Chapter Title: Chapter Eight - Pure Blind Panic 8/15
For disclaimer, summary, etc: please refer to chapter one.
A/N:
It's 4 AM. I'm supposed to get up in 2 hours to go to work. Do I seem to care? Nope! I'm sitting here posting yet another chapter! ::g::
But if I manage to nail my hand to something (remodeling our new house) I'm just going to blame you all and the preciooouusss ... as well as Estel and Legolas and the others ... I mean, it's not my fault. ::blinks innocently:: O=)
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Estel coughed as he woke once more, bringing up a coppery substance he knew to be blood. Now feeling sick as well as very light-headed, he tried to move the arm that wasn't pinned down. Even that small motion almost made him black out.
'Okay, moving is definitely a bad idea. Not that it was such a good idea to start off with.'
Grimacing, Estel tried to bring the world around him into focus. It was a while before he became fully aware of his surroundings. When finally he did, Estel wished he hadn't, and did the only thing he could think of that was appropriate for the situation: he panicked.
The water, which had been barely covering the back of his head before, was now up to his ears. Another few hours and it would overtake him completely.
The only good thing was, the water was so cold that he could no longer feel anything. As long as he didn't move, that was. In the back of his mind, a little voice whispered something about not shivering anymore being a bad thing. Estel ignored the little voice, deciding instead to just panic further.
'Oh, Valar. I'm going to die a cold death, by drowning! I always thought I'd be killed on the battlefield, and people would remember me in tales ages after, as a hero! Instead I go as a coward who is too spoiled for his own good! Oh, I am so sorry ada, I am. I wish you were here.'
Estel's chest ached as his breathing quickened to alarming rates. He was on the verge of hyperventilating and passing out. Another moment, and he would ...
Just as he thought the world would darken around him, Estel felt a tingling sensation in his head. It felt like an itch, one that you can't scratch. The sensation grew, and as it did, Estel's breathing calmed. His vision returned to normal and his chest gradually unclenched. There was silence, as the young human tried to figure out exactly what had happened.
The sensation remained, growing stronger so that Estel could almost hear it. It was an odd sort of buzzing sound ... what you would hear near a beehive, but it was strangely muted.
Then ...
/Estel?!/
/Ada?!/ Estel gasped. He could hear his father! He could be saved!
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"He has to be close. This is where he was swept away, and the slide angled that way." Elladan stood up from where he was crouching, studying the dirt. Ah, even as an elf, the rangers were still better trackers. What Elladan would have given to have Arathorn there. The older twin swore the man was half bloodhound.
"He could be close, yes, but he could be buried under anything. We must tread carefully and leave the horses here."
Glorfindel helped Elrond from his own horse. The elf lord's strength had not yet fully returned. The usually strong elder was currently shaking, as if he were cold. His lips had turned an alarming shade of blue, something that had escaped Glorfindel's attention until now.
"Mellon nin, what ails you?" Pulling off his outer tunic, Glorfindel ignored the protests of Elrond and slipped it over his friends head.
"I do not know. This illness, if you could call it that, has only grown during the ride." Elrond frowned. "The symptoms are nothing like I have encountered before. The lower half of my body pains me tremendously, and my arm feels as if it has been sheared in half by a dull blade."
"Elrond," Glorfindel began, but was quickly cut off.
"No! I will not leave my son out here to die. I am going to stay and find him." Elrond hissed. Glorfindel nodded. He too would do the same if the positions were reversed.
"Come, I think we should-" Elrond gasped and fell to his knees. A wave of emotion rolled over him so strongly that he almost didn't catch the images sent with it. Pure, blind panic. Elrond could see a crop of trees in the visions, near where he stood now. Water ... it was everywhere. And pain so intense it caused Elrond's eyes to fill with tears.
Gathering up his remaining strength as he vaguely felt the others lying him down, he began pushing at the emotion, sending calm thoughts and love to replace it. Moments later he was done and more exhausted now than ever. He took a deep breath and realized ... something wasn't right. Something remained. Taking a small chance, he said -mentally- to the feeling,
/Estel?!/
/Ada?!/ The reply sounded amazed, hopeful, and yet despairing all at once.
