A/N:
Okay, okay, I'm back! I was ill, okay? Very ill! Besides, FF.net wouldn't let me post yesterday, I swear I tried...
Well, there's good news, and there's bad news ... I know, who'd have guessed ... *g*
The good news is, I'm not sick anymore, which is great, because I
was actually going insane here, stuck in bed and forced to take pills and
drink tea and stuff.
The bad news is that I have serious trouble with my internet connection.
And I mean serious, as in My-God-I'm-gonna-kill-that-stupid-company-THUD-THUD-THUD
(sounds of head connecting with screen)... _Serious_.
That means that I won't be online for at least a week ... *thinks
of her past experiences with said company* ... make that 10 days. On the
bright side, I will have more time to finish my story this way. But then
again, I won't be able to post it, so that doesn't really matter...
Calm down, I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long, right now I'm using my aunt's computer, but I won't be able to post every three or four days. I'm sorry. The next chapter will probably be here on Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest, I think. I'll do what I can, I hope you understand.
Oh, and for those who demanded that Elrond arrives "NOW!" - uhm,
sorry, but no? I know I'm horrible, and I should have thought about how
long it takes to cross the mountains before I started this, but I didn't.
It's my first story, so sue me... *g*
No one is getting to Estel till chapter 18 or 19.
Okay, enough gloom-and-doom, here is the next chapter with lots of annoyed elves, humans, mercenaries, rangers and ... horses.
Enjoy and review, please! I need all the cheering up I can possibly
get right now!
(Stupid computer! No internet for a week!! THUD THUD THUD!!!)
Chapter 16
Elrond tore his eyes away from his father's star to fix them on the man Cornallar had posted to keep watch over their little camp. When the man met the elf lord's fiery gaze, he shuffled nervously and got to his feet, deciding that he could fulfil his duties just as well from the other side of the little clearing. Somewhere where he wouldn't have to look at that elf.
Even though he found it hard to tell with their kind, he was sure that he had never seen someone that angry before, not even their employer when the ranger had fallen off that tree and they had thought him dead. The dark haired elf lord's eyes seemed to literally burn with fury whenever he looked at one of the humans, and they darkened even further when they fixed onto the figure of the other elf.
Elrond watched the man go and sighed inwardly as he returned his gaze
to the stars, seeking out the twinkling form of Eärendil. Usually
he would find peace when he looked at the stars, drawing comfort from their
serene beauty, but today all they gave him were despair and pain. He closed
his eyes and drew a shaking breath.
Could Legolas and the twins see them right now? Or were they buried
under countless rocks in a dark cave as the men claimed, eyes closed that
would never open again?
Shaking his head, he stopped himself right there. They were not dead, and he refused to believe otherwise until he had seen their bodies. He just couldn't believe that they had been killed, he had to hold on to the hope that they had somehow managed to escape the trap Cornallar had set for them in order to remain sane.
He sighed softly when he imagined what the news of Legolas' death would
do to King Thranduil. Since the death of his wife the king had focused
all his love on his only son, and if he should be killed… It would kill
Legolas' father just as swiftly as a blade through his chest. Even though
that would probably be more merciful.
He refused to even imagine Celebrían's face when he finally
joined her in the Undying Lands, bearing the news that their sons were
dead.
'Stop it,' he told himself firmly, 'You will have to do nothing of that sort, because they are not dead. But when I see them again, they will wish they were.'
Sighing again, he decided that he had never before in his long life felt so strong an urge to be at two places at once. One part of him wanted to ride back and help his elven sons, while the other part was determined not to leave his former advisor's side until he had seen that Estel was alive and well.
Folding his hands in front of him to stop himself from fidgeting, he surveyed the camp. The humans were asleep except for the one that was keeping watch, more to make sure that nothing unfriendly came close than to ensure that Elrond didn't try to escape. Cornallar knew him well enough to know that he would never endanger Estel's life by such an attempt. At the thought of the dark haired elf he felt hot fury wash over his senses once again. The memory of the way he had talked about what Donyc had done to his son made him automatically grasp for his empty sword belt at his side.
'Elbereth, I will make sure they both regret what they have done!' he thought heatedly, suddenly glad that Cornallar had left the camp some time ago. He wasn't sure if he would be able to refrain from doing something that would cause further harm to his human son, satisfying as it might be.
He leaned back and took a deep breath, attempting to calm the swirling
maelstrom of feelings that raged inside his chest. In secret he was deeply
frightened by the intensity of the emotions he had seen in the other elf's
eyes. The glazed, deadened look he remembered from their last encounter
nearly 3000 years ago had given way to an absolute hatred that knew neither
bounds nor reason, and the almost insane sparkle in the dark eyes told
him that Cornallar wouldn't stop until either he himself or his adversary
was dead.
And, right now, that adversary was him, Elrond thought dryly.
He stopped in thought when he heard the soft sounds of a slowly approaching elf that was drawing closer to where he sat leaned against a tree trunk. When the person behind him was only a few feet away, he said quietly,
"You still need to learn how to sneak up on something, Cornallar."
He didn't have to turn around to see the furious blush of the other elf's face. When they had still been on friendly terms with each other, they had always teased the dark haired elf about his inability to completely silence his steps. They had been a lot younger then, not so much older than the twins were now, and so much more carefree.
Cornallar sneered at Elrond's back and replied venomously,
"Well, my lord, for capturing your beloved edan it was
more than enough! 'Estel', indeed! What a very befitting name!" he added,
sarcasm thick in his voice.
Setting his jaw, the Lord of Rivendell got to his feet and turned slowly,
his grey eyes that looked very much like the darkening sky before the breaking
of a storm blazing.
"Do not speak his name again, Cornallar. You have no right."
