Chapter Seven
Fin looked on as Estel slid down the tree and became limp. She had hooked her legs around the tree trunk, too weak to keep a grip any other way. She could hear the remainder of the orcs crashing along the path. She was lucky to be up in the tree where they could not see her, and Estel was protected because they had left the path and he now sat against a tree, with many low bushes to cover him. His dark clothing also helped to hide him from evil eyes.
She lay still for what seemed an eternity, and finally she could no longer hear them. Blood from her wound ran down her side, soaking her tunic. She shook her head in wonder, why were these creatures here, so close to Rivendell? What was she to do now? Her wound ached fiercely and she felt warm despite the cold surrounding her. All the more evidence that the arrow protruding from her back was laced with poison.
As much as she wanted to deny it, she could not care for herself, and to not take Estel back to his home would only cause the man to come to more harm. She was unsure how bad his wounds were, and she did not have the strength to tend him. His clothes were soaked from his fall in the frigid lake and with the cold air he would not last long before hypothermia took him. Nor did she feel safe any longer. The orcs could double back and return if they were determined to find them.
Fin inched back down the branch she was on until she could feel the trunk with her feet. Turning, she grabbed at a branch a bit above her head with her uninjured arm. She pulled herself into a sitting position, and let her body fall forward from the tree. She hoped to land on her feet, and she did, but the impact jarred through her and she fell to her knees. She crawled over to Estel and placed her hands on the sides of his face. He made no movement, and she could tell he was unconscious. He shook his head slightly, mumbling and pulled away from her grasp. His skin was freezing cold, and the hair on his head was partially frozen. His breath came in cold puffs, and his lips were beginning to take on a bluish color.
She sat back on her heels, her balled up fists striking her legs in frustration. The movement only caused the pain in her shoulder to increase and now pain was beginning to throb in her head. She closed her eyes tightly and squeezed out the tears she felt coming on. This would do her no good. She needed to get in control of herself. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. She was having trouble staying with rational thought, a side effect of the poison, no doubt aided by the growing panic she felt. Suddenly she heard a noise to the left, and froze.
There was movement along the path, and she could tell it was not made by any two-legged creature. She turned to face whatever it was that was coming. She reached for the blade that still protruded from the orcs throat with the intention of protecting her fallen friend.
She heard the creature breath heavily and suddenly she realized that is was a horse she heard. Relief washed over her as she thought that it must belong to Estel. The horse nosed its way through the low brush and pushed at the man with its nose.
"He is hurt, I must take him home. Will you help?"
The horse whinnied a response that Fin took as a yes, and then, to her surprise, it lowered its body to the ground to make mounting easier for her.
"What a smart beast you are," she stated as she brushed her hand along the horses brow.
She bent over Estel, and called his name in a quiet voice. When he did not respond, she tried to wake him by shaking him slightly. Finally she picked up a small handful of snow and once she had rubbed it over her hands to melt it, rubbed her wet, cold hands over his face. This worked, and he roused slightly.
Blinking, he looked her in the eyes, trying to focus. He began to shiver and his skin was very pale.
"Estel, I need your help, I cannot get you on the horse, you are too heavy. I am afraid I cannot lift you."
He tried to make sense of what she said, but his brain was not working well. He shook his head to try to clear it and was rewarded with a painful pounding. He reached up to grip his head in both hands, only to have them pushed away by Fin.
"Estel, the horse, I have to get you home. You must help me." Her tone was urgent, forcing him to concentrate and pay closer attention.
The horse snorted just then, and finally Estel understood. Using the tree for support, she stood on shaky feet. She reached down with her uninjured arm and tried to pull Estel to his feet. He was nearly dead weight, and it took three tries. Estel swayed as he stood, and reached out a hand to steady himself on the trunk of the tree. He missed, and toppled over, taking Fin with him. They both landed hard, and the arrow in her left shoulder snapped off at the shaft inches above her wound. Agony swept over her, and she moaned softly. Her breathing became rapid, and she was alarmed. She could not go into shock, she had to fight this for both of them. They would both die if she submitted.
