Thanks for the reviews. Short chapter, I'm sorry, another one will come
soon.
I don't own LotR or any of the chracters.
Night was closing in around the forest through which Elladan was riding. The stars above were twinkling, but they did not provide enough light for him to continue that night. He stopped just off the track and prepared a small fire. There he sat until light crept over the horizon, wandering in dreams as elves do. Uneasy dreams which gave him no peaceful rest, and no respite from reality.
.......................................................
In Rivendell, Lord Elrond and his household were sitting down to dinner. As the food was being served, he called one of the servants over to him.
"Please go to my son's room and tell him he has my permission to attend dinner," he said, presuming that Elladan was obey his orders and not leaving his room with out consent.
The woman nodded, "Aye, my Lord," and left.
Elrond and Elrohir ate in silence for several minutes, as the usual evening chatter sounded around them.
After a short while, the she-elf returned looking worried.
"My Lord," she said, breathlessly, "Your son is not there."
Lord Elrond immediately got to his feet and swept out of the hall. Elrohir hesitated, then followed, looking uneasy.
Lord Elrond stormed into the stables and flung back the door at the very end. The stall was empty.
He flung himself around and came face to face with Elrohir, who had followed him there.
"Father," he said, in a slightly high pitched voice.
"Where is he, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, threateningly, walking forwards and causing his son to retreat further and further away, until he hit the wall at the other end, and looked around nervously, like a trapped beast.
"I already said, father, I do not know," he replied, shakily.
Elrohir gasped as his father's hand connected sharply with his face.
"Do not lie to me," he hissed, "I know you two tell each other everything, he would not leave without telling you, at least, where he was going."
"H-he...he..." Elrohir stuttered.
"He what, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, soft and menacingly.
"He...he said he was going hunting," Elrohir mumbled to the floor.
Elrond let out an angry growl and turned away, leaving Elrohir room to breathe.
"How could he be so stupid!" he snarled.
"Well, you know, it is Elladan...I don't know what you expected really," Elrohir muttered, softly.
However, Elrond, apparently, did not find this funny.
He rounded on his son and struck him, hard across the face again.
"And I don't appriciate your insolence either!"
Elrohir rubbed this cheek indignantly, "This is all Elladan's fault..." he thought, angrily, "Why don't I just tell him where he is?"
But he knew, in his heart, that he couldn't betray his brother, no matter how much trouble it got him in.
Elrond walked out of the stables and back towards the building.
He called upon several of his scouts who had not gone to Mirkwood and ordered them to search the surrounding area for Elladan, or tracks leading to his whereabouts.
They departed immediately and Lord Elrond and his son returned to their almost-cold meal.
They ate in stony silence and Elrohir kept his eyes on his plate at all times. At the end of the meal, Elrond ordered his son to his room, and sat alone at the table for a long time after, his head in his hands. Later in the night, he stood up and walked out into the gardens, wondering where Elladan was, as the scouts had not yet returned.
.........................................
Next morning, Elladan awoke to the sound of birds singing in the trees above him, and a stream splashing near by. He cleared away his camp and mounted his horse. He could take it easy, as he was taking a shorter way than the soldiers would be, this track would have been too inaccessible for such a large group.
Just after sunrise, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. He turned off the track and into the dense forest lining the way.
He stood stock still a little way off the path, in a shallow ditch, but close enough to be able to hear the voices of the riders.
"The tracks end here," said a low voice that Elladan recognised.
He panicked. That was the voice of Callo, one of the Chief scouts. Treading as softly as possible through the thick undergrowth, he led his horse further into the wood, walking parallel to the track in the opposite direction to which he had just come from.
"There's defiantly something moving in there," said the other scout, who Elladan did not know.
The two elves had entered the wood behind him. He knew he had to get out soon, before he became trapped. He turned back towards the track and, after a few moments, came back out into day light. He turned his head and saw, several hundred yards down the path, two chestnut horses standing, chewing the grass on the edge of the forest.
He swung himself onto his horse and rode, quietly and softly at first, in the opposite direction. As he retreated further and further away he sped up. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the two scouts burst out of the mass of trees, look at him for a split second, then sprint back to their horses.