The other elf laughed mockingly and took a step closer to Elrond, hatred
on his features.
"Oh, my lord, I have! Who if not me? And why shouldn't I say
his name? Does it remind you of the fact that you are not in control right
now? Not able to help him? That you failed him?"
With effort Elrond unclenched his hands and banished the very attractive images that played in his mind. Most of them were about him closing said hands around the dark haired elf's throat, throttling until that snide grin disappeared from his face.
"Why don't you leave him out of this? He has done nothing to you, he was not even born when the war started!"
Cornallar's face darkened even more.
"The war! The war you and your revered High King brought upon us!"
"Ereinion Gil-galad was your king as well, if you like it or not," Elrond replied softly, barely restrained anger in his voice.
"Yes, he was! Up to the moment when he decided to ally himself with edain and other weak races like them and destroy everything I had left of my home in the process!"
Elrond shook his head, the anger making way for pity and self-accusation.
"I am sorry for your loss. I truly am. But Tinánd's death was
nothing that could have been prevented. We didn't kn…"
Before he could finish his sentence he felt himself being lifted off his feet and slammed into the nearby tree trunk, the impact stealing his breath away. He opened his eyes he hadn't even realized he had closed and looked into Cornallar's furious face before his attention was redirected to the razor sharp knife that was pressed against his throat.
"Now you listen! If you say my son's name once more, I will kill you, right now. And then I will return to my home and will personally make sure that there isn't left enough of your little ranger to pack into a saddle bag when I'm finished with him!"
He pressed the knife a little harder against the other elf's throat, watching with satisfaction as blood began to flow.
"And don't you dare claim you couldn't have known! It was you who gave the order! You, no one else! Not even Gil-galad, no, you, Peredhil! And it is fitting, isn't it? It is so much like you, Half-elf, to trust into the strength of men! You and Elendil insisted that it was enough, that the troop was strong enough! You should have known!"
Elrond returned the gaze steadily, sadness stealing over his features.
"But I did not. They took us by surprise, we had no intelligence on
any orc movements in that area. And Elendil lost just as much as you did,
don't forget that, Cornallar. Many good men died on that day."
Cornallar's eyes seemed to flare up at that.
"I don't care how many humans died! My son is dead! Dead because of
your error of judgement, Lord Elrond! And I fully intend to make
sure you suffer like I do before I finally kill you."
The Lord of Imladris had to stop himself from flinching away from the blade that was slowly digging into his flesh. He really hoped Cornallar had some self-control left; otherwise he would end up with a cut throat rather soon.
"What do you plan to do then?" he asked, realizing sadly that there was nothing he could say or do that would make any difference. Cornallar had been telling himself the same things for nearly 3000 years, he would hardly start listening to the voice of reason now.
The dark haired elf blinked once, as if for the first time noticing where he was. He took a deep breath, and Elrond could almost watch how he forced down the hatred that shone brightly in his eyes and regained his composure somewhat. When he opened his mouth to answer the elf lord's question, he was back to his mocking sarcasm.
"Ah, it would be really boring if I told you that, wouldn't it? You'll see soon enough. It's no fun when you tell your opponent what your next moves will be, is it?" Cornallar asked teasingly, removing his knife from the other elf's throat and taking a step backwards.
Elrond could barely refrain from reaching up to his neck where he could feel blood running freely. He took a step forward, renewed fury seemingly turning his grey eyes an almost black colour.
"This is not a game, Cornallar! These are not pieces you can move and sacrifice as you please! They are living beings; Estel is a living being! This is not a friendly little game you play with a friend on a stormy night by the fire!"
Cornallar gave him a cold smile.
"That is the reason why you can't win, Peredhil. I have lost everything
that was dear to me and I am ready to risk all I have. You are not. You
have attached yourselves to weak pieces and are not willing to sacrifice
even an insignificant one to attain your goals. You've grown soft. But,
nevertheless, I will enjoy it while it lasts."
The dark haired elf turned around and walked off, heading into the direction of the guard. When he was sure Cornallar had passed out of sight, Elrond gingerly touched the cut at his throat. It wasn't too deep, but bled as if his jugular veins had just been severed. By a blunt knife. Rummaging through his pack, he found a length of clean white cloth and pressed it against the cut, trying to stem the blood flow.
Sighing softly, he leaned back, trying to come to terms with what his
former advisor had just told him, watching helplessly as old memories of
broken and bleeding bodies resurfaced, only to be overshadowed by new visions
of the lifeless bodies of his sons that appeared in his mind's eye.
Aragorn was awoken in the fashion he had got used to by now: Getting kicked by one of the men. In the beginning he had thought that they did this to make his life even more miserable, but now he had decided that they were just too lazy to bend down and shake him, judging by the bored look they wore whenever they did this.
'But I'm not complaining,' he thought as he glared at the guard who had disturbed his rest by kicking his thigh, 'Shaking wouldn't be so good for my head right now. And for once, being tied to a tree isn't such a bad thing either. At least they can't kick me in the ribs in this position.'
The guard grinned down on him, his eyes twinkling evilly. Aragorn had a sudden very vivid imagine of himself, banging this one over the head as well.
"Good morning, ranger! Did you have a pleasant night? No breakfast for you, I'm afraid; we wouldn't want you to get any strange ideas, now would we?"
The younger human scowled at the man, deciding that now wasn't the time to try out some of Legolas' more inventive dwarven curses. With his luck, the man would understand them. The twins had, after all, and they hadn't been too pleased that the prince taught their little brother expressions so horrifying that they upset even them. That had been after they had cornered said prince, trying to get him to teach them as well, of course.
