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A Price for Peace	By : IdrilsSecret Category: +Third Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2269 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters. No money is being made from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chapter 4

“Where is he,” demanded Glorfindel, bursting through the door of the local doctor’s private home in the city of Bree. The elf lord scanned the dimly lit house. “Where is the injured elf? I was told at the gate that he was brought here.”
Two young girls stood wide eyed and motionless at the sight of the golden haired elf. His eyes narrowed on them, but they remained speechless. Then a door at the back of the parlor opened and a man came in, still dressed in his night clothes and cap. He laid a hand on each of the girl’s shoulders and gave them a small push in the direction of a hallway. The girls scampered off.
Glorfindel watched, and then his attention came back to the man, whose home he had invaded. “Are you the doctor?”
“I am. The name’s Madock. And who might you–”
“Lord Glorfindel of Rivendell,” the elf answered tersely.
The doctor came to his full height, nearly a match to Glorfindel’s own. The elf lord looked him over carefully. He was a handsome man, almost middle aged, dark brown hair cut short, square jaw and sharp cheek bones. “You do not look like a doctor,” Fin said. It was true. Most doctors that Glorfindel had come across were elderly men, wise in human years. But this man looked more like a soldier, his features strong and unyielding like a man that had seen war and defeated it by a large margin.
“I didn’t know we had a certain appearance,” Madock answered, eyes sharply narrowed on Glorfindel. “You have entered my home rather abruptly, and have frightened my children. May I ask your relationship to the patient?”
Glorfindel’s face seemed to soften a bit as he realized how he must have looked to the children. He’d ridden straight from Lothlórien as soon as he heard. The only thing on his mind was getting to Erestor. He hadn’t known how badly injured he was, only that he was found hurt and brought to Bree.
“He is the Chief Counselor to Lord Elrond of Imladris, and I am Captain of the Guard.”
Madock shifted and crossed his arms, blocking Glorfindel from coming any further into his home. “That is all well and fine, Lord Glorfindel, but I asked of your acquaintanceship to the patient, not to Lord Elrond.”
“He is … we are … close,” Glorfindel stammered. Then he relaxed his posture to seem less threatening. “Please, may I see him? May I see Erestor?”
“Erestor?” the doctor wondered. “We did not know his name. He’s been unconscious ever since he was brought here.”
“And when was that?”
“Over a week ago. Almost two.” Madock answered. He regarded Glorfindel another moment until he felt sure that it was safe to allow the giant of an elf any further into his home. But something about the look in his eyes told the doctor that his concern was genuine. “Come on. He is in here.”
Madock led Glorfindel down a short hall to another door at the back. They went inside and there was Erestor laying peacefully in a bed. A lantern burned low on a bedside table. He was covered in bandages, both arms and around the neck and one shoulder.
Glorfindel went straight to the bed and smoothed the hair on top of Erestor’s head, noticing stitches and the cut across his cheek. “Meldanya,” he whispered very quietly.
Madock looked on and realized that there was more than a professional relationship between the two elves. It was something he’d heard of before, but couldn’t understand … how two men could have feelings for each other in the same way he had with his wife. It wasn’t his place to judge though. The elves were different and strange compared to men, and such things were easily accepted within their race, unlike the race of humans.
“He, uh … he’s in stable condition. The wounds seem to be healing. Some of the puncture marks were quite deep, and I feared infection setting in, but he seems to be alright,” Madock informed the gilded elf, now kneeling beside the bed, holding Erestor’s hand.
“I was told that he was hurt badly, but no one could tell me how,” Glorfindel said, his eyes never leaving his mate.
“He was attacked … to the south, just a few miles from here. The man who found him thought it must have been a pack of wolves. The bite marks on his arms, legs and neck support that theory. He’s lucky to be alive.”
“It would seem that way,” Glorfindel said, examining Erestor’s bruised and battered body. He pulled the sheet from his chest and saw the black and blue marks, the scrapes and scratches. Fin winced, closing his eyes as though he himself could feel Erestor’s pain.
“I have to say, it was not a good idea to travel alone. At least I assume he was alone,” the doctor prodded.
“I suppose he was. I’d been in Lothlórien. I hadn’t any news of his departure from Rivendell, but leave it up to him to not want anyone to go out of their way.” As Glorfindel spoke, it sounded like he was berating Erestor, whether he could hear or not.
