Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.
A/N:
Well, here we go again, FF.net is screwing with my story or, in this case, my reviews. Which is even WORSE!! I have no idea why it replaced all the names with "xing@fanfiction.net". *shrugs*
I don't know what happened. I guess there's no living person who can claim that he or she understands how FF.net works. I know I don't.
Oh, about the brooch: It's not supposed to be the one the members of the Fellowship receive in Lothlórien, I'm sorry if it looked like it. Well, it's not it, besides, if my memory serves me right, I think the Lórien ones are green, aren't they? Next chapter there's more about where Aragorn got it from, so bear with me, okay?
And I'm very happy you agreed with me on the finger thing - even though my sister is calling me a sissy now... *g*
Okay, folks, here is chapter 11, a bit later than planned, but that was not MY fault this time! *gives FF.net evil glare of death*
One thing first: I apologize for the kidnapping note, I am SO not good at writing such things. Am I a kidnapper or an evil crazy elven maniac? Do I know what he would write? NO! So, please, don't be too hard on me about that, okay?
Still, here comes chapter 11, in which, believe it or not, you are finally going to find out why Cornallar is so bloody angry at Elrond, Legolas and Elladan have a little discussion about - what else? - guilt, and Aragorn... *sighs sadly* Reckless human, that one... *g*
Enjoy and review please!! (*ignores annoyed glares readers give her*)
Chapter 11
Later Legolas couldn't tell how he had got from the hall into Elrond's study. The last two hour seemed to blur together, the shock about the message and Elrond's strange behaviour still tangible in the air. After some time Elladan had finally taken command and send Elvynd back to his duties, with the orders to find the one who had delivered the letter and bring him back to Rivendell alive, though he didn't care in what condition.
Elrohir had organized some tea for his father and Legolas, who was still somewhat in shock, partly due to his weakened condition, or that was what the twins had announced after taking one look at their friend's pale face. Pushing him and their father gently fowards, all of them had retired to the study.
Legolas tried to get his feelings under control, telling himself time and again that he wouldn't help Aragorn if he lost it here and now. He took another sip of the tea that Elladan had forced into his and Lord Elrond's hands, ordering them to empty their mugs under pain of death and grabbing a mug himself, taking hasty gulps of the hot liquid. The prince's silver-blue eyes surveyed the room, fixing on the small velvet settee the twins were sitting on next to each other, drinking their tea, while their father had taken a seat in one of the armchairs, staring blankly at the floor and with one hand clutching the letter which Elvynd had recovered before it could be blown into the gardens.
Just when Legolas had decided to break the uncomfortable silence, Elladan set down his mug and fixed his eyes on his father, who looked tired and almost … old, if that was even possible for an elf.
"Father, I am really sorry, but you will have to tell us. We need to know what's in the letter if we want to help Estel. Ada?"
Without looking at them, Elrond raised his hand and handed him the letter, eyes tightly closed as if to ward off some unwanted memories. Elladan took the offered parchment and smoothed it slightly, waiting for Legolas to make his way to their side before unfolding it.
The letter was written on ordinary parchment which one could find in every elven household, the Tengwar letters shining black and clear on the yellowish paper.
Legolas took a deep breath and began to read, his hand tightening on the silver brooch he had picked up in the hall.
Greetings, My Lord!
By now you probably have noticed that one of your children is missing, even though it is only the edan. I will never understand why you haven taken such a useless creature into your house, but that has always been your way, hasn't it, Peredhil?
Once again it all comes down to the fact that you put the safety of your own people behind the safety of men, as you have done in the past.
I have not forgotten what you have done all those years ago, whom you and the mighty High King have taken from me, and now I demand satisfaction.
If you do not want your little edan to join his forefathers sooner than he would have done anyway, I advise you to do exactly as I ask.
Be at the third fork in the road into the direction of the Misty Mountains alone two hours past midnight the day you receive this message, or I will be forced to send you something else next time, something the boy would miss more sorely than a brooch. Perhaps a finger?
You know me well enough to know that I do not make idle threats.
Be there in time, for his sake.
Cornallar
By the time Legolas had finished reading, his fingers had dug into the silver brooch so deeply that the sharper edges had cut into his skin. He consciously pried his fingers apart, his mind spinning sickeningly. Who was this Cornallar? An elf, that much was sure, it could be concluded from the way he talked about Aragorn.
'Well, he and Glónduil would get alone just fine,' he thought bitterly when he remembered his former friend's words that sounded just like the ones he had just read.
His mind quickly running through lists of people he had met or heard of during his lifetime, he finally shook his head; he was sure he had never heard that name before. Judging by the frown on the twins' faces, they attempted to do the same at the moment. While Elladan's face remained blank, Elrohir's brow knitted in thought.
"Cornallar … Cornallar …" he mumbled, his face finally breaking into a smile.
"Cornallar! Now I remember, wasn't he one of the few lords that escaped the destruction of Eregion in the Second Age? Father?"
At the sound of his son's voice Elrond looked up, his mind returning from wherever he had spent the last hours.
"Aye, my son. He left Imladris after the Siege of Barad-dûr."
"Why would an elven lord capture Estel?" Legolas asked softly.
"He wants revenge," Elrond answered in a whisper, closing his eyes again.
Elrohir shook his head and sighed. Sometimes it seemed to him that his father spent far too much time with Mithrandir. He even began to sound exactly like the old wizard, even though there was the question if Elrond had taught Gandalf the highly annoying skill of answering as vaguely as possible or if it had happened the other way round.
"Yes, that much we gathered from the letter. Whom does he want to avenge?"
Elrond sighed deeply.
"That is a long story, Elrohir, and a very dark one. However, you need to hear it."
He took a deep breath and asked,
"What do you know of Eregion?"
Elladan frowned, but answered, remembering the many history lessons on that topic.
"Eregion was an elven realm founded at the beginning of the Second Age, located to the west of Moria and home to Lord Celebrimbor, the creator of the rings of power. It was destroyed by Sauron after nearly a thousand years when his orcs overran Eriador. Men now call it Hollin."
Elrond smiled at his son, even though the pain and fear in his eyes did not diminish.
"Well done, Elladan, concise and to the point. Glorfindel would be very pleased."
The Lord of Rivendell rose and walked over to the open window, studying his gardens. Squaring his shoulders and playing with a ring on his finger, he continued Elladan's tale.
"Yes, it was there the rings were created, to the ruin of many. Sauron came to Eregion in the guise of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and taught the elves there many things about metalwork, so that finally Celebrimbor was able to forge the rings of power. He wouldn't listen to Gil-galad or I when we told him Annatar was using him, he insisted that he was to be trusted. Skilled and powerful as Celebrimbor was, that proved to be his undoing, and all of Eregion and Middle-Earth suffered because of it. When the Dark Lord's deception became apparent, it was already too late, and Sauron destroyed the lands with the foul hordes he had spent 600 years to gather, only to launch an assault on the whole of Eriador two years later.
Many of those who escaped the slaughter in Eregion came with me and helped found this House, and still many of those who have not yet departed over the Sea dwell here peacefully, as you well know."
Elrond interrupted himself for a moment and closed his eyes, as if to conjure up the images of days long past .
"Cornallar was one of the few lords that survived, and he and his son stayed here in Imladris for more than 1500 years. But then, after the destruction of Númenor, Sauron returned, and it all began anew, a new war, new suffering, new deaths. During those years Cornallar had become an advisor of mine, and while we were never friends, I respected him and honoured his opinions. That was, until the year 3430 of the Second Age."
"The year in which the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed," Legolas said quietly, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He knew very well how his grandfather and father had thought about this.
Elrond turned and smiled at the younger elf, an understanding look in his eyes.
"Yes, young prince, almost three thousand years ago it was formed, and never again shall Arda see something of its kind, I fear. As you well know, there were some who opposed this alliance, most strongly among our woodland kin, but in Lindon, Gil-galad's kingdom, as well as here in Rivendell. Cornallar was one of those and he, unlike many elves of Eregion who had even established a close relationship with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, looked down on the younger races in distrust and contempt. He stood quite alone though, and so the Alliance was formed, and the war began."
"So he blames you for the war? Is that why he's doing this?" Elrohir asked, confused.
"Yes and no, Elrohir. Yes, he blamed me and my king for the war which he accused us of having brought upon those who only wanted to live in peace. And no, the reason why he is doing this is his son.
His son had grown up here in Rivendell, among those who thought differently than his father, and he joined the host firmly convinced that it was the only way to stop Sauron's forces from enslaving all of Middle-Earth, after the Dark Lord had already attacked Gondor and taken Minas Ithil. I can still remember him, green-eyed and with his father's dark hair, laughing about something one of his friends had told him…"
The older elf fell silent and added softly after a little while,
"He fell ten years later, one year before the Fall of the Dark Tower."
Elrond took a deep breath before he continued.
"Cornallar went almost insane with grief when he received the news of his son's death and, after all the others had returned, he and some of his friends and supporters decided to leave Imladris and go into the wilds into exile. The last time I saw him was on the anniversary of his son's death, shortly before he left. He told me that he would come back and take revenge, but I never believed he would go this far. After a few centuries I forgot about him and the others, and the whole episode was no more than the shadow of one dark thing more I carry in my soul.
But now he's back," Elrond closed the tale in a whisper and leaned back in his chair.
A heavy silence weighed on the room as the occupants thought about what they had just heard. Legolas stared at Estel's brooch in his hand, turning it over and running a slim finger over the letters. He could understand Cornallar all too well, after his mother's death he had felt very similar to what Elrond had described… And the twins were not so different themselves, always hunting those who had tortured their mother so many years ago…
'No,' Legolas corrected himself firmly, 'They are nothing like him. He uses an innocent child,' he stopped in thought as if Aragorn could hear him and slap him for using this highly offensive term, 'to get at the one he wrongly accuses of being at fault for something nobody could have prevented. He is a coward, and a fool.'
The prince's thoughts were interrupted when Elladan raised his head and turned to his father.
