Author's WARNING: This chapter is gory!

As the door swung open, a SOMETHING fell over the doorway and spun slowly and horribly.

It was a body.

Katie gasped and fell backward. Elladan caught her up in his arms, and she stood shaking and sobbing into his chest in horror, gripping the front of his tunic in both fists. The image of that elf's body would haunt her mind for years.

The body was held suspended in the air. His neck was obviously broken, and his head hung at a terrible angle. There was blood everywhere, and his jaw was almost detached from his head and hung from a bit of flesh. His blank eyes had started from his head in cold terror at the moment of his death and remained so, sweeping Katie and the rest of the room with his frozen glance.

"GLORFINDEL!" Elrohir shouted for his father's seneschal. The room exploded in activity.

Elrond saw a note attached to the body, which he now recognized as belonging to Orain, one of the servants. He took down the note as servants rushed past him to take down the body.

Katie and Elladan were an island of stillness amidst the rush and chaos. Katie suddenly realized how close she was to the elf, and moved to pull back.

Elladan pulled her close again. They were still taking down the body. "No, do not look just yet," he said quietly. Katie began to shake again, and Elladan spoke soothingly to her in Elvish. She felt weak and ill.

When the body was gone from the room, Elladan picked up Katie as easily as if she were a doll and carried her to her room. For all his slight frame, he had the surprising strength of the elves. Once in the room he set Katie down on the bed and pulled her boots off for her. Katie tried in vain to wipe the tears off her cheeks, but she couldn't seem to stop crying.

Elladan tucked her in, but every time Katie closed her eyes, all she could see was the body of the elf, turning slowly before her. She shuddered anew.

Elladan gently placed her hand over her eyes. "Rest," he said quietly. "Sleep dreamlessly."

Katie felt herself slowly slipping into the dark arms of sleep. "Thank you," she muttered, and then her breathing evened out and she slept.

000

"Send word and my condolences to Orain's family," Elrond was saying to Dorlarth as Elladan reentered the library. "I am afraid to say that that they should not be allowed to see the body; it will only distress them. Remind all the staff to keep the details silent in honor of the family of the deceased."

"Yes, my lord."

"Glorfindel. What news?"

Eruvadhor and the warriors have returned, my lord," Glorfindel announced with an elvish salute.

"Send him in," Elrond ordered. "What have you discovered, my son?" he asked as Elrohir entered on Glorfindel's heels.

"Nothing." Elrohir sounded frustrated and grieved. "Cook saw Orain at two o'clock this afternoon, perfectly healthy and cheerful. He was heading toward the servants' quarters. Nothing more of his movements are known. No one seems to know anything." Elladan put his hand on his twin's shoulder.

Eruvadhor entered on these words and saluted. "My lord."

"Eruvadhor. Report."

"All was done according to plan. But no one came to meet me. Instead, I found this." He handed Elrond the note. "It seems the rebels foresaw that you would not consider giving up Vilya, and only arranged the meeting as a diversion. Although a diversion for what, I do not know."

"You have not heard the news?" Elrond look up sharply from the note.

"No, my lord, I just returned this moment. What news?"

"Orain has been murdered," Glorfindel answered grimly. "His body has only just been discovered."

"By the Valar," Eruvadhor exclaimed under his breath, visibly paling. "This is true?"

"This note was found on the body," Elrond said, holding it up. "It appears to match those found in the thicket and on the east door."

"Read it, Father," Elladan said when Elrond fell silent.

The tension was palpable in the air as Elrond unfolded the note.

"Now you know that we are serious, nor will we hesitate to carry out our threats. Deliver Vilya, alone, to the hollow tree along the road to Imladris within days time, and you may yet stem the slaughter. If you fail to comply, you will doom those you most love."

There was stunned silence. Elrond crumpled the note in his fist. "And yet, if I do comply, I may doom not only those I love, but all of Middle Earth, as well." He sank into a chair and pinched the bridge of his nose in a characteristic gesture.

"Place a guard around the house," he finally commanded Glorfindel. "Guard all entrances, make sure each window, balcony—everything—is watched. You know what to do." Glorfindel and Eruvadhor saluted and left the room. Elrond turned to his sons. "I would have you question all the servants again, individually and systematically. See if there are any clues we may have missed." Elladan and Elrohir bowed and moved to do their father's bidding. "Wait," he said on an afterthought, and they stopped and turned back to him.

