Author's notes: What to say? I shall hopefully be doing a bonding session between the little elflings.
Disclaimer: On first chapter if needed.
First Meetings. Chapter Three.
Elladan rolled over and nearly fell out of the tree. Glancing round, he saw everyone looked asleep. He sighed, no one saw him, his pride was saved. He swung his legs round so he was sitting on the branch. They had decided to sleep in the trees, where they were safe from any wargs that might come back and try to finish them off. He was about to jump down when a quiet voice broke the silence.
"Careful, you don't want to fall off."
Elladan's head snapped round to stare at a small form. Legolas smiled at the look on the twin's face. Elladan stuck his tongue out at the blonde before jumping off the branch, landing quietly on the ground. Legolas followed and the pair moved around, looking for some kind of food. The others started to slowly wake up, and joined the two in eating the few berries they had found.
"What shall we do now?"
"We ran forward in a strait line round about."
"We did, but does that matter?" Beren asked, staring at Elrohir.
"Yes, a bit further on from where we were the river curves away to the left and then goes back to being strait later. So instead of following the curved river, we can cut across the meadows. It will half our time."
The five smiled. Standing up Beren put the fire out.
"Well you know what the Captains of our realms say." The others turned questiongly to Beren, "Move out."
"That" Elladan said, a sparkle in his eyes, "And 'You little scamps, you had better run because I am going to kill you when I get a hold of you!'"
They laughed, turning and headed off towards Lorien.
~*~
Celebrian slowed her horse up, though desperately wanting to speed up. After they had split up, Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir going one way and the others another. When nightfall had started to come, their husbands had insisted that they slow down. Elerossë had commented that even with their elven eyesight they wouldn't be able to spot the children in the dark if they were riding at such a fast pace. Celebrian and Máraran had disagreed, but had lost the argument so they had stopped cantering.
"Stop!"
They pulled their horses to a stop and turned round to see Thranduil and Elrond bending down over something. Jumping off their horses they ran over to their husbands.
"A fire. Made early this night."
"What do you mean 'early'?" Celebrian asked Thranduil.
"I mean that it was started but not kept alive, it went out hours ago."
"Care to explain what happened."
"They were attacked."
Glorfindel's voice floated to them from a few feet away. The blonde was bent over a set of tracks, wargs to be exact. There were elven footprints here and there but everything was muddled. But there was one set that lead directly to the wood before stepping where a sets of warg's prints crossed them. They set after them, not seeing the tracks across the other side of the river.
Máraran glared at the warg as she sliced it's head off. Next to her Celebrian drove her sword through one. There were about twelve, not enough to stop a group of experienced warrior. But enough to take down six small elflings. Máraran gave an outraged cry as she drove her sword through the last one. She dropped to her knees, searching among the dead bodies and black blood for any sign of her children. The others joined her in their desperate search for the loved ones they had lost.
"They are not here." Celebrian stated quietly, "What does this mean?"
"It means, they may still be alive. Though I don't know where they could possibly be."
They sat their a heavy silence hanging in the air. Fear had vanished from their hearts and a deep pain had replaced it.
"Maybe my father and mother have had some luck."
Though Celebrian said it, she didn't believe it. Nor did anyone else.
"We should head back and . . . and we can send out elves to scour the countryside."
They nodded and slowly pushed themselves to their feet and started to make their way back to their horses. When a low growl emitted from the behind them. They turned to see a warg, Thranduil rose his sword to strike it down when another warg leapt into view. Thranduil blinked, and he suddenly spotted glowing eyes in the darkness. He glared as a company of orcs stepped out behind their wargs, smiling in a nasty way. A way that said 'I'm going to kill you.' Thranduil gripped his sword tighter, these foul creatures were going to perish especially as they might have their children. Orcs took great pleasure in torturing elves, especially if they were young or female. If they had them, they were going to pay.
Celebrian found her limbs were growing tired as she cut down orc after orc. There were so many of them. She didn't know what they were doing here, it was quite far away from Lorien. But not so far away that the people of Lorien were safe. Pain flickered throughout her body as she felt an arrow embed itself in her left shoulder. Pushing off from the ground, she flipped in the air and landed a foot away from the nearest orcs. Sheathing her sword for a second she snapped the shaft of the arrow off. An orc turned and made it's way towards her, scimitar raised. Snarling Celebrian kicked at the orc, hitting it in the chest. It went flying, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. She didn't bother to check if it was dead, more orcs were coming towards her. She raised her sword and once more prepared for battle.
It seemed like ages ago to the brunette they the orcs had first appeared, but the battle had not started that long ago. There were so many, too many. The huge pile of dead bodies was growing rapidly, but as it did the elves tired. They now had multiple scraps and cuts but were being driven on by one thought. The orcs had their children. The one thought rang through all of their minds, giving them the needed determination and will to carry on fighting. When the last orc was cut down, pain struck them. There children weren't there, there was no sign that the orcs had them. Coated in blood, a distraught Celebrian ran the way the orcs had come. Desperately trying to follow the path back, to where their children might just be. The other three followed, and they were soon lost in the inky blackness.
Máraran stumbled slightly, Thranduil immediately reaching out and grabbing her arm. She shot him a smile, even if it was weak. He wrapped an arm round her slim shoulders and brought his eyes back to the ground, tracking the orcs footprints. They had been tracking them for about half an hour now. And it seemed to Thranduil that the possibility of the orcs joining the wargs, kidnapping the children, bringing them back this far and then turning round and coming back a second time were very unlikely. The six stopped when they reached a group of rocks all clustered together, causing a small shelter for the orcs. Which they had obviously used to hide from the sunlight the day before. But no orc remained, or any small elflings. Máraran gave a strangled sob and buried her face in Thranduil's chest. Celebrian didn't move, she was frozen staring out at the night sky. Elrond placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly.