The wind whipped past his face as he sped up, stinging his eyes. But he focused on the road ahead and urged his steed faster and faster. As he rode, he thought hard. He was now going in the wrong direction, back towards Rivendell. he had no where to go, except back into the forest or back home. He looked left and right and saw the dense branches. He would surely become lost.
"This is not what was supposed to happen!" he though, angry with himself.
The track began to slope down wards and Elladan knew that he was nearing the valley. As he continued to ride, he could hear the rush of the water crashing over the falls. He stopped just short of the fast flowing river. It was deep here, he should take the path along the river until he came to the ford. But if he crossed now, he could lose his pursuers. They wouldn't expect him to cross here, it was far too dangerous.
But his tracks, his tracks would lead into the river, instead of down the path. He thought quickly, very conscious of the fact that his hunters would be appearing over the brow of the hill at any moment. Then it came to him. he leapt lightly from his horse and whispered in elvish into it's ear. The horse, manya, immediately set off at a gallop along the path. Elladan, however, turned his attention to the river.
The torrent was gushing at an incredible speed, rushing towards an immense water fall. Tonnes of water crashed over it every second, causing an almighty racket which could be heard even where Elladan stood, fifty feet above.
He imagined what it would be like to feel his falling all that way down and breaking on the rocks below. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he stepped into the water. The could have used the rope which was in his pack, but he has already sent his horse away, and he was already short of time, so he braced himself and walked diagonally across the wide river, against the flow on the water.
He reached the centre of the river and stopped to catch breath. The water was now swirling around his chest; "If it gets any deeper than this," he thought "I'm sunk." Just as that thought floated through his head, Elladan took another step. However, when he brought his foot down again it did not find solid ground.
He fell forwards into the water and noticed that there was a ledge in the river bed, around ten feet high. He flailed under the water for several moments then broke through the surface, gasping. He tried desperately to fight against the current, but with no foot hold it was immensely difficult.
At that moment, just before his head was pushed forcefully under the water, he looked back towards the bank and saw two elves riding at full pelt down the hill towards the river. He didn't know whether or not to be pleased that they had arrived.
Night was closing in around the forest through which Elladan was riding. The stars above were twinkling, but they did not provide enough light for him to continue that night. He stopped just off the track and prepared a small fire. There he sat until light crept over the horizon, wandering in dreams as elves do. Uneasy dreams which gave him no peaceful rest, and no respite from reality.
.......................................................
In Rivendell, Lord Elrond and his household were sitting down to dinner. As the food was being served, he called one of the servants over to him.
"Please go to my son's room and tell him he has my permission to attend dinner," he said, presuming that Elladan was obey his orders and not leaving his room with out consent.
The woman nodded, "Aye, my Lord," and left.
Elrond and Elrohir ate in silence for several minutes, as the usual evening chatter sounded around them.
After a short while, the she-elf returned looking worried.
"My Lord," she said, breathlessly, "Your son is not there."
Lord Elrond immediately got to his feet and swept out of the hall. Elrohir hesitated, then followed, looking uneasy.
Lord Elrond stormed into the stables and flung back the door at the very end. The stall was empty.
He flung himself around and came face to face with Elrohir, who had followed him there.
"Father," he said, in a slightly high pitched voice.
"Where is he, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, threateningly, walking forwards and causing his son to retreat further and further away, until he hit the wall at the other end, and looked around nervously, like a trapped beast.
"I already said, father, I do not know," he replied, shakily.
Elrohir gasped as his father's hand connected sharply with his face.
"Do not lie to me," he hissed, "I know you two tell each other everything, he would not leave without telling you, at least, where he was going."
"H-he...he..." Elrohir stuttered.
"He what, Elrohir?" Elrond asked, soft and menacingly.
"He...he said he was going hunting," Elrohir mumbled to the floor.
Elrond let out an angry growl and turned away, leaving Elrohir room to breathe.
"How could he be so stupid!" he snarled.
"Well, you know, it is Elladan...I don't know what you expected really," Elrohir muttered, softly.
However, Elrond, apparently, did not find this funny.
He rounded on his son and struck him, hard across the face again.
