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Istari Love
Disclaimer: this installment is for the sole purpose of entertainment both the author and the readers.
I do not intent to make money of it, so please don't sue me.
All characters unless noted otherwise are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Pairing: Gandalf/Saruman, Glorfindel/Erestor, Glorfindel-Gandalf-friendship
Beta-read by Cara, all remaining mistakes are intended and for the amusement of the valued reader.
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Third Age, 1103, Fall, Imladris
Tap...tap...tap...tap tap. Erestor sighed and looked at the hour-glass for the umpteenth time. Again and again, Legolas was late for his lessons. Erestor was finally fed up with this. He gathered his robes around him and made his way for the stables. He had to walk extremely careful because the ground was slippery with the mud from the last rain.
There was noise coming from the stables and Erestor could distinguish that one was that of Legolas. He entered, finding Elrond’s foster-son naked from his waist up in a firm embrace with another elf in the same condition. Glorfindel and the prince were wrestling.
“You are late.” Erestor stated dryly and was completely overheard. “LORD GLORFINDEL!” he shouted acidly, this time freezing all action. Slowly the two elves separated, Legolas’ face a mix of glee and guilt, Glorfindel’s showing naught but joy.
“I – I’m sorry, Master Erestor.” Legolas mumbled. “I was lost in time when Lord Glorfindel showed me a new trick here -.”
“You need to keep track of your schedule, Legolas. You must comprehend that life consists not only of fun. You reek of horse and sweat, young Lord. You will cleanse yourself prior to any teaching. Immediately.”
“Don’t be so hard on him, Erestor.” Glorfindel jumped to the young one’s defense. “What does he need Quenya for? Or lengthy exercise in arithmetic and book-keeping? He will have his servants take care of such.” They had had this discussion ever so often during the past years and their relationship had gotten ever more tense over their differences in the education of the young Mirkwood-Prince.
“And leave him a helpless prey to bad counsel? Life is more than drinking, whoring and a brawl now and then, Glorfindel. You should at least try to be a good example to him.” Erestor said sternly.
“Well, at least all you mentioned is a lot of fun. Maybe you should try it one day?”
“Certainly not.” Erestor retorted coldly.
“A young elf needs fresh air and physical excercise instead of withering away in your dusty library and your dour company!” Glorfindel spat. Forgotten was the elfling who witnessed their struggling with wide eyes. Legolas hated their quarreling. Right now he could see how Glorfindel’s last remark had struck Erestor to his core.
“W-what did you say?” Erestor whispered.
“I said: get a life!” Glorfindel yelled.
“Why can’t you ever stop?” Legolas’ clear voice was choked with tears. “I hate you! I hate both of you!” then the young one bolted and was gone, leaving the two quarreling elves doumbfoundedly staring at each other.
“Perfect, Lord Glorfindel.” Erestor quivered with anger that this brute had brought his beloved pupil to tears! “Thank you so much!” the Chief Counselor turned on his heels and stiffly walked outside, calling his protégé’s name.
“Me?” Glorfindel stood with astonishment. Now, why was he the sole guilty person here? Following Erestor outside he deliberately took off to the opposite direction, hoping to find the young one.
~~~
“Legolas?” Erestor repeatedly called for the elfling. He cursed Glorfindel for being forced to climb along the steep paths of the valley. Luckily his feet were already numb with pain. “Pen-neth, where are you?” Was that a rustling of leaves? Indeed, these sounds were not caused by the soft breeze! Erestor looked up and found gangly legs dangling from a small ledge in the rocky cliff. The youth must have climbed the ash tree to get there.
“Legolas?” Erestor called softly. His heart ached for the young one having been so upset.
“Go away.”
Oh, but this stung! They had had their conflicts earlier but never had the young one been so rejecting towards him. “Legolas, please, won’t you come down?”
“Nay. Come and get me.”
Erestor balled his hands into tight fists, knowing well there was no way for him to climb that tree. Was Mordor’s curse upon him? Now he had to crawl back to that damned vain Vanya and ASK him to get Legolas down the cliff! Ai! What had he done to deserve this?
