A Question of Numbers
Mar. 3rd, 2005 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sbyteTitle: A Question of Numbers
Author: Sbyte
Beta: keiliss – Thanks Sweetie
(All remaining mistakes are my own.)
E-mail: sbyte@emailaccount.com
Chapter 1/9
MPAA Rating: PG-13
EOAS Rating: Yellow (some innuendo)
Summary: Erestor gets a new room and a little help from his friends.
Characters: Erestor, Elladan, Elrohir and Elrond (Glorfindel/Elrond implied)
Disclaimer: This is all in fun, and definitely not my own. The elves and their world belong to J.R.R. Tolkien.
Warning(s): This is AU. Tolkien is no doubt spinning in his grave at the thought of his elves involved in a foursome.
Chapter One
When Erestor first arrived in Imladris, he had been given the suite of rooms adjoining Glorfindel’s. Erestor had asked only one thing of his neighbor. Due to his erratic schedule, he had asked that Glorfindel keep the noise level down if he entertained overnight visitors. Glorfindel had promptly assured him that this would never occur. His lover had died in Gondolin, and he could not visualize taking another. Erestor had been skeptical, but as months passed into years it seemed that Glorfindel had been serious.
With the passing of Celebrían to Valinor, life in Imladris changed. Elrond felt truly alone for the first time in centuries. Although his marriage with Celebrían had been one of political expediency, they had become quite fond of one another. Over the years they had even become close friends. Sex had been required, not desired, and after Arwen’s birth that part of their relationship had ended.
Her absence, however, left a gaping hole in Elrond’s life. Elladan and Elrohir left after a period of mourning, intent on avenging their mother on every orc that they could find. Arwen felt the need to be close to her grandmother, so departed for an extended stay in the Golden Wood.
This time marked a change in Glorfindel as well. After centuries of celibacy, he began seeking the pleasure of other elves. He began by occasionally asking elves to stay the night. His occasional guests became more and more frequent. It finally reached a point where he had an elf in his bed almost every night while in residence.
This wasn’t a problem until he began to get too energetic during his nightly entertainments. At first Erestor had tried to ignore the sounds that emanated from the next room. That became more and more difficult, until things finally reached unreasonable proportions. Erestor began losing sleep and growing irritated with his friend. He had tried to speak with Glorfindel about it, but the warrior had brushed it all off as hugely amusing. He tried banging on the walls for silence, but was totally ignored. The only let up occurred when Glorfindel was out on patrol. Erestor lived for the infrequent nights when the warrior was away from Imladris.
Others were aware of Glorfindel’s nightly activities, but they didn’t have to listen to them. Erestor and Glorfindel’s rooms were set away from the main corridors, so only Erestor got the full effect. Erestor had even sought out the twins’ rooms on the occasions when he just had to get some sleep. That option ended when the twins returned. While Erestor was overjoyed to see them, he mourned the loss of his retreat.
That was why he was stuck in his room, trying to sleep through yet another night of Glorfindel does Imladris…one elf at a time. He blocked out the moans and screams. When he heard something crash to the floor, he merely covered his head with the pillow. Then there was a hard THUD, followed by another and another.
/Oh great. He is going to take him against the wall. /
When that finally ended, Erestor thought he might be able to drift off. He was half way there when the headboard started to shake. Something was ramming into the wall, causing his headboard to knock and rattle in answer. It was the crash of a painting hitting the floor that had Erestor up and out of the bed. This was ridiculous. Tired and annoyed, he grabbed his pillow and morning robe and headed off in search of somewhere where he could pass a couple of hours in sleep.
The next morning, Elrond entered his office and was walking to his desk, when he registered something out of the corner of his eye. Stopping to look into the sitting room, he found his young councilor sound asleep on the divan. From the looks of it, he had been there all night.
Stepping out into the hall, he ordered breakfast and tea be brought before returning to wake the young elf. Kneeling down, Elrond quietly spoke Erestor’s name. This did not get a reaction, so he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and spoke to him a bit louder.
