Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/N: Hey there people. For making you wait four days for the next update due to computer problems and the likes, I give you not only Chapter 17, but 18 as well! Many thanks to my beta enb2004 who has two wonderful Harry Potter stories, so read those! Enjoy and thank you so much for your reviews! Have fun!
Elrond, Galadrial, Celeborn, Arwen and Mithrandir were conversing worriedly and quietly, after they had finished healing the wounded hunting party.
"Ada, how could orcs get so close to our borders? The border patrol should have spotted them moving towards Imladris. How did they get past them?" Arwen asked.
"That is precisely the question that needs answering Arwen. Elrond, I fear this may be connected to Estel's dreams. It is as I feared, there must be a traitor within Imladris," Gandalf said heavily.
Elrond rubbed his temples wearily while Galadrial, Celeborn, and Arwen exchanged concerned glances.
"How do we go about finding this traitor?" Celeborn asked.
Gandalf looked at Celeborn and shook his head despairingly. "I know not Celeborn. He or she had covered their tracks very well. It could be anyone," he said.
Galadrial looked over at son-in-law sadly. This was a lot to take in. A traitor within Imladris. Possibly some one Elrond knew and trusted very well was out to hurt Estel.
Galadrial was brought out of her thoughts though when she heard an elf running down the hall, who seemed to be heading their way in the healing wing.
Galadrial excused herself, and went to meet up with the elf and tell them this was not the time to disturb anyone.
Thus Galadrial was very surprised to see that it was Haldir who running toward her at break neck speed. "Haldir! What are you doing back here? I told you to rest!" she scolded him.
"No time my lady. Estel, he needs help," Haldir stated somewhat breathlessly, hugging the child closer to his chest in concern.
It was only then that Galadrial noticed that Haldir was carrying Estel and that a trail of blood followed Haldir.
"ELROND!" Galadrial shouted fearfully, hurrying back into the healing wing with Haldir right behind her.
"Galadrial? What is..." Mithrandir started to say, only to cut himself when he saw who it was that Haldir carried.
At Gandalf's pause, Elrond looked up and nearly collapsed in horror when he saw Haldir carrying in a bloody Estel.
Elrond immediately jumped up and carefully took Estel from a still shell shocked Haldir.
Seeing her father jump up in shock, Arwen too looked up to see what the commotion was and gasped in horror when she saw her little brother bleeding very badly. Unable to do anything due to shock, Arwen could only sit and watch as her father and grandmother went to work.
Seeing the blood, Elrond began a quick search to where it was coming from. Soon, he found the stab wound on the arm which was bleeding freely.
"Galadrial, hold onto Estel while I try to stop the bleeding. The pressure will hurt him and he may wake up," Elrond said, trying to maintain his calm while not succeeding in the slightest.
Elrond was proven right. As soon as he had put pressure on the arm to stop it from bleeding, Estel woke up and tried to rise frantically, trying to escape from the pain.
"Shh, it's all right tithen pen. Everythings going to be just fine. Your Ada and I are going to fix you right up," Galadrial tried to tell the distraught toddler.
Before long, Estel lost consciousness while Elrond and Galadrial were left to stop the bleeding and stitch the wound closed.
Seeing that Lady Galadrial and Elrond had Estel's situation under control, Mithrandir dragged a shocked Celeborn and Haldir outside of the healing wing.
"Haldir, tell me what happened," Mithrandir demanded.
Haldir nodded and told Mithrandir of everything that had happened since he had left the Lady's presence. He told them about hearing the sword and the muffled scream, and how he went to investigate it only to find that it was Gorothdil threatening and planning to kill Estel slowly and painfully.
As Haldir told his story, Celeborn grew more and more furious. Gorothdil would loathe the day that he had betrayed Imladris and Lothlorien.
"Haldir, I realize that you are tired and shell shocked, but you must go after the new hunting party. Elladan and Elrohir will want to be here for their brother and I suspect Glorfindel will want to have some... words with Gorothdil," Celeborn said, his fury radiating with every movement he made.
"Before you go Haldir, show us to the traitor. Celeborn and I shall stand guard over him until Elrond tells us what to do with him," Gandalf said with fury.
