Hi!
I´m so sorry for my late update - real life can be a pain, but I hope that now I´ll be able to write and update regularly again. Thank you for bearing with me - and of course, thanks again for your great reviews and to San for editing.
This chapter is sort of a transition - more to come soon, promised.
Now enjoy!
Alina
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Not mine (I had hoped for an elf for Christmas, but no luck...)
Battlegrounds
The horse ran swiftly across the glittering snow, its hooves barely touching the ground. Maybe it was about to fly. Maybe it would grow wings at any second and gently push away from the ground to greet the fluffy clouds in the blue skies overhead...
But no, the steady beat remained. Estel did not mind, though. He knew that he could ask Tinw to fly for him, but he was glad enough for the horse just to be with him. He did not know where he was being taken, but there was no doubt in his heart that it would be a good place. He lifted his head with closed eyes and allowed the sun to warm his face. Briefly, he wondered why his right cheek felt cool while the left one seemed to suck up all the heat, but then these questions melted away when suddenly both light and warmth disappeared.
Quickly opening his eyes, the boy realized that the sunny plain was gone and they had entered a forest again. It was bare of trees in its winter dress, yet the sunbeams were effectively blocked by an invisible boundary that reeked of evil. Estel began to shiver and leaned over Tinw´s neck to urgently whisper into the soft brown ears: "This is the wrong path, Tinw. Turn back. Bring me to ada. Bring me to my brothers."
Never breaking his stride, the stallion turned his head slightly, one dark eye taking in the child's face. "This is the path." Estel froze. The voice - Ada´s voice! He wanted to call out, to look for his father, but he knew in his heart he would not find him. "This is the path." The soft words soothingly caressed the boy's soul. "Do not turn from the thorny road, Estel ..."
A sudden breeze made the branches of the mighty trees groan and creak, and the gently sound of Elvish was lost among the growing noise. Estel sat up straight, unable to contain his longing any longer.
"Ada, come and take me home!" His desperate plea echoed from the frozen ground and the bare trees. It seeped into the glittering snow. It was trampled beneath Tinw´s ever-moving hooves and ripped away by the wind. It was useless.
Tears began to flow down the boy's cheek. Tinw made a soothing sound deep in his throat, a low rumble that vibrated through his frame, and Estel leaned forward yet again to wrap his arms around the thick warm neck. He resisted the urge to bury his head in the mane but rather looked ahead, his heart racing as he anticipated what was to come.
Before him, thick thorn bushes closed in onto the path the horse was following until they would have grazed the animal's sides, yet Tinw gilded on, undisturbed. A steep hill rose before them and with it a darkness that swallowed everything, even though blue skies remained far above.
The stallion mounted the crest of the hill with a few more strides and then stood still. So still that not a muscle within him seemed to twitch. Timidly, Estel raised his head. Below him, a village lay nestled by a small river. The sun that was no longer touching Estel painted the low wooden roofs golden. It reflected off the ice that had formed on the water and turned it into a glittering snake that slithered away to the lake that shone on the distance. But not all was well.
Red stains marred the snow towards the east, and a dead horse lay twisted within a rust-coloured powder. An elvish horse. Estel´s heart tightened in fear when the wind picked up again, and suddenly it carried the noise of battle. Screams of men and beasts mingled with elvish shouts. Metal met metal, and the air bristled with the swoosh of arrows. Instinctively, Estel ducked, even though the still image before him did not change.
"Follow the thorny path, ion-nin."
Lord Elrond´s voice seeped through the noise of battle, barely audible yet finding the child´s heart with ease. Then it was gone, and the trees´ groans began to grow louder. They drowned all other sounds, becoming so persistent that Estel curled up on Tinw´s back and buried his head in the warm fur...
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A sudden movement beneath him made Estel jump, his eyes snapping open. His heart was in his mouth, drenched with fear, all muscles clenched as he slowly took in the dark dog his left cheek had been resting on. In the glowing red that drifted into the room from the dying fire, the animal's questioning eyes found Estel´s. The boy, however, was full of confusion himself.
Foggily, he remembered the dog looking up a tree he had sat on. Very slowly, his memory of yesterday's events returned, and his shaky breathing calmed when he realized that he had only been dreaming - but how was that possible? Did one dream within a dream?