“Good morning, Erestor.”
It took Erestor a few moments to become aware of his surroundings. When he did wake, he was mortified. He was lying in his lord’s office on his divan in a skimpy robe that was little better than nothing, being woken by said lord long after he should have been at his desk.
“I can’t believe that I overslept.”
Elrond looked at the disheveled elf and smiled. Erestor was nearly two centuries younger than his sons. Once in a while, Elrond was reminded of that fact. This was one of those moments and he could not help but feel a bit of fatherly concern.
“Apparently you needed the rest.”
Elrond’s tone and mannerism put Erestor at ease. His lord was more concerned than annoyed, and for that he thanked Elbereth.
“I am sorry about this, but I could not sleep in my room last night.”
Eyebrows cocked as Elrond tried to figure out a reason why a hard divan would be more restful than a soft bed. He couldn’t imagine what would drive Erestor to forsake his bedroom in favor of the office.
“And this is better than your room?”
Erestor’s eyes were bright and his voice adamant when he exclaimed, “Infinitely!”
“Why?”
Erestor rolled his eyes.
“Glorfindel was entertaining last night…again. I gave up on sleep when something started ramming against the wall hard enough to cause my headboard to rattle. When one of my paintings crashed to the floor, I left in search of a place to rest for a time. I had only intended to spend a couple of hours, but your divan is more comfortable than I had guessed.”
“I think that you were more in need of sleep than you realized. Has this ever happened before?”
Erestor looked at Elrond with astonishment. “Ever? It has been going on for months. Last night was simply the first time that a painting actually hit the floor.”
Elrond was astonished and his face reflected the fact. He knew that Glorfindel had developed something of a reputation, but for the last two months only one elf had seen Glorfindel’s bed. He thought they had been discrete in using Glorfindel’s room. Perhaps they were rather enthusiastic…ok very enthusiastic…but he had no idea that they were rattling the walls! That they had progressed to property damage would have been much more amusing had it not been Erestor’s bedroom that suffered the brunt. It was apparent that he did not realize who Glorfindel had been entertaining.
Elrond covered a smug grin by clearing his throat. “Er hmm. I had noticed your fatigue, but laid it off to the increased workload. This is not acceptable. Right now though, let’s get you fed. Breakfast has been set up at my desk. While you eat, I’ll get you one of my robes.”
Erestor felt more refreshed than he had in weeks. He had actually enjoyed four uninterrupted hours of sleep. That he had been caught by Elrond sleeping late in his office was embarrassing, but it did not diminish his gratitude for having the first decent night’s sleep he had enjoyed since Glorfindel’s last patrol.
Elrond returned with one of his robes, and sat down to drink tea while Erestor ate.
“You said that this has been going on for months?” The look on Elrond’s face betrayed only a mild curiosity.
Erestor munched on a roll as he answered. “Yes. The sounds have escalated over the last two months. I am not even going to hazard a guess as to what some of them are. There is even a fine crack in the wall just beside my bed. I have *no* idea how he managed to do that, and I am certain that I do not want to know.”
Completely glossing over the fact that he knew very well what had occurred last night Elrond asked, “Have you ever spoken with him about this?”
“Yes, but he finds it more amusing than anything else. Pounding on the wall and door doesn’t work either. Sometimes they can’t even hear me. Other times, Glorfindel just ignores it.” Erestor was finishing his tea; not noting the change in Elrond’s mood.
When Erestor had finished his breakfast, Elrond motioned toward the robe he had fetched earlier. “Slip that on and go down the hall to your quarters. You can take your time. Bathe and change; I will speak with you in a couple of hours. There is something that I need to take care of.”
Elladan was returning from breakfast when Erestor left Elrond’s office. The sight of Erestor walking barefoot down the hall in one of his father’s robes sparked more than a little curiosity. He watched till Erestor turned the corner before altering course and heading down the hall to Elrond’s offices.
