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2938

She stopped short, motionless after her mouth fell open. It could not be. In the courtyard, a crowd formed to greet the recent arrival, every face smiling except for one -- to Gilraen's knowledge, even elvish horses could not smile.

After a bout of basking in admiration, the beast stepped forward to pause at the base of the stairs. Not fully grown, Gilraen estimated his age at two years, though he moved with the grace of a steed tried and proven. Raising and turning his head, he eyed her; such was the intelligence in his gaze that when he blinked, Gilraen could not differentiate it from a wink. It could not be. Yet no other horse had ever regarded her in such a way.

"Asfaloth!" cried an Elf from behind. A blur of golden hair went by, with laughter like a ringing of bells. "Asfaloth!"

Incredulous, Gilraen watched as Glorfindel descended the stairs to embrace the young stallion. Looking up towards her, tears shone on his bright face, tears of joy. In no rush, he fussed over the animal, inspecting every joint and limb, exclaiming his satisfaction all the while. Finally, he leapt away. "Come, Asfaloth, come! You journeyed long to reach home, and long shall be your reception." He walked backwards then, speaking of carrots, combing, and all manner of equine indulgences.

The horse followed, nudging playfully at the Elf's center, but paused once Glorfindel had turned to proceed forward. Unobserved, save to Gilraen, the steed glanced back at her, nickered with a toss of his head, and sprinted off to rejoin his master.

Decided then, she headed down the stairs. A few Elves remained below, chatting amongst themselves of Glorfindel's happiness, Asfaloth's return, and something about Gondolin that Gilraen did not understand. She heard nothing indicative of surprise in particular; she never had. How uncomfortable she would become, the times Estel mentioned Asfaloth and his impeding return, more so that Elf after Elf humored her son unhesitatingly, even Elrond. Or so she had thought.

On winding paths through gardens and structures, she made her way to the training grounds, then the sparring ring. There, a few pairs were amid mock combat, while several Elves lingered near the surrounding benches. She sought out a familiar face, and approached Telmoth.

Estel once asked the Elf why Glorfindel mourned if he would meet Asfaloth again. "Because it is his way," she had said, "but for that reason I mourn not, and I think neither should you."

Gilraen waited for Telmoth's attention, and tried not to think of the sleep she had not lost these past years, or how she owed no apologies this day, or what teasing she would inflict upon Gilraen later.

"Aye, like timid maidens," the Elf was saying to another as they surveyed the proceedings. Telmoth acknowledged Gilraen with a nod at last, and seemed to dismiss her similarly. "It is noon. Elrond should be in his library."

"After he and my son return from foraging for herbs, perhaps." The Elf gave a short huff, which Gilraen endeavored not to make her repeat. "But might you know where Elrond's firstborn enjoys himself today, if not in your own fine company?"

Telmoth's eyelids lowered, and she made a strange movement: Gilraen likened it to how Estel might hug himself for a job well done. "Indeed, he was here earlier, when the elders had the field, though he left before I could wound aught other than his pride. I would look to find him at the nearest bathing spring."

"Ah, well, I would not." At the Elf's raised brow, Gilraen found her fingernails very interesting. "Would not disturb him, I mean. Mayhap you know of his plans for this evening?"

"I have not seen him in the evening for all this season."

Neither had Gilraen, and remembering how unpredictably Elrond's sons were known to depart, she resolved to seek him out sooner than later. She left Telmoth and her companion debating the difference twixt subterfuge and technique. Elladan was not present at the first or second site visited, and according to those Elves singing with the water and each other, he had not been observed coming or going. By the third, Gilraen approached and paused only near enough to hear splashing; when no songs followed, she continued along the path. Ahead, the trail wound sharply around an outcropping of rock. Gilraen did not frequent the springs, but remembered that this pool lay just opposite the bend. Bypassing the boulder, she stood with her back to the turned path, so that the bather would be aware of her presence but invisible to her.

Soundless moments later, she heard, "What are you doing?"

"I had hoped to speak with you," she answered, recognizing Elladan's voice.

"Then come over, lest we go hoarse from shouting."

As the noises of splashing resumed, she obligingly took a few steps closer, backwards. "Forgive my intrusion, I feared to miss you in the evening. Might we set time aside to speak sometime later, before you next take leave?"

"Why not now?"

She sighed silently. Despite years residing in an elvish household, publicly bathing in appropriate nudity remained a strange custom to her. Likewise, some Elves had remarked upon her reservations as seeming no less peculiar to them. Presently, she suspected that Elladan was just being contrary.

"Asfaloth has returned."

