Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

The Returned	By : Liliana Category: -Multi-Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 8591 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Please note that the disclaimer and warnings for this story are given at the begining of the first chapter.
Author Notes:
My apologies for not replying to everyone who left me a review for chapter 13. We are in the middle of our monsoon season here and it's been one fierce storm, after another. So I'm getting this chapter out while I can!.
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CHAPTER 14:
Elrond lay upon his bed blankly staring at the elegant painted pattern that graced the ceiling of his sleeping chamber. The rest his body so desperately needed had so far eluded him, for the images he had seen during his probe into Erandir's broken mind refused to give him any quarter.
Over and over, the torment suffered by his beloved lady played inside his own mind, as seen through the eyes of the lone elf that had been forced to witness it. Until it seemed to the great lord that his fea would surely relinquish its hold on life, rather than endure another moment of this pain.
But endure he did.
Eventually, other fragmented memories gleaned from Erandir came to the fore and Elrond latched on to these, letting them take his own recollection back to happier times...
~~~~~~~~~~
It had been pleasantly warm on the day that Erestor's parents first visited the hidden valley. They had come to celebrate with their eldest son, who had just been named chief advisor to the Lord of Imladris.
Erestor's Adar -who was himself the foremost advisor to the Lord Cirdan- and his Naneth -who had once studied the healing arts under Elrond- rode into the main courtyard of the Last Homely House at the head of a large party of elves from Mithlond, some of whom had accompanied the lord and lady with the intent of settling in this peaceful place. Among them, one who would become a renowned minstrel and another, who would become Erestor's invaluable assistant.
Yet though all the visitors were joyfully greeted by the valley's denizens, it was the little figure nestled within the protective arms of his Naneth that from the first, captured everyone's attention. Especially Erestor's, whose serious countenance, so alike that of his Adar, had been transformed into a radiant smile upon sighting the elfling.
It had been at that moment that Elrond, by chance, happened to glance over at the imposing figure of the Balrog Slayer and in doing so, had witnessed the first dawning of love in the colbat-colored eyes that stared at the newly-appointed advisor. A slight squeeze on his arm had then brought his attention back to Celebrian, who stood beside him and the two shared a quick smile, for they had both long known of Erestor's own well-hidden feelings for the reborn warrior.
Thus it was, that with even more cause to rejoice, the Lord and Lady of Imladris descended the last few steps of the grand stairs to the Last Homely House and extended proper welcome to their guests...
Almost immediately, an intense bond had formed between the elfling and his much-older brother. So much so that when the year-long visit came to an end, it was agreed that Erandir would remain in Imladris and begin his schooling under Erestor's loving supervision. By that time, the impish and extroverted elfling, whose personality decidely took after the siblings' Naneth, had already become much beloved by all. Particularly so by the Lady Celebrian, who was overjoyed to give the little one the kind of maternal attention that her own twin sons, being over their majority, no longer required.
For his part, Erandir quickly came to love the gentle, silver-haired, Lady of Imladris. Thus the two could often be found toguether, sometimes playing in the gardens, sometimes curled-up as she read to him in the library, and sometimes out gathering blackberries, which were the elfling's favorite fruit.
It was during those first three decades of Erandir's stay, while he passed through the rapid growing stages that all elves experienced from their tenth to their fortieth year, that the unspoken love between Erestor and Glorfindel finally came to fruition.
The sweet, if sometimes comical courtship of the often gregarious Balrog Slayer and the often taciturn advisor, had delighted all who lived in the Last Homely House. But none more than Erandir, who adored his much-older brother and who felt something akin to hero-worship for the golden-haired hero of Gondolin. And with these blessings of love, Glorfindel was finally able to put the painful memories of his past to rest. So that the weariness that had always laid just beneath the surface of his affable manner, was no more...
Such was the life of love, peace and harmony enjoyed by all in Imladris. A life that seemed far removed from the constant upheavals that plagued the world of men. And it was in this enviroment, a few weeks after Erandir's forty-first begetting day, that the Lady Celebrian gave birth to her third and last child. It was a daughter, to whom the name of Arwen Undomiel was given, for she had first opened her eyes under the evening sky and so seemed to her parents to have been blessed by Elbereth.
The little elleth became Imladris' greatest treasure, doted upon by all. And many a time through out her own elfling years, was the sweet pitch of her voice heard in the halls and on the grounds of the Last Homely House, as she taunted her twin brothers or Erandir until they gave chase, while she ran away in a flurry of laughter and hair ribbons. Yet while he always found the time to indulge her childish games, Erandir began to spend more and more time in the company of her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, for they had already become the epitomy of his own most cherished goal.