When it became clear that Aragorn was not about to answer, the man kicked him again for good measure and turned on his heel, disappearing into the direction of the camp. There was no reason to miss breakfast because of this troublesome prisoner.
Watching the guard walk away, the ranger decided that he was beginning
to hate the whole lot of them. In the beginning he had only loathed them,
disgusted by their greed for money and their ruthlessness. Now that he
had had time to watch their attitude for a while, he was slowly coming
to the decision that the majority of them were hardly better than orcs.
They were not only doing a job, they enjoyed making him suffer, just for
spite, just like orcs did.
Especially Donyc and Addramyr, of course.
Aragorn suppressed the shiver of fear that seemed to race across his back every time he saw or thought of the human commander. He would never let that feeling show, of course, and he was firmly determined to rather die than actually beg Donyc for mercy, but that didn't mean that he wasn't afraid of what the man would come up with next. Judging by the nasty twinkle that could clearly be seen every time the other man looked at him, Donyc was very busy coming up with things he would do to him once Cornallar allowed him another hour with their captive.
The thought of the dark haired elf did nothing to calm Aragorn's swirling emotions either. Very quickly Aragorn had decided that he was the most insane being he had had the misfortune to meet in his whole life. Cornallar would sacrifice everything he had to in order to get his revenge, and if that involved torturing him, the young human was sure that the elf would regard this as an added bonus.
He closed his eyes as he fought down the fear and the pain that started
to make itself felt again. Apparently, the night he had spent tied to the
tree with his back pressing against the bark done nothing to accelerate
the healing process there, and he was sure that the position his arms were
in were not exactly helpful when it came to his shoulder wound either.
His misery was only aggravated by the fact that he knew Cornallar would
have met with Elrond by now. He felt a wave of fury wash over him, replacing
some of the fear and guilt he felt. If he ever got out of here, he would
make sure that the elf paid dearly for whatever he had done to his foster
father.
'Please, Ilúvatar, don't let him get hurt! This is my fault anyway, and if anything happened to him I would never again be able to look Elladan or Elrohir in the eye, knowing that ada was harmed because of me!'
His thoughts straying to his elven brothers, he fervently hoped that they and Legolas were alright and that Cornallar hadn't managed to capture them as well. Knowing them, they were probably already in some kind of trouble or other.
Smiling slightly, he remembered the one time he, his father and the twins had been visiting Mirkwood, about a year ago. He had very vivid memories of his father's and King Thranduil's faces when they had dragged themselves back to the palace in the middle of the night, Elladan supporting Legolas who had been so exhausted that he had barely been able to convince the magically sealed doors to open for them. He and Elrohir hadn't looked much better either, the four of them looking as if they had just re-enacted the Battle of Five Armies. After hiring real orcs and wargs, of course.
He could very clearly remember the look on his father's face when he
had been lecturing them on how stupid it was to go hunting spiders all
alone, at the dead of the night and without horses while he had been patching
them up once more. That had been when Legolas' father had stated that,
should all three sons of Elrond decide to visit them together once more,
they would find that the doors would be closed and would stay that way
until they had left his realm again. Every time, he claimed, Legolas and
the three brothers got together, destruction would never be far behind.
Later, when they had made their way to their rooms, Legolas still leaning
heavily on Aragorn due to his bandaged leg, his friend had assured him
that his father had been joking. Aragorn had looked at him suspiciously
but had accepted his friend's words; he always found it quite hard to determine
when the stern elven king was serious and when not.
His eyes flew open when he heard the almost inaudible sounds of an approaching elf, sounds a normal human would never have noticed. But since he had grown up in Imladris and had quickly learned always to be on the look-out for the twins who in turn were always looking for unsuspecting victims on whom they could play their newest prank, he was more than capable of detecting an elf if he or she wasn't trying to sneak up on him. Then it got difficult even for him.
As expected, it was Nólad who stopped just in front of him, a small pack in his hand. Opening the bag, the elf said teasingly,
"I should have brought more supplies. You have managed to deplete mine in an amazingly short time."
"Why don't you tell your lord that," Aragorn replied curtly, not really in the mood for conversation.
Nólad studied the human in front of him before he crouched down quickly and drew a knife from his belt, moving closer. When he saw the silver eyes widen in alarm, he held up his hands and chuckled amusedly.
"Don't worry, dúnadan, I will not harm you. I only want to cut that rope; right now it's impossible to have a look at you at all."
The young human relaxed slightly, but his eyes didn't leave the dagger while the fair haired elf was cutting the ropes that were securing him to the tree. When the ropes came loose, Aragorn lifted his shoulders slightly, wincing when his numb hands rubbed against his lacerated back. Nólad returned the knife to his belt and opened the ranger's overcoat, preparing to check his injuries.
Aragorn closed his eyes while the fair haired elf was working, trying
not to let any of the pain the ministrations were causing show on his face.
'Even though,' he thought , sucking in a deep breath when the elf touched
the arrow wound gently, 'I don't think I'm doing such a good job at it.'
The cold morning air made him shiver even more then he had done already, now that even his overcoat was removed, but he once again thanked the cold when the elf turned to work on his back, lifting his bound hands slightly to get a little bit more access to the weals that decorated his back. If his arms and back hadn't been numbed by the frigid air, he was sure he would have passed out on the spot. When Nólad wrapped the last set of his bandages around his chest, the young ranger noticed that the herbs he had used on him would scarcely help his body recover. From what he had seen, there had been two sorts of pain-reducing herbs that also had some anti-inflammatory qualities, but compared to athelas or even some other healing herbs every normal elf knew they would do little to speed up his body's healing process.
While he was still contemplating if the elf simply didn't have any other plants or if Cornallar had given explicit orders concerning this, Nólad closed the overcoat, having noticed the way the human trembled both from the pain and the morning cold.
