Chapter 2
When Elladan got a few miles from the orc camp, he decided it was nigh on time to check Elrohir's wounds. His twin actually had a relatively high pain tolerance, so hearing his screams earlier had been extremely unnerving.
"Ai, gwador, what have they done to you?" he murmured, setting Elrohir carefully on the ground. Even asleep, Elrohir cringed as he was put on the ground, but there was no position that he could be put in without causing him pain, and this was the most convenient for Elladan to examine his wounds.
Elladan carefully cut away the remaining shreds of Elrohir's tunic and undershirt and made a small pile of the bloodstained fabric. As the last piece was removed and he was able to see fully the damage done to his twin, he gasped.
He remembered hearing three screams in the camp, and the reasons for those three screams were grimly apparent. Three stab wounds, one on his right shoulder, one on his left thigh, and one in the center of his stomach were oozing blood lazily. Elladan caressed Elrohir's cheek with feathery light fingers as he looked at them, hating that even in sleep his twin's eyebrows were drawn together in pain.
Besides the three obvious wounds, there were burns covering most of the left side of his torso and too many half-healed cuts to count. A few whip lashes snaked around his hips and stomach to show slightly from the front.
Elladan cursed softly as he realized that there was little he could do. He only had one pack of healing supplies, and they were in the middle of the woods, somewhere in the Misty Mountains south of Rivendell. How had it taken his so long to find this place? He had scoured almost every inch of Middle-Earth and found at least a hundred camps yet he managed to miss the one his brother was in, so close to home.
The other risk was infection. He was not in a sterilized healing ward, he was in the middle of a clearing on a mountain covered in dirt. However, the stab wounds desperately needed stitching, and if he didn't close them then Elrohir would undoubtedly die before the day was out. It was a risk he'd have to take.
But first, cleaning the wounds.
He made a simple pain-numbing mixture and poured it into Elrohir's mouth. His twin was deeply asleep, perhaps because he knew for once that he was safe because of his bond with his twin. Elrohir swallowed instinctively and Elladan sat and watched for a few minutes as the lines of pain on his face did not disappear, but they faded slightly. It gladdened him to see that he could help his twin, even if it was only a little.
Elladan took out his waterskin and some bandages and poured water on them, taking a deep breath before forcing himself to put the wet pad onto the wound on Elrohir's shoulder.
Despite the pain-numbing drink, Elrohir still writhed under Elladan as he put the water on the wound.
"Shhh, shhh…Elrohir, it's going to be okay, I have you, I have you…" Elladan said as he held his whimpering brother to the ground. "Shhh…I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
Elladan allowed his presence to enter Elrohir's mind and felt him calm down almost immediately, his unfaltering trust after everything that had happened still amazing him.
He cleaned the rest of the wounds with not so much as a peep from Elrohir, and he found himself awed by his brother's strength and willpower once more. He stitched the stab wounds shut and turned Elrohir over, washing the now dirt covered lashes that covered every inch of his back. He put bandages on all the wounds and found that Elrohir was practically covered from head to toe in white. He sighed.
He had left the horses around here somewhere, and when he whistled they trotted up to him from under the trees. Elrohir's horse, Nala, rushed over to her master, recognizing his scent instantly even after three years, and she nudged his head excitedly. When he didn't so much as stir, her nudges grew more worried and insistent. Elladan took her head in his hands, looking into chocolaty brown eyes.
"Do not worry for him," he said in elvish, the melodious words flowing from his tongue and soothing the horse. "With a little luck, he'll be fine as soon as we get him to Ada."
Elladan's own horse, Narea, was the older sister to Nala by a year and a half, but they looked uncannily alike, with brown coats and eyes and bulging muscles. When choosing their horses, the twins always liked to get ones that looked alike just to confuse people further as to which twin was which.
Elladan took out a length of rope from his pack and hoisted Elrohir onto Nala, tying the rope around his waist and under her underside to hold him on. When he was sure his brother was secure, he cleared up the small camp he had made and mounted Narea, setting her off at a canter toward home. Nala followed behind, each step she took making Elrohir's lifeless head bounce. The sight made Elladan chuckle, despite the circumstances.
It had taken him a week to get to the camp from Rivendell, but that was at a trot and he planned to have the horses canter the entire way back, so he would be able to get there within four days, if everything went well. The thought made him both hopeful and apprehensive. Four days was four days. It could be a good thing or a bad thing.
They rode for a few hours, but when the horses tired after a few leagues and he grew hungry Elladan decided it was time for a rest. He dismounted near a small stream and untied Elrohir from Nala, putting him down on one of blankets he had brought in his pack. He checked the bandages, and there was a lot less blood than he had anticipated. He smiled. His stomach growled again, demanding his attention.
He grabbed his bow and sword and let the horses graze, knowing they would not stray far from Elrohir and if anything happened they would be loud enough to alert anyone within a league.
He walked carefully through the forest with silent footsteps, stopping at a tree. A few hundred feet away was a rabbit, sniffing at some brush. He pulled back his bowstring and aimed, then released. A second later the poor creature was dead, an arrow through its eye.
He picked up the rabbit and put his bow on his back, walking at an easy pace back to the temporary camp.
"ELLADAN!"
He broke into a run at the sound of the tear-filled yell ringing through the trees. As he got closer, he heard the sobbing that could only be coming from one person.
"Elrohir!" he said, sliding onto his knees next to his brother, putting a hand on his face. "What's wrong, gwador?"
"Elladan…where…did you go? Don't leave me alone…" Elrohir whispered, his voice raspy and weak.
"Shhh, El…I won't leave you again. I'm sorry. I didn't think you would wake up before I got back."
Elrohir quieted and reached up with his good arm, pulling Elladan close enough so their noses were touching. Elladan felt his twin's warm breath on his cheeks as he spoke again.
"I was scared…I thought this had all been a dream; that you hadn't come to get me; that I was all alone again…"
"I will never let you be alone for the rest of your life, gwador. I will always be here."
Elrohir bit back another sob.
"Elladan."
"Elrohir," Elladan replied, relishing in the closeness of his brother.
"Elladan."
"Elrohir."
"Elladan."
"Elrohir."
"Elladan."
"Elladan."
"Elrohir…wait, what?"
Elladan laughed, but Elrohir only looked confused. Elladan saddened when he saw his twin barely knew what a joke was anymore.
"It was a joke, El. I messed you up so you said the wrong thing."
"Oh."
There was a moment of silence before Elladan spoke again.
"How long has it been since you laughed, gwador?"
"I…I don't remember…" Elrohir breathed, looking up at his brother. "Maybe…the time I shoved you in that river?"
Elladan felt his heart drop at those words. That was the last good moment they had together, before their argument and Elrohir's capture.
"I think that will all change in due time," said Elladan. "Perhaps we should put some itching powder in Erestor's chair in the library when we return home."
"Home…" Elrohir murmured with a small smile at the idea, his eyes dropping closed. "I barely remember…"
"Shhh, you will remember when we arrive, gwador," said Elladan, and Elrohir fell asleep in his arms.
A/N: Thank you for all the support and wonderful reviews I have gotten so far! You guys make writing worth it!
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