Elrond was seated at his desk. The remains of breakfast had not yet been cleared away, drawing Elladan’s eye and widening the mystery. “What is Erestor doing in your robe?”
“Erestor needed to borrow something to wear. He had to spend the night here. Glorfindel was too loud last night. In fact, I was hoping to speak with him. It totally slipped my mind that he left on patrol this morning. It will have to wait for his return this afternoon. I sent someone to bring me the painting that fell last night. If it is ruined, Glorfindel is going to have to replace it.”
Elladan grabbed a little cinnamon breakfast cake and dropped into one of the chairs across from his adar’s desk. “Now that you mention it, it was loud last night.”
“You heard?” Elrond paled. “What exactly did you hear?”
“I was passing down the corridor late last night and heard sounds coming from the hall leading to Glorfindel’s quarters. It is no wonder that Erestor couldn’t sleep through it.” Elladan had actually paused in the hall for a moment. He remembered wondering what was going on in there.
“My lord?” A young elf stood in the doorway with a ruined painting in his arms.
Elrond motioned with his hand for the elf to enter. “Come in.”
The elf shyly moved just inside the doorway. “My lord, I brought the painting, but…”
An eyebrow cocked as Elrond asked, “But?”
Nervously, the elf answered, “It is the room. Is the painting the only ruined item that you wish brought to you?”
“There is more?”
The young elf *really* did not like this assignment. It never paid to take problems to one’s superiors. Nothing good ever came of it. Elrond was waiting for an answer to his question, so he swallowed hard and replied, “Yes, my lord. We need to know what to do with the bookshelf. It will need repairs before it can…”
Elrond rose from his chair, with wide eyes. “The bookshelf? You are not telling me that the bookshelf is damaged, are you?”
The young elf winced before replying, “It was on the floor when I entered the room.”
Watching the elf lord’s facial expressions, he was glad he was not Erestor. He would hate to have to answer for that kind of damage. “Perhaps I should take a look at this myself.”
“That would be for the best, my lord.” Relieved to have this duty behind him, the young elf scurried off. Elrond’s intervention had taken this totally out of his hands, and he was incredibly glad of that fact.
Determined to judge the damage for himself, Elrond left for Erestor’s rooms, Elladan in tow. What he found amazed him. The bookcase was on the floor. A vase had shattered after presumably falling from a small table next to the bed. A fine crack was etched into the wall, just as Erestor had mentioned. The whole sight was one of devastation. Elladan and Elrond were stunned.
“What was he doing in there?” Elladan couldn’t imagine how Glorfindel could have caused this.
Elrond coughed, choosing not to address that little question. When the pair went next door, Elladan found some of his answers. A large desk was against the wall opposite Erestor’s headboard. It had very obviously been employed in a rather different manner than had been intended. The back edges were battered from use, and the wall marred from abuse.
As if he were talking to himself, Elrond mused, “The position of the desk certainly explains the rattling of the headboard and the broken vase. I suppose the painting might be explicable as well. Why did the bookcase fall over though? I don’t understand how something done in Glorfindel’s room could possibly have knocked it over.”
Elladan ran his hand along the tapestry covering the wall, and then repeated the process.
“What is this?” He lifted the tapestry, and gave a low whistle when he saw the wall behind.
“What is it?” Elrond pursed his lips in anticipation.
Elladan lifted the tapestry so Elrond could see an indentation in the wall. Something or someone had been pushed into the wall hard.
Elrond’s mouth dropped open.
“I can’t believe this.” He knew he had taken Glorfindel hard, but he had no idea he had used *that* much force.
Letting the tapestry fall back into place, Elladan asked, “What are you going to do?”
Elrond, looking decidedly uncomfortable, replied, “Right now, I am going to return to my office and draft orders for Erestor’s quarters to be converted into storage. The walls are obviously much too thin. No one should have live next to this.” Elrond wondered why he had not thought of this earlier. They would have so much more privacy.
