Elrohir ran. He ran faster than he could ever remember running in his entire immortal life. On his back he carried Malrendil the black. The night was cold and he was numb.
" Don't stop, don't stop," he chanted to himself.
Elrohir was not burdened much physically save fatigue but his heart was much troubled. With the (Saurea) at their heels and so little time to prepare for them the son of Elrond feared the wizard's plan would cause their death. Of course the original arrangement had been a good one but like most tactics there were too many loopholes. Had the wizard went alone, as he had planned than he would most certainly be dead. The sun had been long gone beyond the horizon and the elf had no intention of stopping. It took them a day to get to the orcs; with the motivation they were given it would take at least three more hours to get back to camp. Suddenly he felt his burden stir from his sleep.
(Harry POV)
O bloody hell, my aching head. I attempt to move my arms only to feel them trapped around something.
(Lle tyava quel?) Forcing my eyes open I see passed my bearer's shoulder.
And for the first time I notice we are moving exceedingly fast.
" I'm fine Elrohir merely tired".
I hear the half-elven prince sigh.
"Then go back to sleep mellonanin, we shall be in the ranger camp soon".
I forced myself to not give into the grogginess that seems to take hold of me. So it wasn't just another nightmare. What happened earlier was real and we were still in serious danger.
" Put me down Elrohir, you need your strength just as much as I".
But the stubborn elf wouldn't listen. He just kept running and occasionally looking up into the sky.
(Mani naa lle umien?) I snap trying to squirm off of Elrohir's back.
My elven friend only tightened his grip further scathing any hope I had of holding my own weight. Seeing as there was no use fighting him I relaxed hoping that he will let me down soon.
(Elrohir POV)
When Malrendil woke up he seemed drained. Obviously his magic takes more energy out of him than he is willing to admit. It was even more obvious that though reluctant, Malrendil had been trying his hardest to stay awake. I know not what he fears. Perhaps the thought of loosing Gilraen and Aragorn has spurred him to do anything and everything to keep them safe. My heart cries out knowing that no matter how this ends he will loose one of them.
Suddenly the wizard's owl swooped down from the sky hooting madly. The bird had flown ahead a few minutes ago; I had looked up at the sky every so often ever since. The bloody ear that was in her beak was gone and in its place was a necklace, Gilraen's necklace. My throat suddenly went dry upon seeing Hedwig.
(Mani naa ta Elrohir?) I said nothing at first.
I knew she going to die but this made it even more real. How did the orcs get ahead of us? Was there another company of orcs at the camp? Was the battle still at hand and if not did any survive the confrontation? When Hedwig landed in front of us I felt Malrendil begin to tremble.
I slowly eased him to stand on his own two feet as the owl moved forward and dropped the necklace at his feet. His lips were pressed together in a thin line and his hands quaked as he held onto me for support.
(Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au') Malrendil whispered.
I can practically feel the waves of anger and sorrow coming off of the black wizard in waves. The pain was written all over his face even as the tears in his eyes doggedly refused to fall. And in the wake of his intense but pent up emotions the guardian of the Dunedain's strength returned.
A familiar golden glow encompassed his body.
Moving away from me my companion picked up the necklace and slipped it around his neck (Lle merna aut?).
And without conscious thought (uma) I replied.
(General POV)
Harry closed his eyes feeling the decipherable change coming over him. It was almost like a reprieve from his usually complicated thoughts and feeling. As his human consciousness gave way to the beast within his body did much the same. There was nothing complex about him in this form; only the primal need to protect what was his. The dark children of Sauron had made a very big mistake and now Harry didn't care what it took, he would kill each and every one of them.
Once fully transformed Harry took off at full speed. 'There won't be enough to bury' he swore in his mind. Elrohir let a tear escape his eye for his friend and his friend's wife before running after him. Hedwig hooted softly and took to the air once more determined to keep up with her master.
In no time Harry, Elrohir, and Hedwig found themselves just yards away from the now burning camp. Some orcs and goblins were caught in the blaze but others were fighting the rangers. Though the rangers were holding their own they were beginning to tire. As more and more of his adopted people fell to the blade of the enemy Harry recklessly charged into the fray with a deafening roar.
