To Keep a Promise

Chapter 9

The small army of elves move down the forest path in a long line, their voices hushed and quiet as they talk amongst one another. None dare speak too loud and most find the worry in their hearts prevents them for conversing at all. Glorfindel and Elrohir are both loved dearly by the residents of Imladris in equal measure. Despite the sun now sitting high upon the blue sky, its rays warming the air around them, the same chill from last night fills them.

Lord Elrond can feel the anxious energy flowing from his soldiers as he rides near the front of the line, his gaze occasionally falling on his son riding quietly beside him. Elladan has said nothing more than a few words since their departure, keeping blank eyes focused on the road ahead. He's concerned for his son but knows there is little comfort he can offer. For how is he supposed to ease the worries of another when his own heart is pounding in a quick pace against his chest.

He tries not to think of his beautiful wife; her brilliant smile and loving eyes always filled with light. He tries to force away the memories of her once ethereal form covered in blood and dirt, her regal hair a mess of knots and grime. The way her shaking hands had gripped his as tears poured down her bruised face. He remembers the taste of her trembling, cold lips as she kissed him one last time. Despite his gift for healing, he was not able to save his Celebrian and was forced to watch her sail to Aman without him. He cannot witness the same thing happen to his son. (Or my friend), he thinks, sending a worried glance at Erestor who had moved to ride beside him when morning had first started approaching.

The advisor has not said anything for hours, while the elf has always been on the quiet side, the tense muscles and cold eyes leave him slightly worried. He has not seen such a look on his close friends face in a long time. If he recalls correctly that moment had involved a certain injured golden-haired elf as well. Glorfindel seems to tug at the closed-off councilors heart strings in a way no one else can. It's nearly amazing how close the two have become considering they have very different personalities that would not usually co-exist so easily. Not that it had always been that way.

When Glorfindel had first arrived to them, a ghost from the grand murals and tales, he was quickly accepted and found many friends. He smiled and laughed with both the soldiers and council members but there was one who never seemed amused or nearly as pleased with his presence as everyone else.

Erestor has never been one to easily trust others after his once beloved home in Eregion fell at the hands of Sauron. They had trusted the deceiving ('Lord of Gifts' )which had resulted in the city of blacksmiths, merchants, scribes, and craftsman to fall in fire and ruin. Erestor had lost many he loved and Elrond knows even to this day memories occasionally come back to haunt his advisors dreams.

Due to this, the raven-haired elf had very strong feelings about the elf sent by the Valar. Simply because it had been the same thing Sauron had claimed that ended up fooling them all. Although after some time, and meddling on his part, Erestor learned that Glorfindel was not here to trick him but give them aid as he promised.

Their friendship didn't truly begin until a couple hundred years ago when he had sent them to deliver food and medicine to a small village nearby. While the wagon was able to make it safely to the town the journey had gone undeniably south to say the least. He can still remember the day that broke the ice around Erestor's heart allowing the beginning of what is now a strong brotherhood to form.

Elrond had been inside his chambers that day as a heavy snow was dusting the land. A book he had read many times before was left unattended in his lap as he had been watching the white flakes of ice fall to the ground while lost in thought. He likely would have sat there for hours had it not been for the panicked shouts in the courtyard.

He hadn't even bothered putting his book away as he left the room swiftly to see what was causing such an alarm. He had been frozen in shock upon seeing Erestor's lithe frame atop the large white stallion belonging to Glorfindel. Said elf had been gripped tightly in the councilors hold, body slack and eyes closed. He quickly learned the Vanya had received a severe leg wound, one that had nearly taken his life were it not for the advisors tireless work on the journey to keep him alive.