Chapter 3

Ringing laugher filled the hallway as one blond Elf and one young dark haired half-Elf made their way to the last door on the left. Pausing at the carved door to catch his breath, Glorfindel took one look at Elrohir's annoyed face and started laughing again. Glorfindel had just learned what type of spell Elrohir had accidentally placed on Elladan.

Still laughing like mad, Glorfindel opened the door and stumbled through. Elrohir crossed his arms and tried not to pout as he followed. He had told Glorfindel that his father's private rooms were the one place he had not searched yet. Glorfindel leaned against the desk in the sitting room and tried to calm himself. Finally, pulling his leather practice jerkin into place, he was able to contain his mirth to mere chuckles and slide open the pocket doors to the bed chamber. "Elrond, you will not believe what your son just did!" called Glorfindel's cheerful voice.

The bed chamber was empty, an innocent breeze drifting through the open balcony and fluttering the four-poster bed curtains. Glorfindel walked to the door on the right side of the room and opened it. The bathing chamber was also empty, the sunken tub unused. "Elrond?" called Glorfindel as he walked to the balcony and leaned over the stone railing to check the small, private garden below. "Meleth?" Glorfindel quickly walked back through the bed chamber to check the sitting room more carefully. The lord of Imladris was absent.

Elrohir actually took a step back when the blond Elf suddenly growled low in his throat. "Glorfindel?" he asked cautiously. Glorfindel glanced at him swiftly and Elrohir froze as he saw the strange gleam in the other Elf's blue eyes.

Glorfindel suddenly headed toward the door, his steps heavy on the wooden floor. Elrohir flinched as Glorfindel threw open the door and exited into the hall. The twin followed as Glorfindel crossed the hall and threw open the door to Elrohir's room. Elrohir walked into his room to find Elladan and the book both gone. "Elladan?" he called, bemused.

"Where did you leave him?" demanded Glorfindel.

"In front of the desk," answered Elrohir. Glorfindel walked across the room and knelt carefully, blue eyes scanning the floor. "I left the book on the desk as well," added Elrohir.

Glorfindel slowly made his way to the balcony, his head cocked. "Elrohir, was Elladan also wearing boots?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," answered Elrohir, wondering what the blond Elf meant by that.

Glorfindel stood swiftly. "Someone else has been here. Someone wearing flat shoes and with a light step," he announced. "This does not bode well. Elrohir, do you know where Erestor is?"

Elrohir nodded, biting his lip. "In the Library."

The blond Elf turned on his heel and walked swiftly from the room. Elrohir hurried to follow, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Glorfindel took the stairs two at a time and entered the Library. Elrohir stopped several paces behind the blond as Glorfindel walked up to Erestor and leaned over his shoulder, whispering tensely into the adviser's ear. Erestor stilled all movement, listening intently. After a moment, the chief councilor glanced at Elrohir and stood. "We shall send out search parties immediately for both of them. It is possible that nothing serious has happened to Lord Elrond and Elladan."

"Possible but not likely," muttered Glorfindel darkly. Elrohir felt himself pale. What had he done?

Elrond's head hurt and his ears rang. He tried to move his hands to soothe the ache in his forehead but found he could not move his arms. The strange restriction forced Elrond to fully wake and he careful opened his sore eyes. The buttery yellow glow of candles lit the area and he found that he sat in a cave. His wrists were trapped above his head in chains and he sat on the dirt floor. He gently moved his legs, curling them against his side to ease the pressure along his back. He truly hated being hit on the head. It made for the most unpleasant waking.

His eyes skimmed the room, finding a carved doorway across from him and two tables on either side of the cave. The tables were piled with books, jars, and other clutter he could not make out. Standing next to one of the tables was Elladan. "Elladan!" exclaimed Elrond. This set off a small coughing fit and the half-Elf swallowed several times to wet his throat. Looking back up, he found that the elder twin had not moved, although no bonds held him. "Elladan, what is wrong?" Elrond asked. Elladan did not even turn his head to look at his father. "Elladan?" When no response was given again, Elrond knew that something was dreadfully wrong with his son.

Looking up at the cuffs around his wrists, Elrond scrutinized the locks. Pushing his back against the wall with a small groan of pain, getting hit on the head always made his neck and back sore, Elrond was able pull the silver clasp from his hair. Straightening the latch pin of the clasp, Elrond was able to insert the end into the lock of the other cuff. Feeling the cuffs bite into his skin, Elrond worked the clasp end around the lock, searching for the tell tale click that would signal the lock opening.