When Elrond returned to his office, he drafted orders for the furniture in Erestor’s bedroom to be sent either for repair or storage, or to be disposed of altogether. He then drew up plans to shore up the wall, as it was obviously too thin. Supports would be added, and a stone wall erected on the side that had been Erestor’s.
That left the problem of finding quarters for Erestor. There was a possibility. A large room had been used to archive outdated books and scrolls. Otherwise, it had been a more or less vacant space since the building of the Last Homely House. It was larger than the other rooms designated for living quarters but it was available. The only other option was to convert a guest room. That was unacceptable. They sometimes ran short of room for guests as it was. Even had space not been an issue, they were removed from the main residence rendering them unsuitable.
Erestor was a relatively young elf and more sexually attractive than any elf had a right to be. Elves had sought his favors from the time he had arrived in Imladris. In the beginning it had been amusing to watch. However when elves began getting too aggressive in their pursuit, Erestor’s temper had emerged. Finally one of Glorfindel’s captains refused to take no for an answer. The resulting violence had left him in the healing wing for close to a month. It was not something that Elrond wanted to see repeated. The problem was that some elves had not gotten the message. To seclude Erestor would be to invite problems.
When Elrond told him that he was to be given new quarters, Erestor had been delighted. He was quick to assure Elrond that he was not choosy so long as it had a bed and bath. When he was told that he would occupy the large room down the hall from the twins, he was ecstatic. Hours were spent drawing up plans for its renovation into living quarters.
It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that it dawned on Erestor that he would have nowhere to stay until its completion. His mind immediately began running through possibilities. There was always the barracks, but Glorfindel might object. He could not turn his office into temporary living quarters, Elrond would never allow it. Erestor hesitated in approaching his lord, but had no choice.
“Lord Elrond, they began work just after lunch. I doubt that my room is livable by now. Can a guest room be temporarily assigned to me until my new quarters are completed?”
Elrond didn’t even look up before replying, “No. That will not work. We do not have the extra space to spare. We will have to find another arrangement.” Elrond had actually already addressed a possibility to his son, but that would have to be Elladan’s decision.
Elrond had taken him aside and explained Erestor’s predicament, going so far as to make a suggestion. After a moment’s consideration, Elladan had decided it to be workable. It was really a relatively simple answer to the problem, and the more he thought about it the better he liked the idea.
Having reached a decision, Elladan presented the idea to Erestor. “There is a bed in our chambers that isn’t being used. You could stay with us until the room is ready for you to move in.”
Elrond was pleased that Elladan had acquiesced. It made things much simpler.
“That would be perfect if you are not uncomfortable with the idea of sharing quarters with Elladan and Elrohir.”
The twins had been lovers for centuries. While he knew that Erestor was glad that his sons had found love in one another, sharing sleeping quarters might be a different matter altogether. He was not certain what he would do if Erestor did not agree.
Contrary to what Elrond might believe Erestor had always felt comfortable around the twins and their sometimes unrestrained displays of affection. While he was pleased that Elladan felt close enough to ask him to stay, Erestor hesitated to accept. He had absolutely no problem with the idea of sharing quarters with the twins, but there was another party to be considered. Instead of jumping at the opportunity, he answered with a question. “What will Elrohir think? Don’t you think you should ask him before volunteering the bed?”
“He will feel as I do. Come on; it will be fun.” Elladan then leaned over and whispered, “We will keep it down…promise.”
Erestor smirked. “In that case, I would love to claim the bed. It could indeed be quite entertaining.”
Elrond’s eyebrows rose a bit at that. He didn’t know what Elladan had whispered to Erestor, but made an educated guess that wasn’t far off the mark. Once their backs were turned, the Lord of Imladris rolled his eyes in a very unlordly manner, shook his head and sighed. The younger generation was just not what it used to be.