"There, we wouldn't want you to catch a cold or something."
Before Aragorn could stop himself, he asked sarcastically,
"And why not? Not that I doubt that your kind hearts would surely bleed
in such a case, but why put yourself to all this trouble? I don't understand!
Why are you taking such care not to let me die when you are at the same
time joyfully jumping at any opportunity to inflict as much pain as possible
on me? It doesn't make sense! And why do you need me alive, anyway?"
Had he been in less pain or had felt not quite as cold, worried, guilty or overall miserable, Aragorn would have noticed that this was not a very clever thing to say to his captor, but right now he just didn't care.
Nólad's eyes seemed to darken at that, and it was now that the young human realized that he might have said something unwise. Mentally preparing himself for a blow to his face or something of that sort, he was surprised to see the elf merely take a step closer and crouch down again in front of him, looking at him with something akin to disappointment.
"I had thought, ranger, that you knew by now that I am not like the edain . As I said before, I do not relish other beings' pain, and especially not that of beings with elven blood. Besides, I consider all this unnecessary, but since I am not in command, I cannot change the way things are. My lord has ordered me to keep you alive until he joins us again, and I fully intend to carry out that order, and letting a foolish human like Donyc ruin everything because he cannot control his feelings is not what I have in mind."
Aragorn looked at the elf with wide eyes, confusion still written on his features.
"But what is he planning? What does he want to do with me and Elrond if he manages to capture him?"
The fair haired elf looked at him, a look of sadness flickering across his face so quickly that Aragorn wasn't sure if he had seen it at all.
"Oh, he will, young one, he will. I know your ada well enough to know that he will do exactly as Cornallar asked. And for what he is planning … that is not for you to know. Not even I know all the details myself."
The young human studied Nólad closely, deciding in an instant
that the elf was lying.
'Which is not a good thing,' he remarked inwardly, 'If he is unwilling
to
even tell me what Cornallar is planning, it can not be good.'
The elf returned the assessing glance, taking in the pale face and still shivering frame of the ranger.
"Take some rest. We will leave shortly."
Aragorn narrowed his eyes as he resisted the temptation of telling the fair haired elf that he would love to if the men would only stop kicking him once he closed his eyes, and asked, as nonchalantly as possible,
"Where to?"
At that Nólad rose to his feet, giving him a slight smile.
"Home, dúnadan, my home, that is. We will get there this
afternoon, if the humans actually manage to follow without drowning in
the Great River."
Aragorn's mind spun crazily as he tried to process that information.
Nólad was talking of the Anduin that flowed from its sources
in the north, in the Grey Mountains, down all the way to the Bay of Belfalas
in southern Gondor. The realm of Legolas' father lay to the east of the
river, but patrols often travelled out of Mirkwood to the west, even beyond
the banks of the Anduin, in pursuit of some foul beasts or, in regular
intervals, just to inspect the area so close to their lands.
A small spark of hope flickered to life inside his chest. If he was lucky, they would come across a patrol, and while he didn't know every single warrior of Mirkwood, he was known to a lot of them, and even if they should meet a group that was entirely unknown to him, it would be hard to explain why an elf travelled with a group of humans that had taken a ranger captive.
His thoughts must have been visible on his face, for Nólad gave him an amused smile and squashed his hope as effectively as a troll's foot an insect that was not fast enough to escape.
"No, young one, they will not be patrolling this area."
Aragorn blinked, his confusion only increasing.
"How do you know that?" he asked, not even pretending he didn't know
what the elf was talking about.
Indeed, how could he know? The patrols were decided by the king and his advisors, and they changed the schedule from time to time. If one wasn't a warrior of Mirkwood, the king or member of the council, it was virtually impossible to predict where and when a patrol would appear.
Nólad smiled again at him, this time looking definitely smug.
"I have my sources, dúnadan. You can take my word for
it: There won't be any patrols travelling out of Mirkwood for the next
four of five days. We should reach our destination without being seen by
anybody, if we are lucky. Do not hope for discovery, ranger. There will
be no one to see you."
With that he turned and made his way over the dew covered meadow to the men, giving them orders to break camp as soon as they had finished breakfast.
While he tried to come to terms with this new information, Aragorn noticed after a second that he had not been tied to the tree again, and tried to get to his feet in an instant, but before he had even straightened up let alone risen to his feet, a kick to his left leg let it collapse under him, throwing him backwards against the tree. Closing his eyes against the pain and silently vowing that he would not spare the humans' lives again should it come to a fight a second time, he heard the sneering voice of Donyc that sounded thoroughly pleased with his actions.
"Ah, ranger, and just where are you going? You wouldn't leave us already, would you? It would be such a shame, since I have had time to think of so many things I want to … talk with you about."
The younger human opened his eyes, piercing the man with a fierce silver
gaze. It truly appeared that he could not escape his captors, not with
Donyc and Nólad watching him the whole time.
All he could do was try to cling to the slowly dying hope that his
brothers and best friend were out there, looking for him. And that they
would find him.
Elrohir watched his twin and his friend with growing annoyance. He had suggested they take a rest about three times already, but both Elladan and Legolas were too stubborn to admit that they were exhausted.
'As if it's not obvious to even the most unobservant person!' he thought irritated, brushing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes and wincing when he touched the bruise on his face that would probably reach spectacular dimensions in the next days. 'Elladan is looking pale enough to be confused with a ghost right now, and Legolas has stumbled so many times that I have stopped counting!'
His thoughts were interrupted by the grumpy voice of his twin.
"Admit it, Legolas, we are lost. I have seen that particular boulder at least three times."
Elladan always got very grumpy when he suffered from head wounds.
