Chapter
11
“Elrond!”
Glorfindel shifted uncomfortably as he realised his friend had
just witnessed his entire conversation with Legolas, who was
still invisible to all but him. He smiled weakly at his friend,
unsure of what to say. This was not good.
Elrond regarded Glorfindel with a mixture of concern and shock.
The sight of the great Balrog-slayer talking to himself had
unnerved him. It would seem that Glorfindel’s recent brush
with death had caused unforeseen problems.
“Are you feeling well mellon nin?” He asked carefully.
Glorfindel nodded.
“Oh yes, I’m fine!” He responded a bit too
enthusiastically. Elrond looked sharply at the elf.
“Who were you talking to?” He said. Glorfindel gave
Elrond an innocent look.
“I was not talking to anyone.” He replied. “Who
would I be talking to? There is no one here!” Elrond placed
his hand on his friend’s arm.
“Glorfindel, mellon nin, I clearly heard you talking.
Please, if you are having problems I would know about them so
that I may help you.” He spoke gently; worried that he
might scare the elf-lord who was clearly not himself.
Glorfindel didn’t know what to say. Elrond had heard everything;
there was no way he would believe any excuse he could come up
with.
“Now
what?” He muttered, knowing Legolas could hear him.
“Now you could try telling me the truth.” Elrond
said encouragingly. Glorfindel ignored him and waited for Legolas
to respond.
“Well, you could do as he says and tell him.” He
replied. Glorfindel glared and could not hold back his response.
“Tell him what exactly? He would not believe it. *I* hardly
believe it.”
“It is rather far-fetched, I admit.” Legolas said.
“But I can offer no other explanation. Who knows, perhaps
this will turn out for the best.”
“He’ll think I’m mad!” Glorfindel exploded.
“I think he already does.” Legolas said rationally,
casting a glance at Elrond who was looking as if would bolt
from the room at any minute. Glorfindel let out a long sigh.
Legolas was right; the truth was the only option.
“Can you prove it?” He asked the ghost. Legolas
thought for a moment. Nothing inspiring came to mind.
Elrond stayed silent, believing that Glorfindel was fighting
some sort of internal battle and it was best to leave him to
it.
“I’ll think of something.” Legolas said. “Just
talk to him.”
Slowly, Glorfindel looked up and met Elrond’s eyes. He
hated to see the fear in them; his oldest friend should not
be scared of him. Choosing his words carefully he spoke.
“Elrond, what I am about to tell you sounds insane, I
freely admit it. But I ask that you listen, despite what you
think I have not lost my mind. It is the truth and with any
luck, I will be able to prove it to you, even if not right away.”
Elrond nodded; at least Glorfindel was talking to him lucidly.
“I will listen, my friend. Say what you will.” He
assured him, wondering what it was Glorfindel had to tell him.
A moment later, Glorfindel began.
“As you know, after my death in Gondolin, I spent some
time in Mandos’ Halls before I was returned to Middle-Earth.
What you don’t know and I only discovered recently, was
that there was a lasting side effect of my re-birth, an ability
to detect the spirits of the dead should they still walk this
world.
I first sensed this presence shortly after Arwen was hurt. I
dismissed it, thinking myself too highly strung from recent
events. I was wrong. Shortly after I was taking a walk in the
gardens, when the feeling passed right through me again. This
time the contact was true, I not only felt, but recognised the
spirit for who it was and had been.” He looked straight
into Elrond’s deep eyes. “It was Legolas.”
The two horses were as identical as their riders, their paces
perfectly matched as they raced across the plains to Gondor.
Their journey was almost done, the white city already in sight.
Within a day, all being well, they would be inside the palace
walls.
“We can not get there quick enough for my liking!”
Elladan said his voice slightly raised so as to be heard above
the pounding hooves.
“I agree.” Elrohir replied. “I am deeply worried
for our friends and family. My heart tells me that all is not
well in Gondor.”
“Yes.” Agreed Elladan. “A feeling of great
foreboding has also settled over me. We should hurry.”
As one, they urged their horses faster, towards Gondor.
Elrond’s eyes were wide. Despite his promise to listen
to the balrog-slayer, this was more than he had ever expected.
“Glorfindel…” He started, but was stopped
as the golden elf raised his hand.
“Please Elrond, hear me out.” He said. When the
Peredhel nodded, he continued. “I spoke with Legolas a
long time that day. We talked of the many tragedies that have
struck Gondor since his death. We know now that they were not
isolated incidents. Together, we began to try to find this evil
and a way to defeat it. However, it found us first, which resulted
in my latest brush with death. It was not in vain however, for
after my return, my connection to the dead was strengthened.