TBC...
Author: Sbyte
Beta: keiliss – Thanks Sweetie
(All remaining mistakes are my own.)
E-mail: sbyte@emailaccount.com
Chapter 1/9
MPAA Rating: PG-13
EOAS Rating: Yellow (some innuendo)
Summary: Erestor gets a new room and a little help from his friends.
Characters: Erestor, Elladan, Elrohir and Elrond (Glorfindel/Elrond implied)
Disclaimer: This is all in fun, and definitely not my own. The elves and their world belong to J.R.R. Tolkien.
Warning(s): This is AU. Tolkien is no doubt spinning in his grave at the thought of his elves involved in a foursome.
Chapter One
When Erestor first arrived in Imladris, he had been given the suite of rooms adjoining Glorfindel’s. Erestor had asked only one thing of his neighbor. Due to his erratic schedule, he had asked that Glorfindel keep the noise level down if he entertained overnight visitors. Glorfindel had promptly assured him that this would never occur. His lover had died in Gondolin, and he could not visualize taking another. Erestor had been skeptical, but as months passed into years it seemed that Glorfindel had been serious.
With the passing of Celebrían to Valinor, life in Imladris changed. Elrond felt truly alone for the first time in centuries. Although his marriage with Celebrían had been one of political expediency, they had become quite fond of one another. Over the years they had even become close friends. Sex had been required, not desired, and after Arwen’s birth that part of their relationship had ended.
Her absence, however, left a gaping hole in Elrond’s life. Elladan and Elrohir left after a period of mourning, intent on avenging their mother on every orc that they could find. Arwen felt the need to be close to her grandmother, so departed for an extended stay in the Golden Wood.
This time marked a change in Glorfindel as well. After centuries of celibacy, he began seeking the pleasure of other elves. He began by occasionally asking elves to stay the night. His occasional guests became more and more frequent. It finally reached a point where he had an elf in his bed almost every night while in residence.
This wasn’t a problem until he began to get too energetic during his nightly entertainments. At first Erestor had tried to ignore the sounds that emanated from the next room. That became more and more difficult, until things finally reached unreasonable proportions. Erestor began losing sleep and growing irritated with his friend. He had tried to speak with Glorfindel about it, but the warrior had brushed it all off as hugely amusing. He tried banging on the walls for silence, but was totally ignored. The only let up occurred when Glorfindel was out on patrol. Erestor lived for the infrequent nights when the warrior was away from Imladris.
Others were aware of Glorfindel’s nightly activities, but they didn’t have to listen to them. Erestor and Glorfindel’s rooms were set away from the main corridors, so only Erestor got the full effect. Erestor had even sought out the twins’ rooms on the occasions when he just had to get some sleep. That option ended when the twins returned. While Erestor was overjoyed to see them, he mourned the loss of his retreat.
That was why he was stuck in his room, trying to sleep through yet another night of Glorfindel does Imladris…one elf at a time. He blocked out the moans and screams. When he heard something crash to the floor, he merely covered his head with the pillow. Then there was a hard THUD, followed by another and another.
/Oh great. He is going to take him against the wall. /
When that finally ended, Erestor thought he might be able to drift off. He was half way there when the headboard started to shake. Something was ramming into the wall, causing his headboard to knock and rattle in answer. It was the crash of a painting hitting the floor that had Erestor up and out of the bed. This was ridiculous. Tired and annoyed, he grabbed his pillow and morning robe and headed off in search of somewhere where he could pass a couple of hours in sleep.
The next morning, Elrond entered his office and was walking to his desk, when he registered something out of the corner of his eye. Stopping to look into the sitting room, he found his young councilor sound asleep on the divan. From the looks of it, he had been there all night.
Stepping out into the hall, he ordered breakfast and tea be brought before returning to wake the young elf. Kneeling down, Elrond quietly spoke Erestor’s name. This did not get a reaction, so he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and spoke to him a bit louder.
