The Hero's Journey 5. by hennethgalad

Chapter 5.

Read Chapter 5.

 

Matryoshka Challenge: Prompt 5 - A character walks through a door and discovers something unexpected.

 

 

 

 They dined on the south terrace with blossoming fruit trees all around them, birds sang and darted across the garden while the small fountain sparkled in the golden air. The watercress soup, flavoured with thyme and dill, had the vivid green sharpness of truly fresh food. Celegorm was delighted 

  'I can see why you would not wish to leave here, this is the best soup I have ever tasted !'

Glorfindel's father nodded 'It is best to cook the food as soon as it is gathered, and eat it at once. Though some dishes improve with long preparation. '

 They spoke of food as the Light of Laurelin waned about them, but Celegorm watched Glorfindel's sister with shining hooded eyes, and addressed all his questions to her. As the supper drew to a close she began to gather dishes into a pile. Celegorm leaped to his feet and begged to assist. He took the tray from her hands and she led him back to the kitchen.

 

 Glorfindel sipped his wine and listened idly to his father speak of the coming apricot harvest, and the proportion of fruit to be set aside for preserves. His mother was looking thoughtful, however, and Glorfindel poured wine into her glass. She smiled at him

 'Thankyou, my dear, will you bring another bottle up from the cellar ? You may select any wine which pleases you.'

 The rare treat delighted Glorfindel, who also leaped to his feet

 'You know that I will choose Ingwë's Nectar !' he cried excitedly. His mother laughed and his father grinned 

 'Bring two bottles, my dear son, for though I do not approve of brute force, you came through your first brawl commendably. I hope it may be the last ! '

 

On the way up the cellar stairs with the wine, Glorfindel heard the crash of falling crockery from the kitchen. Assuming that Celegorm, a novice, had dropped a dish, he laughed and took the stairs two at a time. He frowned at the closed kitchen door, it usually stood open. He tucked a bottle under one arm and turned the handle. 

 

His sister was struggling in the embrace of Celegorm, who was kissing her even as she tried to call for help. Her clothing was disarrayed, her hands thrust futilely at the powerful Celegorm even as his hand pressed between her legs. All this became apparent to Glorfindel in an instant of horror. In one fluid movement he placed the wine on the table, turned to grip the shoulder of Celegorm and punched him hard on the jaw. Celegorm's head flew back and hit the shelf behind, causing plates to cascade across the shelf, knocking down jars and pots, sending dried thyme into a settling cloud of scented green. Celegorm's eyes rolled back in his head and he slid to the floor in an ungainly heap. Glorfindel turned to his sister who was white with shock. They stared at each other in silence for a moment as the sound of hurrying footsteps approached. 

 

Their father ran into the room and froze with horror 

  'What...' he said.

Behind him, their mother saw the injured Celegorm and darted to his side. She laid her cool hand on his brow and he stirred and mumbled. Glorfindel realized that he had been holding his breath since Celegorm had fallen, and gasped out, heaving in his next breath and beginning to tremble. His father led him to a seat and poured the wine, a strange expression on his face that he was glad his son's unseeing gaze had missed.

 Glorfindel's sister was also trembling, her lip was cut, her eyes full of tears. Their mother picked up a lavender coloured button from the floor beside the now-awake Celegorm and held it up to her daughter's dress. The torn lavender fabric revealed rather more than she wished. She put an arm around her daughter and led her away.

 

Celegorm struggled to his feet, and faced the cold eyes of his host.

 'I am sorry, sir, she seemed to like me. I asked for a kiss, but she became frightened.'

 

Glorfindel's father leaped to his feet 'She became frightened ? Of you ? You are not frightening, you attacked her, she fought you off until help arrived. You have been here for one day and have already attacked both of my children. I cannot consider you fit company for them, or anyone else. You will return home tonight, my son and I will escort you, and we shall all explain why to your mother and father.'

 

 Celegorm slumped, his shoulders sagged, his head went down, he did not speak. Glorfindel suddenly became aware of the pain in his right hand, his knuckles were bleeding, and the impact had sent a shock up to his very shoulder. He moved his shoulder carefully in a circle and twisted his neck to ease the muscles. His father took the healer's chest down, and bathed Glorfindel's knuckles. Celegorm, in disgrace, stood dumbly in the middle of the room, the fair falling hair concealing his expression. As his father tenderly bandaged Glorfindel's hand, Glorfindel found his heart filling with joy at being so loved, and loving his family so much, and his pity for Celegorm began to grow. But the memory of his sister's pale face, torn dress, her tears and the terrible sound of a cry for help muffled by the mouth of the attacker, filled him with horror. He glanced coldly at Celegorm and looked away again.

 

 'Father.' he said at length 'I do not understand why he acts like this ? Why does he behave so badly towards us ?'

 His father sighed heavily and looked at Celegorm, who had not moved a muscle. 

 

'It is hard to explain such a mistake to one who has not made it. Suppose you were told that Telperion was better than Laurelin, and that led you to believe that Laurelin was of no consequence. You might then wish to cut down Laurelin to build a house from its wood. The same mistake has taken root in the heart of Celegorm and festers there, leading him to attack anything that contradicts his mistaken premise and the folly that it leads to in his mind.'

 

Glorfindel stared in horror at his father; disregarding the absurdity of one Tree being 'better' than another, the thought of someone actually attacking the Trees appalled him. Yet his own sister had just been attacked, and he himself had been forced to fight off the same assailant that very morning. He frowned at Celegorm, it was beyond all knowing, he thought, that an elf could act with such disregard.