Stranger in a Strange Land. by Cheeky

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Chapter 1

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Life was tedious.
It stretched ahead of him, eon after eon of boredom and mediocrity. 
Erestor sighed and dropped his pencil on the table in despair. He was so, so, sick of this. Perhaps he should finally stop procrastinating, put his fears aside and go searching for Maglor. Even if Maglor raged and screamed at him at least he was never boring. He dropped his head down to rest on his arms. 
Maybe he would just have a nap.

"Erestor! Wake up! What time is this to be sleeping?"

Elrond's voice shattered the calm of his dreams. He had been dreaming of the days before he lost everything. Riding with Glorfindel....... How he missed him. 

"It's the perfect time!" He snapped. How dare he interrupt his pleasant dreams. Could they not all just leave him alone with his memories. 

"Well, it is perfect no longer." Elrond obviously wasn't going to go away.

"I have had a message from Cirdan, he is on his way here with an important visitor. He requests your presence when they arrive."

"Why ever would he want me? And who can be so important anyway? All the important people are dead. Is it Gil-Galad?"

Elrond frowned.
"No I don't think so. Anyway there are other important people still alive. What about me?"

"Elrond you fool. You are here already."

"Come on Erestor. They are nearly here. I don't have time to argue semantics with you now."

He sighed loudly. Elrond really did test his patience. 

"Why are you just telling me this now? What was wrong with letting me know about this visit this morning over breakfast? Or last night even?"

"I couldn't!"
Elrond said triumphantly.
 "I only just recieved the message this very moment." He waved it in the air as if that somehow proved his point.

Erestor took a deep breath and counted to ten. It was as if, with the War of Wrath, all common sense had passed from the world. Perhaps he should seriously think of moving to Lothlorien. Galadriel still had some semblance of a brain. 

"What IS the point of Cirdan sending us a message that arrives here only minutes before he does?"

"He ran out of messenger hawks. He only had sparrows and they are rather flighty." Elrond explained patiently. He spun on his heels and headed out the door.

"Do keep up."
he called to Erestor as he left.
"Cirdan was most specific you should be there."

And so minutes later Erestor found himself standing in the courtyard with Elrond, his book still in his hand. Elrond had given him no time at all to tidy it away. And there before them rode in Cirdan, looking very pleased with himself Erestor thought. As if he knew something the rest of them didn't. 

Someone else was behind him, the important visitor he supposed. Try as he might he couldn't get a good view, just the odd glimpse of some glorious golden hair. What a magnificent colour it was. He had not seen hair like that since Glorfindel. A pang of grief went through him at the thought. 

Cirdan moved aside and now, as they approached, he saw the strangers face. 

He was riveted to the spot. A wave of nausea swept over him.

It could not be!

A face almost as familiar as his own. A face long dead and lost to him. He turned to Elrond. Anger churning within him for how could they?

"What trickery is this? I do not find it funny!" He cried.

Elrond looked at him blankly. 
"What do you mean?"

"Is it a mask? Some kind of magic? I never though you cruel Elrond."

He thought he might cry. No wonder Cirdan had looked so smug, they must have planned this......but why?

Elrond was certainly putting on a good act, a small part of him was very impressed for acting was not Elrond's strong point, but he did look completely bemused. 

"I don't know what you mean Erestor. Now please be quiet they are almost upon us, and oh! Look at his hair!"

He turned back to gaze upon the stranger, a stranger and yet not one, for he looked exactly like Glorfindel. 
But it could not be and try as he might he could not make his mind understand this. 

Before he had a chance to think further the stranger was off his horse and catapulting towards him in a most ungracious manner. It was very confusing and briefly he thought about fleeing but when it came to it he had no time to.

"Erestor!" the stranger cried, and he found himself enveloped in a hug.

It felt like Glorfindel, it even smelt like Glorfindel. A rush of memory accosted him, drowning him in images and taking his breath away. Finally the Glorfindel-like person stepped back and smiled, a bright beaming smile exactly like the one he remembered seeing on his friend's face so often. 

"It is so good to see you!"

All he could do was stare.

"Who are you?" He murmered,

and the smile faltered.

 Cirdan had come up beside them, "May I introduce you to Glorfindel of Gondolin, I thought you at least would recognise him Erestor."

There was a sharp indrawing of breath from Elrond before he spluttered,

"Glorfindel of Gondolin? Glorfindel who killed a Balrog? That Glorfindel.......?"

Erestor threw a glance Elrond's way. He looked as shocked as he felt himself. So Elrond was not a party to this trickery then, there was no way his acting could be so believable. It must be all Cirdan's doing.

"Yes indeed." the Stranger said smoothly. It was Glorfindel's voice. It was definately Glorfindel's voice.

"And you are.....?"

Erestor frowned to himself, how could he not know who Elrond was? Everyone knew who Elrond was.

He watched stupified as Cirdan placed an arm gently around The Glorfindel's shoulders. 

"This is Elrond, Glorfindel, remember I told you...... Earendil's child."

The Glorfindel looked almost horrified and something about the disbelief in his voice made him wonder....what if.....what if it was real.

"But...he is no child! He is grown, he is already grown."

"You knew that Glorfindel. Much time has past, I know it is hard." Cirdan spoke softly as if to a child.

It could not be him. It could not be him, not his Glorfindel, not standing next to him after so, so long.

Erestor began to shake, cautiously he reached out to touch him. He prodded his side to see if he was really there.

The Glorfindel swung round to look at him, those blue eyes, how could they belong to anyone else?

"Erestor? Are you alright?"

He felt numb, disconnected, blood pounded in his ears and black spots danced in front of his eyes. 

"No.....I don't think......I don't feel well.......Elrond?"

But Elrond was going to be no help to him, he was completely dumbstruck.

The Glorfindel placed a hand gently on his arm.

"Perhaps you should sit down?"

"Yes." He said and he sat down. Hard. Straight on the ground. 

He was breathing much too fast, and the world was spinning. Why could he not stop his hands shaking? He bent forward, his head between his legs, and tried to slow his breathing. This could not be happening.

Glorfindel's voice sounded next to him, he must be kneeling beside him.

"Now I remember, you always did have this predisposition to fainting!"

He looked up. How could anyone else have known that? It was something he kept well and truly to himself.

Slowly, gently he reached out and cupped the beautiful face with his hand. The skin was warm and soft. It was no mask.

"Are you real?" He asked. "Is it you?"

Glorfindel smiled and reached up to cover his hand with his own.

"Your eyes do not deceive you my friend, It is me who you see."

"It cannot be...."

"It is. Believe it." The soft voice flowed over him.

"Who ARE you.......?"

"I am Glorfindel.
I have come home."

TBC