Imladris, winter morning, present day
Lord Glorfindel enjoyed the atmosphere of the early mornings, when the mist from the mountains still hang low enough to engulf the elven refuge in a curtain of see-through fabric. It was quiet too, most of the inhabitants still asleep. The lord smiled: the scenery reminded him of a drawing in a children's book where a careless painter dropped water on their watercolors. Immaculate in its stillness but for a small shadow hovering just at the edge of his vision. The Lord closed his eyes and sighed internally
“If you wish to hide, that is not how one does it”
“If I wished to hide, you would never see me”
Glorfindel doubted that, especially since the person in question rarely, if ever, behaved discreetly in all the time she had been living in the refuge
“Good day Earcalie. What has you up and about so early in the morning?”
The elleth shrugged. “I was just strolling around the gardens. What about you?”
The ancient Lord did not move his gaze from the misty landscape. “Admiring the view. Contemplating life. Enjoying the silence. Taking some time for myself” he hoped the younger elf understood what he meant and leave him alone.
“That's what you used to do in Gondolin too? Before the war? Rather boring...”. Of course she didn't. He closed his eyes again and resigned himself to a not quiet morning.
“Yes. I considered it a blessing and still do, to be able to worry about nothing but what the weather will be like and if I will be able to go for a stroll or stay inside due to heavy rain with a roaring fire going”. Seeing that she was still staring at him and it looked like she was about to ask another question, he added: “Surely you already know what life in Gondolin was like from your parents?”
“Some things. But they never talked about it much”. Glorfindel nodded. He did not blame any of the survivors for not wanting to relieve memories of their beloved city, even if just for nostalgia instead of pain. He should know more than all!
“We were not at war for a very long time. And when we were... it didn't last long. But we knew that we were lucky. We had peace and prosperity for so many more years than anyone else in Beleriand. When you hear it said Gondolin was the Tirion east of the sea... those people mean it, in multiple ways ”.
“Alright... so how did the mighty Balrog Slayer spend his long days of peace before slaying Balrogs?”.
One might get offense at her wording if they did not know she did not mean anything malicious or in mockery. On the contrary, the elleth seemed to think that any elf old enough to have lived through the wars of Beleriand was some kind of hero or living legend. Naive youth, thought the Lord.
“When not on watch at the Gates, I liked to go for a stroll through the mountain passes. Ride in the grassland of Tumladen, play chess, listen to the street musicians, spar with my fellow captains... ordinary things”
She looked slightly disappointed, as if those were activities beneath someone like Glorfindel.
“What did you think I did? Hunt orcs every waking hour? Set out searching for dragons and Balrogs to slay? One was more than enough as you well know...”
“The songs and books painted a much more grandiose picture...” She said. Glorfindel sighed. “You romanticize the First Age too much”. He wasn't sure what this elleth was looking for. truly. He could guess, that being raised among people who lived side by side her heroes and having heard so much about their great feats she wished to emulate them. Blessed, naive youth indeed.
He wasn't unsympathetic about her wish, he could understand how for someone born at a time where the vast majority of her kin was leaving the very places she considered home, dragons were all but extinct and Balrogs... well he hoped none of those remained; finding a way to perform deeds of great valor and have songs written to be sung in the far future would basically be an unattainable dream. Yet...
“The amount of death, despair, hopelessness and dread that covered every inch of Beleriand until the Powers came from the West is not something I want to experience ever again, I do not wish anyone to live in constant fear day after day and I definitely do not wish for anyone to become a hero at the cost of their lives. There is nothing unworthy in helping your kin out in other ways, be it escorting caravans, keeping the Hithaeglir passes open, going on patrol... these ordinary deeds will also be remembered by the people you help and they'll be grateful to you for them. There is no need for you to become the next Balrog slayer”
“What about dragon slayer? I don't believe that they are all extinct”
Glorfindel pinched the bridge of his nose. Well... he tried to make her see reason, but if her own family couldn't... likely no one else could, not even Elrond himself.
“Whatever you are planning... don't be reckless. Don't go and get yourself killed is all I ask.”
“As if! I have no plans to go to Mandos anytime soon. How can I make a name for myself if I am stuck in his Halls?”
That did crack a smile on his lips. She reminded him of a very young Earendil running around the court of Turgon's palace pretending to play knight... but he'd never tell her else he put some lofty ideas in her head. The mist lifted as they talked, finally letting the first sun rays filter through and warm the soil.
“It is time I take my leave. Surely you have things to do as well. Have a good day Earcalie”. He nodded to her and wandered off, leaving her to her devices. He never really got used to the stares people gave him when he passed by, aware that despite what he said, he was considered by many a living legend... literally. He could only hope that nobody was so stupid to try and emulate him in any way... especially not fighting a Balrog one on one. Without tying the hair at least. Because that wasn't heroic. It was plain stupid, and he deply dislikes that the way he “slayed” the Balrog became his legacy.
