A/N) I've decided to upload the final two chapters to JAIC. At the end of the next chapter is a short summary of the sequel that I'm hoping to start posting sometime next week.



So now onto the final two chapters of Just An Innocent Child.



Just an Innocent Child

Chapter 9: The Price



A dark shadow fell on Mardil through the dimming torch light. He looked up and his eyes widened as he saw Deollyn staring angrily at him. His employer stepped forward his eyes burning in their sunken sockets. In that light he looked like a skeleton; so thin and fragile did Deollyn look, that Mardil felt instantly sorry for him.

However these thoughts were dashed when Deollyn grabbed Estel from his arms and proceeded to pull him away. Without thinking Mardi leapt to his feet and ran in front of Deollyn, who was pulling the struggling boy towards the mouth of the cave.

"Leave him be!" Mardil demanded, but Deollyn paid no heed, instead he roughly slashed at the man in front of him with a knife that had suddenly appeared in his hand which had been slung at his belt.

Mardil felt pain lancing through his stomach as Deollyn pushed him out of his way. He fell against the side of the cavern and his hand strayed to his stomach. A large cut ran across and in that black moment Mardil knew that if he didn't get help soon he would lose his life.



*****



Marihel led the party of elves higher up the slopes following Deollyn as he ascended. They had lost sight of the man but a new trust had been ignited in them with Marihel. The man stopped suddenly and Elrohir banged into him, nearly toppling the younger man over the cliff.

"Something's wrong." Marihel said. "My brother!"

Even as he said that a man appeared above them holding a struggling boy in his arms.

Deollyn held a knife in hand and before the elves could advance he had pulled Estel closer to him, sliding the knife under the boy's chin. "Move any closer and I will kill him."

Elrond put out a hand to stop Elladan from moving forward. He could tell that his oldest son was itching to wrap his fingers round Deollyn's throat and throttle him to death.

"Now I have my demands," Deollyn began. "All I want is the truth. Tell me who killed my son."

"We don't know." Elrohir said. "We've tried to find him but he is untraceable. Believe me if we could find him then we would bring him to justice, however we cannot."

"Let the boy go." Elrond soothed.

Deollyn did not. "I do not accept that answer. One of you here is guilty! Tell me!" the man moved the knife an inch making a tiny slit on Estel's throat. The boy gasped in pain and tears formed in his eyes.

Elrohir grabbed his twin as he made a move to attack. "Don't!"

"Tell me!"

In that instant something launched itself from behind Deollyn knocking the knife away from his hand. Estel landed hard on the ground and curled up; Deollyn landed merely meters away from him. Above him towered an elf - Sîrfalas. The elven lord had not joined the others instead he had climbed up the cliff a little way down and had decided to ambush Deollyn while he made his demands.

Deollyn struggled to grab the knife but Sîrfalas was too quick. The elf grabbed Deollyn and peered into his eyes. Then the elf spoke so quietly to Deollyn that not even the other lords standing further away could hear what he said.

Then the man - using his right leg - kicked out at the elf holding him, knocking the elf's feet from under him. Sîrfalas toppled to the ground releasing his hold on the man.

Deollyn tried to run past the elves but Elladan grabbed the fleeing man and held him dangling over the edge of the cliff.

"Don't!" Elrond said. "Elladan, put him down!"

"No! Not after what he's done to Estel and to us! He deserves death! I for one will not let him get away with it!"

"The townspeople will give him a trial. They will charge him. I do not want any part in this man's death. If you kill him we will be blamed the murderers of a man who simply wanted to know the truth. If you killed him, my son, you would be charged with the murder of Dilir. Do you really want that?" Elrond asked.

Elladan closed his eyes. He knew his father was right; he just wanted this man to pay for what he had done to Estel. No man deserved to live if they had taken a child's innocence from them.

Reluctantly Elladan stepped back from the path way and threw Deollyn to the ground. The man sprawled on the floor and Elrohir was upon him with Sîrfalas. The two elves tied the man's hands behind his back and searched him over for any hidden weapons that he may have concealed in his inner clothing.

Leaving Sîrfalas to guard him, the remaining elves - Elladan, Elrohir, Glorfindel and Elrond - went over to the trembling Estel, who lay curled up, crying into the ground.

Elrond laid a hand gently on the boy's shoulder, but Estel jerked away. "He's afraid of being touched." Elrond commented. "Estel. You are no longer in peril. Let your heart rest, let the pain trouble you no more."

Elrond now laid his hand on the boy's shoulder, Estel did not flinch, and drew him closer to him, so that he could comfort the boy. Then the elf-lord stood up careful not to jog Estel as he rose.

"Sîrfalas, Glorfindel, I want you to escort this fine gentlemen to the town. First see to Marihel's brother. We will go back to Rivendell."

The two elven-lords guided Deollyn up the path while Elrond and his sons followed the path downwards.

Elrohir glanced at the now sleeping Estel in his father's arms. "I hope nothing bad has destroyed his care-free nature."

"I hope not either. Only time will tell." Elrond said.



TBC



Just one more chapter to go!