Disclaimer: Do I look like Tolkien?
Chapter 19
The Fellowship assembled in a line and marched to the dining hall. They managed to look pretty casual. Legolas and Aragorn were in the lead, followed closely by Boromir, Gandalf, and Gimli. The hobbits skipped excitedly from behind.
Upon reaching the dining hall, the company saw that the servants were already beginning to seat the Lord of the city and his family.
"Ah, my friends!" Celebhen greeted kindly. "Come sit down."
Legolas was ushered to the end of the table, and was seated next to Maegluin. She gave him a cold smile which he half-heartedly returned. He was glad when Aragorn was seated next to him on the other side.
"My dear," Celebhen said to Maegluin. "Where are our daughters off to?"
"Here, Father." Came one voice, and Naurielle appeared from one of the corridors, followed closely by Gwelwielle and Nenielle. But Cefielle was no where to be seen.
Legolas and Aragorn exchanged worried glances as the rest of the Fellowship waited.
What if Celidur did something to her? To keep her from us? Legolas thought angrily. This ruins everything!
"Where is Cefielle?" Celebhen asked his other daughters. They shrugged.
"Last we saw, she was in her chamber." Gwelwielle answered.
Celebhen nodded and turned to one of the servants setting the table. "Go and fetch my daughter." He ordered. The servant bowed and then hurried off round a corner.
Celebhen turned back to his guests. "Let it be now that…" He began.
Suddenly there was a cry from close by, and then a sound only a skilled warrior could recognize. It was the sound of metal cutting flesh and bone.
All eyes turned in the direction of the sound, worried glances were exchanged. Legolas grabbed a knife off the table and prepared to use it if necessary. Aragorn saw this and did the same.
All eyes watched the corridor from which the cry was heard. And eyes widened in shock and terror when a pale head came rolling out from around the corner.
The daughters of Celebhen screamed, and Legolas and Aragorn stood up and pushed back their seats, readying themselves for whatever foe could come around the corner. There was nothing.
"He's playing with us." Legolas muttered under his breath. "Come out and fight, Celidur! I know that is what you've come here for!"
Celebhen whipped his head around in shock. "Celidur? Surely, Prince Legolas, you must be…"
That was when the creature that had beheaded the servant decided to show itself. It wasn't Celidur, but the Ringwraith.
The daughters of Celebhen screamed again, and the servants all began to panic. Even Maegluin herself became afraid and backed away.
The Wraith laughed, his hoarse, whispery voice filling everyone's ears. "Ssso…here we all are…" It hissed evilly, sniffing. "I don't like the scent of the air in here. So clean. But it will reek with the stench of death once I am through here!"
"Run!" Cried one of the servants, and most who were not frozen to the ground with fear did, sprinting for one of the doors. They were cut off however, when the Nazgul reached out an armored hand and hissed a spell, causing them to slam shut before anyone could escape. Only one door remained open, and they all made a dash for that one.
"No!" Aragorn cried. "Don't go through there!"
It was too late. The first of the elves ran through the doorway and was met at the neck by a sharp blade held in the hand of Celidur. He grinned as the head fell to the floor and he drove the sword through the body of another servant.
"I have waited so long for this!" He cried triumphantly as the dead body slid off his sword, streaking it bright red.
"Celidur!" Gasped Celebhen, shocked. "What is the meaning of this?"
Legolas saw Maegluin collapse on the ground behind him and heard her mutter something…so soft, even he could barely hear it.
"No…my son…don't do this…" She murmured, her pale, frightening eyes wide.
"Don't call me by that name!" Screamed Celidur at Celebhen, plunging the sword into the air in front of him. The remainder of the servants and guests either retreated to the farthest corners of the room or armed themselves with anything they could find…kitchen knifes…forks…anything.
"Celidur…" Celebhen began again, ignoring the other elf's warning.
"That's not my NAME!" The younger of the two again shouted, eyes burning with hatred. "You BASTARD! You should recognize the one you tried to kill!!"
The room went silent. That silence was cut through by the knife-like laugh of the Wraith, who was patiently stalking at the end of the room, enjoying the events that were unfolding.