The fair haired prince made a movement as if to shake his head,
but froze in mid-motion and winced, a grimace of pain flashing over his
face.
"We are not, mellonamin. These tunnels merely look all the same."
The older twin grumbled something under his breath that didn't sound
too convinced, but continued to walk behind his friend, who in turn was
leading his horse that was becoming more agitated with every step they
took that led them deeper under the mountains.
Before Elrohir could say something, his brother asked sarcastically,
"And how do you know where you're going when they all look the same?"
Legolas sighed and turned around, grasping the wall for support.
"It was your idea that I lead you, Elladan, not mine! If you
have something constructive to say, then please, do so!"
Deciding to act quickly before the two exhausted elves could say something they would surely regret later, the younger twin stepped forward, giving both of them a stern glare.
"Enough! I have listened to your bickering long enough! You are both tired and in pain, and that is the reason why we are going to take a rest, right now! Understood?"
Elladan and Legolas looked at each other, chagrined looks on their scratched faces, and nodded silently.
When Elrohir took the horse's reins from his friend's hands and led it a bit farther on where the tunnel widened slightly so they would all be able to sit next to each other, he thought that this was the last proof he needed that both of them were feeling awful. They had complied without arguing and Legolas had allowed him to take the horse from him without even shooting him a withering look. They must feel horrible.
When they reached the little hollow, Elrohir guided the horse to the far end before he stopped to turn back to his companions, whispering softly to the horse to stay here and rest for a while. Looking in the big dark eyes that blinked at him indignantly, the dark haired elf decided in an instant that he had never before seen such a cocky animal. The whole way it had looked at the twins as if it were contemplating kicking them when its master didn't pay attention.
Giving the white horse the strongest version of the look he could manage right now, he turned and walked back the short way that separated him from the other two elves, wondering how much longer the beast would stand being stuck in here before losing it. The once brightly gleaming white coat seemed to be lifeless and dull, and it was decidedly nervous and rebellious even towards Legolas.
'The darkness is getting to it,' the younger twin decided and added, when his brother and friend came into view as he rounded a bend about twenty feet from where he had left the horse, 'But then again, I think the same could be said about us.'
The other two elves looked indeed bedraggled and exhausted, but what worried Elrohir more was the fact that the soft white light both of their bodies emitted seemed faint and weak, as if the darkness and stone all around them were draining their strength right from the core of their being.
Elrohir winced as the throbbing pain in his shoulder reached new levels and hugged his left arm to his chest. Putting aside the discomfort as best as he could, he stepped closer to them and let himself drop to the floor wearily, fumbling with the straps of the pack he had removed from the horse's back seconds earlier. Giving both of them a lop-sided grin, he asked cheerfully,
"Alright, who wants to go first?"
Both elves looked at him disbelievingly, an expression on their faces that spoke volumes for their experience never to volunteer for anything the younger twin offered.
Elrohir gave them a hurt look and sighed loudly.
"Very well, dear brother, it is you then. You are the oldest, after all, and since you are supposed to set a good example for us…"
Elladan scowled at his younger brother, but before he could swat him,
Elrohir cautiously drew back a few yards and added,
"Besides, binding Legolas' wounds will take a lot longer. So stop looking
at me like that and lean back."
Deciding that there was no reasoning with his twin when he was obsessed by the idea that he was their father and acted exactly like him, Elladan resigned himself to his fate and complied, closing his eyes as his brother carefully unwrapped his head wound and covered the abrasion at his temple with ointment they had pilfered from Elrond's storeroom along with enough bandages and herbs to keep the healers of an entire town happy for several months. Gently brushing errant strands of dark hair out of his brother's face, he wrapped a clean bandage around his forehead and gave him a dazzling smile.
"See? That's it. You are sure the wrist is only sprained?" he asked, the humourous tone not hiding the concern in his voice.
Elladan hid an exasperated sigh and smiled at his younger brother.
"Yes, brother, quite sure. I have broken it often enough to know the
difference. Don't worry. I am fine. But," he added with an evil grin at
Legolas, "I think the prince here requires your help. He looks extraordinarily
weak, wouldn't you agree?"
Legolas shot his friend a scathing glare that would have put Gandalf to shame on one of his best days and mumbled several highly insulting things under his breath, which the older twin chose to ignore for the moment. Perhaps Elrohir was right and he was a bit tired.
His younger brother opened the elven prince's dusty and torn tunic and
removed the bandages, for an elf with only one arm in working order rather
skilfully, checking his friend's broken ribs and his old side wound.
After a second he looked up at the fair haired elf, a grave expression
on his face.
"Well, mellonamin, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, the broken ribs don't look too bad. They should heal completely in a weak or two. The bad news is," he stopped and looked at Legolas with sad, serious eyes, "That you have torn ada's stitches."
Legolas closed his eyes and groaned, ignoring the twins' pearling laughter. Well, that did it. If Lord Elrond wouldn't have killed him before, then he would now. After giving him the look , of course.
"Don't worry, Legolas, if you are lucky he will think of the political consequences before doing anything rash," Elladan chuckled, his headache forgotten.
While Elrohir was wrapping new bandages around his chest, the fair haired prince opened his eyes and grinned wickedly at both of them.
"Yes, I have still a chance. But you two are doomed, I'm afraid. You disobeyed your father's explicit orders," he began to count on his hands, touching a finger for each argument, "Dragged me into all of this, were discovered, trapped in a cave, injured, forced to walk through said cave with a person as a guide who hasn't been there for millennia," at this point Legolas began to use his other hand, ignoring the fact that both brothers were blanching at his words, "And will in all likelihood be forced to fight goblins as well."
Elrohir, who had been inspecting the long, ragged cut that adorned the side of his friend's head, froze in mid-motion, blinking slowly.