Elrond put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Be careful, my sons. This assassin has threatened to hurt those I most love, and that is my children. Keep your eyes open."

Elladan put his hand over his father's. "We will be fine, Father."

Elrond nodded and kissed their foreheads. Then the twins left for the servants' quarters.

Left alone in the library, Elrond raised his eyes heavenward. "And may the Valar help us all," he murmured.

000

Elladan and Elrohir made their way toward the servants' quarters. On the way, they passed through a hall where one of the servants was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. Elrohir realized with a chill of horror that she was scrubbing at a bloodstain. Although he was a healer and a warrior, and no stranger to blood, the thought made him feel sick. The idea of one elf of his father's realm brutally murdering another in their very house was unbearable. He glanced over at his twin. Elrohir looked grim, and Elladan knew he felt the same.

To murder was bad enough, but to mangle the body almost beyond recognition—that was pure evil, an evil worthy of orcs. It was an evil planned and meditated upon. Even the kinslaying at Alqualondë had been the work of fury, not of cold-blooded calculation. This was inhuman.

"Elladan! Elrohir!" Estel hailed them from behind and raced up to them, Legolas on his heels. "We just heard the news! Is it true? Orain has been murdered?"

"Yes, it is true. I wish I could say it was not," Elladan answered as they caught up to them.

"Who found him?" Legolas asked.

"We did. Katie, really," Elrohir amended. "The body was hung outside the east door, which she opened."

"Is she alright?" Estel asked in concern.

"She is asleep," Elladan said. "I think she will be fine, but only time will tell. She must recover from the shock. But she is in the right place for that—the tranquility of our people will help her."

"Imladris is not so tranquil now is it once was," Elrohir commented darkly.

000

It was a grim group that gathered for dinner that evening. The dining hall was very quiet, as most of the servants had been sent home for their own safety and for the security of the house. Guards were posted everywhere and Glorfindel stuck as closely to Elrond as his own shadow. Elladan, Elrohir, Estel and Legolas all carried weapons.

Katie was absent; she still slept, with Lithorniel watching over her. Lithorniel was one of the few female servants allowed to remain during this time. Elrohir and Elladan had interviewed them all before anyone was allowed to leave the house, but had found nothing. They were both very weary with grief and frustration, and there was to be no gathering in the Hall of Fire that night. As the sun went down, the first notes of a lament rose into the evening air. Silently, the family bowed their heads in tribute to the dead.

000

In the cold, black hours of the morning, Lithorniel was roused out of half-lidded slumber by the sound of Katie muttering something in her sleep. As the maid watched her, Katie awoke and opened her eyes. She blinked blearily once or twice, and then silently acknowledged Lithorniel's presence.

A warm night breeze wafted in the open window, carrying with it the ethereal notes of the lament, which had been carried on at interval throughout the night.

Katie sat up. "What's that?" she whispered.

"A lament for Orain," Lithorniel answered in a low voice.

Katie climbed out of bed and walked to the window, and Lithorniel followed her. Rivendell was spread out below them. The singers were hidden in the darkness, but they could see lights below, some reflected in the water of the Bruinen. And over all was the song of lamentation—notes so unearthly and all-pervading that it seemed the very stars sang them.

"I don't even know what they're saying, but it's still so sad I want to cry," Katie murmured.

They stood still at the window until the sky began to lighten to gray. As the stars slowly faded, the notes of the lament died away, the last sound ceasing to vibrate as the sun rose.

Katie turned away from the window, and Lithorniel saw that her cheeks were wet.

"Come, Penneth," she said gently, "let's get you dressed for the new day."

TBC

AN: Wow, that chapter got a bit dark, didn't it? I didn't expect it to do that, quite. This story keeps surprising me! Lol It's a bit embarrassing to have to admit that your story keeps getting away from you… :)

don'taskmewhy0991: You can't find your invisible cookie? It's right there, in the invisible basket! grins

cierah: Thanks! That makes me feel better—I keep trying to make sure it's not like every other fanfic.

EresseElondiel and Bella: rubs hands togetherYeeessss… I am a wicked cliffhanger-writing author… grins But you have to admit, I updated pretty fast!

Please review! I love you all! puppy-dog eyes