Glorfindel had been standing at the front gate to Imladris for far longer than he would have liked early in the morning. Still, he had to wait so he could greet Thranduil and his party. The commander let out a growl and tapped his fingers on his sword. Normally he wasn't the impatient type, but waiting for someone he didn't want to see made it that much worse.

"Do you know when he was scheduled to arrive, Commander?" Maethorion stood, his back up to a tree. He was polishing off his sword with a small piece of cloth. "We might end up standing here all day long."

"I hope not, Maethorion. Standing here all day would take from the celebration!" He looked back to his second in command with a tired smile. Tonight was the last night. Tonight was the night that everyone drank, sang, and made fools of themselves. Tonight is when bad desisions are made and the prices are paid in the morning. "Besides, Lord Elrond told me here would be here well before the lunch hour."

"The lunch hour is well away, commander."

"Wonderful. Maybe he'll be here then." Glorfindel rubbed Asfaloth on her muzzle, glancing up every few seconds to see they were silently approaching. Maethorion looked around as if there was something hiding around a corner that they couldn't see. Glorfindel couldn't lie, he felt the same.

The wind russled the silver bells on the harness of Asfaloth, a sweet sound floating on the wind. His golden locks were pushed around in the breeze along with Maethorion's silver hair. Glorfindel grumbled and began to pace, but before he got far into his new way of wasting time there was the sound of hooves on hard stone.

"I think they're here, commander." Maethorion looked to Glorfindel with worried look. The commander gave a snort before straightening out his robes and other clothing items. Just as his second has said, the party of Thranduil could be seen riding down the hill. The two glanced over at each other and reached a silent agreement. They climbed a top their steeds and waited for the horses, and elk, to come down to the valley.

Thanduil's elk could be see in the center of the group. It's large antlers made it the easiest of all of the animals to  spot. Though, it was well know that he did not ride a horse. Glorfindel tapped Asfaloth on the flank and the white steed walked forward a little. Maethorion's steed, a stallion that looked of pure silver, walked up to their side.

Glorfindel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering the manners that he would have to execute during this time. The horses of the King came faster than Glorfindel had thought, their pounding hooves making a sound that rang in the commander's ears.

"Lord Glorfindel, what an honor it is!" The elk rode up and the others moved aside. Thranduil the 'Elven King' rode up. The King was known for his stunning looks and political power. He was wearing light robes that were for a Lord, not really a King. In front of him sat an elfling that shared his hair and had his mother's eyes.

"Ah, King Thranduil." Glorfindel knelt his head, which was all he could do on horseback. "The honor of this meeting belongs to me." He looked up and gave the King and bright smile that was anything but real. "I am here to take you to the city."

"So, does Elrond think I am so witless that would get lost in his little valley?" Glorfindel held back the urge to snap that he was the Lord and that he should address him as such. "Don't answer that, I'm sure Elrond has the best of intentions." The Woodland King gave Glorfindel a kind smile that the commander was sure he could see through.

"I see you brought someone else with you." Glorfindel looked at the boy on the elk and raised an eyebrow. He was surely the Prince of Greenwood, but Glorfindel didn't like to assume.

"Ai, my manners seem to be out of line. This is my son and heir, Legolas." Legolas waved shyly from the back of the elk. Thranduil looked at Maethorion and then back to Glorfindel. "I'm afraid I do not know who you have with you, Lord Glorfindel."

Glorfindel turned and looked at his second, wondering if Thranduil was now playing a game with him because he did not know the prince. "This, King Thranduil, is my Second-in-Command Maethorion Uilosbenion." Maethorion inclined his head like his commander,

"It is an honor, your grace." Thranduil's lips curved into a smile at the end of the sentence, but it had left the moment Maethorion looked up again. The King went back to a kind smile, the kind that any kind King would have.

"The honor is mine, to be escorted by such royalty." Glorfindel could feel the muscles in his stomach tighten. 

"Speaking of escorts, let us be on our way King Thranduil." The King made no response but only nodded, signalling for his guards to follow the two warriors. Glorfindel  knocked his heels to Asfaloth's flank again and the mare began back down the hill to the valley basin below. 

