This is the T-rated version of my mature story "A Night of fulfilled Desires". Finally, the plot unravels...

Chapter 12

Instead of giving an answer, Elrond turned and walked towards the door. On his way out, he said "I need to do research", and with that he was gone.

"We might still need the Istari," Thranduil decided and cast a glance upon the wizard, hanging from the ceiling. "Your body has remarkable strength," he said.

"When you are done cleaning, let the wizard rot in his dungeon cell until Elrond knows what to do with him," Thranduil informed his butler. "When you are done cleaning, tell Legolas to come by the throne where I await him. I shall then have you prepare a bath for me."

Elrond was so deeply focused on the papers of unbound parchment that he did not hear the footsteps nearing him. He was in Thranduil's study, something he had not thought to exist centuries ago. His collection of literature was by far smaller than his own at Imladris. He looked up when someone stepped in front of the desk. It was Legolas.

"You have been down here for hours. It has turned night. I brought you something to eat," Legolas said with a light voice. He placed a bowl of porridge mixed with forest fruits onto the paper that Elrond was reading. He shoved it aside.

"I need to continue this. The whole world as we know it might be in danger," he said but kindly.

"How will you save the world with an empty stomach?" Legolas asked softly. He did not take it personal; he knew that Elrond was very worried about his biological father.

"My father has sent troops to both the dwarf settlements around Erebor as well as the Hobbit-lands west to the Misty Mountains. They are to find Pallando and bring him here before he can do more harm."

"Pallando and Alatar were to meet West of the Shire, ready to search the Sea for Eärendil. If Alatar does not come, I do not know what Pallando will do. I fear he will continue his mission on his own."

"What about those who come to help us?" Legolas asked. He was visibly shaken by the news of impending doom.

"The works are incomplete," Elrond said with light anger in his voice and dropped the parchment. "I will need to ride to Imladris and consult my own books. They contain more detail about what is upon us."

"First, my Lord, you must eat. Or shall I feed you?" Legolas grabbed the bowl and pressed it into Elrond's hands. The Peredhel sighed and began to spoon it.

While Elrond was packing his most important things, Legolas returned unsatisfied to the king's halls to where he was called by Galion – only to find Thranduil very angrily pacing up and down in front of his throne. There were no guards around; Legolas assumed he had sent them away or they had fled from his fit of rage.

"What is it, father?" Legolas asked carefully.

Thranduil stopped to look at his son. "The first ravens have returned from the East. Were-worms have attacked the dwarves and men. Dale was reduced to a pile of ashes and dust. Erebor was fortified and able to hold off the attackers. Reinforcements from the Iron Mountains are on their way and I have sent troops of ours as well." He grimaced at the thought of helping out dwarves. "It happened over night. Pallando must have bewitched the worms for that they were more aggressive and harder to kill than normal." He began to pace up and down again.

"Have you drunk?" Legolas asked. He knew that his father preferred to drown his sorrows in Dorwinion.

"No, and that is the problem," Thranduil answered. His voice was harsh, and he was effervescing with anger and energy. "How could we let it come so far?" he suddenly shouted. "Why did we not act earlier?"

Legolas wanted to answer, but he knew his father was best not interrupted during such an outburst of fury.

"Pallando is probably crossing Mirkwood right now under our nose, heading for the Hobbit settlements to reduce them to rubble as well. Then he will find Eärendil and send upon us the end of all days."

Thranduil grabbed a wooden column for support. He felt a pain running through his body.

"You need to calm down, father. It is not your fault that we did not see this coming."

"I am the king of these woods. I see and hear everything that happens a thousand miles into each direction. Ever since the fall of Lothlórien I feel the more responsible for the fate of the children of Ilúvatar. Those who gave their lives in Dale were men. They are supposed to be under our protection; it is written so in our trading contracts." Thranduil sighed heavily. "What of Elrond? Has he made progress?"

"He wants to let you know that he is off to Rivendell. He has his books there and will continue his research."

"He better do fast," Thranduil muttered and sank into his throne.

Chapter 13

Lord Elrond had been riding for two days and a night when he arrived near Carrock. He could see an army of men and elves resting under a ledge. He rode towards them to ask for news.

"Where do you come from and where are you heading to with which purpose?" Lord Elrond asked when he came nearer.