He wanted to be a warrior.
His parents had written long letters in hopes of dissuading him. Erestor as well, had made it very clear that he would prefer a different course for his younger brother. But Erandir's mind had long been made up. His decision caused the first serious disagreement between the Balrog Slayer and the advisor. For Erestor, recalling the horrors he had witnessed during the Battle of the Last Alliance, had pressed Glorfindel to find some way to deny Erandir entrance into the warrior ranks of Imladris. Only to have Glorfindel refuse, on the grounds that it was not their choice to make.
And so it was that upon reaching his majority, Erandir began his formal training in the barracks. As it had been for Elladan and Elrohir, his tutelage was directly undertaken by Glorfindel and for that, at least, Erestor had been grateful. Nor would have Glorfindel had it any other way. For if truth be told, he also would have preferred that Erandir had chosen a different path. Like all who have been in the thick of battle, the Balrog Slayer held no illusions about war. And he detested it. Just as he detested the many songs and lays that couched his own demise in flowery words that did nothing to convey the true horror of the fall of Gondolin. Thus, he was determined to make Erandir into the best warrior he could possibly be. Even as he hoped that the young elf he had come to love as a son, would never have to use such skills in anything more than a skirmish...
The centuries passed quickly, as they always do for elvenkind, and Erandir did indeed become a very skilled warrior. He particularly enjoyed patrolling along the borders of Imladris. For he had discovered of late, a growing desire within himself to see what lay beyond the hidden valley. His desire became a gnawing restlessness after he and Erestor -accompanied by Glorfindel- journeyed to Mithlond to bid farewell to their Adar and Naneth, who were setting sail for the shores of Aman. Their departure proved to be the catalyst that made Erandir determined to see all he could of Arda before he, too, felt the call of the sea. And so upon their return to Imladris, he began to volunteer for every assigment, be it as messenger or escort, that would let him travel abroad.
This brought some further disagreements into the normally idyllic relantionship between Glorfindel and Erestor. For though the dark-haired advisor was renowed for his calm and steely deportment, all reasonableness left him when it came to the brother he still often saw as an elfling. But Glorfindel could find no cause to deny Erandir's requests and so began to grant him such assigments, albeit always sending him in the company of his most trusted warriors.
Thus did Erandir's wish to see more of Arda become fulfilled. During the next decades he returned not only to Mithlond, but also travelled to the human city of Bree and then much farther, to the other elven realms that lay beyond the Misty Mountains. And it was during one of these journeys, as he took his rest beneath the canopy of a far forest after delivering his packet of messages, that he met the ellon who would change the quickening beat of his heart.
It was a love reciprocated. One that grew, despite the distance that separated them. Until the day came when the two pledged their troth, to the surprise and delight of all who dwelled in their respective homes. According to tradition, the actual bonding ceremony would take place five years from the time of their love's declaration. And so Erandir returned to Imladris, desiring to spend the time before his nuptials with the brother he adored and with those who had become his close-knit family.
Yet when the Lady Celebrian prepared to go on a long-overdue visit to the land of her birth only a year later, Erandir at once volunteered to be part of her escort. He had never forgotten the gentle care she had bestowed upon him when he was an elfling, and their bond of affection was such that he simply could not bear to stay behind. As always, Erestor argued with Glorfindel over it. And his objections were perhaps even more vehement than usual, because in spite of his own deep affection for Celebrian, he was loath to be parted from his little brother. Especially, since Erandir would so soon leave his side to begin a new life.
But all his arguing was for naught.
Three days later, on a beautiful clear morning, the advisor had stood in stony silence beside his golden-haired lover, watching everyone cheerily wave their farewells to the lady and her escort. And none of them with any inkling of what was to come.
Not even Elrond...
~~~~~~~~~~
Abruptly snapped into the present, the Lord of Imladris sat up on his plush bed. What little rest he had managed cull from his memories was now shattered, as those recollections brought him back full-circle to the horrible images he had seen in Erandir's mind during his earlier examination. And on the heels of those images, he was reminded that he still had one more sad duty to perform.
Knowing the futility of attempting further rest, Elrond vacated his bed and chambers and headed towards his private study. There, he readied parchment and quil, then tried to compose his thoughts in order to write the letter that would be sent by messenger, as soon as possible.
The letter informing Legolas, prince of Mirkwood, that his betrothed had been found...
TBC...
- 13
- 14
- 15
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The Returned