"But why now? I don't understand, ada, if he has been waiting to get back at you for nearly three thousand years, why did he choose to strike now? Why not a few hundred years earlier? He could easily have taken one of us instead," the older twin asked.
Elrond shook his head perplexed.
"I have been asking myself the same thing, my son. I see why capturing Estel would give him a special satisfaction, for he is human, but why now… I don't know. I will have to ask him."
The twins and Legolas stared at the Lord of Imladris wide-eyed, as if he had just sprouted a second head and announced he had decided to journey to Barad-dûr and have a tea-party with Sauron and all nine Ringwraiths.
Elladan was the first one to find his voice.
"Father, you cannot be serious! This is a trap, and it couldn't be plainer if he had sent you a map with a big red 'X' and an arrow pointing at it, saying 'Trap!!'! Please tell me you are not serious!!"
Elrond just looked at him, determination slowly replacing the helplessness in his grey eyes.
"Ada, no!" Elrohir backed up his brother, "He will…"
"What would you have me do?" their father asked seriously. "I know Cornallar, and you do not. He will do what he threatened to if we do not comply. Would you like your brother to lose a finger? Or two? I know him, and he will do that and things much worse without the slightest qualm if he thinks it will get him what he wants."
"But what kind of elf would do such a thing to another living being, to a human?" Legolas asked, having problems to grasp the concept of a homicidal elven maniac on the loose.
Elrond ran a hand over his face, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Cornallar has always been rather … extreme, for one of the firstborn," he explained.
"After the destruction of his home his heart grew cold and unforgiving. He hunted and killed every orc he could get his hands on, but he did not only slay them, he … took his time to let them die," he said in a toneless voice that made very clear he didn't intend to go into detail. "I heard about it only in whispers and rumours, because he always went to hunt with those who were loyal to him, but in the War of the Last Alliance he didn't even try to hide it, and we had other more pressing problems to deal with at that time. But in the later days, just before his son's death, he extended this … habit to other races, primarily men who had taken the Dark Lord's side. Before the king and I could call him to account for this, his son was slain and he journeyed back to Rivendell anyway."
Elrond lifted his head and looked straight at the three younger elves on the settee.
"He has done such things in the past, and he will do them again. The fact that I have taken Estel into this house will only increase his pleasure."
He fell silent, his face expressionless, but any who knew him could see the fear in his eyes.
Legolas stared unblinkingly at the stone floor, feeling as if his heart had plummeted straight into his stomach. Elrond's words seemed to echo in his head, causing his whole body to freeze in fear for his human friend. He closed his eyes in an attempt to fend off the panic that was beginning to surround him on all sides.
'And this elf has taken Aragorn. O Strider, how do you do it? There is only one mad elf within a radius of more than a hundred leagues, and this foolish human really manages to stumble right over him!'
Elrohir met his father's gaze, eyes brightly shining with silver tears.
"Is there no other way?"
His father did not reply, and that alone was enough of an answer in itself.
'Well, this is not a good day,' Aragorn mused as he shook his head, trying to flick a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. It was a rather futile move though, for it neither removed the hair nor did anything to ease his still hammering headache. Sighing inwardly, he wondered why he had expected it to be a good day in the first place. After all, the past three days had been as bad as it got. The young ranger winced and corrected himself hastily, if the last days had taught him anything, it was that things could always get worse. Even now.
He growled inaudibly and fixed his eyes on Donyc, who sat next to the fire the humans had kindled some time ago to cook their lunch, more precisely a deer that roasted on a spit over the fire. A meal that was meant for them alone, since Donyc and Cornallar had agreed that more than two meagre rations of old bread a day would only give the ranger dangerous ideas.
His ire rising again, he turned his mind to his second favourite occupation these days: Picture what he would do to the dark haired human commander once he managed to free himself.
'Damn that stupid son of an orc!' he thought irritated, 'If he hadn't insisted on tying me up in the morning himself, I would be working on a way to get the bonds off right now!'
But since Donyc had beaten the young human's head against the tree trunk Aragorn had been leaning against, just for spite, since he had tried very hard to avoid eye contact and done nothing to provoke such an attack, he had been too stunned to spread his fingers and try to keep as much distance between his wrists as possible, as the twins had taught him.
'And now the bonds are even tighter, if such a thing is even possible!' the young ranger fumed, clenching his left hand that still had some feeling left.
Closing his eyes and telling himself firmly that it wouldn't help him if he concentrated on things he couldn't change, he focused his thoughts on the person of his elven captor. He had come very close to remembering where he had heard the name before, but every time he tried to hold on to the memory, it slipped through his grasp with the agility of one of the silver fish that populated the pools of Imladris. He relaxed as best as he could and tried to transport himself back to the part of the library in which Glorfindel used to teach him about the history of the world…
He smiled softly when he could almost hear the golden haired elf lord tell him to stop staring into nothing and start telling him what had happened to the succession to the throne of Númenor after King Tar-Aldarion had died or something like that. He lost himself in the memories of happier, carefree days before a sharp, mocking, elvish voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Sleeping yet again, dúnadan? I will never understand what humans do to justify their need of sleep."
His eyes flew open and he looked into the face of Cornallar … and suddenly he remembered where he knew that name from.
"Heru Cornallar o Eregion," he said quietly, studying the dark haired elf's face.
Aragorn found it rather satisfactory to watch the quickly disguised surprise flicker across the elf's face, even if he knew better than to let that feeling show.
Cornallar quickly schooled his expression and looked down at the ranger with renewed interest.
"Very good, edan, I hadn't expected you to figure it out that quickly," he answered in Elvish. "Where do you know me from?"
"During one of the history lessons your name came up. Nothing more," he told the elf in front of him in the same language.
So this was Cornallar, he mused, studying him closely, the leader of the group of elves who had opposed the Last Alliance and thus very nearly condemned all of Middle-Earth to darkness. 'As have your forefathers,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the young man to wince inwardly. How could he ever redeem himself from what Isildur had done, or rather not done?
"A history lesson, I see," Cornallar said and crouched down in front of the ranger, his dark eyes locking onto silver ones, "And what exactly do they say about me?"
"That you have been missing for so long that all deem you dead," Aragorn answered bluntly, "And that you were the leader of the elves in Rivendell who worked against the alliance with Númenor and the other forces of the free people of Arda."
"We should never have allied ourselves with weak races like them!" the elf hissed full of contempt. "And without the considerable powers of persuasion employed by your ada," Cornallar spoke the word mockingly and full of anger, "And his beloved High King, we never would have, either!"
"Without the alliance founded by Elendil, Elrond and Gil-galad you would be dead together with all the other elves who didn't sail to Valinor and all of Arda would be under the dominion of Mordor!" Aragorn shot back, not really caring about the consequences, which found him soon enough as he felt a hand grab him by the throat and slam him backwards against the tree trunk he'd been tied to.
Struggling to regain his breath, he wondered for a moment if they bound him to trees just to make it easier for them to bang him against something solid if they felt like it, but was interrupted in mid-thought when he saw the silver gleaming metal of a knife appear in front of his eyes, held by a slim white hand that shook with anger.
'Not a good combination,' the part of him that Aragorn blamed for this situation in the first place noted.
"Careful, dúnadan, careful," Cornallar ground out between clenched teeth and trailed the knife down the young human's cheek, pressing the tip down slightly and leaving a long, bloody gash on Aragorn's face, who clenched his jaw against the pain and glared at his captor. "Do not lecture me on things that have happened before most of your worthless ancestors were even born! I do not need children to tell me about what would have been if things had been different! And the way I see it, your ada is to blame for this version of events, human, and he will pay for what he has taken from me – as will you if you do not learn to hold your tongue!"
The elf's hand closed a bit tighter around the human's throat, constricting his airway and causing him to gasp for air, which wasn't an easy task with bruised and cracked ribs to begin with.
Cornallar looked at the struggling edan and gave him an amused smile.
"I would advise you to behave yourself from now on, ranger, unless you want me to continue with this pleasant little talk. Remember, if my patience is tested, I might forget my good intentions as well as the fact that it will be much more fun with you alive."
He let go of the human and rose, returning the dagger to a sheath on his belt and turning back to the men who had watched the scene with amusement.
Aragorn sagged against the tree and took deep breaths, trying to ignore the blood that flowed freely down the side of his face. When his head had cleared and the grey spots before his eyes had disappeared, he straightened up again, not willing to let them see how bad he really felt.
'Oh, great idea, really, as if they don't know,' he told himself dryly.
Letting his eyes wander over the humans in front of him, he decided that he'd had enough. He wouldn't wait any longer; tonight he would make his escape, somehow.
He would be damned if he let Cornallar get near his father, not while he was still alive and had some strength left to prevent it.
Elladan sighed loudly and glared at his friend who sat on a chair in front of him.
"O the Valar, Legolas, talk to me!" he exclaimed, fixing worried eyes on the fair haired elf who hadn't moved an inch in the past thirty minutes.
'And can you blame him?' a tiny voice inside his head asked, evoking another sigh from the older twin.
Elladan shook his head and let the last hours pass in front of his eyes once more.
All had begun when Elvynd had entered the study, looking guilty and disappointed.
"I am sorry, my lords, Prince Legolas, but we couldn't find the one who has delivered the letter. We tracked him to the road leading westwards to Bree, but lost his trail there. A large group of hunters, at least thirty or forty, has passed through recently, maybe early this morning, and the tracks of one more human do not stand out. My men are still looking, but I doubt we will find anything," the young elf reported, casting down his eyes.
"Thank you, Elvynd. I am sure you do what you can," Elrond nodded, dismissing the captain.
Legolas barely listened, his thoughts revolving around Elvynd's words. When the doors had closed behind the dark haired elf, he asked,
"Did he say human?"
Elrohir looked up at him, surprised, before he remembered they had been interrupted before they could fill in Legolas on the details.
