Crystal Tears of Blood
Chapter 12
Meeting Between Friends
Morning came slowly to Imladris, the mist not seeming to rise and the dew upon the leaves refusing to fall. Yet for some inside the realms protecting walls, morning couldn't have come faster. Though they were anxious to find those who had disappeared, those few dreaded the morning, dreaded the hunt that they would soon embark on. The game they were hunting, could be dead or alive, though none could be certain. Elladan, Legolas, and Estel were the missing, and Lord Elrond, was fearful his own and adopted sons could remain that way. He looked out the balcony window. Seeing the foreboding rain smack against the glass did nothing to lighten his dark mood. The skies almost seemed to taunt him, laughing at his misfortune. But at the same time, he thought, they could have been crying. Rain. Why did it always have to rain when something went wrong? Could it be that the clouds could feel sorrow or pain? The most beautiful days of spring had made their appearance earlier in the week, but when... all this happened, the whole world clouded over.
"Adar!" Elrond turned his head to face his son standing in the doorway. Elrohir looked troubled, his hand shaking as he ran it through his hair. Fearing something dreadfully wrong, Elrond stood, walking quickly over to his distraught son. "What is it, ion nin?" Elrohir simply handed him a piece of parchment. Elrond took it from his hand. Unfolding it, he began to read:
Elrond,
I have gone to find my brother. I can not wait any longer. Do not worry yourself, I will be well.
Akayleth
It was short, but all he needed to know now not only were his sons in trouble, but Akayleth as well.
"He is a fool. He is going out into this storm alone with only a wounded horse to guide him!"
Elrohir shook his head. "Not even that. She is still in the stables." Elrond closed his eyes, his headache becoming worse with every minute that went by. They would have to leave now, no matter how bad they all wanted to stay.
"Elrohir, tell someone to ready our horses. Mine, yours and Glorfindels. And another for when we find your brothers and Legolas. We cannot bring Ithillen, her leg is still to weak. Tell Callien to ready 4, no, 5 of his warriors, we may need them."
Elrohir looked at his father somewhat confused. "We are leaving now? I thought we would leave-"
"Never mind what I said before!" Elrond snapped, causing Elrohir to jump slightly. "I... I'm sorry, Elrohir, but we must leave now before Akayleths trail is wiped out completely. I fear this lovely spring weather is about to get worse." That was the cue and nature had the lines. A clap of thunder rattled the windows of the Last Homely House.
O0O0O0O0O
Estel sat, shaking, against the tree he was bound to. The rain had been falling relentlessly through the night and into the morning and he was no doubt getting a cold. But his thoughts were not focused on the rain or how cold he was. He was thinking that never in his life did he imagine he would come to be in this position. He was thinking how he never thought about it before. Surrounded by 60 orcs who wanted no more than to kill him was not what he had in mind when thinking about his hunting trip. what could they even want him for? He was not the one they were after. He and Elladan had nothing they, the orcs, wanted. A soft Elvish curse brought him out of his thoughts. He looked over to Elladan. The raven haired elf had his eyes tightly shut, his face twisted in the slightest grimace of pain. But that worried Estel.
"Elladan? What is wrong?"
"Well, in all the excitement I've seem to have forgotten that this," he nodded at his leg. "Was there." It would seem like something not easily forgotten, being bright red with blood and all, but their had been other things that seemed to occupy the threes thoughts.
"Legolas is the only one who can bind it. His hands are not bound to a tree." Elladan looked over his shoulder. Legolas was leaning back against the same tree as he was. His eyes were closed and his lips formed silent words that, he guessed, only the tree could hear. He sighed.
"No. Only his mind." he said with a note of sadness in his voice. Non the less, he reached over to Legolas, shaking his shoulder lightly to bring him out of his conversation. Th elf slowly opened his glassy eyes. "Legolas, Estel thinks you need to bind my leg." Elladan told him. "He's afraid it'll get infected."
"I never said that!"
"You were thinking it."
"No, I wasn't!"
"What ever you were thinking, you don't need to worry. It really is nothing."
Legolas let out a 'Ha!'. "My dear Elladan," he began. "When in the company of yours truly, nothing almost always means 'Help me, I'm in excruciating pain'. 'It's just a scratch' means 'I have an arrow through my stomach', and 'I'll be fine' means 'I'm dieing'." Elladan laughed. He had to admit, that was true. "Infection or not, it does need to be bound." Legolas ripped of a strip of his cloak. The elvin garment was getting rather small by now, but still there was enough left for this. He tied it tightly, having nothing much to clean it with, then sat back to admire his work. "Their. It's not perfect, but it will keep your leg from falling off. Just don't let them," he motioned to the mostly sleeping orcs. "See. They only want me alive, they care nothing about you and will rip that off as soon as they see it." Elladan sat on his leg, it hurt, but soon he was able to hide it without much pressure. "It's safe to say you wont be doing much walking when we get home."
"If we get home." Estel said gloomily. Legolas shook his head, lifting Estels chin in his own hand.
"When we get home, Estel. Not if, when." A tear came to Estels eye, but Legolas gently wiped it away. "We all loose hope sometimes, we all get frightened that we will never get home. But, Estel, you have to believe otherwise. We will get home. I don't know when, I don't know how, but we will."
"Hey! I thought I told 'ou to shut yer mouths!" The angered orc grabbed his whip, and the others around him that had woken up started to laugh. "Which one of 'ou been gabbin?" Estel shrank back causing the orc with the whip to smile devilishly. "You haven't got a scratch on ya now, 'av ya? Let's say we change that right now, ay?" He grabbed Estels arm.
"Let go of him!" Elladan called out. By now, every orc was awake or waking. "He has done nothing so leave him be!" The orc laughed, ignoring Elladan completely. He cut the boys bonds, yanking him roughly to his feet. He lifted his whip into the air. But the blow never came. Before the orc even brought the whip down, a jagged blade was thrust through his stomach. The orc choked, falling off the blade and onto the ground, dead, revealing Xanthar standing behind.
"I told you to leave the prisoners to me." he growled roughly. "Let that be a warning to the lot of ya!" He shouted to the orcs around him. They had stopped laughing. "No one touches the prisoners but me. You," he pointed to Legolas . "Come with me."
"Why?" Legolas asked, completely uninterested with the reason, but needing to say something just to keep his himself occupied.
"Why?" Xanthar repeated. "Because he wants to speak with you."
"Speak with me? Last time I spoke to him, he didn't seem to interested in talking. But tell me, how is my dear old friend doing?"
Xanthar smiled. "Well, let us just say he has missed your company. Now up with you. No sense in keeping this meeting between... 'old friends' any longer."
TBC...
You wonderful people gave me 14 reviews, and this is how I repay you? hangs head in absolute shame and disgust for herself Well, at least it wasn't three months, huh? ducks flying toasters and letter openers Hehe, well, anyway...
Thankyou all of you who did review. You kept me going, all give you that, but mostly because I didn't want to see those death threats carried out. So, Haline, kara mcpherson (you can put away the sharp objects now), Sarah, Arodiel, Rabid Angel, (you guys are just too kind!), Kitiaria (well, if you forbid it), Eiren, Mizuki hikari, Aistaraina, ghost, Mrs. Bloom, Lauren Hedgehog, and Estelluver404, TAHNKYOU!
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