A/N: Hello all! I can't believe the school year is almost over! Only 24 more days remain. Summer I can't wait! This chapter is a tad more intense than the previous ones, mostly because of the nature of Estel's past. Had to happen, at least I didn't drag out the inevitable.
viggomaniac- Thank you for your continued reviews, it means a lot to me that you take the time to carefully read my story the way you do! It can only improve my writing skills, and I can already see that it will teach me to improve my proofreading, and stop relying so heavily on spell check! I am glad you like it so far.
Ithil-valon- Thank you for your review, it made my writer's heart happy to know that you liked my story as much as me! The title has a meaning, which you have apparently noticed. Your praise helps a neophyte writer such as myself to keep going.
rodeocat- I'm glad you find it interesting so far, and I do hope to continue the trend. More little Aragorn to come! Hope you like him just as much to come.
Liz- Glad you liked the chapter, here's the next one for you, I think I fixed all the problems but I'm sure you'll tell me if I missed any. BTW which class are you escaping from currently?
Chapter four: Decisions.
Scrambling to his feet Elladan rushed into the hallway only to see Elrohir and Arathorn stumble out as well. Orcs! They have found us! Gilrean rushed into little Aragorn's room to comfort him and hastily hide him as well.
Gilrean, stay here! Protect Aragorn. I will be back. Arathorn and the twins burst from the house to meet the coming onslaught
Elrohir was quite worried as the orcs hardly ever took the time to look for trouble, they usually just blundered onto something in their way from place to place, they usually didn't search for something unless they had orders. That last though sent a chill down to Elrohir's bones
The rest of the Dunedain in the valley were pouring out of houses to the defense of the settlement. There were so few of the Dunedain here though. A group of about 20 men was all that there were to be had. Even so, 20 Dunedain and 2 elves could do a lot. By the time the orcs had finally exploded through the valley, the men were ready for them. Bows brought down the first row but more and more seemed to appear from the tunnel, nothing that they could do could staunch the assault. Elrohir abandoned his bow and pulled out his sword as the orcs came close enough.
The orcs were sloppy fighters, but they made up for it through sheer numbers. The screams of many beasts and men alike could be heard mingling with the red night. The orcs torched the houses and in dismay the men watched as their homes went up in smoke.
Women and children were running out of the burning dwellings only to be killed mercilessly by the fiends below. Elladan heard a shout from behind him. He turned just in time to avoid being decapitated by a particularly nasty orc. Plunging his sword deep into his midsection he felt the viscous black blood run over his fingers as he jerked the blade out of the dead orc.
The clouds that had been threatening to burst finally opened and let go of all the rain that they had held. The rain poured down on the grizzly scene below. Elladan had slowly been pushed back to the edge of the battle. Now cut off from the rest of the men and his brother, he was surrounded on all sides by mourgal scum. His rain sodden hair stuck to his cheeks as he brandished his sword at the foul beasts. His feet were sticking to the mire below. He gasped as a searing pain radiated through his shoulder. Gritting his teeth against the pain he fought on, putting the pain into another level, ignoring it.
Arathorn saw Elladan falter surrounded by a group of orcs. He made his way to where Elladan was struggling. Killing any orc in his way he made it to the injured elf. Standing back to back they fought their way beck to the rest of the group. They had almost made it when Elladan heard a gasp behind him. Arathorn sunk to the ground an arrow embedded in his eye. Elladan caught him as he fell and lowered him to the ground. Arathorn reached up to his neck and pulled a thin chain that was around it. He handed the chain to Elladan who took the fine gold strand. Hannon le mellon nin. ( Thank you my friend)Arathorn choked out as he breathed his last.
I Melain berio(may the Valar keep you) Elladan whispered putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Elladan stood and fought with ferocity few could match, his grief and hatred for the ruined race spurring him on, his shoulder all but forgotten. Finally the last orc had been slain, but at a terrible price. Of the twenty Dunedain that had resided in the small town 12 remained. The men were not the only casualties, women and children had been slain as well. Of the 80 people, 30 remained.
No one sobbed, not even the children. The viciousness of the slaughter was such that words were not even possible, everyone simply walked around in a dazed state of shock.
Elladan and Elrohir glance around the disturbing scene. Dead orcs littered the ground their black blood pooling and running over the cobblestone paths. Red blood oozed along as well, from the many humans who lay lifeless. All of the remaining Dunedain gathered around their fallen captain. They all knelt before Arathorn's body and murmured a soft prayer to the Valar.
My friend, may your spirit find rest in Mandos's Halls, until we meet again.
The others looked to the he gruff voice of Himald, and nodded in accord. Carefully they moved his body away from the putrid orcs. There were many orcs, far more than the humans that had been fighting them. They had been outnumbered at least three to one.
The bodies of the orcs were piled and lit ablaze. The Dunedain set about burying their dead. Their fallen captain and his wife Gilrean, who had been found dead, were first. They had searched for the child, Aragorn, but to no avail. He could be found nowhere. It was the general assumption that he had been consumed by the fire that had raged in their house. The stables had been destroyed as well, but through the efforts of the stable boys the majority of the horses had been saved. The Dunedain were set to ride out to Hailibard who was to be their new leader.
Elladan reached into his pocket and his hand closed around the chain that Arathorn had left with him as he lay dying. He felt a curiously shaped pendant on the end and pulling it out for closer inspection he realized it was no pendant. It was a key. Quickly reaching up to his eyes, his injured shoulder protested violently. The stitches that Elrohir had put in being tugged by the movement he winced. He turned to look at the remains of Arathorn's smoldering house. The tall bushes beside the house stood out in stark contrast now that the house was no longer standing as it had been. The Dunedain had all moved out of the town, the twins having decided to return to Imladris to tell their father of the events of last night. Agreeing on that Elrohir bid them safe journey and watched as they disappeared into the tunnel. Elrohir now only had one problem, where was his twin? He hadn't seen him since the morning and now it was nearly noon.
He searched the razed town for nearly an hour before he spotted him sitting on a log looking intently at something. He walked over to Elladan and opened his mouth to speak, but he was surprised when his brother quieted him pointing to the trees.
Avo 'osto neith min (fear not young one) Elladan called quietly into the trees.
Elrohir stood puzzled looking at his brother.
Are you suggesting that the trees have need to worry? He asked his brother.
Elladan glared at him. No but I think the child that is hiding in the woods might.
Elrohir looked into the woods again and saw nothing, but at the same time a slight tingling overtook his senses, they were being watched.
Elrohir sat besides his brother and took vigil as well, knowing that it was best to allow the child to come to them. After a few hours they both fell asleep, giving in to the exhaustion of the previous night' s battle and the grief they had been living and reliving.
A/N Yhah, Three guesses who it is in the woods! Not too ouchy for our favorite twins, but hey they couldn't get away totally unscathed while everyone else is nearly annihilated. That just didn't seen fair. As always, little purple button is your friend and pretty please review! They make me so happy! (sorry in advance for any grammatical errors, I'm sure I didn't catch them all and if I did it's a miracle