"Yes, Cornallar has been using humans. We are sure he has a few elves with him as well, but he probably hired the lot of them for the dirty work. Estel disappeared near the little ravine, you know, the one to the north. We found his tracks; he fought about fifteen humans there, and killed at least one. We found a grave there, but it … was not him," the younger twin explained softly.
"We followed them to the wilds, but lost their trail there, the rain had already washed away all tracks before we even arrived there. We don't know where Cornallar has taken him."
Legolas froze. Had Elrohir just said humans? About fifteen? Suddenly an image appeared in front of him, an image of a nervous dark haired human hunter, camping by the road, surrounded by equally nervous companions. He hadn't counted them, he doubted that he would have been able to anyway, but fifteen sounded about right. A hunter…
His eyes widened when he realized with calm clarity what had felt wrong about the so called 'huntsmen': Most of them had been armed with swords and clubs, only a few had had bows and quivers strapped to their backs. Not exactly the kind of weapon one would chose for a hunt, unless one waited next to a rabbit hole and hit the first animal unfortunate enough to leave its home over the head with the clubs.
A sickening feeling spreading in his stomach, he remembered that the 'hunters' didn't have any animals already killed in their camp, nor the means to transport any quarry they might come across home.
Legolas closed his eyes and pressed his palms against the closed lids. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have seen what was going on? His friend had needed him, and he'd left him behind…
"Legolas?" Lord Elrond's soft, worried voice interrupted the elven prince's thoughts.
With difficulty the younger elf raised his head, his pale face shining almost translucent in the sunlight.
"No," he said tonelessly, "But I do."
Elladan sighed inwardly. After Legolas had told them what he still remembered about the men, he had fallen silent and not moved since. His father had exploited the fact that the twins' attention was fixed on their friend to slip out of the room, no doubt to prepare for his suicidal journey. Exchanging a look with his twin, they had soundlessly come to an agreement and Elrohir had risen and followed their father. He had always been the more diplomatic one, and he would need all his skill to keep Elrond from going on this insane trip.
'Alas!' he thought, looking at the prince, 'I should have gone! Legolas can be at least twice as bad!'
Trying to come up with a suitable threat, the older twin finally announced,
"Legolas, if you do not answer me now, I will take that beloved bow of yours and throw it into the fire without batting an eyelid!"
If that didn't work, Elladan though, he'd have to pass. Normally, any word spoken against Legolas' beautifully carved bow was followed swiftly by bloody retribution.
"Go away, Elladan," Legolas mumbled, not raising his eyes.
Elladan smiled grimly. That was a start.
"Please, mellonamin, we've been through this. Nobody blames you; they knew what they were doing. There was no reason why you should have got suspicious, besides, you were delirious. I can still remember what you looked like when you arrived here!"
At this the other elf finally lifted his head and looked at Elladan, silver-blue eyes shining brightly with tears.
"I left him there, Elladan! I left Aragorn in the clutches of this crazy elf and his cronies! For all we know, Cornallar could be cutting off a few of his fingers right now! I had the opportunity to help him, and I did nothing! And do you know what's the best part of all this? I was suspicious! They looked too normal and acted too friendly, and Donyc or whatever his name may be had an air about him that spoke clearly of nervousness and cruelty.
Do you know what I thought? 'That can hardly be my concern'! Elbereth, how can I not blame me? How can Estel not blame me?"
The dark haired elf rolled his eyes and took his friend by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.
"Listen to me now, you stubborn wood-elf! Estel would never blame you! You know him, by now he's probably found a way to place all the blame on his shoulders! You didn't know what was going on, all you knew was that he was in danger, and that's a bit vague, knowing Estel. You don't even know what would've happened if you had discovered it! Not even you could have fought off fifteen humans in the condition you were in yesterday, they would have killed you or taken you with them, and we would have to worry about both of you now! Estel will not blame you, and neither do we. All we can do is try and find a way to get him out of there, and for that we need your help, Legolas, Aragorn needs your help!"
Elladan watched in relief as some of the guilt in the other elf's eyes disappeared and was replaced by a steely determination and a fury so fierce that he unconsciously pitied the ones who had taken his brother. He wouldn't want to see that anger directed at him, of that he was sure.
Legolas nodded reluctantly.
"Aye, you are right, my friend. I won't help him that way. Forgive me."
The older twin smiled at the fair haired prince, removing his hands from his shoulders.
"There is no need to apologize, Legolas. I've been through this with father and Elrohir before you arrived, and with Isál as well, and the way things are going, I will have to talk about it with Elvynd and his men, too. It's like a plague, I think, and all of Rivendell has been affected," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "But let's go and see how Elrohir is faring with father. He can be just as stubborn as Estel - or you."
Legolas grinned slightly and rose to his feet.
"Or you, mellonamin. What was that you said about my bow, by the way?"
Elladan laughed and held up his hands as they moved towards the doors.
"Nothing, my friend, that must have been your imagination. Are you feeling well? Perhaps I should take you to the hospital wing and get one of the healers to mix you a potion that…"
His companion growled threateningly.
"Don't you dare. You would not live long enough to regret it."
Elrond's oldest son grinned at him and left the room, a smiling Legolas on his heels, whose face turned serious again when he thought of his human friend.
'But I will make sure they live long enough to regret their actions,' he decided, crossing the threshold and following his friend. 'The next time we meet, Donyc will not be so pleased to see me, that I swear by Elbereth herself.'
Hiding a smile and opening his eyes just the tiniest bit, Aragorn surveyed the scene in front of him as he finally managed to free his hands of the bonds that held them behind his back. He winced as he rubbed his chafed wrists, trying to stimulate the blood flow to get some feeling to return into his hands. Right now he probably wouldn't even be able to hold a sword if necessary. And knowing his luck, it would be necessary.
After a few minutes he had regained some control over his hands, and he decided that now was as good a time as any to finally leave this camp behind whose hospitality he had found somewhat lacking during the past days.
He didn't take his eyes off his guard when he rose to his feet, moving as soundlessly as possible. Stepping closer, he took the man's club and, with some satisfaction, let it crack down on the dozing human's head. When wood connected with bone, a small but audible cracking noise could be heard, quickly followed by a groan and the sound of a body dropping to the ground. Grinning wickedly, Aragorn bent down and retrieved the man's sword and dagger, wondering for a moment if it was normal to feel such satisfaction for banging one of his own kind over the head.
Yes, that it was, he decided after a few seconds, and had to stop himself from running into camp and knocking out every single man there, including Donyc. Especially Donyc.
Blending into the shadows of the surrounding trees, he made his way over to where the horses were standing, each of them wearing a halter to which a long lead was attached, the other end of it tied around nearby tree trunks to give them space enough to graze. When he had reached the animals, he stepped close to the one he had chosen on his way here, patting its chestnut neck and whispering softly to it in Elvish. Even though this was not an elven horse, it would probably calm the beast. His thoughts strayed to Seobryn for a moment as he cut the rope attached to the horse's halter, he hoped the boy wouldn't get into trouble once they noticed he was missing. It had been him who had bound his hands behind him and tied him to the tree after his meal of dry bread, and he had done so trying to cause the ranger as little discomfort as possible. Hopefully they would place the blame on the guard, he thought as he led the horse away, deeper into the trees that grew to the one side of the camp. Since they were quite high up the mountains already, the terrain was barren and jagged, with only bits of grass and shrubbery dotted here and there; the little wood was more the exception to that rule.
Sneaking into the trees and nearly jumping at every little noise, he once again thanked the Valar that the men had only posted one man to keep watch, namely the one assigned to guard him. The horse snorted softly, causing Aragorn to freeze and listen for any signs that he had been detected. After a few seconds, he forced himself to relax, resuming his walk. He hadn't wanted to take a horse with him, but with the elves around he didn't have any other choice.
He would have preferred to escape on foot and lose them in the stony terrain all around them, but he was sure he didn't have enough time to cover up his tracks well enough to fool an elven eye. His only chance was to get as far away from here as quickly as possible.
Well, he thought, even if he wouldn't be able to avoid them indefinitely, with a bit of luck he could probably buy himself enough time for his brothers and Legolas to arrive. He was sure his friend had got to Rivendell by now and they would have realized over whom Legolas had stumbled on his way there. Once again he sent a short, fervent prayer of thanks to Elbereth for keeping his elven friend save, when a shout rang out in the camp behind him.
Wheeling round, he could still make out the shapes of startled humans who were struggling to get to their feet, and the sharp voice of Donyc who barked orders, trying to get order in the chaos. Not so softly cursing his luck, Aragorn tried to figure out what to do. The men were awake and would follow him once they found his trail, which shouldn't take even them too long. His eyes trying to pierce the darkness around him, he reflected on his choices. If he mounted the horse now, he would leave a trail visible to even the most incompetent beings, but if he didn't, they would find him anyway, only sooner.
Making up his mind, he turned to the horse and was about to mount when an arrow slammed into the horse's flank, causing it to whinny loudly in pain and bolt, tearing the reins out of his hands.
'Well,' he thought sarcastically as he drew his sword with hurting hands and dashed off into the direction the animal had taken, 'Now I won't have to worry about the horse. Ilúvatar, this is not good.'
His thoughts were interrupted as he slid to a stop when a figure dropped down from a tree, landing just in front of him with catlike grace.
'Not good at all,' he mused as Nólad straightened himself, giving him a look that clearly said that the young ranger had just made a mistake.
The softly blowing wind carried the sound of the men who were crashing through the bush behind him, and the young human let out a furious elvish curse that made the elf who blocked his path in front of him raise an eyebrow in amusement. He took a step backwards and prepared to engage the humans, since it was apparent that the fair haired elf didn't intend to fight him, but was merely making sure he didn't escape.
'I'll have to remember to thank him for that later,' Aragorn thought wryly as he drew the dagger he had taken from the guard with his left. 'If I survive this.'
Seconds later the men came crashing through the undergrowth, led by Donyc, whose face had turned a rather interesting shade of purple and who was looking so angry that the ranger was impressed, and that was not easy to accomplish, since he had grown up in Imladris, home of Lord Elrond Peredhil, who was truly a sight to behold when infuriated.