"Goblins?" he asked in a soft voice, hoping against hope that Legolas had been joking or he had misunderstood what the prince had just said.
Legolas gave him another grin, although it looked a lot more subdued this time. He could still remember the last time he had been here, and it was not an experience he wanted to repeat.
"Yes, son of Elrond, goblins. You didn't think that these tunnels are man-made, did you?"
Elrohir finished his ministrations and let his hand sink down, struggling
to close the bag again.
"Well, yes, I mean, the caves were mines once and…"
Legolas leaned against the wall, prying his slowly closing eyes open again. He hurt a lot worse than he wanted to admit even to himself.
"Yes, you are right there, the caves were used as mines once. Men used to mine gold here, I think, but that was long before I was born. They used the natural caves of Nogrodrim for that, and slowly extended the cave system when the mines had been exploited. But this tunnel was not built by humans, it is of a much newer date. It's barely two thousand years old."
Elladan sighed impatiently.
"Thank you so much for sharing this vital piece of information with
us, but are you telling me that goblins dug this?"
Legolas shrugged.
"Yes."
Elrohir stared at him.
"You are out of your mind! You travelled this orc-infested tunnels
once before voluntarily? Knowing that there were goblins in here? And I
always thought Estel dragged you into all those situations!"
The fair haired prince ignored the other elf and leaned back, his eyes
dropping once more.
"I am sorry. If we are lucky, we won't meet anyone on our way, as far
as I know they don't use this tunnel anymore. But it was the only way to
make sure that we reach the eastern slopes in time to help Aragorn and
your father…"
The twins' faces grew serious again as they thought of their little brother and father. If they would have to fight their way through all the goblins ever spawned to get to them, they would do just that.
It grew silent for a while before Elrohir lifted his head and asked
hesitantly,
"Do you think Estel's still…"
Before he could finish that thought, Legolas' head shot up again, eyes
hard and determined.
"Of course he is! You know your brother, he is a fighter! He won't
give in so easily, he will know we will come after them. Besides, Cornallar
will not allow Donyc to kill him before your father has arrived."
At the thought of the dark haired human Legolas' heart clenched in fury. He would make sure Donyc and Cornallar paid for what they had done to his human friend. If Lord Elrond did not kill him first, that was.
Elladan gave his friend a pained smile and nodded, the fear for his little brother clearly visible in his eyes.
"You are right, Legolas, I'm sure he is fine. They both are. They have to be."
His voice had dropped to a mere whisper, but now the prince could almost
see how the older twin steeled himself and repressed his emotions, lifting
his head and pinning his brother with a stern look.
"And now to you, brother."
Elrohir started to protest, but his brother was having nothing of it
and silenced him quickly.
"Be quiet, Elrohir, and let me have a look at that shoulder. And you,
Legolas, you should sleep for a while. We will not leave for a bit, we
have covered a great distance already today. You need to rest."
Too tired to protest, Legolas only nodded and leaned back against the
cold stone wall, unable to prevent his eyelids from sliding shut again.
He suppressed the evil memories this place evoked, memories of darkness,
pain and, above all, the fear never to escape this stony prison, never
again to set eyes on the stars or listen to the sweet song of singing birds.
He shook his head slightly to get rid of the unwanted images that played
in his mind and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, dreaming of green
grass under the open sky and tall, dark trees of a forest through which
he wandered with Aragorn and the twins in the moonlight.
TBC...
edan - human, man (sg.)
edain - humans, men (pl.)
ada - father (daddy)
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger
mellonamin - my friend
*sighs* Poor elfsies. Poor Estel. Poor Elrond. Poor Everyone!! *evil
grin*
Okay, in the next chapter (if I manage to post it at all, that is!
*g*) there are going to be ... even more humans ... even more Cornallar
ranting ... and a whole lot of trouble for our dear elven twins and Legolas
- yeah, I know, no surprise there... *g*
Send me a review? Yes? Please? I really need them - first the flu,
now this network-whatever, and tomorrow: Who knows? So please??
Additional A/N:
Zam - I know, it's horrily annoying when you can 'see' the chapter but
not read it... *grrrr* But hey, right now I can do neither! Ain't that
great? *GRRRR* LOL, yeah, they must have little signs attached to their
heads, saying 'Please hit here. Repeatedly. As often as you please. Have
a nice day.' Poor babies... *huggles them* *grins happily* They are cute,
huh? *pats Seobryn and Nólad* You sure you don't want to give Glónduil
his clothes back? He might need them soon... *reads little preview* 'I'm
going to make guest appearances in there as well' - why am I not
surprised? *evil grin* Well, it sure sounds interesting! And you want to
marry both Elladan and Legolas? Now wait a second! That's not fair, you
cannot have both of them!!
Evil Strasse - I know what you mean mate, it happens with C&S'
stories all the time. It's driving me crazy!! But then again, I AM already
crazy, so no danger there....*g* Well, as you can see, I didn't die, but
it was a close thing for a day or two! *g* Okay, so maybe not _that_ bad,
but they say on TV that about 30% of the population are infected with the
flu... *grins evilly* At least I didn't have to suffer alone...
Analia - Hmmm, medication? That's a _good_ idea, because I need some!
Without internet for at least a week I'm gonna go nuts here! *blushes*
Awww, thanks so much, I'm glad you like it! And don't worry, this one isn't
a cliffhanger - even though the next one is... Oopps, I didn't say that
out loud, did I?
