Silver Jaws
By tHe InSaNe OnE
AN- Urf. *hits head against the keyboard* URF URF URF URF URF!!!!! I can't believe this. I wanted to post this nearly two days ago. It will be two days soon. *grrr* I can't believe how many things have kept me from posting. I didn't like the chapter, then my mom told me to get off, and, and, and........
*begs* FORGIVE ME! I'M SO SORRY! I feel really bad.......
Well, I'll let you all get straight to the chapter....just going to ask a few basic questions.
No slash between anyone or any thing or......yeah.....generally no romance except for what Tolkien wrote about. I can't write romance well and slash isn't my thing. So, sorry for those who wanted it, but there won't be any.
The dictionary I use....I got it from the internet. It was the biggest one that was there and I wanted to have as many words as possible. Some of the other words come from other fics I've read. I depend on a bunch of people who seemed well versed in the language.... Sorry if it's different from some of yours..... not trying to confuse anyone....
Where were the twins and why didn't Elrond notice Glorfindel's injuries? The twins didn't have horses so they had to walk. The entire scene with Glorfindel was to show that Elrond had left and to add a bit of humor to the situation. He wasn't badly injured or anything, he just looked dirty and tired. Travel worn perhaps. ^_^ All will be revealed later!
I think that's it. If not, I probably answered it at the bottom.....
~*~
Four days had past but they had seemed like centuries. Even more than centuries, for centuries are but a short time for elves. Perhaps tens of thousand of years had passed instead. Elladan did not know which was true anymore as he sat staring at the fire. He had no grasp upon reality at the moment and time was a thing of the past. All he knew was that he was sitting in a chair and his brother was lying on the bed asleep. Beside his twin, his youngest brother lay.
He had known since the day that he had taken little Aragorn to his home and sworn to protect him that someday, the boy would die. Elladan had known that the boy was a mortal and that he would not live forever. His heart would weaken, his mind would grow feeble and he would die and then the elder twin would be free of his promise. Oh, but he had never thought it would happen so soon. No, he had thought that he had at least a century with the boy, or maybe more than that. He never thought that he would only have such a short time with his youngest brother.
How could this have happened? What had Ada been thinking to send Estel all by himself? How could he have even considered it? No! He nearly smacked himself. No, he couldn't think that way. He could not blame his father for this. When Elrond arrived, the grief would be enough to kill him without his eldest child blaming him for the situation. It's my fault anyway, Elladan rationalized. I failed him.
Just like I failed Gilraen and Arathorn.
If I had kept a closer eye on our surroundings the orcs would have never been able to get them. If I had protected them better, the orcs would not have killed them and Estel would have had parents, he thought, the pain in his heart growing. Then I would not be in this situation. Then I would not have failed Estel and none of this would've happened.
I've failed again.
How many times can one person fail in a life time, he considered. I suppose in an elvish life time, millions upon millions of times.
The fire danced in front of him, playing with his vision, and he could almost see his mother in the flames. He had failed her too. If he had been faster, perhaps the orcs wouldn't have hurt her so badly. Maybe then she wouldn't have left. Maybe then she would've stayed with him and Elrohir and Arwen and Ada. But, he hadn't been quick enough then either, and she was gone.
"Elladan, you are going to burn your eyes out," Elrohir whispered. The younger twin had woken up. Kneeling next to his brother, he put a gentle hand upon his arm. "You need to rest. You look like death. The last thing we need is for you to collapse. Then Ada will have two patients and that might drive him crazy. You and Estel are terrible when it comes to staying in bed." He laughed but the laughter was hollow.
"Leave me be, Elrohir," Elladan hissed, angry feelings swirling about him. How could his brother be so optimistic?
Silence greeted his request and the hand on his arm did not move. The hand twitched slightly, and then shook. Elladan lifted his head, facing his brother. The younger elf was hunched over, his shoulders shaking. Silent sobs were wracking his body, like the shivers which haunted Estel's form. Elladan felt guilt bite into him, and he opened his mouth to apologize but was immediately cut off.
"Don't!" Elrohir exclaimed, still crying. "Don't! Stop, please!"
"Stop what?" Elladan asked, feeling more and more remorseful as he took in his brother's eyes. They were so scared and lost. It was obvious he was feeling just as bad as Elladan if not worse.
"Stop blaming yourself!" Elrohir begged. "It wasn't your fault! It was no one's fault except for the men who set that trap! They should not have been hunting in such a hideous weapon!"
"I do not blame myself," Elladan retorted, turning away as anger burned him again. How did his brother read him so well?
"Yes, you do!" Elrohir replied, "Just like you did when mother was injured! Please stop! Mother would tell you that it was beyond your control, she would tell you not to blame yourself! If you will not listen to me, then listen to her! Please, Elladan."
"How do you know what mother would say?!" Elladan yelled, ripping his arm away and holding it to his body. "Leave me, Elrohir! I do not wish to be scolded by you right now!"
The younger twin's face crumpled and he sunk to the ground pulling his legs up against him. He was sobbing, and simply couldn't control it anymore. "Please stop, Elladan. Please, I beg you. You look like Ada did- when Amme left. You- I - it's just- I can't-" Another sob cut off his words.
Elladan was struck by what Elrohir had said. He looked like Ada when Amme had left? But Ada had been dying of- He looked down at Elrohir, who was choking on his sobs, desperately trying to control himself. He now understood what his brother feared. Oh Elrohir, he cried, I'm so sorry.