The water went quiet again. Bracing her modesty, Gilraen turned, shading her eyes from the sun with one hand. His gaze drifted from the surrounding greenery to the sky, stopping squarely upon her. "And this surprises you."

"Well, yes. So I came to--" she found herself shifting as his eyes did not, "to make amends." Suddenly he shrugged, and emerged with barely enough warning for Gilraen to avert her already heated face. His voice came from farther away.

"Then this surprises me. I had not realized that we were at odds."

Though tempted, she did not admit her difficulty to be certain either, judging by his moods alone. "Two years ago, you consoled my son when Asfaloth-- died. Do you recall?" When no reply came, she turned again. Elladan laid spread out to dry on a smooth rock in the sun. Seeing as much, she promptly looked back away, assuming that he had nodded in answer rather than fallen asleep. "I was short with you, believing you had misled him. But you were right, in all that you said. I did not understand, still I do not."

Another silence lengthened, until Gilraen glanced over to see Elladan raised on his elbows, unsmiling as he regarded her. Guessing his unspoken complaint, she neared. He reclined then, saying, "In my lifetime, I have ridden and buried countless horses, though never one quite like Asfaloth. As told by Glorfindel, he is an elvish horse of ancient lineage, born first in the Undying Lands and come to Arda before the sun. Throughout the Ages, he has died both on the field of battle, and as you saw, at the end of his natural life. In either case, he ever returns at his leisure. More than that, I cannot explain."

"I wish you could." She thought for a moment, musing aloud, "It must have something to do with his living here, in an elvish realm. Elsewhere, horses are not reborn--"

"How can you be certain? Has no foal of your acquaintance been faster to learn, more eager to serve, less liable to err?"

"Of course, but--"

"Have you never asked them of themselves?"

First dismissing the question as a jest, she reconsidered to say, "I do not have that ability, to converse with animals."

"Like I said, Glorfindel and Asfaloth were companions since before time passed as we count it now, so one should expect their bond, but it is a rare beast who retains naught that--" she heard a scattering of pebbles. He had sat up facing her, both feet on the ground. "Say you what?"

"I cannot talk to animals."

"My father said you were foresighted, in the manner of Elf-kind. I had assumed--" Sounding initially puzzled, he ended simply, "Well, no matter."

From the edge of her vision, she saw Elladan standing up; after catching a welcome glimpse of cloth, she chanced to look fully. He pulled a tunic over his head -- first shaking the tunic, then his head, both a bit bemusedly. She cleared her throat. "So, Asfaloth, he is reborn, and makes his way home as he pleases."

"So he tells us." He went rigid before sighing in a groan. She could only guess that he had meant not to speak again of what beasts have to say for themselves. "Does your son know?"

"Maybe, by now." When it appeared that he made ready to leave, she extended her hand, as she had seen others do under these circumstances. "I had thought of myself as so clever to evade the subject, should it ever arise. Yet the last time Estel spoke of Asfaloth, asking when I supposed he would return, I answered that I supposed he would not. I mean to apologize to my son, for my pessimism. But now, I wish to apologize to you, for my mistake."

He seemed to deliberate; also to soften. "Just be mindful not to let this incident lead you to gullibility. Some of these Elves are not above pranks, and those so inclined prey upon trustfulness." She wondered why a smile came to him as he grasped her by the arm. "All is well." His smile broadened, until he laughed.

"What?"

"This," he shook her arm, "transpired traditionally amongst brothers in arms, though these days any ner will take the liberty. However, the nissi always have and still embrace."

"I see. What of me then?"

"Evidently something in between, which is why I laughed. Look here, this is the wrong arm you offered."

"Hm, what a fine apology to waste. And I thought myself so clever." She frowned upon their clasped arms. "But it is a gesture of contrition, yes?"

"It is. And an apology once accepted in any form cannot be withdrawn. Though you may have your hand back."

Side by side, they began to follow the trail. "So many customs to heed; and this one creates a predicament for your line. Which hand do the Half-elven offer?"

"Ah, we exempt ourselves by winking instead; the nuances of which make apologizing to your kind somewhat of a trial -- twixt the men, especially."

She laughed, more at his oddness than the jest. Then realizing that Elladan had done the same after her blunder, she laughed anew.

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Notes:
*Asfaloth is the canonical horse of Glorfindel in the time of LOTR. That Asfaloth was a horse of Valinor and the concept of animal reincarnation as presented herein are not canonical elements.
*Ner means male elf (neri plural), the equivalent of man/men; nis means female elf (nissi plural), the equivalent of woman/women.
*The customs Elladan describes (and jokes about) are not canonical elements.

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