Glorfindel stepped into the Library to find Erestor reading, curled up
next to the fire with a glass of brandy in his hand. Sitting there, he
looked almost like his old self. When Erestor did not look up at his
entrance, Glorfindel closed the door, silently walking over to the
advisor.
"Erestor?" Glorfindel let his hand slide onto his friend's shoulder
and a warm soft hand covered his rougher one.
"I know Glorfindel; I will be here when you return." Erestor looked up
at the Elf lord and placed a kiss on the inside of the Vanya's palm.
"Go now. I will most likely be here in this very room when you return."
"I do not doubt that for one moment," whispered Glorfindel, his lips
gently pressing against Erestor's in a chaste kiss. "I will be back as
soon as I can."
"Do what you must. I understand the meaning of duty." Erestor let the
hand fall from his and once more picked up his book.
Glorfindel could not help but smile at the way he had been dismissed.
He had grown accustomed to it with the advisor over the years. With
that, he left and went to saddle his horse and meet his warriors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elrond was exhausted. He had worked for hours on the dark Elf, trying
to heal his wounds. But even his extensive knowledge left little for
him to do. The only hope for the Elf would be to immediately send him
on a boat to Valinor. If the Valar forgave him, they would let him
enter. Elrond knew he had no place in judging the Elf. Still, it
galled him, knowing all the elf had done to not only Erestor but many
others as well. Lord Elrond rose; knowing he must ask Erestor's
forgiveness, for the Elf would not likely awaken in Arda again. Once
more, many questions would be left unanswered.
First, Elrond went to make preparations for Morcorban's departure. He
would tell Erestor later. At the moment, he had no time to delay, for
he would not have a preventable death on his conscience, even of such
a one as lay in Imladris right now. He had much he would need to do
before the elf could be transported the next day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Glorfindel and his troops came across a scene of carnage on their
routine border patrol, they had been riding nearly half the day. The
group fell silent in shock at the sheer brutality of the attack. Bare
bones of once proud warriors lay strewn in the field. Among them, dead
Orcs' bodies and …Lindir! Glorfindel rushed over to the minstrel and
knelt next to him, assessing him quickly. He had a letter pinned to
his shoulder with a dagger. Glorfindel removed the letter before
binding the dagger so it would not move.
"He lives! We must get him back to Lord Elrond!" he exclaimed to the
others.
Just as they began lifting Lindir from the ground, a groan and slight
movement beneath a pile of bodies called attention to another gravely
wounded Elf. As one the warriors bent to push the Orcs off of him, he
hoarsely whispered an urgent request for Lord Glorfindel.
When the seneschal arrived, the Elf pulled him down close to him so he
could hear. "Lindir betrays us all, he is the one. He …" The Elf
coughed violently, blood coming out of his mouth and he gasped before
trying to start once more. "He has a vial and he gave them a letter.
It is in his pocket. I …I heard them; it is meant for Lord Elrond's
son. You have to warn them. I do not know what the other information
could be, but it must be important." He told him all he had heard and
seen as he had lain there. Glorfindel did not want to believe the
dying Elf's words, yet he could not ignore them either. He rose and
searched Lindir's pockets, finding a vial of red liquid. The wounds
also matched up with the account the guardian had given him.
Glorfindel now had proof of their traitor's identity. They gathered up
the two injured elves and headed back to the Last Homely House,
leaving half of the troops to guard the dead and prepare them to be
transported.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At that very moment, Lady Celebrian and Arwen prepared to head out for
Lothlorien with their party. Guards from Caras Galadhon would meet
them halfway. Yet before they reached that point, someone else would
meet them with a very unpleasant surprise. The Ladies of Imladris
would make a very efficient bargaining tool. He was not Morcorban and
he had no problem using them as pawns. The Warrior smiled and waited
lying in wait.
Lord Elrond had left his work just long enough to come and bid his
family farewell.
He pulled his wife into his arms in the privacy of his office. "I will
send for you soon, Bri, you will be safer in Lothlorien. I know how
you miss the mellyrn and this will be a good time for you to get away."
"I love you Elrond." She kissed him deeply. "Do not forget to eat and
sleep."
"I will not, I promise." He held her for a moment longer before
letting her go; certain he did the right thing.
She kissed him once more before bidding him goodbye and heading out
the door. Elrond felt lonely already with her gone but she would be
back, she always returned to him. Despite everything the Valar had
taken from him, she was the treasure they had sent to brighten his
life. Elrond did not want her to go but his hands were tied, her
safety was more important than his loneliness when she was away so he
turned back to the missive he was writing as his wife and daughter
exited Imladris.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took Lord Glorfindel longer than he would have liked to make it
back to the Last Homely House, but he could travel no faster with
injured Elves in the party.
As the Vanya headed toward his lord's study, Lord Elrond had sought
out Erestor to speak of Morcoban's condition. The lord of Imladris
knocked on the door to Erestor's office, his chief advisor bidding him
entrance. Elrond turned the knob and walked in and as he closed the
door behind him. Erestor looked up then stood, gesturing to the seat
before his desk.
"My lord. Please have a seat," Erestor bid his lord, and then waited
for Elrond to sit.
Elrond took the offered chair, watching as Erestor took his own seat.
Rarely did Elrond join him in his office until the end of the year.
"What may I do for you, my lord?"
Elrond took the offered chair, watching Erestor return to his own
seat. He rarely joined Erestor in his office until the end of the year
so he knew this unexpected visit prompted unspoken questions in his
old friend.
"I have come to talk to you about Morcorban, Erestor. I am afraid any
questions you may have for him must wait. He will not survive if we do
not send him to Valinor."
Erestor ran a hand through his hair. He had so much he needed to know,
but he now had little hope of obtaining any answers, even if the other
Elf stayed. "I trust your judgment, Lord Elrond, and I know that you
would not send him away unless you felt it necessary."
Lord Elrond stood and nodded solemnly, "I am glad you understand,
Erestor. He leaves first thing in the morning." Erestor closed his
eyes. "Perhaps he will find peace now."
"Perhaps," agreed Elrond. "Forgive me, but I must return to him." He
stood and went to open the door.
Glorfindel stood, hand raised to knock, his breath gusting from him in
unaccustomed hurry. "My Lord, I must speak to you both!"
"What is wrong, Glorfindel?" Elrond had never seen Glorfindel in such
a state as he was now.
"I know the traitor's identity," Glorfindel stated, a grim look on his
face.
Elrond pulled him into the office, slammed the door shut, and then
turned to the warrior. "Who?"
"Lindir."
"Lindir? Are you sure Glorfindel?"
"I am my lord."
"Where is he now?"
Glorfindel ran a hand through his hair, "The healing halls, badly
injured, by the one he gave the information to. The guardian who
witnessed it is there also near death."
Elrond turned without another word towards the healing halls. He would
get to the bottom of this!
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