Lina - *watches Lina beat Addramyr to a bloody pulp* Go on girl, he
is evil ... and I'm so glad you like Estel's curses - he and Legolas would
be proud of you, of that I'm sure... *g* *grabs Lina's shirt* Éomer
is right! Seobryn is going to play an important role yet! I need him and
if you scare him he won't be able to do what he's supposed to do and Estel
will DIE! *watches Éomer* I think now he's really offended, you
shouldn't have bitten him... *g*
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Ohhh, poor you - writer's block can be horrible! I've
never had it, but hey, I have only two months experience in all this author
business... And about ideas: Uhm, Legolas helps him? WHAT ABOUT THAT???
First he has to get worse and almost DIE of course... *evil cackle* You
know, the usual... Yes, poor elflings and human - their heads really get
banged around a lot, huh?
Jambaby1963 - Oh, I'm glad you like it so much! But, as I said in the
A/N, there won't be any buttkicking for a while yet. Well, they won't kick
together yet, that is - but it's coming! Really! Just hold on a little
longer! Thanks for reviewing!
Alexa - *smiles* Thanks a lot for the tip, it didn't help though, I'm
afraid. I was really unable to do much for five days. Bah, I hate being
sick. *giggles evilly* Oh, yes, you are definitely right there - the worrying
friends are always the most fun! And don't worry - *grips keyboard Agent
Smith-style* They are not out yet. Not by a long shot...
TrustingFriendship - Well, something good had to come out of all this,
don't you think? But that's only if they manage to get out of there at
all... *g* Yes, Estel can be quite stupid sometimes, huh? It's got to be
a male thing - I don't get it either... Hmm, you are right, eventually
Legolas will need a new bow, I didn't think about that ... Well, perhaps
in the next story. We'll see...
Firnsarnien - *puts hands over ears and starts humming loudly* I don't
want to know! I don't want to know!! Oh, thanks so much, but 'believable'
- I don't know, are you sure trolls do that with their meat? I didn't know
really... LOL, only kidding! Well, I'm afraid you don't frighten me at
all with your wargs, I have one myself, and a balrog, and a few nazgûl
that live in my bathroom - don't ask, this time YOU don't want to know...
*grins happily* Oh, somebody noticed! I always try to chose chapter titles
that describe the situation of more than one 'group' - they are all trapped,
aren't they? One way or another...
Darkphoenix - *grins* Yeah, flu isn't so great, is it? Hates it, we
does... Well, as I said, no Elrond-finding-Aragorn for a while yet, but
he will, don't worry... And I'm already planning everybody's death, never
fear ... painful, that's all I'm saying... *g*
Mouse - An evil little vegemite? What the heck is a vegemite? If you're
insulting me - and please feel free to do so, I don't mind - could you
please use something I understand as well? *g* But I guess it's something
... evil? Sounds like veggie, somehow... *shrugs* Whatever. *sniffs* I
know it's a little late, but *points at broken down computer and flu virus*
it's THEIR fault!! Do I still get the M&Ms? Please??
Jadaa's Angel - It wasn't a cliffy! That - was - no - cliffy - and
- neither - is - this!!! Okay?? The next one is one though... *g* Thanks
a lot for the review! I LOVE them!! I did mention that somewhere, didn't
I? *clueless expression* I guess I did...
Pessimistic Drip - I'm on your favourites list? *beams* Thanks!! *grins*
Oh, no, repetition is definitely not a problem, there are things you can
hear about a thousand times without getting tired of them. *beams even
more* You like my sense of humour! Wow! I found someone! LOL, it's not
that bad, but sometimes I could swear there are people you don't even know
what the word sarcasm means... *shoots evil glare of death* What did you
just say about my baby? The HUMAN? *g* But you are right, pointy ears are
... *sighs* Oh, and don't worry - you are not pathetic. Perhaps a perfectionist,
yes, but not pathetic... Cornallar is pathetic! That's what he is!!!
Miss Undastood - *grins* Hey, you are lucky, I wanted to make Donyc
his uncle for a second! Addramyr is better than him, isn't he? Okay, now
don't worry, I have decided to let him live. But don't tell enyone, okay?
*tries to imagine hair* Well, it sounds ... interesting! Red, brown and
red again? Not bad... *g*
Ciria - *nods head* Yes, 22 is better, isn't it? I think it's going
to be 22 chapter now, I managed to come up with enough stuff so it won't
be 21. Somehow I though 21 would look stupid... *grins* Now I know what
you mean! There are indeed pink earmuffs, when they plant the 'babies'...
Uh, we don't have 'Shrovetide', but: Koelle Alaaf!! *grins stupidly* That's
what they call in the south, they celebrate a big carnival there, a really
big one. But since I am not living in the south, we didn't celebrate anything,
we just watch TV and think how stupid and silly the southeners are... _But_
we eat something like donuts, filled with jams and stuff... *licks lips*
Yummy. *g* Well, I'm sorry, but I can't answer either question, elves and
bows... *shrugs* They are like that. Don't ask me why. Yupp, Nólad,
but there's more Nólad in here! A lot more!! *grins* Yeah, Addramyr
and Donyc have got to be from the same place! And sorry! But this update
was as fast as possible, really!
Kaeera - Aha! Auch noch mit hoechstwahrscheinlich verbotenen Substanzen
hantieren! Das haben wir gerne!! Na ja, was auch immer drin war, geholfen
hat's nicht - oder vielleicht schon, da Legolas mir den Tee weggetrunken
hat als Rache fuer seinen Bogen... Er hat jedoch eine interessante lila
Faerbung angenommen - war das Absicht?? *g* Ja, dass du Elrohir-Verletzungs-Geschichten
magst ist mir auch schon aufgefallen, so ganz leicht... Nicht boese sein,
wenn ich das naechste Kapitel nicht reviewe, aber ich und die Telekom hatten
ein leichtes Missverstaendnis... Grrr....Telekom ... hasse ... Telekom
... *zuckt Schultern* Wer tut das nicht??