Alertness quickly found Estel when he heard his friend moan in pain. He raised his body up on hands and knees, and regarded her gravely through bleary eyes.
"You are hurt, Fin," it was a statement, not a question.
"Aye, I am afraid that is true." She took several deep breaths and finally was able to get her breathing under control.
Her mind was in turmoil. She knew she needed to make sure Estel got back to Rivendell, but was loath to go herself. He would never leave her here, and both were too weak to treat the other's wounds. She was sure no searchers would come for her tonight. She did not think either she or Estel would make it until morning. Making up her mind, she knew what she had to do.
"We need to get back to Rivendell."
Fin and Estel struggled over to the patiently waiting horse. Estel crawled over the horses back, the horse turned its head and helped push Estel into place. His movements were slow and clumsy. Hypothermia was setting in and he found any movement difficult. Fin then struggled on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She leaned heavily on him, weary to her very bones. The horse rose slowly so as not to unseat either rider, and turned and headed back to Rivendell.
The return journey would take hours, and Fin sent a silent prayer to the Valar that they would make it in time. The steady motion of the horse's movements lulled Estel into a hazy, dreamlike state. His head pounded ferociously, he felt dizzy, nauseas, and extremely tired, and his side ached where the orc had kicked him. He tried valiantly to remain conscious, but could not. Slowly his body slumped forward until it lay nearly flat along the horse's strong neck.
Fin tightened her grip on Estel, refusing to give in to the darkness that tried to overwhelm her. Blood was still seeping from her wound, she could feel it running down her back, soaking her tunic. Loss of blood, the orc poison, and shear pain made the world spin alarmingly.
The night seemed darker and longer than any she had ever experienced. The moon shone brightly, lighting the path ahead. There were no sounds in the forest. She passed the time listening intently for sounds of danger and singing softly an elvish song that Elrohir had taught her. She rubbed Estel's back in what she hoped was a soothing feeling for him. It helped her to take her mind off her own pain.
Just when she did not think she could hold on any longer, she could see the lights of Rivendell ahead. She did not need to guide the horse, for he surely knew his way. Her approached was noted by a guard who quickly left to retrieve his Lord. Word had been left with the guards to watch for her in case she returned on her own. No one was expecting Estel this night.
Before she had even reached the foot of the stairs that led into Lord Elrond's home, five others appeared with the guard. None had been resting in this house tonight. More lanterns were lit and the elves approached the horse and it's riders.
There was confusion on the faces of those that approached.
"Estel?...Fin, what has happened?" Lord Elrond questioned as he approached, taking in the condition of his foster son. He reached up to help the man down. His sons were behind him as well as Legolas and Tan.
She lifted her head to look at him. He noted a glazed look in her eyes, but attributed it to worry for the condition of the man in front of her, tiredness, and concern for her own situation. Estel was clearly injured for he was laying unconscious in her arms. Her own wound had not yet been seen.
"There were orcs, by the lake.oh Valar, he fell in. He is freezing, I could not help him, I am sorry, my lord." She panted out.
Strong hands took hold of Estel, and he was lowered into the waiting arms of his brothers.
"Fin, you have brought him home safely, for that I thank you. I am also grateful you have returned. There is much we need to speak about, but we need to get Estel inside right now so we can see to his wounds."
Legolas and Tan came forward as Elrond followed his three sons back into the house. Legolas reached up a steadying hand to help her down. Wearily, she lifted her left leg over the horses back and slid to the ground. She nearly fell to her knees with the slight impact, and Legolas looked at her questioningly.
She straightened her shoulders, though it caused her considerable pain, and looked him square in the eye. The only thing that betrayed her was her eyes, which were slightly glazed as she fought to maintain her focus. She was not ready to give in to her own injuries. She needed to make sure Estel was alright.
