Elladan and Elrohir watched as Calaen's now quite small army had their
hands bound behind their backs by the Mirkwood and Rivendell patrols. Some
had died in the attack, but the shots were not intended to be killing ones.
"Do you think I did the right thing by ordering them to hold?" asked Elrohir anxiously, worry clouding his eyes.
"You let your heart get the better of you," replied Elladan. "But I understand why. You did not want to be burdened with the guilt, am I right? They all would have died if not for you."
"Yes, but now all of them are wounded; some may not even be able to fight again. I know that they have all done evil things, but I cannot help thinking that there is always some good in everyone, no matter what..." Elrohir broke off and shook his head.
Elladan laughed softly. "I understand what you mean. Look, we have them now, and they are going to find it hard to escape. Rest assured that justice will be dealt."
"Yes, I suppose you are right as usual," sighed Elrohir. He paused then, and glanced sideways at his brother. "How is your shoulder? There was an awful lot of blood. You could have died if that Elf had done anything else to you."
"Do I get the impression you are slightly saddened by the fact that I still live?" asked Elladan, feigning hurt.
"Stop being stupid. I am just trying to make you realize that if Thranduil had been any later, then you may not be here now," said Elrohir, all humour now gone from his eyes. "It is touching that you were willing to sacrifice your own life for all of us, but you didn't really think it through. If that Elf had gone any further, I can't imagine him being content with just taking your life. He would kill you, then more than likely come after us."
"No, he-
"Alright, say that they killed you and left it at that," went on Elrohir. "What about Estel and I? What about Adar? You would be leaving us. Did you not think about what pain would be caused?"
"Yes, I-
"And what about our promise?" asked Elrohir in a low voice, putting one hand on his brother's un-injured shoulder. "The very second you decided to give your own life, that promise was forsaken."
Elladan looked down at the ground, angry with himself for making Elrohir feel that way. "I'm sorry, really I am. You are right, I wasn't thinking, and that was incredibly foolish of me. But it is alright. I'm not seriously hurt."
"But you could've been," said Elrohir quietly.
"It's all over now. All they have to do is find Legolas and..." Elladan trailed off as a dark haired Elf was pulled through the trees and into the clearing. "Calaen, I was going to say, but I see they've already got him."
Elrohir whirled around, and as he watched, his narrowed to mere slits. "That scum. He hasn't changed at all, has he? But look, he is scared now. I wonder how he will be able to worm his way out of this one."
"I think he will find it slightly hard to do so," said Elladan. "He will get all that he deserves, I am sure of it."
"I hope so. If he doesn't, then you and I will be going after him," said Elrohir.
As they walked through the town, Elladan shot his twin a sideways glance. "I don't suppose I'm going to have much say in the matter, am I? Oh well. Look, you can tell him exactly what you think of him, if you wish."
Calaen had been forced down to his knees, and was surrounded by fifteen Mirkwood soldiers, all of whom had arrows notched, pointing dangerously at him. His green eyes were flashing furiously, and his face was darkened with immense rage.
"So, you are back," said Elrohir icily, coming to a halt in front of Calaen.
"I never left," snarled the captive. "Thranduil made a mistake in ordering me to leave Mirkwood. He was a fool. He should've known that I would never let it rest. And now, here I am. It is like history repeating itself."
"Yes, it is really," agreed Elrohir. "You capture an innocent person; you torture them both physically and emotionally; and then you get caught. I'm afraid this won't have as happy an ending for you as the last time though."
Calaen hissed and glared at Elrohir for a brief moment, before snapping his eyes up to Elladan. "If it were not for you and your damned visions, then none of this would've happened. I should've killed you a long time ago."
"But you didn't, and you have only yourself to blame for that," replied Elladan, entirely unfazed by the comment thrown to him. "I'm surprised you didn't think of me before. Not the most intelligent thing you have ever done...or not done. You were so caught up in your twisted little plans that you forgot to make sure that everything had been thought of."
"This isn't the end," said Calaen in a low voice. "They can never get rid of me. They tried last time, but failed, and they will do so again now."
Elladan arched an eyebrow. "Indeed? I'm not so sure about that. But we can sort this problem out now. Look who is coming."
As Calaen glanced around, his face paled, but he showed no other visible signs of distress. King Thranduil was striding through the trees, followed by Gandalf and Aragorn. A little way behind them was Aradan, and he was working hard to make sure that he remained unseen.
As Thranduil stopped in front of Calaen, Elladan and Elrohir stepped backwards, and the soldiers also moved away, though they kept their weapons drawn. Malicious green eyes met cold blue ones, and all present could sense the animosity flying between the two.
