beta: goodbye_sun
AN: Elured revenges his twins broken heart.
Warning: Animal cruelty.
The fork is a cold shiny tool
To pierce, tear and ingest
Whatever has the fork in hand
Controls the meal of its choice
We're told the first few punctures
They're for our own good
Better chewed up in pieces
Than blown up in the oven
- Lard
Part 6 - Unfold his rotary blades inside.
Elured made his way from his chambers to the Hall of Fire to have his afternoon tea, but as he was about to descend the large swirling staircase from the second floor to the main hall, he heard voices he knew too well. He stopped dead, listening.
It was Erestor, he was laughing. Elured couldn't remember when he had heard the serious advisor laugh last. Elured walked part the way down the stairs, careful to not alert them of his presence. He could hear Glorfindel brag about something he had done on some useless Orc hunting mission he had been on. Elured shook his head, maybe Elurin was not just being paranoid?
Finally he decided to put a stop to it, and walked all the way down to the bottom of the stairs, smiling friendly as both Glorfindel and Erestor turned and looked at him. Erestor blushed, and Glorfindel smiled back. Elurin and Elured would wear different circlets for people to tell them apart with their clothes on, just like Elladan and Elrohir would wear different hairstyles. Elured thought it was easy enough to tell the Rivendell twins apart though, but maybe that was because he too was a twin, and knew what to look for. Little imperfections. They all had them. Just like he had crooked front teeth, and Elurin's were perfect. ”Master Erestor, Lord Glorfindel,” he said politely with a sing song friendly voice.
”Lord Elured,” Glorfindel said, blowing slightly.
Elured laughed mildly amused, looking over at Erestor who shot daggers with his eyes. Which just made Elured smile widen. ”Can I have a word with you Lord Glorfindel?” he asked with a sugary tone, designed to piss off Erestor. Seemingly it worked since the advisor looked like he was about to stab him to death.
”But of course,” Glorfindel said, ”Join us for afternoon tea.”
”No, no,” Elured shook his head and leaned in to whisper, ”In private please.”
He had to hide his victorious grin when Erestor looked on, absolutely furious. His expression quickly gave way for a mask of indifference as Glorfindel turned to him and said, ”Please excuse me Erestor, I need to discuss something with Lord Elured. Take a seat in the hall, and I shall join you soon.”
”Of course, Lord Glorfindel,” Erestor almost growled, turning in an angry swirl and left for the Halls of Fire.
”Please come with me,” Elured said, hooking his arm with Glorfindel, walking outside the house and into the courtyard, heading for the fruit garden. ”My brother came to me yesterday in great distress,” he said. ”You do realise he is very fond of you, do you not?”
”I do,” Glorfindel said, sounding a little saddened. ”I do not wish to cause fair Elurin any sorrow, but... ”
Elured turned towards Glorfindel to look the blond elf lord straight into those steel blue eyes. ”But, you bed Erestor instead? Please explain to me how you can cast away my brothers affection so carelessly?”
Glorfindel looked away from Elured's hard green eyes, and watched a bird sitting in a apple tree. ”I was not aware his fondness was beyond the pleasures of the flesh,” he admitted a little uncomfortably.
”Are you calling my twin a whore?” Elured asked, his voice strained with composed anger.
”No, not at all,” Glorfindel gasped horrified, returning his gaze to Elured's. ”I just thought he had listened when I had told him the... eh, rules of our acquaintance.” Glorfindel took a deep breath, ”Your brother and yourself are amongst the fairest of the fair, but this does not change that my heart lay secretly with Erestor since my arrival here.”
”Even a pretty face can't argue with true love,” Elured said acidly.
Glorfindel looked away again, clearly ashamed.
”Please talk to my brother, have the decency in you to let Elurin leave with his dignity intact.”
”You are right,” Glorfindel said. ”I shall seek him later tonight.”
”Good,” Elured said, hooking his arm in Glorfindel's again. ”Afternoon tea? I believe your future spouse is waiting in there.”
”Don't hate Erestor for what wrongs I did to your brother,” Glorfindel said, as he started walking back towards the house.
The day you can tell me what to feel, is the day I will make the mountains move, Elured thought to himself, but to Glorfindel he just laughed softly, ”You just assume that I think you fair as well?” He shook his head amused. ”What if I agreed with you? That Erestor is someone to be desired?”
Glorfindel couldn't have been more shocked if he had tried. ”You want to court Erestor as well?”
Elured laughed louder, ”By the Valar! No!” His laughter stifled, and he looked at Glorfindel with a sweet and serious expression. ”I would be nothing but a beast if I tried to tear up the happy couple, right?”