CrazyLOTRfan - Sorry! No, Elrond is not nearly worried enough!!! Mhahahaha!!
Besides, they still need three days to cross the Misty Mountains - stupid
mountains, I know... *g* Thanks for reviewing!
E - Well, I'm sorry, but you'll just _have_ to wait a little longer.
As I said - nothing I can do before ch 18 or 19... Hmmm, Seobryn is too
innocent? I didn't mean it that way, I mean, there is no way he can spent
six or seven years with Donyc and Co. and still be innocent, but he's a
good boy. But he didn't choose to join them, and that's the important thing,
I think. More Estel? Let me think - he's in this one, and in the next,
though not quite as much, and ... in all the others as well? That's enough?
Yupp, poor little Estel, the twins and Legolas need a healer - but not
yet! Things must get worse before they can get better! *evil cackle*
AngelsofLight - *growls* No school? That's not fair! But hey, ma college
starts again in mid-April, so I shouldn't complain... *g* But your plans
sound very good... Ooops, Stan burned a church? He didn't mention that...
I'll have to have a word with him about burning the wrong buildings...
*shakes head* Balrogs...
Belle - *grins sheepishly* I'm sorry? I was sick and then the computer
broke down and and and... *takes a deep breath* I am sorry. I was delayed.
(Ha! A Gandalf moment!!) Don't expect the new part before Tuesday, though!
Make that Wednesday, I think... Sorry! And don't let your professors catch
you!!
Aurienia - *weeps* Yes, poor bow... Well, I'm not sure, but I don't
think Cornallar knows about the tunnel, Legolas only knew because he had
grown up there and has been there - something which a 'proper' elf would
never have done, fortunately! Uh, the same height? In the movies they are,
I think, and in the books Legolas will have been a bit taller, I guess,
for Tolien said that elves are taller than men, but Aragorn was very tall
for a human. Don't worry: More Cornallar and Elrond in this chapter, and
a bit of rest for E/E/L as well...
Imbefaniel - Well, now _my_ computer is broken! *hits it* Stupid thing!!
I'm glad you like it though, that's something of a consolation... *g*
Reginabean - Clever. Very clever. The tying-to-a-tree-thing, I mean...
*looks at Reginabean who is still walking round her tree* Don't you think
you should do this where there are more people around? What about Mirkwood?
Or Rivendell? There are cliffs _and_ trees _and_ elves... *g*
ManuKu - Danke der Nachfrage, es geht besser, dafuer jedoch haben die
Telekom und ich einen kleinen Streit. Dummerweise sitzen die immer am laengeren
Hebel, also: sicher fuer eine Woche kein Internet. Grrrrrr..... *kichert*
Jajaja, das mit dem Bogen hab ich mir auch schon ueberlegt... Elben und
ihre Boegen... Ruegen - ist doch die mit den Kalkfelsen, oder? Da war ich
noch nie...Viel zu wenig von Aragorn? Das war fast ein Drittel! Mehr wird's
so schnell nicht!! *g*
Carrie - Uhm, don't worry ... *pats her back* ... I'm not angry or
something ... But my story isn't depressing! Mhahahaha, 'what more can
we do'? Don't tempt me, I will come up with something!! *grins* Yupp, poor
Nólad. It's not easy being him, I guess... and you are right, I
feel kinda sorry for Cornallar too, but he is an elf and should know better
than this, so I am not... *grins happily* I am so glad you like it so much!
But where is your next update? Huh?? Where???
Tbiris - *narrows eyes suspiciously* And what would you to with Donyc??
I need him, you know, somebody has to kill him, I'm not yet sure who..
Thanks a lot for the reviews!!.
Figwit - Yeah, I know, in the movie they say 'mellon-nîn'. The
thing is, I have this one elvish dictionary which is far from perfect,
I have noticed that a long time ago. But since I have started using this
one and don't have time looking for another, I stick with 'mellonamin'.
Do you know a better one? But I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for
reviewing!
Salara - Mhahahahaha!! 'Die Aussichtslosigkeit von Aragorn's Lage ist
kaum noch zu steigern'?? Na dann wart mal ab!! Du hast ja keine Ahnung!!
Das haettest du nicht sagen sollen... *faengt an irre vor sich hin zu kichern*
Pah, willst du mir erzaehlen, ich wuerde meinen eigenen Balrog nicht erkennen??
Da kann ich ja nur ganz muede lachen!! NEIN!!! Ihr wollt mich doch nicht
wirklich da einbauen, oder?? Das waere grausam!! Na wartet nur, ich finde
fuer euch beide auch noch einen Platz im Sequel, als was ganz fieses...
Danke fuer die liebe review!!
Stasia - *coughs* Yeah, thanks, I feel better now. A bit. *grins evilly*
Legolas is obsessed with that bow, I'm telling you! Well, now it's gone,
may it rest in peace... Well, what's the saying, boys will be boys? I don't
get it either, men can be sooo stupid sometimes... Am I an only child?
Hah, I wish! That's not really true, I love my sister and my brother, but
sometimes they can be _so_ annoying! Yeah, well, Seobryn - I haven't decided
what to do with him yet. So: Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not... *evil
cackle* Uhm, okay, so I MIGHT be a little obsessed with trolls. A little?
And I agree, cookies are excellent companions! *pats her cookies* I love
them. *g*
Loooooong list, veeeeeerrrrrryyyy long list...
Okay, I've got to go now, my aunt is looking positively annoyed
now - she has been waiting for about two hours, so I can't blame her. *g*
Thanks a lot for all the reviews, I love reeeeeeviiieeeeews (Goldmember
style)!! *g*