A muscular, dark haired man stood up. "Many questions for a lone rider."

Before Elrond could respond, he recognised the only silver-haired elf among the Teleri as Círdan rose and spoke. "Do you have any idea who it is that you are speaking with? This is Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

"I beg you pardon," said the man and bowed.

Elrond gestured 'no need' with his hand.

"We are a joint army from Rohan and some of those who survived the attack on Lothlórien. An aggressive swarm of orcs have swept over our country from Mordor. We are keeping them at bay, and we are riding to prevent attacks from the north," the man explained.

"Mount Gundabad has sent its orcs into the forest," Elrond explained. "Aggression and evil have been on the rise for months and months."

"If we destroy the dwelling at Gundabad, they cannot produce new orcs there," Círdan explained.

Elrond nodded. "I shall wish you luck. We have found the reason of evil in Mirkwood. Two Istari wizards have turned against us. They are trying to do what Saruman failed to do decades ago. They serve Morgoth."

"Then what can we do?" the man asked.

"Destroy Mount Gundabad. Fight all evil that attacks you. I am riding back to Rivendell to find a way to save Middle-Earth. Once we know what to do, we will spread the word. Keep an eye out for a blue wizard. His name is Pallando and he is as mighty as Mithrandir."

They exchanged little other news about cities that had been attacked, that had been held or that had been lost. Then Elrond swung himself on his horse again and started the ride towards the Misty Mountains. The weather was kind and so he was able to take a mountain path that was the fastest to the city of Rivendell. It had lost most of its charm and since Arwen had left, he felt a great void. The leaves looked like an eternal autumn was upon them, and Elrond's mood was only lifted when he spied the blonde hair of his closest friend Glorfindel.

"What made you return so quickly? And alone?" he asked when he rushed downstairs to hug his Lord.

"I will tell you once inside. Gather my sons and Erestor. I tell you during dinner. And then I shall do research in my study," Lord Elrond responded.

While the cooks prepared dinner, he went to his private chambers which he had not seen in months. He got rid of his riding robes and was not prepared to see Glorfindel suddenly in his room.

"Have you forgotten how knocking works?" he asked.

"How's the king?" Glorfindel asked dryly. He and Thranduil had clashed in the past and that was the main reason why Elrond had trusted his blonde companion with Rivendell instead of working near the Elven-king.

Elrond swallowed hard and rested undressing for a brief moment. "He's fine," he decided to say.

"And Legolas?" Glorfindel asked softer, ignoring Elrond's obvious hesitation to tell the whole truth.

"As handsome as always," Elrond responded, having removed his clothes and walked into the bathroom to wash himself quickly with a soaked cloth. He felt Glorfindel standing very close behind him. "I am with Legolas now, Glorfindel, and I love him. Besides, we need to talk about urgent matters."

"You look tired," Glorfindel said.

"I have no time to rest."

Less than half an hour later, Elrond, Erestor, Glorfindel, and the twins were sitting in the dining hall of the main house and the Lord of Imladris explained what they had found out in the last few days in Mirkwood.

"It was foolish of you to ride here without guard," Erestor was the first to comment.

"I know. But I thought that alone I would most probably not be attacked. And I made very little rest," Elrond replied. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go to my study." He stood up and left his half-eaten dinner.

"He should rest more," Elladan said as soon as the doors fell shut.

"And eat more," Elrohir added.

"At least he has enough sex," Glorfindel commented.

It was two days later that Elladan and Elrohir sat still together after an afternoon chant. All the other elves had left by now and returned to their work. Elladan had just finished repairing a water wheel down the river and Elrohir dreaded returning to the carpentry shed because the she-elf working there had a crush on him.

"I am worried about adar," Elladan said. He stared out of the window and watched the elves walking by the paths that let down to the river.

"He's been in his study for two days now. He hardly sleeps. And if we didn't bring food and watch him eat, he would even forget that," Elrohir agreed.

They heard footsteps approaching and shortly later the door to the eating hall opened. A guard of the gate entered accompanying a rider of men.

"I bring news from the south," the woman said. She was dressed in men's riding gown and her blonde hair was neatly tied to her back. "Orcs that had been housing in the ruins of Tharbad left and another great flood has taken hold of anything near the river Greyflood."

