DISCLAIMER: Lord of the Rings, and its characters, sadly, do not belong to me. They are the property of JRR Tolkien, et al. No money is gained from the writing of this story. Its sole purpose is for the enjoyment of myself and all who read it.

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Destinies Entwined

Chapter 6

Part One


"I fear we may have arrived too late."

"No! This can't happen! Move out of the way," Legolas says, pushing the human aside none too gently. Moving his hands over the elf in front of him, a deep sadness begins to grow in his heart. Beginning to believe the human is right, he starts to move his hand away. In that last second, he feels the very faint, very erratic beat of the elf's heart. "Sweet Elbereth," Legolas whispers, less tense rthan before.

"You mean...?" Strider begins.

"Yes. But we have to hurry or we still may yet be too late."

As the stretchers are brought in, the three elves are gently moved from the stone floor onto the stretchers. As they go to leave, several orcs, ones who had been injured enough that they would have hindered the others in battle, enter the cavern, intent onkeeping the elves from leaving. The fight is quick and the elves leave the cave, the orcs who had been left behind lying lifeless on the cold stone floor.

Taking the stretchers outside, they are lashed to horses, each horse supporting one end of the stretcher, and the rescue party heads back to the palace as quickly as they dare, fear for thier friends driving them. It is still unclear whether or not any of them are going to live.

Watching the injured elves, Elladan is filled with a sorrow that has only ever been surpassed by the sorrow he felt when his mother left for the undying lands. Love for the she-elf swells in his heart, and the thought of losing her so soon after finding her, tears him up inside. As hard as he may try to deny it, he knows that if Elendil dies, there will no longer be enough joy to keep him in Middle Earth.

Watching the emotions play across his twin's face, Elrohir can imagine what Elladan is feeling because he is feeling it as well. Sadness at the thought of losing the she- elf who has become so dear to him threatens to overwhelm him. He knows that Meoi is a fighter, and that she will not give up easily, but he fears that her injuries may be too many, the loss of blood too great. Praying to Illuvitar that Meoi is strong enough to hold on until they can get help, Elrohir spares a glance at the other two injured elves. They each suffer from a multitude of injuries and anyone who looks at them can see that all three were also beaten. Their torn, battered and bruised bodies hvke taken so much abuse that it is amazing they have held on this long.

After sending a messenger ahead to his father, informing Lord Thranduil that they have found the missing elves and the condition they are in, Legolas moves his horse closer to Strider. The young human has kept his distance, and with a pang of guilt, he remembers the hurt in the young man's eyes when he shoved him out of the way.

"Matho foech, idher mellon nin. I did not mean to push you aside so roughly. It was just my fear and concern taking control. I never intended to cause you pain," Legolas tells him, searching the human's face for understanding. "Strider?" he asks, unsure of himself due to his friend's continued silence. As the human turns to him with a grin on his face, Legolas feels like smaking him upside his head. "Don't do that!" he says. "You had me worried," he adds, laughing softly.

Glad for something to distract them from their worry, the friends joke and banter back and forth all the way back to the palace.

Taking the injured elves directly to the healing hall, they gently transfer their wounded friends from the stretchers to beds. As several healers enter the hall, they push the concerned elves out of the way so that they can work without being hindered.

Turning to Lord Thranduil, Maracellan, the chief healer, motions him to the other end of the hall. "My lord, I think it would be best for al concerned if everyone waits elsewhere, so that we can work. The wounds are many. They have lost a great deal of blood and we cannot think properly with all the distractions."

"Of course, Maracellan. Legolas, Strider, Elladan, Elrohir, come. Let's go to my study and let the healers do their work. I know you do not want to go," he say, looking at them, "but we're only going to be in the way, and that won't help any of them," he adds, sympathy for the young ones evident in his eyes.

"Father is right," Legolas says, grudgingly. "We're just in the way. Marcellan, send word as soon as you know something."

"Yes, my lord," the healer says, glancing up at them. As he watches them file out of the room, he whispers "I only hope it's good news I will have to tell you."

"Pacing the floor is not going to make them work any faster 'Dan," Elrohir says quietly to his twin.

"I can't just sit here! I should be in there helping! Father did not teach me the healing arts for nothing."

"You would only make it harder on the healers 'Dan. Your concern for Elendil would cloud your judgement too much, risking causing more harm than good. Be still, muindyr. They will be all right. They are fighters," Elrohir says, feeling his brother's pain.

As Maracellan quietly enters the room, they all turn to him expectantly. Seeing the look on on the healer's face, their hopes plummet.

"No. There is no change, as of yet," Maracellan says. Motioning to Lord Thranduil, he adds, "May I speak with you my lord, in private?"

"Of course," Thranduil says, following the healer out of the study and closing the door behind him. Those waiting in the room are straining to hear the conversation, but the voices are too low.

Walking back in the room, Lord Thranduil looks at the worried faces staring back at him. "Maracellan has asked me to send a messenger bird to Lord Elrond, requesting his assistance."

"It's that bad father?" Legolas asks, in shock.

"Yes. It's that bad my son. I am going to see to it now. You may return to the healing hall. I think it may help them to hold on to the light until Lord Elrond can arrive."

After watching them leave quickly, he sighs and sits at his desk to write the message. "I just hope he arrives in time," Thranduil says, after setting the messenger bird free with it's instructions to go to Rivendell. "I just hope he arrives here in time."