“Good morning, Erestor.”
It took Erestor a few moments to become aware of his surroundings. When he did wake, he was mortified. He was lying in his lord’s office on his divan in a skimpy robe that was little better than nothing, being woken by said lord long after he should have been at his desk.
“I can’t believe that I overslept.”
Elrond looked at the disheveled elf and smiled. Erestor was nearly two centuries younger than his sons. Once in a while, Elrond was reminded of that fact. This was one of those moments and he could not help but feel a bit of fatherly concern.
“Apparently you needed the rest.”
Elrond’s tone and mannerism put Erestor at ease. His lord was more concerned than annoyed, and for that he thanked Elbereth.
“I am sorry about this, but I could not sleep in my room last night.”
Eyebrows cocked as Elrond tried to figure out a reason why a hard divan would be more restful than a soft bed. He couldn’t imagine what would drive Erestor to forsake his bedroom in favor of the office.
“And this is better than your room?”
Erestor’s eyes were bright and his voice adamant when he exclaimed, “Infinitely!”
“Why?”
Erestor rolled his eyes.
“Glorfindel was entertaining last night…again. I gave up on sleep when something started ramming against the wall hard enough to cause my headboard to rattle. When one of my paintings crashed to the floor, I left in search of a place to rest for a time. I had only intended to spend a couple of hours, but your divan is more comfortable than I had guessed.”
“I think that you were more in need of sleep than you realized. Has this ever happened before?”
Erestor looked at Elrond with astonishment. “Ever? It has been going on for months. Last night was simply the first time that a painting actually hit the floor.”
Elrond was astonished and his face reflected the fact. He knew that Glorfindel had developed something of a reputation, but for the last two months only one elf had seen Glorfindel’s bed. He thought they had been discrete in using Glorfindel’s room. Perhaps they were rather enthusiastic…ok very enthusiastic…but he had no idea that they were rattling the walls! That they had progressed to property damage would have been much more amusing had it not been Erestor’s bedroom that suffered the brunt. It was apparent that he did not realize who Glorfindel had been entertaining.
Elrond covered a smug grin by clearing his throat. “Er hmm. I had noticed your fatigue, but laid it off to the increased workload. This is not acceptable. Right now though, let’s get you fed. Breakfast has been set up at my desk. While you eat, I’ll get you one of my robes.”
Erestor felt more refreshed than he had in weeks. He had actually enjoyed four uninterrupted hours of sleep. That he had been caught by Elrond sleeping late in his office was embarrassing, but it did not diminish his gratitude for having the first decent night’s sleep he had enjoyed since Glorfindel’s last patrol.
Elrond returned with one of his robes, and sat down to drink tea while Erestor ate.
“You said that this has been going on for months?” The look on Elrond’s face betrayed only a mild curiosity.
Erestor munched on a roll as he answered. “Yes. The sounds have escalated over the last two months. I am not even going to hazard a guess as to what some of them are. There is even a fine crack in the wall just beside my bed. I have *no* idea how he managed to do that, and I am certain that I do not want to know.”
Completely glossing over the fact that he knew very well what had occurred last night Elrond asked, “Have you ever spoken with him about this?”
“Yes, but he finds it more amusing than anything else. Pounding on the wall and door doesn’t work either. Sometimes they can’t even hear me. Other times, Glorfindel just ignores it.” Erestor was finishing his tea; not noting the change in Elrond’s mood.
When Erestor had finished his breakfast, Elrond motioned toward the robe he had fetched earlier. “Slip that on and go down the hall to your quarters. You can take your time. Bathe and change; I will speak with you in a couple of hours. There is something that I need to take care of.”
Elladan was returning from breakfast when Erestor left Elrond’s office. The sight of Erestor walking barefoot down the hall in one of his father’s robes sparked more than a little curiosity. He watched till Erestor turned the corner before altering course and heading down the hall to Elrond’s offices.