"Gwathló is known for floods," Elrohir muttered.

"The flood came upstream," she explained.

Elrohir and Elladan looked at each other. They knew that magic must had been involved.

"This is the doing of Pallando, an Istari wizard turned against us," a powerful voice cut the silence.

Everyone turned around. Lord Elrond stood in the other door. He looked thinner, his skin was pale, and his eyes decorated dark circumorbital rings. His hair was tied back uncharacteristically, and his clothes were anything but elegant. He gestured everyone to sit down. Before he began talking, Glorfindel and Erestor came rushing into the hall. Either they had heard Elrond's voice, or they had seen the messenger arrive at the gates. In any way, they took chairs to the table and listened curiously.

"Many, many years ago, Manwë summoned a council of Valar and they decided to send five Maiar to Middle-Earth who would aid us in the fight against Sauron, servant of Morgoth. Among them those who we refer to as Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. Alatar and Pallando, the blue wizards, left to the East and were since then not seen. Like Saruman, they were converted by evil and are now serving Morgoth instead of helping us defend him. They want him to return from the Void where he was imprisoned after the War of Wrath many centuries ago."

"Assuming he can return from the Void through the Walls of Night, what can we do against him?" Erestor asked.

"We can hardly hold our cities against the orks that the two wizards have made so aggressive. How are we supposed to defeat Morgoth?," the woman added.

"According to the legend," Elrond continued, "the Valar gave us the Doom of Mandos, a prophecy, when the first elf killed another elf, an act that banned the Ñoldor from sailing to Aman for centuries. However, Mandos gave the Valar a second prophecy, and I quote, 'when the world is old and the Powers have grown weary, Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World, seeing that the guard sleepeth, shall come back through the Door of the Night out of the Timeless Void; […] Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor.'" [History of Middle-Earth, The Lost Road and other writing, as quoted on .com, the One Ring Wiki, in the article of Dagor Dagorath, accessed 30/05/19]

"Could someone translate this for a woman who is not familiar with Elvish history?" the messenger asked. She, after all, had to over-bring the news and understand the follow-up questions.

"Morgoth will return and strike again," Elladan summarised what his father had just said.

"Eärendil, my father," Elrond continued with heavy heart, "is eternally sailing the sky with the Silmaril of his wife's ancestors. When Morgoth returns, so does he to join the final battle at Dagor Dagorath. The Vala Tulkas, the Maia Eönwë, and the man Túrin will help to kill Morgoth once and for all."

"Túrin, a man?" Glorfindel asked surprised.

"Túrin was among those men who came to Beleriand, which was later destroyed, in the first age. He was exiled when–"

"I don't think this is too important right now," Erestor interrupted.

"You are right," Elrond gathered himself. "Important is that we are before the Final Battle. It will take place in Aman, but we will most probably endure the consequences of its outcome here on our continent as well."

"So, what do you propose?" the woman asked. She wanted answers, she wanted something to do.

"We need to find Pallando, the second blue wizard. Only if we break his staff and stop him can we effectively fight the spiders and orks and bad things that fall upon our earth," Glorfindel said and looked to Elrond who nodded.

"Then I shall spread the word. Find the blue wizard and bring him to Rivendell." The woman stood up.

"To Thranduil's realm," Elrond corrected her. "It has become the strongest hold of Elvish armies and it is from there that we command our legions. Rivendell is where we farm and supply the other cities. It is well protected and has not been attacked… yet. Since the fall of Lothlórien and Mirkwood being under constant attack, Rivendell is the reason we still have the means to continue fighting. It is why we are still under such well defence." He leaned back.

The woman nodded and the guard of the gates led her out.

"If the battle takes place in Aman, we elves need to help. We have ignored the call of the Valar for too long already. We need to go to Aman and support our ancestors and the mightiest beings that Erú has created," Erestor said.

Elrond stared at him. He was lost in thoughts.

"We cannot just sit here and do nothing," Glorfindel added, surprisingly agreeing with Erestor.

"We are not even supposed to be here anymore," Lord Elrond muttered. "Our time is over. We should have gone to Aman ages ago."

"And now we go there," Elladan said,

"to fight," Elrohir finished his brother's sentence.