"Aw, trying to leave us so soon?" asked a female voice. Elrond froze and looked up, finding a woman standing in the doorway. She was of the same height as the female he had seen at the riverbank but Elrond could not be sure she was the same. This woman wore no cloak, showing the black silk tunic and wide skirt she wore. Pale blond hair fell down her back in curly waves but her skin was an unhealthy shade of grey. Her red lips were pulled back in a mocking smile.

"Demon," hissed Elrond, seeing her for what she was.

The woman's smile widened and she walked toward him. "Aye, I am a demon. Your people named me Inuraug in the First Age," she said proudly.

Elrond knew that name by the stories told when he was a child. A female demon that was under Morgoth's command and said to have slaughtered many in the Wars of Beleriand and Nirnaeth Arnoediad. "You should have ceased to be when your Master was tossed into the Void," hissed Elrond.

Inuraug stopped just out of kicking range from Elrond. "Oh, but I have a new Master now and I await his return most eagerly. When Sauron rises again, he will burn this world to ash," she said happily. Before Elrond could speak again, she rushed forward and cracked his head back against the wall. White-hot pain exploded in Elrond's head and he cried out, the hair clasp in his hand flying off somewhere. Inuraug then pressed her fingers into the corners of his jaw, forcing his mouth to remain open, and sealed her lips over his. Elrond thrashed and felt something cool trickle into his mouth, sliding over his tongue. He tried to spit it out but Inuraug pressed one arm across his throat and smacked his head against the wall again. Dazed, Elrond swallowed, choking slightly, and Inuraug jumped away before he could swing his foot around to kick her. Inuraug laughed merrily as Elrond coughed, feeling a cold chill spread through his limbs. "Oh, you are going to enjoy my gift so much! The best part is that is won't kill you but you'll wish it did," said the demon merrily.

Elrond coughed and pulled his legs up as pain began to stab at his stomach. Green dots danced before his eyes and Elrond felt his lungs begin to labor for breath. He jerked at his bonds as a spasm raced up his back, causing his to gasp in pain. He barely noticed Inuraug go to the doorway and gesture in three men. The demon was smiling widely as she spoke to them, "Remember, just don't kill him. I want to make his precious son do that."

Elrond felt someone grab his right foot and reacted by kicking out with his left. He hit soft flesh and heard a grunt of pain. Swiftly, a fist buried itself in his middle and his right foot was twisted cruelly. Gasping in pain as he hung limply from the chains, one of the men grabbed his legs and pulled them straight as another untied his robe. One of the men settled between Elrond's legs and the half-Elf began to weakly struggle, trying to pull his legs out of the man's grasp as he realized what was happening. "No," Elrond panted around the pain burning through his blood. One of the men laughed above him and smacked the half-Elf across the cheek.

Rough hands pulled off Elrond's leggings and pushed away his robe and tunic, unable to remove them completely because his arms were bound. The man kneeling between his legs grabbed his hips and lifted his ass. Elrond screamed in pain as the man penetrated him, tearing delicate flesh as he thrust his member into the half-Elf's body. Elrond yanked on the chains holding him and fought to breathe as the poison rushed through his body and laugher rang in his ears.

Elladan beat upon the walls holding in him, keeping him from controlling his body and will. [Let me out!] he screamed. Backing up, he took a running jump at the wall and kicked it. The wall gave slightly under the assault but then simply rebounded, tossing him to the ground. [Do not touch him you filth! Scum!] the elder twin wailed, tears falling down his face. His father's screams of pain echoed around his mind, Elladan unable to block the sounds or sights of his father's anguish. [You will die for this, demon! You will die!] yelled Elladan as Inuraug laughed as one man found completion in Elrond's unwilling body and another took his place. Elrond's cries and struggles became weaker as his bright silver grey eyes dimmed and glazed over. [Ada…] sobbed the twin. [Oh, Ada…]

In the cave, the body of Elladan let loose a single tear but did not move.

It did not take long to find someone that said they had seen both Lord Elrond and his son making their way down to the river or to find the dropped book and the footprints in the grass. "Ada?" called Elrohir. He cupped his hands around his mouth for greater volume. "Elladan?"

