Faramir Fiction Archive

Vengeance or, an attempt on it gone awry (R)

Written by Suryallee

09 January 2012 | 15449 words | Work in Progress

Chapter 2

“How much longer until we reach that cave that you spoke about before, Glorfindel?”

Faramir asked as he tried to climb over another root, one of many in the last days. He envied his elven friend who had seemingly no trouble to simply hop over them, barefooted or not. He had found some abandoned leathers in the pile in the cave and had managed to fashion himself a pair of odd shoes that would have to do for the now as well as a shirt and an abandoned cape. Faramir had bathed before they went off. The river had been cold; to say at last but at least he had felt better before they went on their way.

At least they were now halfway descent to wander around. Not that someone cared anyways, since no one else besides them was seeing them.

The four days they did now travel together, having agreed to go to Rivendell until the chaos in Gondor was solved out, had brought them much nearer to the realm of Elrond half elven and had deepened their friendship too.

His friend had told him about another cave that they could use on their way. Both did not want to spend another night under the stars as beautiful sparkly as they were. It was late autumn and rather cold outside now at night. Thus that, Glorfindel feared that Faramir would become sick.

Faramir had even created himself a crude bow and some arrows and used it to get them a meal on their travel.

Glorfindel did currently the same while walking unperturbed. The man envied his graceful friend for his natural grace and seemingly easy way to avoid to fall or become tangled up in the wood while walking blindly through it. It had no use anyways, Glorfindel was an elf and as such, he was born with the natural grace and senses that his kin possessed. For a moment, he felt petty but then he stopped his stupid thoughts and concentrated on his way again.

The Elda just wanted to answer him when the faint sound of hooves reached his sensitive ears and he stopped abruptly to walk on. After a few seconds, Faramir did hear it too and both shared an alarmed look before they searched for cover.

They should not have worried.

The riders that reached them a short while later had been searching for the pair since a few days now. They had left Rivendell as fast as the message from Arwen had reached them. Both of her brothers were in the group and now looked relived when the Eldar jumped out of a bush to greet them with a grin.

“…? …Lord Faramir what in the name of the Valar do you wear and where are your shoes Glorfindel?!”

The entire group around Faramir and Glorfindel broke out in uproarious laughter when they spotted the twos travel gear. Glorfindel and Faramir just shared a short glance before the human answered them in elvish.

“What can we say? That’s what happens when you get abducted out of Gondor stark drunk by an equally drunk elf.” That got him another wave of hilarious laughter and soon he had several helpful elves around him who offered him better travel gear that he gratefully took as did Glorfindel who was offered the same under much teasing.

“Well my friends you have something to explain to us later. Aragorn already threatened to send an army after you two!”

The man and elf in question shrugged their shoulders in unison while changing clothes. “For all I care the brat shall do so! It was his peoples fault in the very first place that we ended up like this, Elladan.” The Elda told the twin who had asked.

Both sons of Elrond shared a puzzled look at that with each other.

“What do you mean? He said nothing of such! What did he do this time?” Both suddenly asked at the same time what bemused Faramir a moment until he did remember what his friend had told him about them before.

“Not he did something, my Lords, his guardians did.” Faramir’s voice was slightly muffled since he was half in and half out of the shirt that he currently tried to get over his head. Finally getting in he turned his grey eyes to the interested twin gaze of the brothers.

“They chased us out in a way I fear…did he tell you nothing?”

Both shook their heads in such a unison that it was eerie to watch. Even their hairs seem to fall the same way! “No, I think he forgot to mention that important detail!” The left one that Faramir identified as Elladan from the color of the braids told him in a calm voice. Glorfindel had told him the day before how he could keep them apart should he meet them in the next days. Elladan wore blue pearls on the ends and Elrohir wore silver ones. “I think we should pay our beloved sibling a visit soon, Elladan!” Elrohir told his twin in an equally quiet voice that had Glorfindel laughing.

