AN: I apologize in advance for this chapter. I wrote it on the train and had to keep stopping because I was crying and the French people were looking at me funny.
* * * * * *
~Vengeance~
"My lord!" came a shout in the night. "My Lord Elrond, they have returned and you are needed!"
Glorfindel was amazed at the speed with which Elrond moved. One moment, the Elven-lord was slumped, defeated in the hay, and the next he had risen, gained some measure of lordliness, and on his face their dawned a new hope. The two lords were met at the stable door by the elf who had called out. A quick, unobtrusive gesture from Glorfindel made the messenger remain silent, and he turned and led the way to one of the healing halls.
If there had not been such an audience, Glorfindel was
certain that Lord Elrond would have cried out, flown to his wife's side and
wept. Instead, Elrond strode into the room with a look of purposeful
authority on his face. He completely disregarded his sons, and began to issue
orders to the Healers. As soon as all of his instruments were gathered,
Elrond addressed the room at large.
"Lord Glorfindel, if you would remain." He sounded painfully objective. "The
rest of you will leave us. Fallain, if you would stand in the corridor in
case we have need of a messenger?"
There were nods from almost all corners, and Elladan managed to stifle his brother's protest with a gesture. The room quickly emptied.
Glorfindel, who had some idea of what Elrond intended to do, placed his hands on either side of Celebrían's cold, pale face and muttered soothingly. Celebrían's breathing, which had been rapid and shallow, slowed and became more normally paced.
Lord Elrond looked down and took a deep breath. He reached for his sharpest knife, set his face, and turned to face his belovèd lady.
* * * * *
Elladan may have been able to silence his bother in the sick room, but nothing could be done to make him cease his incessant pacing. It had been almost two hours, and the door had not opened. Elladan had used the time to send a company of elves to bring home their slaughtered kin and deal with the glade. Fallain had been completely idle, save moving to fetch chairs and food in case Elrond or Glorfindel need it. And Elrohir had paced.
"What are they doing?" burst out Elrohir, finally dropping into a chair.
"Can you not feel it, toron nin?" said Elladan a bit more sharply than he had intended. "Glorfindel keeps Amm at peace while Ada seeks the poison in her body and draws it out."
The door opened, and all three in the corridor leapt to their feet. Lords Glorfindel and Elrond looked tired, but the latter looked relieved and the former cautiously hopeful.
"My sons," Lord Elrond began. Then words failed him, and he took them in his arms as he had not done in centuries.
"Elladan," Glorfindel broke in tactfully after a few moments, "what happened?"
Elladan related the tale and if he saw his father's anguish about the sights he and his brother had seen that day, his voice did not tell it. "And we sent a party to the glade, to - - -" Elladan hesitated, and then decided the tale was told. "How is Amm?"
"She is sleeping comfortably. You may go in."
The twins nodded to their father and Lord Glorfindel, and went into the room. Elrond watched them draw chairs up on both sides of their mother's bed and each take one of her hands. Unconsciously, they both reached out with their minds and Elrond knew that this was the best therapy he could devise.
* * * * *
The sky was lit with the pale predawn light, and the brightest of the stars was at last fading. Elrond was feeling almost refreshed when Glorfindel broke the long night's silence.
"You did not purge it all."
"I know. But I got enough."
"You cannot know that for certain, mellon nin. We will only know when she wakes and begins to move about again."
"It was enough."
"My lord, if it was not, and she begins to fade, she must pass. You know this."
Elrond made no answer for a long while.
"It will be enough."
* * * * *
As the sun rose, Elladan and Elrohir were relieved by Eril, a Healer almost as proficient as Elrond himself. They walked towards their mother's garden, where they knew there father would have spent the night.
"I want to track the orcs," Elrohir said.
"Ada will never allow it," Elladan pointed out. "He will tell us that it will do no good."
"And he will be right." There was something in Elrohir's eyes that Elladan did not recognize. "But I would ride out nonetheless."
"Then we do not ask him," Elladan said.
Elrohir nodded in understanding, and the two of them strode into the garden.
"Good morning, my sons." Elrond greeted them.
"Good morning, Ada," Elladan said. "Elrohir and I have decided to go hunting today."
