Chapter Five
Moving was something that was rather a pain, now that he thought about it, even thinking was bother that did not at all seem worth his time.
Glorfindel watched as the men worked around him, their scarred gazing never leaving the chains around his hands and neck. The shackles upon his feet had been removed long ago and he was now sitting quietly as the men ate and slept.
He looked at the food, hunger biting at his stomach. Elves could go without food for days, but the fact that he had now been missing for days and had not been fed at all was starting to tear at him.
His emotions craved food to keep his body going and right now he felt as if he needed to sleep to fill the hole in his stomach, but he was even to hungry to sleep.
"You?!" he called to a little girl that was running by. He had seen her earlier, she was playing hide and seek with her friends and he knew that he might just scare her away, but he also knew that children loved to be able to help in any way.
His voice startled her and she turned with frightened eyes to the blonde elf. She watched him for a moment; suspicion eating at her..
"Y-yes?" she asked, edging forward.
Her father had told her that this elf was dangerous and she MUST stay away, but right now she was mad at her daddy and she would do anything to bug him.
"Is there some food that I could eat?" he watched as she looked at him, confused, but then nodded slowly. "Would you bring it here?" he asked hoping that this child was easy to charm.
The little girl looked at him, sheepishly kicking her foot into the dirt.
"Please?" he asked again, hoping that she would look up at him, something.
Without another word, the child ran off. Her face frightened only a faint memory as she ran away.
"Well, that went well." he moaned softly, readjusting himself with a groan.
He had been sitting the same way for three hours now, and although he was an elf he was still not the best at sitting completely still; it was not one of his specialties.
Sighing he watched the men move around the camp, they each looked at him once with terrified stares, he knew if he escaped once more that they would all be begging that he have mercy on them, but right now, that was not something that was going to happen so very easily, considering the fact that he was CHAINED to a tree.
'No! Not very good indeed.' he said inwardly, shuffling a bit as the scene before him grew increasingly boring.
He yawned and stretched his legs as best he could, moaning as they tightened and cramped. He turned his eyes skyward, a pleading look in his blue irises.
"Is this punishment Mandos?!" he cried up as the sky turned dark and a clap of thunder called across the plains. Grinning he chuckled at the sky. "Yes, you did always have a violent temper." Another rumble that seemed to shake the earth and then a bright flash of light. "Don't get mad at me..." he pleaded with the heavens. "I had to leave, you understand? I am not the feasting type, more of the "Go off and try to get myself killed" type."
"Are you going out of your mind elf?"
Surprised, Glorfindel turned his gaze towards the small form of Saroniel. His eyebrows raised in mild question.
"You shouldn't interrupt conversations, adan, it's not polite." The blonde elf informed quietly, a tinge of malice in his voice.
"Your an odd one Master Vanya, I'll give ya that." the man walked a bit closer and sat down on the ground before Glorfindel, making himself comfortable and taking a swig of the beer he had brought with him. He politely extended the bottle towards the elf. "Beer?"
Shuddering inwardly, Glorfindel scoffed at the drinking man. "No thank you. I do not drink- beer." he groaned at how much like a dwarf this man was, only caring bout his beer and prisoners.
Shrugging, Saroniel took another long drink then threw the bottle away and looked back to the elf before him.
Glorfindel noticed that the man's arm was still bandaged; he smiled smugly and leaned his head back against the tree, still grinning he fell into a deep sleep.
~_~
Limping lightly up the steps, Aragorn hissed a bit as his old leg injury flared up.
It had not been anything new, he had basically been in the wrong place at a VERY wrong time; hanging from a cliff with out-turned, broken branch stuck in his leg.
He had lost a lot of blood that day and Elladan and Elrohir had barely made it back in time, that was the day he had earned the right to know his heritage.
The reason he had been over the edge of the cliff was a small one; an elfling had been chased off by an orc, and Aragorn had jumped down to save the child, but he had, in the process, gotten wounded in the leg and still managed to hang onto the child.
"Shhh." He whispered to the crying little girl. "It's alright," he panted and grunted in pain as the branch dug farther into his leg. "I am not going to let go."
"I am sorry..." she whispered as blood dripped into her beautiful raven hair. "I am sorry, Estel."
"For what tithen pen? You have done nothing wrong." had he had one hand free, Aragorn would have wiped the blood so that it would not drip onto her and frighten her more, but he could not. "Just wait darling. 'Dan and 'Ro will be back soon, and with help."
Her snivels calmed and she nodded softly. "Are you alright?" she asked looking up at the branch that protruded into his leg and came out the other side, impaled.
Almost all his patience lost, Aragorn smiled as reassuringly as he possibly could.
"Just fine dear."
Just above, fair voices alerted the man that his brothers and hopefully many helpers had returned.