“Oh why not? He could use some help I suppose. Especially with his paperwork since he now lacks a certain Steward of him who usually takes care of that alone, I might add.” That had Faramir laughing loudly. Both knew how much Aragorn hated that part of his new job. He complained on daily basis about it.

The brothers joined them in their mirth; they too had already learned that.

“No wonder that he never wanted to become King…”

“he always hated to do any paperwork when he was little!”

First Elrohir and then Elladan told them later.

“Careful you two. Faramir is not used to the twin-speak of yours.” Glorfindel admonished his former charges when he saw the Faramir shifting his head sideways in his perplexity. The two just grinned. “Then he will have to get used to it. After all he will stay a while with us from what I have understood?” Elladan asked his former tutor. Glorfindel nodded grimly.

“Ahh. I see there is more to it, Glorfindel. You make a face that could turn milk sour and he is looking rather uncomfortable.” Elrohir added seeing his look.

They saddled up and on the ride back to Rivendell; the Eldar explained the most of the situation to the twin Lords of Rivendell.

It was much later, almost midnight when they reached the valley and got Faramir settled into a big suite. Both elven Lords had winced when being told what had occurred. On their many travels, they had often visited Gondor and so both knew about that stupid law and the troubles first hand.

What got Faramir unasked the entire sympathy of the elves and so a big suite and many friendly offers to become friends with them in the end. Lying in his temporally new bed, the poor man tried to sort his mind out. The day had tired him out more than the ones before. He still was confused how he had ended up in this grand suite and all. He idly asked himself how he could survive their care the next days! He had become the owner of a kitten in less than ten minutes…much to his chagrin. It was hard to refuse Lord Erestor when he put on that pout, Faramir had found out fast under the laughter of Glorfindel who had helped not at all to avoid the situation. Not that he minded it, he loved cats just as the next one did but the quickness of how it happened had stunned him speechless.

Shaking his head Faramir called it a night and went to rest. The kitten a little black one that had claimed the couch cushion, did the same.

The next day’s did not help Faramir much to get his bearings back.

Each time he felt safe; someone came and did something weird to confuse him anew. As Lindir did it, right this moment with ease. “Master Lindir, may I ask how exactly you did get your head stuck in the wall in the first place?” He had stumbled over the poor minstrel by accident when he had heard muffled screams for help. Now he faced a dilemma that was a little tricky to solve whilst trying his hardest to not outright laugh at the poor soul.

The elf muffled an answer that was dulled by the wall but Faramir still understood enough to have to fight down the sudden urge to burst out into pearls of laughter.

“Let’s see that I got that right, your pet squirrel hid one of your sheets in there and you couldn’t get out of hole again because you got stuck in it somehow with your ears when you were looking for it in the wall?!” He could not believe it! Shaking his head, he craned his neck to see if someone else was around, he saw no one.

“Lindir, I want you to keep still and to close your eyes and mouth for a moment, do you understand me?”

The elf answered with a barely audible yes. With a well-aimed kick of his new boot, Faramir broke the wooden planks of the wall next to the elf’s head and removed them carefully to not endanger the minstrel with splinters and parts of it even more. Then he stuck his own head and upper body into the newly formed hole in the wall.

“Thank the Valar! I finally can breathe fresh air again! I was stuck in here already for the last hour. No one ever comes here normally; what is why I prefer this part of the house to compose. But today it was not aiding me well.” As it looked to Faramir, the elf indeed was stuck because of his ears and the long hair. Both ears had already splinters in the outer shells and looked reddened to the man. The hole went inwards in the breach and the splitter ends had tangled the hair up so effectively that it had become smaller in the end. What had made it impossible for Lindir to take his head out again without the help of his hands.

“Let’s see if we together can get you out of this situation this time, my poor friend.” He told the elf with a smile. Before he reached through the bigger hole that he had made and tried gently to hold the ears as close to the head of the elf as possible after freeing the caught hair around the hole. After some tries, they managed it together to free the poor soul with both ears still on his head. Faramir got a few splinter in his hands for his help but did not mind it much.