Haldir nodded and quickly showed them to Estel's chambers, where his Lothlorien guards were all standing guard over Gorothdil while shooting dirty looks at him the entire time.
"Hannon le Haldir. You should be on your way. Fear not, he will not get escape," Celeborn said, glaring at Gorothdil, who was currently bound and gagged.
"Take the fastest steed Imladris has to offer, along with two others mellon nin. Elladan and Elrohir will want to return as quickly as possible. I believe that Erestor and Glorfindel have their own horses with them, but they'll ride faster with just one," Gandalf said wisely.
Haldir nodded and took off once more at run, this time for the stables. He knew that the twins and Glorfindel and Erestor would never forgive him if he did not tell them what had happened to Estel.
Without even looking back, Haldir took the three horses, and galloped into the woods of Imladris at full speed.
Elrond and Galadrial collapsed onto chairs next to Arwen gratefully. After a long struggle, they had been able to stop the bleeding from the stab wound and had stitched it and bound it so that it would heal properly.
"Ada, he will be okay, won't he?" Arwen asked fearfully.
Elrond smiled tiredly at his daughter. "Estel shall be just fine iel nin. His arm will be immobilized for some time, but it will heal," he said gratefully.
Galadrial nodded and frowned in thought. "Elrond, what could have caused a stab wound such as that?" she asked, suddenly fearful that she knew the answer.
Elrond had apparently thought of the same thing, as his eyes went wide with shock and then narrowed in anger. "The traitor. It could have only been the traitor," he said, his voice shaking with unleashed fury.
"I'm afraid that you are quite right Elrond," Celeborn said, coming into the healing wing, having heard the conversation from the hall.
"Grandfather?" Arwen question when Celeborn said no more.
"It was indeed the traitor Elrond. If it were not for Haldir, I do not think that Estel would still be with us," he said with profound relief.
"Tell us what happened Celeborn," Galadrial demanded of her husband.
Sighing, Celeborn told them what had happened. He told them how Haldir had rescued Estel from certain death and had captured the traitor. Also, he told them that Mithrandir and a few Lothlorien and Imladris guards were watching over the traitor, and that Haldir had left to go tell the hunting party what had happened.
"What of the traitor though. Tell us Celeborn, who is it?" Elrond demanded.
Celeborn sighed once more. He knew that Elrond trusted Gorothdil as Gorothdil was one of the guards on the border patrol, as well as one of Elrond's personal guards for when he went abroad.
"It was Gorothdil, Elrond," Celeborn said quietly.
A hush settled around the room quite suddenly. No one knew what to think of this news. Finally, Elrond broke the overwhelming silence.
"It would make sense. He was on the border patrol tonight. He more than likely did not alert the others to the presence of the orcs, and may have conversed with them. What I do not understand is why," Elrond said softly.
"Something which we will undoubtedly find out as soon as the hunting party gets back and Estel is well on his way to recovery," Galadrial said.
The others nodded in agreement. Gorothdil could wait for the moment. Estel was far more important that a traitor.
"Arwen, Galadrial, Elrond, you have all had an exhausting day. Why don't you go to sleep? I will stay here and watch over Estel," Celeborn said.
"Nay, I will not leave Estel, especially not after what has happened," Elrond said fiercely.
"Nay, nay, I do not mean in your own rooms. I would never ask you to leave Estel after what has happened here this night. There are several beds here which you can use," Celeborn said.
"Nay, I do not believe that I would be able to sleep, even if I were inclined to, which I am not. Galadrial, Celeborn, Arwen, you should go to bed however," Elrond said.
They all shook their heads no.
"Nay Ada. None of us wish to sleep after what has happened. We will join you in your vigil," Arwen said softly, with Galadrial and Celeborn nodding.
Elrond frowned but gave in. His daughter and his in-laws were all very stubborn, and nothing he said could change their minds.
"Very well, but a least pull up a chair by Estel's bed," Elrond said.
They nodded and soon, all three were watching over Estel as the night continued to progress.
Translations:
Ada: Dad/Daddy
Iel nin: My daughter
Mellon nin: My friend
Tithen pen: Little one
Hannon le: Thank you