I LIVE!…. So sorry this has taken so long, Rebels of the Ring is still fighting me, but I have made progress, look for an update within the next two weeks.
By the way this story has no book characters save perhaps Elrond, only Middle-Earth OC's of my own design, I edited the first chapter with the date for the story, 2952 of the Third Age, the year after The Hobbit ends.
They finally got the strangers back to Dragon's Edge, none had awoken yet, and the short one was surprisingly heavy.
Hiccup walked out of the Dragon stables, having just checked over the last of the men and, with Fishlegs help, bandaged their wounds.
"Alright" said Hiccup "That's all we can do"
Astrid and the others nodded, Hiccup had had her put all of their gear in the last stable, so it wouldn't get confused with the Riders gear. After she cleaned it of course, it had been covered with blood.
The next day brought little change, they dragged spare cots into the Dragon Stables to make the men more comfortable, and hopefully hasten their recovery. They checked the men's dressings, changed them if need be, and Fishlegs had started sewing up the rips and tears in their clothing.
It was strange, the bearded tall man's clothing seemed rather weather-beaten, plain and unadorned, while the others were high quality, and they were embroidered to the ninth degree, the short one even had some metallic thread and small gemstones sewn into his doublet.
After Fishlegs, and later, Snotlout, had finished with the clothing repairs Heather and Hiccup tried to clean the dried blood off the fabric, Heather had some soap she distilled from Windshear's saliva that took the stains right out.
Hiccup had just finished putting the bearded man's tunic back on and turned away to leave, when he felt a strong grip on his left wrist. Hiccup spun around and saw the man was awakening. He looked at Hiccup quizzically, and then he tried to rise. But it must have been too much, for he lay back down while nursing his head.
"Astrid! Fishlegs!" Hiccup shouted
Astrid, quickly followed by Fishlegs, appeared at the door to the stables.
"What?!" shouts Astrid
"This one's waking up!" Hiccup shouted back
The two rushed over to Hiccup's side, he man was blinking and seeming to come to full wakefulness. Astrid rushed off to grab a waterskin while Hiccup and Fishlegs helped the man into a sitting position.
Astrid reappeared moments later, the man was still shaking himself awake and finally Astrid came over with the waterskin, which she handed the man, who nodded gratefully than drank deeply from it.
The man removed his arm from Fishlegs shoulder to wipe off his mouth, did so, and then handed the skin back to Astrid.
"Where am I?" the man asked
"Safe" answered Hiccup, he didn't want to alert the man that they had Dragons, and saying he was at 'Dragons Edge' would be a bit of a hint.
The man nodded sagely, then looked between them and said "I remember now, seeing your faces before my sight left me. I thought I would awaken in the Halls of Mandos, but it appears you have saved me. I am in your debt."
"I'm glad we came in time" said Fishlegs "Your friends are safe as well, they're still unconscious."
The man nodded again
"What's your name?" asked Hiccup
"I am Eldacar of Tharbad" said the man
"Well, you and your friends can stay here as long as you like" replied Hiccup
The man nodded his thanks, then looked around, his face turning to puzzlement "What are we standing in?"
"Oh" said Hiccup "We're in the stables. We didn't have anywhere else for you to recover. Sorry"
"No apology necessary" said Eldacar "I was merely curious."
"Can you walk?" asked Astrid
"Let me see" Eldacar mumbled as his feet contacted the floor, he stood, then Fishlegs and Hiccup gradually let him put more weight on his legs until he was standing unassisted.
A small smile graced his face
"There" he says, then as to not overtax his legs he sits back down.
"We don't often get many visitors way out here." Says Hiccup "How did you get to our island?"
"Island?!" says Eldacar, shocked, "By the Valar! We must have gone through uncounted leagues of lightless tunnels, further than I had ever expected."
"Wait" said Fishlegs "You came through those caves?!"
"Yes" said Eldacar, tuning down his surprise "We were tracking an Orc Warband, they had massacred a village and we were trying to exact vengeance upon them when we fell into those accursed tunnels, we could hear them moving from miles away"
"So those creatures are called Orcs?" asked Astrid, shrinking back from the memory of the foul, black-blooded monsters.
Eldacar looked stunned that they did not know of Orcs
"Yes my lady, they are a creation of a most foul power in the ancient mists of time." Eldacar responded
"What do you mean 'creation of a most foul power', someone made them?" asked Hiccup, thinking that the man was possibly hallucinating.
"They are the creation of a power whose name I shall not speak here" said Eldacar "All I will say is that he was once one of the great powers of the world, until his kin overthrew him and sent him in chains to parts unknown."
"So, like a god?" asked Fishlegs
Eldacar nodded
"Why don't we get you something to eat, you must have been in those tunnels for days…" started Hiccup
"Weeks" said Eldacar
"Well then we should really get you some food!" laughs Hiccup as he and Astrid leave to get Eldacar something to eat.
"Interesting man" says Astrid once they are out of earshot
"Only thing I don't like was that he called you my lady" Hiccup jokes
They both laugh as they enter the clubhouse looking for some food.