Rubbing his ears and removing some of the splinters still stuck in them, the elf gave the man a grateful look. “Oh gods, I thought I would be stuck in there forever! Thank you Lord Faramir. Please could you not tell this to anyone else? This is embarrassing enough already and will be more so to tell the healers.” The man could only nod. “Of course! It is no problem. You really better let that checked out from the healers my friend.”

The elf nodded. “I will go there right away, although I dread their reactions when they learn of how exactly the splinters got in the ear shells in the first place! If you will excuse me?” With that, the elf gathered the rest of his dignity and left in direction of the healing wing of the house.

Faramir waited until he was sure that the elf was out of earshot before he broke out into a wild laughter.

When he sobered up again his eyes spied a shelf of paper with music notes on it in a corner of his holes side. Reaching in, he took it out under a new bout of laughter and tucked it into his pocket. He would give it the minstrel back later; right now, he had to tell Glorfindel that he had damaged a wall in the house and that it needed to be repaired.

He began to like this place. Everyone here was equally mad Faramir thought.

“He did What? …oh sweat Valar only Lindir can manage to get himself in such a situation. He should have shot that damned squirrel of his a long time ago! It is not the first time that, that furry beast makes us trouble.”

Glorfindel needed a while to sober up again when Faramir told him of his little adventure. He had sworn him into secrecy before he told him and now both chuckled madly at Lindir’s plight.

“You realize my friend that you and your friends have managed in the last days to ruin everything I have ever learned of how your people life and act with ease, yes?” The elf broke out into a new session of laughter. “Aye, I do think that could be the case!” He grinned at Faramir. “It’s not thought that we do so on purpose, you know. Besides, you humans got it all wrong anyways. So why bother with correcting them?” He asked the now sputtering man next to him with another boyish grin.

Later that evening when both strolled into the former office of Lord Elrond they were greeted with a surprising view. Erestor was sitting on the floor with his hair and robes in disarray with a quill tucked behind one ear and another in his hand. Reading a report from the looks of it, the elf was cursing his both of his husband’s under his breath. Right in the middle of a couple of stacks of papers.

Glorfindel found his voice back first. “Don’t tell me they left you with all the paperwork alone again.”

“Why, yes of course they did…or what does that looks like to you?!” The elf laid the report down on one of the stacks with a glare. “The river took a sudden flood and it endangered the fruit fields as well as you know. They went to help. If you go too, can you ask them to send me their seal at least back so I can get some order back into this chaos?” The golden elf nodded and strode fast out again to get it done. He left an amused Faramir standing in the office.

Shrugging his shoulders the man crouched down so he could look at the elf Lord before he addressed him with a smile. “Can I help you somehow, Master Erestor? I am used to paperwork.”

At the nod of the dark haired advisor, the man settled down to sort the papers before him into the order that the elf had already set.

And they said Estel hates paperwork…looks to me they are equally bad as their brother in this! He idly thought with another grin.

When Glorfindel and the twins came back much later the two were still on their work. Faramir barely managed to rescue a stack of freshly sorted papers from topping over when Erestor abruptly jumped up like a cat and over it to get to his two shocked husbands.

“You! One would mind that the two of you know since a few millennia now how to keep an office in order! You are as bad as Estel…” The sudden closing of the door from Glorfindel muted the rest of the lecture. The two looked at each other for a moment before both broke out in laughter. “That two had it coming, trust me.” Glorfindel told Faramir whilst he settled down on the floor next to the man who currently put the papers neatly into the designed boxes to hold them until they later were put together in a map or book.

“Can I help somehow?” he asked Faramir whilst admiring how the candlelight played fiery tricks into the hair of the man. Faramir shook his head. “No, too late for that I fear. We sorted the chaos already and what is with the river?” Glorfindel reached for a paper that had escaped Faramir and gave it to the man. “All went well. We just had to readjust the flood-bed doors to keep the fields from being overflowed. Since the ring lost its power all is a little different, we still adjust but we manage.” He told Faramir with a smile.

The man nodded at that.

