chapter 15
"Here," Elrohir said walking through the weak barriers of magic, "come, i know someone who will make sure we are safe, it is not far from here." He led them through the outskirts of the village until they came to a large house. "Taria?" Elrohir knocked, "Taria are you there? Adier? Tilo? Melá? Is anyone home?"
"Who..." Taria trailed off seeing the face of the elf that laid on the table...yet he was before her..."But your..."
"Taria please, can we come in?"
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I will explain later...but now my twin was brought into this village..."
"Twin? That would explain it...come this way." She led them into the main room where Elladan laid.
"What happened?" he demanded seeing his elder brother being bandaged.
"He was being flogged in the Square...I brought him here...but Arnen..." as if on cue the Lord's voice came from the door.
"Open up now Taria. I will not ask again." He demanded.
Estel's hand moved to his sword when a younger man stopped him.
"Don't," he muttered shaking his head as a dozen men moved into the room.
"Taria...I am sorry it had to come to this but you are all under arrest."
"On what grounds?" Adier demanded.
"Harbouring strangers...murderers...do you want a full list?" Arnen sneered. "Take them."
Estel drew his sword and attacked the intruding men, Legolas did the same, and between them they fought back the guards.
"Ro, get them out of here." Estel yelled.
"Stop." Arnen called, "everyone out, lock all the doors and guard the windows, make sure they do not escape."
"No," Estel murmured seeing Arden carrying a torch, he was going to burn the house down.
"Is there no other way out?" Legolas asked.
"No. there has never been a need for an escape route..." Adier told them, trying to break a wall down.
"On the floor." Tilo ordered, seeing the smoke seeping through the closed door.
"Dan," Elrohir smiled softly seeing his elder mirror image stir, "Welcome back brother."
"What's going on?" he asked, immediately trying to find his surroundings.
"Putting it bluntly, we are stuck in a burning building." Estel told him.
"Great. There is no way out?"
"If there was, don't you think we'd be heading for it?" Legolas snapped.
"Back off Legolas, being a wood Elf I'd have thought you would be prepared for fires...living directly in a forest and all."
"Will you two please stop, there will be time for this when we get out of here." Estel glared at them.
"The wood is weakening here," Elrohir said feeling the hot material. He started ramming the wall with a heavy object, but the wall was too strong still. He decided to charge at it. He met the wall with a loud crack.
"Not weak enough by the seem of it." Elladan muttered. "What about the windows?" he looked up to see them boarded up.
"We're going to have to run out."
"WHAT?" they all asked in unison.
"Well, we haven't got long left." He muttered as the Humans started coughing.
"Look," Elrohir pointed to a little hole in the bottom of the house where the fire started coming. "We have to get out that way, or we won't get out at all."
"Ladies first," Elladan said pushing them through the gap. "Go on, you three now." He said as the Humans crawled past him, "Ro, go on." A large part of the roof crashed down on them. "Get out of here." He ordered forcing the younger out of the room.
Elladan felt his breath leave him as he tried to crawl out of the hole, he remembered getting half way out before pain shot through his legs and all went dark.