Elrond would have leapt for joy if he could have. He currently did not care how this ability came to be, but it had let him find his son. He would worry about that later. Estel was alive, and he was near. Tears once again flowed down Elrond's cheeks.
/Estel! My son, where are you? Are you alright?/ This time, with a bit of trying, Elrond managed to link with Glorfindel and the twins. They all smiled in relief to hear the young one alive.
/Ada, I am trapped! A tree has me pinned down, and the water is rising still! You must help me, there is no time to lose. Please, ada!/ Estel cried out desperately.
/We're coming, ion nin. I think I know where you are now. Just hold on a little longer, Estel. Can you do that?/
/Yes, but hurry ada, I-/ The young one cut off suddenly.
/Estel! What's wrong? What is happening?!/ This time, it was Glorfindel who spoke, fear for the young boy colored in his words.
/W-wolves! Ada please!/ He sobbed. /The wolves are coming closer!/
Reviews -
Mornflower - Yes what can one do? ... A lot more damage with several furry creatures, that's what! ::eg:: I think a nice, tasty, frozen Estel snack is in order. Hehehehe! And yes ... Legolas to the rescue! (Erestor also, can't leave him out!)
Deana - Yeah ... what would happen if Erestor didn't go with Legolas? The blasted Mirkwood elf would probably end up getting skewered on the way there! And then, of course, he would be no help to Estel. ::shakes head:: Although it was rather tempting to send the story line that way ... ::eg::
Night-Owl123 - Thank you! :-) Will keep the chapters coming then.
SivanShemesh - Of course not. Legolas staying behind and not saving Estel would be an ... an ... abomination! LOL. It's written somewhere in Legolas' bloodwork that says he has to save Estel from whatever scrap the poor human has gotten himself into, and vice versa. ::eg:: Which makes it fun for people like me!
et-spiritus-sancti - LOL I love Erestor too! He and Glorfindel just ... grab my attention. They're sorely underwritten in LotR trilogy (Even though we hear more of Glorfindel and Gondolin in Silmarillion, still!) ... I feel the need to fill in the blanks. ::G:: So glad you enjoy it though! :)
Celebrean - LOL That's okay! :-) I usually don't have time to review, sadly, the things I read. ::sigh:: There should be more than 24 hours in a day, I'm tellin' you. Thanks though, glad to see you're still here. ::g::
Catmint - That's in Robin Hood: POT?? I haven't seen the movie in years, although I read the book quite a bit in 6th grade. (I suddenly feel old.) Wow. That makes me want to rush out and rent the movie, hahaha!! (Kevin Costner is rather hot ... ::slobbers::) Thanks though, glad you're enjoying the fic.
Elwen the Insane Elf - I can too kill him! I killed Elrohir, after all! (... it was a happy ending but STILL! I KILLED him! Mwahahahahaha!) ... But okay I won't say if I've killed him or ... not. ::g:: And ... ::sees the bow:: ack! ::squacks, runs around, jumps behind Aragorn for a shield:: Na ner na ner na ner! :P
elvingirl3737 - LOL! Ah, husband? ::g:: He ever get slightly frightened at the angst obsession thing?? ;) LOL kidding. But I'm glad Erestor came off the way I wanted him to. I'm not good at the whole dry humor thing. Probably because I'm a southerner from the US ... here our laughs usually comes after someone says "hey y'all, watch this!", while said person is 99% of the time holding a beer can. Which ... is also pretty darn funny too ... ::G::
Helluin-trip - LOL you have a ferret? Nice. I've always wanted one ... sadly having so many hunting dogs made that impossible. ::Sighs:: Ah well. And a pickle? Ooh, yummy. Those are good on subs! :)
Amlee - Yes, I don't see Erestor as a wimp. I mean ... come on ... how many years has he been alive? He has to have some guts! ::g:: It is truly sad that people write him as a stiff, wimpy small character ... he has so much more potential! (I believe I killed that word.) LOL. Glad you like it though.
boppy - Hmmm, I suppose we'll just have to wait and find out, huh? ::evil grin:: You fav'ed it? Wow! Thanks bunches! :)
::sends out elves and men and hobbits wrapped in bows to readers and reviewers:: Bunches of thanks to you guys! :) And now ... I really must scat ... it's 4:26, my fingers are reduced to nubs, and I'm going to be so dead in a few hours! LOL.