“He is right, isn’t he? They are just as bad as Aragorn, don’t they?” Glorfindel could only snigger at that. “I fear that is the exact definition of the situation, my friend. At least Estel has an army of workers to help him out. Even if he has to manage to get them working first. However, we here have only Erestor and his aide any longer and occasionally me and Lindir to help out. It is not even really their fault. It is just that the most who worked here before have left already or are going to in the near future and the elves who has come to live here from the outside are making even more work as before.” He got up to help Faramir to put the rest of the papers and reports away in their designed shelves.

“So, blatantly spoken, Erestor is the only one here who still can do all the work? Why then does he not hire new aides under the newcomers and trains them?” Faramir asked Glorfindel confused. The Elf sighed. “It is not that easy. He has to find some free time to do that first I fear.” Faramir nodded again. It made sense. If the advisor was always busy with the work, then he could not find the time to do the job. Somehow, Faramir got the feeling that he had found a way to keep himself busy until Aragorn found a way to bring him back to Gondor.

“Do you think he would let me help out? I feel useless here anyways and I know the work by heart, trust me.” He told the smiling Elf next to him. Before Glorfindel could answer the door burst open and the twin Lords through them into the room. “Help Glorfindel!” “ He is going to eat us alive!” Both told the startled pair in the room.

Behind them Erestor caught up with them quickly.

“Don’t you two dare to get the poor Glorfindel and Faramir involved into your troubles, Elladan and Elrohir! And what was that? Did you really mean that?” He looked at the dumbfounded Faramir. “Huh? You heard me?” The elf nodded whilst catching one of the twins with one hand expertly before he could slip past him and out of the door and pushing back his now loose black hair with the other. One foot firmly kicked the door shut behind him with a well-aimed kick and so trapped the two twin Lords inside the office with the rest of them effectively.

“Eh? Did we miss something, Elladan?” The caught twin asked surprised his brother who was currently glared into submission from Erestor, and choose to sit rather down as to risk his mate’s ire. “Seems so, brother. What exactly does Erestor mean, Faramir?”

Before the stunned man could answer, Erestor took over.

“If you two had used your ears you would have caught it too. He was not that silent.” He looked up at the human with an apology smile. “Sorry, we just happen to have a much better hearing as humans, Faramir. And the door to the other office and from there to the hall is still open, we run past it and I overheard you by sheer luck. “He pointed behind the elf and man to the indeed open door to the other office next to the main one that they stood in.

Glorfindel and Faramir both chuckled at that.

“Well, I think yes. I am feeling rather useless since I am used to work entire days away in Gondor. As much as I love it to be outdoors, I hate it to have nothing to do. Moreover, as I have understood Glorfindel you need someone to help you out constantly until you could train others to help you. As it looks, everyone here has more than enough already on their respective plates as it is. So, yes, I would like to offer my help if you want it, Lord Erestor.”

“Gladly taken, Lord Faramir and please Call me Erestor, it is easier and currently the titles mean not much anyways.” The elf told the man smiling. Behind Erestor, the twins exchanged a meaningful glance with Glorfindel who still stood behind Faramir. If Estel thought that they would give him his advisor back easily he would be in for a surprise, Glorfindel and the brothers thought at the same moment grinning. And if Erestor had his way, then the King of Gondor would wait for that to happen for the rest of his mortal life. It took a while for elven advisor’s to be taught and as it looked to Glorfindel and the twins, Erestor was fond of the man already and that meant he would fight with tooth and nail to keep him in Rivendell with them.

He was not the only one who had become surprisingly fond of Faramir over the last days.

The younger brother of Boromir had managed to befriend almost all of the elves in the valley without to try it much. Even the normally so elusive Lindir had told the healers this evening, that he liked the nice man, as he had called Faramir and that was already a wonderment in itself. He never liked one until he did know them for a few centuries at last. Not to mention that ha was not fond of humans to begin with.

Glorfindel thought that it could not go better for his plans in the late.