The human commander panted heavily and shot the young man deadly looks.
"That was a mistake, ranger. I have not forgotten about the 'conversation' I promised you. I will make you beg me to let you die before the end!"
Aragorn snorted and was just about to answer that they would have to take him alive first, when he felt the unmistakable triangle of an arrowhead bore into his back.
"Now, Master Human, would you claim that pleasure all for yourself? How very selfish of you," Cornallar said softly, pressing the arrow a bit harder against the ranger's back.
Aragorn hung his head and swallowed nervously, fighting the sheer panic that rolled over him in waves when he heard the deadly serious voice of his elven captor.
Now he was in trouble.
Deep trouble.
TBC...
ada - father (daddy)
edan - human, man
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger
Heru Cornallar o Eregion - Lord Cornallar of Eregion
mellonamin - my friend
*hides under her bed* Don't hurt me! But you didn't expect me to let him get away that easily, did you? *evil cackle* On second thought, I don't know what made me do it either... *frowns* My alter ego again, I guess...
Please don't hate me!! I am afraid to post the next chapter! I really am!! Reviews might help me to overcome that fear, but I don't know... *g*
Additional A/N:
E - *does a happy dance* I AM happy, see? *shakes head* My life is getting more dangerous by the second! Wargs, dogs, angry elven lords and/or humans - they all try to kill me! And it was not my fault this comes a little bit later than usual, it's FF.net! Really! *gives dog a nervous look* Uhm, good dog? And I have to agree, Legolas won't feel bad a bit about leaving Aragorn behind, it's just not in his nature to fret over him... *giggles* Yeah, sure!!
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Tio's back gingerly* Now ... it's okay ... calm down ... I know you feel sorry ... don't worry ... and STOP quoting Shakespeare - that's the spirit, dear... *g* And I am very glad you are not dead! I was getting really concerned for a second here! *to Elladan, giving him an evil glare* You are lucky you didn't kill her, buddy! She still has to finish her stories! I would have been _quite_ angry otherwise, and that's never a good thing... *evil smile* Uh, yeah, about Estel - would you believe me if I told you he'd be perfectly alright? No? Damn, you must know me by now... Let's just say, things will get worse before they get better, okay? Thanks so much for the _huge_ review! *huggles her*
Aurienia - *choking* Please, don't .. hug ... so ... tightly ... *faints* Whatever, thanks for telling me about Aragorn's plans! *pulls out steel helmet* I am prepared! Have I planned this for him or Legolas in the future? *thinks* For Aragorn ... well, not precisely ... and for Legolas ... that's a cautious yes, I guess. I'm not sure yet, but something of that sort, I think... *g* Oh, your brother is definitely evil! Even worse than my sister! After all, she is just running around asking "Have you cut off a finger yet?"!! But I am so thankful that you still reviewed, flu and all! *hugs her* Thanks! *hugs her again* I hope you feel better now, thanks for the long review!
Kaeera - Tja ja, der "look" ist eigentlich eine Abart des "looks" meiner Mutter. Die kann das auch ganz wunderbar - obwohl ich annehme, dass Elbenlord-Sein da noch hilft... *g* Hm, 'interessant' kann man zu Kapitel 12 auch sagen - ich habe es grossteils mit geschlossenen Augen geschrieben, weil ich selbst nicht mit ansehen konnte, was ich da mache ... auch nicht normal, oder? Und ich muss noch Korrekturlesen! *schauder* Danke fuer's review und Recht hast du: Gutaussehend sind sie allemal!
Alilacia - Yes, I feel quite sorry for Cornallar myself - well, I did, till I finished ch12. I mean, losing a child has got to be horrible, but as Legolas realized, he is a fool. A sadistic fool, unfortunately, with an equally sadistic human commander who can hardly wait to ... Ahem. I'm not saying anything. *g* Yes, don't worry, our favourite elves ARE going to kick his ass, in the end - if they are still able to, that is... *evil cackle* We'll see. Well, whatever you do, don't kill my characters! I need them!!!
Ciria - "And this, dear President of the Finnish Republic, is why I adamantly demand that you stop selling pineapples to your citizens. At once. Some of them insist on throwing them at my characters and therefore damage them, AND the storyline. Sincerely, Nili, FF author" LOL, really, I'll send it if you don't stop!! Well, about Nólad - you'll have to keep guessing, I'm afraid. I haven't made up my mind completely, either! *takes muffins cautiously* Well, thanks you... Better than a pineapple, I guess... And thanks a lot for the book! Not that I really need it *points at chapter above*, but still... *g*
Imbefaniel - *hangs head* I would have been too easy to let him get captured now - and think of the guilt trip ... And do you really believe they would have spared someone to bring Legolas back? I don't... And Seobryn may be a nice boy, but he is too young to escort Legolas to Rivendell alone. Ack, heck, I don't know. I guess he _could_ have collapsed there... *smiles* But I'm glad you still like it!
Firnsarnien - Legolas angst? Who, me?? *innocent smile* I would never... Well, perhaps a bit more, just a tiny bit... *g* Thanks for the review!
Mouse - What do you mean, you won't hurt me 'yet'? You know, suddenly I feel very afraid ... my fingers start to freeze ... I cannot think of anything to write ... I think I will end the story now ... *evil grin* Just kidding, I could never stop it here, there are so many more cliffhangers coming... *g* Hope you liked the chapter!
Miss Undastood - Oh, you'd miss a TV show for me? That's sweet... *g* Next chapter is here, don't worry! Thanks for all your reviews!
Stasia - *stares dumbly* I have no idea why FF.net did this, either... But don't worry, I always keep the review alert emails till I've posted the next part just in case something like this *glares at FF.net* happens.Btw, did you really believe I could forget who wrote that wonderful email? Never!! *shakes fist* Yes, you are right, a few of them WILL die VERY painful deaths, they are just plain evil, aren't they? *clears her throat* Well ... about the 'tone down the beatings'-part ... too late already? *jumps behind Stan the balrog* Chapter 12 isn't a beating though ... *under her breath* ... not only ... And yes, I don't think Elrond is happy with them right now, actually, Legolas should thank Cornallar for kidnapping Estel, without that distraction you never know what Elrond might do to you... *g* LOL, Elrond being blatantly evil towards Elvish children who don't _deserve_ it? *giggles* Well, you don't know all about Cornallar's son's death, but no, it wasn't Elrond's fault. And he wasn't being evil. Thanks soooo much for all your kind words and the huge review! *huggles her* Thanks!!
Lina Skye - *grabs Lina's arm when she is about to slap Elrond again* LINA! Stop it!! The poor man, uhm, elf, uhm, half-elf has just got a terribly upsetting letting concerning the kidnapping of his son! Leave him alone!! *looks around her* Dammit, where is that blasted Rohirrim when you need him? Oh God, no, now she's seen Legolas!! Lina, calm down, it wasn't HIS fault, really, the mean goblins poisoned him and ... LINA!! Put down that sword! I mean it! Now!! ÉOMER!!!!
Raquel - *beams* Finally! Someone who sees things MY way! I WOULD have been predictable, wouldn't it?? *clears throat* Well, not exactly an exchange, I think, but since I haven't got to that chapter yet, I don't know either, the note is a bit vague on that.*hands Raquel an Elrond plushie* Well done! You are the first one who thought of the Last Alliance! *blushes deeply* Owww, thanks so much for all your compliments! I'm doing my best! And ME enjoying my reader's suffering? NEVER!!! *g* *looks around her suspiciously* Don't give Aragorn any ideas!! Well, he's a bit ... busy himself right now... *g* Thanks for the review!!
Zam - *stares* Wow, huge review! Thanks!!*huggles Zam, then drags her away from Legolas* First your sister, then you, honestly! If you kill him, who will save Aragorn?? Hmm?? Ever thought of that? *watches as Legolas stabs Zam* Okay, I will just pretend I didn't see that... *groans when Zam sits down on Aragorn* Why me, Elbereth, why me??? LOL, no, it was not Cornallar's fault, but he's still stupid. And sadistic. A stupid sadistic idiot who will sooo be enjoying himself next chapter... *puts hand to mouth* Oooopps, I didn't say that. *grins* Seobryn is cute, isn't he? *pats his head* Somehow, he reminds me of Éomer - only a bit more intelligent... *g*
Lievre - Reach for the stars, my friend!! *coughs* No, I'm sure everything will get better ... soon. Sometime in the remote future, probably. Death threats? Really? Owww, that's so sweet of you, really, I LOVE death threats! *grins* But don't worry, he will get rescued - in the end. I don't promise when, though... Thanks for the review!!
Arwen-Evenstar - *beams* Thanks! I'm glad you like it and hope you'll enjoy the rest as well! And it wasn't a terrible place to leave it off - the one in this chapter was much worse, wouldn't you agree? *evil smile*
TrustingFriendship - Well, if you define 'in one piece' as in 'not missing any body parts', then you will be fine! I think. *grins* No, don't worry, despite my sister's encouragements I will not cut off anything. I'm glad you like the brooch though, I wasn't sure about that. Thanks for rewieving!
ManuKu - *seufzt* Noch eine ... *nimmt einen Stock zur Hand* Zurueck!! Zurueck!! Pfoten weg von unserem Lieblingselbenprinzen!! Ich brauche ihn doch noch, damit er Aragorn am Ende retten kann!! *zerrt ManuKu zurueck* Und hier bleibst du nun, okay? Nicht mehr auf irgendwelche armen unschuldigen Elben einschlagen! Nun ja, du hast es erfasst, Cornallar und Aragorn oder Aragorn und Donyc oder alle drei haben noch ein paar Dinge zu "bereden", sagen wir mal... *fieses Grinsen* *verbeugt sich* Es ist doch mein hoechster Wunsch, meine Leser zufrieden zu stellen! Dann reviewen sie naemlich mehr! *g*
*latches onto reviewers* Thanks so much! I love you! I love you all! *shuffles off* God, I gotta go to sleep, I start sounding like Michael Jackson now...
