Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/N: Hi there everybody. First off, I want to thank everybody for their patience with me this past month. Since my grandmothers passing in August, things have been kind of hard and I didn't really write all that much. But now I do think I am getting back into the swing of things. Writing helps me but it is a slow process, so please, bear with me. Anyway, thank you all so much for your reviews. I can not believe that I have 310 reviews! I love you all! A huge thank you goes to my beta enb2004 who has been ever patient with me, thank you so much girl! As promised, here is Chapter 26, oh and, please don't kill me!
As Estel headed for his father and Gorothdil, he was hardly aware of what he was doing save for the fact that he needed to get to his father before Gorothdil could hurt him. He couldn't allow Elrond to be hurt because of him.
Vaguely, he felt an ache in his side from where the dagger had imbedded itself, but he hardly realized it. Estel's complete focus was on dodging, killing, and avoiding the yrch that were in his path to his father, anything else was ignored, including the calls for him to stop.
After what seemed like an eternity to the young man, he had finally reached his father and Gorothdil. Neither elf saw him as they were far to busy dodging and parrying the other. One blink of an eye could disrupt the deadly dance they were engaged in which neither was willing to do.
As such, it was that Estel saw something niether his father nor Gorothdil did. They had not realized it, but their deadly dance had taken them all the way to the edge of the cliff they were standing on.
"Ada!" Estel cried out in warning as he saw Gorothdil push his father dangerously close to the edge.
Both Elrond and Gorothdil looked up in surprise as Estel stumbled toward them. "Estel! Get back," Elrond warned turning so that he could block Estel from Gorothdil.
"The edge Ada!" Estel cried out again.
For a moment, both opponents looked down and realized how dangerously close they were to the precipice. "Why thank you for pointing that out to me my little urchin," Gorothdil sneered. "And I know just what to do with the edge."
Elrond practically snarled as he parried another blow by Gorothdil's sword, all the while keeping Estel behind him. "Estel, get out of here before you get hurt!"
"Too late for that oh wise Peredhil, he's already badly injured aren't you my urchin?" Gorothdil purred.
Elrond winced but didn't turn to look at Estel knowing that was exactly the opening Gorothdil was looking for. "I don't think so Gorothdil," he said coldly as he increased his attack. He had to end this, and now.
Gorothdil was taken aback by Elrond's renewed ferocity and stumbled, losing his sword in the process. Quickly, Elrond pinned Gorothdil and pointed his sword at Gorothdil's neck.
"Enough, you have lost Gorothdil. Let us end this madness while we still can," Elrond said.
Gorothdil narrowed his eyes and smirked up at the ancient elf lord. "I couldn't agree more," he said before throwing himself forward, a previously hidden dagger in hand ready to stab Elrond.
Estel had foreseen the danger and before Gorothdil could hope to react, had thrown himself onto his father and took the dagger in his shoulder. As a result, Gorothdil was unable to change his course of direction and impaled himself on Elrond's sword.
Elrond looked on in shock as both Gorothdil and Estel collapsed to the ground in front of his feet. "And so it ends," Gorothdil gurgled as blood spilled from his mouth. Before anyone could react, he shakily stood up and threw himself off the edge of the cliff.
The yrchs sensing their defeat, quickly took off now that their master was dead and would be unable to protect them. The elves didn't pursue them and quickly headed for Elrond, Elrohir, and Legolas.
Hastily, Elrond dropped his sword and knelt down next to Estel, forgetting all about Gorothdil for the moment. "Estel! Ion nin, care you hear me?" he asked as he took in all of Estel's various injuries.
"Ada?" Estel asked, tears in his eyes from the pain.
"Shh, you're going to be all right, just stay still," Elrond said with tears in his own eyes. "Glorfindel, go and get Legolas and bring him over here," he whispered not wanting to alert Estel to the fact that his friend was severely injured.
Glorfindel nodded and quickly went to retrieve Legolas, Elrohir, and Thranduil who has somehow already made it over to the little cave.
"How is he Ada?" Elladan asked worriedly. His father almost never cried and to see him do so now was extremely worrying to say the least.
"Not good, not good at all Elladan," Elrond said testing the two daggers imbedded within Estel. "Those are going to have to come out," he muttered more to himself than to Elladan.
"Here Ada?" Elladan questioned.
Elrond sighed and turned his worried blue eyes onto his eldest son. "I'm not sure yet," he murmured. "There are so many injuries and a fever as well. I'm not sure if it would be wise to pull the daggers out or not. He's already lost too much blood but then again, we can't risk an infection either."
"He's... he's not going to die is he?" Elladan asked, his face paling at the thought.
"It is a possibility but not while I still have strength in my body. Do you hear that Estel? I'm not going to let you get that easily ion nin," Elrond said sternly.
Estel nodded almost imperceptibly and closed his eyes in pain. "No, no tithen gwador, don't you dare close your eyes," Elladan threatened. "Besides, don't you want to see Elrohir and Legolas? Thranduil and Glorfy are bringing them over right now."