Glorfindel frowned, he was not sure if that was a threat or not. But he dismissed it, for now.
~*~
Elured sat on his bed, his lights out, and stared off into the night sky. Deep in thought, he massaged his temples. ”I promised” he whispered to himself. Kicking off his shoes he stood up, and with a quick flick of his wrist he rolled his long braid up into a bun and fastened it with a ink pen. His black clothes obscured him in darkness. Standing on the middle of the floor of his room for a moment, he thought about what he was about to do. Father would be proud of him, no doubt about it! He walked quickly towards his dresser, opening the top drawer and taking out a long half-moon shaped dagger. Twirling it between his fingers, he realised it made him oddly calm, like he had missed the cold steel of a knifes blade. He stuck it into his belt, and silently made it out his door.
He had to call upon everything he had ever been taught when he was younger to make it down the stairs and out unseen. For even if most of the household slept, there were still servants in some hallways, finishing up what they had not completed during the day time. Keeping to the shadows, recalling the doors that would screech their hinges, and which did not, he made his way to the kitchen and out the servant's exit.
Once out he allowed himself a moment to compose himself. He tiptoed around the house and slipped unseen across the courtyard, past the healing house, and safely into the stables. No one was here but the horses, and a single cat who did not care that he was there. He crouched down and snuck past the horses, careful to not startle them and make them neigh. He looked for a particular name tag on the stable doors. And once he found it, he smiled to himself. Opening the stable carefully, he stepped in with the large grey mare.
”Hello there Tîwele,” he whispered, running his hand down its neck, the horse moved its heavy head, and nuzzled his shoulder affectionately. ”I'm really sorry girl, in love and war, my friend.” He shrugged, petting the horse with one hand, while he retrieved his dagger with the other, and with one clean cut, slit the horse's throat. He stared down at the dying horse, careful not to get blood on his feet. ”Fret not horse, you died for a noble cause,” he whispered, ”Revenge.” He fastened his dagger again, and slipped out of the stables, and back into his rooms where he stripped off his clothes, slid naked between the sheets, and fell asleep.
~*~
The next morning the entire homely house was gathered while a very distressed stable boy tried to explain how Chief Advisor Erestor's horse could suddenly turn up dead, murdered. But he did not have any answer, other than he had slept through whatever had transpired. Elurin and Elured joined the confused and saddened group of elves who were gathered at the stables. Elured went straight up to the house minstrel, Lindir, who looked heartbroken for the dead animal. ”Excuse me, Chief minstrel Lindir, what is all this commotion?” He asked.
”Chief Advisor, Erestor's horse has been murdered,” Lindir said softly.
”How horrible,” Elured gasped, ”How could such a vile deed happen here?”
”I do not know, my Lord” Lindir said in a near whisper, ”But I fear we are not even safe in our beds any more.”
”Now, now good Master Lindir,” Elurin said, resting his hand on Lindir's shoulder, ”No need to panic, I am sure.” He was about to say more, but he was cut off by a absolutely furious blond Balrog slayer who cut through the crowd upon seeing the twins. ”You,” he hissed hatefully. ”I am sure you master minded this somehow,” he spat at Elurin.
”Relax Glorfindel,” Elrond said, grabbing his friend and pulling him away from the twins.
Elured looked over at Elurin, who wore a mask of hurt pride, and he himself turned to Glorfindel and stepped up to the tall blond warrior. ”Take that back,” he growled.
”Never,” Glorfindel sneered. ”Maybe you did it? He asked you to, and you obeyed, right?”
Before Elured could defend his honour, Elurin came to his aid. ”Now good Lord Glorfindel, I know my brother like I know myself, and if he, or I had any understanding with Master Erestor, then it would be Master Erestor laying there, and not his horse.”
Glorfindel looked absolutely disgusted, but Elrond pulled him aside, ”Glorfindel, my dear, dear friend, think before you speak, I understand you are upset, I am upset as well. But you cannot sling accusations like that around.”
”I just know they had something to do with it.” He gave his lord a pleading look, ”I know you want to believe the best about your blood relatives, but you did not hear Lord Elured last night, he... ”
”Be silent now,” Elrond just said.
Glorfindel bowed his head, and whispered ”Yes my lord.”
”Go make yourself useful somewhere else, go comfort Erestor if you must, but I am asking you to stay clear of my family for the time being,” Elrond said. Watching as his sons stood next to his uncles, staring at the dead horse with morbid fascination, he ushered Glorfindel out the stables and returned to his family's side, making arrangements for the dead horse to be removed.