Slipping out of the chair, he took his brother in his arms and rocked him. Elrohir clung to him, and slowly the sobs died down to simple tears. Elladan sighed, trying to keep himself from weeping. How could he manage to cause so much pain? He couldn't be so self-centered, especially with his brother and his father.
"Oh, Elrohir, it's alright. I'm sorry. I'd never dream of leaving that way. Please don't cry," he comforted, pressing his lips to the top of his brother's head. "Please-" his voice cracked.
"I can't bear the thought of losing both you and Estel," Elrohir sobbed, his voice slightly muffled by his brother's tunic. "I couldn't take it and Ada, well it would send Ada over the edge and if I didn't die from grief, I would probably lose my mind." He shuddered.
"Don't worry, nin toron," Elladan said softly. "You won't lose me to grief and you won't lose Ada either. Estel isn't going to leave us, Ada will come in time."
His words meant nothing and he knew it. But they pushed down the fears that had long since overtaken both of them.
~*~
Legolas sat in the garden, unable to take the grief that inhabited Estel's room. His room. He had been sleeping in the guest chambers, for the healer did not wish to move the human. Four days, four whole days. The boy had managed to outlive the healer's expectation four times over. Yet he just barely lingered, the healer did not even stay in his room. It was obvious the boy was just floating between death and life. There was nothing to do.
Legolas wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the slight chill in the air. He was not used to feeling the cold. It was a part of grieving and he knew that but still, it was so unusual. Even more unusual was the fact that he was grieving for a human. He had never felt the way he did towards a mortal before. His father did not understand and the twins were too scared to relate to him.
The slight rustling of robes brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his father approaching. The elder elf moved next to his son, taking a careful seat. Legolas was clearly grieving, but his father did not understand it. He certainly felt terrible that Lord Elrond's lost son was lying in his house dying because of a dreaded poison that he had picked up in the woods but still, he did not grieve. He wrapped an arm around Legolas' shoulders.
"I think the twins could use your support right now, nin ion," Thranduil suggested, looking around the garden. The colors of autumn had settled in, giving the air a good smell and filling the area with so many different colors.
"I cannot sit up there. The pain in that room makes me feel ill," Legolas returned softly, trying to keep his feelings in check. His father didn't understand.
"I understand," Thranduil affirmed. Legolas knew that he couldn't understand quite what he felt. "I can feel it in the air. It stifles out other emotions but still, they need comfort. Nandeniel is going back up to check on Estel and then on them. Maybe you can go up with him."
"Perhaps," Legolas murmured, "perhaps."
Thranduil sighed, brushing Legolas' blonde hair away from his face. He was a bit pale and rather tired looking. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Yesterday. I haven't been hungry," Legolas replied. No, he had been fretting about Estel and now, he was fretting about Elrohir and Elladan. They both had eaten next to nothing since they had come.
Thranduil gave him a worried look. The prince gave his father a reassuring glance, "Do not worry, Ada. I'm not hungry, that's all. I'll be alright, I promise." He stood, taking one last breath of the cool air around him. "I am going back upstairs. Perhaps, Estel is getting better."
Triumph of hope over reality.
~*~
Elrond's horse nearly collapsed underneath him when he rode into the gates of Mirkwood. The poor beast had run nearly the entire way, with only small stops to keep it from dying. Elrond quickly dismounted, patting the horse on the neck. Why did was he so worried? Estel was probably just fine! He was overreacting. But why did he have this terrible feeling that something was very wrong in this place.
"Elrond, nin mellon, how did you manage to get here so quickly?" Thranduil's voice rang through the air like a bell. Elrond turned, and was surprised to see how much Thranduil seemed to have age.
"What do you mean?" Elrond asked, fear gripping his heart. Something was wrong.
Thranduil grasped his friend's arms. It had been so long. How could they have kept away from each other for so long? How could they have been so stupid?
Elrond smiled, returning the small embrace. It was so good to see his close friend again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Fear was biting at his heart and was eating at his stomach. What had happened? What did he have to prepare himself for?
"My message should have taken at least two days to reach you! It is impossible to travel so quickly!" Thranduil replied, trying to hide how surprised he really was.
A message? Elrond suddenly found himself using Thranduil's arms for support. Oh no. "My friend, I left four days ago. Traveling that fast is a feat within itself but with the proper feeding and a bit of magic, a horse can travel that fast." His hands trembled as he released his grip from the king's arms. "What is wrong?"
Thranduil could see that Elrond was scared. It was written clearly all over his face. He hadn't received the letter. He didn't know. He wasn't sure he could tell his friend what was wrong. It was breaking him to see the pain that was already there.
"You'd best come in," Thranduil said, directing the other elf towards the palace. Elrond looked very travel worn, his hair wind blown and his travel clothes askew.
"Please, Thranduil-" Elrond pleaded. He couldn't take the waiting anymore. "Please tell me now. Which one of my children is dead?" No tears. No, he had to be strong for his family.
"None of them," the king responded, trying to figure out how to finish his sentence. There was no easy way to put it. "Your human son, Estel-"
"Oh Valar," Elrond gasped, sagging down onto the steps, leading to the main house. Oh, please not Estel! He should have never let him go by himself. His head dropped to his hand. "Lau, lau, uu Estel!"
Thranduil suddenly realized how much the elf lord really cared for the boy. Estel was human but he was Elrond's son just as much as Elrohir or Elladan. It was like someone telling him that Legolas was injured and at the point of death. The understanding was like a hit on the head. It was something Thranduil could understand. He had lost both his eldest son and his daughter many years ago. It had been such a devastating blow for him.