Not only can I sense Legolas, but I can see his spirit form.
Elrond, I need you to trust me. This darkness grows ever stronger;
we need all the help we can get to defeat it.” He fell
silent, waiting on Elrond’s reply, knowing how much rested
on it. He cast a quick glance at Legolas; the ghost-prince looked
every bit as worried as he.
“Glorfindel,” Elrond said slowly, “I want
to believe you, truly I do. We have been friends for millennia,
never have I had cause to doubt you before. But you ask much
of me mellon nin.”
“I know.” Glorfindel was fighting a loosing battle.
“But it is the truth.” There was silence for a long
moment while Elrond thought.
“Let us say that I believe you. Where is Legolas now?”
He asked. Glorfindel hid his smile. This was a good start. He
gestured to his left, where Legolas stood.
“Right here. Speak to him if you wish, he can hear you.”
Elrond stared at the seemingly empty space. He still didn’t
really believe Glorfindel, though his old friend had been very
convincing. He felt as if he was dealing with an elfling with
an imaginary friend. He was saved from potential embarrassment
by a sharp knock on the door.
“Enter.” Elrond commanded and a servant stepped
in.
“My Lord,” She said curtsying, “I bring a
message from the King. Your sons have just been seen to enter
the city gates.” Elrond suppressed a groan. Just what
he needed. In addition to an insane Balrog-slayer or a ghostly
elf prince, either being equally perturbing, he had a badly
injured daughter, a human son on the verge of a nervous breakdown
and an entire kingdom being threatened by an unknown evil. Now
his usually beloved sons were here to further complicate matters.
“Why couldn’t they just do as they were told and
stay in Imladris?” He muttered as he dismissed the servant.
He turned back to Glorfindel. “Stay here.” He went
to the door, and then paused. “Both of you.” He
added, before sweeping into the corridor and down the hall to
meet his sons.
Legolas turned to Glorfindel. “Do you think he believed
you? It was hard to tell.” He asked. He was unsure if
the elven-lord had simply been humouring the Balrog-slayer.
“I am not sure either.” Glorfindel replied. “But
we can not worry about that now. Much time has been wasted;
we must get back to finding a way to defeat this evil.”
Legolas nodded and they resumed their previous conversation.
Elrond could no longer look at the distraught faces of his sons.
Having berated them for coming, he had sat them down and explained
everything, from Arwen’s loss of sight, to Glorfindel’s
collapse, only leaving out Legolas. The twins had reacted badly
to the news of Arwen’s injuries. Deep in his heart, Elrond
feared that it would provoke another blood-filled quest of vengeance,
such as they had gone on after their mother’s torture.
Elrohir had been unable to hold back his tears and Elladan’s
eyes were blazing with a deadly fire.
“I want them.” He seethed.
“They are already dead.” Elrond told him. “Estel
killed them himself.”
“There will be more. There are always more.” He
growled. Elrond shook his head.
“Don’t do this Elladan. Don’t let it destroy
you. I feared to lose you and your brother once before, I will
not go through it again. I beg you; spend your time here, helping
your brother and sister, not on vengeance.” Elladan glared
at his father. He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when
Elrohir laid his hand on his twin’s shoulder. The elder
twin looked curiously at his brother.
“Ada is right Elladan.” He said softly. “There
has been enough bloodshed. I want to help our family, not further
divide it.” He looked pleadingly at his twin. Elladan
was the leader, he always had been and Elrohir knew if Elladan
ignored their counsel and chose vengeance he would follow.
~Power. It could feel it. Strong and relentless and totally
under it’s control. Now, now was the time. Long years
had passed, but the chance for domination had at last arrived.
No more the hidden shadow. Soon shadow would cover everything
and all that was light would fall. The shapeless mass once more
changed to the rough shape if a man and lifted the shadow formed
hands. “Let the shadow walk.” The portal opened.~
Legolas was frustrated. He and Glorfindel had come up with and
rejected a dozen different plans. How did you defeat something
that has no substance? Despite all of their combined experiences,
neither had ever come across anything like this. Balrogs, orcs,
evil wizards, those they could handle. This was simply too different.
Glorfindel growled as he threw out yet another unworkable plan.
Fear and worry were eating at him and he hated not knowing what
to do. He, like Legolas, had always been devoted to protecting
those they loved, whatever the cost. Now it seemed as if their
ignorance would cost them the ultimate price.
Suddenly, Legolas tensed. The darkness he’d felt when
trapped in the evil being’s net had returned. A moment
later Glorfindel felt it too. The dark fear, coursing through
his veins and threatening to take him once again. He turned
and looked at Legolas with undisguised horror.
“We just ran out of time.”
END
CHAPTER 11
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