Who Shall Take the Road?

By pmochizuki

When Elrond sends Glorfindel to search for Aragorn and the hobbits, he never dreams that his daughter would wish to take the mission!

Elrond waits impatiently at his desk as Erestor sits in a chair, fiddling with the arm rests. Finally Elrond hits his hand on the desk.

Elrond: All right, where is he?

Erestor: That must have hurt.

Elrond: (pauses in confusion). Excuse me?

Erestor: Hitting your hand on the desk.

Elrond suddenly gasps and looks at his hand with worry

Elrond: Do you think the redness will fade… (looks up to Erestor) You interrupted.

Erestor: (shrugs) Sorry.

Elrond: As I was TRYING to say, where in all of Rivendell is Glorfindel!

The door opens and a blonde regal looking Elf stumbles in with an embarrassed look on his face. He goes to stand before Elrond and Erestor

Glorfindel: So sorry I’m late, it was just that…

Elrond: (haves his hand in an irritated manner) No excuses. You know why you were called?

Glorfindel: Well… (he pauses looking up at the ceiling. He opens his mouth to speak than shuts it again.) Maybe…

Glorfindel stops again. He tries to speak once more but is interrupted by Erestor.

Erestor: (growls) Lord Elrond, this will take forever! May I please just tell him?

Elrond nods for him to proceed

Erestor: Ok, here’s the situation Glorfindel. We got some news from some of our kindred who were journeying near the Baranduin and they told us that some things are amiss. The Nine Riders…

Glorfindel: (gasps) Not THE Nine Riders?

Erestor: (nods gravely) That’s right.

Glorfindel: Whoah.

Erestor: Anyway, as I was TRYING to say, we were also told that a hobbit is traveling with a few others, and he carries with him the One Ring.

Glorfindel: (gasps again) Not THE One Ring!

Erestor: (rolls his eyes) Yes, THE One Ring! Now quit interrupting. They are not much of us who can ride openly against the Nine, but such as it is, Lord Elrond is sending some Elves out north, west, and south. Whatever happens, the Ring MUST get here safely.

Glorfindel: Riiiiight. (looks up at the ceiling for a second) So… I’m one of those Elves you’re sending out, right?

Erestor: (mumbles to himself sarcastically) Genius, pure genius.

Elrond: (shoots Erestor a warning glance to keep his opinions to himself) I had wished to wait until you had come, but since you were delayed, we had to go ahead and draw lots. And here’s yours. (Elrond picks up a very short piece)

Glorfindel: (groans and closes eyes for a moment) Don’t tell me I got the shortest stick.

Erestor: (grinning evilly) Oh, yes indeed you did!

As Glorfindel tries not be affected by Erestor, Elrond gives Glorfindel his instructions

Elrond: You are to take the Road, and go to the Bridge of Mitheithel.

Glorfindel gasps as Erestor laughs uncontrollably

Glorfindel: You, you can’t be… serious?

Erestor: VERY serious.

Glorfindel: (sighs) All right, if I must, I must. (glares at Erestor) I don’t understand why you’re looking so pleased.

Erestor: (smiles) Because I’M not the one taking the Road to face Nine Riders.

The curtains in the room suddenly move and the three Elves hear a shuffling of feet. Elrond, looking extremely puzzled, walks over to the curtain and moving it aside, reveals a red-faced Arwen

Elrond: (very surprised) Arwen, what are you doing here? I cannot believe you are eavesdropping on your own father!

Erestor: (rolling eyes) Come on, Elrond, you should have expected her to be a little rebellious after hooking up with that Ranger guy.

Arwen: (pouting) Aragorn is no mere Ranger! He is…

Elrond: Heir of Isildur, son of Arathorn, Chieftain of the Dunedain, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Yes dear, we know. That does not answer the question to what you are doing here.

Arwen takes a deep breath and all around her cringe as they can tell that whatever she was going to say would be very shocking

Arwen: I want to be the one to take the Road.