They rode down and down and down the path. For a long time the only sound was of hooves upon stone, until Thranduil rode up right  next to the commander. "Do tell me Lord Glorfindel, how fares your Lord? I heard some very," The King paused. "Gruesome, rumours."

"Lord Elrond is perfectly fine, your grace. After all, rumours are just rumours."

"Ah, it's good to hear that he did not do... any of the things that I heard about." Glorfindel could feel himself tense. He didn't want to talk about what had happened, besides, it wasn't his story to share. If Thranduil wanted to know, he would have to ask the Lord directly.

"Isn't it?" His voice was soft and the comment was more or less to himself. The silence began to take over once again, though it seemed that the two Greenwood guards were speaking to one another. Glorfindel wasn't one to eavesdrop, and he wasn't sure if her wanted to hear what they were talking about anyways.

As they rode down, not far from the gates at all, the princeling, Legolas spoke up. "You're Glorfindel? Glorfindel of Gondolin?" The commander looked over into big grey eyes that were filled to the brim with curiosity. 

"Aye, I am. I tend to be called Glorfindel of Imladris now." He smiled at the young boy. If there was one thing Glorfindel was good at, it was being around children. Even so, he had never had any of his own.

"Oh." Legolas looked up to his father as if the King had tried to grab his attention, but as far as Glorfindel could see the King had done nothing of the sort. Still, he wouldn't put 'keeping his son away from the Noldos' far from the King's list of things here would do here.

The company of Elves rode up to the front gates were their mounts were taken to the pastures. They stood in the main part of the city, looking around at the buildings and the nature. "Ah, King Thranduil. You seem to have made it here fine." Elrond walked out of the doors, dressed in blue and silver with Lindir by his side. That was how it always was when Glorfindel wasn't there. "The journey went well I would hope."

"Lord Elrond! It really is a honor to see you again. It does look that my company had made it here with the," Thranduil cleared his throat, "exception of problems." He gave the Lord of the Valley a dazzling smile. "The trip went quite well, no one got lost and we made it here with time to spare."

"Wonderful. I would think you and your company would like to rest after such a long ride-"

"Perhaps my company might, but I find that I must speak with you before I do anything else here in this city. I presume we could meet right now?" Elrond looked and around the area, he seemed more uncomfortable than when he walked out the doors.

"I... I suppose we could meet now." Elrond looked back to the building in which his room was. He normally acted very open with the people that rode into the city, but he seemed very closed off and very unnerved. "If you would come with me, your grace. Lindir will take the others to their rooms." Thranduil bent down and whispered something in his son's ear and the little prince nodded before running off to join the warriors.

"Of course, Lord Elrond." Thranduil ascended the steps with long and graceful strides to meet the Lord at the top before they both disappeared through the doors. Glorfindel thought it was odd how he had gone from saying 'Elrond' to 'Lord Elrond' depending upon who was there. Maybe it was something else, the commander wasn't one to know such things.

"Please follow me, my good warriors." Lindir beckoned for the rest of the King's party to follow him and they did so with pleasure. That left Glorfindel and Maethorion alone in the main gateway. Maethorion walked over to his side, his sword making a thump on his leg as he walked.

"I knew he was asking for favours." The second in command looked to the doors with suspicious eyes. "I wonder what he plans to ask Lord Elrond and I wonder what the reward is for completing it or the penalty for refusing."

"I doubt he'll tell Lord Elrond the penalty, that's something he would keep secret unless it's absolutely necessary." Maethorion sighed.

"I know. I still fear for what he is going to ask Lord Elrond to do. I'm afraid it will be more than we can handle. After what happened only a few weeks ago-"

"That is not this. What happened this was not rule threatening."

"It was commander, what if he had died-" Glorfindel held up his hand and Maethorion stopped, quickly realizing what he had said. "My apologies, commander, I shouldn't have said anything." The second in command bowed before jogging up the stairs and going through the doors. Trying to get away from the awkward situation as fast as possible.

Glorfindel sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if Elrond had been killed. Something inside him said he would be with him now matter where he had gone at the end off what had happened. 

Still, he had a bad feeling that where he and Elrond ended up next could be the last place they go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, Thanduil's here. Great. Glorfindel's paranoid. Wonderful. Elrond's uncomfortable. Peachy. I'll try to post the next chapter tomorrow. 

~ Megan <3