"I could kill you right now," said the Elven-king quietly. "And if I tried, what would you be able to do? Nothing, because you are in the same position as others have previously been."
"Yes, but I do not believe you will kill me," replied Calaen. "After all, you raised me, cared for me, and loved me as one of your own. You called me your son, even though you knew otherwise. What has changed? Surely you-?"
Without warning, Thranduil backhanded the dark haired Elf. "You are no son of mine, and you are very much mistaken if you think I cannot kill you whenever I desire. There is a chance that Legolas could die, but you don't care about that. Why should I care about you?"
"If I hadn't been caught then I would care about him," laughed Calaen. "Without him, I would be hard put to move my plans into action. Now though, there is no reason to care. If he should die, then that is fine."
"You do not deserve life," hissed Thranduil.
"Well, it is all thanks to you that I have one. You could have killed me even before I was born, but you did not take the chance," said Calaen, his eyes flashing furiously. "Just think...you could've prevented this."
Hidden behind Gandalf and Aragorn, Aradan shifted slightly. This was something he had never heard of before, and as he moved, he came into Calaen's sight. The captive's face darkened in anger, and he made to push himself off the ground. The soldiers immediately stepped forwards, pulling their bowstrings menacingly.
"You," snarled Calaen. "You betrayed me, after all that I have ever done for you. Well, I don't need to worry about that, for you shall pay, I will make sure of it."
Aradan lowered his eyes to the ground, and slowly shook his head. "You cannot hurt me any more. After years of living a life of terror, pain and fear, a life that I despised, I am finally free."
"Ah, this is what you say now," sneered Calaen. "Just you wait. I will find you again."
Thranduil nodded to some guards standing nearby. "Take him, and make sure he does not escape. There are a few things I must do here, but I will ride for Rivendell in an hour with Mithrandir."
Boromir, who had remained quiet since leaving the Hobbits, suddenly pushed through the gathered Elves. "Wait just one minute. Are you letting him get away with his life? You said he does not deserve to live, so why...?"
"I must talk with Elrond and Mithrandir when I reach Imladris," explained Thranduil. "The rest of you will stay here until tomorrow, whilst the wounded are tended to."
"Excuse me," came a sudden gruff voice. "I have become quite firm friends with your son, and I should very much like to see him. If you would allow me to...ride with you, then I would be very grateful, very grateful indeed."
Thranduil looked down, and his eyes narrowed upon realizing he had been addressed by a Dwarf. "You have become friends with Legolas? Fair enough. You can ride with me if you must. Estel, I trust you would also like to return to Imladris sooner rather than later."
"And us," put in the twins, whilst Aragorn respectfully inclined his head.
"I should also like to journey with you," said Boromir.
"As would I," said Aradan quietly.
"I told you to take him away!" snapped Thranduil, gesturing to Calaen, who was impatiently watching the conversation. The guards nodded curtly, and pulled him to the other side of the town. Thranduil meanwhile, shook his head slightly, and look around at those gathered around him. "How many of you wish to come then?"
"There will be ten travelling with us, if you count the Hobbits," replied Gandalf.
Thranduil made a noise of impatience, and shook his head once more. "Fine. Right, I need twenty soldiers to go down into the caves and look around, for there may be more prisoners locked away somewhere; twenty to go around and reassure any worried townspeople; another twenty to start work on healing any wounded; and the rest of you to...clear up around here."
At this, everyone winced, for the ground was littered with dead bodies, and there were many broken blades or spent arrows which needed collecting. All the soldiers hurried off to carry out the orders, but Thranduil had not finished giving commands.
"Elladan, go and clean yourself up, you are bleeding again," continued the Elven-king. "Find a healer who has some competence. Elrohir, go with him and watch very carefully. I don't know what you did, but you certainly did not do a very good job of bandaging your brother's shoulder. Mithrandir, did you say you wished to go back down into the caves? You can go now if you want, but take Estel with you. Boromir, you can go and find the Halflings, and Aradan, please stay away from Calaen. Understand?"
"You are very worried about Legolas, aren't you?" asked Gandalf, as the various people set off to do as they were bid.
"More than you can imagine," muttered Thranduil.
The Wizard shot him a sympathetic glance, before turning and going into the woods with Aragorn. Boromir went off in the other direction, whilst Aradan sat down sadly on a fallen log. On the far side of the town, Elladan was gently teasing Elrohir about being incapable of bandaging a wound.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," said Gimli quietly. "You have given orders to everyone but me. Is there anything I can do?"
"If you can turn back time, then that would be a great help," said Thranduil, glancing coldly across at Calaen. When he next spoke, his voice was full of sadness. "I don't know where I went wrong. I don't know what I did wrong. I mean, Airëlus and Legolas were treated no differently than him, but they did not..."
