Hathol 'Warth by Silabrithil

All that you do not recognize is mine, the rest (sigh) belongs to the genious of Proff Tolkien.

(Yay, I finally just discovered the edit button!) (Groan, now I have to fix everything...)
Ionvain dodged the arrow shaft aimed at his head and twisted his body to face his attacker.
His heart sunk into the soles of his feet when he saw five of the Duke's personal guard, all with their bows drawn and aimed at his heart. The leader of the guards stepped forwards and Ionvain's heart seemed to drop out of existance and his stomach jumped into his mouth.
It was Raunion.

"You are trespassing on our Lord's lands, filth," the dark eyed captain spat at the unmoving elf before him.

Ionvain stood tall and lifted his head high, this was a ruse, of course, they did not care if this were Greenwood land or not, they were there to kill him, but he played the unsuspecting victem.

"Child, you are confused, for these are the lands of our King. We are still in Greenwood the Great, are we not?" Such a proud remark sparked a fire in the dark captain's eyes and he moved forewards, not lowering his bow an inch, until the tip was touching Ionvain's chest.

"Insolent, ignorant and idiotic you are my dear Ionvain Henvainion. The King is dead and the prince is lost in the wilds or dead on the battlefield, which means that the next in line to the throne is our Lord."

Ionvain gave the imposing elf a withering look and calmly pushed the arrow away from him, forcing himself to grin widely as he replied scathingly, "Several of the royal family must have had 'accidents' since I left because, last I remember, King Oropher had three brothers and they each had several sons. I am begining to think that being accident prone is something passed down from father to son."

Raunion sneered and gave the now surrounded elf a shove into the waiting arms of two of the Duke's guardsmen who pulled his arms painfully behind his back and stood on his feet so he couldn't escape. The captive elf struggled to little avail as he was disarmed and bound to a convientiently placed tree none to gently.

Raunion stood infront of Ionvain, idly fingering an intericately crafted dagger, his eyes full of laughter as the guardsmen took out some of their anger on their bound and helpless captive, punching him in the gut and face until he couldn't catch his breath and there was blood streaming down his face due to a broken nose.

"Now, Ionvain, would you like to tell us what you were doing in our Lord's lands without permission? I'm sure we can deal with this matter here and now, but if you wish, I'm sure my Lord would greatly enjoy to extend an audience to hear your plea."

This was said in jest, for Ionvain knew that for him to go before the Duke was a sure way to meet a most slow and painful death. Raunion smiled innocently at the bloodied captive before him and cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

"Do you not wish to go before the Duke Saercaeron?"

Ionvain bared his teeth and made a low growling noise in his throat.

"I care not what you do to me, rebel, you are only bringing down the curse of the Noldor upon our people. You will loose the way to the west and bring darkness down upon all of Arda."

Raunion chortled evily, "you always had the flare for the dramatic, Ionvain, you should have been a clown rather than a soldier. You never were worth anything as a warrior, anyways."

The last barb dug deep into Ionvain and he struggled pointlessly against the strong elven ropes that held him securely to the tree. Raunion smiled then smashed his bare fist into Ionvain's face and kneed him hard in the gut. Ionvain would have doubled over in pain had he not been bound and moaned loudly as his body screamed with pain. There was a gash opened on his forehead and blood was running in his eyes so he did not see Raunion draw the dagger from his belt and advance, he did not see the other guardsmen turn and disappear into the dark forest.

He knew none of this until he felt the cold metal blade pressed against his throat.
He looked up at the captain, pain-filled eyes into hate-filled ones, and breathed, "Great Eru! Raunion, you would kill your own brother?"

Raunion grimanced and clenched his jaw, "you are no brother of mine."
But the blade in his hand quivvered and he felt the hair raising on the back of his neck.
Ionvain looked desperately into his brother's eyes, pleading, and whispered, "The west will be shut to you."

With a burst of sudden rage Raunion plunged the dagger not into his brother's throat but into his shoulder, pinning him to the tree. The elf cried out in alarm and pain as the blade passed through his body, grating past bones and into the tree he was tied to. A ragged gasp escaped him as he tried to move and pain lanced through his entire upperbody and left arm.

Raunion's hands shook as he drew another dagger, thrusting it into his brother's right shoulder and using the long knife taken from Ionvain and driving it through one foot and into the ground. Ionvain no longer made any sound of pain other than laboured breathing and the occasional gasp as his body shifted causing more damage to his wounds, and more pain to his spinning mind.

Once Raunion was finnished he stepped away and dropped down on one knee, looking up into his brother's glazed over and tear filled eyes. 'Lothron le thinna alag, muindor-nin,' he whispered into those large grey eyes, then rose quickly and left the small clearing.
In his ears rang the sounds of his brother's ragged gasps and the trees crying out at the pain of one of their friends.
May you fade quickly, my brother

He came upon his men who had stood waiting for him not far away. They made no eye contact but he knew that they had no qualms with their captain killing his own brother, his younger brother... If he could have Raunion would have ran back to the clearing and pulled his brother down, begging foregiveness of him, but he knew that his men would kill him with little thought.

'That is how it is now, that is how it will be once the Duke is made King,' Raunion thought heavily, 'and none will be left or able to go into the west. I have just killed my brother as the Duke killed his uncles. I have commited kinslaying and am now wicked and my immortality foresaken like the treacherous Noldor.' He spoke not but gestured his men to follow and they made their way back to the palace of Greenwood.

That night, after the Duke awarded him with a beautiful sword of gold and mithril with a red stone set in the hilt for 'services' to his lordship, Rounion fell onto his bed holding his new blade in his arms and cried out 'Gohena i eglath! Im gerin gweriad en muindor an sen hathol!'
Forgive the foresaken! I have betrayed my brother for this blade!

Without changing or putting away his sword Raunion fell into a terrible dream where he tried to sail to the Undying Lands but Manwe, dressed in a robe stained with blood in the same spots where Ionvain had bled, declared him a kinslayer and fith under the shoe of an orc. The seas parted and the ground moved and swallowed him whole, taking him down into the heart of Arda and into the same flames that comsumed Mahaedros.

He awoke crying out his brothers name and lay in bed, cold and drenched with sweat, rocking himself back and forth whispering an apology. Before the first light of the morn he took what few belongings he needed and disappeared into the silent woods and headed east.

Thanks for your reviews!

Toodles, Silabrithil