"Celebrian . . ."
"They're not dead!" She wailed out, spinning round to face him. A desperate look in her eyes, "They can't be, not my children, not my little sons."
"Celebrian . . ."
"They must have gone on further, back the way they came. They might have worked out that somebody would follow they just can't be dead."
He didn't reply, he just stared at her. Pain flashing in his eyes, as he told her without words that it really wasn't that possible. Silent tears began making their way down her face, as the prospect of her children being taken from her showed itself in full bloom.
"There may be a chance she's right, my Lord."
Elrond turned and stared at Glorfindel harshly.
"I don't mean to get your hopes up, but there is a chance if a bit slim, that they took them away. They might have branched off from their old track further up."
Elrond nodded, letting the information sink in. While Celebrian wrenched herself from her husband's grasp and started off up the track. Elrond reached out and grabbed her arm, "My love, we need to rest."
"No," Celebrian whispered, franticly shaking her head, "No I'm not stopping."
"My Lady, we would be better off regaining our strength and searching the track in the morning. We will have the advantage of being able to travel in the light, and they will stop shortly. We won't be able to see much in this darkness at any rate." Elerossë added. Celebrian nodded, allowing her husband to drag her into the forest to find a suitable tree to rest in.
At first light the six made their way along the track, begging the Valar for a sign that orcs had indeed made off with the children this way. But as the hours dragged on it became apparent that there were no orcs carrying the five elflings this way. As night came they rested and the next morning, they turned tail and made their way back.
So it was a rather subdued group that made their way into Lorien on the third day. The pain was evident on their faces, so they were very surprised when an elf dared to trespass on their grief.
"My Lords and Ladies, Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel have summoned you."
Angered that her mother would call her when she had just lost her children made Celebrian snap back at the poor elf.
"Can't you see that we are upset? Or has it not occurred to you that some people like to grieve in peace?"
"I – I am only doing what the Lord and Lady have said."
Celebrian shot him a filthy glare, while Máraran had a slightly softer expression. One that said that she had given up completely.
"Why has she summoned us?"
"I know not. But she wishes for you to follow me."
Nodding the six set off after the elf, who lead them to the dinning room. But no one was there, the elf gestured to the balcony. Curious the elves wandered over and stopped dead. Sitting by a table in the sun were their children. Legolas was swinging his legs, a smile decorating his face. As he nibbled on a piece of bread. Beren was standing on the balcony rail, crouched down so that he could talk to the others. Elladan was laughing at something the brunette had just said. While Lúthien patted Elrohir on the back, he had laughed and drank at the same time and had ended up chocking. Celeborn and Galadriel walked down from the other end and stopped by the six, the pair were trying to stop themselves from smiling.
"They arrived two days ago. Slept all of yesterday and have been wondering if you needed them to come and save you."
None moved, they were still to shocked at seeing their children when they were sure they were dead. Legolas suddenly spotted his parents and smiled, holding out a piece of bread.
"Hungry?"
Máraran gave a small sob and ran over pulling Legolas into her arms. Legolas blinked, dropping the bread at the sudden change in places.
"What's the matter mother?"
Máraran glanced at her daughter before pulling the child into her arms as well. Celebrian had ran over and was hugging her children along with Elrond. While Thranduil ha pulled Beren off the wall and into his arms.
"What's the matter with you all? Nothing bad has happened!"
The adults stared at Elladan in disbelief, before they all shook their heads.
Lúthien hugged the twins for the twentieth time before being dragged away by her mother. The rest of the trip had been peaceful, well compared to their first adventure. As no one could really call shrieks of horror and giggles of amusement peaceful, but it was for the parents. So it was a sad party of elflings that were saying goodbye. Legolas was clinging to the horse's mane and turning round so he could wave goodbye as the party split. Lúthien was fighting back tears as she saw her friends slowly walk away.
"They're not gone forever." Her father whispered in her ear, she nodded but still didn't smile.
"Don't worry we'll see each other again soon!" Elrohir called out waving to his new friends.
"Yes, and we can do it all over again because our adventure was so much fun!"
At that the parents silently vowed to themselves never to let their children out of sight next time. Or maybe just tie them up. So the children split, not knowing how much that simple adventure and bonding of friendship may save their lives in years to come.
The End.
Thinking of a sequel, say if you want one.
Characters guide.
Mirkwood.
King Thranduil: Legolas's father.
Queen Máraran: Legolas's mother.
Crown prince Beren: Legolas's brother.
Princess Lúthien: Legolas's sister.
Elerossë: Captain of Mirkwood, good friend of Thranduil.
Rivendell.
Lord Elrond: Lord of Rivendell, husband of Celebrian.
Lady Celebrian: Best friend of Máraran. Mother of Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen.
Elladan: First of the twins of Elrond and Celebrian.
Elrohir: Second of the twins of Elrond and Celebrian.
Arwen: Only daughter of Elrond and Celebrian.
Glorfindel: Elven lord, advisor and good friend of Elrond.
Lorien.
Galadriel: Lady of Lorien and Mother of Celebrian.
Celeborn: Lord of Lorien and father of Celebrian.
Haldir: Master archer of Lorien. Good friend to Glorfindel and Elerossë.