Gimli shifted uncomfortably as the King trailed off and helplessly shook his head. It was no big secret that Dwarves had always been at odds with Elves, yet there two of them stood, having a calm conversation. Thranduil however, seemed to suddenly realize who he was speaking with, for he narrowed his eyes, and a look of dislike cross his face.
"I cannot stand here and talk any longer," he said shortly. "If you truly wish to ride to Rivendell a day early, then make sure you are ready in an hour. If you are not, we will leave without you."
The Dwarf watched as the Elf turned and strode away to talk with some soldiers. Gimli was surprised at the emotional way in which Thranduil had spoken of his children, for he had always been told that the Elven-king of Mirkwood was far from caring.
"Well, it just goes to show that to believe something, you must experience it," muttered Gimli.
............................................................................................................
Inu Lover: Well done for your Spanish! I have some exams on Monday in that subject. I can't wait. Not.
Legolas-gurl888: Hiya. Everything is being cancelled! You know I said that I had a dental appointment this evening? Well, me and my friends had to cancel going to see Troy again cos of this appointment, but now that has also been cancelled. Ugh, how annoying!
eleanor rigbey: Yeah, I saw ROTK 3 times also. I'll probably see Troy about 3 or 4 times. I saw TTT 7 times when it was in the theatre! By the way, my friend thinks that you are from Manchester. Are you?
Mellaithwen: That is true, if it was Airëlus, then Thranduil would know. But then, none of you guys have seen any chapters with this stranger who turned up at Mirkwood a while back. By the way, I'm not saying it is Airëlus. Glad you like it though!
Rachel13: Oh come on, even I feel sorry for Calaen now. I can't believe you put him through so much torture! Then, I guess he does kinda deserve it. Those songs were funny, and really made me laugh! Can you imagine being married to a crayon?
Galadriel1010: Yeah, it was very hard for him when he was growing up, cos he lost his mother and found out that his father actually wasn't his father, so yeah, I think that he could have been a better guy. But after this story, I'm doing a prequel to 'A Brother's Jealousy'. I'm doing it in the wrong order, I know, but it will give everyone a different opinion of Calaen. But that's all I'm saying!
Sorry it took so long to be updated, I've just been having a few problems, and I have to try and sort my life out, which is really hard to do at the moment. The next chapter will be up on Sunday. Misto
"Do you think I did the right thing by ordering them to hold?" asked Elrohir anxiously, worry clouding his eyes.
"You let your heart get the better of you," replied Elladan. "But I understand why. You did not want to be burdened with the guilt, am I right? They all would have died if not for you."
"Yes, but now all of them are wounded; some may not even be able to fight again. I know that they have all done evil things, but I cannot help thinking that there is always some good in everyone, no matter what..." Elrohir broke off and shook his head.
Elladan laughed softly. "I understand what you mean. Look, we have them now, and they are going to find it hard to escape. Rest assured that justice will be dealt."
"Yes, I suppose you are right as usual," sighed Elrohir. He paused then, and glanced sideways at his brother. "How is your shoulder? There was an awful lot of blood. You could have died if that Elf had done anything else to you."
"Do I get the impression you are slightly saddened by the fact that I still live?" asked Elladan, feigning hurt.
"Stop being stupid. I am just trying to make you realize that if Thranduil had been any later, then you may not be here now," said Elrohir, all humour now gone from his eyes. "It is touching that you were willing to sacrifice your own life for all of us, but you didn't really think it through. If that Elf had gone any further, I can't imagine him being content with just taking your life. He would kill you, then more than likely come after us."
"No, he-
"Alright, say that they killed you and left it at that," went on Elrohir. "What about Estel and I? What about Adar? You would be leaving us. Did you not think about what pain would be caused?"
"Yes, I-
"And what about our promise?" asked Elrohir in a low voice, putting one hand on his brother's un-injured shoulder. "The very second you decided to give your own life, that promise was forsaken."
Elladan looked down at the ground, angry with himself for making Elrohir feel that way. "I'm sorry, really I am. You are right, I wasn't thinking, and that was incredibly foolish of me. But it is alright. I'm not seriously hurt."
"But you could've been," said Elrohir quietly.
"It's all over now. All they have to do is find Legolas and..." Elladan trailed off as a dark haired Elf was pulled through the trees and into the clearing. "Calaen, I was going to say, but I see they've already got him."
Elrohir whirled around, and as he watched, his narrowed to mere slits. "That scum. He hasn't changed at all, has he? But look, he is scared now. I wonder how he will be able to worm his way out of this one."