Brushing past Legolas and Tan, she purposefully strode up the stairs and into the house. She headed for Estel's room with the two elves walking after her, puzzled looks upon their faces. They were not aware of her injury for her cloak hid the blood stain that was growing larger on her tunic. Outside Estel's door, she stumbled slightly and she needed to reach out and grab the door frame in order to stay on her feet.
Estel had been placed in his bed; his wet clothing was being stripped off him. Elrohir was building a fire in the hearth, and Elladan was helping his father tend to Estel.
"How does he fair?" Legolas had stepped forward to seat himself at the foot of the bed.
"He is nearly frozen, and I believe he has a concussion and a few bruised ribs. There is still danger of hypothermia, and we must warm him slowly to prevent shock. He needs rest and warmth. I am sure he will feel better in the morning, although I would not be surprised if he developed one of his cold's over this."
Elrond turned and stood and looked at Fin, who had not moved from the doorway. She was trying to get a glimpse of the man in the bed to ally her own fears over his injuries. Elladan continued to clean the small wounds on Estel's head.
"Fin, he will recover, thanks to you. I am grateful to you for bringing him home. I wish to know what happened." Elrond approached Fin and she took a cautious step backward. She felt as if the room was closing in on her. The fire was overly bright and the light hurt her eyes, and the room seemed too warm. Elrond's voice seemed to echo and reverberate in her head, and she was having trouble making sense of his words.
Fin did not respond. She was relieved that Estel would be alright. The adrenaline that had kept her going to this point suddenly failed her, and she felt a great weariness sweep over her. Her skin was sweaty and clammy. She watched as the others suddenly displayed looks of concern. She had gone immediately pale, and she swayed in place as dizziness suddenly overcame her strength. Shock was finally setting in. She felt her knees crumple beneath her and braced herself to strike the floor.
It did not happen for in that split second, Elrond's swift steps brought him close enough to catch her as she fell.
Fin looked on as Estel slid down the tree and became limp. She had hooked her legs around the tree trunk, too weak to keep a grip any other way. She could hear the remainder of the orcs crashing along the path. She was lucky to be up in the tree where they could not see her, and Estel was protected because they had left the path and he now sat against a tree, with many low bushes to cover him. His dark clothing also helped to hide him from evil eyes.
She lay still for what seemed an eternity, and finally she could no longer hear them. Blood from her wound ran down her side, soaking her tunic. She shook her head in wonder, why were these creatures here, so close to Rivendell? What was she to do now? Her wound ached fiercely and she felt warm despite the cold surrounding her. All the more evidence that the arrow protruding from her back was laced with poison.
As much as she wanted to deny it, she could not care for herself, and to not take Estel back to his home would only cause the man to come to more harm. She was unsure how bad his wounds were, and she did not have the strength to tend him. His clothes were soaked from his fall in the frigid lake and with the cold air he would not last long before hypothermia took him. Nor did she feel safe any longer. The orcs could double back and return if they were determined to find them.
Fin inched back down the branch she was on until she could feel the trunk with her feet. Turning, she grabbed at a branch a bit above her head with her uninjured arm. She pulled herself into a sitting position, and let her body fall forward from the tree. She hoped to land on her feet, and she did, but the impact jarred through her and she fell to her knees. She crawled over to Estel and placed her hands on the sides of his face. He made no movement, and she could tell he was unconscious. He shook his head slightly, mumbling and pulled away from her grasp. His skin was freezing cold, and the hair on his head was partially frozen. His breath came in cold puffs, and his lips were beginning to take on a bluish color.
She sat back on her heels, her balled up fists striking her legs in frustration. The movement only caused the pain in her shoulder to increase and now pain was beginning to throb in her head. She closed her eyes tightly and squeezed out the tears she felt coming on. This would do her no good. She needed to get in control of herself. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. She was having trouble staying with rational thought, a side effect of the poison, no doubt aided by the growing panic she felt. Suddenly she heard a noise to the left, and froze.