Elrond was seated at his desk. The remains of breakfast had not yet been cleared away, drawing Elladan’s eye and widening the mystery. “What is Erestor doing in your robe?”
“Erestor needed to borrow something to wear. He had to spend the night here. Glorfindel was too loud last night. In fact, I was hoping to speak with him. It totally slipped my mind that he left on patrol this morning. It will have to wait for his return this afternoon. I sent someone to bring me the painting that fell last night. If it is ruined, Glorfindel is going to have to replace it.”
Elladan grabbed a little cinnamon breakfast cake and dropped into one of the chairs across from his adar’s desk. “Now that you mention it, it was loud last night.”
“You heard?” Elrond paled. “What exactly did you hear?”
“I was passing down the corridor late last night and heard sounds coming from the hall leading to Glorfindel’s quarters. It is no wonder that Erestor couldn’t sleep through it.” Elladan had actually paused in the hall for a moment. He remembered wondering what was going on in there.
“My lord?” A young elf stood in the doorway with a ruined painting in his arms.
Elrond motioned with his hand for the elf to enter. “Come in.”
The elf shyly moved just inside the doorway. “My lord, I brought the painting, but…”
An eyebrow cocked as Elrond asked, “But?”
Nervously, the elf answered, “It is the room. Is the painting the only ruined item that you wish brought to you?”
“There is more?”
The young elf *really* did not like this assignment. It never paid to take problems to one’s superiors. Nothing good ever came of it. Elrond was waiting for an answer to his question, so he swallowed hard and replied, “Yes, my lord. We need to know what to do with the bookshelf. It will need repairs before it can…”
Elrond rose from his chair, with wide eyes. “The bookshelf? You are not telling me that the bookshelf is damaged, are you?”
The young elf winced before replying, “It was on the floor when I entered the room.”
Watching the elf lord’s facial expressions, he was glad he was not Erestor. He would hate to have to answer for that kind of damage. “Perhaps I should take a look at this myself.”
“That would be for the best, my lord.” Relieved to have this duty behind him, the young elf scurried off. Elrond’s intervention had taken this totally out of his hands, and he was incredibly glad of that fact.
Determined to judge the damage for himself, Elrond left for Erestor’s rooms, Elladan in tow. What he found amazed him. The bookcase was on the floor. A vase had shattered after presumably falling from a small table next to the bed. A fine crack was etched into the wall, just as Erestor had mentioned. The whole sight was one of devastation. Elladan and Elrond were stunned.
“What was he doing in there?” Elladan couldn’t imagine how Glorfindel could have caused this.
Elrond coughed, choosing not to address that little question. When the pair went next door, Elladan found some of his answers. A large desk was against the wall opposite Erestor’s headboard. It had very obviously been employed in a rather different manner than had been intended. The back edges were battered from use, and the wall marred from abuse.
As if he were talking to himself, Elrond mused, “The position of the desk certainly explains the rattling of the headboard and the broken vase. I suppose the painting might be explicable as well. Why did the bookcase fall over though? I don’t understand how something done in Glorfindel’s room could possibly have knocked it over.”
Elladan ran his hand along the tapestry covering the wall, and then repeated the process.
“What is this?” He lifted the tapestry, and gave a low whistle when he saw the wall behind.
“What is it?” Elrond pursed his lips in anticipation.
Elladan lifted the tapestry so Elrond could see an indentation in the wall. Something or someone had been pushed into the wall hard.
Elrond’s mouth dropped open.
“I can’t believe this.” He knew he had taken Glorfindel hard, but he had no idea he had used *that* much force.
Letting the tapestry fall back into place, Elladan asked, “What are you going to do?”
Elrond, looking decidedly uncomfortable, replied, “Right now, I am going to return to my office and draft orders for Erestor’s quarters to be converted into storage. The walls are obviously much too thin. No one should have live next to this.” Elrond wondered why he had not thought of this earlier. They would have so much more privacy.