“Whoa, watch your step, Counselor!” Glorfindel called out. Erestor who had been watching meticulously his treacherous way back jumped and almost fell, had it not been for Glorfindel’s quick reflexes. He steadied the dark-haired elf.
“He is up there, on a ledge. He refuses to come down and I cannot get up to him.” Erestor took a deep breath. To ask anybody for a favor was hard, but that he had to ask Glorfindel of all people! He could imagine the Guard Captain’s grin already. “Would you please get him down for I cannot climb up there?”
“Of course.” Glorfindel answered matter-of-factly and left for Legolas, leaving a surprised Erestor behind.
~~~
“Legolas?” Glorfindel stood in exactly the same place Erestor had done shortly before.
“Go away.”
“You know that I won’t roch-neth. I take it you refuse to come down?” Glorfindel asked seriously.
“Bloody damn right.” Legolas muttered.
Glorfindel shrugged and swiftly climbed the tree until he stood on a branch high enough to be at eye-level with the young prince. Legolas’ dusty face was tear-streaked although the salty wetness had already dried off. Legolas was pointedly looking away from him with a pout.
“Now, pen-neth. What was that in the stable?” the ancient elf-Lord asked gently. He was very fond of his young student and to see him hurt as he was tore at the Balrog-slayer’s heart. There came no answer and so, after a moment’s wait, Glorfindel ventured again “Why do you hate us, mellon?”
“I – I hate it when you two fight!”
“Well, Erestor and I have very different opinions regarding the upbringing of elflings such as yourself. We must discuss that.”
“Why do you hate each other? And why do I have to be the object on which it is taken out?”
“I don’t hate Erestor. And Erestor doesn’t care enough for anybody to have such deep feelings.”
“DO you hear what you say? I can’t stand this any more!” Legolas all but yelled, stood and started to climb farther up. Glorfindel, who had refrained from invading that bit of personal space the ledge provided now jumped and stopped Legolas.
The struggle was brief and then Glorfindel held a sobbing armful of elfling in his arms, soothing the young one with gentle words and long strokes down the still somewhat bony back.
“W-why can’t the t-two of you get a-along? I l-love you both b-but ..... you always f-fight-t over m-me.” Legolas stammered between his sobs. “It i-is as if you t-two are playing tug-o-w-war with m-my heart.”
“Never, pen-neth! Don’t you ever think that!” Glorfindel was shocked, he had never thought his constant animosities with Erestor would have bothered anyone! “It’s just that Erestor is such a cold one – “
“He isn’t. You’re only not trying to see.”
“Is he not?”
“Nay.” Legolas freed himself from the embrace. Why could Glorfindel not see that? The elfling wiped his face with one hand, plucked a lingering leaf from a bush and cleaned his nose. “Whenever I’m scared of something, I can always go to him. He would always encourage me. When I was homesick in the beginning, he held me, he told me amusing stories and sang for me.”
So Legolas turned to Erestor with his fears? To Glorfindel the young one had always appeared self-confident and determined. “I did not know you were afraid of something lately.”
“I – I didn’t want you to be disappointed by knowing I was afraid of this and that. I –“ Legolas swallowed hard. “I want to impress you and thus I’m afraid to fail.”
“You’re one silly elfling!” Glorfindel ruffled Legolas’ hair “I am constantly impressed by what you accomplish! – He really sings for you?”
“Aye.”
“By the grace of the Valar, that your hearing hasn’t suffered yet!” Glorfindel stopped, looked contrite and then continued “Sorry. If I promise you to talk with him and to honestly try to stop arguing with him, will you then come down now? Please, mellon.”
Legolas nodded.
Back in the house, Glorfindel ordered the prince to take a bath and get some rest in his rooms.
“But Erestor will expect me in the library!” Legolas protested weakly. He felt emotionally drained after the afternoon’s events.
“Let me handle the bookw- ” damn, thought Glorfindel, it would be hard to stop his derogatory naming of his fellow-elf. “Let me take care of Erestor, will you?”
