nay, he needed to know everything.

Gentle fingers caressed his jaw and lips, dark eyes following them intently, 
when the Elda could bear the silence no more.

“I know you painted my horse,” he said without thinking, and the counsellor 
looked up, eyes wide in shock. “And I know you’re the one who shot 
blueberries at the counsellors.”

“How...how do you know that?”

“I found your book,” Glorfindel said, the shame palpable in his voice. “I 
should not have read it, but I did. You were missing and I thought that 
maybe...maybe it would tell me where to find you. Can you forgive me?”

To his surprise, Erestor snickered. “Forgive you? Ai, meleth, if you truly 
read my journal you know all the things I’ve put you through over the years, 
and I think it is I who should beg your forgiveness.”

“Well...I did not read it very carefully since I was in a hurry, but I did see 
some very interesting notes in there. Have you really done all those things? 
Do you really run naked through the house when everyone else is fast 
asleep?”

“I do sometimes, yes,” the advisor smiled. “Is there anything else you would 
like to know?”

Glorfindel grinned. “Everything. I want to know everything.”

Erestor regarded the warrior with amazement. Did the Elda truly want to 
know him? There was so much he wanted to tell, so many things he wanted 
to share, but could he trust this new bond between them? Could he trust that 
Glorfindel would not expose him? He wanted so desperately to share his 
secrets with someone, but the seneschal had never seemed to be the 
secretive kind. So honest, so just, so dependable, Glorfindel was the most 
respected and saluted elf in Imladris. Could he handle the burden of 
Erestor’s black book? Perhaps there was only one way to truly know.

Finally, the counsellor nodded and sat up in bed. Reaching behind the 
headboard he drew forth his journal and laid it down on a pillow. Glorfindel 
sat up also, stricken by a sudden realisation that this was probably the first 
time Erestor showed his journal to anyone. In a strange way he was 
honoured. This was obviously a very important thing in the advisor’s life. 
The way his hand carefully explored the texture of the black leather spoke of 
great affection and many lost memories. Patiently, he waited for Erestor to 
speak.

“A friend once taught me that the trick to sustain happiness and avoid 
getting drawn into a monotonous lifestyle is to do something new every day. 
Something you’ve never done before. In the beginning that was easy.” 
Erestor opened the first page, tracking his finger through the earliest of his 
notes. “When I was young there was so much I had never done, never 
experienced, and everything I did was for the first time. In later years I’ve 
had to resort to drastic measures in order to stay sane in this world of 
constant boredom.”

“I think I understand,” Glorfindel said, deep in thought. “So all these notes 
are of the first time you did something?” The advisor nodded. “But not 
necessarily the only time you have done it?” Erestor shook his head. 
“So...the elves in there...did you ever...?”

“Have a relationship with one of them? No. That’s not what I was after. I 
was merely looking for a thrill. Except in one extraordinary case.”

“Elrond?”

“Yes.” Erestor was a bit surprised at how much Glorfindel knew, 
considering he hadn’t read the journal very carefully.

“And what about me? What will you write of me in there?”

“I suppose I will write that...tonight...for the first time...I knew what it was 
like to truly make love to someone. Until now, I don’t think I have ever 
loved an elf I have lain with.” Erestor found it hard to look upon the elf he 
was speaking to. Would the Elda accept his affection?

“You love me?” Glorfindel asked, his heart fluttering with joy. The Noldo 
nodded his response, avoiding eye contact with the blonde. Placing gentle 
fingers underneath his chin, Glorfindel forced him to look up. “I love you 
too.”

The seneschal softly kissed his beloved advisor, taking him into his arms 
and holding him tightly to his chest, hoping that somehow Erestor would 
feel the heart that beat only for him. They kissed lovingly for long moments, 
and Erestor absorbed every second of it, memorizing every scent, every 
sound, every feeling that passed between them. They parted smiling, and for 
the rest of the night the secretive Noldo showed his love every first time in 
his book. It was about time he shared his life with someone.

----------------------------

Erestor awoke in an empty bed. The initial shock almost had him leaping 
through the door, but when he sat up he saw Glorfindel standing by the 
window. The Elda was amazingly beautiful, his long shiny hair flowing 
down his naked back. He was wearing a pair of Erestor’s brown leggings, 
which made the advisor smile.

