A Second Choice 8

A Second Choice

Part 8

Posted: August 1, 2008

*****

Elrond regained awareness two days later as Arien first rose into the sky to find Tulkas and Oromë watching over him. He flinched and pulled away when Tulkas tried to raise his head and offer him a drink. Backing down, the Vala looked to his brother for direction in dealing with this young one.

“I will do it,” Glorfindel said as he came in from the patio.

They watched as Glorfindel took a water skin and gently lowered the tip over Elrond’s mouth without touching him. They waited silently as Elrond drank his fill before assessing his well being. They checked him quickly afterwards, without touching him, but still saw Elrond flinch and try to back away from them. When they tried to assess the well being of his mind they were shocked to find that it was closed so tightly that even they could not enter. With a glance at Tulkas, Oromë faded away to report to Manwë their findings.

Glorfindel watched his brother sadly as the Vala examined him. An age together had taught him that Elrond would not open up to anyone until he was ready so it was useless to try. Instead of trying to communicate with him Glorfindel chose to do what he had done for years, he saw to his personal needs. He went to the kitchen and obtained a light meal of thick soup and bread. He added some fruit juice for extra nutrition as he had not had the chance to discuss with Elrond their changed bodies needs. He chose a long handled spoon that would give him plenty of space in case Elrond could not feed himself and returned to the bedroom.

Setting the tray down on the nightstand, Glorfindel motioned for Elrond to roll to the side and stacked pillows up so that he could sit up comfortably. Using a pillow so as not to touch him, he helped Elrond roll into an upright where he could eat. Setting the tray onto the bed before Elrond, he watched to see if Elrond would feed himself. When he saw that he would not, Glorfindel broke bread up into the soup and began feeding him ensuring he kept his distance. Afterwards, he removed some of the pillows so that Elrond could recline back and sleep again. Not once during this whole time did his brother look at him directly.

Several hours later, Elrond began fighting and screaming in his sleep. Oromë tried to help him but Elrond would not let him enter his mind. Manwë himself came and forced himself into Elrond’s mind to stop the attack. It was ten minutes before Elrond went totally still. Checking him, they found that he had blacked out again and was in shock. Estë treated him as much as she could and left him to be watched over by the others as Manwë ordered several of his people to guard both Elrond and Glorfindel before he returned to his mountain.

The morning sun was just rising when Elrond regained consciousness four days later. Not realizing where he was he began to panic. Elwë came into his line of view and turned Elrond so that he could look into his eyes and calm him.

“Shh,” he said in a gentle voice. “You are safe now.”

“I will never be safe until the end,” Elrond whispered as he drew away from contact with them. “Melkor wants me too badly.”

“We will not give you up so easily little one,” Oromë told him as he came into view. “He will try again you can be sure but we will not let him have you.”

Seeing the truth in his eyes, Elrond nodded but did not open his mind. Melian brought in a light breakfast for him to eat and proceeded to feed him. Her presence lent him strength and he relaxed some. When he was finished, she gave him a sponge bath and changed his clothing. He had not realized how weak he was until that point.

“The mental battle took much out of you,” she explained. “Coming so soon after being stabbed and the previous assault in the bath have taken a toll on you hröa. You need to rest and recover. Allow us to care for you and watch over you.”

“Where is Glorfindel?” he wanted to know.

“I sent him on an errand. You need to learn not to rely on him so much,” Elwë answered as he came back into the room.

“He is my protector,” Elrond said confused.

“Not anymore child,” said Oromë as he reappeared. “He ceased to be your protector when you sailed. Now he is your brother. You have both been assigned to Manwë and when he feels you are ready, you will be assigned duties.”

Elrond nodded his head and pondered what he had been told and what was not being said. He finally succumbed to a healing sleep wondering if his dreams would tell him more or bring another assault.

Elrond stayed in bed resting for two more days before finally being allowed up. He and Glorfindel had been kept apart most of the time to try and make them independent from each other. Elrond’s dreams told him to allow this for now but that it would not always be the case. He conveyed this to his brother one time when they were left in the garden by themselves for a few minutes. Trusting Elrond, Glorfindel quit fighting their separation and let the others think what they would. There was a bond between them that could not be broken and he would rely on that if he had too.

One afternoon a week later, Glorfindel helped Elrond escape their guardians watching eyes into the forest and gardens surrounding the cottage. Feeling like naughty children, they ran and played for several hours before stopping to rest in a garden neither had been in before. Soon they heard voices approach and Elrond stiffened. The ellith’s voice he remembered from his childhood. He rose as his mother and an ellon entered the garden.