A/N:
Well, here we go again, FF.net is screwing with my story or, in this case, my reviews. Which is even WORSE!! I have no idea why it replaced all the names with "xing@fanfiction.net". *shrugs*
I don't know what happened. I guess there's no living person who can claim that he or she understands how FF.net works. I know I don't.
Oh, about the brooch: It's not supposed to be the one the members of the Fellowship receive in Lothlórien, I'm sorry if it looked like it. Well, it's not it, besides, if my memory serves me right, I think the Lórien ones are green, aren't they? Next chapter there's more about where Aragorn got it from, so bear with me, okay?
And I'm very happy you agreed with me on the finger thing - even though my sister is calling me a sissy now... *g*
Okay, folks, here is chapter 11, a bit later than planned, but that was not MY fault this time! *gives FF.net evil glare of death*
One thing first: I apologize for the kidnapping note, I am SO not good at writing such things. Am I a kidnapper or an evil crazy elven maniac? Do I know what he would write? NO! So, please, don't be too hard on me about that, okay?
Still, here comes chapter 11, in which, believe it or not, you are finally going to find out why Cornallar is so bloody angry at Elrond, Legolas and Elladan have a little discussion about - what else? - guilt, and Aragorn... *sighs sadly* Reckless human, that one... *g*
Enjoy and review please!! (*ignores annoyed glares readers give her*)
Chapter 11
Later Legolas couldn't tell how he had got from the hall into Elrond's study. The last two hour seemed to blur together, the shock about the message and Elrond's strange behaviour still tangible in the air. After some time Elladan had finally taken command and send Elvynd back to his duties, with the orders to find the one who had delivered the letter and bring him back to Rivendell alive, though he didn't care in what condition.
Elrohir had organized some tea for his father and Legolas, who was still somewhat in shock, partly due to his weakened condition, or that was what the twins had announced after taking one look at their friend's pale face. Pushing him and their father gently fowards, all of them had retired to the study.
Legolas tried to get his feelings under control, telling himself time and again that he wouldn't help Aragorn if he lost it here and now. He took another sip of the tea that Elladan had forced into his and Lord Elrond's hands, ordering them to empty their mugs under pain of death and grabbing a mug himself, taking hasty gulps of the hot liquid. The prince's silver-blue eyes surveyed the room, fixing on the small velvet settee the twins were sitting on next to each other, drinking their tea, while their father had taken a seat in one of the armchairs, staring blankly at the floor and with one hand clutching the letter which Elvynd had recovered before it could be blown into the gardens.
Just when Legolas had decided to break the uncomfortable silence, Elladan set down his mug and fixed his eyes on his father, who looked tired and almost … old, if that was even possible for an elf.
"Father, I am really sorry, but you will have to tell us. We need to know what's in the letter if we want to help Estel. Ada?"
Without looking at them, Elrond raised his hand and handed him the letter, eyes tightly closed as if to ward off some unwanted memories. Elladan took the offered parchment and smoothed it slightly, waiting for Legolas to make his way to their side before unfolding it.
The letter was written on ordinary parchment which one could find in every elven household, the Tengwar letters shining black and clear on the yellowish paper.
Legolas took a deep breath and began to read, his hand tightening on the silver brooch he had picked up in the hall.
Greetings, My Lord!
By now you probably have noticed that one of your children is missing, even though it is only the edan. I will never understand why you haven taken such a useless creature into your house, but that has always been your way, hasn't it, Peredhil?
Once again it all comes down to the fact that you put the safety of your own people behind the safety of men, as you have done in the past.
I have not forgotten what you have done all those years ago, whom you and the mighty High King have taken from me, and now I demand satisfaction.
If you do not want your little edan to join his forefathers sooner than he would have done anyway, I advise you to do exactly as I ask.
Be at the third fork in the road into the direction of the Misty Mountains alone two hours past midnight the day you receive this message, or I will be forced to send you something else next time, something the boy would miss more sorely than a brooch. Perhaps a finger?
You know me well enough to know that I do not make idle threats.
Be there in time, for his sake.
Cornallar
By the time Legolas had finished reading, his fingers had dug into the silver brooch so deeply that the sharper edges had cut into his skin. He consciously pried his fingers apart, his mind spinning sickeningly. Who was this Cornallar? An elf, that much was sure, it could be concluded from the way he talked about Aragorn.
'Well, he and Glónduil would get alone just fine,' he thought bitterly when he remembered his former friend's words that sounded just like the ones he had just read.
His mind quickly running through lists of people he had met or heard of during his lifetime, he finally shook his head; he was sure he had never heard that name before. Judging by the frown on the twins' faces, they attempted to do the same at the moment. While Elladan's face remained blank, Elrohir's brow knitted in thought.
"Cornallar … Cornallar …" he mumbled, his face finally breaking into a smile.
"Cornallar! Now I remember, wasn't he one of the few lords that escaped the destruction of Eregion in the Second Age? Father?"
At the sound of his son's voice Elrond looked up, his mind returning from wherever he had spent the last hours.
"Aye, my son. He left Imladris after the Siege of Barad-dûr."
"Why would an elven lord capture Estel?" Legolas asked softly.
"He wants revenge," Elrond answered in a whisper, closing his eyes again.
Elrohir shook his head and sighed. Sometimes it seemed to him that his father spent far too much time with Mithrandir. He even began to sound exactly like the old wizard, even though there was the question if Elrond had taught Gandalf the highly annoying skill of answering as vaguely as possible or if it had happened the other way round.
"Yes, that much we gathered from the letter. Whom does he want to avenge?"
Elrond sighed deeply.
"That is a long story, Elrohir, and a very dark one. However, you need to hear it."
He took a deep breath and asked,
"What do you know of Eregion?"
Elladan frowned, but answered, remembering the many history lessons on that topic.
"Eregion was an elven realm founded at the beginning of the Second Age, located to the west of Moria and home to Lord Celebrimbor, the creator of the rings of power. It was destroyed by Sauron after nearly a thousand years when his orcs overran Eriador. Men now call it Hollin."
Elrond smiled at his son, even though the pain and fear in his eyes did not diminish.
"Well done, Elladan, concise and to the point. Glorfindel would be very pleased."
The Lord of Rivendell rose and walked over to the open window, studying his gardens. Squaring his shoulders and playing with a ring on his finger, he continued Elladan's tale.
"Yes, it was there the rings were created, to the ruin of many. Sauron came to Eregion in the guise of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and taught the elves there many things about metalwork, so that finally Celebrimbor was able to forge the rings of power. He wouldn't listen to Gil-galad or I when we told him Annatar was using him, he insisted that he was to be trusted. Skilled and powerful as Celebrimbor was, that proved to be his undoing, and all of Eregion and Middle-Earth suffered because of it. When the Dark Lord's deception became apparent, it was already too late, and Sauron destroyed the lands with the foul hordes he had spent 600 years to gather, only to launch an assault on the whole of Eriador two years later.
Many of those who escaped the slaughter in Eregion came with me and helped found this House, and still many of those who have not yet departed over the Sea dwell here peacefully, as you well know."
Elrond interrupted himself for a moment and closed his eyes, as if to conjure up the images of days long past .
"Cornallar was one of the few lords that survived, and he and his son stayed here in Imladris for more than 1500 years. But then, after the destruction of Númenor, Sauron returned, and it all began anew, a new war, new suffering, new deaths. During those years Cornallar had become an advisor of mine, and while we were never friends, I respected him and honoured his opinions. That was, until the year 3430 of the Second Age."
"The year in which the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed," Legolas said quietly, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He knew very well how his grandfather and father had thought about this.
Elrond turned and smiled at the younger elf, an understanding look in his eyes.
"Yes, young prince, almost three thousand years ago it was formed, and never again shall Arda see something of its kind, I fear. As you well know, there were some who opposed this alliance, most strongly among our woodland kin, but in Lindon, Gil-galad's kingdom, as well as here in Rivendell. Cornallar was one of those and he, unlike many elves of Eregion who had even established a close relationship with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, looked down on the younger races in distrust and contempt. He stood quite alone though, and so the Alliance was formed, and the war began."
"So he blames you for the war? Is that why he's doing this?" Elrohir asked, confused.
"Yes and no, Elrohir. Yes, he blamed me and my king for the war which he accused us of having brought upon those who only wanted to live in peace. And no, the reason why he is doing this is his son.
His son had grown up here in Rivendell, among those who thought differently than his father, and he joined the host firmly convinced that it was the only way to stop Sauron's forces from enslaving all of Middle-Earth, after the Dark Lord had already attacked Gondor and taken Minas Ithil. I can still remember him, green-eyed and with his father's dark hair, laughing about something one of his friends had told him…"
The older elf fell silent and added softly after a little while,
"He fell ten years later, one year before the Fall of the Dark Tower."
Elrond took a deep breath before he continued.
"Cornallar went almost insane with grief when he received the news of his son's death and, after all the others had returned, he and some of his friends and supporters decided to leave Imladris and go into the wilds into exile. The last time I saw him was on the anniversary of his son's death, shortly before he left. He told me that he would come back and take revenge, but I never believed he would go this far. After a few centuries I forgot about him and the others, and the whole episode was no more than the shadow of one dark thing more I carry in my soul.
But now he's back," Elrond closed the tale in a whisper and leaned back in his chair.
A heavy silence weighed on the room as the occupants thought about what they had just heard. Legolas stared at Estel's brooch in his hand, turning it over and running a slim finger over the letters. He could understand Cornallar all too well, after his mother's death he had felt very similar to what Elrond had described… And the twins were not so different themselves, always hunting those who had tortured their mother so many years ago…
'No,' Legolas corrected himself firmly, 'They are nothing like him. He uses an innocent child,' he stopped in thought as if Aragorn could hear him and slap him for using this highly offensive term, 'to get at the one he wrongly accuses of being at fault for something nobody could have prevented. He is a coward, and a fool.'
The prince's thoughts were interrupted when Elladan raised his head and turned to his father.