"Aragorn?!" He looked up to see his father looking at him sternly under deep set dark eyes.
Smiling sweetly he spoke, "Hello Ada, how are you this lovely-"
Glowering, the elf lord took two steps nearer his human son, his eyes boring into the young man like lasers.
"I thought I made it clear that you are not to get up today?!"
"But father, I-"
"NO!"
Stunned, the young man looked up to see his father's eyes burning bright with rage.
"You get back in your bed! You have only been well for four days Estel, and yesterday, with the party you were up far too long. You are limping and everyone can see it!"
Lowering his head, Aragorn nodded softly, continuing his way up to his room, but he was stopped by Elrond.
The elf lord, hunched under his boy's arm and helped him up the stairs, going at a slow enough pace so that his son could keep up.
"I'm sorry Ada, I told Gwathel I would take her on a picnic to see the river. I did not mean to make you angry? Goheno nin?"
Smiling, the elf lord nodded softly. "Of course I forgive you! I know, I did not mean to yell. I just hate to see you get hurt, please Estel, just stay in bed today. Tomorrow, I promise, you can go outside- but only if you stay in bed." Elrond lightly kicked the door to Aragorn's room open and ushered the twenty year old in.
He did not bother to close the door, instead he just brought his son to the bed and sat him down
Elrond began to check his son's leg, looking at the stitches to make sure none had burst or torn. He traced a gentle finger along the hole to make sure none were missing and no blood or body liquid had escaped.
"Ada?"
The worry in Estel's voice made him look up. "What is wrong ion nin?" he asked noting the fear in Aragorn's silver eyes.
"Any news of Glorfindel? He has been missing for another day."
Elrond sighed, rising from his spot he walked over to grab some ointment from the table, which he had kept in Estel's room since his injury. Grabbing up the bowl of ointment, he made his way back to his son.
"No, my son, no word of Glorfindel. I fear I am becoming worried as well."
"As am I." Elrond looked up and smiled at Adenen, who had just entered, carrying a plate full of food. "I am sorry to intrude milord. I brought the young edan lunch."
Aragorn smiled gently and nodded his thanks to the sienna haired elf. "Thank you Adenen."
"So what should be done?" Another voice entered the conversation, and Estel chuckled.
"Eru Legolas, can you not keep your pointed ears out of others conversations?"
The prince entered on light feet and shook his head. "No, my father said I always had a habit of eavesdropping."
"Aye, that you do mellon nin." Alede came up and placed a hand upon the prince's shoulder, her eyes were serious and a soft smiled showed that she had many things on her mind. "I seem to remember some such incidents-"
Sitting down near the bed, Legolas sighed. "No! We have other things that must be spoken of."
Linwen shrugged and took a seat upon Strider's maroon-quilted bed.
Kneeling next to his lord, Adenen looked at the elf lord with sorrowful eyes, and Elrond could not help but feel he knew what had happened.
"Have any of you found anything?" he asked looking to Legolas and Alede first.
Legolas lowered his head, and a look of dread came over the elf's pale face, it seemed that he had indeed found something.
"Ye." he answered slowly, gulping down the fear that engulfed him. "Linwen and I" he gestured towards the half-elf maiden, "We found a horse, it was dead, and from the look of the saddle and bridle, it was one of old Vanyar make." he said softly, the horse had been shot, but not with orc arrows, they were elven."
Elrond, surprised, only nodded his head as he slowly wrapped his human sons leg. "Adenen?"
The sienna haired elf gulped and looked up. his eyes teary and just as lamenting as the Mirkwood elf's.
"I found little, Master Elrond, but what I did find was rather devastating." he looked up, but could not keep eye contact. "A ditch, the tracks around it were not of good news. One horse, bearing the weight of a elf, I found a bit of Vanya hair along with these and horse blood, the horse was not a mile away from the ditch, it was Ada's."
"But where is he then?!" Aragorn asked, looking shocked. He had not known that they had conducted a search, he had not been told! Why had he not been told?! "Where is Glorfindel?!" He almost stood, but his leg would not hold his weight any longer and he fell back to the bed.
"I do not know? It seems he has not been murdered, for we would have found a body. But what puzzles me is who would want him? He hardly knows anyone. Especially not human's, he has been wary of them ever since-"
Adenen perked up a bit, his eyes widened. "You don't think_?" he could not even utter the words.
Standing, Elrond crossed to the balcony, stopping as the breeze whipped his dark hair. "That is impossible. Sarock has long been dead, no man could live that long. Could they?"
"I highly doubt it." Alede said, playing with her soft raven locks. "But what if he had help, like a wizard?"
Aragorn shook his head and leaned back against the pillows. "No, it requires quite a high price to get a wicked mage's help."
