Chapter 8:
Unseen Enemy
After writing the letter to Lord Celeborn and sending it out to a messenger, Elrond and Thranduil decided to go see what mischief the three elflings had gotten into. They soon found out.
They were walking down the corridor of the guestrooms when they found them. A door opened and out walked the three children, sniffling and holding their bottoms painfully.
"What happened there?" Thranduil questioned.
"My boys have once again played a practical joke on Erestor. They must have dragged Legolas into it." Elrond replied with a sigh. He wondered how many punishments those two would have to go through before they learned.
"And now, the three of you are going to clean that slime off the floor!" Erestor emerged from the room after them, and marched them off towards another part of the palace.
"I think Erestor has everything under control." Elrond said with amusement. Thranduil had to laugh. It was amazing how well the advisor handled children, even though he had none of his own.
"I believe you are correct. Why don't we get some lunch?" The King suggested, and they headed towards the kitchen.
About half way there, though, they ran into an extremely tired looking Arminas. The way he had to stop and hold his head for a moment suggested a very bad headache. He stumbled often, and did not seem to be looking were he was going. He bumped right into Elrond.
"Arminas? What's wrong?" Thranduil asked, grabbing him by the shoulder to keep him from falling over. He immediately tried to flinch away from the contact, but wasn't strong enough at the moment.
"Nothing, My Lord. Only a headache." He replied, his muscles tense as he endured the King's touch. He didn't even notice the dark-haired elf beside him.
"No, it is not only a headache. You have been working too hard." He replied, frowning. What could he have done to put himself in such pain? He led him to his room and called for a healer.
"You must stay in bed for as long as you need. If all goes well, Lord Celeborn of Lorien will be coming here in a few weeks, and I will need all of my advisors when he does." Arminas heard him say, but at the moment, he was just glad that he wasn't on his feet any more.
The two lords left him a little while later, when the healer had given him some bitter tea and told him not to leave his bed. Now his mind was forced back to working. That part of him that he despised spoke up. The part that made him constantly miserable. Lord Celeborn may be visiting Mirkwood. He had to let his master know. Not now, he told himself, despite the pain that sliced through his head at denying his master anything, even temporarily. He wouldn't even be able to get out of the palace, he reasoned. He would pass out before he made it.
At another sharp pain, he finally gave into what his body wanted and passed out. The numbing darkness was the most peace he would ever get.
Elrond was not happy. Something was not right.
It was bad enough to hear about the situation with Mirkwood, but he somehow found that pushed to the back of his mind by Arminas. Something about that elf just felt…wrong. He had awakened senses of both sympathy and dread in the elven lord. It was unnerving.
He sat and brooded on that until an urgent knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Erestor.
"Yes, what is the matter?" Elrond asked, seeing the frantic look on his adviser's face.
"Th- The children! Elladan and Elrohir are missing!" He stuttered, his eyes not hiding the beginning of panic.
A/N: …umm… review please! Oh, and sigh minor revisions.