Chapter Twenty Eight: Loudness and Writhing Equal Freedom
Benign and contemplative were the best words I could conjure up to further describe my new counterpart. Erestor was an ethereal being of few words, immense knowledge, a fair sense of humor, and his own list of idiosyncrasies. In all honesty, he surprised me tremendously; he continually proved himself to be everything that I would have said he was not. We had passed the long hours speaking of utterly ridiculous things. These aforementioned things all having had spawned from him informing me of his favorite color, and me laughing incessantly about the relatively unamusing.
It had grown colder so we had both determined that the day was now waning into the nighttime hours. I was becoming very hungry and my stomach was growling out loud. At one point in time it let out a rather loud rumble and I was actually forced to laugh once more at the ridiculousness of my situation.
�In need of sustenance, are we?� queried the chief councilor of Elrond�s household.
�I have had nothing since I broke my fast this morning!� I whined pathetically, sighing dramatically as my stomach let out yet another rumble. �Are you not hungry, also?�
�My race require less than that of men,� answered Erestor. �We might go longer without food or sleep.�
�So you mean to tell me I am starving and you have no real use for food? Erestor, you are terrible. You ought to have kept that to yourself,� I groaned and thumped my head against the wall one more. �We need to get out of this dreadful place before I go completely mad, and I warn you that I am coming dangerously close to that point.�
�Well, I do fear that you might need to keep your sanity in a state of completeness for the moment. I would greatly dislike having kill you,� he said, a melodic tone of amusement in his voice.
�Erestor, you can�t kill me,� I scoffed.
�Pardon me, but I believe that I am quite able of killing you. If you truly doubt me, than try me further and I shall have had good reason to have smote your ruin from within this pit of darkness!� he laughed.
�Oh, do be quiet! I am going to scream on three,� I announced.
�You are going to do what?� asked Erestor in perplexity as I began counting down from three. I had just finished counting to one when I let out as blood-curdling a scream as I could manage. I imagine by the time I stopped to take in more air that I must have been a lovely shade of purple, as I was screaming rather loud. Erestor, feeling inclined to assist me, began yelling also. He was also writhing on the floor, but why that was necessary I cannot understand.
This continued for many long moments before finally the basement door was kicked open, and for the first time in many hours, moonlight poured into the room. I squinted and looked to Erestor, who had ceased his writhing around on the floor, but who now lay there in a fetal position with a look of utter agony on his face, his hands over his ears all the while. When I turned my eyes to the door, I saw Glorfindel standing there with one of his notoriously sharp and dangerous weapons in hand.
�Ah! Erestor, there you are. We have been wondering where you have disappeared to!� said Glorfindel cheerfully.
�Glorfindel, why are you insane?� I asked, getting up off the floor. I nudged Erestor in the rib with my shoe. He groaned and sat up.
�I am not insane, Manda. I just find life around here to be slightly tedious. With all of that racket down here, I was truly hoping I had another balrog to smite!� he said.
�Find a balrog living in your basement, Glorfindel?� I asked, perplexed but slightly amused by that image.
�One can dream, can they not? I destroyed one once, long ago,� said the reborn elf, staring off into his own little nostalgic world.
�Aye, and if I recall, the balrog was not the only thing that was destroyed in the process. Get your mind out of the clouds Glorfindel!� snapped Erestor, rising fully to his feet. Glorfindel snapped out of his reverie and glared at the other elf.
�Erestor, you know nothing of it. You were not even there!� growled Glorfindel.
�I know well enough what happened, as it is all you seem to speak of,� said Erestor, his temper rising.
�Can you two stop bickering long enough to find me some food?� I asked angrily, my hunger getting the better of me.
�It is the middle of the night! What need you food for?� asked Glorfindel, looking at me confusedly.
�I have been in here for what I think to be a day and a half and if you do not lead me to some food I shall eat you!� I hissed irritably, causing both elves to look at me oddly.
�You would eat me for your supper?� asked Glorfindel.
�Aye, I will roast you on a spit and eat you with some mashed potatoes and carrots.�
�I do not very much like carrots. I doubt you could roast me on a spit,� mused the blonde elf.
�Unless you really want to find out, take me to food now,� I snapped warningly. Glorfindel stared at me with the slightest bit of fright visible in his eyes. He moved out of my way and Erestor guided me out of the room and into freedom.
I was finally free from the confines of that evil darkness!