Reviews = welcome.
For disclaimer, summary, etc: please refer to chapter one.
A/N:
It's 4 AM. I'm supposed to get up in 2 hours to go to work. Do I seem to care? Nope! I'm sitting here posting yet another chapter! ::g::
But if I manage to nail my hand to something (remodeling our new house) I'm just going to blame you all and the preciooouusss ... as well as Estel and Legolas and the others ... I mean, it's not my fault. ::blinks innocently:: O=)
----------------
Estel coughed as he woke once more, bringing up a coppery substance he knew to be blood. Now feeling sick as well as very light-headed, he tried to move the arm that wasn't pinned down. Even that small motion almost made him black out.
'Okay, moving is definitely a bad idea. Not that it was such a good idea to start off with.'
Grimacing, Estel tried to bring the world around him into focus. It was a while before he became fully aware of his surroundings. When finally he did, Estel wished he hadn't, and did the only thing he could think of that was appropriate for the situation: he panicked.
The water, which had been barely covering the back of his head before, was now up to his ears. Another few hours and it would overtake him completely.
The only good thing was, the water was so cold that he could no longer feel anything. As long as he didn't move, that was. In the back of his mind, a little voice whispered something about not shivering anymore being a bad thing. Estel ignored the little voice, deciding instead to just panic further.
'Oh, Valar. I'm going to die a cold death, by drowning! I always thought I'd be killed on the battlefield, and people would remember me in tales ages after, as a hero! Instead I go as a coward who is too spoiled for his own good! Oh, I am so sorry ada, I am. I wish you were here.'
Estel's chest ached as his breathing quickened to alarming rates. He was on the verge of hyperventilating and passing out. Another moment, and he would ...
Just as he thought the world would darken around him, Estel felt a tingling sensation in his head. It felt like an itch, one that you can't scratch. The sensation grew, and as it did, Estel's breathing calmed. His vision returned to normal and his chest gradually unclenched. There was silence, as the young human tried to figure out exactly what had happened.
The sensation remained, growing stronger so that Estel could almost hear it. It was an odd sort of buzzing sound ... what you would hear near a beehive, but it was strangely muted.
Then ...
/Estel?!/
/Ada?!/ Estel gasped. He could hear his father! He could be saved!
------------------------------------------
"He has to be close. This is where he was swept away, and the slide angled that way." Elladan stood up from where he was crouching, studying the dirt. Ah, even as an elf, the rangers were still better trackers. What Elladan would have given to have Arathorn there. The older twin swore the man was half bloodhound.
"He could be close, yes, but he could be buried under anything. We must tread carefully and leave the horses here."
Glorfindel helped Elrond from his own horse. The elf lord's strength had not yet fully returned. The usually strong elder was currently shaking, as if he were cold. His lips had turned an alarming shade of blue, something that had escaped Glorfindel's attention until now.
"Mellon nin, what ails you?" Pulling off his outer tunic, Glorfindel ignored the protests of Elrond and slipped it over his friends head.
"I do not know. This illness, if you could call it that, has only grown during the ride." Elrond frowned. "The symptoms are nothing like I have encountered before. The lower half of my body pains me tremendously, and my arm feels as if it has been sheared in half by a dull blade."
"Elrond," Glorfindel began, but was quickly cut off.
"No! I will not leave my son out here to die. I am going to stay and find him." Elrond hissed. Glorfindel nodded. He too would do the same if the positions were reversed.
"Come, I think we should-" Elrond gasped and fell to his knees. A wave of emotion rolled over him so strongly that he almost didn't catch the images sent with it. Pure, blind panic. Elrond could see a crop of trees in the visions, near where he stood now. Water ... it was everywhere. And pain so intense it caused Elrond's eyes to fill with tears.
Gathering up his remaining strength as he vaguely felt the others lying him down, he began pushing at the emotion, sending calm thoughts and love to replace it. Moments later he was done and more exhausted now than ever. He took a deep breath and realized ... something wasn't right. Something remained. Taking a small chance, he said -mentally- to the feeling,
/Estel?!/
/Ada?!/ The reply sounded amazed, hopeful, and yet despairing all at once.
Elrond would have leapt for joy if he could have. He currently did not care how this ability came to be, but it had let him find his son. He would worry about that later. Estel was alive, and he was near. Tears once again flowed down Elrond's cheeks.