“Naneth,” he greeted in an emotionless voice.

Elwing stopped and stared at him for a moment before she realized who he must be.

“Elrond,” was all she said.

He didn’t know if it was his Maian abilities or what but in that one word he learned the answer to most of his questions. Keeping a tight reign on his emotions, he took a good look at the ellon and came to the understanding that he was his younger brother. Elrond could sense that the ellon was pure elf and carried none of the traits of either humans or maias.

Seeing her firstborn studying her other son, she decided to introduce him.

“This is my son, Ellaf,” she said. The pride and emotion in her introduction told Elrond all he needed to know about him. He was all that mattered to her.

“So, you’re the one nobody wanted,” Ellaf said to him with a sneer. “I can see why they were glad to disown you. You’re a contaminated nobody.”

As Elrond looked into Ellaf‘s eyes he read this brother’s character and knew that he would not tolerate Elrond’s existence. He was jealous and afraid of him, he considered Elrond a threat. Elrond also read other emotions and thoughts that did not bode well for Aman in general but he was unsure of what was going on. He had not been out of the Gardens since his re-embodiment and knew nothing of went on elsewhere. He would have to ask Glorfindel.

“Well, have you been brought here to apologize to me?” Elwing asked to break the tension between Elrond and Ellaf.

“I have nothing to apologize to you for,” Elrond responded in surprise. “It is you who should ask forgiveness. I did not ask to be born and ignored, then abandoned. It was you who played favorites between Elros and I, then forgot me totally after you left. Tell me, did you think it was funny to meet with Elros throughout his life and not even bother to send me a message?”

When she made to deny the accusations, Elrond cut her off.

“Do not think to lie to me, I know the truth.”

“I never wanted twins, was not ready or able to care for two,” she cried trying to defend her actions. “Elros’s fëa was so like his fathers that I naturally sought comfort from him. You were too different, even your father sensed it the one time he was home. We were afraid to abandon you because of what our people would say, but did not want you. I did the best I could under those circumstances.”

“Even now, knowing what you did to me, you are unwilling to ask forgiveness,” Elrond said when he had brought his temper under control again. “You will not even acknowledge that you did anything wrong. You do not see that this has tainted your other child. No good will come of this.”

“You would threaten your own brother? What kind of a monster are you?” Elwing shrieked. “You stay away; I will appeal to the Vala to stop you from harming Ellaf.”

“It is not your plea they will acknowledge,” was all Elrond said as he turned and walked out of the garden.

Glorfindel followed and walked beside him in silence. Finally, when they were almost back to the house, he stopped Elrond.

“Let the anger go,” he said. “They were never family to you no matter how much you wanted it. You have a new family that wants you, let us help you.”

“I know,” Elrond managed to say as he fought back the tears. “I just…”

“Come child, let the tears out and let the pain leave.” Irmo said as he emerged from the side and took Elrond into his arms. “You held on for so long with dreams we knew could never come to fruitation. They helped you cope with what was going on in Middle-earth so we never disavowed you of them, told you the truth. Glorfindel is right, leave these dreams in the past and accept the new family that wants you.”

Finally Elrond could take no more and pulled away, running back to the cottage to hide in his room as he closed himself off to all including Glorfindel.

“Give him time Glorfindel,” Irmo said comfortingly. “He will come around.”

Elrond stayed to himself for most of the next several days. He took his meals with his family and friends who came by but did not interact with them. His thoughts remained closed to all. He continued to have dreams and when he did talk he began to ask questions about Aman. He had Glorfindel talking to others and leaving the garden to gauge the feel of attitudes and politics, then reporting back to him when he could. This continued for a week before he decided he had learned what he needed.

Glorfindel told Elrond about a dinner and dance that was planned in the central part of the garden, and that they were expected to attend. It had been decided that it was time for the two of them to reacquaint themselves with society on a normal level. The plans were for them to leave the Gardens soon and begin apprenticeships in the different courts. They both attended the dance where they found that they were objects of interest to many. Some were old friends who wanted to check on them, others were Amanians who were curious about them and their new status. Elrond was polite but remained in the background for the most part. He let Glorfindel run interference so he could watch and listen. Only once was he reprimanded for hanging back by Irmo and Estë. He grimaced and let Glorfindel introduce him to some of the ellith who had been inquiring about him. He even agreed to dance after seeing the disapproving glare Melian was sending him. The dance lasted most of the night before breaking up. They returned to the cottage and Elrond sat in the garden going over what he had learned.

