Second Lives, Second Chances by chrissystriped

Chapter Eight

Elrond found him on the glade in the pine forest behind the House, where he went through his sword forms without anyone watching. Every time he sparred with his soldiers he drew a crowd and sometimes he just needed to be alone with himself. Glorfindel lowered his blade and wiped his face with the towel he’d brought with him.

“What can I do for you, my lord?”, he asked calmly. Elrond didn’t look like some catastrophe had happened.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you here, but I wanted to talk to you alone, and that is a little hard right now.”

Glorfindel nodded. Gil-galad and the Númenóreans had left a week ago, but the king had left a large force behind and it had been decided, that Imladris should become a permanent settlement. They were patrolling the mountains and the lands south as far as the Gates of Moria. There were still orcs to be driven out. Elrond was busy laying the plans for repairs, extending the fortress and make it a more comfortable place while Glorfindel led the soldiers. They were both in high demand these days.

“What is it, you want to talk about in private?”

They sat down in the shade of a tree and Glorfindel took a draught from his water bottle.

“Your friend. The one who showed up just after the last big battle.” Elrond threw him a shrewd look. “Forgive me, but I doubt that Aldandil is his real name. Who is he?”

It went against Glorfindel’s sense of loyalty to deny Elrond an answer, but: “I… promised him to not tell anyone. He does not want people to know.”

“But you’ve known each other for a long time. You are absolutely sure he can be trusted.”

“Yes.” Glorfindel met Elrond’s worried look. “He is no traitor. He proved that many times.”

“Then I won’t ask you to break your promise.” Elrond smiled at him. “Will you allow me a guess?”

Glorfindel shrugged. “What is your guess, then?”

“I’ve heard people talk about how he fought, much like they talk about you. A warrior from the First Age, come back to help us in our need. And you say, you’ve known him long. So, someone from Gondolin. I also think he’s neither Noldo nor Sinda. I think, he’s an Avar, he reminds me of someone I knew when I was a child.”

“You are startlingly good at this”, Glorfindel admitted. “Although I’m not really surprised that you are.”

“Because of my mother’s ancestry?” Elrond raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t know your mother or her family. I know of Melian of course, but no, that was not what I was thinking of. Idril had that kind of power of deduction. She would sit in a council meeting and not say a word, just listening. But later she’d come to you with some idea and you’d realise that she’d heard much more than what was said. She could figure people out.”

Elrond had that wistful look on his face Glorfindel often saw when he spoke of his father’s family.

“I think, I know who he is then”, Elrond said. "And I won't say any more. You care a lot for him, don’t you?”

“I do, yes. He is dear to me.” Glorfindel felt a blush rise to his cheeks. He saw the next question in Elrond’s eyes and hurried to add: “Although we are not joined in marriage.”

“I will keep his secret”, Elrond promised. “Though I’m curious: How did he come here?”

“With the same ship I did.” Glorfindel smiled wryly. “He sneaked away in the excitement of my arrival. He went east to where his home is. He came back because he heard about our troubles, but…” Glorfindel took a deep breath. He had to tell Elrond sometime. “He’ll want to go back sooner or later and he wants me to come with him. I told him, I can’t right now, but once things are settled here… Do you think, you could give me leave?”

“I think that can be arranged. You deserve it after this war. I think we’ll have peace for some time.”

“It is to be hoped.” Glorfindel sighed. “But if I’ve learned anything about Evil, it is that it always comes back.” Something Elrond had said earlier struck him: “Who is he reminding you of?”

“He was one of Maedhros’s people. An escapee from Angband, Himring was one of the few places they were welcomed. He had an… intensity about him that I can see in your friend, too.”

“I can’t say, I’m surprised”, Glorfindel answered. “He and his people, they all were like that. Though he’s not as hard as he was before the Fall.”