"But why now? I don't understand, ada, if he has been waiting to get back at you for nearly three thousand years, why did he choose to strike now? Why not a few hundred years earlier? He could easily have taken one of us instead," the older twin asked.
Elrond shook his head perplexed.
"I have been asking myself the same thing, my son. I see why capturing Estel would give him a special satisfaction, for he is human, but why now… I don't know. I will have to ask him."
The twins and Legolas stared at the Lord of Imladris wide-eyed, as if he had just sprouted a second head and announced he had decided to journey to Barad-dûr and have a tea-party with Sauron and all nine Ringwraiths.
Elladan was the first one to find his voice.
"Father, you cannot be serious! This is a trap, and it couldn't be plainer if he had sent you a map with a big red 'X' and an arrow pointing at it, saying 'Trap!!'! Please tell me you are not serious!!"
Elrond just looked at him, determination slowly replacing the helplessness in his grey eyes.
"Ada, no!" Elrohir backed up his brother, "He will…"
"What would you have me do?" their father asked seriously. "I know Cornallar, and you do not. He will do what he threatened to if we do not comply. Would you like your brother to lose a finger? Or two? I know him, and he will do that and things much worse without the slightest qualm if he thinks it will get him what he wants."
"But what kind of elf would do such a thing to another living being, to a human?" Legolas asked, having problems to grasp the concept of a homicidal elven maniac on the loose.
Elrond ran a hand over his face, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Cornallar has always been rather … extreme, for one of the firstborn," he explained.
"After the destruction of his home his heart grew cold and unforgiving. He hunted and killed every orc he could get his hands on, but he did not only slay them, he … took his time to let them die," he said in a toneless voice that made very clear he didn't intend to go into detail. "I heard about it only in whispers and rumours, because he always went to hunt with those who were loyal to him, but in the War of the Last Alliance he didn't even try to hide it, and we had other more pressing problems to deal with at that time. But in the later days, just before his son's death, he extended this … habit to other races, primarily men who had taken the Dark Lord's side. Before the king and I could call him to account for this, his son was slain and he journeyed back to Rivendell anyway."
Elrond lifted his head and looked straight at the three younger elves on the settee.
"He has done such things in the past, and he will do them again. The fact that I have taken Estel into this house will only increase his pleasure."
He fell silent, his face expressionless, but any who knew him could see the fear in his eyes.
Legolas stared unblinkingly at the stone floor, feeling as if his heart had plummeted straight into his stomach. Elrond's words seemed to echo in his head, causing his whole body to freeze in fear for his human friend. He closed his eyes in an attempt to fend off the panic that was beginning to surround him on all sides.
'And this elf has taken Aragorn. O Strider, how do you do it? There is only one mad elf within a radius of more than a hundred leagues, and this foolish human really manages to stumble right over him!'
Elrohir met his father's gaze, eyes brightly shining with silver tears.
"Is there no other way?"
His father did not reply, and that alone was enough of an answer in itself.
'Well, this is not a good day,' Aragorn mused as he shook his head, trying to flick a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. It was a rather futile move though, for it neither removed the hair nor did anything to ease his still hammering headache. Sighing inwardly, he wondered why he had expected it to be a good day in the first place. After all, the past three days had been as bad as it got. The young ranger winced and corrected himself hastily, if the last days had taught him anything, it was that things could always get worse. Even now.
He growled inaudibly and fixed his eyes on Donyc, who sat next to the fire the humans had kindled some time ago to cook their lunch, more precisely a deer that roasted on a spit over the fire. A meal that was meant for them alone, since Donyc and Cornallar had agreed that more than two meagre rations of old bread a day would only give the ranger dangerous ideas.
His ire rising again, he turned his mind to his second favourite occupation these days: Picture what he would do to the dark haired human commander once he managed to free himself.
'Damn that stupid son of an orc!' he thought irritated, 'If he hadn't insisted on tying me up in the morning himself, I would be working on a way to get the bonds off right now!'
But since Donyc had beaten the young human's head against the tree trunk Aragorn had been leaning against, just for spite, since he had tried very hard to avoid eye contact and done nothing to provoke such an attack, he had been too stunned to spread his fingers and try to keep as much distance between his wrists as possible, as the twins had taught him.
'And now the bonds are even tighter, if such a thing is even possible!' the young ranger fumed, clenching his left hand that still had some feeling left.
Closing his eyes and telling himself firmly that it wouldn't help him if he concentrated on things he couldn't change, he focused his thoughts on the person of his elven captor. He had come very close to remembering where he had heard the name before, but every time he tried to hold on to the memory, it slipped through his grasp with the agility of one of the silver fish that populated the pools of Imladris. He relaxed as best as he could and tried to transport himself back to the part of the library in which Glorfindel used to teach him about the history of the world…
He smiled softly when he could almost hear the golden haired elf lord tell him to stop staring into nothing and start telling him what had happened to the succession to the throne of Númenor after King Tar-Aldarion had died or something like that. He lost himself in the memories of happier, carefree days before a sharp, mocking, elvish voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Sleeping yet again, dúnadan? I will never understand what humans do to justify their need of sleep."
His eyes flew open and he looked into the face of Cornallar … and suddenly he remembered where he knew that name from.
"Heru Cornallar o Eregion," he said quietly, studying the dark haired elf's face.
Aragorn found it rather satisfactory to watch the quickly disguised surprise flicker across the elf's face, even if he knew better than to let that feeling show.
Cornallar quickly schooled his expression and looked down at the ranger with renewed interest.
"Very good, edan, I hadn't expected you to figure it out that quickly," he answered in Elvish. "Where do you know me from?"
"During one of the history lessons your name came up. Nothing more," he told the elf in front of him in the same language.
So this was Cornallar, he mused, studying him closely, the leader of the group of elves who had opposed the Last Alliance and thus very nearly condemned all of Middle-Earth to darkness. 'As have your forefathers,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the young man to wince inwardly. How could he ever redeem himself from what Isildur had done, or rather not done?
"A history lesson, I see," Cornallar said and crouched down in front of the ranger, his dark eyes locking onto silver ones, "And what exactly do they say about me?"
"That you have been missing for so long that all deem you dead," Aragorn answered bluntly, "And that you were the leader of the elves in Rivendell who worked against the alliance with Númenor and the other forces of the free people of Arda."
"We should never have allied ourselves with weak races like them!" the elf hissed full of contempt. "And without the considerable powers of persuasion employed by your ada," Cornallar spoke the word mockingly and full of anger, "And his beloved High King, we never would have, either!"
"Without the alliance founded by Elendil, Elrond and Gil-galad you would be dead together with all the other elves who didn't sail to Valinor and all of Arda would be under the dominion of Mordor!" Aragorn shot back, not really caring about the consequences, which found him soon enough as he felt a hand grab him by the throat and slam him backwards against the tree trunk he'd been tied to.
Struggling to regain his breath, he wondered for a moment if they bound him to trees just to make it easier for them to bang him against something solid if they felt like it, but was interrupted in mid-thought when he saw the silver gleaming metal of a knife appear in front of his eyes, held by a slim white hand that shook with anger.
'Not a good combination,' the part of him that Aragorn blamed for this situation in the first place noted.
"Careful, dúnadan, careful," Cornallar ground out between clenched teeth and trailed the knife down the young human's cheek, pressing the tip down slightly and leaving a long, bloody gash on Aragorn's face, who clenched his jaw against the pain and glared at his captor. "Do not lecture me on things that have happened before most of your worthless ancestors were even born! I do not need children to tell me about what would have been if things had been different! And the way I see it, your ada is to blame for this version of events, human, and he will pay for what he has taken from me – as will you if you do not learn to hold your tongue!"
The elf's hand closed a bit tighter around the human's throat, constricting his airway and causing him to gasp for air, which wasn't an easy task with bruised and cracked ribs to begin with.
Cornallar looked at the struggling edan and gave him an amused smile.
"I would advise you to behave yourself from now on, ranger, unless you want me to continue with this pleasant little talk. Remember, if my patience is tested, I might forget my good intentions as well as the fact that it will be much more fun with you alive."
He let go of the human and rose, returning the dagger to a sheath on his belt and turning back to the men who had watched the scene with amusement.
Aragorn sagged against the tree and took deep breaths, trying to ignore the blood that flowed freely down the side of his face. When his head had cleared and the grey spots before his eyes had disappeared, he straightened up again, not willing to let them see how bad he really felt.
'Oh, great idea, really, as if they don't know,' he told himself dryly.
Letting his eyes wander over the humans in front of him, he decided that he'd had enough. He wouldn't wait any longer; tonight he would make his escape, somehow.
He would be damned if he let Cornallar get near his father, not while he was still alive and had some strength left to prevent it.
Elladan sighed loudly and glared at his friend who sat on a chair in front of him.
"O the Valar, Legolas, talk to me!" he exclaimed, fixing worried eyes on the fair haired elf who hadn't moved an inch in the past thirty minutes.
'And can you blame him?' a tiny voice inside his head asked, evoking another sigh from the older twin.
Elladan shook his head and let the last hours pass in front of his eyes once more.
All had begun when Elvynd had entered the study, looking guilty and disappointed.
"I am sorry, my lords, Prince Legolas, but we couldn't find the one who has delivered the letter. We tracked him to the road leading westwards to Bree, but lost his trail there. A large group of hunters, at least thirty or forty, has passed through recently, maybe early this morning, and the tracks of one more human do not stand out. My men are still looking, but I doubt we will find anything," the young elf reported, casting down his eyes.
"Thank you, Elvynd. I am sure you do what you can," Elrond nodded, dismissing the captain.
Legolas barely listened, his thoughts revolving around Elvynd's words. When the doors had closed behind the dark haired elf, he asked,
"Did he say human?"
Elrohir looked up at him, surprised, before he remembered they had been interrupted before they could fill in Legolas on the details.
"Yes, Cornallar has been using humans. We are sure he has a few elves with him as well, but he probably hired the lot of them for the dirty work. Estel disappeared near the little ravine, you know, the one to the north. We found his tracks; he fought about fifteen humans there, and killed at least one. We found a grave there, but it … was not him," the younger twin explained softly.
