Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope that this chapter will get you ready for the next one. There is not a lot of action, but it is necessary. The next two chapters will help to clear up any confusion or frustration any of you all have about the back story.

This may not be the best chapter I have ever written *blame finals*, but I do hope you all will enjoy it.

It would mean the world to me if those who do not enjoy or agree with this chapter or plot could refrain from leaving judgmental comments or PMs. I am doing my best to weave this story together and some PMs I have been getting have been less then kind. They hurt and cause me to question if I should finish this story at all. If you have an idea on how to improve I would love to hear it, but I do not want to just hear that it is bad and I cannot write. Don't like it, don't read it.

But thank you to all of my kind reviewers! You all cause me great joy and keep this story alive. I am glad that you enjoy it as much as I do!

A big thank you to my editor and mellon DakotaPevensieGreenleaf. What would I ever do with out you.

And a many holiday wishes to all of my faithful reviewers: Nurray, MidnightContemplations, JulsaIthil, ForestWren, invisible observer, Slytherin Studios, Jaya Avendel and everyone who leaves a review! You guys help keep me going :)

Out of Mirkwood

Scribbles-on-Parchment

December 21, 2019

Chapter 24 – To Save a Life

Estel was still in shock. It was obvious the elf Tamír had shot was dead. He had never seen one of the eldar die before and he did not want to see it again. There was something wrong about it. This was an immortal creature, meant to live forever. But even as Estel watched the faint light around the elf died away.

Maer groaned bring the man's thoughts back to the eldar in his arms. The already pale skin of the elf was almost white, all the color appeared to have fled at the poison's attack.

"Toron," the voice of his oldest brother brought overwhelming relief flooding into Estel.

Elladan was a great healer. He could save the young elf.

"Estel? Are you hurt? What happened?" the older twin looked his brother up and down, his scrutinizing gaze not missing anything.

"I fear that your antidote did not work."

The ellon knelt beside the human gently taking the limp form from his arms.

"I think he was hallucinating. Then he just doubled over and grabbed his head like he was in pain. Why didn't it work?"

Estel was relieved to have Maer's weight out of his arms. Though the eldar was not heavy, the cut on his forearm was beginning to sting and he could feel blood slowly seeping through his leather wrist guard.

"There has to be something else. What did I miss?" Elladan mumbled to himself as he pulled back the bandages on the young elf's arm, "It should have worked."

Estel wiped the sweaty hair from his face, being careful to hide the cut on his arm. He did not want either of his brothers to notice it. They needed to focus on Maer, a small cut on his arm could wait.

Looking over at his ada, Estel saw the elf lord talking quietly with Tamír. The Silvan elf looked distressed and almost like he was crying. He shook his head; he hadn't expected the ellon to be happy about killing another elf, but he had also not expected him to be crying.

Estel caught the eye of Elrohir as he hurried up the hill with Elrond's healing pouch. The elf smiled as he set the bag down next to his brother,

"Are you well? It is not every human that can say they survived hand to hand combat with an elf."

Estel could see that his brother was trying to lighten up the mood, but there was no laughter left in his heart.

"I need ada," Elladan's voice was full of worry. He glanced over at his brother's, "He is very ill, and I do not know how to help him."

Elrohir's smile instantly vanished. He gave a nod before hurrying over to his ada.

"What is it Elladan? I thought elves could not get ill," Estel frowned as he saw the red and inflamed wound on Maer's arm, "How can this be?"

The ellon did not look up, but just continued to search through the herbs in the pouch, "The eldar are blessed to be able to live long and without illness. So, I do not know why this little one is like this. I am at a loss and I know not what to do."

All Elrond could do was stare down at the lifeless body of elf. This was Tamír's closest friend? He had never heard the elf speak of anyone in this way. And how had Tamír's closest friend become his son's attacker?

"Ada," his son's voice cut through the fog of disbelief that had clouded Elrond's mind, "Elladan needs you right away. He says that Maer is very ill."

"Ill?" the elf lord's brow wrinkled, "Ion nín, you know as well as I that the eldar cannot become sick. What does you brother mean by this?"

The frustration was now apparent in young elf's voice, "I know not. But what I do know is that if you do not come then I fear that we will be burying two elves, not just one."

"Elladan, pray tell me what has happened," Elrond crouched beside his son.

He was glad that Elrohir had stayed with Tamír, for after what the Silvan had said he was growing worried about how this would affect him.

"The herbs did not work ada. They did not heal the spider's toxin. If anything, I think that it has made it worse."

Elrond looked down at the golden-haired elf. The ellon's brow was cool to the touch and long, dark lashes hid the blue eyes that lay underneath. But what worried him the most were the soft moans that came from the Sinda's lips. This was not the work of any poison that he had ever encountered.

"His wound is infected," Estel said and turned the now irritated and swollen spider bite towards him eliciting a groan from the elf, "It has not even begun to heal."

Elrond closed his eyes. What could cause such a reaction from an elf? He thought that he had come up with the necessary antidote to combat the toxin, how could it have not at least start to make the young elf better? It did not make any sense. Then it hit him; the elf lord's eyes snapped open.