As he had thought it before, Faramir had opened up a lot since he was here. That he now tried to help showed how much the man unintentionally had already began to make a life here and that gave the Elda hope for the plans of his. He had talked to Erestor and the twins already of what he wanted and the three had given their consent almost immediately. All were just happy that Glorfindel showed interest in someone again at all after the long time that he had avoided any contact of this kind at all, and were more than glad to offer their support to his plans.

The man in question did not know anything of this at all.

Faramir was simply glad to have something to do again besides playing with his new kitten. He had not lied; he hated sitting around and wasting time. Besides, that he liked to work with the dark Noldor. Erestor had a dry sense of humor that suited the sometimes cynical one of Faramir quite nicely. And together they had made a short work on the paper chaos in the office. Left behind by the Lords of the same room, in the twin’s constant hurry to be outside to fix something, or somewhere else to fix troubles that needed their consent or person to be solved.

In the following weeks through the entire winter, Faramir took over more and more of Erestor’s duties. Since Gandalf and his father’s advisors had taught him in the past how to do the most chores anyways, it was easy for Faramir to get the routine swiftly. Soon he was assisting the elf and the two often found themselves back in different council rooms doing negotiations with outside parties. Faramir took over the ones with the Rohirim and other human realms from Erestor meanwhile the counselor had finally the time to tend to the elven ones.

And all found that both did work well together.

At the same time Glorfindel began to spend progressively of his time with Faramir in private and openly. What got not un-noticed from the rest of the valley population. Soon they left the two mostly alone when they spotted them together playing chess, talking or simply sitting together somewhere. What happened more and more often the longer the winter wore on.

Faramir soon sought the company of the elf out increasingly often. He liked spending time with the Elda and Glorfindel had become a dear friend to him over the last weeks. What unnerved the man was the fact that he got also more attracted to the golden haired elf with the time. It begun harmless enough, with longer lingering looks or simple signs like strange dreams.

Faramir was not a fool; he knew the signs for a crush actually pretty good since he had enough of them when he had been younger. Just, that this was no blushing maiden or someone else here that he had developed a crush on. This was an elf and it never tended to end well in the past when a mortal had loved one of the fair folk.

Thus, that he may have been attracted to the golden Elda or males in general, but Faramir had never before been in a relationship with one before and that scared him a little. Neither did he know how to react to the advances of one. As he found out when Glorfindel began to make it known to him that he liked Faramir more as to just have him as a friend.

And there was no mistaking in that interest anymore either, since Faramir had began to note certain things in the last weeks that did not happen under simple friends, not even under best ones either. Like seats that were kept free for him at the meals, looks that held clear desire in them now and those really nailed the poor man to spot the most of the times when Glorfindel directed them to Faramir or the accidental touches that happened increasingly often in the late.

As he had found out a longer while ago, one could easily drown in the blue eyes of his friend, especially when Glorfindel gave him one of those looks so full of hidden promises and meanings. This Glorfindel seem to know that too because he had stopped to hide his wishes from Faramir in the late. The man supposed that he should have thought of this coming before. Actually, he should have already in that cave at the time when the Elda had answered his question.

Faramir rubbed his eyes before he set down in the hidden alcove of the library where he had fleet too after he had gotten one of the dangerous looks of Glorfindel again at the dinner. To think the situation over in peace before it got too much out of hand. The elf knew all too well how good he looked and how attractive he was to Faramir who had no idea how to defend himself from the growing advances of the elf. He was not even certain of it that he wanted to any longer. Oh, Faramir knew how to deflect unwanted attentions well enough but he had never been pursued like this or from a male and to top that even, from an elf before in his entire life.

Therefore, he was a little at a loss here of what he should do now.

This was how the late nemesis of Faramir found him there a short while later. Having asked around where the human had gone to when he saw Faramir retreat fast after dinner. Glorfindel knew it was time to up the ante a little more to get what he wanted. He had been subtle first, to lure the shy and intelligent man into his web.

By now, Faramir had to know full well, that he wanted him and was most likely confused like hell and trying to make sense of it all. The elf did know that if he wanted the man to give in, he could not to let Faramir think too much about it. Faramir’s own hidden desires would soon do the rest work for Glorfindel from all alone.