Madock noticed the tender way Lord Glorfindel touched the patient, and he felt a bit awkward, as though he should give them some privacy. “I need to check on my children. I’ll return in a moment.”
Glorfindel glanced over his shoulder and nodded. He waited until Madock was gone, then he laid his head on Erestor’s chest. “Ai, Meldanya, what have you done? Out alone in the wild, for Eru’s sake. What were you thinking?”
* * *
Some time had passed when the doctor came back into the patient room. Glorfindel still sat in the same place, his hand still holding Erestor’s, staring at the sleeping form of his love. Madock waited before saying anything. He wasn’t sure if he should interrupt, just in case Lord Glorfindel was performing some kind of elf magic. He wasn’t sure if that was true or not. Tales were told about the elves, but Madock had always thought they were not much different from men, besides being immortal.
“Can I … get you something to eat or drink?” Madock finally asked.
“I am fine,” Glorfindel answered, never looking away from Erestor.
“Are you sure? You said you came from Lothlórien, and as quickly as you seemed to have come, I doubt you’ve eaten anything since then.”
Glorfindel sighed. “I’ll take wine if you have any.”
“Will brandy do?”
“Fine.”
Madock left briefly and came back with a bottle and two glasses. He poured a bit into each glass and gave one to Glorfindel. “Mind if I join you?” the doctor asked.
“Not at all.” Glorfindel took a sip and winced.
Madock laughed. “I assume your kind is not used to such potent drink.”
Glorfindel didn’t answer, but he let a small smile curl the corner of his mouth. His attention was too focused on Erestor. After a long silence he spoke. “Do you know who found Erestor and brought him here?”
“Yes, his name’s Arwel. Older man, makes his living hunting. I suppose that’s why he was in that area. Good thing too.”
Glorfindel nodded. “I’d like to meet him and thank him for his kindness. Later, though. I want to be here when Erestor awakes.”
“Of course,” the doctor agreed. He took another sip of the brandy. “Your friend was quite valiant from what Arwel tells me. He found the bodies of the wolves, all having been slashed with a sword. One wolf, the leader, Arwel says, had its throat torn out. There was an injured dog lying next to it. He thinks it was a wolf hound, young but strong enough to take on the pack leader.”
“This dog,” Glorfindel asked curiously. “Was it brown?”
“Why, I believe so.”
“Léra,” Glorfindel whispered.
“Was this Erestor’s dog?”
“It was, or is, or . . . Do you know what happened to her?”
“Arwel said she was pretty badly injured. He took her to his place to try to heal her. I’ve been too busy to check and see what became of her.”
“I’ll find out later. Right now I need to–” Glorfindel stopped speaking when he saw eye movement behind Erestor’s closed lids. “Is he waking?”
“Perhaps,” the doctor said, jumping up and going to the bed. He lifted one of the lids, but Erestor’s pupils were still fully dilated. “I think he’s only dreaming, but you would know more about that than me.”
Erestor moaned, his breathing becoming rapid. Glorfindel stood and laid a hand to the side of Erestor’s face. He leaned in close and whispered his lover’s name as tenderly as he could, willing him to wake.
“Lastar,” Erestor said softly. He repeated the name several times before he calmed and fell silent and still.
Glorfindel looked stunned, possibly even hurt. Madock was curious, but couldn’t find his voice to ask. It was obvious that the name meant something. The elf sat back down in his chair, releasing Erestor’s hand. He closed his eyes a moment, and when they opened, they searched for the glass of brandy. He picked it up, gulped down the rest, and slouched in the chair.
Madock couldn’t help but feel for the elf lord. This must not have been a name he wanted to hear. “A friend of his?” he asked when the silence got too nerve-wracking.
“He was, once,” Glorfindel answered, the terseness coming back.
Madock thought it must be someone from Erestor’s past, someone Glorfindel did not approve of. A past lover perhaps? The elves led strange lives, he thought.
Glorfindel felt the awkwardness in the room and needed an escape. He remembered the children he’d frightened when he first arrived. “I must apologize for my rude entrance earlier. I did not mean to scare your children or your wife.”
“Oh, well … I think they might have been more in awe than scared. They’ve never seen an elf before. As for my wife, she died last year.”
Glorfindel paused and looked across to the man. “I am sorry for you loss.”
Silence fell between man and elf once more, like an invisible wall closing them off to each other. Now it was Madock’s turn to end the awkwardness. “Did you fight in the war?” he asked.
