Chapter 12-Year 1489

“ Daddy,” a giggling girl with a head full of Shirley Temple curls, though longer, pounced on Glorfindel’s back.

Glorfindel smiled at her. Annalin had grown well into her teens, a beautiful girl, but not like Arwen. Arwen, his second daughter, as he called her, far exceeded in grace and beauty.

“ And how is my Annalin?” Glorfindel grinned at her.

“ She is fine. Lord Elrond asked me to find you. He is not in a good mood,” Annalin replied.

“ What did you do?” Glorfindel asked.

Annalin had taken to Elrohir, learning from him his ways of tricks and such. She had scared Glorfindel to death a few times with her pranks.

“ Nothing,” Annalin’s eyes widened in innocence.

“Except scare me half to death. I thought she had cut herself, but it was only berries,” Elrond answered, walking up.

“ Elrond,” Annalin wailed.

“ Get you to your mother, Anna,” Glorfindel shook his head.

Annalin nodded, running out.

“ What is it?” Glorfindel asked.

Working with Elrond for so many centuries had enabled him to read the lord like a book. Elrond was worried.

“ Arnor has been invaded by the Witch-king, or so we believe. I am sending you, Elladan, Elrohir and as many as I can muster to help the troops of Gondor,” Elrond answered.

“ When do we leave?” Glorfindel asked.

“ Tomorrow morning.”

~*~

Êlenrana found Glorfindel packing.

“ Where are you going?” she asked.

“ Arnor. It has been invaded and I am to lead the troops,” Glorfindel answered.

Annalin watched from the door, not daring to make a sound.

“ Be safe,” Êlenrana whispered.

Glorfindel turned, engulfing her in his arms. Êlenrana buried her face in his chest.

“ I will come back, Êlenrana,” he promised.

“ You will,” Êlenrana nodded, and then fled.

Annalin could see the struggle in her father’s eyes. He was torn between duty and his wife. His threw his bow onto the bed, running after his wife. Annalin sighed in relief, turning to go find Arwen.

~*~

Êlenrana tucked her knees under her chin. A soft shawl fell around her uncovered arms.

“ I do not want to go either,” he whispered.

Êlenrana turned, sorrow once again plain in her eyes.

“ I know,” she seized his mouth with hers.

Glorfindel let her control the kiss. His mind traveled back to their first kiss and he deepened it, exerting more of the passion that dwelt in him.

“ Come,” Êlenrana led him into their bedchamber.

Glorfindel hungrily attacked her lips.

“ Slow, Herven. We have plenty of time,” Êlenrana whispered, “ I want you to remember this.”

She pushed off his outer tunic and shirt, her hands flitting about his trousers, causing him to moan in pleasure. Êlenrana kissed him open mouthed, letting the sensuality take over.

“ I’m all yours,” she whispered.

Glorfindel’s slim fingers worked on her dress with a quickness that made her laugh.

“Patience, Glorfindel, Patience,” she whispered.

“ No, my love, not this time,” he replied, silencing her with a kiss.

~*~

Glorfindel walked out with Êlenrana. Their hands were intertwined as they approached the waiting armed Elves. She kissed his cheek softly.

* Be careful. Though you know your fate, do not flaunt it. Cockiness only leads to death.

* Thank you for those comforting parting words, Love.

Êlenrana pushed him off towards his horse with a grin. Glorfindel looked back at her with a grin, before mounting beside Elrohir.

“ And I thought unwed couples were worse. Proved me wrong,” Elrohir muttered.

“ Wait until a maiden catches your eye,” Glorfindel replied.

Elrohir smiled only slightly, but Glorfindel caught the dreamy look. He hoped he had not looked like such a sap when he had first courted Êlenrana. Glorfindel smiled. He would have to question Elrohir about this lady.

~*~

They were there. The cries of battle could be heard. Glorfindel crested the hill first.

“ Tangado a chadad (Establish to hurling),” Glorfindel cried, his clear voice reigning over the sounds of war.

Elladan and Elrohir rode up beside him.

“ Orders, sir?” Elrohir’s serious voice made Glorfindel think for a second that Elrond had joined them.

“ Fight and be safe. Your father will murder me if an arrow touches your scrawny hides. Get on,” Glorfindel spurred his horse away.

His horse was shot from beneath him, but that was a mere setback to Glorfindel. This was his domain, this battlefield. He excelled at warfare and fighting. His keen eyes spotted an outnumbered man. Glorfindel suddenly remembered Gil-Galad’s fate and ran towards the warrior, slicing orcs left and right. The enemy was growing few now. Many of the orcs were retreating.

“ I am Eärnur, Captain of Gondor,” the man said as they retreated out of the fighting, “ Do you know who led this troop of Elves?”

“ Twould be I, Glorfindel of Imladris. Lord Elrond sent us,” Glorfindel said.

“ I thank you and your lord. We were outnumbered vastly until you came,” Eärnur nodded, “ This way.”

The 2 found horses awaiting them at a nearby camp, not too far from the main fighting.

“ Sir, what’s that?” a soldier pointed.