“Here you are. I thought that you had to be halfway on the way to Gondor already, from the look you gave me earlier.” He told the shocked human in a low voice when Faramir looked up at the intruder of his peace and found out that it was Glorfindel. Sitting down in the opposite seat of the human, Glorfindel tried to radiate calm and to keep his desires out of his eyes for once. After a few minutes, Faramir relaxed a little.

“It was never my desire to shock you this much, Faramir. It seems I went a little overboard, eh?” For a moment, Faramir eyed him skeptically before he nodded briefly. “A little I guess, although I should have seen it coming, didn’t I?” The Elda smiled softly at Faramir before he nodded and grew serious again. Bending forward slowly and resting his arms on his knees the elf fixed Faramir with his sapphire gaze.

“Maybe you should have but then again, I left you no chance to do so.” He told Faramir with simple honestly. The wide-eyed gaze of the man spoke volumes of his shock at that revelation. “You mean… you mean you did it on purpose this way to distract me from the real intentions? Why?”

Glorfindel smiled softly again but made no further move to breach Faramir’s personal space or to touch him in any way. From now on, he had to treat carefully or the Gondorian would bold at any given time.

“Why you ask? Simple, you would have run from me or would have hated me, or both even, if I had not done so. You were raised in Gondor and told all your life that such a thing like a male desiring another male is wrong. Faramir. The very reason why you accidentally got exiled is the same why you needed time to adjust to the mere thought that such a thing is not so unnatural at all. As a result, you would have run most likely if I had not done so and I did not want that to happen.

That and the little fact that I am an Elf and an Elda to boot. Those combinations alone are already enough to mix a bad blend out of it.

To be honest, I wanted you already when I first laid eyes on you, that day in Gondor. But I would have never said a word if had not found out that you are for one, attracted to males and females equally and two, that I had a chance to win you in the end. I would never have endangered your position in Gondor, Faramir. You were too dear to me already to do such even then. But since the things happened that did, I wanted to try it at last.” Glorfindel leaned back again carefully slowly and for a moment he looked out of the window next to them both before he looked again at Faramir who had listened to him first stunned and then thoughtfully in the last minutes.

“What exactly is it that you want from me, Glorfindel? I know nothing of such relationships, as well as you know. To be honest, I am at a complete loss of what to do, how to react and all else too! I will not lie, I do like you and surely, I have begun to desire you too. I know you have already known that or you would not have begun with this all in the first place.” He looked a little lost at the elf in front of him. “I am feeling bewildered and that a lots lately. From my own wants, from you…from everything I guess…” Faramir trailed off.

The elf just nodded calmly. He had not awaited anything less.

“I am aware. It does not wonder me either, Faramir, it is only natural for you to react this way. What is why I have sought you out today.” Glorfindel tried to look as harmless as he could what was quite a feat since he was a broad shouldered and muscular warrior that was a good head taller as the more slender and lean build Faramir to begin with. It was not that Faramir looked weaker as Glorfindel he just had not the stronger warrior build that his brother too had possessed and in the past, many had misjudged his strength and character because of this.

The elf did not undervalue Faramir in any way. He just did not want the man to feel threatened that was all. Glorfindel actually liked Faramir’s body just the way it was, with all the lean muscles the man had build over the years as a ranger and bowman in the wilds of Ithilien.

“Go On.” Faramir told the elf after a while. Well knowing that the other did want to ask him something. He just had no idea of what was currently running through Glorfindel’s mind. The elf gave him an evaluating look before he fixed Faramir’s gaze with his own. Blue and grey eyes stared intensely into the other to anchor the owners of the eyes.

“Please allow me to court you properly.”

To say that Faramir was shocked from the words was the understatement of the last millennium! Because those simple seven words made every intention that Glorfindel had regarding Faramir clear as day to the bewildered man in only seconds.