Suddenly shivering again, Estel picked up the blanket that had slipped from his shoulders and drew it around himself once more. Beakon, as he recalled the dog's name, sat up behind him and the boy leaned into the big, warm frame for support. He could still feel his ada´s voice in his heart, and even though the words had scared the child, he drew comfort from the memory.
Suddenly, a low groan made him turn his head, almost expecting to see bare trees rise from the ground around him. Yet there were no trees, even though the elf that had made the pained sound might have rested easier if there had been. Legolas´ head was turned towards the fireplace and Estel could see that his eyes were still closed, his brow furrowed as if troubling thoughts haunted him.
Scooting closer to the bed, Estel instinctively reached out a hand and placed it on the elf's forehead. At first it seemed to him that Legolas was only slightly warm, but to his surprise, his hand quickly heated up, as if taking in the elf's fever. The fair features below his touch visibly relaxed and the blue eyes opened ever so slightly, glazed over in sleep.
Estel yawned as his own exhaustion returned with a vengeance, and he pulled back his hand, cool yet again, his body curling up where he lay and falling asleep without ever feeling Beakon snuggle close to him, sharing some warmth.
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Silence fell yet again over the house in the woods, and there was only one pair of eyes that watched the drifting snow slowly abate. Soon, the skies cleared and brought with them bristling cold that seemed almost solid in its severity.
But the man who watched did not fear the cold, for his heart was warmed by the prospect of heavy gold within his hands. Stealthily, he got up and gathered up his own coat and two more that he found hanging upon the wall. He then wrapped a scarf around his face and, bracing himself, opened the door.
The cold jumped at him like a living beast, knocking his breath away, but the man had seen worse attacks. With no more but an annoyed grumble he silently closed the door and remained unmoving for a short while, making sure nothing stirred within the house. A grin spread beneath his scarf when all stayed quiet. This was his chance to get away from a life had always loathed. Moving towards the stable, his heart soared ahead already, seeking fame and fortune.
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Earlier that night, still wrapped within the throes of the storm, Elladan could also feel the approach of change, but it was not a good one. He raised his hand and called for his group to halt. Both Elrohir and Glorfindel drew up at his sides, and together they allowed their senses to search the swirling wall of white around them.
It was Glorfindel who spoke first, his voice calm yet drenched in tension. "Not even the snow can cover the odour of blood that comes from the east." He turned more fully into that direction, cocking his head ever so slightly in an effort to catch a sound, but only to frown in frustration. "There seems to be life left close by, but no sound betrays its nature."
The twins nodded in unison, finding their instincts supported. "Where blood was spilled we should offer aid", Elrohir said slowly, "for the life remaining might well be innocent." He did not voice the fears they all held within their hearts, knowing it was not necessary. One look into his twin's stern gaze, softened as it was by the snow that swirled past it, told him that anybody who had dared hurt Estel or Legolas would pay dearly.
"We cannot be sure whether this bloodshed is truly connected to those we seek", Elladan stated slowly, "but how could we turn our backs onto any kind of desperation? We shall seek to uncover this mystery swiftly, lest it is nothing but a diversion."
Before the others could answer, the elf pushed his horse into a canter, but he took care to allow Glorfindel to pass him moments later to take the lead. It was clear the Balrog Slayer had a much clearer sense of where to go, and Elladan did not intend to lose time over falsely placed pride. He glanced to his side to see how Elrohir was holding up. He had not forgotten his brother's injury and was not about to.
Elrohir felt the gaze but chose to swallow the jibe that only waited to be released. He knew that the loss of Estel had made his brother all the more protective, and the best way to counter the fear that lay beneath this almost fierce behaviour was to prove his strength.
The slightly changed sound beneath his horse's hoofs made Elrohir turn to his brother, a sudden realization hitting him. "Ice!" he yelled out, "we might be approaching the village by the creek." Looking down, he could even make out the small stream's bed, for it was marked by slightly raised banks and less snow that covered it.