"We're right here actually," Legolas said weakly.
Elrond raised an eyebrow at Legolas, surprised that he had regained consciousness so quickly and seeing that the arrow was still embedding within his chest. "Legolas, sit down before you fall down and let Elladan treat that arrow wound," he ordered.
Legolas grimaced but did as Elrond said knowing that he would indeed fall down soon if he didn't sit. "How is Estel?" he asked.
"In very poor condition, far worse than you, as hard as that may be to believe," Elrond said with a scowl.
"Elrohir, are you all right?" Elladan asked as he began to examine Legolas.
"I'm fine, just a little bruised and scratched. Nothing serious," he said.
"Uh huh, I'll believe that when I see it," Thranduil murmured to Glorfindel.
"I heard that," Elrohir complained.
"Shh! All of you!" Elrond said in a harsh voice suddenly.
Everyone stopped and stared as Elrond bent down over Estel and listened to his chest.
"Ada!" Elrohir exclaimed worriedly.
Elrond paid him no mind though and turned to Legolas. "Legolas, did Gorothdil beat him?"
Legolas looked ill for a moment before answering. "Yes, several times," he whispered.
Gently, Thranduil held his son close to him as the tears started to come. He couldn't begin to imagine the horrors Legolas had been forced to witness while Gorothdil tortured Estel.
"Mellon nin, what is it?" Glorfindel asked after a tense silence.
"I fear that one of Estel's many broken ribs is putting to much pressure on his right lung. You can hear him wheeze with every breathe he takes. If the rib isn't set now, it could puncture the lung," Elrond said trying to remain impassive unsuccessfully.
Everyone paled at the thought. "You're going to set it here?" Elrohir asked in a strained voice.
"I don't have much of a choice Elrohir," Elrond said sadly. "Until that rib is stabilized, it is to risky to move him. If the rib punctures the lung, I am positive that will be the final straw and we will lose your brother."
No one said anything after that. What was there to say to something like that? Nothing.
Taking a deep breath, Elrond turned to the elves that surrounded him. "All right, this is what we're gong to do. "Celeborn, Glorfindel, you will assist me with Estel. Elladan, Thranduil, and Elrohir, you are going to help Legolas. Legolas, you are going to sit there and let them treat you without any protest or so help me, I'll allow them to drug you so heavily you won't wake up until the next century."
"Ada, what about the daggers though?" Elladan questioned.
Elrond sighed and looked at the two daggers still within his youngest. "They will have to be removed first. Estel? Are you still with us ion nin?" he asked gently.
"Yes Ada, I'm here," Estel murmured. "Are we home yet?" he questioned.
"He was delirious earlier," Elrohir whispered when Elrond raised an eyebrow in surprise at Estel's question. "It's from the poison or fever, I'm not sure which, or it could be both," he admitted.
"Poison!" Elrond yelped.
"Aye, Gorothdil gave him some sort of concoction that caused violent nightmares, severe hallucinations and delirium," Legolas said weakly. The arrow in his chest was really beginning to bother him.
Elrond frowned. Poison was yet another complication that Estel did not need and it would make everything all the more tricky. "There is nothing that can be done about it right now. Those daggers need to come out and that rib needs to be set and restrained before it does any harm. Valar willing, the poison won't affect him to badly."
"All right, Celeborn, Thranduil, you're going to have hold him down for me while I remove the dagger from his side. He will probably move around quite a bit and may pass out, which is probably for the best given his condition," Elrond whispered not wanting to make Estel nervous and tense.
Once Thranduil and Celeborn had a good grip, Elrond grabbed the dagger and in one short and swift movement, pulled it out of Estel's side. Estel arched and screamed in agony before going limp underneath Elrond.
Hastily, Glorfindel checked Estel's pulse while Elrond frantically tried to stop the bleeding coming from where the dagger had been. "He's alive," Glorfindel said shortly. Truly, Estel was only just alive. How he had survived so far was a mystery to him and one that he was eternally grateful for.
After staunching the flow of blood and quickly suturing the wound, Elrond removed the dagger from Estel's shoulder which thankfully didn't require much treatment other than a bandage.
"All right, this is where I am going to truly need your help," Elrond said addressing Celeborn and Glorfindel. "I need you to make sure that the wound remains completely clean while I set the rib. We can not risk infection on top of everything else. Thranduil, Elladan, help Legolas."
Everyone nodded and prepared to go about their separate tasks. Taking a deep breath, Elrond began the procedure all the while knowing that Estel's life was hanging on the edge of a knife and was dangerously close to falling off that edge. With another deep breath, he began.
Translations:
Ada: Dad/Daddy
Ion nin: My son
Mellon nin: My friend
Tithen gwador: Little brother
A/N 2: Hehe, don't kill me please! Ducks behind nearest sturdy object. Hehe, next update will be soon! Hopefully. Tata for now!