A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. A lot of bad things happened at the beginning of the year that caused me to lose interest in everything basically, but I'm back, feeling better, and determined to finish this! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
Chapter 16
Ereiniel had become well acquainted with the valley in recent years, but there were still many places unfamiliar to her. There always seemed to be yet another gulley or vale that she hadn't charted, which meant there were far too many places for orcs to hide. Worse yet, there were many thickets and dense treetops from where they might lay traps. Orcs could be quite cunning, even in a pinch. They could easily set a spring spear or dead fall trap in minutes. Too often had she seen their deadly effects on Men and Elves alike.
She gently crept through the forest with her bow in hand, continuously scanning the ground and her surroundings. More often than not though, her eyes strayed to Elrond. She wished he hadn't come.
Ereiniel would have felt much better had he remained at the guardhouse with Lindir. She wouldn't have had to worry about him falling into a hastily dug hole and impaling himself on a pike, or see an orc jump from the shadowy treetops and stab him.
She tried to reassure herself that Elrond was just as adapt at hunting orcs as the rest of them. He kept his head down and his tread was silent and cautious. She had also been with him during several battles and skirmishes, and knew he could defend himself. Despite this, the fear remained.
Growing up she always thought she was the oddball of her family. Everyone always said that Fingolfin's line was fearless, but fear had always been her constant companion. Ever since she was an elfling she was deathly afraid something would harm her family, but as she got older she was more afraid of disappointing the people who expected her to lead them. It was fear that made her enlist in the army when she came of age, and caused her to spend much of her free time speaking with advisors about ruling and diplomacy.
However, there were times when her fears overwhelmed her and made her do things she would never have otherwise done.
It was fear that made her ignore her father's request to remain in Lindon while Elrond marched to Eregion to rescue Celebrimbor. Fear made her assemble a small company to waylay the pursuing orc army while Elrond escaped with the survivors to Imladris. More importantly, it was fear that enabled her to command the Elven vanguard at the Battle of Gwathló.
Gil-galad intended for her to remain in Lindon to guard against a counterattack, but Ereiniel―still reeling from Celebrimbor's death and afraid the same fate would befall Elrond―openly contested this decision.
She was his heir and fully capable of commanding an army. She had proved it in Eregion when she commanded their right flank, being the only regiment to successfully drive back Sauron's army and allow many to escape. Her company also decimated every orc company in all the skirmishes and battles across Eregion. She could say that no orc had yet crossed into Lindon due to her efforts, and she was capable of rescuing Elrond.
It was the first and only time they had ever fought, and though Gil-galad had sent everyone out of the room, she was certain every Man and Elf could hear them shouting and crying.
She learned during their argument that her father's decision was based upon his own fear; that Elrond would be overrun before they got to him and he didn't want to lose her in the ensuing battle. The grief would kill him. She remembered being wrapped tight in his arms after their fight ended feeling weary, relieved, ashamed, and grateful. "I just wanted to protect you Erie," he said, "but it seems I must put my fear aside and trust you to protect yourself."
The admittance shattered a long-held perception of hers, that her father was incapable of fearing anything. He was always the most imposing Elf in the room, cool-headed under pressure, and the best warrior in Arda. All Elves were loyal to him, Dwarves respected him, Men revered him, and Sauron feared him. It was hard to imagine her father afraid of anything.
It was only then that she realized something important about her family. They weren't fearless, none of them were― it was all a damned lie. It was what they did in response to that fear that made them heroes.
Fear of his family's destruction was what made Fingolfin challenge Morgoth, fear of his friend's torment led Fingon to rescue Maedhros from Thangorodrim, and it was fear that compelled Idril to build her secret tunnel out of Gondolin.
The truth was, Fingolfin's line were the most fearful lot in all of Arda. Ereiniel was no different from the rest of them. This knowledge didn't make her feel better though.
Ereiniel stayed in front of Elrond as they moved through the forest, knowing that if something jumped out or there was a trap before them, it would hit her first. She didn't care that she was putting herself at risk, it meant she wouldn't have to see someone else she loved die. She wouldn't bear the loss.