“It stopped raining,” the seneschal said. “Clouds still hide the sun, but at 
least the rain has stopped. Come. See for yourself.”

Erestor got out of bed, his legs slightly shaky from their midnight activities, 
but he made it to the window nonetheless. He was instantly enfolded by a 
strong arm, and pulled to lean his head on the Elda’s shoulder. This was 
surely what it felt like to be completely happy. Erestor could not remember 
ever feeling this content, wrapped in the arms of the one he loved.

“You’re right,” he said. “No rain. All that is left are the puddles in the road, 
but they look more like lakes if you ask me.”

Glorfindel suddenly had an excellent idea. He went over to the wardrobe, 
grabbed the nearest pair of leggings and threw them at Erestor.

“Here, put these on.”

“But...”

“Now!”

Erestor did not know what had gotten into the seneschal, but he found it best 
to do as he was told. Hurrying as best he could, he pulled the leggings on, 
and instantly found himself dragged into the corridor. Glorfindel had a firm 
grip on his wrist, and pulled him behind as he raced through the Last 
Homely House.

“What are you doing? Where are we going?” Erestor asked, almost tripping 
on his feet as they ran past a shocked elf in the hallway.

“You are going to need a new thing for your book today, right?”

“Yes...”

“Well, I think I know something you’ve never done before.”

Glorfindel led them out the door and to the front of the house, where the 
trail lay, just outside Erestor’s window. He pulled the stunned advisor after 
him and didn’t stop until the were both standing in a deep puddle. Erestor 
stood in shock, his feet submerged in muddy water, and his hand clasped in 
Glorfindel’s. He knew that by now many elves were awake and about, and 
any time now someone would see them. It thrilled him as much as it 
frightened him.

“Jump,” Glorfindel told him.

“What?”

“Jump. Like this.”

Glorfindel took a leap into the air and splashed their legs with water as he 
landed. Erestor yelped and stared at the blonde in disbelief. The Elda only 
grinned. In the end, Erestor understood why Glorfindel was acting the way 
he did. The warrior knew the need that dwelt inside the scholar, and he was 
trying to satisfy it. He was trying to help.

“Jump, eh? Like this?”

Erestor jumped high, purposefully splashing the Elda as much as he could. 
Glorfindel chuckled, trying to shield his face with his arms.

“See? You’re learning.”

“Well, you learn something new every day.”

“Indeed you do.”

The elves smiled at each other, and then began jumping like children in the 
deep puddles on the road. Their laughter could be heard all the way up to the 
house, and it did not take long for curious elves to peek out at their kinsmen, 
running around like elflings. Glorfindel thought to himself that he had never 
seen such a smile on Erestor’s face for as long as they had known each 
other. Perhaps this philosophy wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Between the 
two of them, he was certain they could think of something new and exciting 
to do every day. He would have to give Erestor a new journal. One that they 
both could write in. What an adventure it would be!

Erestor screamed with delight as he was splashed once more, and fled to a 
neighbouring puddle, just begging for the Elda to chase him. It had been a 
long time since he had this much fun. In that moment, something he never 
would have thought possible occurred to him. He loved Glorfindel even 
more.

----------------------------

Back in the house, Elrond sat in his study, sifting through reports from the 
patrol. Glorfindel had come to him the night before, asking to sleep in this 
morning, so he had not been worried when the seneschal never showed for 
council. There was no urgency in the matter anyway. He was still worried 
about Erestor, however. The Noldo always seemed so stable and strong, but 
Elrond knew there was frailty within him. No elf was stone and steel, not 
even one as hard as Erestor.

Occupied with his thoughts, Elrond nearly jumped out of his seat when the 
doors flew open and his twin sons burst into the room.

“Ada! Come quickly! You are not going to believe what Erestor and 
Glorfindel are doing!”

The twins ran to the balcony and flung the doors open, signalling for Elrond 
to join them. Increasingly worried, the peredhel stepped outside and cast his 
eyes in the direction the twins pointed. Indeed it was as they said. He could 
not believe what he saw.



ada = dad
nana = mom
peredhel = half-elf
meleth = love
meldir = friend
pen-neth = little one