"I think he will find it slightly hard to do so," said Elladan. "He will get all that he deserves, I am sure of it."
"I hope so. If he doesn't, then you and I will be going after him," said Elrohir.
As they walked through the town, Elladan shot his twin a sideways glance. "I don't suppose I'm going to have much say in the matter, am I? Oh well. Look, you can tell him exactly what you think of him, if you wish."
Calaen had been forced down to his knees, and was surrounded by fifteen Mirkwood soldiers, all of whom had arrows notched, pointing dangerously at him. His green eyes were flashing furiously, and his face was darkened with immense rage.
"So, you are back," said Elrohir icily, coming to a halt in front of Calaen.
"I never left," snarled the captive. "Thranduil made a mistake in ordering me to leave Mirkwood. He was a fool. He should've known that I would never let it rest. And now, here I am. It is like history repeating itself."
"Yes, it is really," agreed Elrohir. "You capture an innocent person; you torture them both physically and emotionally; and then you get caught. I'm afraid this won't have as happy an ending for you as the last time though."
Calaen hissed and glared at Elrohir for a brief moment, before snapping his eyes up to Elladan. "If it were not for you and your damned visions, then none of this would've happened. I should've killed you a long time ago."
"But you didn't, and you have only yourself to blame for that," replied Elladan, entirely unfazed by the comment thrown to him. "I'm surprised you didn't think of me before. Not the most intelligent thing you have ever done...or not done. You were so caught up in your twisted little plans that you forgot to make sure that everything had been thought of."
"This isn't the end," said Calaen in a low voice. "They can never get rid of me. They tried last time, but failed, and they will do so again now."
Elladan arched an eyebrow. "Indeed? I'm not so sure about that. But we can sort this problem out now. Look who is coming."
As Calaen glanced around, his face paled, but he showed no other visible signs of distress. King Thranduil was striding through the trees, followed by Gandalf and Aragorn. A little way behind them was Aradan, and he was working hard to make sure that he remained unseen.
As Thranduil stopped in front of Calaen, Elladan and Elrohir stepped backwards, and the soldiers also moved away, though they kept their weapons drawn. Malicious green eyes met cold blue ones, and all present could sense the animosity flying between the two.
"I could kill you right now," said the Elven-king quietly. "And if I tried, what would you be able to do? Nothing, because you are in the same position as others have previously been."
"Yes, but I do not believe you will kill me," replied Calaen. "After all, you raised me, cared for me, and loved me as one of your own. You called me your son, even though you knew otherwise. What has changed? Surely you-?"
Without warning, Thranduil backhanded the dark haired Elf. "You are no son of mine, and you are very much mistaken if you think I cannot kill you whenever I desire. There is a chance that Legolas could die, but you don't care about that. Why should I care about you?"
"If I hadn't been caught then I would care about him," laughed Calaen. "Without him, I would be hard put to move my plans into action. Now though, there is no reason to care. If he should die, then that is fine."
"You do not deserve life," hissed Thranduil.
"Well, it is all thanks to you that I have one. You could have killed me even before I was born, but you did not take the chance," said Calaen, his eyes flashing furiously. "Just think...you could've prevented this."
Hidden behind Gandalf and Aragorn, Aradan shifted slightly. This was something he had never heard of before, and as he moved, he came into Calaen's sight. The captive's face darkened in anger, and he made to push himself off the ground. The soldiers immediately stepped forwards, pulling their bowstrings menacingly.
"You," snarled Calaen. "You betrayed me, after all that I have ever done for you. Well, I don't need to worry about that, for you shall pay, I will make sure of it."
Aradan lowered his eyes to the ground, and slowly shook his head. "You cannot hurt me any more. After years of living a life of terror, pain and fear, a life that I despised, I am finally free."
"Ah, this is what you say now," sneered Calaen. "Just you wait. I will find you again."
Thranduil nodded to some guards standing nearby. "Take him, and make sure he does not escape. There are a few things I must do here, but I will ride for Rivendell in an hour with Mithrandir."
Boromir, who had remained quiet since leaving the Hobbits, suddenly pushed through the gathered Elves. "Wait just one minute. Are you letting him get away with his life? You said he does not deserve to live, so why...?"
"I must talk with Elrond and Mithrandir when I reach Imladris," explained Thranduil. "The rest of you will stay here until tomorrow, whilst the wounded are tended to."
"Excuse me," came a sudden gruff voice. "I have become quite firm friends with your son, and I should very much like to see him. If you would allow me to...ride with you, then I would be very grateful, very grateful indeed."