~~~
Glorfindel entered the library where a very impatient Erestor was waiting. The Counselor was able to express such even when seated. With a thousand years of training the Noldo was even able to look down upon somebody standing tall and proud in front of the seated Counselor.
“Did you fetch him? Is he alright?”
“He will be.”
“WILL be? Is he – is he hurt?” Erestor jumped to his feet.
“Nay he is not. Erestor, we must talk about Legolas.”
“As soon as you are presentable.” Erestor had gotten a grip once again and had returned to his cold demeanor.
“Can you – for once – put back formalities? I deem this too serious to not put up with petty vanities.” Glorfindel rolled his eyes.
“Well. Sit, then.” Erestor gestured at a chair while sinking onto his own again. He cringed inwardly at the idea of what the brocade-covered seating would look like later. Glorfindel realized suddenly that he was indeed dirty and settled for a place on the floor instead.
“Legolas suffers because the two of us are quarreling over him.”
“Humph.” Erestor had not thought of that. He knew how Legolas admired Glorfindel, had more than once felt a stab of jealousy when hearing the adolescent’s confessions about his fear to disappoint the golden-haired warrior, had wished such adoration could – at least for a moment – be directed towards himself.
“He – he feels that we try to make him choose one side, which he cannot because –“ Glorfindel sighed, feeling like a monster for having caused the young one such troubles. “because he loves both of us. Incredible as that may sound.” //Ai! Will you finally shut up, you fool?//
“So?” Erestor waited carefully guarded.
“So I suggest we get ourselves together and make peace. I’m not a complete imbecile.”
“I know.” Erestor said with a low voice.
“Oh, you do? You were hiding that knowledge well, I may say?”
Erestor shrugged. “I don’t wear my heart on my sleeves, Glorfindel.”
“That is true! You hide it so well that people wonder if you have one at all! – Is it true that you hold him when he feels too bad?”
Erestor blushed vividly, his eyes darting around the room. He wasn’t used to discussing his feelings so openly, especially not with one who had done little to gain his trust. “Well – yes. He is very dear to me.”
“Then it is settled? We make peace?”
“Aye. Peace, Glorfindel.” Erestor swallowed. “Where is he now?”
“I told him to bathe and then get some rest. I doubt he is in any shape to perform anything more complicated than breathing this afternoon.”
“That is well.” Erestor stood. “I would like to see him now. I suggest we try to peacefully discuss his future schedule after dinner?”
“Excellent idea. I will see you then, Erestor.”
~~~
“Suilad pen-neth.” Erestor said softly upon entering Legolas’ room. The young elf sat on his bed, arms slung around his legs. It had been a long time since the Counselor had seen his protégé so lost and his heart went out to the prince.
“Erestor.”
“I wanted to see how you fared.” The Noldo sat down on the bed, “And I wanted to tell you that Glorfindel talked to me. I – I did not know that you were so pained by our quarrels. I am sorry, pen-neth. Why did you never tell me?”
Legolas snorted “I tried, but it is admittedly difficult to discuss Glorfindel with you, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid you are right.” Erestor sighed. What a cruel fool he had been! “I want you to know that Glorfindel and I agreed to make peace and to stop wasting our breath hurtling new insults at each other.” He reached out with a slim, pale hand, tugging a wayward strand of blond hair behind Legolas delicate ear and the next thing he knew was Legolas throwing himself into his arms. A warm smile appeared on Erestor’s face as he patted Legolas’ back gently.
“Erestor....” Legolas whispered, “I love you!”
“I love you too, pen-neth. I do not wish to cause you pain. I am sorry."
“Hold me? Just....just a while?” Legolas lately felt too old to request such solicitousness
from his teacher and mentor, but today he was in dire need of the reassurance. Instead of an
answer Erestor pressed a soft kiss upon the sweet-smelling hair, softly rocking the elfling
until the younger one had slipped off into reverie. After having tucked Legolas in, Erestor
silently left for the library to finish his day’s work, wondering now and then where to start with Glorfindel.
TBC...
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