The next day, they were informed that they would be leaving at the end of the week. Elrond was going to Ingwë’s court while Glorfindel was being sent to Olwë’s. They would stay for six months before being moved to another court. Elrond and Glorfindel spent as much time together as they could, even sharing a room when they rested. Two days before they left, Elrond was attacked in his dreams. This attack was followed by an attempt to comfort him and entice him from similar parties. Elrond gave a non committal response to the overture and only informed his family of the attack. He was recovered enough to leave for Ingwë’s court on time.

Elrond’s time at court was basically a crash course on Amanian politics. He had learned the mechanics of how court worked in Lindon so used his time to study the people. After six months he was transferred to Olwë’s court where he repeated the same process. In addition to the normal stuff, he paid attention to how the different groups interacted with each other and their specific problems. There were tensions between the Amanians and the transplants from Middle-earth that were not being handled very well politically. Then there were the social problems stemming from a stagnate culture that allowed little movement or advancement. A bored youth with no real future added another dimension that could potentially explode.

Elrond and Glorfindel were allowed a break from their apprenticeships’ at this point. They spent two weeks together at Melian’s cottage relaxing and just enjoying each others company. They spent the third week comparing notes on what they saw and heard. Both were unhappy with the findings and the direction they sensed Aman heading in.

“I thought we left all of this internal bickering behind in Middle-earth,” Glorfindel remarked.

“Hardly,” Elrond laughed. “The exiles arrival there only added new dimensions to what was already going on. If you study the histories long enough you realize that there was never any real peace between the different fractions. There have always been disagreements and prejudices. Everything has just become worse since now everyone is together in Aman. Lessoning the tensions to workable levels is the best that can be hoped for.”

“Can we go back?” Glorfindel pleaded.

“None of this is new to you so stop whining,” Elrond laughed at him. Then he sobered. “The real problem is with the younger generations. There is major discontent there. There is also an under current of I don’t like there. I am not sure of what it is but it is there.”

“The under current reminds me of some of the feelings I remember from before Fëanor’s revolt. Many of the tensions are the same,” Glorfindel remarked. “I have already taken the liberty of passing that information on to our new brothers so that a better watch could be put on. We do not need a repeat of then.”

“I am not sure stopping it is the right course,” Elrond mused. At the surprised look he received, he explained. “It may run too deep to stop it. Sometimes it is better to let it happen and cut out the bad to keep it from contaminating the rest.”

They were told that night that they would leave in two days time for their new assignments. Elrond would go to Tol Eressëa and Glorfindel to Tirion. Glorfindel joked that Elrond would be too busy getting reacquainted with old friends to do much.

“Who is in charge there?” Elrond asked.

“It is ruled by a counsel consisting of all the former rulers who had settled there,” Elwë explained.

“And they actually manage to accomplish anything?” he asked in surprise.

“They have the smoothest running colony with the least problems in truth,” came the rueful reply. “We learned our lessons about working together to survive and accept others.”

“Where do we go after that?” Glorfindel asked.

“You will go to Manwë’s court since you have already done time in Ingwë’s halls, Melian told him. “You Elrond will go on to Tirion.”

“Is that wise?” Glorfindel asked. “That is his brother’s territory.”

“Arafinwë has been appraised of the situation and Olwë has volunteered to come and help with problems,” Elwë told them.

“You expect trouble then,” Elrond said.

“Yes,” was all Elwë said.

“You sensed his character when you met him,” Melian commented. “You know he will cause you trouble.”

At Elrond’s nod, they dropped the subject. Olórin came by that evening and they spent an enjoyable time playing music in the garden. Before they turned in to rest, the Maia asked Elrond to walk with him.

“Have you experienced any more attacked since you left the garden?” he inquired.

“There were three while I was at Ingwë’s court and four while I was at Olwë’s,” Elrond mumbled. “I am fine.”

Olórin gave Elrond a searching look but found his mind closed to him. He let the others know about the attack and how Elrond was still closing himself off but was directed by Manwë himself not to interfere.

Elrond’s time on Tol Eressëa was much like Glorfindel had said. He spent time with friends and made peace with the few enemies he had from Middle-earth. He did spend time with the counsel but acted more as a member representing those from Imladris than as an apprentice. What concerned him more were the reactions of the Amanians to the elves from Middle-earth. He listened not only to the counsel’s thoughts on the matter but also to the individual elves in the streets. His reputation proceeded him from his time as Imladris’s Lord and the people here had a favoritable reaction to he and Glorfindel’s new status. They saw it as a bonus that would only help them and ensure their position was not only represented but actually heard and paid attention too.