"We followed them to the wilds, but lost their trail there, the rain had already washed away all tracks before we even arrived there. We don't know where Cornallar has taken him."
Legolas froze. Had Elrohir just said humans? About fifteen? Suddenly an image appeared in front of him, an image of a nervous dark haired human hunter, camping by the road, surrounded by equally nervous companions. He hadn't counted them, he doubted that he would have been able to anyway, but fifteen sounded about right. A hunter…
His eyes widened when he realized with calm clarity what had felt wrong about the so called 'huntsmen': Most of them had been armed with swords and clubs, only a few had had bows and quivers strapped to their backs. Not exactly the kind of weapon one would chose for a hunt, unless one waited next to a rabbit hole and hit the first animal unfortunate enough to leave its home over the head with the clubs.
A sickening feeling spreading in his stomach, he remembered that the 'hunters' didn't have any animals already killed in their camp, nor the means to transport any quarry they might come across home.
Legolas closed his eyes and pressed his palms against the closed lids. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have seen what was going on? His friend had needed him, and he'd left him behind…
"Legolas?" Lord Elrond's soft, worried voice interrupted the elven prince's thoughts.
With difficulty the younger elf raised his head, his pale face shining almost translucent in the sunlight.
"No," he said tonelessly, "But I do."
Elladan sighed inwardly. After Legolas had told them what he still remembered about the men, he had fallen silent and not moved since. His father had exploited the fact that the twins' attention was fixed on their friend to slip out of the room, no doubt to prepare for his suicidal journey. Exchanging a look with his twin, they had soundlessly come to an agreement and Elrohir had risen and followed their father. He had always been the more diplomatic one, and he would need all his skill to keep Elrond from going on this insane trip.
'Alas!' he thought, looking at the prince, 'I should have gone! Legolas can be at least twice as bad!'
Trying to come up with a suitable threat, the older twin finally announced,
"Legolas, if you do not answer me now, I will take that beloved bow of yours and throw it into the fire without batting an eyelid!"
If that didn't work, Elladan though, he'd have to pass. Normally, any word spoken against Legolas' beautifully carved bow was followed swiftly by bloody retribution.
"Go away, Elladan," Legolas mumbled, not raising his eyes.
Elladan smiled grimly. That was a start.
"Please, mellonamin, we've been through this. Nobody blames you; they knew what they were doing. There was no reason why you should have got suspicious, besides, you were delirious. I can still remember what you looked like when you arrived here!"
At this the other elf finally lifted his head and looked at Elladan, silver-blue eyes shining brightly with tears.
"I left him there, Elladan! I left Aragorn in the clutches of this crazy elf and his cronies! For all we know, Cornallar could be cutting off a few of his fingers right now! I had the opportunity to help him, and I did nothing! And do you know what's the best part of all this? I was suspicious! They looked too normal and acted too friendly, and Donyc or whatever his name may be had an air about him that spoke clearly of nervousness and cruelty.
Do you know what I thought? 'That can hardly be my concern'! Elbereth, how can I not blame me? How can Estel not blame me?"
The dark haired elf rolled his eyes and took his friend by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.
"Listen to me now, you stubborn wood-elf! Estel would never blame you! You know him, by now he's probably found a way to place all the blame on his shoulders! You didn't know what was going on, all you knew was that he was in danger, and that's a bit vague, knowing Estel. You don't even know what would've happened if you had discovered it! Not even you could have fought off fifteen humans in the condition you were in yesterday, they would have killed you or taken you with them, and we would have to worry about both of you now! Estel will not blame you, and neither do we. All we can do is try and find a way to get him out of there, and for that we need your help, Legolas, Aragorn needs your help!"
Elladan watched in relief as some of the guilt in the other elf's eyes disappeared and was replaced by a steely determination and a fury so fierce that he unconsciously pitied the ones who had taken his brother. He wouldn't want to see that anger directed at him, of that he was sure.
Legolas nodded reluctantly.
"Aye, you are right, my friend. I won't help him that way. Forgive me."
The older twin smiled at the fair haired prince, removing his hands from his shoulders.
"There is no need to apologize, Legolas. I've been through this with father and Elrohir before you arrived, and with Isál as well, and the way things are going, I will have to talk about it with Elvynd and his men, too. It's like a plague, I think, and all of Rivendell has been affected," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "But let's go and see how Elrohir is faring with father. He can be just as stubborn as Estel - or you."
Legolas grinned slightly and rose to his feet.
"Or you, mellonamin. What was that you said about my bow, by the way?"
Elladan laughed and held up his hands as they moved towards the doors.
"Nothing, my friend, that must have been your imagination. Are you feeling well? Perhaps I should take you to the hospital wing and get one of the healers to mix you a potion that…"
His companion growled threateningly.
"Don't you dare. You would not live long enough to regret it."
Elrond's oldest son grinned at him and left the room, a smiling Legolas on his heels, whose face turned serious again when he thought of his human friend.
'But I will make sure they live long enough to regret their actions,' he decided, crossing the threshold and following his friend. 'The next time we meet, Donyc will not be so pleased to see me, that I swear by Elbereth herself.'
Hiding a smile and opening his eyes just the tiniest bit, Aragorn surveyed the scene in front of him as he finally managed to free his hands of the bonds that held them behind his back. He winced as he rubbed his chafed wrists, trying to stimulate the blood flow to get some feeling to return into his hands. Right now he probably wouldn't even be able to hold a sword if necessary. And knowing his luck, it would be necessary.
After a few minutes he had regained some control over his hands, and he decided that now was as good a time as any to finally leave this camp behind whose hospitality he had found somewhat lacking during the past days.
He didn't take his eyes off his guard when he rose to his feet, moving as soundlessly as possible. Stepping closer, he took the man's club and, with some satisfaction, let it crack down on the dozing human's head. When wood connected with bone, a small but audible cracking noise could be heard, quickly followed by a groan and the sound of a body dropping to the ground. Grinning wickedly, Aragorn bent down and retrieved the man's sword and dagger, wondering for a moment if it was normal to feel such satisfaction for banging one of his own kind over the head.
Yes, that it was, he decided after a few seconds, and had to stop himself from running into camp and knocking out every single man there, including Donyc. Especially Donyc.
Blending into the shadows of the surrounding trees, he made his way over to where the horses were standing, each of them wearing a halter to which a long lead was attached, the other end of it tied around nearby tree trunks to give them space enough to graze. When he had reached the animals, he stepped close to the one he had chosen on his way here, patting its chestnut neck and whispering softly to it in Elvish. Even though this was not an elven horse, it would probably calm the beast. His thoughts strayed to Seobryn for a moment as he cut the rope attached to the horse's halter, he hoped the boy wouldn't get into trouble once they noticed he was missing. It had been him who had bound his hands behind him and tied him to the tree after his meal of dry bread, and he had done so trying to cause the ranger as little discomfort as possible. Hopefully they would place the blame on the guard, he thought as he led the horse away, deeper into the trees that grew to the one side of the camp. Since they were quite high up the mountains already, the terrain was barren and jagged, with only bits of grass and shrubbery dotted here and there; the little wood was more the exception to that rule.
Sneaking into the trees and nearly jumping at every little noise, he once again thanked the Valar that the men had only posted one man to keep watch, namely the one assigned to guard him. The horse snorted softly, causing Aragorn to freeze and listen for any signs that he had been detected. After a few seconds, he forced himself to relax, resuming his walk. He hadn't wanted to take a horse with him, but with the elves around he didn't have any other choice.
He would have preferred to escape on foot and lose them in the stony terrain all around them, but he was sure he didn't have enough time to cover up his tracks well enough to fool an elven eye. His only chance was to get as far away from here as quickly as possible.
Well, he thought, even if he wouldn't be able to avoid them indefinitely, with a bit of luck he could probably buy himself enough time for his brothers and Legolas to arrive. He was sure his friend had got to Rivendell by now and they would have realized over whom Legolas had stumbled on his way there. Once again he sent a short, fervent prayer of thanks to Elbereth for keeping his elven friend save, when a shout rang out in the camp behind him.
Wheeling round, he could still make out the shapes of startled humans who were struggling to get to their feet, and the sharp voice of Donyc who barked orders, trying to get order in the chaos. Not so softly cursing his luck, Aragorn tried to figure out what to do. The men were awake and would follow him once they found his trail, which shouldn't take even them too long. His eyes trying to pierce the darkness around him, he reflected on his choices. If he mounted the horse now, he would leave a trail visible to even the most incompetent beings, but if he didn't, they would find him anyway, only sooner.
Making up his mind, he turned to the horse and was about to mount when an arrow slammed into the horse's flank, causing it to whinny loudly in pain and bolt, tearing the reins out of his hands.
'Well,' he thought sarcastically as he drew his sword with hurting hands and dashed off into the direction the animal had taken, 'Now I won't have to worry about the horse. Ilúvatar, this is not good.'
His thoughts were interrupted as he slid to a stop when a figure dropped down from a tree, landing just in front of him with catlike grace.
'Not good at all,' he mused as Nólad straightened himself, giving him a look that clearly said that the young ranger had just made a mistake.
The softly blowing wind carried the sound of the men who were crashing through the bush behind him, and the young human let out a furious elvish curse that made the elf who blocked his path in front of him raise an eyebrow in amusement. He took a step backwards and prepared to engage the humans, since it was apparent that the fair haired elf didn't intend to fight him, but was merely making sure he didn't escape.
'I'll have to remember to thank him for that later,' Aragorn thought wryly as he drew the dagger he had taken from the guard with his left. 'If I survive this.'
Seconds later the men came crashing through the undergrowth, led by Donyc, whose face had turned a rather interesting shade of purple and who was looking so angry that the ranger was impressed, and that was not easy to accomplish, since he had grown up in Imladris, home of Lord Elrond Peredhil, who was truly a sight to behold when infuriated.