Elladan nodded his agreement and reined in his horse when Glorfindel slowed before them. Pulling their horses back into a slow trot, the elves followed the icy path, their eyes trained ahead. The odour of blood grew stronger steadily, becoming a trail as obvious as the creek. Slowly, the shapes of houses peeled from the swirling wall of flakes before them. No lights were to be seen yet, but the smell of smoke drifted across from the farther parts of the village and mingled with the stench of blood.
Elrohir tensed, his hand going for his sword before he even realized what he was doing. Both Glorfindel and Elladan had done likewise, and behind them, a gentle scraping of metal on wood, almost a whisper in the dark, told them that the Rivendell warriors had followed suit.
Glorfindel turned to the twins, his voice almost inaudible yet as strong as ever. "Human blood drenches the snow beneath us, much more than a single child might have shed." His meaning was clear, yet Elladan´s response came without wavering. "Aye, so I have gathered. Our brother might still be held in this place, though, and if not..." - he picked up his sword and signalled for the warriors to separate, surrounding the village from both sides - "...we would not honour him by abandoning his people."
With the other Rivendell fighters turning into moving shadows to their left and right as they fanned out, the twins and Glorfindel resumed their path along the stream, moving straight into the village. They could feel eyes upon them, and when the first arrow was released at them, they were ready. Bursting into a swirl of movement, the elves rushed forward to be greeted by throaty yells from many raiders´ throats. Ahead, an elvish horse screamed out as death found it, and then battle was upon them like a wild beast that had only awaited its chance.
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When the horse went down in a heap, its legs twitching as it strained to out-run death, the cold winds picked up its final shrieks. The ground soaked up the impact of its fall. Both sound and subtle vibrations raced away from their place of origin. They grew thin as they travelled, yet travel they still did, cutting through earth and sky in their progress. They did not go unnoticed.
Towards the west, a wounded elf turned and groaned in his sleep, his dreams suddenly troubled.
And not far from him, a group of elves suddenly halted as their leader froze in his tracks.
Erestor´s head snapped up, his concentration of Estel´s trail shattered as the shadow of danger and death raced past him, gracing his skin like an icy hand that brushed him and then rushing on, its owner never to be seen. Instinctively looking to his right, the advisor frowned. Within the ever-dancing snow, shapes formed. Horses raced past houses, arrows cut the air, riders jumped off their mounts to engage their hidden enemies in battle.
Two of the fighters stood out, even their shadows alike as their swords came down upon their foes, and a red glow spread around them. Yet suddenly, one of them disappeared, sinking back into the nothingness of the snow that had formed his image. Slowly, the rest of the battle crumbled around him and melted away.
Erestor turned, his face stern when he addressed the warriors by his side.
"We have a choice to make", he said gravely, "and whatever way we turn, the price to pay might be high indeed."
TBC
Review responses:
tmelange: Thank you!!
TrinityTheSheDevil: Thanks - of course you may recommend my story, thank you :-)
me: Thank you. So sorry again the update took so long, usually I´m much faster. I hope you are still interested ;-)
annakes: Thanks - I hope you still enjoy.
eliteschwein: And thanks to you, too, even though my update was not "soon" at all...
elvingirl3737: Thanks for the coat! Estel loved it, blends right in with the snow :-) And your intuition is sooo right, lol
carawen: Thank you! I´m afarid the helpers are in need of help themselves now...
NightShadow131: No, not good at all - humans can be such a pain...but not all of them, lol. Sorry Leggy´s still asleep, I did not have the heart to wake him yet...
Harry Estel: So true - sigh - But people can learn!
Deana: Thank you - and a late Merry Christmas to you, too.
KeshieShimmer: Thanks so much - blushes-
Red Tigress: Lol, there is never enough danger, really... We´ll see about the dog not getting hurt, even though I like him, too :-) And yes, men can be soooo wicked...
Po-Pla: Trouble? For our heroes? In my stories? Naww - - - Ok, yes, you are right. A lot of trouble ahead, lol And a late Merry Christmas to you, too :-)
Aranna Undomiel: Not safe at all, you are so right... And there are more chapters to come, yes - faster than this one, too, lol
Mellaithwen: Lol, I bet Legolas and Estel feel very well protected by you, hehe. A late Merry Xmas to you, too :-)
Thank you all!!! You make my day :-)