“What… I mean why?!” Faramir was it this time that bend forward to have a better look at the seemingly gone crazy, elf. “I am human, Glorfindel! Have you lost your mind? I will maybe live a hundred or more years longer than a normal human will and I know that I am young for one of my heritage but that still changes not the fact that I will die in a while and that you will not. You will be alone again, and even worst, you would be so until Arda is remade, you foolish Elf!”

The grin of the ‘foolish Elf’ in question grew bigger with every word of the progressively agitated growing Faramir. What seem to exasperate the poor man even more.

“Are you even listening to me?!”

Glorfindel opted for a simple nod instead to answer with words. Still grinning all the time. Faramir threw his hands in the air in his frustration. Did Glorfindel not see the logic in his words? He looked at the Elda again with a huff and then folded his arms with another. Glorfindel could be really infuriating if he wanted it to be, as Faramir became aware in this very moment, and that the elf was as stubborn as Faramir was it was sure too.

“Don’t think that I have not thought of that, Faramir. I am old and have seen such relationships in past before. Who do you thing Arwen went to, when she was questioning herself of what she should do? Not her Adar that’s for sure.” Glorfindel grew somber again. “Do you really believe that I have not thought this through? Now who is foolish here? Of course you know that I did it before and that is scaring you right now more than anything else, are I right?” Faramir thought a moment about that before he nodded hesitantly at Glorfindel. “That and that I still are right, Glorfindel.” He told the elf with a stubborn look that made Glorfindel smirk softly at the human.

“What is to expect from you, I would wonder if you were not stubborn in this. It is only rational as well as is your thinking in this, by the way. It did not escape me, be assured. We both know that this is so. Still, I want to do this. So give me an answer, what shall it be? Do I have your permission to court you or not, Faramir?”

Human and elf held the stare of the other for long, long minutes before Faramir finally looked out of the window with a sigh.

“You are not going down from this, don’t you, Glorfindel?” It was not really a question, more a statement of what both knew. Glorfindel did know that too and choose to stay silent to let Faramir come to terms with it in his own time. After what seemed to be hours, the human finally went his gaze back inside the room and down. Closing his eyes whilst rubbing the bone of his nose, the man finally carved in.

“How long are elven courtships take anyways? Maybe I am lucky and will die before something really serious does happen…”

At that, Glorfindel had to chortle against his will what ended into a full-blown laughter in the end. “You are horrible, you do know that Faramir, yes?” He finally told the unrepentant looking human across from him when he had calmed down a little. Faramir just nodded. “And no, I fear such courtships are only ill intended misinformation’s spread from those who tried to keep poor little elves and humans from each other in the past.” He told the man with mirth in the voice.

Faramir nodded. “I feared as much.” Looking at the ceiling the human contemplated again all over for a short while before he finally nodded sharply.

“You may!” And with those simple words, Faramir felt like he had sealed of his fate, although that he knew that this was just a silly thought.

When across him, Glorfindel grinned from ear to ear like the cat that had just swallowed the canary, Faramir suddenly asked himself idly if it had been a good idea to agree even knowing that it was too late to take his words now back.

It was midwinter when the first complains from Aragorn came in who wanted to have his counselor back. He informed them that he was currently removing that stupid law from the city and asked if Faramir maybe had an idea where certain documents could have wandered off too. What had Glorfindel grinning, Faramir shaking his head, Erestor huff and the twin’s outright laugh at his plight.

The master counselor of Imladris told his former pupil in short words to sort his own troubles out and to leave his new helper alone.

It needed only one week this time for the next message to arrive in Rivendell. In which Aragorn wanted to know how his counselor had suddenly become that of his brothers. In addition, that they should stop with it to try to steal the only ones that Aragorn had from him who could get the job done. Along with a longer rant at them all.

It had Glorfindel laugh that hard that he had tears in his eyes later.

Faramir just shrugged. If his liege wanted him back, then he had to solve the problem out himself this time. Besides, they needed his help here more at the moment and Aragorn had many advisors that he should get to work then if he needed help. With the final question, if it had been his fault that he was here in the first place, the answer was finally sent back to Gondor. Along, with Erestor’s inquire what Arwen did the entire day.

