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Twilight Tales - The Captain's Guerdon	By : MPB Category: -Multi-Age > General Views: 8528 -:- 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
- 19
- 20
Epilogue

Imladris, Yavannië TA 3021

Summer was over and autumn had come to the vale. The foliage was starting to shed the verdant hues of the growing seasons and take on a golden guise. And the weather had turned as well. It was pleasantly cool, more so in the early mornings and late evenings.

Yet in the hearth in Elladan and Glorfindel's apartment a fire had been lit, heating the room beyond comfortably warm. Glorfindel stood before it, silent and still, immersed in deep contemplation. His fair face gleamed golden in the light cast by the dancing flames. He held in his hands the ancient journal that had been Faelrin's, his doomed love of Gondolin.

He had read the entire tome one more time the night before, staying up until the stars began to fade. Committing to memory much of what lay within and consigning to oblivion that which only left bitterness in its wake. When the first rosy streaks of early morning light began their journey across the sky, he rose from beside his slumbering mate and silently crossed over to the bedroom hearth.

Now he regarded the fire with mixed feelings. Fire had tormented him even as he plunged to his death in his first life. Had reduced his beloved city in exile to blackened ruins. Had destroyed countless lives and homes down through the ages. Yet fire also afforded warmth and light and safety. Without the tempering heat of fire, there would be no great treasures of precious metal, no precisely wrought weapons for the protection of life and limb, and, far from mundane in his opinion, no repasts and feasts to celebrate milestones of every sort.

There would always be two sides to every coin. True wisdom came with knowing which side to choose and which to avoid.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and slid the journal into the depths of the blaze before him. As the flames began to lick at its corners and edges, he felt a sharp urge to retrieve the book ere it was destroyed. But he fought the impulse, knowing this was for the best however much it hurt him.

He felt Elladan's arms slide around him from behind and he leaned back against his mate, needful of his succor.

As the flames slowly consumed the journal, he felt the pain of loss sweep over him again. As if his heart was being torn apart, piece by piece. Elladan tightened his embrace and pressed his lips to the side of his neck. Glorfindel sighed as the sundered pieces came together once more to fashion a heart far stronger and more loving than it ever had been before. And with it came the sweet ecstasy of freedom from a past that had shackled as much as it had shaped him.

He felt liberated in all senses of the word.

He turned to Elladan, allowing his mate to love him until the dawn blossomed into a bright autumnal morning. And then they bathed and dressed and went to the dining hall for breakfast with Elrond, Elrohir and Legolas and Galadriel and Celeborn.

They gathered as a family for the last time. Elrond and Galadriel would leave Imladris this day and take ship at the Havens for the western shores. Celeborn had chosen not to accompany his wife on the last leg of her journey to Mithlond, fearful he would not be able to let her board the ship when it came to that.

Many others would be leaving with Elrond - a little more than half of the household. Erestor and his family, most of the counsellors and theirs, many of the retainers and a majority of the craftsmen - from the musicians to the smiths to the clothes-makers. But few of the warriors were departing. Their loyalty to Glorfindel was such that until their captain sought the Blessed Realm, they would remain in Middle-earth as well.

Glorfindel smiled when he espied Elrohir slipping a tidbit into Legolas' mouth. A gold band gleamed proudly on the younger twin's right index finger. A matching ring graced that same finger on Legolas' right hand. Ah, that had been a most memorable wedding, he thought with some amusement. It had taken place the spring after Legolas' return from exploring Fangorn with his Dwarf-comrade Gimli and a long side-trip to the Lonely Mountain that he might see his good friend's home and meet his family as well. Elrohir had travelled later that year to the re-christened forest kingdom - just before the mountain passes were blocked by snow - to permit Legolas' family to get acquainted with him. The others had followed as soon as winter passed. Elrond and many of his household, Elladan and Glorfindel, of course, and Celeborn and Galadriel all converged on Thranduil's realm for this last binding in Middle-earth of a child of either house.

During the long cold months preceding the binding rites Elrohir had had to abide by the prenuptial traditions of the greenwood. The Elf-knight had done so with surprising good grace and near limitless patience. Indeed, he had gained Thranduil's approval forthwith and proceeded to win the hearts of Eryn Lasgalen's people with astounding swiftness. Until forest king and folk discovered that one particular custom had been circumvented on the very eve of the binding ceremony. The nuptial rites were nearly called off on the basis of sheer collective umbrage at the flagrant disregard for woodland tradition.