Clasping Elrond's free hand, he spoke quickly, hoping that his friend would be able to save the child. "Elrond, you mustn't let grief overwhelm you. En na er estel! He still lives and only a great healer can help him."
Elrond listened to his friend's words, trying to calm himself. He knew Thranduil was right. He could not break down and let grief get the better of him. He could not let emotions control him. He had to be able to think clearly. Estel needed a healer. Estel needed him.
"Show me to him."
TBC
~*~
Amme- mother
Nin toron- my brother
Nin ion- my son
Nin mellon- my friend
Lau, lau, uu Estel! - No, no, not Estel!
En na er estel! - There is still hope!
To my reviewers:
Emmithar- Yes, cruel. I love leaving cliffhangers....wahahahahaha.....^_^ Anyway, the whole scene with Legolas and Aragorn after Aragorn came back was rather funny. I told it to my uncle (who is well versed in the book universe but had yet to see the second movie) and he was very confused because Aragorn never did fall off a cliff in the book. Eheheehehehe...my puppy isn't that big. My brother has slight problems and every dog he sees looks like our dog.....He's a chocolate lab, and about a hundred pounds, but nothing compared to the wargs......^_^ You sound like me....I've already started counting down the days to when the next movie comes out. I was very sad because they didn't put the part with Shelob in the story......yet.....now, I have to wait....wahhhhh! Yes, it seems that everyone is posting again, or at least, more people are posting. That makes me happy. ^_^ Thank you for the review....... I hope you had a great Christmas!
Sue- *runs away from reviewers* Sorry for another cliffie, *ducks flying objects* my obsession with them will wear off eventually. Glad you liked the last chapter.....it came a lot easier than this one. I rewrote it hundreds of times and it never seemed to work out properly. I'm still not very happy with it but if I kept changing it, I could be working 'til next Christmas! ^_^ Thanks for the review! Hope your Christmas went well.
shirebound- ^_^ Well, you should be used to it! You write great fics! I love "Quarantined" and I can't wait for the next chapter! Poor Aragorn, tortured again! Wahahaha, it's wonderful! This is the first fic that people actually liked. I've posted before but no one liked the fics. The reviews, well, it really is overwhelming for me. I have more reviews on this fic than I've ever had on any stories in, any category. Thank you for the reviews! ^_^ It's nice to see that someone understands that I am sincere when I thank everyone!
gemstone- So, you liked Thranduil's reaction? ^_^ Good. I wasn't sure how to put it. I didn't want to make him out to be mean cause he's not, he's just had bad experiences with humans. Anyway, ^_^ as a warning, there are only two more chapters left. I am planning another story out and several little fics. Hope your Christmas went well! ^_^ Thank you for the review!
Asen- ^_^ Well, then! At least someone uses nin mellon like I do......*looks confused* someone told me it means "wet friend". Well....um....ehehehe, must be my dictionary! ^__^ Oh well. We will have to see if Elrond can save Estel, now won't we? ^_~ I'm glad that you review my fic. It makes me very, very happy! Cassia and Siobhan's plots are very original, and mine, well, it's the usual "first meeting" thing. I'm glad you like it though and your compliments mean a lot! Thanks for your review!
Freakizimi- ^_^ I love talking to you all! I think it's a family trait. My family talks a lot. I actually don't talk as much as my brother or my father but still. It always annoys me when I take the time to leave a nice review and people don't respond. I feel like it's a waste of time! ^_^ Well, Elrohir and Elladan have arrived on time and Elrond apparently has. But will they save the poor ailing human. Only time will tell! ^_^ Keep reading, and reviewing and the posts will come! Thank you for your reviews!
Arlondwen- *gives family* Take them and keep them.......I only want to keep my brother, my mom and my dad. You can have my cousins/aunts/uncles. Ehehe, my brother's younger than me by about four years. The problem is he's almost as big as me now and he could beat me up if he wanted. He takes Tae Kwon Do. My brother and I have been having wars since before I can remember. When we lived up north, snow wars and down here in the south, sandball wars...Wahahahaha....Okay, now I'm off track...... Yes, my family thinks I am very antisocial. The fact that I don't play with my little cousins when they are swimming in a 60 degree pool disturbs them. I watch movies and play my uncle's Xbox.... And no one can stop me either. I'm very sorry that I didn't post before Christmas, but as I said before, I had some serious difficulties writing this one! I'm not happy with it, but the other ones were trashed before I could be happy with them! Well, I hope Christmas went well and you got what you wanted! A car perhaps? ^_^ Thank you for your reviews! Merry Belated Christmas!
Wind Runner- Yes, my chapters are rather short, but you must understand, I would be getting chapters out once a month if I didn't make them about four to five pages each. I am a fan of writing cliffhangers, so ^_^ be prepared. This story is almost over though so, I think this is the last cliffie or close to last... ^_^ Thank you for the review! Happy Holidays!
Anita- Of course, of course, it never fails. You write a chapter and then your fans demand another chapter! Aren't you people ever satisfied? JK! lol. Sorry this chapter took a bit. Much writing and rewriting and rerewriting and rererewriting went into it! No, I didn't write LOTR before.....did you review any of my other stories? I have this strange feeling I've seen your name before.......Maybe I'm losing my mind........that's okay, it was mostly gone anyway. Well, I plan to stick to LOTR until my muse for it dies. Hoping that wont be soon! ^_^ Thank you for the review! Merry Belated Christmas!
leggy-stinks- Well, he's not dead.....yet! ^_^ WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't worry, Elrond is here to save him. But you never know what might happen..... *hands an Estel plushie* Here, hug him and keep him safe ^_^. Thank you for your reviews!