'Do you not think I know what you're doing?' Elrond said, opening his thoughts to her when he slid up behind her.
She didn't respond. Not only was it unnecessary, but she often struggled to keep the pervasive thoughts and images in her mind from leaking out. She didn't open up for anyone any longer, not even Glorfindel or her ada. She didn't want to bombard them with scenes of Celebrimbor and her own worst imaginings.
'I may not have taken part in as many orc hunting parties as you, but I do know what I'm doing,' Elrond said. 'I don't need you to protect me.'
"If you had been like me and trained in the army when you were young, I might have no reason to worry," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Forgive me if I chose to devote myself to healing instead," Elrond responded in the same low voice.
"Which is precisely why I'm looking after you," she said, sliding through dense brush. "If one of us gets attacked, we'll need you to treat them. You're the most valuable member of this party right now."
"I would think the High King's daughter would have precedence over a healer, even if he is a ruling lord," Elrond retorted.
"Not in this case," she said. "You would know this if you were in the field more often. You've spent too much time leading an army."
"You're making excuses," Elrond almost snapped. "I'm not more important than you Erie."
"You are to me," she responded.
Elrond breathed a sigh.
'I know you don't want anyone else to die Erie, but there's no reason for you to put yourself directly in harm's way. You would cause great harm to those you are trying to protect if you get yourself killed.'
Ereiniel's ears twitched at this.
'Myself, Gil-galad, Glorfindel, your mother, none of us want to see you get hurt. Not again,' he said.
Ereiniel knew he was referring to when she and Ciryator of Númenor made their last charge at Sauron's remaining line of defense at Gwathló. It was the most intense fighting that took place, but just before they could break through to Sauron's remaining bodyguards a reserved company of trolls smashed into them.
Ereiniel herself was knocked off her horse when she was struck by a war hammer, shattering her left arm and breaking several ribs. She didn't remember much after that, though she faintly recalled being carried off the field on a stretcher and it was difficult to breathe at times.
She was much more cognizant when Gil-galad burst into the medic tent she had been taken to, frantically searching for her after he learned she was wounded. Even Círdan was visibly shaken when they found her, which almost made her cry. She knew she scared them and that was the last thing she wanted.
She even remembered how Elrond rushed straight to her when Rivendell's forces met with theirs a few days later. She had been standing outside her father's tent, still bruised and swollen with her arm in a sling, intending to make a stupid joke about the little sister having to come rescue her big brother. The quip died on her tongue the moment she saw the concern in his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," she snapped at him. It wasn't the first thing she wanted to say to Elrond when they were reunited, especially not after learning he had survived Sauron's siege. "I'm fine, you're fine. Let's leave it at that."
Of course the healer in him wouldn't let it alone, not then, not now.
'You haven't had time to properly grieve or process the traumatic things that have happened to you these last few years, you're hurting, and I want to help you.'
Ereiniel knelt when the brown haired Lothiriel motioned for them to stop. The Silvan Elf waited a few moments, staring into the darkness before cautiously slipping into a wall of vegetation. Two other Elves followed her.
"Must you do this now?" she murmured as Elrond crouched close beside her. "It's not the best time."
'Just open you mind to me,' Elrond urged.
"You don't want that," Ereiniel said through gritted teeth as stared at the spot where Lothiriel disappeared. She was growing increasingly anxious and gripped her bow tighter. She could hear leaves whipping in the distance and drawing closer.
Something was out there….
'Let me help you.'
Someone shouted, and an orc came barreling through the brush straight for them. Ereiniel shoved Elrond aside, pulling her sword from her back and slicing at its neck. The orc staggered and dropped with blood squirting from its neck.
Another bug-eyed orc appeared out of the foliage, swinging its chipped scimitar at her. Ereiniel parried, feeling the orc's weapon clash and crack against the sword forged by Celebrimbor. The orc's arm was still rattling when Ereiniel thrust forward, taking advantage of the orc's poor fighting skills.
The sword slid through the orc's chest, lacerating its heart and killing it in a near instant. Ereiniel had just grabbed hold of the dead orc's shoulder to pull her sword free when a third orc rushed at her. Its weapon was raised and poised to strike when an arrow flew over Ereiniel's shoulder and embedded itself within the orc's eye socket.
