Return to the North [ Lord of the Rings x Silmarillion ]

The Stranger

"We should be close," Eldarion told Aderthon in a whisper.

They had climbed into a valley and heard afar the sounds of crashing waterfalls. Aderthon glanced back at the sleeping form of Fëalas. She slept seldom these days, and he was glad to see her resting at least a little. Two months since Gondor had passed, and nearly a month since the fateful day that Fëalas had contracted the disease that plagued her mind. Aderthon felt a tear in his eye as he thought about her nearly inevitable fate. Her mind was clouding more and more each day. He hardly recognized her.

As they sat in the dark, the light of the campfire and the moon above them the only thing allowing vision, Aderthon sighed and threw another log into the flames. Eldarion's heart was heavy as well. He did not enjoy seeing Fëalas or Aderthon in pain.

Suddenly they shot up as a shadow of a man passed over them. How the stranger had approached unseen or unheard was unknown to them, and frightened Aderthon at least. Drawing their swords, the two half elves stalked forward.

"Show yourself!" Eldarion hissed angrily.

A light laugh floated towards them and they were instantly put at ease. They could tell immediately: he was elvish. And indeed, when the black cloak was removed from his head, the golden hair of the stranger was unleashed.

"Mae govannen, mellyn," he bowed to them. "For I sense you are friends of the elves."

"Lord Glorfindel?" Eldarion ventured quietly.

The elf looked at him in surprise. "Indeed. Who are you?"

"I am Aderthon, son of Elrohir, and this Eldarion, son of Aragorn."

Glorfindel looked at them softly and in sudden understanding. Now he knew why they seemed so familiar.

Suddenly a scream came from behind them. They whipped around to find Fëalas screaming and pointing at Glorfindel. The entire company was woken up, and half stated in awe at Glorfindel, the other half stated at Fëalas.

"He's here to kidnap me!" screamed the twin. "Keep away from me!"

Glorfindel looked at the two men in confusion. He did not understand what was going on. Why was this peredhil so scared of him?

"Fëalas, this is Glorfindel," Aderthon assured her. "He's a friend."

"He's a monster," she screamed back.

Eldarion leaned in to Glorfindel to explain. "She has contracted the rabies disease. We were hoping you could cure her."

Glorfindel nodded in understanding. Throwing off his cloak entirely to reveal his golden and white tunic, he approached the cart slowly and with ease, whispering elvish prayers and calming verses to keep Fëalas from attacking him.

Elfwine and Edeva were the most in awe of Glorfindel. Elfwine could not get over how powerful he seemed. He commanded respect from the way he walked and talked, but radiated kindness and gentleness about himself.

Fëalas barred her teeth like and animal. She reached nearby and drew out her hunting knife. Standing up in the cart, she leapt forward off it and circled the elf lord. With a sigh, Glorfindel drew his own sword.

Fëalas ran at him, but was clumsy and nearly fell. Glorfindel side stepped her and swung his sword to knock her blade from her hands. Sheathing his own once that was done, he grabbed her by the arms and restrained her. She screamed and screamed and screamed. She even tried to bite the elf lord.

Aderthon sighed but went up and threw a punch at her head. It did the trick, knocking her out so Glorfindel could carry her. But first he lay her on the ground.

"She doesn't have long to live," he sighed after a few moments of examining her. "The disease had begun its final stages."

"Can you help her, lord?" begged Aderthon, falling to his knees beside the kneeling elf lord. "Please?"

"I will do my utmost to cure her," he nodded. "Come. We are not far from Imladris. It is abandoned now, save by myself, yet there are many rooms that are still preserved and intact."

He lay Fëalas in the cart once again. All through the exchange, the others had been silent, unable to form words or sentences in the presence of the elf lord, Glorfindel. But now he was surrounded by the woken, eager company.

"Lord Glorfindel," Círeth ventured as they walked. "Lord, you knew both my parents from an early age did you not?"

Glorfindel smiled. "Indeed. I taught both Elrohir and Míril basic swordplay."

Círeth nodded and continued. "Do you know any... interesting tales of their adventures?"

He looked at her in amusement, his eyes sparkling with humor. "Of course I do."

She began grinning like a child. Before they left the company of Glorfindel, she intended to find out all she could about her parents' childhoods. Maybe it was something she could tell Fëalas when she was better. Because she was going to get better. She had to. She was her twin.

A few hours later, they caught sight of Rivendell for the first time. Arched walk ways, trellised gardens, and large trees were the components of their first impressions. Trees seemed to have sprouted out and were over growing some parts of the house and adjacent buildings. Glorfindel led them to a bridge that crossed a gap and a waterfall. He instructed them to leave the cart. Instead he lifted the still unconscious Fëalas out of it and took her across the bridge silently. The rest followed close behind.

Finduilas was awestruck by the magnificence of the Elven home. She had never seen much of elves besides Amon Loth in Ithilien. This was so far beyond that, she was struck dumb. Even in the starlight, nay, because of the starlight, it was picturesque and mysterious. But the full moon cast a decent amount of light, and they could see everything before them.

The roar of the waterfall drowned out almost all other noise, including the ever present chirping of crickets and the humming of Barahir within their group. He had taken to humming old lullabies when he walked, and it now brought comfort to the group.

"Follow me," Glorfindel told them quietly as they left the falls behind. "First I shall take Fëalas to an inner chamber and begin her care. Then I shall show you to your rooms."