Glorfindel smelled trouble but held his silence.
"A welcome distraction. Tell me, what quarry will you seek?"
"The very foulest, Ada."
Elrond's face darkened. "No."
"We did not seek you permission, Ada," Elrohir said.
"My sons, you are not hunters of orc. The game you seek does not fight back; the orcs will. You are not able."
"As we were not able to track Amm yesterday?" said Elladan, hating himself for what he was about to do. "What if we had stayed here? What happened to the famed long sight of Elrond of Rivendell? Would you have been able to save her if the hour had been later?"
Elrond drew himself up, his eyes blazing. Glorfindel noted with some surprise that neither brother quailed.
"My sons," his voice was dreadful, "do not mock me. You have never known loss. I try to maintain that. But I cannot stop you forever. Hunt then. Hunt whatever you will."
And he left his lady's garden.
"You play a dangerous game, elflings," Glorfindel said quietly. "And neither one of you is proficient enough with a knife to take on a band of orcs."
"Then you will have to come with us, my lord." Elladan suggested.
"Very well. But I will aid you only in battle. If your tracking goes awry, there will be no help from me."
They rode out together. From Celebrían's window, Elrond watched them go, and his heart lightened to know that his Protector rode with his sons. He prayed to the Valar to bring them all safely home.
* * * * *
Glorfindel was amazed at the ease and speed with which the twins tracked the orcs. It appeared to him that their bond gave them greater range and strength than their father. Soon they had located the valley where the orcs were encamped, and Glorfindel stepped in to help.
"Can you think, elflings, how this might best be done?" He addressed them as children, but used an adult's tone.
"We should leave the horses and circle the valley on foot," Elrohir suggested.
"And then fire from all three sides at once," Elladan said. They truly were of one mind. "They will not know which way to charge, and regardless of which way they choose, they leave their flank exposed."
What times are these, that our children become the tacticians we used to be? Glorfindel wondered, but all he said was "Well thought out. What shall we use for a signal?"
"We do not need one, my lord," Elrohir replied. "Elladan and I can shoot at the same time without the help of birdcalls, and it matters not if the third shot arrives a few seconds after the first two."
"Very well, then," Glorfindel agreed. "Go separate ways from here and place yourself one third of the way around the valley."
The twins nodded and set off. Below in the camp, the orcs were butchering two large stags and squabbling over the meat. Even the sentries were involved. Glorfindel very quickly made a small fire, knowing that the attack would begin long before any of the bickering orcs noticed the smoke.
His keen elf ears heard two arrows cut through the air, but he needed no help at all hearing the orkish outcry. He lit his arrow on fire and began shooting at the tents.
In the camp, Elladan noted with some pride, there was general mayhem. He had taken care to fire first at the orc he thought to be in charge. Judging from the reaction, he had been correct in his assessment. It was some time before the second-in-command could organize a retaliation, and the elves were able to shoot many volleys.
But a counterattack did come. With a fierce, guttural cry, the orcs charged up the hill, directly towards Elrohir's position.
With a cry, Elladan was off down the hill to aid his twin. He fired arrows as he ran, his Elvish heritage of keen eyesight and grace aiding his aim. He heard the clang of steel and knew that his brother had engaged the orcs. Only ten of them had survived to make the charge, but Elladan knew that Elrohir could not face them all. In growing fear, Elladan reached out to find his brother as he began to climb the hill. To his intense distress, he could not!
And suddenly, he understood.
This is why Ada could not find her, Elladan thought. This is why he did not come. He was so utterly panicked that he could not find that which he held most dear. I cannot feel him. For the first time in my life, I do not know exactly where he is.
And then Elladan and Glorfindel burst into the clearing together. Elrohir's knife flew through the air almost too quickly to see, and three orcs lay dead at his feet. Just as he dispatched a fourth one, Elladan and Glorfindel fell upon the flanks and battled the others. Within moments, it was over. The three stood breathing hard, and the orcs lay dead upon the ground.
"Come my lords," Glorfindel said. "We will burn this carrion, and then ride for home."
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AN: I need a hug! Also for reasons that I cannot figure out, but am willing to chalk up under "ff.net", the e and accent have been taken off the end of Amme.