The orc collapsed on the ground, twitching for a few seconds before falling still. Ereiniel freed her sword and looked over her shoulder at Elrond. She half expected him to be standing there smirking, but there was only a look of horror and concern on his face.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he rushed up to her.
"I'm fine," she replied.
Ereiniel removed a rag from her belt and quickly cleaned her sword when it appeared the attack was over. There was only three of them and they were small and bony, and carried packs that indicated they were army retainers. No wonder they were easy to kill.
Lothiriel came running out of the foliage as the hunting party gathered around the corpses.
"I thought I saw something moving away from us," she said as she knelt to examine them. "They must have seen me and decided to attack."
"Much good it did them," Saelaethor said as his dark eyes roamed over them. "These were clearly not battle trained."
"Hopefully they're all like that," Ereiniel said as she turned from the dead orcs.
"You believe there's more?" Elrond said as he followed her deeper into the forest.
"That orc with the missing arm. It was a fresh wound and I didn't cause it," she replied. "Look, there's blood everywhere, if we follow this trail it may lead us to others."
'You're getting tense,' Elrond said, noting her quickened pace and higher pitched voice. He had trouble keeping up with her impatient stride. 'There's no need, we're going to find them all.'
Ereiniel didn't answer as they followed the trail to an inconspicuous location near one of the riding trails. The grass was matted where the orcs had stood, and there was plenty of black blood spewed on the ground, along with a severed arm.
"This is an epicenter," Lothiriel said as she quickly walked around the perimeter. "There are several trails that lead away from here. They must have split up."
"They cannot have gotten far," Ereiniel said. "We'll split up and follow them."
"We should be cautious," Saelaethor urged. "Most likely these orcs scattered after one attacked the other."
"This isn't unusual though," Lothiriel said. "Orcs fight amongst themselves all the time."
"True," Ereiniel responded. "But I agree with Saelaethor, we don't know why these orcs are here or what their purpose may be. We also don't know what they are capable of."
Elrond watched quietly as Ereiniel quickly divided their party, making sure that powerful High Elves like Saelaethor went with each group. It was a common survival tactic, but Elrond noted that she did not direct him to go with one of his own. She intended to keep him close.
They broke off in different directions, following their own trail through the darkened forest. Elrond kept close to Ereiniel as they led their own small party along the trail before going up a craggy hillside.
"Dawn is only a few hours away," Ereiniel said, her tone matched her impatient stride. "They won't be able to hide for much longer."
Elrond looked down and saw her gripping her bow with white knuckles. Her arm trembled and he could see her jaw clenched tight. She was anxious, but he didn't believe it was because she was ready for this to be over. No, something else was bothering her.
'Erie,' he started, soothing and reassuring. 'What are you so afraid of?'
'STOP!' she shouted, like a crack of thunder in his mind. She stopped and stared at him. 'For all your famed wisdom there are times when you are completely naïve. You don't know half of what orcs are capable of, what they did to Celebrimbor and Ost-in-Edhil is only a glimpse of their brutality. Do you really want to know what I'm afraid of?'
Elrond was suddenly assailed by images in his mind. There was Celebrimbor's body yes, but hundreds of others similar to it. Fields, trees, and even houses on fire, landscapes strewn with bodies of Elves and Men. There were far too many scenes that were too horrible to describe, filled with mutilations and tortures. None were spared, not even children. She had cradled hundreds of dying people in her arms.
The scenes stopped as abruptly as they started, leaving them both standing with tears pouring down their faces. While Elrond knew that Ereiniel had faced many horrors and tragedies during the time he was holed up in Imladris, he never knew that she had faced such extreme devastation. While he too witnessed death on a nearly daily basis during the siege, Ereiniel was a witness to something far worse. It was too much for any heart to bear.
'While Sauron lives I fear that our lands will one day be obliterated and I will see all my loved ones die,' Ereiniel said, staring into his eyes. 'And you should be afraid too.'
She turned on her heel and stormed off with a stark warning.
"Don't fall behind."