Not that Elrohir had instigated it; that had been Legolas' doing. Glorfindel smothered a grin at the memory of a glowering Sindarin prince in half open shirt and loosely laced breeches, his throat and chest displaying blatant evidence of illicit activity, spiritedly defending his intended before his king-father and siblings, his future kin-by-law, several royal advisors and the servants who had come upon them unawares, and demanding that the ceremony push through as planned else he would remove himself and Elrohir to Imladris where they would bind to each other with or without his family's presence. And Rhûn's benighted hordes take them all if any dared to hinder them!

Thranduil had been duly impressed by his son's defense of the younger twin. And Legolas' impassioned declaration served to raise Elrohir even higher in everyone's esteem. And so the nuptial rites had taken place that night before all the Woodland Realm, and Eldar, Sindar and Silvan folk were as much sealed in union by their vows as the Elf-knight and his Greenleaf.

Now they were planning the founding of Legolas' Ithilien colony. Come the following spring, Elrohir would accompany his archer spouse and a goodly number of Wood-elves out of Eryn Lasgalen to the southern province and reside there for as long as it took to establish the colony. After that, he and Legolas would divide their time between Rivendell and Ithilien with occasional visits to the Woodland Realm.

Less than an hour after breakfast, they all gathered together once more, this time in the courtyard of the Last Homely House. Glorfindel watched Erestor help his wife onto a dappled steed before mounting it behind her. Their children filed behind them. A little to their rear were Lindir and a good number of his fellows. The music of Rivendell would be sadly diminished with their departure. And by the arched gate Gildor Inglorion and his band of Exiles waited; they were more than ready to make the journey home.

Elrond hugged his sons tightly ere he mounted his grey stallion. Words of assurance and promises passed between them and their eyes were seen to glisten with unshed tears. When their father was at last astride his mount, both Glorfindel and Legolas moved to console their mates, arms encircling waist or shoulders.

Galadriel and Celeborn spent many minutes just holding each other close, the Lady's head nestling on her husband's strong shoulder. At length, the Lórien lord lifted her face to his and gave her a long and lingering farewell kiss before he firmly drew away and lifted her onto a snow-white palfrey. After a last look between them, she urged her horse alongside Elrond's. Elrohir and Legolas flanked Celeborn that he might not feel so alone as he watched his wife ride away.

Elrond looked down at the Elf who had perished to preserve his sire's life, returned to serve him and his and gone on to become part of his family.

“Take care of them for me, mellon vell”-dear friend-he softly intoned, referring not only to those of his kin present but to his faraway daughter and her husband as well.

“Rest assured, I will keep them safe,” Glorfindel said. “May your father's light shine upon you on this journey to the West, Elrond.”

“And may he guide you all home when the time comes,” Elrond replied with a warm smile.

With that the company slowly rode out of the courtyard for the very last time.

Glorfindel looked from them to the brethren, Legolas and Celeborn. In his return to life and Middle-earth, he had gained kinsfolk other than those who awaited him in Valinor. Even Eryn Lasgalen's king was now a relation through marriage.

When he had come to Imladris all those centuries ago, duty and honor had driven him. And so had a deep-seated need to assuage the pain and horror of his death by witnessing for himself the outcome of his sacrifice. What he had not expected was that he would also be accorded the chance to at last come to terms with the loss not only of his first love but also his belief that he would know another.

Elladan had proven him wrong from the start and had he but opened his heart from the moment his dear spouse initiated courtship, the chase would have ended long ago and he would have known redemption so much sooner. Not that he blamed himself completely; Elladan never had and never would and that was enough for him.

He tightened his hold around his darkling mate when the last of the company vanished beyond the gate. Elladan leaned against him, turning his face into his neck to hide the tears that flowed despite his best efforts. But when Glorfindel slid a finger beneath his chin and lifted it and looked into his eyes with concern, he shook his head and smiled.

“I am all right,” he murmured. “For so long as you are here with me, I will be all right.”

Glorfindel smiled back. “An-uir, melethen”-forever, my love-was all he needed to say.

Here in these Hinter Lands he had loved and lost. But here, too, had he found his greatest guerdon, the only one that meant everything to him. After a final glance at the gate, he and Elladan turned to go into the house with the rest of their family.

*******************************

Glossary:

Yavannië - Quenya for September

guerdon - reward or recompense

The End

I will be posting the third and last ficlet in what has turned into an impromptu trilogy. Following Chance Met and Troth, this piece will wrap up Legolas and Elrohir's love story. My way of saying a fond goodbye to The Captain's Guerdon.
- 19
- 20
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Twilight Tales - The Captain's Guerdon