Nili- lol. I love your reviews! Have I ever told you that? They always make me laugh. Do you write fics? I think you oughta. Ehehehe, lol. Elrond is there now and Estel isn't dead! Yet....... Elladan is fading into severe depression and Elrohir is about to go nuts......^_^ Which makes this entire situation all the more suspenseful.
Thranduil- *pokes Nili back* WHAT?! I thought you only brought one human, Legolas.
Legolas- I did father *stares at Nili* when did you get here?
lol. So, you enjoyed the movie? I did to. Loved the wargs and everything. It was a good thing Gimli was in the movie. He was serious comic relief in the movie. I nearly started crying when Haldir died. I was so sad. I love him! HE DIDN'T DIE IN THE BOOKS! *sniffles* Poor Haldir.....well, I'll stop my rambling. I'm very hyper. I watched lots of movies yesterday. None of them were LOTR but they were good. ^_^ Lilo and Stitch is so cute......Merry Belated Christmas! Thank you for the review! It's a great present for me!
Jedi-Faramir- *hugs and sobs* HALDIR DIED!!!! THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM!!!!!!! *sniffles* *kills the stupid orc* You beast!!! Wah! Poor Haldir......... He didn't die in the books.....*teary eyed* why? Besides, his eyes didn't close...did they? I was trying to see if they did but I was too shocked to really be sure. Anyway, I'll stop jabbering. As always, thank you for the review and the compliments!
HaloGatomon- AH!!! *shakes hand* Omg! You reviewed my fic! Oh wow! WOAH! Thank you so much! I'm sorry I didn't say anything last chapter. You reviewed after I posted! Oh thank you so much! Wow! Estel.......well.......he's not dead yet, is he? Elrond's there so we don't have to worry......or do we......^_^ You better post some more of Call to Vengeance soon or I might forget to update ^_~. Thank you for the review and Merry Belated Christmas!
Lina Skye- *pats head* he isn't dead yet! Don't worry! Well, maybe you should worry. But, who knows! I'm not known for killing my characters. I was very dissatisfied the one time I did kill a character and I swore I'd never do it again.....^_~ So, don't worry, nothing should happen unless the evil side of me decides to appear. Thanks for the review!
Sherry- Sorry, no slash as I said before. I respect people who write slash just as much as I respect other authors, but I'd never write it myself. I'm not a romantic person. I'm better at mindless torture. The dictionary? Off the internet. I went to google and typed in "Elvish Dictionary" and presto! I came up with three or four of them. I picked the biggest one and I have been using it faithfully. Well, glad you are enjoying this! ^_^ Thank you for the review.
Ciria- So, you're a newbie? Be careful, it's very easy to get obsessed. It's highly addictive especially Cassia and Siobhan's fics. They are absolutely, positively addictive. ^_^ I worship them. Anyway, Elrond is there, and no I'm most likely not going to kill Estel. I specialize in torture not death. Where were the twins? As I said, they didn't bring horses, so they packed up the camp and started running back to the palace. Why didn't they bring horses? Wahahahahahaha, all is to be revealed. Actually, I don't receive the "who's insane now?" question very often. LOL. It was really a first. Believe me, insanity is a relative thing. ^_^ Thank you for the review!
Conn JS- Yeah, it is hard to compare it to. It's sorta the feeling I get around some of my good friends that are older than me or my older cousin Jeff. He's always sorta been there for me. I don't see him much; usually I'm the oldest cousin. I hide in the closet most of the time, lol. Thranduil's middle child is Legolas in my mind. He lost the other two in the same incident which makes him very protective of his only son. As we all know, Thranduil's wife died because of orcs. Yes, Elladan and Elrohir are the crazy one's who came over and poor quiet Legolas was never the same. LOL. Yeah, anyway, I'll stop nattering. Actually, missing Glorfindel's condition was a sad attempt to add humor to the situation. The entire scene with Glorfindel was meant for humor. Well, thank you for the review! Hope your Christmas was nice!
MistressHawk- I've never read this jenolas' fics.....*shrugs* Is she/he an author worth checking out? I love reading new stories. My dictionary actually comes from a mixture of things. Many of the words and phrases I use come from a dictionary on a website that I use. Some of them such as 'nin mellon' and 'nin ion' are from other stories that I've read. As for the movie TTT, I loved it but it did not follow the books well. My uncle was so confused when I tried to tell him what it was like. Most of it never happened in the books, except for the basics. I need to go and reread TTT so I can refresh my memory. Edain comes from a story that I've read as well. ^_^ Thank you for your review!
GoldenRose- ^_^ Bien, mes puanteurs du que de crois de je de mais de traducteur pareiles de personnes de des de sont de deux de vous. .. Comme j' ai dit avant, le français de pas de parle de ne de je mais je lis et écris l' Espagnol couramment. .... Ne pouvoir pas parle qu' ou. Le d de morceau de un de parle de Je' Italien et un morceau de Japonais. Quand même, ^_^ je suis le l de appréciez de vous de que content' histoire. .... Je espère que j' ai raison. .... Remercier vous verse vos revues!
More soon.....I think.......-_- Hopefully nothing will delay me....