Glorfindel let out a breathy laugh. “Which one?”
Madock smiled, forgetting about the long lives of the elves. “The Ring War.”
Glorfindel nodded. “I marched with the Lothlórien army to Dol Guldur during that time.” He noticed that Madock’s glass was almost empty, reached for the bottle and filled it. “What about you? Something tells me you have not always been a doctor.”
“Before coming to Bree, I lived in Gondor, where I belonged to the guard. I fought in the battle at Pelennor Fields defending my city. I’d been a soldier most of my life, but I also studied medicine.” Madock answered.
“Does one not conflict with the other?” Glorfindel wondered.
“I was not killing my own men. I fought with them, but I could also help heal them too. Well, some of them anyways.” Madock’s voice lowered. There was something much darker to the story, but Fin would not pursue it. Madock went on. “My wife died during the war. She took our children to her father’s shop. He was a tailor, and his business was on the lower levels, like most stores in Minas Tirith.” The doctor took a good long swig from his glass before continuing. “The orcs invaded. They … killed my wife.”
“I’m sorry,” whispered Glorfindel, not knowing what else to say. After a moment of silence, he went on. “I lost some people close to me also. My biggest fear was losing Erestor.” He looked longingly at the sleeping counselor. “It still is.”
“You have nothing to fear, Lord Glorfindel.”
The sound of Erestor calling out Lastar’s name still fresh in his mind, Glorfindel could not be comforted. “There is always something to fear.”
Madock cleared his throat and took a deep gulp of his drink. He was uncomfortable discussing the past. Glorfindel felt this too, and changed the conversation back to the doctor. “So, you were a soldier in Gondor. What brought you to Bree?”
“My children, actually. The war terrified them. They’d experienced things that no child must endure. The war, the loss of their mother, it was too much. The faces of orcs and goblins haunted them. I couldn’t stand to see them suffer any longer, and I decided to get as far away from Gondor as possible. Bree is not the most appealing place to live, but there are no ghostly remnants of monsters here. And the city was in need of doctors. So I hung up my sword and traded it for the scalpel. I can’t afford to continue soldiering. My children need me, and they are all I have left in this world.”
Glorfindel smiled and bowed his head. “You are a good father, Madock, and a fine healer.” The elf sat back in his chair again. He sighed deeply.
Madock could tell Glorfindel was in turmoil. He really didn’t want to impose, but Fin’s curiosity and ability to make the doctor talk was very comforting. Madock hadn’t spoken of his wife in quite a while. He felt he needed to return the favor. “You seemed disturbed by the name Erestor spoke. I hope all is well between the two of you.”
“Everything has been quite well. I’m just surprised to hear him speak the name.”
“Who was he, if you don’t mind my inquisitiveness?”
“Erestor knew him better than I did. He was an acquaintance, and then a friend. In the end, Lastar saved my life by sacrificing his own.” Glorfindel’s words seemed to slow and fade as he finished speaking.
“I’m sorry for your loss also,” Madock said. “And I hope all is well for you and … and your … and Erestor.”
Glorfindel could hear the uncomfortable tone in Madock’s voice. He wasn’t sure how to speak to Fin about Erestor or their relationship. The elf was slightly perturbed by this. “What Erestor and I share is no different than what you had with your wife. You are lucky, though. No matter how much you miss your wife, you cannot fade from sorrow. Your heart has the ability to love again. It is not like that for the elves. Once we give ourselves to someone, once they own our soul, we are bound. Break that bond, and we lose the will to live.”
“Do you think Men can just forget about their deceased loved ones and move on without any grief?” Madock said, tone raised in anger. “My wife was everything to me. She was my friend, my lover, mother to my children. Every day without her has been an agonizing existence. She haunts my dreams, and when I wake, I could swear can smell her, and feel her ghostly warmth where she used to sleep next to me. You talk of fading from sorrow, Lord Glorfindel. Well, some days I wish I could. But then I look at my daughters, and I see their mother in their faces, and I know without a doubt that I live now for them. So do not speak to me about bonds and the soul. Mine are just as strong as yours.” Not wanting to talk to the elf anymore, Madock got up and left the room. Before he closed the door, he glanced back. “Get some rest Master elf. Breakfast is at sunrise. And if you need my assistance during the night, do not hesitate to call upon me.” The doctor closed the door and Erestor’s room fell silent.