Glorfindel shaded his eyes.

A rider on a black horse dressed and masked in black galloped towards them. He stopped in the middle of the battlefield. Both men and orcs stopped fighting, moving away. Eärnur pushed his horse forward towards it, stopping but a little ways from the black rider. Glorfindel did not notice Elladan and Elrohir approach on their horses, his eyes fixed on the rider, the Witch-king.

The witch-king assessed the field, seeing they were losing. He turned his empty hate-filled eyes upon Eärnur. With a screech of anger, he turned his horse upon the man, drawing his sword. Eärnur stood strong, but his horse bolted away, fearful of the evil the Witch-king had. The shrill cry of laughter, which sounded like nails on chalkboard, struck fear into the hearts of all men. Glorfindel’s mind was busy uttering elvish magic to hear the grating sound. The witch-king approached the camp where many of the soldiers had retreated. Glorfindel drew his sword. Elladan nudged Elrohir; both of the twin’s eyes open wide.

No longer was Glorfindel dressed in the drab gear of war, but the lord shone. From his eyes burnt the fire that dwells with Eru. The witch-king was still laughing when he caught sight of the lord and stopped. Glorfindel’s white horse reared in a warning. The witch-king turned with another shrill shriek of laughter and flew from there, not wishing to deal with an angry Elf-lord. Eärnur began to pursue him, but Glorfindel’s horse cut in front of the captain’s.

“ Do not pursue him. He will not return to this land. Far off is yet his doom and not by the hand of a man will he fall,” Glorfindel said.

The man turned his horse away angrily, riding in the opposite direction. Glorfindel watched him go.

“ What is his problem?” Elladan asked, pulling up his horse beside Glorfindel’s.

“ He wishes for vengeance that he will not have,” Glorfindel answered, turning his horse, “ The witch-king will be the death of him.”

And many years would pass before his prediction came true.

~*~

Êlenrana sat in the library, reading a book alone, and resting it on her stomach, her large stomach to be exact. She was pregnant again and this time had not known until Glorfindel was well on his way. Arwen entered with Annalin, the 2 like peas in a pod.

“ Do you think-” Annalin began.

“ They’re here. They’re home,” Elrond ran by telling.

The 2 girls turned to run out, but not before Êlenrana stopped them.

“ Say nothing to anyone of my condition, especially your father. Tell him I wait in the library,” Êlenrana ordered.

The girls nodded.

~*~

Elrond met the army, watching the weary warriors dismount and rest.

“ Glorfindel, how did it fare?” Elrond asked.

“ The Witch-king was driven out. Your sons fought well,” Glorfindel answered, watching the twins glow under his praise.

“ Is this so?” Elrond asked, “ Well, it seems that I have no choice but to send my 2 Elf-lord sons off more often.”

“ Elf-lords?” Elladan’s eyes widened.

“ If you do not wish the title,” Elrond began.

“ Thank you, Father. This is a great honor,” Elrohir cut in with a smile.

“ Elrohir, for you, I have received many letters from Princess Kalaina from Mirkwood,” Elrond sent his son an inquiring glance.

“ Isn’t that nice of her?” Glorfindel nudged Elrohir with a knowing smile.

Elrohir’s face flamed a fiery red under their teasing.

“ Daddy,” Annalin ran into his arms.

Arwen approached, hugging her brothers.

“ Where is your mother?” Glorfindel asked, scanning the faces.

“ In the library waiting for you,” Annalin answered.

Glorfindel turned to hurry off.

“ Why didn’t she come out? Is she ok?” Elrohir asked worriedly.

“ You shall see at dinner. Go wash up,” Elrond replied.

“ Elf-lords now and I still feel like I’m only 200,” Elrohir grinned, before joining up with his brother to talk animatedly all the way inside.

“ They will be surprised, eh, selleth (daughters)?” Elrond escorted them towards the house, “ What I would give to see Glorfindel’s face.”

~*~

Glorfindel entered the library, closing the door behind him. He spied her golden locks on the other side of a rack of books and went to sneak up on her. Êlenrana heard him, but made no movement. His arms slid around her, expecting to find her small. Glorfindel pulled back in surprise.

“ You returned safe,” Êlenrana said.

“ And you have changed,” Glorfindel replied, sitting beside her.

“ Tis your child. You were well on your way when it came to my attention,” Êlenrana said.

“ What does Annalin think?” Glorfindel asked.

“ She is excited. What does her father think?” Êlenrana replied.

“ He is overjoyed to have returned safely to find his family about to grow,” Glorfindel whispered.

“ I am glad,” Êlenrana rested herself in his arms.

~*~

“ Nana,” the golden haired toddler stretched his pudgy hands out to Êlenrana.

“ What is it, Glórhen?” Êlenrana easily lifted him up.

Along with having gold hair, the toddler had inherited eyes of an exquisite gray with gold lining the edges, leading them to call him Glórhen, gold eyes. The little boy merely cuddled up to her. Êlenrana smiled, cradling him. Her sad eyes surveyed the forests she could see from the window. She let a gentle wind caress her face as she closed her eyes. It was growing.