Retribution

Orcs were vermin, worthless beings that lived only to inspire hatred and to commit the greatest acts of evil. There was no hope for retribution for them, they were already so lost, their minds consumed by bitterness and malevolence.

Elladan knew this better than any. He and his brother had suffered at their hand like many had before them. To the orcs they had lost their mother. The woman who had taught them how to love, how to trust, and most of all how to smile, but now she was gone. And the twins never smiled, nor did they love or trust.

They had grown distant from their father, a man whom they had once adored and respected. They could not deny the bitterness that they held for him, some tiny part of them held him to blame for Celebrian's torture.

But it went needless to say that the twins blamed themselves more than anything. They had been scouting that day. They had said there was no danger ahead. They were so terribly wrong and Celebrian had suffered for their sins. Elrond had forgiven them, but Elladan and Elrohir could not forgive themselves.

They sought their own retribution. They would kill every last stinking orc of the face of planet, that way they could begin to forgive themselves.

Now their father was long gone and their sister dead, they had nothing left in Middle earth. But there was one thing that held them there. Orcs.

Orc killing was daily chore to them by now. It was late winter and the sky was darkened with night. The stars glimmered amongst the clouds, the moon concealing it's self behind the peak of a far distant mountain. The bitterness of the weather stung the twin's cheeks as they rode forward into the moonlight.

They had been tracking orcs for that past two days, and were very much looking forward to the thrill of killing again. It had been to long since they had felt the euphoria of their sword slicing through the neck of an orc. Or the joy that stabbing one in the stomach brought.

The orcs came into view, there was only about ten. Elladan and Elrohir could strike five out from the distance, the rest they could take on easily singlehanded. They smirked at each other and dismounted, raising their bows in unison and releasing a wave of thin pointed arrows into the distance.

The arrows flew through the wind falling and swaying under the harsh effects of the winter breeze. Finally they reached the orcs, embedding themselves directly between the eyes of the foul creatures.

Elladan slapped his younger twins shoulder and darted forward, bouncing as he ran. Elrohir was quick on his heels, sword already drawn. The orcs did not seem threatened, two against five was not much of a competition, they were so very wrong however.

Elrohir raised his sword and slashed valiantly at the flesh of the orc before him, twirling and spinning as though it was second nature to him. Elladan followed his brother's lead, embedding his sword in the chest of one and throwing a set of knifes at another.

The orcs crumpled to the ground in defeat, their bodies falling limp and still. The twins sighed in dissatisfaction; their heart had yearned for a more interesting fight. They carefully exchanged firm shakes of the hand and slid their swords back into their belts. They stood tall in victory. But one of them would soon fall lower than the orcs below him.

Elladan began examining the orc remains in search of something half edible. The twins had not eaten in days during their pursuit, that's if you didn't count the pitiful nuts they had collected and somehow digested during their travels. Elrohir searched another one, kneeling down to its side and searching through its pockets.

Before he could fight back Elrohir felt the filthy hand of the orc below him tighten around his neck. The orc had survived, long enough to see to Elrohir's demise. His tight grip was unfaltering and Elrohir couldn't even scream for his brother's aid, the orc pulled its knife from its belt. It grinned flashing the sharp blade at the hardened elvish warrior. Elrohir felt fright for the first time in his life as he felt the coolness of the blade upon his neck.

In one fluid motion the orc slashed. Living long enough to kill the infamous warrior. Elrohir's body fell limp to the ground, blood pooling around him, his heart ceasing to beat.

When Elladan had turned around to speak to his brother he had been met with the image of his dead twin, lying still upon the plain amongst a sea of red, his dark hair caked in mud and the blood of the orc beside him. His eyes; Lifeless. Elladan flew to his twin's side checking desperately for a pulse. He found none.

He screamed in agony, tears falling from his eyes. He could not think straight. Elladan did not know what to do. He shook his brother's shoulders, "Please, 'Ro...Please wake up!" He continued, crying like a little elfling, "'Ro!"

He received no response. Elladan crumpled down to the ground next to his twin, crying, sobbing and screaming. His twin would was lost, and so to was he.

Elladan left in pursuit of brother, there was nothing left for him in Middle earth. The orcs were dwindling in numbers, they would become extinct, all his family were across the sea. His father, his mother, his grandparents and now his brother. So he joined Legolas and Gimli on that boat, and was reunited with his family. His heart healing finally, and with his mother's warm embrace he was finally forgiven,

"I am proud of you," Celebrian smiled, kissing his forehead and releasing him from her tight hold.

"Am I forgiven?"

"There is nothing to forgive,"