"Celi…" Celebhen began again but then stopped himself, his mouth dry. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Yes you do you filth!" Celidur disagreed. "You remember the year when I was born…the year you finally learned that I wasn't your child…the year you sent for my death and then made it look like orcs had done it!"
Legolas and the others listened carefully. Celidur was screaming out things that made no sense whatsoever.
Celidur makes it sound like he thinks he's Celebhen's son…but his only son was killed…wasn't he? The elf's thoughts were cut short by an anguished scream that came from behind.
"Mithrendol!" It was Maegluin that had cried out. "Don't do this! Listen to your mother!"
Celebhen and all the others whipped their heads around and stared at the elven lady on the floor, weeping.
"M…mother?" Gwellwielle asked from a corner where she and her sisters's were cowering.
"Maegluin…" Celebhen breathed angerly. Legolas sensed that he knew his secrets were quickly being unraveled and he didn't like it. "Are you mad?"
"NO!" Came the reply. Maegluin stood up and rushed toward her husband. "For once in my long, miserable life I think that my mind is free of all madness, Celebhen! I never should have let you do it! I never…"
That was when Celebhen swiftly turned and backhanded his wife across the face, sending her sprawling across the floor again. There was a gasp in unison from the company surrounding them, and another laugh from the Ringwraith.
"Father!" Exclaimed one of Celebhen's daughters.
The angry elven lord turned back to Celidur, eyes blazing a silver fire. "So…you are Mithrendol. I suspected…"
"You suspected nothing." Celidur, who was now Mithrendol laughed. "You were as blind as a sheep with it's own wool pulled in front of it's eyes!"
The insult didn't seem to waver Celebhen. "How?"
Mithrendol nodded towards the Wraith at the opposite end of the room. "After your guards attacked me and left me for dead, he appeared an offered me a deal…a new life, a new identity…and the chance for revenge."
Celebhen's silver eyes twinkled in fear as the last word spoken. "If you dare try to harm me or mine…"
"You do not have a say in it!" Mithrendol interrupted. "You can't stop me."
The grin on Celidur's face grew wider. "Now…I'm going to do the one thing I've waited 3007 years to do."
The former servant let go of the hilt of his sword with one hand and reached down to his belt, where only now Legolas noticed a varied number of knives hung. Seeing what Mithrendol was about to do, he began to run forward, determined on putting himself in between the elven lord and the crazed traitor.
Mithrendol saw the elven prince's movements, and he anticipated what Legolas was trying to do. Fool. Grasping a knife from his belt, he drew it back in a lightening fast arch and threw it.
Legolas expected the weapon to be hurled at Celebhen…but instead, it came directly at him. He hadn't time to react.
The blade hit him and dug deep into the flesh of his shoulder, hitting him with such a force that it knocked him down.
"Legolas!" Cried Aragorn, who rushed to his friends side.
"Aragorn…protect the others…don't worry about me." Legolas hissed as he quickly brought up his opposite arm and painfully removed the knife from his shoulder. He didn't understand. He wasn't more than twenty feet from Mithrendol…any elf as old as he was should know how to aim when knife-throwing. Did he just have bad aim or did he spare him? Sitting up, he saw that Mithrendol was smiling cruelly at him.
"Idiot." He told him. "I haven't wanted to do that for 3007 years, but I have wanted to do it for the last few days." His tone became hard and cold. "The only reason your are still alive is because I need you that way. Now…" He again brandished his sword in both hands. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
The Wraith brought up it's sword also, and Aragorn quickly turned to protect Legolas, who was still sitting on the floor. The elven prince, however, was not one to be protected, and he stood up, injured as he was, but ready for a fight. The rest of the Fellowship also braced themselves as they faced their two foes.
Two…Legolas thought. Only two…we can beat one elf and one Nazgul easily! Two easily…
It was then that the doors that had been sealed shut by the Wraith's spell burst open with such a force that they hung from their hinges, and 8 more Ringwraiths appeared. There were more screams.
Mithrendol's lips formed a tight, thin smile. "Leave Celebhen and the Prince to me. Kill the rest."
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AN: Go ahead, kill me. Evil cliffies rock my world!