He swiped at the orc necks with his powerful claws shattering their collarbones. His faithful owl and elf friend were not far behind. Hedwig screeched angrily and slashed the orcs with her talons. Elrohir abandoned the use of his bow opting to use his long knives instead. The few remainder of rangers cheered for the black wizard their guardian had come. Elrohir called out to his brother hoping Elladan was still alive. Elladan heard a roar and turned just in time to see Malrendil in his lion form saving the young Hallas. Slash, the elder prince of Rivendell beheaded the goblin that attacked him.
" Elladan, Elladan" he heard his brother's call.
Fighting his way to his twin Elladan synchronized his moves with his brother as they fought.
(Mae govannen Elrohir, Oio naa elealla alasse').
(Mani marte?) He asked.
" Orcs came from the east and their goblin archers with them we doubt if the convoy survived" Elladan replied.
Elrohir gutted an unfortunate orc ruthlessly " They didn't".
His brother's eyes widened impossibly.
" The owl flew ahead of us and returned with Gilraen's necklace, they are dead gwanur".
This only fueled Elladan more energy to kill the disgusting creatures before them. A few yards away Tarondor lay on the muddy ground dying. Hador was not there to save him from the orcs now. But the old ranger was not afraid. Even as many of his kin were slain Tarondor was proud. He watched as the men banded together and fought like true men of the west and he watched as the black wizard in his animal form ripped through their enemy like a storm and the twin sons of Elrond fought at their side. Never had the old ranger been more pleased in his entire life and was at peace with his own demise.
The battle wore on with both sides taking heavy losses. Even Harry and the twins were feeling the effects of fatigue from fighting through the night. But their adversaries would not relent in their pursuit in killing them all. There were few on either side left and the sun began to creep up into the sky. Blood splattered the misted ground and great clouds of smoke choked the air. The ranger encampment was still set ablaze and bodies of the dead lay precariously on the forest floor. By the time the orcs were all slain only Harry, Elrohir, Elladan, Hedwig, and four rangers remained alive. Elrohir looked around them seeing this place had become a graveyard instead of a battlefield.
" We must go there are more orcs on the way as we speak," he said finally.
His twin brother nodded numbly and went to gather the few survivors. Elrohir approached Harry. The wizard stood in a pool of blood panting in exhaustion. On his left flank was a wicked looking laceration from being cut by an orc blade. Elrohir squatted beside him and inspected the injury. Blood flowed from the open wound onto white fur and muscles were left exposed. Experimentally the elf touched Harry's leg and the wizard turned lion growled in pain.
" You need to stay off this leg master Malrendil we still have long to journey".
The lion glared at him with intense emerald eyes. He would obviously not tolerate being carried by anyone. Seeing his brother's exasperated look Elladan walked over to Harry and Elrohir.
" We must hurry," he said urgently.
Harry huffed in approval finally changing back to his human form. Elrohir undid the make shift binding around the wizard's forehead and bade Elladan to find athelas. Throughout the next few minutes Harry said nothing. He merely watched the rangers grieve over their fallen comrades and comforted each other. Elrohir bound his leg with his ripped sleeve and the athelas that Elladan retrieved. His mind drifted back to Gilraen. The woman he had come to love and cherish was gone and perhaps so was Aragorn.
The mere thought of it drove Harry into a maddening rage and he wanted to resurrect the bastards who murdered her so that he could kill them himself, that is if he hadn't killed them already. The wizard was also infuriated with himself. He had sent the rangers in his care to their deaths. It was his order that sealed the fate of Gilraen and the convoy and yet again his mistakes had caused the death of someone he loved. Harry stared off into the distance, holding back a flood of tears that wished to run down his face.
"Lembras for your thoughts" Elrohir said.
The wizard got up slowly with the elf's help.
"This is my fault" he replied calmly.
Elrohir picked him up so that he was on the elf's back.
"No tis the fault of Sauron the deceiver and his dark creatures who would have every living being as his plaything" Elrohir retorted.
Unconvinced Harry continued to berate himself aloud. Elrohir soon grew tired of the wizard criticizing himself and spoke out sternly.
"Malrendil I understand your guilt but at the time your plan was what was best for your charges, stop blaming yourself for something you could not control".
"The dark creatures you slew here both night and day murdered your wife and killed your people not you," the elf hissed.