By tHe InSaNe OnE
AN- Urf. *hits head against the keyboard* URF URF URF URF URF!!!!! I can't believe this. I wanted to post this nearly two days ago. It will be two days soon. *grrr* I can't believe how many things have kept me from posting. I didn't like the chapter, then my mom told me to get off, and, and, and........
*begs* FORGIVE ME! I'M SO SORRY! I feel really bad.......
Well, I'll let you all get straight to the chapter....just going to ask a few basic questions.
No slash between anyone or any thing or......yeah.....generally no romance except for what Tolkien wrote about. I can't write romance well and slash isn't my thing. So, sorry for those who wanted it, but there won't be any.
The dictionary I use....I got it from the internet. It was the biggest one that was there and I wanted to have as many words as possible. Some of the other words come from other fics I've read. I depend on a bunch of people who seemed well versed in the language.... Sorry if it's different from some of yours..... not trying to confuse anyone....
Where were the twins and why didn't Elrond notice Glorfindel's injuries? The twins didn't have horses so they had to walk. The entire scene with Glorfindel was to show that Elrond had left and to add a bit of humor to the situation. He wasn't badly injured or anything, he just looked dirty and tired. Travel worn perhaps. ^_^ All will be revealed later!
I think that's it. If not, I probably answered it at the bottom.....
~*~
Four days had past but they had seemed like centuries. Even more than centuries, for centuries are but a short time for elves. Perhaps tens of thousand of years had passed instead. Elladan did not know which was true anymore as he sat staring at the fire. He had no grasp upon reality at the moment and time was a thing of the past. All he knew was that he was sitting in a chair and his brother was lying on the bed asleep. Beside his twin, his youngest brother lay.
He had known since the day that he had taken little Aragorn to his home and sworn to protect him that someday, the boy would die. Elladan had known that the boy was a mortal and that he would not live forever. His heart would weaken, his mind would grow feeble and he would die and then the elder twin would be free of his promise. Oh, but he had never thought it would happen so soon. No, he had thought that he had at least a century with the boy, or maybe more than that. He never thought that he would only have such a short time with his youngest brother.
How could this have happened? What had Ada been thinking to send Estel all by himself? How could he have even considered it? No! He nearly smacked himself. No, he couldn't think that way. He could not blame his father for this. When Elrond arrived, the grief would be enough to kill him without his eldest child blaming him for the situation. It's my fault anyway, Elladan rationalized. I failed him.
Just like I failed Gilraen and Arathorn.
If I had kept a closer eye on our surroundings the orcs would have never been able to get them. If I had protected them better, the orcs would not have killed them and Estel would have had parents, he thought, the pain in his heart growing. Then I would not be in this situation. Then I would not have failed Estel and none of this would've happened.
I've failed again.
How many times can one person fail in a life time, he considered. I suppose in an elvish life time, millions upon millions of times.
The fire danced in front of him, playing with his vision, and he could almost see his mother in the flames. He had failed her too. If he had been faster, perhaps the orcs wouldn't have hurt her so badly. Maybe then she wouldn't have left. Maybe then she would've stayed with him and Elrohir and Arwen and Ada. But, he hadn't been quick enough then either, and she was gone.
"Elladan, you are going to burn your eyes out," Elrohir whispered. The younger twin had woken up. Kneeling next to his brother, he put a gentle hand upon his arm. "You need to rest. You look like death. The last thing we need is for you to collapse. Then Ada will have two patients and that might drive him crazy. You and Estel are terrible when it comes to staying in bed." He laughed but the laughter was hollow.
"Leave me be, Elrohir," Elladan hissed, angry feelings swirling about him. How could his brother be so optimistic?
Silence greeted his request and the hand on his arm did not move. The hand twitched slightly, and then shook. Elladan lifted his head, facing his brother. The younger elf was hunched over, his shoulders shaking. Silent sobs were wracking his body, like the shivers which haunted Estel's form. Elladan felt guilt bite into him, and he opened his mouth to apologize but was immediately cut off.
"Don't!" Elrohir exclaimed, still crying. "Don't! Stop, please!"
"Stop what?" Elladan asked, feeling more and more remorseful as he took in his brother's eyes. They were so scared and lost. It was obvious he was feeling just as bad as Elladan if not worse.
"Stop blaming yourself!" Elrohir begged. "It wasn't your fault! It was no one's fault except for the men who set that trap! They should not have been hunting in such a hideous weapon!"
"I do not blame myself," Elladan retorted, turning away as anger burned him again. How did his brother read him so well?
"Yes, you do!" Elrohir replied, "Just like you did when mother was injured! Please stop! Mother would tell you that it was beyond your control, she would tell you not to blame yourself! If you will not listen to me, then listen to her! Please, Elladan."
"How do you know what mother would say?!" Elladan yelled, ripping his arm away and holding it to his body. "Leave me, Elrohir! I do not wish to be scolded by you right now!"
The younger twin's face crumpled and he sunk to the ground pulling his legs up against him. He was sobbing, and simply couldn't control it anymore. "Please stop, Elladan. Please, I beg you. You look like Ada did- when Amme left. You- I - it's just- I can't-" Another sob cut off his words.
Elladan was struck by what Elrohir had said. He looked like Ada when Amme had left? But Ada had been dying of- He looked down at Elrohir, who was choking on his sobs, desperately trying to control himself. He now understood what his brother feared. Oh Elrohir, he cried, I'm so sorry.
