The Littlest Warrior

Elrond sat seemingly entranced at the tale Rúmil told. Never in all his days on Arda had he seen or even heard of such a thing. He’d faced many evils in his time, many villains, but none such as was described by the dutiful Lórien warden. Filled with questions, he began his interrogation of Rúmil.

“You say that the injuries appear to resemble those which are found only on a field of battle?”

“Yes milord…on a field of those long dead. The body shrivels; shrinks as if all bodily fluids have been drained. We do not know how this could be accomplished milord, as there was no sign, no drop of blood to be found anywhere…surely there would be some trace…”
“And you say the skin changes color?”

“Yes milord, it varies from dark grey to black…with Andras a handprint is clearly visible…as if his assailant grabbed him but was unable to get a good hold upon him. The arm is extremely fragile and dry. Elwaith brought back some new herbs from Rohan that have given promising results, throughout our journey we have used them and kept the arm hydrated and immobilized…it seems to give him some brief comfort, but the limb does not return to its previous form.” Rúmil shook his head in despair and continued, “And there is the other matter…”

“Other matter?” Elrond queried.

“Yes milord…Andras is understandably very despondent…”

“Of course, any one would be.”

“On our way here…” Rúmil paused

“Yes, speak up Rúmil; this is not a time for reticence.”

“On our way here milord…he tried to pilfer some herbs…he sought to end his life milord.”

Elrond was astounded, and his astonishment quickly turned to outrage.

”Where was your healer? How could he have allowed the lad access to dangerous herbs? Explain!”

“Elwaith was mixing the potion for his arm milord, but I assure you Lord Elrond, at no time did Andras have access to anything dangerous. As we found out later, Elwaith keeps all the dangerous herbs on his person. Andras only thinks he took something poisonous. When Elwaith talked him into giving the pouch back we thought it best to allow him to think that he had succeeded in his quest, lest he try it again.”

Calm now returned to Elrond’s countenance, “I see…, yes, it was wise of Elwaith not to give him that information…any elf that desperate for release from this life would no doubt have tried again.”

“…and then there was the village.”

“Village?”

“Yes milord…just south of here, Haldir said it is called South Gundabad.”

“I know that settlement…we trade often with the villagers there…our root vegetables for their parchment…there is a man there – Gundars; his skill with making parchment is unparalleled even by our kind. In his younger days he was in service to the house of Thengel.”

“Alas milord…his days of service are over.”

“He too has fallen victim to this evil?” Elrond inquired.

“Aye, he and all his kin milord…the entire village was wiped out – none was spared…not even the little ones.”

A wave of shock rolled over Elrond; he could not believe what he was hearing. ”You are telling me that the entire village has been…eradicated?”

“All dead milord.”

Elrond was incredulous, after having Rúmil affirm the information twice; he still could not believe what he was hearing. “The children?” he queried.

The tall sentry turned his head; he could not bring himself to continue with news that so obviously distressed Imladris’ lord. Elrond slumped tiredly into a chair, memories of his dealings with Gundars flashed through his mind. He’d known the old master for many years and they had become fast friends, to think that he was no more was almost too much to bear. Elrond sat staring out the balcony doors – looking south – the weight of the ages reflected in his eyes. His next question was filled with the anguish his heart now held.

“What did you do with…how did you…how did you take care of the bodies?”

Rúmil hesitated; he knew this next piece of information would be difficult for Elrond to hear, for it was certainly difficult to say. “There was no time milord to care for them properly, in their fashion. We did not know where the enemy was, or how many there might be. We did the only thing we could do milord, we set the stock free…and burned the village to the ground.”

Elrond covered his face with his hands, to know that his friends had died such a horrible death, and that they could not even be afforded the peace of a respectful burial was too much.

“Thank you Rúmil…that will be all for now. Please find Lord Erestor, he will see to your accommodations, and those of the arriving party.”

“Yes milord.”