Legolas stroked his chin, a thin frown upon his lips and his brow furrowed in thought.
"Well, I think we should go after him, I care not if he had the help of some sorcerer, no elf, especially not Glorfindel, deserves what he is probably going through."
Elrond nodded but saw his son upon the bed and frowned. "But Estel is wounded-" he smiled. "And if you leave now, he will most likely follow. No doubt, I have been able to catalog seventeen years of his life and I know enough to know that Aragorn WILL NOT stay here while you go and search for Glorfindel."
Aragorn chuckled. "You bet I won't!"
Becoming increasingly worried, Adenen stepped forward. "Then what?! I will not leave Ada alone and against such men! I have seen what they can do once, I know that they can do it again! You remember Elrond! How long it took to actually get him to speak to us, to even get him to eat, no elf or man can go through the same thing twice!"
The lord of Imladris nodded in agreement, he knew what it had taken to get the Vanya back, it had taken more than he had known, eventually, the elf had come back to himself. But Elrond knew he had still not been the same.
"I do remember, the memories I keep have not yet left and I know that they never will. But this is not just about your father, this is about you all. If you just run off, you may all be killed, and I would never know. Eru, I can not go through that!"
The fierceness in his father's voice scared Aragorn, he knew what he was speaking of. He knew well that his father still had nightmares about Celebrian.
Estel started thinking, his mind inwardly cowering away from the thoughts that came, but he knew it was the only way.
"What if I leave after they do? A few days later, that will give me enough time to heal and regain what strength I will have lost, and that way I will not be expected." he said softly, hating the thought, not at all wanting to be left behind. But he knew there would be no other way.
Elrond seemed to be in thought for a moment, his smiled brightened and he spread his hands in an outward gesture. "What think the rest of you?"
Adenen sighed. He did not want to leave his friend behind, but he wanted to find his father more. He nodded softly. "Alright."
Legolas and Alede clasped hands and smiled. "We will if Estel agrees?"
"Was this not my idea? Of course I agree!" the man laughed softly and repositioned himself, groaning as stress was put on his injured leg.
Elrond smiled brilliantly. "Then you all must prepare, you have a long journey ahead of you, I feel." He moved forward and put some extra pillows beneath his son's leg and spread a soft quilt over the man. "Rest, my son." he whispered as he stepped away.
Without another word, Adenen left the room, a frown gracing his face.
Legolas, bent down and hugged the young man on the bed, Aragorn gasped and hugged the prince back.
"Silo Anor bo men lin, mellon nin." Aragorn said, tears prickling his eyes.
"Gîl síla erin lû e-govaded vín!" Legolas replied, patting his friend. He then rose up and gave his friend one last sorrowful look, then left, barely looking back.
TBC~
So, now they are about to be off!!!! MUSH!!! MUSH!!!!!
Anyway, my mouth hurts like-a bunch of mad dwarfs from "Where Once Was Light" have come and are trying to find Mithril, which they have only found braces.
Anyway, I should be getting my fics a beta, I know. But I do not have one as of yet, if you would like to be my beta, I would be much abliged!!!
WAhah!!! I am going absolutely mad, I can not wait till Cassia and Sio put up "Siege of Dread"!! I am totally going crazy!!!!!! Anyway, so the next chapter should be here soon!!!
~Elvish~
Ada - Dad/daddy/father
Gwathel - Sister
Goheno nin? - Forgive me?
Vanya - The first elves of Middle-Earth
Mandos - The keeper of the Halls of Mandos
Ion nin - My son
Edan - Human (Numenorean)
Eru - the God that rules over all
Mellon nin - My friend
Ye - Yes
Silo Anor bo men lin, mellon nin. - May the son shine upon your path, my friend.
Gîl síla erin lû e-govaded vín! - (Something like) I look forward to the time when we meet again!
Ok, sorry about the last one, I hope it is correct enough, someone was on the phone and I could not go online to get the translation. :) Anyway, hope you liked this R&R!!!!!!!
Now! Onto the replies and discussions section!!!!
WOW! You were are only reviewer Ranwen! Congrats! And depends on what you call a 'lego-mance'. This story will not be all about Legolas and Linwen, it is more about Glorfindel and Adenen, definitely. Linwen and Legolas should not kiss too much. I will not let them. Glorfindel is the main character here, and his romance life is over. And look, I put an elvish translation place for you!!! :) Well not just for you, but you know. Oh man! I know, that bugs me SOOOOOOOOO BAD! Authors that never update are one of my personal pet peeves!! Hate it!!! Hope you liked this, should be more on the way including the trio's departure , Glorfie's worst day ever and Aragorn gets a visit. :)
Hope you all liked it!!! Please R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!