The human commander panted heavily and shot the young man deadly looks.
"That was a mistake, ranger. I have not forgotten about the 'conversation' I promised you. I will make you beg me to let you die before the end!"
Aragorn snorted and was just about to answer that they would have to take him alive first, when he felt the unmistakable triangle of an arrowhead bore into his back.
"Now, Master Human, would you claim that pleasure all for yourself? How very selfish of you," Cornallar said softly, pressing the arrow a bit harder against the ranger's back.
Aragorn hung his head and swallowed nervously, fighting the sheer panic that rolled over him in waves when he heard the deadly serious voice of his elven captor.
Now he was in trouble.
Deep trouble.
TBC...
ada - father (daddy)
edan - human, man
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger
Heru Cornallar o Eregion - Lord Cornallar of Eregion
mellonamin - my friend
*hides under her bed* Don't hurt me! But you didn't expect me to let him get away that easily, did you? *evil cackle* On second thought, I don't know what made me do it either... *frowns* My alter ego again, I guess...
Please don't hate me!! I am afraid to post the next chapter! I really am!! Reviews might help me to overcome that fear, but I don't know... *g*
Additional A/N:
E - *does a happy dance* I AM happy, see? *shakes head* My life is getting more dangerous by the second! Wargs, dogs, angry elven lords and/or humans - they all try to kill me! And it was not my fault this comes a little bit later than usual, it's FF.net! Really! *gives dog a nervous look* Uhm, good dog? And I have to agree, Legolas won't feel bad a bit about leaving Aragorn behind, it's just not in his nature to fret over him... *giggles* Yeah, sure!!
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Tio's back gingerly* Now ... it's okay ... calm down ... I know you feel sorry ... don't worry ... and STOP quoting Shakespeare - that's the spirit, dear... *g* And I am very glad you are not dead! I was getting really concerned for a second here! *to Elladan, giving him an evil glare* You are lucky you didn't kill her, buddy! She still has to finish her stories! I would have been _quite_ angry otherwise, and that's never a good thing... *evil smile* Uh, yeah, about Estel - would you believe me if I told you he'd be perfectly alright? No? Damn, you must know me by now... Let's just say, things will get worse before they get better, okay? Thanks so much for the _huge_ review! *huggles her*
Aurienia - *choking* Please, don't .. hug ... so ... tightly ... *faints* Whatever, thanks for telling me about Aragorn's plans! *pulls out steel helmet* I am prepared! Have I planned this for him or Legolas in the future? *thinks* For Aragorn ... well, not precisely ... and for Legolas ... that's a cautious yes, I guess. I'm not sure yet, but something of that sort, I think... *g* Oh, your brother is definitely evil! Even worse than my sister! After all, she is just running around asking "Have you cut off a finger yet?"!! But I am so thankful that you still reviewed, flu and all! *hugs her* Thanks! *hugs her again* I hope you feel better now, thanks for the long review!
Kaeera - Tja ja, der "look" ist eigentlich eine Abart des "looks" meiner Mutter. Die kann das auch ganz wunderbar - obwohl ich annehme, dass Elbenlord-Sein da noch hilft... *g* Hm, 'interessant' kann man zu Kapitel 12 auch sagen - ich habe es grossteils mit geschlossenen Augen geschrieben, weil ich selbst nicht mit ansehen konnte, was ich da mache ... auch nicht normal, oder? Und ich muss noch Korrekturlesen! *schauder* Danke fuer's review und Recht hast du: Gutaussehend sind sie allemal!
Alilacia - Yes, I feel quite sorry for Cornallar myself - well, I did, till I finished ch12. I mean, losing a child has got to be horrible, but as Legolas realized, he is a fool. A sadistic fool, unfortunately, with an equally sadistic human commander who can hardly wait to ... Ahem. I'm not saying anything. *g* Yes, don't worry, our favourite elves ARE going to kick his ass, in the end - if they are still able to, that is... *evil cackle* We'll see. Well, whatever you do, don't kill my characters! I need them!!!
Ciria - "And this, dear President of the Finnish Republic, is why I adamantly demand that you stop selling pineapples to your citizens. At once. Some of them insist on throwing them at my characters and therefore damage them, AND the storyline. Sincerely, Nili, FF author" LOL, really, I'll send it if you don't stop!! Well, about Nólad - you'll have to keep guessing, I'm afraid. I haven't made up my mind completely, either! *takes muffins cautiously* Well, thanks you... Better than a pineapple, I guess... And thanks a lot for the book! Not that I really need it *points at chapter above*, but still... *g*
Imbefaniel - *hangs head* I would have been too easy to let him get captured now - and think of the guilt trip ... And do you really believe they would have spared someone to bring Legolas back? I don't... And Seobryn may be a nice boy, but he is too young to escort Legolas to Rivendell alone. Ack, heck, I don't know. I guess he _could_ have collapsed there... *smiles* But I'm glad you still like it!
Firnsarnien - Legolas angst? Who, me?? *innocent smile* I would never... Well, perhaps a bit more, just a tiny bit... *g* Thanks for the review!
Mouse - What do you mean, you won't hurt me 'yet'? You know, suddenly I feel very afraid ... my fingers start to freeze ... I cannot think of anything to write ... I think I will end the story now ... *evil grin* Just kidding, I could never stop it here, there are so many more cliffhangers coming... *g* Hope you liked the chapter!
Miss Undastood - Oh, you'd miss a TV show for me? That's sweet... *g* Next chapter is here, don't worry! Thanks for all your reviews!
Stasia - *stares dumbly* I have no idea why FF.net did this, either... But don't worry, I always keep the review alert emails till I've posted the next part just in case something like this *glares at FF.net* happens.Btw, did you really believe I could forget who wrote that wonderful email? Never!! *shakes fist* Yes, you are right, a few of them WILL die VERY painful deaths, they are just plain evil, aren't they? *clears her throat* Well ... about the 'tone down the beatings'-part ... too late already? *jumps behind Stan the balrog* Chapter 12 isn't a beating though ... *under her breath* ... not only ... And yes, I don't think Elrond is happy with them right now, actually, Legolas should thank Cornallar for kidnapping Estel, without that distraction you never know what Elrond might do to you... *g* LOL, Elrond being blatantly evil towards Elvish children who don't _deserve_ it? *giggles* Well, you don't know all about Cornallar's son's death, but no, it wasn't Elrond's fault. And he wasn't being evil. Thanks soooo much for all your kind words and the huge review! *huggles her* Thanks!!
Lina Skye - *grabs Lina's arm when she is about to slap Elrond again* LINA! Stop it!! The poor man, uhm, elf, uhm, half-elf has just got a terribly upsetting letting concerning the kidnapping of his son! Leave him alone!! *looks around her* Dammit, where is that blasted Rohirrim when you need him? Oh God, no, now she's seen Legolas!! Lina, calm down, it wasn't HIS fault, really, the mean goblins poisoned him and ... LINA!! Put down that sword! I mean it! Now!! ÉOMER!!!!
Raquel - *beams* Finally! Someone who sees things MY way! I WOULD have been predictable, wouldn't it?? *clears throat* Well, not exactly an exchange, I think, but since I haven't got to that chapter yet, I don't know either, the note is a bit vague on that.*hands Raquel an Elrond plushie* Well done! You are the first one who thought of the Last Alliance! *blushes deeply* Owww, thanks so much for all your compliments! I'm doing my best! And ME enjoying my reader's suffering? NEVER!!! *g* *looks around her suspiciously* Don't give Aragorn any ideas!! Well, he's a bit ... busy himself right now... *g* Thanks for the review!!
Zam - *stares* Wow, huge review! Thanks!!*huggles Zam, then drags her away from Legolas* First your sister, then you, honestly! If you kill him, who will save Aragorn?? Hmm?? Ever thought of that? *watches as Legolas stabs Zam* Okay, I will just pretend I didn't see that... *groans when Zam sits down on Aragorn* Why me, Elbereth, why me??? LOL, no, it was not Cornallar's fault, but he's still stupid. And sadistic. A stupid sadistic idiot who will sooo be enjoying himself next chapter... *puts hand to mouth* Oooopps, I didn't say that. *grins* Seobryn is cute, isn't he? *pats his head* Somehow, he reminds me of Éomer - only a bit more intelligent... *g*
Lievre - Reach for the stars, my friend!! *coughs* No, I'm sure everything will get better ... soon. Sometime in the remote future, probably. Death threats? Really? Owww, that's so sweet of you, really, I LOVE death threats! *grins* But don't worry, he will get rescued - in the end. I don't promise when, though... Thanks for the review!!
Arwen-Evenstar - *beams* Thanks! I'm glad you like it and hope you'll enjoy the rest as well! And it wasn't a terrible place to leave it off - the one in this chapter was much worse, wouldn't you agree? *evil smile*
TrustingFriendship - Well, if you define 'in one piece' as in 'not missing any body parts', then you will be fine! I think. *grins* No, don't worry, despite my sister's encouragements I will not cut off anything. I'm glad you like the brooch though, I wasn't sure about that. Thanks for rewieving!
ManuKu - *seufzt* Noch eine ... *nimmt einen Stock zur Hand* Zurueck!! Zurueck!! Pfoten weg von unserem Lieblingselbenprinzen!! Ich brauche ihn doch noch, damit er Aragorn am Ende retten kann!! *zerrt ManuKu zurueck* Und hier bleibst du nun, okay? Nicht mehr auf irgendwelche armen unschuldigen Elben einschlagen! Nun ja, du hast es erfasst, Cornallar und Aragorn oder Aragorn und Donyc oder alle drei haben noch ein paar Dinge zu "bereden", sagen wir mal... *fieses Grinsen* *verbeugt sich* Es ist doch mein hoechster Wunsch, meine Leser zufrieden zu stellen! Dann reviewen sie naemlich mehr! *g*
*latches onto reviewers* Thanks so much! I love you! I love you all! *shuffles off* God, I gotta go to sleep, I start sounding like Michael Jackson now...