Harry fell silent at that and looked away from him. Elrohir sighed and called his brother and the four surviving rangers to him.
"We must find lady Gilraen and the others, I pray to the valar we are not too late".
"And what say our keeper, our lord Malrendil the black wizard king" called Halbarad a young ranger only a few years older than Hallas.
Harry looked up at the four sol survivors of this massacre. Their eyes were not filled with contempt or disgust but rather respect and affection for their leader. Harry didn't know what to think, how could these men trust him after what he had done? Too tired to speculate over their loyalty to him, Harry closed his eyes.
" I say let us find my wife".
They all gave a somber chuckle before setting off in the direction the convoy went. Hedwig took flight once again flying ahead to make sure that it was safe. Harry fell asleep as they walked and Elrohir called his brother to him.
(Mani naa ta?) Elladan asked.
(Amin dele ten' ho) Elrohir replied.
Both twins looked at the slumbering wizard worriedly. They could both sense the strain that the young man was going through. Their father could easily heal his physical injuries but the wounds that did the most damage could not be seen.
"I fear that in part this is my fault, alas I shall not speak of why hither' we reach Imladris and are in the presence of our lord-father" whispered Elrohir.
Elladan nodded, "Then speak of it no more brother, and let the source of your fault be unknown until you are ready to tell it".
Then they fell silent and walked amongst Halbarad, Hallas, Vardamir, and Telemnar. These proud men welcomed their company though without any real enthusiasm. The sadness in their hearts still weighed heavily upon them. None of them spoke for the hushed dread that filled their hearts could not be extinguished. At last when the sun sat high in sky the weary travelers found their quarry. But the state of the convoy was that of a graveyard.
They looked on in complete terror at the mutilated and maimed bodies, vultures already feasting upon the dead. The horses were free and trotting around the area unwilling to leave their masters. The carts were burned to the ground. All the supplies were destroyed and the ten rangers strung up to a tree and beheaded. Tears stung all their eyes and they all let them fall freely. Suddenly Halbarad fell to his knees and cried out.
" We are too late, we have failed them O valar why must they have perished so".
"Death plays no favorites" came his most unexpected answer.
The rangers looked to see Harry though still on Elrohir's back was in fact awake and staring at the butchery before him with dead eyes.
"All things that has a beginning has an end, the death is not your fault," he said.
The twins sighed, "Then heed your own words for neither are you to blame".
The wizard continued to look at the bloodbath before them, " find Gilraen and Aragorn".
The rangers did as they were told even as their eyes still flowed with tears.
"I will round up some horses" choked Elladan.
Hedwig flew from the tree she was perched on to Elladan content to follow him for a while. A few minutes later he returned with six chestnut mares.
"Lords come quickly, I have found them" Vardamir called out suddenly.
Elladan, Elrohir, and the rangers rushed to where they heard Vardamir's call. When they arrived they saw the ranger cradling Aragorn in his arms and the boy was alive. The tiny heir's chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply. Aragorn was covered head to toe in blood. Clutched in his little fist was the egg Harry gave to him. The wizard stared at the child with a bittersweet smile upon his lips. Then he looked passed Vardamir to where his wife lay in a pool of her own blood with a sword in her back. Harry fingered the necklace he wore before finally making his decision.
He unfastened the necklace and bade Vardamir to place it around the little one's neck.
"Let's go," he said simply.
Elladan and Elrohir helped Harry mount one of the horses and Elrohir sat behind him with the reins. Elladan too mounted a horse and took Aragorn from Vardamir. The rest of the rangers each got their own horse and trotted alongside them as they rode away from the mass execution site of their people. Harry fell into an uneasy sleep still too tired to do anything else. But as they rode on unaware, the orcs approached and this time there would be no escape.
(Lie tyava quel) do you feel well
Mellonanin my friend(Mani naa lle umien?) What are you doing
(Mani naa ta Elrohir?) What is it Elrohir
(Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au') My heart shall weep until it sees thee again
(Lle merna aut?) Shall we go
(Uma) yes
(Mae govannen Elrohir, Oio naa elealla alasse') well-met Elrohir ever is thy sight a joy
(Mani marte?) What happened
(Mani naa ta?) What is it
(Amin dele ten' ho) I am worried about him