The night passed on, and there was no sign of Erestor waking. He seemed to not be in any pain. Healing sleep had its fingers dug in deep. The counselor was doing what needed to be done until he was well enough to wake, so Fin waited and wondered. Why was Erestor going to Bree? Why alone? But what weighed most heavily was Lastar’s name uttered from his lips. A year had gone by with no mention of Lastar. Why now? And why not Fin’s name, he thought selfishly to himself. The elf lord was bothered by this, though he knew he shouldn’t be. Lastar was gone from this world. Had there been unfinished business? Glorfindel wondered what it could be. Everything seemed fine now. Erestor and Glorfindel were happy. They’d been inseparable. Fin had given up his home and moved in with Erestor. Life was good. So why was he irritated by a name uttered in unconscious dreams?
Glorfindel looked at the light knifing through the thick curtains. Morning came on silently. He hadn’t even noticed. It seemed like he had only been sitting there for a few moments. He got up and leaned over Erestor. The tip of his finger traced Erestor’s ear, his jaw, and across his lips. “I don’t know where you are or what you’re doing, but remember that you are mine, and you always will be. Come back to me, Meldanya. I miss you. I need you. I love you more than life.”
He left Erestor’s room and walked down the hall. From the parlor, there was another hall that led to the main part of the house. Light illuminated the end of the hall. That must be where the kitchen was. Madock said breakfast was at first light. Glorfindel’s mind was set on finding the man who rescued Erestor, but he knew not where the hunter lived. He needed to speak with Madock. He needed to apologize, too.
He poked his head in through the open door, and found the doctor preparing breakfast for the household. At the table were the man’s daughters. Madock heard one of the girls gasp, and he looked up to regard Glorfindel momentarily before returning to his frying sausage. “Come join us for a bite this morning, Lord Glorfindel, and meet my family.”
Glorfindel could not refuse, and came into the kitchen. It was small as compared to Erestor’s, but it served its purpose. There was a stove, a counter for preparing meals, a window overlooking a weed-filled garden, and a table and chairs where two young girls sat watching the elf in awe. The air smelled of frying meat and bread. It smelled quite delicious, actually, and Fin hadn’t realized just how hungry he was.
Madock took the skillet from the stove and brought it to the table. He put a link on each of the girls’ plates and one on his own. “Get another setting,” he politely told the older girl, and she jumped up and went to the cupboard to retrieve another plate, knife and fork. Madock glanced at Glorfindel and nodded to the empty chair. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you,” Glorfindel said as he sat down. “It smells delightful.”
Madock was at the stove again. “Just a moment, and I’ll have some eggs fried up.”
“Don’t go to any trouble on my account,” Glorfindel said.
“Papa always makes eggs,” said the older daughter. “It’s Ella’s favorite.”
Glorfindel smiled at the girls, and turned his attention to the youngest. She was small and light of frame, blond hair that must be like her mother’s, long and straight. “You must be Ella, then. That is a very pretty name.”
“You’re the tallest man I’ve ever seen,” replied the young child. She could not be more than six or seven, Fin thought. Too young to be without a mother.
“He’s not a man, Ella,” said the older girl. Her hair and her eyes were brown like her father’s. “He’s an elf.” Her stern tone gave away her need to take over their deceased mother’s role for the family.
“I know that,” countered Ella, clearly irritated with her sister. “I was just saying that he was tall, taller than Papa.”
Glorfindel’s attention went to the older girl. “Might I know your name?”
“I’m Carys,” she said with suspicion. She seemed wary of the gilded stranger, and Fin remembered his threatening entrance into the family’s home the day before.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Glorfindel said politely. “And I am sorry if I frightened either of you yesterday.”
“I explained to the girls that you had traveled far, and that you were very worried about my patient,” Madock said from the stove.
“He’s been asleep for a long time,” Ella commented as she pushed her sausage around the plate with her finger.
“Do you know him?” Carys asked.
“Yes, I do. He’s my friend, and I’ve come to see that he heals so he can come home with me.”
“Our papa is the best doctor in Middle-earth. You shouldn’t worry for your friend,” said Ella.
Madock smiled and quietly laughed in the background. Then he came to the table and dished out the eggs into each plate. He had a seat and everyone dug into their plates.
“Lord Glorfindel is from Rivendell,” Madock told his girls.