As her statement is very shocking indeed, Elrond turns beet red as Glorfindel looks dumbfounded and Erestor just shakes his head

Erestor: (talking to himself) I knew she would say that, I just knew it…

Glorfindel: You can’t Arwen, for the task is already mine!

Arwen: But you didn’t want to take the mission in the first place!

Glorfindel: Well… (sputters for a few seconds then announces proudly) Your father is the one who commanded me to do it so I cannot disobey.

Both Arwen and Glorfindel fix their eyes upon the Lord of Rivendell. Elrond looking terribly uncomfortable stands very still for a long moment. Suddenly he raises his hand in exasperation

Elrond: I will have no part in this decision! (points a finger at Erestor) Erestor, you take care of this.

Erestor jumps up from his seat with an astounded look on his face

Erestor: You can’t put this on me, my Lord!

Elrond: (moving towards the door) Oh, yes I can. Besides, you ARE my chief, so you are most adept to handle this kind of situation.

Elrond escapes out the door and silence fills the room. Erestor turns first to look at Glorfindel who is looking at him with harsh glare. Arwen on the other hand is looking at Erestor with a sweet expression on her face.

Arwen: Dear Erestor, you know how much of a better rider I am…

Glorfindel: Hey!

Arwen: …and I will be very responsible with the mission.

Erestor: (snorts) Yeah, the only reason you want to go is because your beloved Aragorn travels with the hobbits.

Arwen blushes with embarrassment as Glorfindel starts laughing

Glorfindel: I KNEW you had an ulterior motive!

Arwen: That’s not true! I wish to help in…

Erestor: Well, WHATEVER your reasons are, we must all agree that Glorfindel’s horse, Asfaloth is the fastest of all.

All three Elves become silent. They look at the one then the other, then at the exact same time, their eyes lighten up.

Erestor: (grinning) May the best Elf, or Elf-Maiden, win.

Arwen and Glorfindel look at each other and a split second later, the two start running for the door. Glorfindel, being the taller Elf, reaches it first and is the first to go down the hall leading to the stables.

Glorfindel: (calling over his shoulder) You will never reach Asfaloth before me!

Arwen: Oh yeah! (she suddenly yells in a very loud voice) THERE GOES GLORFINDEL, THE BALROG SLAYER!

Suddenly, Elf-maidens come streaming out from different corridors and they all shriek in excitement as they see Glorfindel

Elf-Maiden #1: There he goes!

Elf-Maiden #2: After him!

Elf-Maiden #3: Don’t let him get away!

Before long, Glorfindel is cut off by all the Elf-maidens and is forced to plaster a smile on and nod to the Elf-maidens in greeting. Arwen giggles as she rushes by

Arwen: See you when I get back, Glorfindel!

Glorfindel: (growling through clenched teeth) You’ll pay for this, Arwen!

A few minutes later, Glorfindel is rid of the Elf-maidens and runs to the stables

Glorfindel: (speaking to himself) It doesn’t matter anyway. Asfaloth will not let any rider ride him unless it is I who command him to bear the person. Arwen will not get four feet before my horse will unseat her. (smiles wickedly to himself) Take that, Elf-maiden!

Hears the clippety-clop of a horse’s hooves and turns to see Arwen cantering Asfaloth towards him. Glorfindel’s jaw drops and Arwen executes a swift halt before the blonde Elf

Arwen: (smiles sweetly) You won’t believe how much Asfaloth LOVES honeycakes.

Glorfindel’s watches in horror as Arwen winks then with a light touch of her heels, rides away like the wind astride his horse. Glorfindel hears chuckling behind him and turns to see that it is Erestor

Erestor: Never underestimate an Elf-maiden, Glorfindel. And another thing, never compete with them either. It’s not worth it.

Glorfindel: (sighs unhappily) I guess you’re right.

Erestor: Come with me to the library, we can have a glass of wine and talk of troublesome Elf-maidens.

Glorfindel: That’s fine…

Erestor: (grins wickedly) Or we can go to the dining hall and I can yell, “Here’s the Balrog slayer’…!

Glorfindel: You wouldn’t dare!

Erestor: (slyly) Or would I…

THE END