Elrond left for Tirion after stretching his stay on the island to eight months. He dreaded going for he knew that the time ahead would be hard and miserable for him. His reception upon arrival at Arafinwë’s palace proved his point. He found that his brother held a fairly high counselor’s position and had used his foreknowledge of Elrond’s coming to lay the groundwork to ensure Elrond’s misery. He found few there willing to even acknowledge his presence. Those that did went out of his way to make his life hard from the guards who shadowed his every more to the young courtiers who were outright rude. Arafinwë’ interceded, as did Olwë, when they could but they both found the resentment and prejudices against Elrond were deep seated. They began to suspect that the ground work for these feelings had been laid before Elrond had even sailed and were too ingrained to fight easily. There was also a sentiment of resentment for Elrond’s Maian status. Many felt that Ellaf was Elwing and Eärendil’s true heir and that the Maian status should have been conveyed on him.

Twice within his first month Elrond was set upon while exploring the city. The first time he fought back and gave a good account of himself but was charged the next day with assault on the ones he defended himself against. Witnesses were brought forth who claimed that Elrond had started the fight and the King was left with little recourse but to punish Elrond with confinement. The second time his enemies proved they had learned their lesson the first time. He was overcome by sheer numbers and beaten unconscious. Olwë was sure that the beating had gone on for some time after he had blacked out due to the injuries suffered. Again witnesses were brought forward that claimed Elrond had started the fight. This time they were surprised when Maia appeared and bore witness to their lies. They had been assigned to watch over Elrond after the first incident. These accusers and assaulters were sentenced to exile for a period of not less than one hundred years.

When Elrond regained his health he again tried to explore the city and its shops but found that none would bear his presence. There was great resentment that some of their own had been exiled because of an outsider. He was denied entrance into shops and cafes by the owners, the library told him he was a distraction and told him to stay away, and even the healers wanted nothing to do with him and what they called his evil healing ways. Always both inside the palace and out, he heard the snide comments and smears against his blood and person. Soon he confined himself to the palace grounds unless on business for Arafinwë’s. Even there he was not safe from the mental abuse.

Elrond also found that the servants stopped cleaning his rooms and clothes. He had to do these things himself. He could not wait for his time in Tirion to end. The few friends he had that resided in the city soon decided that it was better to not acknowledge him both for his own protection and theirs. He knew he had Maian guards but there were under orders not to interfere and to leave him alone. He soon found himself totally alone. Then he began having attacks every night when he lay down to sleep. He soon feared sleep as much as his time awake. He became lethargic and was unable to tend to his duties bringing more ridicule upon himself. He began to withdrawal into himself as a means of self preservation and eventually his apprenticeship was ended. He was deemed ill and unteachable until sometime in the future.

Arafinwë had come to the conclusion that he could not protect Elrond even with Olwë’s help and that his presence caused too much trouble. Elrond was told to leave the city. The King recommended that Elrond head back to Lorien’s Gardens to recover from the harsh conditions he had endured. Elrond reluctantly agreed and left the city after nightfall to avoid any drama. Unknown to Arafinwë, Ellaf had learned when Elrond was leaving and planned another reception for him just outside the city.

Elrond had just ridden over a ridge that blocked the view from the city when he realized something was wrong. A second later he was shot in each shoulder by arrows with ropes attached. Pulled from his horse, he fought as best he could. A cloth sack was thrown over his head to prevent him from seeing his attackers, and then the beating began. He cried out when something slammed into his ribs breaking several. Rolling to his side to prevent further damage he gasped in pain when the club was brought down on his legs repeatedly breaking the bones in them. He was rolled onto his back and the arrows were ripped from his shoulders. He was then pushed onto his stomach; his arms were jerked forward above his head and tied together. His hands were stepped on to keep them in place. Then he heard the crack of a whip sailing through the air before it landed on his back. He did not know how long the whipping went on before or after he blacked out. He only remembered feeling blood running freely down both of his sides.

Elrond climbed back to awareness in the deep dark before dawn to find his attackers gone and his horse nudging his shoulder. Signaling the horse to lay down, Elrond pulled himself onto it despite the overwhelming pain. Instead of following the rode south, he turned west and tried to go overland to Lórien by the fastest route. He did not trust any to help him. He traveled this way leaning over the horses back for most of the day. He blacked out several times and never saw the Maiar who appeared and guided the horse westward during these times. Finally, some time after dusk, he could hang on no longer and fell from the horse, losing consciousness again. He never felt his Maian guards pick him up and carry him the rest of the way.

*****

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