When Elrond returned to his office, he drafted orders for the furniture in Erestor’s bedroom to be sent either for repair or storage, or to be disposed of altogether. He then drew up plans to shore up the wall, as it was obviously too thin. Supports would be added, and a stone wall erected on the side that had been Erestor’s.
That left the problem of finding quarters for Erestor. There was a possibility. A large room had been used to archive outdated books and scrolls. Otherwise, it had been a more or less vacant space since the building of the Last Homely House. It was larger than the other rooms designated for living quarters but it was available. The only other option was to convert a guest room. That was unacceptable. They sometimes ran short of room for guests as it was. Even had space not been an issue, they were removed from the main residence rendering them unsuitable.
Erestor was a relatively young elf and more sexually attractive than any elf had a right to be. Elves had sought his favors from the time he had arrived in Imladris. In the beginning it had been amusing to watch. However when elves began getting too aggressive in their pursuit, Erestor’s temper had emerged. Finally one of Glorfindel’s captains refused to take no for an answer. The resulting violence had left him in the healing wing for close to a month. It was not something that Elrond wanted to see repeated. The problem was that some elves had not gotten the message. To seclude Erestor would be to invite problems.
When Elrond told him that he was to be given new quarters, Erestor had been delighted. He was quick to assure Elrond that he was not choosy so long as it had a bed and bath. When he was told that he would occupy the large room down the hall from the twins, he was ecstatic. Hours were spent drawing up plans for its renovation into living quarters.
It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that it dawned on Erestor that he would have nowhere to stay until its completion. His mind immediately began running through possibilities. There was always the barracks, but Glorfindel might object. He could not turn his office into temporary living quarters, Elrond would never allow it. Erestor hesitated in approaching his lord, but had no choice.
“Lord Elrond, they began work just after lunch. I doubt that my room is livable by now. Can a guest room be temporarily assigned to me until my new quarters are completed?”
Elrond didn’t even look up before replying, “No. That will not work. We do not have the extra space to spare. We will have to find another arrangement.” Elrond had actually already addressed a possibility to his son, but that would have to be Elladan’s decision.
Elrond had taken him aside and explained Erestor’s predicament, going so far as to make a suggestion. After a moment’s consideration, Elladan had decided it to be workable. It was really a relatively simple answer to the problem, and the more he thought about it the better he liked the idea.
Having reached a decision, Elladan presented the idea to Erestor. “There is a bed in our chambers that isn’t being used. You could stay with us until the room is ready for you to move in.”
Elrond was pleased that Elladan had acquiesced. It made things much simpler.
“That would be perfect if you are not uncomfortable with the idea of sharing quarters with Elladan and Elrohir.”
The twins had been lovers for centuries. While he knew that Erestor was glad that his sons had found love in one another, sharing sleeping quarters might be a different matter altogether. He was not certain what he would do if Erestor did not agree.
Contrary to what Elrond might believe Erestor had always felt comfortable around the twins and their sometimes unrestrained displays of affection. While he was pleased that Elladan felt close enough to ask him to stay, Erestor hesitated to accept. He had absolutely no problem with the idea of sharing quarters with the twins, but there was another party to be considered. Instead of jumping at the opportunity, he answered with a question. “What will Elrohir think? Don’t you think you should ask him before volunteering the bed?”
“He will feel as I do. Come on; it will be fun.” Elladan then leaned over and whispered, “We will keep it down…promise.”
Erestor smirked. “In that case, I would love to claim the bed. It could indeed be quite entertaining.”
Elrond’s eyebrows rose a bit at that. He didn’t know what Elladan had whispered to Erestor, but made an educated guess that wasn’t far off the mark. Once their backs were turned, the Lord of Imladris rolled his eyes in a very unlordly manner, shook his head and sighed. The younger generation was just not what it used to be.
TBC...