As the weary Galadhel slowly pulled the door closed behind him, he watched as Lord Elrond rose and crossed the room to his bathing chamber. The sound of the sensitive healer emptying his stomach into the washbasin brought tears to the young warrior’s eyes.

~~~

The sun rose high in the noon sky as the traveling party from Lórien, along with their escort, finally made their way to the Last Homely House. Slowly they entered the front gate and Glorfindel, along with several guards and members of the household staff, met them in the courtyard. As the others alit, Haldir moved forward to greet the commander of Imladris’ military force.

“Mae govannen Lord Glorfindel,” he said as he bowed his head and crossed his heart with his hand paying respect to the great golden lord. “I come bearing news of Lórien and the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel. We have also come with our charge Andras seeking the healing powers of Master Elrond Eärendilion, Lord of Imladris.”

Glorfindel bowed in return saying, “Welcome then, to Imladris and the Last Homely House.”
With their formal greetings exchanged Glorfindel then embraced the March Warden; “Welcome old friend, it has been many moons since you and your brothers have come for a visit…you are here for a visit are you not? Please do not tell me that you are only here to deliver dispatches for we desperately need new faces and conversation in our midst.”

Haldir’s friendly expression changed reflecting the gravity of his undertaking as he replied to the golden warrior. “I fear our mission here is a serious one, how long we stay will depend on the healing skill of the Master of Imladris, for we have brought a gravely ill patient for his care.”

Turning, he gestured to the cart and the elf it carried. Lowering his voice, he gave Glorfindel as much information as he dared in such an open forum. “Andras was attacked…and received a grievous injury; the Lord and Lady have sent him here to Lord Elrond in the hope that he might be healed. With all due respect Glorfindel, we should get him inside to Lord Elrond as quickly as possible…he is in great pain and it has been a grueling journey for him…for all of us actually.”

“Of course, of course my friend, where are my manners? Please, everyone into the house. Brithil, Braneth…you and the rest of the patrol may stand down, please return to what you were doing before the call.”

“Aye milord Glorfindel.”

Glorfindel stood aside and watched as Timagol and Orophin gently removed Andras from the cart. Once again the strong arms of the Lórien guard held Andras as gently as if he were a delicate Celandine flower, moving cautiously so as not to further aggravate the injury. As they removed him from the cart, Orophin tenderly draped the afflicted arm with his cloak, obscuring the injury from the sight of curious onlookers. Andras weakly nodded his thanks then closed his eyes and rested his head on Timagol’s strong shoulder.

“All will be well now ‘Dras,” the sensitive warrior whispered, “you will see; Lord Elrond will make things right again.”

Erestor joined Glorfindel on the steps as the rest of the trail weary party slowly dismounted, and he began at once to organize everyone, seeing to it that each had their needs met as quickly as possible. The sprightly seneschal was completely in his element, directing Elwaith and Timagol, who still held Andras, to the healing wing while he sent a housemaid to fetch Elrond. The seneschal was a bit worried, for it was his Lord’s custom to greet all arrivals personally, and he had yet to make an appearance.

The next order of business, with help from Glorfindel and the twins, was to quickly escort Ingorn and Malrin to their room, while he sent Orophin ahead of them to the room he would share with Timagol. That done, Haldir, of course, insisted on waiting for Lord Elrond, as he was bound by Celeborn to officially submit them all into Elrond’s service for the duration of their stay. The March Warden was confident that Rúmil had given Elrond all the pertinent information they had about the attacks and Andras’ current condition, and now all that remained was to finish the formalities of transferring their service to the great elf Lord.

As the seneschal and the four warriors made their way through the corridors, the housemaid Erestor sent to find Elrond approached them, in what seemed to Erestor to be a somewhat harried state.

“Milord, I went to Lord Elrond as you instructed, but he seems to be….indisposed.” Looking at the assembled company the young maid was reticent to say anything more, and looked away shyly. Erestor, though steeped in tradition and the rules of decorum, was not one to mince words when it came to the welfare of Lord Elrond, and questioned the maid on the spot.

“Is our Lord ill Perwaen?”

“I am not sure Lord Erestor; he says that he is fine, but…”

“But what child?”

“But he sits with the drapes drawn, in the dark, in the middle of the day, and he made no move to come when I told him that we had visitors…I think he may need your assistance.”

“Very well Perwaen, continue with your duties, I will see to Lord Elrond.”

“Yes milord,” the young maid did a quick and proper curtsey while surreptitiously eyeing the tall blond Warden, then hastily scurried away back to the laundry.

Erestor’s eyebrow did an imitation of Elrond’s as he watched the young elleth leave. Turning then to Haldir he smiled a knowing smile and remarked, “Well my friend it would seem that you have captured the attention of yet another youngling.”

“Nonsense,” Haldir retorted, “strangers are always a source of…curiosity, for the young.”

“Be that as it may,” the counselor replied with a smirk, “Perwaen is very curious…and not that young.”
Haldir scoffed at the inference, as Glorfindel snorted in amusement. “I fear my beloved is right Haldir, I would watch my rear flank if I were you, Perwaen is one of three sisters, and the last to find a husband…she can be quite determined when she is of a mind to.”

“Nevertheless, I…we have more important things to deal with than husband hunting young maids,” Haldir replied in a huff.

