Chapter Four Finding That Which is Lost
He hung there suspended in air, his hands clenching the belt of the young elfling, and his feet tightly wrapped in an amazingly strong pair of hands. Figwit hissed into the air at his mentor. "The balcony will not support our added weight. Take the child and let me fall."
"Stubborn elf!" Erestor gritted his teeth. "Stop moving!"
"It is not I." Figwit protested. "It is my young charge. He is swinging and I have him by nothing more then his belt. If you refuse to drop me, then pull me up."
Erestor cursed and pulled with all his might. Slowly Figwit and the elfling were pulled onto the balcony. Once safely on the ledge, Figwit sighed. Both he and Erestor pulled the youth to the safety of the doorway. Figwit knelt beside the elf and began his searches for injuries. The arm started to bleed protrusely, causing Figwit to hiss in warning.
"We must bind this wound before he bleeds to death." Figwit glanced over at Erestor who proceeded to take off his tunic. "Why is he not yet dead?"
"His arm being suspended above him prevented the blood flow. His arm hanging above his heart stopped the blood from pumping rapidly through his system. Thus causing the wound time to heal over slightly, but not enough to completely heal." Erestor explained quickly binding the wound. "We must find Elrond." He gathered the small child in his arms and took a good look at him. "It is Elladan."
Figwit raised his eyebrow curiously. "How do you know?"
"A guess." Erestor chuckled, wincing slightly under the added weight to his ribs, and the pressure to his lungs.
"Where is Elrohir?" Figwit whispered fearing the answer.
Erestor shook his head, praying that the child was also not on the balcony. His heart knew the answer, but he refused to think about it. The child in his arms needed a healer immediately.
They scrambled down the stairway and back out into the open, together they raced over broken rocks, and wood, to reach the remains of the house of Elrond.
Thranduil called out an order to his men, pointing in front of him to the tree branch that had fallen across the river. It didn't take them long to cross the Bruinen to the other side where they felt the grief and sorrow of the land beneath them.
"What happened here?" One of his men whispered shivering from the emotions of the land.
Thranduil shook his head uncertainly. He was now glad that he didn't bring his wife and children with him. Something had happened and with growing fear, he shouted an order to proceed ahead. Gingerly they walked forward. They carefully stepped over overturned rocks, tossed trees, and cracks in the earth.
"What caused the earth to split, milord?" The youngest and newest member of his home guard asked softly.
Thranduil shook his head slightly, frowning briefly. "I know not, but let us proceed with caution. There is evil here-I can feel it."
The others nodded their agreement, knowing what evil felt like. Spiders had started to descend from the mountains around their homeland, currently making their home in the beautiful forest of Greenwood the Great. It now appeared that their home was living up to the name given to that particular forest by their former king, Oropher. The last name, which had been whispered upon his lips at the last Alliance. Mirkwood.
These were not the ordinary house spiders that the forest was used to, but giant ones from the Misty Mountains, poisonous spiders that sent even the best guard into fear. The mere mention of these spiders sent everyone in the Royal woods to run with fear, and hide in their mountain homes. Too many deaths had been the cause of this new foe, and Thranduil, having heard Mithrandir was visiting Rivendell decided to visit for answers.
This devastation had been the furthest thing from his mind when he had set out on his journey. Now it appeared that the evil had spread even to the borders of the peaceful land. With a nod of continuation, they edged forward towards the ridge above Rivendell. Time to see how far the evil had indeed spread.
He groaned in frustration. Somehow lying perfectly still, caused him more pain then wriggling around like a madman. His mind could not comprehend that logic, so he began wriggling again. He desperately wanted this tree off him, but no matter how hard he tried, the thing refused to budge. Even his attempts at moving out from under the tree, caused him to break his foot, which at the current moment was throbbing unmercilessly.
He rolled his eyes skyward, and cried out to the blue sky littered with light fluffy clouds. 'Fluffy!' He shook his head furiously. "I am loosing my mind!" He cried out to no one in particular. He glared at the brown trunk of the tree accusingly. "This is your fault!" He growled. "Get off me!" He hissed between clenched teeth. Even mind power would not work to move it. "I give UP!" He pouted. A warrior such as he should not have to beg the tree to get off him; he shouldn't even be in this particular procurement in the first place.
"Definitely going to be a long night." He moaned. Sighing to himself, he picked up a handful of dirt and tossed it at the tree, but the wind picked up just as it left his hand and flew directly into his face. Sputtering the dirt out of his nose and mouth, he moaned again. "Aye, going to be a long night indeed!" He turned his head skyward, and started counting the clouds in the sky.
She sat by the water; her feet dipped in the cool stream kicking up little rivulets. It was a beautiful day and the sun was out. Her father and herself had gone out for a day of fishing and were now preparing the afternoon meal. Laughing to herself quietly, she reminded herself that her father was making lunch, while she soaked up the coolness of the shade by the river.
It was the first day in weeks that she and her father were able to find time to be together and she was enjoying the day so much that she almost didn't mind that her mother was no longer there with them. Saddened by the memories of her mother she felt her mouth turn down slightly, her eyes threatening to fill with tears. She shook her head quickly; she didn't want memories to ruin her day with her father. It had taken him so long to recover from his grief.
She smiled wiping the tears out of her eyes and glanced over her shoulder. Her father was humming by the small fire he had built poking at the fish that cooked on the stones in the flames. She sniffed the air and sighed in contentment. Today could not get any better then this she reminded herself. She turned her head back to the river and squinted her eyes when something on the opposite bank caught her attention.
Something floated there caught on something, but she couldn't make out what it was. She stood up smoothing out her dress, and placed a delicate hand shading her eyes from the glare of the sun. She squinted her eyes more. She still could not make out what floated there. It appeared to be a shirt or material of sorts.
She turned her head and called to her father. "Ada! Come here." She raised her hand once again blocking out the sun.
"What is it, Lovie?" He asked standing from beside the fire to join her at the riverside.
"Look there across the river." She pointed to the opposite bank and glanced at her father who was now shading his eyes and squinting.
"What do you suppose?" He muttered. "Stay here sweets. I will take the boat across and see what it is." He ruffled her blonde hair, causing the clasps to twist slightly and shift. She narrowed her blue eyes at him and frowned.
Her father chuckled, and stepped inside the boat, and drew out his oar. He rowed across the almost motionless river, which had been raging earlier on in the day. Celanos kept his eyes on the bank where his daughter stood shading her eyes and squinting at the object, and shifted her feet impatiently. Smiling to himself, he guessed the object to be a doll of sorts, not what he was greeted with in the least.
He gasped when he saw the body of a small child floating half on the banks and half in the river. His eyes widened at the mass of wet hair plastered across the face, the white limp body and almost deathlike look of the child. Closing his eyes, he reached his hands out and rolled the child over.