Chapter one: The boy

Glorfindel gently brushed the long, wavy, stunningly red hair out of the unconscious boy’s face. ‘So young,’ he thought. He had saved him from an orc camp; the brutes were tormenting him, saying something horrible about something. He had waited till the orcs fell asleep, then he shot the sentries who, having been taken by surprise, dropped dead without a sound. He remembered cutting through the boy’s bonds and carrying him to the place where he had left his horse, Asfaloth, and riding with all speed to Rivendell. Lord Elrond had been more than happy to find a place for him in the healing rooms and had stayed by the boy’s side all night, insisting that Glorfindel should get some sleep.

Now the boy’s eyelids flickered. “He’s waking up,” he called to Elrond, who was sleeping in a chair not too far away. But the lord of Rivendell did not stir.

Glorfindel gave a frustrated sigh, and then shouted, “ELROND”!

Elrond now sprang out of the chair and rushed to Glorfindel’s side. The boy’s eyes opened and he stared at the ceiling for a minute or so, then, noticing the two elf lords beside him, startled. Glorfindel, not knowing why he did it, knelt beside the bed and gently pushed the boy’s head back down on the soft feather pillow, cooning softly to him, telling him he was going to be okay and they were not going to harm him. The boy’s rapid breathing eased and his tensed body relaxed. He studied Glorfindel with large, deep, dark brown eyes.

“I know you,” the boy said, his voice sounded husky, “You’re the one who rescued me”. It was then Glorfindel realised the boy was much older than he looked.

Glorfindel nodded and smiled. “I did indeed, I am lord Glorfindel and this here is Elrond”.

Elrond raised one of those famous eyebrows. “Oh, so you’re ‘lord’ Glorfindel and I’m just Elrond, am I?”

Glorfindel sighed, annoyed. “Let me rephrase that sentence, I am just Glorfindel and this is his mighty pureness…”

“GLORFINDEL!”

“Alright, alright, I’m lord Glorfindel and this is lord Elrond, happy?”

Elrond sighed. “You are lucky I don’t wring your neck”. Sometimes, Elrond thought, his adviser was just too much for him- both of them, he added as an afterthought.

The boy looked at them with amused eyes. “Charming,” he said, “it is a pleasure to meet you anyway, my lord”.

“At least someone around here still knows what it means to respect someone,” muttered lord Elrond, but Glorfindel completely ignored him. “What is your name?” he asked the boy.

“Inisfree*, my name is Inisree.”

*Author’s note: ‘Inisfree’ is pronounced ‘in-ish-ree’.