Slipping out of the chair, he took his brother in his arms and rocked him. Elrohir clung to him, and slowly the sobs died down to simple tears. Elladan sighed, trying to keep himself from weeping. How could he manage to cause so much pain? He couldn't be so self-centered, especially with his brother and his father.
"Oh, Elrohir, it's alright. I'm sorry. I'd never dream of leaving that way. Please don't cry," he comforted, pressing his lips to the top of his brother's head. "Please-" his voice cracked.
"I can't bear the thought of losing both you and Estel," Elrohir sobbed, his voice slightly muffled by his brother's tunic. "I couldn't take it and Ada, well it would send Ada over the edge and if I didn't die from grief, I would probably lose my mind." He shuddered.
"Don't worry, nin toron," Elladan said softly. "You won't lose me to grief and you won't lose Ada either. Estel isn't going to leave us, Ada will come in time."
His words meant nothing and he knew it. But they pushed down the fears that had long since overtaken both of them.
~*~
Legolas sat in the garden, unable to take the grief that inhabited Estel's room. His room. He had been sleeping in the guest chambers, for the healer did not wish to move the human. Four days, four whole days. The boy had managed to outlive the healer's expectation four times over. Yet he just barely lingered, the healer did not even stay in his room. It was obvious the boy was just floating between death and life. There was nothing to do.
Legolas wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the slight chill in the air. He was not used to feeling the cold. It was a part of grieving and he knew that but still, it was so unusual. Even more unusual was the fact that he was grieving for a human. He had never felt the way he did towards a mortal before. His father did not understand and the twins were too scared to relate to him.
The slight rustling of robes brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his father approaching. The elder elf moved next to his son, taking a careful seat. Legolas was clearly grieving, but his father did not understand it. He certainly felt terrible that Lord Elrond's lost son was lying in his house dying because of a dreaded poison that he had picked up in the woods but still, he did not grieve. He wrapped an arm around Legolas' shoulders.
"I think the twins could use your support right now, nin ion," Thranduil suggested, looking around the garden. The colors of autumn had settled in, giving the air a good smell and filling the area with so many different colors.
"I cannot sit up there. The pain in that room makes me feel ill," Legolas returned softly, trying to keep his feelings in check. His father didn't understand.
"I understand," Thranduil affirmed. Legolas knew that he couldn't understand quite what he felt. "I can feel it in the air. It stifles out other emotions but still, they need comfort. Nandeniel is going back up to check on Estel and then on them. Maybe you can go up with him."
"Perhaps," Legolas murmured, "perhaps."
Thranduil sighed, brushing Legolas' blonde hair away from his face. He was a bit pale and rather tired looking. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Yesterday. I haven't been hungry," Legolas replied. No, he had been fretting about Estel and now, he was fretting about Elrohir and Elladan. They both had eaten next to nothing since they had come.
Thranduil gave him a worried look. The prince gave his father a reassuring glance, "Do not worry, Ada. I'm not hungry, that's all. I'll be alright, I promise." He stood, taking one last breath of the cool air around him. "I am going back upstairs. Perhaps, Estel is getting better."
Triumph of hope over reality.
~*~
Elrond's horse nearly collapsed underneath him when he rode into the gates of Mirkwood. The poor beast had run nearly the entire way, with only small stops to keep it from dying. Elrond quickly dismounted, patting the horse on the neck. Why did was he so worried? Estel was probably just fine! He was overreacting. But why did he have this terrible feeling that something was very wrong in this place.
"Elrond, nin mellon, how did you manage to get here so quickly?" Thranduil's voice rang through the air like a bell. Elrond turned, and was surprised to see how much Thranduil seemed to have age.
"What do you mean?" Elrond asked, fear gripping his heart. Something was wrong.
Thranduil grasped his friend's arms. It had been so long. How could they have kept away from each other for so long? How could they have been so stupid?
Elrond smiled, returning the small embrace. It was so good to see his close friend again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Fear was biting at his heart and was eating at his stomach. What had happened? What did he have to prepare himself for?
"My message should have taken at least two days to reach you! It is impossible to travel so quickly!" Thranduil replied, trying to hide how surprised he really was.
A message? Elrond suddenly found himself using Thranduil's arms for support. Oh no. "My friend, I left four days ago. Traveling that fast is a feat within itself but with the proper feeding and a bit of magic, a horse can travel that fast." His hands trembled as he released his grip from the king's arms. "What is wrong?"
Thranduil could see that Elrond was scared. It was written clearly all over his face. He hadn't received the letter. He didn't know. He wasn't sure he could tell his friend what was wrong. It was breaking him to see the pain that was already there.
"You'd best come in," Thranduil said, directing the other elf towards the palace. Elrond looked very travel worn, his hair wind blown and his travel clothes askew.
"Please, Thranduil-" Elrond pleaded. He couldn't take the waiting anymore. "Please tell me now. Which one of my children is dead?" No tears. No, he had to be strong for his family.
"None of them," the king responded, trying to figure out how to finish his sentence. There was no easy way to put it. "Your human son, Estel-"
"Oh Valar," Elrond gasped, sagging down onto the steps, leading to the main house. Oh, please not Estel! He should have never let him go by himself. His head dropped to his hand. "Lau, lau, uu Estel!"
Thranduil suddenly realized how much the elf lord really cared for the boy. Estel was human but he was Elrond's son just as much as Elrohir or Elladan. It was like someone telling him that Legolas was injured and at the point of death. The understanding was like a hit on the head. It was something Thranduil could understand. He had lost both his eldest son and his daughter many years ago. It had been such a devastating blow for him.