"Elladan, I need you to reopen the wound. Clean it out as best you can. We need to keep any infection at bay. Estel, you need to hold him down. I fear that he will not react well to what I am about to do."

The Noldor put his hand on the elfling's brow. Whatever spider had bit him Elrond did not ever want to have to meet. For the strength of the poison was great and tainted by darkness and evil. Mirkwood must have grown very dark indeed to have such creatures living under its once beautiful trees. What had driven his sons to go in there in the first place? Their actions had now caused a landslide of things that Elrond did not know if he was ready to face.

Estel crouched next to Maer. He gingerly grabbed the elf's limp arms and held them tight. He did not use his full strength for he was half afraid that the young ellon's slender wrists would break if he used too much force.

The human watched carefully as his ada put his hands on the elf's brow. The elf lord closed his eyes before the usually dim glow around him flared. Estel looked away from the bright light. He had seen his ada do this before, but it was a very rare occurrence. It usually happened when trying to heal someone who was gravely hurt. Elladan had explained to him that this was a way to help transfer healing power to another elf, or to asses the darkness in a creature. But either way it took a tremendous about of energy and very few elves held the power to manipulate their inner light.

The light flared this time causing the elf to cry out and arch his back. Startled, Estel let the elf's arms slip from his grasp. He grabbed for them again, but not before receiving a blow to the side of his face from the ellon's flailing arms.

What was his ada doing to the young elf? Had darkness already invaded Maer? The elfling's back arched again forcing Estel to put his full weight on the eldar; pressing him into the grass. The Sinda was stronger than he appeared.

Looking back up at Elrond, the young human saw that the elf's face was tense. His brow was furrowed, and he appeared to be concentrating intensely on something. A bead of sweat had formed on his brow.

Estel continued to hold the young ellon down for several more minutes until the Sinda suddenly went limp. Elrond leaned back with a sigh. He looked tired and almost sorrowful. The human let go of the elf's arms and let them fall lifelessly to the grass. He looked over at his ada,

"Is he dead?"

The elf lord brushed aside a strand of dark hair that clung to the sweat on his forehead, "No ion nín. He is not dead, merely exhausted. And no, the darkness has not taken him."

The ellon offered a soft smile to his son before standing up slowly, "Now excuse me, for I must go and speak to Tamír."

Estel was bursting with questions, but he could see that something was troubling his ada. As the elf lord walked away a hand on his shoulder caused the human to turn his head.

"He will tell you when and if he feels that you should know, toron. Let it go for now; be grateful that he still draws breath. Now come, you can help me clean his wound."

Estel groaned. His brother knew how much he hated doing this. Elladan grinned,

"You were the one to drop his wounded arm into the dirt. Tis not my fault."

Estel held the small bowl of water as Elladan slowly and carefully cleaned out the spider bite. After his brother had assigned him to hold the water bowl, he had let his gaze wander. This had been such a long day already and it was not yet over. He looked over at his ada and saw him talking quietly with Tamír and Elrohir. He knew that whatever was being said, he would likely never get to hear. It was all just so unfair.

Looking down the hill at the dead yrch strewn about in the long grass Estel let his inner frustration grow. He had fought and survived a fight with one of the eldar. Could his ada still not see him as grown up? Would he ever be seen that way?

Estel was jolted from his thoughts by the bowl being taken from his hands. He glanced over at his brother,

"Am I that bad of an assistant?"

Elladan finished pouring the liquid out into the grass before saying,

"No, but I have finished so there is no need for you to continue to hold the bowl."

Estel looked down and saw the neat, clean bandages wrapped around the elf's arm.

"Don't worry, I was not in need of your assistance. And besides, you seemed quite lost in thought. I did not want to disturb you."

Estel opened his mouth to protest, but Elladan cut him off before he could even begin, "I will leave you to your daydreams. Watch over him while I go and check on the horses."

The elf winked before getting gracefully to his feet and walking away. Estel mumbled several choice words after him. Here he was stuck watching over Maer, again. Looking over at the elfling, he saw that the Sinda's eyes were still closed.

"I warn you Maer, if you wake up again and attack me, I will not be as gentle as I was last time," Estel put his chin in his hands and waited.

Elrond was tired and worried. The amount of energy it had taken for him to push back the poison from invading the elfling's mind had been great. Whatever spider had attacked him must have been bread by evil. For the toxin was full of darkness and stronger than he had expected. But also, this Sinda was young; younger than he had thought. Thus, he did not have the full strength of the eldar in him yet. This was way the antidote had not worked and why the poison had attacked him so ferociously.

He had given the elfling much of his own strength until he had felt that the ellon could heal. It would take time, but it would not kill him. That was what mattered.

What worried him the most had been the amount of anger and guilt he had felt radiating from the elf. But this Sinda also had great power and light of the eldar in him. Whoever this ellon was, he had gotten on the wrong side of Tamír's now dead friend.

Elvish Translations:

toron – brother (Noldorin Elvish)

ada - dad

maer – golden

ion nín – my son

yrch - orcs