There was movement along the path, and she could tell it was not made by any two-legged creature. She turned to face whatever it was that was coming. She reached for the blade that still protruded from the orcs throat with the intention of protecting her fallen friend.
She heard the creature breath heavily and suddenly she realized that is was a horse she heard. Relief washed over her as she thought that it must belong to Estel. The horse nosed its way through the low brush and pushed at the man with its nose.
"He is hurt, I must take him home. Will you help?"
The horse whinnied a response that Fin took as a yes, and then, to her surprise, it lowered its body to the ground to make mounting easier for her.
"What a smart beast you are," she stated as she brushed her hand along the horses brow.
She bent over Estel, and called his name in a quiet voice. When he did not respond, she tried to wake him by shaking him slightly. Finally she picked up a small handful of snow and once she had rubbed it over her hands to melt it, rubbed her wet, cold hands over his face. This worked, and he roused slightly.
Blinking, he looked her in the eyes, trying to focus. He began to shiver and his skin was very pale.
"Estel, I need your help, I cannot get you on the horse, you are too heavy. I am afraid I cannot lift you."
He tried to make sense of what she said, but his brain was not working well. He shook his head to try to clear it and was rewarded with a painful pounding. He reached up to grip his head in both hands, only to have them pushed away by Fin.
"Estel, the horse, I have to get you home. You must help me." Her tone was urgent, forcing him to concentrate and pay closer attention.
The horse snorted just then, and finally Estel understood. Using the tree for support, she stood on shaky feet. She reached down with her uninjured arm and tried to pull Estel to his feet. He was nearly dead weight, and it took three tries. Estel swayed as he stood, and reached out a hand to steady himself on the trunk of the tree. He missed, and toppled over, taking Fin with him. They both landed hard, and the arrow in her left shoulder snapped off at the shaft inches above her wound. Agony swept over her, and she moaned softly. Her breathing became rapid, and she was alarmed. She could not go into shock, she had to fight this for both of them. They would both die if she submitted.
Alertness quickly found Estel when he heard his friend moan in pain. He raised his body up on hands and knees, and regarded her gravely through bleary eyes.
"You are hurt, Fin," it was a statement, not a question.
"Aye, I am afraid that is true." She took several deep breaths and finally was able to get her breathing under control.
Her mind was in turmoil. She knew she needed to make sure Estel got back to Rivendell, but was loath to go herself. He would never leave her here, and both were too weak to treat the other's wounds. She was sure no searchers would come for her tonight. She did not think either she or Estel would make it until morning. Making up her mind, she knew what she had to do.
"We need to get back to Rivendell."
Fin and Estel struggled over to the patiently waiting horse. Estel crawled over the horses back, the horse turned its head and helped push Estel into place. His movements were slow and clumsy. Hypothermia was setting in and he found any movement difficult. Fin then struggled on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She leaned heavily on him, weary to her very bones. The horse rose slowly so as not to unseat either rider, and turned and headed back to Rivendell.
The return journey would take hours, and Fin sent a silent prayer to the Valar that they would make it in time. The steady motion of the horse's movements lulled Estel into a hazy, dreamlike state. His head pounded ferociously, he felt dizzy, nauseas, and extremely tired, and his side ached where the orc had kicked him. He tried valiantly to remain conscious, but could not. Slowly his body slumped forward until it lay nearly flat along the horse's strong neck.
Fin tightened her grip on Estel, refusing to give in to the darkness that tried to overwhelm her. Blood was still seeping from her wound, she could feel it running down her back, soaking her tunic. Loss of blood, the orc poison, and shear pain made the world spin alarmingly.