"Do not move," ordered Glorfindel harshly. Elrohir and the guards with them froze as the blond Elf knelt upon the ground. He peered closely at the footprints, running his fingers around the outlines. "Elladan stood here," announced Glorfindel. He moved slightly forward and examined the next set of footprints. "And Elrond stood here." Moving to the next set, Glorfindel grinned. "Here is the person that had been on your balcony, Elrohir. Don't move." Elrohir froze again as Glorfindel moved to a larger set of tracks. "More people. About five and all men from the depth of the prints. And a cart too." Glorfindel followed the wheel ruts of the cart, scanning the footprints along side it. "Elladan, the five men, and the one from the balcony all walked but Elrond did not." Looking grim, Glorfindel went back to Elladan and Elrond's footprints and scanned the ground again. Finally, he spotted the drops of dark red liquid on the grass. "Blood," muttered Glorfindel.

Elrohir frowned in worry. "Do you think it is Ada's blood?" he asked.

Glorfindel nodded. "I do. Which means that who ever was here was not a friend." Glorfindel moved along the prints again, running his fingers around the impressions and picking up a tan rocky powder. He rubbed it between his fingers and then tasted a small amount. "Sandstone," he identified it. Glorfindel's blue eyes lifted to the north, toward where the cart had traveled. "Tirith, where is there a great deal of sandstone to the north?" he inquired.

The guard thought for a moment, his hand resting lightly on his sword. "There is an old river that dried up a long time ago there. It left a wide valley of sandstone behind," Tirith answered.

"Caves?" asked Glorfindel.

"Yes, many."

Glorfindel stood, dusting off his hands and picking up the book they had found. "We need horses and reinforcements from the house. Our target is somewhere in those sandstone caves."

The searching Elves had to be extra careful as they walked on the sandstone for it was soft and crumpled easily. Falling rock pieces were a good way to alert an enemy to your presence. Glorfindel eased himself along a rock shelf and under an arch, hoping the formations would hold his weight. He peeked through a gap between the rocks but saw nothing in the darkness and he moved on. Other Elves crawled over the valley, peeking into gaps and holes in search of the firelight and sounds that would tell them someone was inside the cave.

A few feet below Glorfindel's position, Elrohir suddenly made a soft bird call. Glorfindel raised his head and looked down at the young Elf, watching his hand signals. After a moment, Glorfindel nodded and signaled he was coming down. The guards had found the cart. Easing himself down to the valley floor, Glorfindel met with Elrohir and Tirn, one of the guards, and was led to the small alcove of rock where they had found the cart.

Glorfindel looked over the cart and nodded grimly at find a small pool of blood on the cart floor. Tirith pointed down to some footprints in the loose soil and traced them up to a cave entrance not far away. Glorfindel smiled and signaled for the group of Elves to move forward. The Elves pulled out their weapons and moved like ghosts into the cave darkness.

The Elves were silent as they made their way through the tunnels. The smell of burning wood and people reached their sensitive noses and the soft echo of voices reached their ears before the Elves came upon a wide area filled with half a dozen men. Glorfindel signaled to the others and the Elves walked along the shadows of the walls to surround the group. At a silent signal, the Elves pounced and the men had no time to react or call alarm as the Elves efficiently and quietly slew each of them.

Glorfindel lifted one of the men and pressed a dagger to his throat. "The dark haired Elf you captured, where is he?" the blond Elf growled.

"Down the left passage," squeaked the human. Glorfindel rewarded him by slitting his throat cleanly. The Elves left the humans and traveled down the left passage as told. Lit torches along the walls and the vastly disturbed ground showed that the area was heavily used. They came across three more men and quickly overran them. Glorfindel winked his nose, smelling sex and blood on the three men, and continued down the tunnel. Soon they found a carved doorway with light slipping out of it and stopped. Glorfindel edged around the corner and peeked into the room. Elrohir and the other guards heard him release a tormented moan and disappear into the room. They followed him and gasped at what they found.

Elrond hung limply from the chains, blood dripping from the torn flesh of his wrists. Blood dripped down the left side of his head, seeping from some wound hidden by his hair, and a large bruise darkened his other cheek. His lips were swollen and bruised, the corners seeping blood where the thin tissue had broken. Elrond's stomach was bruised, the pale skin of his middle showing signs of repeated punches. Dark red handprints decorated his hips and blood and semen covered his thighs. The half-Elf was unconscious, his breathing shallow and body trembling.

