Chapter Seven Shattering Cries of Love

Celanos rowed his boat with all the strength he possessed. It took him less time to row downriver then it did upriver, against the current, and at his present speed and determination, he would reach Rivendell by early morning. His blood boiled in his veins as his thoughts drifted to the children he left behind. The elf's mind also drifted to his wife, who had passed to the halls of Mandos. It had been just over a year since she had died, and he still felt his heart tighten at the mere thought of life without her. She had made him promise to stay and take care of their daughter.

Shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts, the painful memories resurfacing unbidden, Celanos felt tears well up in his eyes at the anger and grief that tried to take over all reasoning. He remembered his promise; he would not follow his wife to the undying lands, nor to the halls of Mandos until his daughter was full grown.

His mind drifted to the past; to that dreadful day.

The sun shone brightly high above their small cottage. His daughter's laughter rang out joyfully as she raced around their tiny farm, chasing a small feral cat. Celanos smiled watching as he did every morning, laughing softly to himself, secretly knowing his daughter would never catch the animal. No matter how hard she tried, the cat teased her as she teased it to be caught. A small groan from inside their cottage caused him to glance over his shoulder. His wife was in the early stages of labour, and he knew she would give birth before the weeks end. It had started early last night, and he had made his wife as comfortable as possible. She had felt better that morning, but now it appeared the labour was intensifying.

Seraveil's soft voice called out to him for water, and he got to his feet quickly to heed her every wish. He knelt down beside the bed and lifted her head allowing her a small drink of water, before he laid her back onto the soft down pillow. She grinned rubbing her belly. 'Your son will be here tomorrow, Celanos.' She whispered quietly.

Nodding he grinned from ear to ear. 'Do you wish me to stay here rather then take Celoviel to the festival?'

She shook her head. 'No, she has been looking forward to this day for months, my love. Allow her some fun before the babe's arrival.'

'What about you?'

'I will go with you to the morning meal, all the children will be there, and Celoviel will want to meet and make some new friends.'

'As long as she doesn't beat them up as she did with Leriala.' He muttered under his breath, causing his wife to chuckle.

'We both know that situation, love. It was not her fault.' His wife defended her daughter.

Nodding, he turned a bright smile to his wife, before the smile turned into a frown as his wife's face scrunched up in pain.

'It is naught, only a contraction.' His wife assured him. 'Besides, I will talk with Lord Elrond this morning, should we see him at the table.'

Raising an eyebrow, Celanos nodded. He turned his head towards the door as a loud yowl came from the feral cat.

'I believe your daughter has finally caught that poor kitty.' His wife laughed.

'Ai! She will torture that poor beast.' Scrambling to his feet, Celanos walked to the door quickly, seeing his young daughter holding the small orange cat as she would a rag doll.

"Lovie, please put that cat down. Chase it around you may, but it is wild and may scratch you.'

'Can we keep her, Ada?' She asked grinning triumphantly.

'I say not, come, time for you to get ready for breakfast.'

The breakfast had gone pretty much uneventful; his wife had kept her word and talked with Lord Elrond about her labour. True to her words, their son would be born by midafternoon the following day, and appeared to be going along smoothly. His daughter had suddenly appeared fascinated with a small boy who she had bumped into earlier, and seemed to be following him around happily.

Celanos had laughed when she had approached him asking if she saw where the boy had gone. He had grinned at his wife and shook his head.

Celanos had taken Celoviel to the feast as he promised to his wife. Everything had appeared to be going alone smoothly, when suddenly, a young man came running up to him asking for his assistance.

Celanos had raced from the festival leaving his daughter with a friend, and raced home to his wife. Something had gone terribly wrong. When he entered, he saw three young women tending his wailing wife. She was crying and yelling at them. The sheets were stained with blood, and he had nearly fainted when one of the women turned holding a small unmoving form wrapped protectively in a blanket.

Celanos scrambled over to the bedside, catching his wife in a large hug. Tears ran down her face as her eyes followed the lady who held their son. He was dead. Crying out with rage and overwhelming grief, Celanos had held his wife that night whispering and talking to her. By early morning his wife had passed to the halls of Mandos. Celanos had fallen into grief.

He lifted his head quickly. Tears ran unbidden down his face. The memories would be with him for the rest of his life. Sadly he glanced around and realized that he was drifting on the water. Celanos had stopped rowing. Shaking his head he placed the oars back into the water, but stopped when he noticed something amiss. There were no birdcalls, no songs, or chirps. Frowning, the elf warily rowed to shore, and pulled the boat onto the bank. His eyes peered into the woods around him finding nothing out of place. However, something was terribly wrong.

A sharp kick caused her to wake suddenly. The boy beside her was thrashing around in his bedroll. Startled she sat up and looked at the elf. His lips were blue, and he was not breathing. Crying out suddenly, not knowing what to do, she shook him with both her hands. "Wake up. Wake up. Stop kicking around." Helplessly, she looked around at the darkness; her father was not around to help her. Her eyes fell onto the small cup of tea, he had left.

'If the child becomes ill, give him some of that herbal tea I gave him earlier.' Her father's words came to her in a rush, and she raced to her feet. Grabbing the cup she ran back to the boy, whose pale face was now greyish in colour.

"Here, drink this." She placed the cup to the child's mouth but his flailing hands knocked it out of her small hands and fell to the ground, it's contents spilling all over the dirt. "Now look what you have done, you spilled it."

The boy's ashen face scrunched up and his blue lips suddenly turned grey. His thrashing grew less, and then he stopped. Not moving at all. "No, you cannot leave. ADA!" She cried out into the darkness.

The forehead under his hand grew cold. Searching with his mind, he felt something pulling away from the child's fëa, and he gently called the figure back. His healing flowed through the injured elfling with intensity he had never felt before. Power surged through him and he felt both fae's with in the child grow strong once more.

"Does this boy have a sibling?" He whispered quietly.

Erestor nodded. "He has a twin, why?"

The young guard shook his head. He did not answer the dark haired elf, but concentrated his healing to keep the boys strong. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he through all his healing abilities into the children. When he had started, he did not know he would be healing two, rather then only one. This was beyond his power, and he didn't know how long he could hold onto them both.

Celanos felt his heart wrench in the direction he had left his daughter. Giving a startled cry, he raced back towards the camp. Stumbling over dry twigs embedded in the dirt path, the elf ran as he had never run before. His daughter needed him; he felt the fear before his heart tugged at him.

Jumping onto a boulder to his left, Celanos tried to stop suddenly as he saw three sets of bows aimed at him. Giving a startled cry, Celanos slipped and fell, trying to stop his momentum. His head cracked on the edge of the boulder as he slipped off the surface. Black spots filled his eyes as he gasped from the pain. The golden eyes peered down at him, and they roared with laughter at his demise. Orcs had sensed the evil welling up around the lands, and had finally come into the open. They had their first victim. Falling into darkness, Celanos let out a wail before the abyss took him completely.

'Lovie!' He thought to himself as he slipped into unconsciousness. His daughter would never know what happened. 'I love you.' His mind sent out along their fëa