The first to rise on that morning of 13th September were the kitchen
staff. They, of course, did not look in on Arual. They were stationed on
another floor on the other side of the building, many on a floor underneath
the kitchen. They saw the beginning of the sun, preparing food for that
mornings' breakfast.
Fifteen minutes later, Elrond was awake. He was in his study,
researching old scrolls of the time of the Ruling Ring. Arual clouded his
thoughts. They needed to talk, and he was putting it off. So when Percy
knocked softly on the door and poked his head through to see if there was
anything he could do for his employer, Elrond told him to wake Arual and
inform her that she would be at breakfast half an hour later. Reluctantly,
Percy went. No breakfast was eaten in Rivendell that morning, however.
Percy stumbled into Elrond's study for a second time, and uttered two
simple words that triggered sheer panic that morning; "She's gone."
Elrond's first impression was that Arual had gone early that morning to
practice archery or sit and daydream. He strolled out of the building with
young Percy at his side, and they separated.
* * *
Percy was skimming the boundaries of the pinewoods, not believing Arual would have gone through them. Oh, how wrong he was. He came to a thorned bush, plucked a piece of elven cloth dripped with blood. That's when he screamed - no, shrieked for Elrond.
The wiser elf sprinted up the bank to him, absolute terror on his face when he glanced at the cloth in Percy's hand having spasms of panic.
"Come with me, boy." Elrond ordered him, taking him by the scruff of the neck and dragging him back down the bank.
* * *
Elrond was bent, his eye level with those of the younger elf. His scarred hands were grasping Percy's face, thumbs in front of his ears, fingers curled around his neck.
"Listen to me. Go into that building and you shout hell on earth until you meet Alexis. Tell him to follow me through the pinewoods and to gather the biggest group of males he can, got it?"
Percy, wide-eyed and pale-skinned, nodded furiously. He turned and sprinted clumsily into the building, Elrond followed him, but only draw a sword from the rack just inside the door. He took off, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The blood on the cloth was still tacky, more red that maroon. She hadn't passed through the woods - abducted or willingly - that long ago. Elrond thought his little girl had a chance to be found.
Percy was stood in the centre of the hall, where his voice would echo up the spiral staircase. He hollered louder than he had ever hollered in his entire life.
"'LEXIIIS!" His voice repeated four times after, making the elves and other Middle-Earth creatures in the rooms wonder out on the landing to see what was going on. "ALEXIS!" Percy's voice broke into screech. His heart was wrenching agonisingly.
"What is it, Percy?" Alexis' calm voice floated through the air. Percy turned to him.
"Alexis-" tears soaked his cheeks and his breathing had become retching sounds. "Arual - she's . she's gone. Elrond followed through . pinewoods."
Cold sweat was pouring off Percy's face, and he fainted. Alexis caught him in one arm, and spoke to the creatures observing from the landing.
"You." He pointed at a woman at the foot of the staircase. "He's having a panic attack. Take care of him-" the woman hurried over, took Percy and lay him on the floor, other women and female elves rushing to help. "All you males - get your weapons. Follow me!"
* * *
Percy was skimming the boundaries of the pinewoods, not believing Arual would have gone through them. Oh, how wrong he was. He came to a thorned bush, plucked a piece of elven cloth dripped with blood. That's when he screamed - no, shrieked for Elrond.
The wiser elf sprinted up the bank to him, absolute terror on his face when he glanced at the cloth in Percy's hand having spasms of panic.
"Come with me, boy." Elrond ordered him, taking him by the scruff of the neck and dragging him back down the bank.
* * *
Elrond was bent, his eye level with those of the younger elf. His scarred hands were grasping Percy's face, thumbs in front of his ears, fingers curled around his neck.
"Listen to me. Go into that building and you shout hell on earth until you meet Alexis. Tell him to follow me through the pinewoods and to gather the biggest group of males he can, got it?"
Percy, wide-eyed and pale-skinned, nodded furiously. He turned and sprinted clumsily into the building, Elrond followed him, but only draw a sword from the rack just inside the door. He took off, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The blood on the cloth was still tacky, more red that maroon. She hadn't passed through the woods - abducted or willingly - that long ago. Elrond thought his little girl had a chance to be found.
Percy was stood in the centre of the hall, where his voice would echo up the spiral staircase. He hollered louder than he had ever hollered in his entire life.
"'LEXIIIS!" His voice repeated four times after, making the elves and other Middle-Earth creatures in the rooms wonder out on the landing to see what was going on. "ALEXIS!" Percy's voice broke into screech. His heart was wrenching agonisingly.
"What is it, Percy?" Alexis' calm voice floated through the air. Percy turned to him.
"Alexis-" tears soaked his cheeks and his breathing had become retching sounds. "Arual - she's . she's gone. Elrond followed through . pinewoods."
Cold sweat was pouring off Percy's face, and he fainted. Alexis caught him in one arm, and spoke to the creatures observing from the landing.
"You." He pointed at a woman at the foot of the staircase. "He's having a panic attack. Take care of him-" the woman hurried over, took Percy and lay him on the floor, other women and female elves rushing to help. "All you males - get your weapons. Follow me!"