“I’ve always dreamed of seeing Rivendell,” Carys said, finally deciding that Glorfindel was friend not foe. “Is it as beautiful as people say it is?”
“Stunningly so,” Glorfindel answered with a smile as he took another bite of sausage.
The girls asked many questions about the elves and Rivendell, and about the mysterious elf that their father was taking care of. Glorfindel answered their inquiries until Madock put a stop to their interrogating. “Let our guest eat in peace, girls.”
“It’s quite alright. I don’t mind answering their questions,” Glorfindel said.
“It’s a diversionary tactic to get out of doing their chores,” Madock said, leaning forward as if to whisper a secret.
Glorfindel could see that it was true. The girls had finished their meal a while ago. But they had seemed generally interested in his home, and talking about Imladris made him feel a little closer to it. He’d been in Lothlórien for a while. Home was beginning to sound good.
“Clean your plates and get going. Carys, make sure you sister is ready for her lessons. And then I need you to run to the apothecary and get those herbs for me.”
“Yes Papa,” Carys answered obediently, if not a bit defiantly. The girls did as they were told and left the kitchen.
Madock took up his plate and Glorfindel’s, and went to the basin to wash them and put them away. Glorfindel stood from the table. He was about to ask about the man named Arwel, but the doctor spoke first. “I want to apologize for my behavior last night. I know you did not mean anything by your comment. It was late and the brandy hit me the wrong way.”
“It was an emotional and tiring day for myself, too,” Glorfindel said. “It’s all behind us, so no worries.”
Madock finished drying the plates and stacked them on the shelf in the cupboard. “I suppose you’ll be wanting directions to Arwel’s house?”
“If you don’t mind,” said Glorfindel, and the good doctor told him how to get there. He started to leave the kitchen, but Madock stopped him.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be here when Erestor woke? Aren’t you worried he might wake while you are gone?” Madock asked.
“I don’t think he is ready yet. I looked at some of the wounds last night. It might be another day or two. But if he does start to wake, tell him I am here and I will return shortly.” Glorfindel bowed, hand over heart, his long golden waves falling forward and framing his handsome face. “I’ll just look in on him once more before I go. Thank you for the food.” Madock nodded and gave a smile.
Glorfindel went back to Erestor’s room to retrieve his cloak. He sat on the edge of the bed, and gently combed his fingers through Erestor’s ebony hair, now unbound. “I’ll return in a bit.” He picked up Erestor’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the counselor’s knuckles. “Hurry back to me, Meldanya.”
When he stood and turned to leave, Carys was standing at the edge of the door, peeking around the corner. Glorfindel called to her, and after a moment, she showed herself. Now standing in the doorway, Glorfindel guessed that she must have been about twelve or thirteen years old, at an age when a girl needed her mother, though was there ever an age when a child didn’t need their parent?
“Does your father ever let you help with his patients?” Glorfindel asked.
“Sometimes, but not usually. I helped him put the bandages on your friend, though.”
“You did a splendid job,” Glorfindel smiled.
“Why hasn’t he awakened yet?” Carys asked.
“Elves have a special ability to help themselves heal, but we cannot do that while we are awake. So we go into something called a healing sleep. It allows our bodies to focus all its energy on the wounds so that they heal quickly.”
“And his wounds were pretty bad, so he’ll sleep for a while?” she asked, and Glorfindel nodded. “What was that word you used just now? What did you call him?” Carys asked curiously.
“Meldanya,” Glorfindel repeated in a strong elvish accent.
“What does it mean?”
“It is an endearment. It means, my dear.”
“Oh,” she said, unsure what else to say.
“He is a very dear friend,” Glorfindel warranted.
“I think that he must be more than a friend by the way that you held his hand. Papa used to do that with Mama, when she was alive.” The sadness in her voice was unmistakable.
“You must miss her terribly.”
Carys nodded, and then she looked up into Fin’s blue eyes. “Last night was the first time that my sister slept through the night without waking or crying herself to sleep. I told her it was because you were here. The elves aren’t scared of anything, and the monsters sense that so they stay away.”
“Are you still afraid of the monsters too?” Glorfindel asked.
“Sometimes, but I can’t let my sister see or she’ll become even more frightened.”
It tore at Glorfindel’s heart that these children were still afraid of the things that they’d seen in Gondor. “Child, don’t you know that they are all gone by now? They were destroyed along with all the dark ones. They can’t hurt you now.”