Faramir had enough on his plate already with the strange behavior of Glorfindel anyways in the late. The elf really had meant it when he had said, properly. At the same night, Faramir had found a package on his bed. Inside were a set of expensive robes and travel and house wear for him to wear when he was working and in private. The robes promptly had Erestor make comically round eyes and gap like fish at him the following day when he saw Faramir enter the office in one and they earned Faramir many strange comments and looks from the entire population of Imladris inhabitants that run over his way that day.

A set of fine and practical robes, made from heavy and fine spun silk to keep the chills of the winter away. All colored in the colors dark green and sky blue. With in gold treat hand-stitched small and exquisite looking golden flowers on the trimmings. Golden flowers of a sort that Faramir never had seen before in his life. Erestor hurried to give explanation to the confused man that he currently wore the colors of Glorfindel’s house around in Imladris for all to see and that the flowers had only ever grown in the fields of Gondolin and Aman and that they had given Glorfindel’s house in Gondolin its name.

The house of the golden flower.

“He could also have put a stamp on your forehead with the words; property of Glorfindel of Gondolin, hands off! It would have had the same effect with much less hassle!” The elf snorted. “A more blunt way to warn any other challenger off and that he is willing to bash the head in of any who is dense enough to try to challenge him, is most likely not possible to archive. What was he thinking?” Faramir just rubbed his face wearily and then smiled at the irritated advisor before he began to work.

It did not stay at the robes.

The next was an invitation to a dinner in private. Which Faramir promptly used to give the infuriating elf a piece of his mind about a certain set of robes that had half of Imladris grin at him all the time. Glorfindel just shrugged it off and retorted that they did get exactly the reaction that he had wanted them to get from certain people.

What had Faramir look at the elf in his confusion for a moment, had he missed something?

The next thing Glorfindel came up with was a ride through the snowy Rivendell. What ended into a snowball fight that Faramir won with throwing a snowball right into the tree branch hanging over Glorfindel’s head what made said tree promptly discharge his heavy load of snow onto the surprised Elf Lord who had not seen that coming at all. Under the laughter of the twins who were riding along the way the two had taken, back home just in time to see the entire thins happening. They too were it who helped Faramir to escape Glorfindel’s attempt on retribution.

The letter, which they had sent back to Gondor, got them an irritated Aragorn riding into the valley only two weeks later.

The King had not even dismounted fully from his horse when Erestor already gave him a lecture of how he was supposed to be in Gondor, solving his mess there out and not here. The surprised guards and advisors that he had brought with him could only watch openmouthed as the small looking elf cuffed Aragorn over the head and then drag their King away with him for another lecture.

Unsurprisingly no one volunteered to help him. The petite elf had shocked them all.

What had the elves who had watched the entire spectacle laugh and chortle in no time at all. Lindir finally took pity in the abandoned group and led them to their temporary rooms and out of the cold weather. Faramir, well the man was too busy watching the shouting match between Aragorn, Erestor, the twin Lords and Glorfindel in the main office from out of the safe distance of a corner of the room to that he had emigrated over when Erestor and his King had entered the room earlier.

To say that it was funny to watch them try to tear their respective heads off was an understatement!

That was until Aragorn unfortunately for Faramir turned and saw him leaning against the wall, clad in one of Glorfindel’s courting gift robes. What had the poor King sputter and stare at the alarmed Faramir for a few seconds.

Then all hell broke loose with one simple question asked from Aragorn in a thunderous voice.

“Why, in the name of the Valar, is my Steward wearing the colors of Glorfindel’s house, Erestor?!”

End of chapter one, please leave me a nice response if you liked it,

Love Suryallee^^

NB: Please do not distribute (by any means, including email) or repost this story (including translations) without the author's prior permission. [ more ]

Enjoyed this story? Then be sure to let the author know by posting a comment at https://www.faramirfiction.com/fiction/vengeance. Positive feedback is what keeps authors writing more stories!