Thranduil looked down, and his eyes narrowed upon realizing he had been addressed by a Dwarf. "You have become friends with Legolas? Fair enough. You can ride with me if you must. Estel, I trust you would also like to return to Imladris sooner rather than later."
"And us," put in the twins, whilst Aragorn respectfully inclined his head.
"I should also like to journey with you," said Boromir.
"As would I," said Aradan quietly.
"I told you to take him away!" snapped Thranduil, gesturing to Calaen, who was impatiently watching the conversation. The guards nodded curtly, and pulled him to the other side of the town. Thranduil meanwhile, shook his head slightly, and look around at those gathered around him. "How many of you wish to come then?"
"There will be ten travelling with us, if you count the Hobbits," replied Gandalf.
Thranduil made a noise of impatience, and shook his head once more. "Fine. Right, I need twenty soldiers to go down into the caves and look around, for there may be more prisoners locked away somewhere; twenty to go around and reassure any worried townspeople; another twenty to start work on healing any wounded; and the rest of you to...clear up around here."
At this, everyone winced, for the ground was littered with dead bodies, and there were many broken blades or spent arrows which needed collecting. All the soldiers hurried off to carry out the orders, but Thranduil had not finished giving commands.
"Elladan, go and clean yourself up, you are bleeding again," continued the Elven-king. "Find a healer who has some competence. Elrohir, go with him and watch very carefully. I don't know what you did, but you certainly did not do a very good job of bandaging your brother's shoulder. Mithrandir, did you say you wished to go back down into the caves? You can go now if you want, but take Estel with you. Boromir, you can go and find the Halflings, and Aradan, please stay away from Calaen. Understand?"
"You are very worried about Legolas, aren't you?" asked Gandalf, as the various people set off to do as they were bid.
"More than you can imagine," muttered Thranduil.
The Wizard shot him a sympathetic glance, before turning and going into the woods with Aragorn. Boromir went off in the other direction, whilst Aradan sat down sadly on a fallen log. On the far side of the town, Elladan was gently teasing Elrohir about being incapable of bandaging a wound.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," said Gimli quietly. "You have given orders to everyone but me. Is there anything I can do?"
"If you can turn back time, then that would be a great help," said Thranduil, glancing coldly across at Calaen. When he next spoke, his voice was full of sadness. "I don't know where I went wrong. I don't know what I did wrong. I mean, Airëlus and Legolas were treated no differently than him, but they did not..."
Gimli shifted uncomfortably as the King trailed off and helplessly shook his head. It was no big secret that Dwarves had always been at odds with Elves, yet there two of them stood, having a calm conversation. Thranduil however, seemed to suddenly realize who he was speaking with, for he narrowed his eyes, and a look of dislike cross his face.
"I cannot stand here and talk any longer," he said shortly. "If you truly wish to ride to Rivendell a day early, then make sure you are ready in an hour. If you are not, we will leave without you."
The Dwarf watched as the Elf turned and strode away to talk with some soldiers. Gimli was surprised at the emotional way in which Thranduil had spoken of his children, for he had always been told that the Elven-king of Mirkwood was far from caring.
"Well, it just goes to show that to believe something, you must experience it," muttered Gimli.
............................................................................................................
Inu Lover: Well done for your Spanish! I have some exams on Monday in that subject. I can't wait. Not.
Legolas-gurl888: Hiya. Everything is being cancelled! You know I said that I had a dental appointment this evening? Well, me and my friends had to cancel going to see Troy again cos of this appointment, but now that has also been cancelled. Ugh, how annoying!
eleanor rigbey: Yeah, I saw ROTK 3 times also. I'll probably see Troy about 3 or 4 times. I saw TTT 7 times when it was in the theatre! By the way, my friend thinks that you are from Manchester. Are you?
Mellaithwen: That is true, if it was Airëlus, then Thranduil would know. But then, none of you guys have seen any chapters with this stranger who turned up at Mirkwood a while back. By the way, I'm not saying it is Airëlus. Glad you like it though!
Rachel13: Oh come on, even I feel sorry for Calaen now. I can't believe you put him through so much torture! Then, I guess he does kinda deserve it. Those songs were funny, and really made me laugh! Can you imagine being married to a crayon?
Galadriel1010: Yeah, it was very hard for him when he was growing up, cos he lost his mother and found out that his father actually wasn't his father, so yeah, I think that he could have been a better guy. But after this story, I'm doing a prequel to 'A Brother's Jealousy'. I'm doing it in the wrong order, I know, but it will give everyone a different opinion of Calaen. But that's all I'm saying!
Sorry it took so long to be updated, I've just been having a few problems, and I have to try and sort my life out, which is really hard to do at the moment. The next chapter will be up on Sunday. Misto