The night seemed darker and longer than any she had ever experienced. The moon shone brightly, lighting the path ahead. There were no sounds in the forest. She passed the time listening intently for sounds of danger and singing softly an elvish song that Elrohir had taught her. She rubbed Estel's back in what she hoped was a soothing feeling for him. It helped her to take her mind off her own pain.
Just when she did not think she could hold on any longer, she could see the lights of Rivendell ahead. She did not need to guide the horse, for he surely knew his way. Her approached was noted by a guard who quickly left to retrieve his Lord. Word had been left with the guards to watch for her in case she returned on her own. No one was expecting Estel this night.
Before she had even reached the foot of the stairs that led into Lord Elrond's home, five others appeared with the guard. None had been resting in this house tonight. More lanterns were lit and the elves approached the horse and it's riders.
There was confusion on the faces of those that approached.
"Estel?...Fin, what has happened?" Lord Elrond questioned as he approached, taking in the condition of his foster son. He reached up to help the man down. His sons were behind him as well as Legolas and Tan.
She lifted her head to look at him. He noted a glazed look in her eyes, but attributed it to worry for the condition of the man in front of her, tiredness, and concern for her own situation. Estel was clearly injured for he was laying unconscious in her arms. Her own wound had not yet been seen.
"There were orcs, by the lake.oh Valar, he fell in. He is freezing, I could not help him, I am sorry, my lord." She panted out.
Strong hands took hold of Estel, and he was lowered into the waiting arms of his brothers.
"Fin, you have brought him home safely, for that I thank you. I am also grateful you have returned. There is much we need to speak about, but we need to get Estel inside right now so we can see to his wounds."
Legolas and Tan came forward as Elrond followed his three sons back into the house. Legolas reached up a steadying hand to help her down. Wearily, she lifted her left leg over the horses back and slid to the ground. She nearly fell to her knees with the slight impact, and Legolas looked at her questioningly.
She straightened her shoulders, though it caused her considerable pain, and looked him square in the eye. The only thing that betrayed her was her eyes, which were slightly glazed as she fought to maintain her focus. She was not ready to give in to her own injuries. She needed to make sure Estel was alright.
Brushing past Legolas and Tan, she purposefully strode up the stairs and into the house. She headed for Estel's room with the two elves walking after her, puzzled looks upon their faces. They were not aware of her injury for her cloak hid the blood stain that was growing larger on her tunic. Outside Estel's door, she stumbled slightly and she needed to reach out and grab the door frame in order to stay on her feet.
Estel had been placed in his bed; his wet clothing was being stripped off him. Elrohir was building a fire in the hearth, and Elladan was helping his father tend to Estel.
"How does he fair?" Legolas had stepped forward to seat himself at the foot of the bed.
"He is nearly frozen, and I believe he has a concussion and a few bruised ribs. There is still danger of hypothermia, and we must warm him slowly to prevent shock. He needs rest and warmth. I am sure he will feel better in the morning, although I would not be surprised if he developed one of his cold's over this."
Elrond turned and stood and looked at Fin, who had not moved from the doorway. She was trying to get a glimpse of the man in the bed to ally her own fears over his injuries. Elladan continued to clean the small wounds on Estel's head.
"Fin, he will recover, thanks to you. I am grateful to you for bringing him home. I wish to know what happened." Elrond approached Fin and she took a cautious step backward. She felt as if the room was closing in on her. The fire was overly bright and the light hurt her eyes, and the room seemed too warm. Elrond's voice seemed to echo and reverberate in her head, and she was having trouble making sense of his words.
Fin did not respond. She was relieved that Estel would be alright. The adrenaline that had kept her going to this point suddenly failed her, and she felt a great weariness sweep over her. Her skin was sweaty and clammy. She watched as the others suddenly displayed looks of concern. She had gone immediately pale, and she swayed in place as dizziness suddenly overcame her strength. Shock was finally setting in. She felt her knees crumple beneath her and braced herself to strike the floor.
It did not happen for in that split second, Elrond's swift steps brought him close enough to catch her as she fell.
