Category: Lord of the Rings
Rating: M
Couples: Elrond/Thranduil
Warnings: AU, Blood, Torture, Slash, Character Death (sorta)
Chapter: 11
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien, Plot & OC´s © by me
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"I am certain she can go faster." Elrond said, holding Thranduil's waist tightly.
"Your leg is still not fully healed, and the healing this morning drained you." Thranduil looked over his shoulder. "I will not have you die on me now."
Elrond fell silent. The dynamics between them had greatly changed since he had woken from his coma. Neither was yet sure exactly how they had. "Just push her, Thranduil. I won't die and I suffer more discomfort gladly if that means our people are safe."
The Sinda looked forward again, whispering softly to the horse. She sped up, hooves thundering over the forest floor.
Elrond winced softly when that jostled his broken leg. Thranduil had not been exaggerating; he had barely managed to knit the bone together and one wrong move could easily break it once more.
"Shouldn't we have run into a patrol by now?" He asked.
"Yes." Thranduil's back was tense. "We're several miles inside the border and yet, I sense no signs of elves."
Both grew silent, fearing what this could mean. Hours passed in tense silence as they approached the Royal Halls of Mirkwood.
"Please tell me you guard Mirkwood better, no offense towards Legolas." Elrond whispered as they moved through deserted stone halls. There were few guards in the caves and those that were there could easily be avoided.
"Theron." Thranduil softly growled, while peaking around a corner.
"What?" Elrond slowly followed him down unknown hallways, softly hissing at the pain originating from his leg.
"The second-in-command of my Seneschal, Taurnár." Green eyes burst with anger. "A proud and ambitious man, he has been in charge of the duty-rosters for these last few years and as such was one of the few who knew where and when we would travel here."
"You believe he is the traitor?" Elrond gasped.
"I'm beginning to fear it." Thranduil waved him to a small door, slipping inside. Elrond followed him closely, finding himself in a dark corner of the throne-room. On a podium near the throne the ceremony to crown Legolas was just beginning.
"What now?" Thranduil spoke into Elrond's mind. "We cannot simply reveal ourselves; they would never believe us."
Elrond had realized this too and was already thinking up a solution. His eyes narrowed when he saw a flash over silver. "Did you see that?" After a confirmation from Thranduil, he continued. "Let me handle this, I have an idea."
He reached out with his mind, bypassing Galadriel and his sons in favor for Imladris' other representative: Erestor.
"My old friend." The only outward indication of his shock was a blink, the reason why Elrond had contacted him and no one else. "My dear friend."
"Elrond?" Their mutual connection reverberated with shock. "How is this possible?"
"That matters little at the moment, my friend." Elrond said, a hint of urgency in his voice. "We were betrayed."
"No!" Elrond had always admired how Erestor could control every single muscle in his face, even now remaining largely impassive.
"Yes. I need your aid, mellon-nin." Elrond said, his voice reduced to a whisper as his mental strength started to wane. "Treachery has infected Thranduil's court. We were sold to Sauron by an elf. But he failed, Galadriel did not join us in person as he hoped she would. It is a mistake he wishes to render."
"How can I trust you on this? Your body was burned. How do I know this is not some treachery of Sauron?"
Elrond's anger flooded the link. "How dare you? My body was burned, yes. But I did not forsake Mandos' Halls to have you doubt me on this, Erestor! I ask not for reckless action, merely caution; watch Theron, I believe him to be to blame."
Shock answered his tirade, but Elrond had no more strength to sustain the mind-link and so it faltered before Erestor could answer with words.
"Erestor will watch Theron, he is a skilled warrior." Elrond softly whispered. "Now we wait."
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As Erestor tried to wrap his mind around what just happened, he glanced towards Theron, who seemed to study Galadriel intently.
That mind had felt like Elrond's, no doubt about that, so treachery from him could be excluded. But the very thought that Maeglin's treachery were to be repeated was a thought he wished to never have to entertain. And yet, here he was, listening to the words of a dead friend, who had forsaken Mandos' Halls and lingered on.
Had he not still been watching Theron, Erestor would have been too late to save Galadriel. As it was, he barely managed to avert the blade aiming for her back using his own body.