"And I don't appriciate your insolence either!"
Elrohir rubbed this cheek indignantly, "This is all Elladan's fault..." he thought, angrily, "Why don't I just tell him where he is?"
But he knew, in his heart, that he couldn't betray his brother, no matter how much trouble it got him in.
Elrond walked out of the stables and back towards the building.
He called upon several of his scouts who had not gone to Mirkwood and ordered them to search the surrounding area for Elladan, or tracks leading to his whereabouts.
They departed immediately and Lord Elrond and his son returned to their almost-cold meal.
They ate in stony silence and Elrohir kept his eyes on his plate at all times. At the end of the meal, Elrond ordered his son to his room, and sat alone at the table for a long time after, his head in his hands. Later in the night, he stood up and walked out into the gardens, wondering where Elladan was, as the scouts had not yet returned.
.........................................
Next morning, Elladan awoke to the sound of birds singing in the trees above him, and a stream splashing near by. He cleared away his camp and mounted his horse. He could take it easy, as he was taking a shorter way than the soldiers would be, this track would have been too inaccessible for such a large group.
Just after sunrise, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. He turned off the track and into the dense forest lining the way.
He stood stock still a little way off the path, in a shallow ditch, but close enough to be able to hear the voices of the riders.
"The tracks end here," said a low voice that Elladan recognised.
He panicked. That was the voice of Callo, one of the Chief scouts. Treading as softly as possible through the thick undergrowth, he led his horse further into the wood, walking parallel to the track in the opposite direction to which he had just come from.
"There's defiantly something moving in there," said the other scout, who Elladan did not know.
The two elves had entered the wood behind him. He knew he had to get out soon, before he became trapped. He turned back towards the track and, after a few moments, came back out into day light. He turned his head and saw, several hundred yards down the path, two chestnut horses standing, chewing the grass on the edge of the forest.
He swung himself onto his horse and rode, quietly and softly at first, in the opposite direction. As he retreated further and further away he sped up. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the two scouts burst out of the mass of trees, look at him for a split second, then sprint back to their horses.
The wind whipped past his face as he sped up, stinging his eyes. But he focused on the road ahead and urged his steed faster and faster. As he rode, he thought hard. He was now going in the wrong direction, back towards Rivendell. he had no where to go, except back into the forest or back home. He looked left and right and saw the dense branches. He would surely become lost.
"This is not what was supposed to happen!" he though, angry with himself.
The track began to slope down wards and Elladan knew that he was nearing the valley. As he continued to ride, he could hear the rush of the water crashing over the falls. He stopped just short of the fast flowing river. It was deep here, he should take the path along the river until he came to the ford. But if he crossed now, he could lose his pursuers. They wouldn't expect him to cross here, it was far too dangerous.
But his tracks, his tracks would lead into the river, instead of down the path. He thought quickly, very conscious of the fact that his hunters would be appearing over the brow of the hill at any moment. Then it came to him. he leapt lightly from his horse and whispered in elvish into it's ear. The horse, manya, immediately set off at a gallop along the path. Elladan, however, turned his attention to the river.
The torrent was gushing at an incredible speed, rushing towards an immense water fall. Tonnes of water crashed over it every second, causing an almighty racket which could be heard even where Elladan stood, fifty feet above.
He imagined what it would be like to feel his falling all that way down and breaking on the rocks below. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he stepped into the water. The could have used the rope which was in his pack, but he has already sent his horse away, and he was already short of time, so he braced himself and walked diagonally across the wide river, against the flow on the water.
He reached the centre of the river and stopped to catch breath. The water was now swirling around his chest; "If it gets any deeper than this," he thought "I'm sunk." Just as that thought floated through his head, Elladan took another step. However, when he brought his foot down again it did not find solid ground.
He fell forwards into the water and noticed that there was a ledge in the river bed, around ten feet high. He flailed under the water for several moments then broke through the surface, gasping. He tried desperately to fight against the current, but with no foot hold it was immensely difficult.
At that moment, just before his head was pushed forcefully under the water, he looked back towards the bank and saw two elves riding at full pelt down the hill towards the river. He didn't know whether or not to be pleased that they had arrived.