Entering the healing hall, Legolas is torn between going to his cousin's side and going to this two friends' side. As Elladan goes over to Elendil and Elrohir goes over to Meoi, he makes up his mind and both he and Strider go over to Thandien's bedside, fear etching their features.

Strider knows that normally, elves only have their eyes closed if they are dead, but sometimes, if they are soul weary, and so severely injured that they are knocking on death's door, their eyes will close, too exhausted to remain open. That is the case with Thandien. His eyes are close and almost sunken in to his skull. His skin has an almost grayish tinge, and Strider wonders if his father will indeed arrive in time to save the elf.

Sitting beside Elendil, Elladan's eyes fill with tears. She is so still, and her breathing is so shallow, that it is even difficult with his elven eyes to tell if she yet lives. Gently placing his hand on her chest, over her heart, he can feel the slight pulse and the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her chest. Relieved that she has not given into the darkness just yet, he gets down close to her head and begins to speak to her in the high tongue.

"Va linna mi ana I mornie. Tul ata ana inye i cala, melanin. Ve elye yaresse ikwed inye, Endor uuva na lusta u elye. Panta hendulla. Inye na aqua eresse mi elye."

(Loosely translated: Do not go into the darkness. Come back to the light my love. As you once told me, Middle Earth would be empty without you. Open your eyes. I am complete only with you.)

Holding Meoi's hand, Elrohir kisses her palm and closes her fingers around it. Praying to Illuvitar that Meoi can hear him, he leans close to her and begins whispering.

"Tulin ata ana inye. Va lav i mornie hauta elye. Inye maure elye an inye, melanin. Endor uuva na lusta u elye. Elye aqua inye, Meoi. Ava auta inye."

(Loosely translated: Come back to me. Do not let the darkness take you. Middle Earth would be empty without you. I need you with me my love. You complete me, Meoi. Don't leave me). Seeing her eyelids fluttering, he begins to sing softly to her.

Opening her eyes, Meoi looks up into the worried grey eyes of Elrohir Elrondion. Smiling weakly, she turns her head and sees her friend lying on a bed near her. "Elendil," she says, her voice cracking. "Is.. She..?"

"She's alive. For now. We are waiting for ada to arrive. Though you recieved more extensive injuries, she and Thandien appear to have been poisoned by a Mordor blade," he says quietly, trying not to alarm her.

He knows the bond between Meoi and Elendil is strong, and fears that should her friend die, Meoi would slowly fade away into the darkness of her grief. "You need to rest now. Here, drink this. It will help with the pain and help you sleep," he says, helping her to drink some liquid in a small cup.

As the she- elf settles back down, he breathes a silent sigh of relief that she is going to be all right. Looking over at his twin, he feels guilty because Elladan is still struggling with the fear that Elendil may yet pass on.

As Legolas swings back and forth between fear for his friends and his cousin, he drifts off into an uneasy sleep. Watching his friend, Strider's heart goes out to him as wel as to his elven brothers. People they care about are laying there severely wounded and he feels completely helpless as he can do nothing but wait for his father to arrive. He only hopes that his father will arrive in time to save the other two elves.

Part Two

Two days after receiving the message from Lord Thranduil, Lord Elrond arrives in Mirkwood. He had traveled straight through, only stopping twice to let his horse to rest. Barely letting the horse stop it's headlong rush towards the palace, Elrond jumps down and strides into the palace, where he is met by Ranien.

"Lord Elrond. We have been awaiting your arrival. If you will follow me, I will take you to the healing hall. I am sure you are anxious to see the patients, my lord?"

"Yes. I am. How are they?" Elrond asks, following Ranien through the underground palace.

"Meoi is doing better, though she is far from healed. Elendil and Thandien, however, are not doing so well. Your sons Elladan and Elrohir have done what they can to slow the poison, but we were beginning to fear that you would arrive too late. Though you may have yet," he adds to himself.

Entering the healing hall, Elrond is not at all shocked to find his youngest son there, looking quite a bit worse for the wear. He can see bruises healing on his son's face and the tell-tale mark of what was a rather serious wound to his temple. Putting that aside for the moment, he turns his attention to the two elves who need his healing the most.

Pulling his supplies out of his pack, he begins giving his sons orders. Adding the desired amount of ingredients into the water Elladan has heated, he begins working on the two elves.

As the hours drag by, Elrond prepares the altheas water several times, soaking towels and applying them to the elves. As the time slips by, Elrond's heart becomes heavy. He knows that only one of his patients is going to survive, and he regrets having to inform Lord Thranduil.

Entering Lord Thranduil's study, Elrond looks at the elven lord's weary face. "I am sorry, nin-hir," Elrond begins.

"No," Thranduil says, fear gripping his heart. "My niece?", he asks, unable to continue.

"No. No Thranduil, Elendil will live. Though had it taken another day for me to arrive, she might not have. But Thandien," Elrond says, overwhelming sadness for the loss of an immortal weighing heavily on his heart. "He did not make it. The blood loss was too great. Compounded with the amount of poison in his system, his body wasn't able to combat it. I am sorry hir- nin. We all feel the loss of an immortal," Elrond adds, his heart filled with sorrow.

Though he is saddened by the loss of an immortal, Thranduil is relieved that his niece has been spared that fate.

TBC...