Glorfindel made another painful sound in his chest and knelt by Elrond, pulling off his cloak and covering the other Elf. Glorfindel cupped his cheek gently and lifted his head. "Elrond, can you hear me? Meleth?" the blond Elf whispered. The damaged Elf before him did not answer his calls.

Elrohir knelt on the other side, one shaking hand reaching out toward his father but falling short. "Oh, Ada. I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly, tears running down his eyes.

"Don't say that. You are not to blame for this," said Glorfindel fiercely. He pulled a thin dagger from his belt and picked open the locks of the cuffs, gently lowering Elrond's arms. "Is your brother fine?" asked Glorfindel, tenderly gathering Elrond to him.

Elrohir wiped at his tears and stood, walking over to stand in front of his brother. Elladan gazed back in oblivion. "Brother?" asked Elrohir, knowing it was useless. The younger twin sighed and looked at the tables. "We need to find that book."

"You mean this one?" asked a female voice sweetly. The Elves turned to find Inuraug standing in the doorway, the book they sought in her hands and two dead Elves at her feet. The demon's eyes landed on Elrond in Glorfindel's arms and she frowned. "He is mine. Put him back," she ordered.

Glorfindel bared his teeth at her and snarled, "Over my dead body."

Inuraug shrugged a little and shifted the book in her hands. "As you wish. Elladan, kill him."

Elrohir yelped in surprise as his brother came to life, drawing a sword and leaping toward Glorfindel. Glorfindel side stepped him gracefully and turned on one heel. Shifting his weight, the blond Elf raised one foot and kicked Elladan in the back as he passed, sending the bespelled Elf to the floor. "Sorry, Elladan," muttered Glorfindel.

Inuraug smirked. "Elladan, kill them all," she said. Elladan rolled, swinging his sword at one of the Elven guards. The guard jumped away before the sword could touch him but did not strike back. Inuraug laughed and gestured over her shoulder. "Attack." More human guards poured into the room, clashing with the Elves. The ring of metal against metal soon filled the room along with Inuraug's laugher, any Elves that neared her found themselves faced with small fireballs throw at them.

"Elladan, stop!" cried Elrohir, as he dodged a human's attack and slashed at him.

Inuraug laughed at him and held up the gold accented book. "You'll need this to order him about, little Elf," she taunted.

Elrohir snarled mockingly, "As you wish." Turning swiftly, he flung a dagger at the demon. The blade struck true, sinking into Inuraug's shoulder. Crying out in pain, the demon dropped the book and yanked out the dagger. No blood poured forth but the dagger blade melted as if dipped in acid. Elrohir lunged for the book and rolled, snatching it up and rolling under the safety of one of the tables as Inuraug flung a fireball at him with a scream of rage. Elrohir clutched the book to his chest as he leapt from under the table and plunged his sword into a human guard. "Elladan, kill the humans and protect the Elves!" he cried.

Elladan reacted imminently, checking his sword swing at an Elven guard and attacking a human. He then blocked an attack at the back of another Elf, reacting to the second part of the command to protect the Elves. Elrohir made his way to stand at his brother's back. "I'm sorry, Elladan. This all my fault," the younger twin said. He got no answer from Elladan, as much as Elrohir wanted to hear his brother's voice forgiving him.

Inuraug growled, throwing a fireball that struck both Elf and human. "I will not be defeated!" she screamed.

"You were defeated a long time ago." Inuraug spun, her hand raised to release another fireball, when her head was separated from her shoulders. "Back to the Shadow where you belong," hissed Glorfindel. The black magic forming around the demon's hand disappeared and her body fell to the ground, her head rolling across the floor. Her face was trapped in a permanent snarl of hatred. The skin of her body began to crack and flake, shriveling over the bones. A horrible cry echoed through the cavern and a plume of black smoke drifted out of Inuraug's mouth, disappearing into the air. Her head then began to wither like her body, until the skull collapsed and turned to dust. Soon, all traces of her body were gone but a black stain on the ground.

Glorfindel sheathed his sword and hurried back to Elrond's side, gathering the unconscious half-Elf into his arms and standing. Elrond's head rolled against his lover's shoulder, marking his leather jerkin with blood. "Everything will be alright now, meleth," muttered Glorfindel, pressing a light kiss to Elrond's hair. The Elves had gained the upper hand as the humans now tried to flee. Allowing the other guards, who he had trained, to handle the last of the attack, Glorfindel slipped from the room and hurried back down the passage. He had to get Elrond back to Imladris for proper care.