Title - Rivendell Burning
Author - Jules
Rating - PG13
Disclaimer - they do, I don't.
Summery - Tragedy strikes as the Last Homely House falls victim to murder and arson.
Authors Notes - WARNING - angst alert! Gore, blood and angst abounds, you have been warned.
Dedication - To Minka, who kicked my bum hard enough to get me to write this.Also to Sonbon and the Pakettes.
Dark blood coated the darkened soil, making everything slippery with its presence. It slowly gelled and dried as its owner lay unmoving on his hasty deathbed. Nothing could be done for the elf-lord as he his lifeblood ran in seeming torrents from his battered body, the regal noble being one of hundreds of wounded, many critically so, and the urgently needed medical supplies smouldering in the partially collapsed ruins of the Last Homely House.
Two blonde elves moved upon the wounded, closing the eyes of the dead and wrapping the hideous burns of the living in dampened rags while searching for familiar faces. They had moved as many of the wounded down close to the river banks as soon as they were found or staggered out of their burning homes, the swiftly running waters providing the able-bodied with something cool to cleanse the burns with. It was all they could do, bind a wound, return a short time later, rinse the bloodied and sodden bandages in the clear water before reapplying them, steadfastly ignoring the cried of agony that ricocheted round the valley. The two elves moved to a prone figure along the further edge of the congregation, the tatters of his clothing identifying the wear as that of Elrond. Glorfindel touched the brow of his old friend, concern and fear lining his heart at the lack of heat he felt. The skin was cold, clammy to the touch and pale to the eye, little could be done for the lord of Imladris after he had been stabbed, and less still after he had been badly burnt whilst being dragged to safety from the burning house.
" Is he?" Legolas asked softly, his voice hitching as he contemplated the death of one he held in such high regard.
" Not yet, but I fear it will not be long" the despairing voice responded, the knowledge of what he knew would happen laddening his words with such a dread never heard by the Mirkwood elf before. Legolas took another look around the sea of agonised faces, his keen eyes searching for three that he had not yet sighted. Glorfindel sensed Legolas' distraction through his despair and with a great degree of effort looked up from the ashen face of Elrond.
" Who isn't with us? Who isn't here?" the broken voice sounded softly.
" Elladan and Elrohir" Legolas moved slightly to glance at another group just stumbling in, he paused a moment, not wanting to believe what he saw " and Estel."
Glofindel's grief raised another notch as he realised his lapse of foresight. Had he been so blinded by his despair in Elrond that he had forgotten about the elf-lords' heirs? He once again looked up only to see the rapidly retreating figure of Legolas darting back towards the main house. He shouted a warning, the building was still burning intensely and was structurally unsound, great groans giving testament that it would collapse in on itself at any moment.
Legolas stealed himself as he neared the blazing building, pulling his hood over his hair to stop if from catching alight, and tucking his face into the raised crook of his arm, using the fabric of his sleeve as a filter for the dense smoke. He raised his free hand to shield his eyes from the intense heat, only moving it to cast aside objects in his path. He gulped in one last lungful of good air and ran up the stairs, ducking under the fallen doorarches and plunging into the inferno beyond. Instantly his eyes began to tear, searing smoke robbing air away from his lung and robbing his mind of rationality. Desperately he called, his voice being swallowed by the flames mere moments after leaving his mouth.
" ESTEL!" he screamed, only to choke on the acid air as he body forced him to inhale. " ELLADAN!" He frantically searched the rooms near the entrance of the house, only to find them burning and empty of occupants.
He reached one of the dining rooms, only to find two corpses in his path, burnt beyond belief and only recognisable by the few odd scrap of clothing that identified them as serving staff. The heat was so intense he couldn't venture further inwards, instead moving towards the rear of the house and the private rooms. There he faced one of the worst decisions he would ever have to face. If he turned left, he would reach Estel's room, if he turned right, he would reach that of Elladan's & Elrohirs'. The building groaned and shifted beneath the elf's feet, causing him to stumble and his arm to move away from his face.