Clasping Elrond's free hand, he spoke quickly, hoping that his friend would be able to save the child. "Elrond, you mustn't let grief overwhelm you. En na er estel! He still lives and only a great healer can help him."
Elrond listened to his friend's words, trying to calm himself. He knew Thranduil was right. He could not break down and let grief get the better of him. He could not let emotions control him. He had to be able to think clearly. Estel needed a healer. Estel needed him.
"Show me to him."
TBC
~*~
Amme- mother
Nin toron- my brother
Nin ion- my son
Nin mellon- my friend
Lau, lau, uu Estel! - No, no, not Estel!
En na er estel! - There is still hope!
To my reviewers:
Emmithar- Yes, cruel. I love leaving cliffhangers....wahahahahaha.....^_^ Anyway, the whole scene with Legolas and Aragorn after Aragorn came back was rather funny. I told it to my uncle (who is well versed in the book universe but had yet to see the second movie) and he was very confused because Aragorn never did fall off a cliff in the book. Eheheehehehe...my puppy isn't that big. My brother has slight problems and every dog he sees looks like our dog.....He's a chocolate lab, and about a hundred pounds, but nothing compared to the wargs......^_^ You sound like me....I've already started counting down the days to when the next movie comes out. I was very sad because they didn't put the part with Shelob in the story......yet.....now, I have to wait....wahhhhh! Yes, it seems that everyone is posting again, or at least, more people are posting. That makes me happy. ^_^ Thank you for the review....... I hope you had a great Christmas!
Sue- *runs away from reviewers* Sorry for another cliffie, *ducks flying objects* my obsession with them will wear off eventually. Glad you liked the last chapter.....it came a lot easier than this one. I rewrote it hundreds of times and it never seemed to work out properly. I'm still not very happy with it but if I kept changing it, I could be working 'til next Christmas! ^_^ Thanks for the review! Hope your Christmas went well.
shirebound- ^_^ Well, you should be used to it! You write great fics! I love "Quarantined" and I can't wait for the next chapter! Poor Aragorn, tortured again! Wahahaha, it's wonderful! This is the first fic that people actually liked. I've posted before but no one liked the fics. The reviews, well, it really is overwhelming for me. I have more reviews on this fic than I've ever had on any stories in, any category. Thank you for the reviews! ^_^ It's nice to see that someone understands that I am sincere when I thank everyone!
gemstone- So, you liked Thranduil's reaction? ^_^ Good. I wasn't sure how to put it. I didn't want to make him out to be mean cause he's not, he's just had bad experiences with humans. Anyway, ^_^ as a warning, there are only two more chapters left. I am planning another story out and several little fics. Hope your Christmas went well! ^_^ Thank you for the review!
Asen- ^_^ Well, then! At least someone uses nin mellon like I do......*looks confused* someone told me it means "wet friend". Well....um....ehehehe, must be my dictionary! ^__^ Oh well. We will have to see if Elrond can save Estel, now won't we? ^_~ I'm glad that you review my fic. It makes me very, very happy! Cassia and Siobhan's plots are very original, and mine, well, it's the usual "first meeting" thing. I'm glad you like it though and your compliments mean a lot! Thanks for your review!
Freakizimi- ^_^ I love talking to you all! I think it's a family trait. My family talks a lot. I actually don't talk as much as my brother or my father but still. It always annoys me when I take the time to leave a nice review and people don't respond. I feel like it's a waste of time! ^_^ Well, Elrohir and Elladan have arrived on time and Elrond apparently has. But will they save the poor ailing human. Only time will tell! ^_^ Keep reading, and reviewing and the posts will come! Thank you for your reviews!
Arlondwen- *gives family* Take them and keep them.......I only want to keep my brother, my mom and my dad. You can have my cousins/aunts/uncles. Ehehe, my brother's younger than me by about four years. The problem is he's almost as big as me now and he could beat me up if he wanted. He takes Tae Kwon Do. My brother and I have been having wars since before I can remember. When we lived up north, snow wars and down here in the south, sandball wars...Wahahahaha....Okay, now I'm off track...... Yes, my family thinks I am very antisocial. The fact that I don't play with my little cousins when they are swimming in a 60 degree pool disturbs them. I watch movies and play my uncle's Xbox.... And no one can stop me either. I'm very sorry that I didn't post before Christmas, but as I said before, I had some serious difficulties writing this one! I'm not happy with it, but the other ones were trashed before I could be happy with them! Well, I hope Christmas went well and you got what you wanted! A car perhaps? ^_^ Thank you for your reviews! Merry Belated Christmas!
Wind Runner- Yes, my chapters are rather short, but you must understand, I would be getting chapters out once a month if I didn't make them about four to five pages each. I am a fan of writing cliffhangers, so ^_^ be prepared. This story is almost over though so, I think this is the last cliffie or close to last... ^_^ Thank you for the review! Happy Holidays!
Anita- Of course, of course, it never fails. You write a chapter and then your fans demand another chapter! Aren't you people ever satisfied? JK! lol. Sorry this chapter took a bit. Much writing and rewriting and rerewriting and rererewriting went into it! No, I didn't write LOTR before.....did you review any of my other stories? I have this strange feeling I've seen your name before.......Maybe I'm losing my mind........that's okay, it was mostly gone anyway. Well, I plan to stick to LOTR until my muse for it dies. Hoping that wont be soon! ^_^ Thank you for the review! Merry Belated Christmas!
leggy-stinks- Well, he's not dead.....yet! ^_^ WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't worry, Elrond is here to save him. But you never know what might happen..... *hands an Estel plushie* Here, hug him and keep him safe ^_^. Thank you for your reviews!