/Estel! My son, where are you? Are you alright?/ This time, with a bit of trying, Elrond managed to link with Glorfindel and the twins. They all smiled in relief to hear the young one alive.
/Ada, I am trapped! A tree has me pinned down, and the water is rising still! You must help me, there is no time to lose. Please, ada!/ Estel cried out desperately.
/We're coming, ion nin. I think I know where you are now. Just hold on a little longer, Estel. Can you do that?/
/Yes, but hurry ada, I-/ The young one cut off suddenly.
/Estel! What's wrong? What is happening?!/ This time, it was Glorfindel who spoke, fear for the young boy colored in his words.
/W-wolves! Ada please!/ He sobbed. /The wolves are coming closer!/
Reviews -
Mornflower - Yes what can one do? ... A lot more damage with several furry creatures, that's what! ::eg:: I think a nice, tasty, frozen Estel snack is in order. Hehehehe! And yes ... Legolas to the rescue! (Erestor also, can't leave him out!)
Deana - Yeah ... what would happen if Erestor didn't go with Legolas? The blasted Mirkwood elf would probably end up getting skewered on the way there! And then, of course, he would be no help to Estel. ::shakes head:: Although it was rather tempting to send the story line that way ... ::eg::
Night-Owl123 - Thank you! :-) Will keep the chapters coming then.
SivanShemesh - Of course not. Legolas staying behind and not saving Estel would be an ... an ... abomination! LOL. It's written somewhere in Legolas' bloodwork that says he has to save Estel from whatever scrap the poor human has gotten himself into, and vice versa. ::eg:: Which makes it fun for people like me!
et-spiritus-sancti - LOL I love Erestor too! He and Glorfindel just ... grab my attention. They're sorely underwritten in LotR trilogy (Even though we hear more of Glorfindel and Gondolin in Silmarillion, still!) ... I feel the need to fill in the blanks. ::G:: So glad you enjoy it though! :)
Celebrean - LOL That's okay! :-) I usually don't have time to review, sadly, the things I read. ::sigh:: There should be more than 24 hours in a day, I'm tellin' you. Thanks though, glad to see you're still here. ::g::
Catmint - That's in Robin Hood: POT?? I haven't seen the movie in years, although I read the book quite a bit in 6th grade. (I suddenly feel old.) Wow. That makes me want to rush out and rent the movie, hahaha!! (Kevin Costner is rather hot ... ::slobbers::) Thanks though, glad you're enjoying the fic.
Elwen the Insane Elf - I can too kill him! I killed Elrohir, after all! (... it was a happy ending but STILL! I KILLED him! Mwahahahahaha!) ... But okay I won't say if I've killed him or ... not. ::g:: And ... ::sees the bow:: ack! ::squacks, runs around, jumps behind Aragorn for a shield:: Na ner na ner na ner! :P
elvingirl3737 - LOL! Ah, husband? ::g:: He ever get slightly frightened at the angst obsession thing?? ;) LOL kidding. But I'm glad Erestor came off the way I wanted him to. I'm not good at the whole dry humor thing. Probably because I'm a southerner from the US ... here our laughs usually comes after someone says "hey y'all, watch this!", while said person is 99% of the time holding a beer can. Which ... is also pretty darn funny too ... ::G::
Helluin-trip - LOL you have a ferret? Nice. I've always wanted one ... sadly having so many hunting dogs made that impossible. ::Sighs:: Ah well. And a pickle? Ooh, yummy. Those are good on subs! :)
Amlee - Yes, I don't see Erestor as a wimp. I mean ... come on ... how many years has he been alive? He has to have some guts! ::g:: It is truly sad that people write him as a stiff, wimpy small character ... he has so much more potential! (I believe I killed that word.) LOL. Glad you like it though.
boppy - Hmmm, I suppose we'll just have to wait and find out, huh? ::evil grin:: You fav'ed it? Wow! Thanks bunches! :)
::sends out elves and men and hobbits wrapped in bows to readers and reviewers:: Bunches of thanks to you guys! :) And now ... I really must scat ... it's 4:26, my fingers are reduced to nubs, and I'm going to be so dead in a few hours! LOL.
Reviews = welcome.