“That’s what Papa tells us, but sometimes we still see them with our eyes closed.” Carys stepped back into the hallway. “I better let you go.” She trotted off.
Glorfindel stood there a moment, looking over his shoulder at Erestor’s sleeping form. Were there still monsters behind his closed eyes, too?
* * *
Arwel happened to be home, though it looked like he was preparing to head out soon. There was a bag, a full quiver, and a sturdy bow of Woodsmen make sitting next to the front door. Glorfindel introduced himself, and Arwel happily let him into his home. It was a small one room house with a wood burning stove. Arwel lived alone and made his living by supplying meat for certain businesses around town.
“I go out every day,” he told Glorfindel as they sat at a small table near the stove. The lantern revealed many deep grooves in the wood where a hunter might have cleaned his catch. The man led a simple yet solitary life, one Glorfindel had led many long years ago when he first came to Middle-earth after his re-embodiment. He couldn’t imagine living like that now. Without Erestor, there was no life.
“Just so happens on that particular morning, I decided to go further south than usual. I don’t know what made me decide, but I’m glad I did. I’d heard the pack howling earlier the day before. There’d been sightings of them too, an aggressive bunch. And they were honing in on my business, scaring off all the good hunting animals and such. I knew I’d have to deal with them sooner or later, or there’d be no animals worth hunting. People pay heartily for wild boar and venison. Anything smaller takes too many for less money.”
“And where did you come across Erestor?” Glorfindel asked to get the man back on the subject.
“Well, it was later in the day. As I said, I’d gone further south than I liked. I’d caught a couple conies, and thought I’d use the creek to clean them. I get more for them when they’re already gutted. That’s when I came across them. The elf, your friend, was laying half in the water with his head propped up against what I thought was one of the dead wolves. But at a closer look, I could see that it was a dog, a big ol’ wolf hound. I figured it belonged to him. The dog was still alive, and so was the elf. I had my own hunting dogs with me, and left them to guard the survivors while I went back for help. Your friend was unconscious and he’s a tall fellow like yourself. There was no possible way I was going to carry him to town. I rounded up some friends and we got him and his dog back here to Madock’s place. Been there ever since, and still out cold. How’s he doing, by the way?”
“He still remains in a healing sleep, but his wounds are much better.” Glorfindel looked over the man’s shoulder. “The dog, is she here?”
“Yes, she’s out back with my pack. Young, that one. Not even a year yet, but big for her size. She had some serious bite marks and some lacerations, but it wasn’t nothing I couldn’t tend to. The bad news is that she broke her hind leg. I fixed it as best I could, set the bone and wrapped it up tight. She’ll still be able to walk, but she won’t be much good for hunting anymore. Might have a limp from here on out.”
“Well, the good thing is that she’s alive,” Glorfindel said.
“That she is, my sir. That she is. Come on out back, and I’ll get you two reacquainted. I’m sure she’ll be glad to go home,” Arwel said, and he led the way out of the back of the house.
Glorfindel followed Arwel outside to a fenced area where the dogs were kept. There she was, Léra, and much bigger than Fin remembered. He’d been away for a while though, and she’d still been small when he saw her last. He whistled and Léra’s ears perked up. She remembered him, and came to him, tail wagging despite her bandaged leg. The poor thing limped, ears held back as though she was ashamed for him to see her like this. Glorfindel got on his knees, and gently pet her, careful not to hurt her tender wounds.
“Ai, Léra, good girl,” he cooed and she licked him. “You did good, protecting Erestor. Ai, we’ll go home soon.”
“You can take her with you if you like,” Arwel called from the other side of the yard. “She might be slow to travel.”
Glorfindel nodded, but something else came to mind. “Erestor was on horseback. Do you know if someone found his mare? Brown, with a wheat colored mane and tail.”
“That I do know. She’s at the stables near the gates. The hostler said she was unmanageable at first, spooked from the events. Has a real fear of dogs, too. Can’t say that I blame her after being coerced by such an aggressive pack of wolves. And once a horse has had such a traumatic experience as this, they never are quite right afterwards.”
Glorfindel would give some thought to leaving the mare in Bree. He never agreed with Erestor’s choice to buy the animal. Now, she’d be put to better use within the city rather than traveling the wilds. But there’d be time for that later. For now, he needed to get back to the doctor’s house and see Erestor. He didn’t want to stay away for too long, least he wake in his absence.
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A Price for Peace