Nili- lol. I love your reviews! Have I ever told you that? They always make me laugh. Do you write fics? I think you oughta. Ehehehe, lol. Elrond is there now and Estel isn't dead! Yet....... Elladan is fading into severe depression and Elrohir is about to go nuts......^_^ Which makes this entire situation all the more suspenseful.
Thranduil- *pokes Nili back* WHAT?! I thought you only brought one human, Legolas.
Legolas- I did father *stares at Nili* when did you get here?
lol. So, you enjoyed the movie? I did to. Loved the wargs and everything. It was a good thing Gimli was in the movie. He was serious comic relief in the movie. I nearly started crying when Haldir died. I was so sad. I love him! HE DIDN'T DIE IN THE BOOKS! *sniffles* Poor Haldir.....well, I'll stop my rambling. I'm very hyper. I watched lots of movies yesterday. None of them were LOTR but they were good. ^_^ Lilo and Stitch is so cute......Merry Belated Christmas! Thank you for the review! It's a great present for me!
Jedi-Faramir- *hugs and sobs* HALDIR DIED!!!! THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM!!!!!!! *sniffles* *kills the stupid orc* You beast!!! Wah! Poor Haldir......... He didn't die in the books.....*teary eyed* why? Besides, his eyes didn't close...did they? I was trying to see if they did but I was too shocked to really be sure. Anyway, I'll stop jabbering. As always, thank you for the review and the compliments!
HaloGatomon- AH!!! *shakes hand* Omg! You reviewed my fic! Oh wow! WOAH! Thank you so much! I'm sorry I didn't say anything last chapter. You reviewed after I posted! Oh thank you so much! Wow! Estel.......well.......he's not dead yet, is he? Elrond's there so we don't have to worry......or do we......^_^ You better post some more of Call to Vengeance soon or I might forget to update ^_~. Thank you for the review and Merry Belated Christmas!
Lina Skye- *pats head* he isn't dead yet! Don't worry! Well, maybe you should worry. But, who knows! I'm not known for killing my characters. I was very dissatisfied the one time I did kill a character and I swore I'd never do it again.....^_~ So, don't worry, nothing should happen unless the evil side of me decides to appear. Thanks for the review!
Sherry- Sorry, no slash as I said before. I respect people who write slash just as much as I respect other authors, but I'd never write it myself. I'm not a romantic person. I'm better at mindless torture. The dictionary? Off the internet. I went to google and typed in "Elvish Dictionary" and presto! I came up with three or four of them. I picked the biggest one and I have been using it faithfully. Well, glad you are enjoying this! ^_^ Thank you for the review.
Ciria- So, you're a newbie? Be careful, it's very easy to get obsessed. It's highly addictive especially Cassia and Siobhan's fics. They are absolutely, positively addictive. ^_^ I worship them. Anyway, Elrond is there, and no I'm most likely not going to kill Estel. I specialize in torture not death. Where were the twins? As I said, they didn't bring horses, so they packed up the camp and started running back to the palace. Why didn't they bring horses? Wahahahahahaha, all is to be revealed. Actually, I don't receive the "who's insane now?" question very often. LOL. It was really a first. Believe me, insanity is a relative thing. ^_^ Thank you for the review!
Conn JS- Yeah, it is hard to compare it to. It's sorta the feeling I get around some of my good friends that are older than me or my older cousin Jeff. He's always sorta been there for me. I don't see him much; usually I'm the oldest cousin. I hide in the closet most of the time, lol. Thranduil's middle child is Legolas in my mind. He lost the other two in the same incident which makes him very protective of his only son. As we all know, Thranduil's wife died because of orcs. Yes, Elladan and Elrohir are the crazy one's who came over and poor quiet Legolas was never the same. LOL. Yeah, anyway, I'll stop nattering. Actually, missing Glorfindel's condition was a sad attempt to add humor to the situation. The entire scene with Glorfindel was meant for humor. Well, thank you for the review! Hope your Christmas was nice!
MistressHawk- I've never read this jenolas' fics.....*shrugs* Is she/he an author worth checking out? I love reading new stories. My dictionary actually comes from a mixture of things. Many of the words and phrases I use come from a dictionary on a website that I use. Some of them such as 'nin mellon' and 'nin ion' are from other stories that I've read. As for the movie TTT, I loved it but it did not follow the books well. My uncle was so confused when I tried to tell him what it was like. Most of it never happened in the books, except for the basics. I need to go and reread TTT so I can refresh my memory. Edain comes from a story that I've read as well. ^_^ Thank you for your review!
GoldenRose- ^_^ Bien, mes puanteurs du que de crois de je de mais de traducteur pareiles de personnes de des de sont de deux de vous. .. Comme j' ai dit avant, le français de pas de parle de ne de je mais je lis et écris l' Espagnol couramment. .... Ne pouvoir pas parle qu' ou. Le d de morceau de un de parle de Je' Italien et un morceau de Japonais. Quand même, ^_^ je suis le l de appréciez de vous de que content' histoire. .... Je espère que j' ai raison. .... Remercier vous verse vos revues!
More soon.....I think.......-_- Hopefully nothing will delay me....