Instantly he choked on the dense smoke, coughing and hacking as the dense particles reeked havoc on his lungs. He dropped to his knees in an attempt to clear his airways, his sleeve shoved hard against his gasping mouth.
The building shifted again, the floorboards pitching downwards as the building lost more support beams, but through the dense smoke came a sound not related to the building shifting. Instantly Legolas started towards the noise, his boots slipping on the uneven flooring as he scrambled in the direction of the scream. His mind refused to function as he found his way to the door, kicking it in and being forced back by the expulsion of heat. He staggered backwards, ignoring the sting and smell of his own burning flesh as the heat seared the skin on his hands and face. The fire in the doorway died down for an instant and Legolas stole his chance, plunging through the threshold and towards the rooms only occupant.
Dark hair spilled over a melting floormat, contrasting dramatically with the world of orange that surrounded it. Deep blisters and charred flesh marred what Legolas could see of the being's face and he hurried forward. Dropping to his knees he checked for a pulse and was relieved when he found one, the being's painfulled eyes opened at the touch; frantic grey searched soulful blue and took no comfort in what he saw. Legolas had not found Estel nor the other twin.
The blonde elf scooped the son of Elrond in his arms and gently lifted him, blocking the shriek of utter agony that Elladan screamed as his body protested against the movement. His grey eyes slid closed as his mind fled the confines of his protesting body, only finding relief in the blessed realm of unconsciousness. Legolas noted how the dark elf's body went completely limp as he staggered towards the door, flames licking his booted feet and sending shivers of heat through the soles and racing up his legs, he would have to get Elladan out, and soon. He had just reached the doorframe when the floorboards heaved and bucked beneath him, pitching him forward and causing Elladan to tumble out of his arms. His knees connected with the hardwood, grazing and tearing the soft flesh as the fire lipped at the tattered edges of his clothing. The blonde elf grimaced at the new wave of pain and pushed himself forwards, crawling towards the limp Elladan as the flames above sent splinters of burning ceiling raining down on him. A girder above him shrieked and shifted, resting a moment before plummeting downwards, fire greedily gnawing at the delicate wood. The dark elf made no noise as the heavy wood impacted his body, pinning him to the floor, but Legolas shrieked in agony. The weight of the wood alone would have easily crushed the strong bones in his body, but the heat and bite of the hungry flames sent immense waves of pain through his already battered body. He cried out for aid, screaming for anyone who could hear him, but the roar of the burning building swallowed his words and ignored his pleas for help. He squirmed against the dead weight that pinned his chest to the floor, trying desperately to free himself even as he felt his ribs cracking one by one under the pressure. What little air his lungs had in them was cruelly forced outward as the beam finally settled, causing dark spots to appear before his eyes as his mind reeled from the lack of oxygen. Sparks flew as the fire creeped from the wood to his fair hair and Legolas tried desperately to swat the flames out, succeeding only in burning his hands and sending his body even further into shock. Darkness started to invade his vision, sending the brilliant orange of the fire into a murky black as unconsciousness threatened to overcome him. He glanced up at a new sound, something again not related to the house groaning and secumbing to the onslaught, but darkness claimed him before his mind could register the owner of the voice.
" LEGOLAS!" the voice cried, footsteps unsteady as the human tried frantically to answer the prince's anguished pleas for help. He had come to shortly after the house began moving, the floor he was pinned to pitching downwards and relieving the ranger of the heavy bookshelf that had rested on top of him. He scrambled towards his brother's door where Legolas' voice had emanated, the heat and intense smoke forcing him back a few paces and making the tears that ran from his eyes stream in earnest in an attempt to cleanse the smoke from them. He clamped his sleeve to his mouth, sucking in as much air as he could before plunging into the inferno.
Aragorn first saw Elladan pinned beneath the heavy girder, the closed eyes and charred skin frightening the ranger more than he wanted to admit. But it was not Elladan that had called to him. His eyes continued to search the burning room, until he located Legolas also trapped under the heavy wood, his bright blue eyes slipping closed even as Aragorn's glance was cast upon him.