“You are quite right my friend, forgive my little jest. Erestor, perhaps it would be best if Haldir and I wait here in his room while you see to Elrond, I do not like the sound of what Perwaen described. Please fetch me at once if there is anything amiss.”

“Perhaps my brother and I should go with you Erestor if there is something wrong with Adar we want to know now,” said Elladan.

“Aye,” Elrohir chimed in, “…though I can not think what it might be, I saw adar just a few hours ago, and he seemed fine.”

Erestor calmly answered, “No El, do not worry, I am sure it is nothing, your father was in good spirits and feeling fine just a little while ago. Perwaen, as you know has a talent for the dramatic…I am sure it is nothing more than that…but I will certainly come for you if there has been a change.”

”You are probably right Erestor, she does have a tendency to exaggerate at times,” he said smiling.

“Very well then…” Elladan added “I must go and get out of these clothes, as I have a previous appointment with my bed, too long have we been separated and I am anxious to get reacquainted. Haldir, I trust you will apprise Glorfindel of everything that has happened with Andras? It troubles me greatly that this attacker, whoever he is, seems to be moving closer to Imladris. Mindful of that…Erestor, if you would be so kind as to wake me when Glorfindel and Haldir meet with father to plan our strategy against this scurrilous fiend.”

“Of course, I will make sure that both you and Elrohir are included in any meetings.”

“Good,” the young elf said smiling, “now that that is settled I will take my leave…my bed awaits.”
As he and his brother turned to leave, they paused mid-way, the thought seeming to have struck them both at the same time. Again giving each other that knowing glance as Elrohir voiced the question that silently passed between them.

“Erestor…if you are here, and Ada is alone in his room… where is Estel?”

The seneschal’s head snapped quickly around, Elrohir was right, he had not seen Estel since Elrond took him down to the dining hall to break their fast, if Elrond was alone…

“Glorfindel have you…?”

“No dear heart, I have not seen the little one since before the twins rode out this morning?”
Erestor was all of a sudden panicked, trying to maintain his composure he responded as calmly as he could.

“Your father took him down to break fast about three hours ago…when he did not come right away for his lessons I assumed…”

Seeing Erestor’s distress Haldir spoke up, “That would have been right around the time that Rúmil would have arrived with my message.”

Having heard part of the conversation through the door, Rúmil opened the bedchamber door and posed his question.

“What would have been right around the time I arrived?”

“Ah, Rúmil…perchance did you see my little brother with father this morning?”

“Why yes, Lord Elrond introduced us when I arrived…just before we left for our meeting.”

“Do you know if he sent Estel to stay with someone, or if he took him to someone…?”

“He told the little one to stay in the kitchen and finish his meal; afterwards he was to go to his lessons. Why, is something wrong?”

Erestor’s nervous reply came quickly, “Estel did not come for his lesson this morning, I thought he was with still with Elrond. I was about to go looking for the two of them when all of you arrived.”

“I would not worry Erestor,” Rúmil quipped, “…he seems like a mindful little sort, and Lord Elrond did ask Lady Nénilya to keep an eye on him.”

“That explains it then,” Glorfindel said laughingly,”the Lady Nilya loves to spoil him, he is probably still in the kitchens stuffing himself with all manner of treats while surrounded by a bevy of doting ellith. I swear Haldir, if you or your brothers had any thought of more romantic pursuits in your off hours you had better watch your backs, for he is the only male here who commands the undivided attention of the ellith of Imladris at will.”

Elladan, who had by this time slipped into full protective mode spoke up, “Perhaps we had better go look for him El.”

“No, no no,” Erestor said, “I am sure everything is all right, the two of you go and get some rest, I will get him as soon as I have tended to your father.”

“But Erestor…”

“Do not worry, now go, rest, I will take care of everything.”

The twins looked at each other questioningly, and finally decided to agree, but with a caveat…“All right Erestor, but you will let us know immediately if you can not find him…mindful or not, Estel has a way of getting into things.”

The wise little seneschal nodded his agreement and headed off down the hallway. Truth be told, he too did not like the sound of anything he’d heard, Estel had not made his presence known when his brothers returned to the house, and it was totally uncharacteristic of Elrond to fail to greet his guests.

Further, to neglect to appear when someone was in need of healing…’No,’ he thought, ‘Perwaen probably did not tell him that there was someone who needed his help’. ‘Even in illness he would not be kept from that. He has been very tired lately…working entirely too many hours’. “Well…,” the loyal counselor said aloud as he straightened his robes with a firm tug and prepared to knock on Elrond’s door, ”…that will have to stop, and I intend to tell him so.”

Knocking hard on the door, Erestor waited for Elrond’s usual word of admittance. When none came, he slowly opened the door to find the Lord of Imladris sitting in the darkened chamber, lit only by the minimal glow from the dying embers in the hearth. The great elf sat stiffly in a high-backed chair staring at what was left of the fire.

“Milord?”

When no response came to his query, he posed it again, “Milord…?” Receiving no reaction Erestor moved immediately to the healer’s side. Taking a knee at Elrond’s feet Erestor placed a hand on the tired elf’s leg, shaking gently. “Elrond? Elrond are you all right?” Finally, the beleaguered elf turned his head to face his seneschal. His eyes were glazed with tears and the anguish in his voice was unmistakable.

“Erestor…something terrible has happened.”