" Legolas!" The ranger started towards the prone prince, his heart skipping as he took in his friends' situation, there was no way he could free his friend without aid. He desperately searched the room for some kind of lever, and found one of his brother's hunting spears, as yet unburnt and resting near to his position. Aragorn grabbed the sturdy wood and wedged it under the girder midway between its captives. Grunting with effort he heaved against the solid wood, feeling the oak spear in his hands flex as the strain was added. Nothing happened. He heaved again, putting his entire weight under the spear, ignoring the bite of the flames now licking the bottom of his trousers. He cried out in anguish as the girder only shifted marginally, if he could only get Legolas to wiggle himself free as Aragorn took the brunt of the weight of the girder, then he could cast it aside, freeing Elladan as well. He dropped the spear and knelt next to the unconscious prince, gently tapping his friend's face in an effort to rouse him. Seeing no response he tapped hard, ending up nearly taking the elf's head off before he ended up waking. Bleary blue eyes appeared glazed and unfocused, finally resting on Aragorn before nearly sliding closed again.
" Ohh no you don't, MOVE Legolas.. when I shift MOVE!!!" Aragorn called, as if in response the building shifted again, plunging the floor downwards onto an angle. It worked to his advantage as the ranger heaved once more, while Legolas twisted and wiggled his way from under the girder. The floor jerked and pitched downwards once more, causing Aragorn to loose his footing and the girder to roll off Elladan. The Heir to Rivendell made no move as the weight was released from his back and lay still as Aragorn crawled forward towards him, dragging the semi-conscious Legolas with him.
The ranger roughly grabbed the dark elf and hauled him over his shoulder, unsteadily regaining his feet and dragging the lagging Mirkwood prince behind him. Together they staggered forward, ducking and weaving as burning objects fell across their path, the building in the final stages of collapsing. Aragorn could feel his flesh burning and melting off his body, he could smell the charring and boiling of his skin, but he could also hear to voices of the frantic elves outside, calling his name urging for him to emerge.
He staggered onwards, one foot in front of the other and after what seemed like an age, they emerged from the building. Unable to continue further the ranger fell forward, pitching Elladan in front of him and allowing Legolas to finally fall as his injuries finally took their toll. The son of Arathorn lay still on the stone staircase, his breathing erratic and his melted flesh hanging from his body. Glorfindel scrambled to the fallen King of Gondor, turning him over in time to see his chest rise once more, then fall for the last time. Grey eyes open yet unseeing as his body relaxed in death, his spirit fleeing the tortured body to be with those of his forefathers. Glorfindel starred at the body of Aragorn, still gently holding it even as his mind finally comprehended that the human was dead. He glanced towards the other two downed elves and noticed both were unmoving. He passed the body of Aragorn to another elf and nodded towards another to aid him in bringing Elladan and Legolas away from the burning building. They scooped the fallen comrades into their arms and made their was quickly towards the bottom of the stairwell and the safety of the river, their boots only just touching the bloodied earth before the Last Homely House gave one final heave and finally collapsed in on itself entirely. Debris and hot ash was flung out in all directions, covering all in the valley in a grey dusting that would linger for many days.
Reaching the river Glorfindel laid the still form of Elladan next to that of his father, quickly examining the twin for broken bones and internal injuries. A gasp of pain erupted when the blonde elf's skilled fingers reached Elladan's shattered ribcage, the grey eyes flying open as agony rudely brought his mind back from unconsciousness. Words failed the dark elf as he gasped for air, the pain of his smashed chest making it difficult to breathe. Instantly Glorfindel noticed this and shifted Elladan so he sat with his back support by a large tree. The elf's ragged breathing became slightly less laboured but his eyes remained clouded with pain, agony contorting his features as he lingered between wakefulness and unconsciousness. The Heir to Imladris was able to utter one word before the impending darkness reclaimed him with a vengeance.
" Elrohir?"
To Be Continued.