DISCLAIMER:
See chapter one.
Series:
None.
Spoilers:
See chapter one
A/N: So I took forever to get to Rivendell. Oh, what the heck. :-D I promise you this time the chapter won't be so short and we will end up in Rivendell. But remember, Frodo was stuck for seventeen days with that knife shard in his shoulder. Since this will go along closer to the book version than the movie version (since obviously all of the movies haven't come out yet) everything will have to be longer. And so, with that jabber out of the way, on to the next chapter.
(And the Black Riders finally show up, too, for those of you who were waiting. If the chase scene is a little short it's because I was short on time and had to type this thing up really, really fast. Hope you don't mind!)
PS. If you're squeamish about blood, be careful when reading this chapter. Legolas gets a mini-operation.
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Three Rings for the Elven-Kings
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Chapter Four
Valley of Imladris
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Glorfindel peered across the open land, probably about a mile long, that led to the Ford. "We must move quickly," Glorfindel murmured. "The Nine now know Legolas has not been over-taken by the shard as yet. They will try to block the Ford."
Even as he spoke he heard the pounding of hooves and turned. His eyes widened. "Legolas!" he shouted, "Ride on, ride on!"
Asfaloth burst into gallop, the other two elves running swiftly behind. The Rider's horses were as black as the shrouds, and just as deadly. Their eyes glowed red as they pounded after the three elves.
Three-fourths of the way across the mile flat between the road and the Ford, the Riders began to over-take them. "Don't stop, run!" Glorfindel grabbed Endara, who had been readying to turn and shoot. "Off the road!" The two elves dived for cover; a moment more and the Riders would have run them down.
Endara looked up and saw to his horror that Legolas had crossed the Ford, and stopped Asfaloth on the other side. Dismayed he watched as his lord swayed in the saddle, the Riders obviously, silently, commanding him to stay. They stopped on one side of the Ford and stared at Legolas, their swords drawn in challenge. Glorfindel grabbed Endara's arm.
"Kindle fire, quickly!" the elf-lord ordered, pulling brush and twigs from the side of the road and throwing it into a pile. Endara yanked out his flint and began chipping away. A few precious seconds went by, and then the fire began to roar. Glorfindel took out two torches, and handed one to Endara.
Lighting the flames they ran towards the Riders. Endara heard Legolas shout Elbereth's name, and then the foremost Riders began charging across the waters.
"Hurry!" Glorfindel broke into a full-out run, the flame of his torch whipping back in the wind. Three Riders were in the Ford as the flood came down out of the mountains. The horses still on the bank reared up. Endara shoved his touch against the tail of one horse. Terrified, it leapt forward into the onrushing flood, carrying it's rider along for the ride. Three more horses bolted as well; Endara looked over to see what Glorfindel was doing. He was nearly blinded by the white light that surrounded the elf-lord; the last three riders plunged into the flood, and were washed away.
Panting, Endara stumbled his way across the Ford, spots in his eyes from the light.
Glorfindel made it to Legolas' side first. The elf-prince was down, lying utterly still on the grass. Asfaloth stood protectively over him, legs braced. Glorfindel knelt down and motioned Endara to hurry. Staggering the elf made it to his lord's side and fell to his knees.
He blinked back tears at the sight; Legolas was utterly cold and ashen; his eyes had gone from silver-blue to black, and he hardly seemed to breathe.
Suddenly Glorfindel stood up and whistled a bird call. As if appearing by some magic, elves faded from the forest and surrounded the three travelers.
"We must take him to Lord Elrond, and quickly," Glorfindel said sternly. "Help me carry him."
Endara trailed along beside his lord, watching with deep concern as the elf seemed to withdraw and grow shadowy. Glorfindel noticed, too, and urged the elves on faster.
Together, the cavalcade of elves descended into what appeared to be a small ravine into the famed valley of Imladris. Endara was briefly mesmerized by the colors that played before his eyes. Even in the palace in Mirkwood there was no such place, so untouched by the hands of man and the changing of time. Waterfalls weaved their way between the buildings set on half-islands, connected by delicate bridges.
"We are almost there," he whispered, more to himself than Legolas. "Do not give in, we are almost there!"
Lord Elrond was waiting for them, dressed in a dove-gray cotton over-robe, with the sleeves folded up to the elbows. His face was very grave and wise, and his eyes were dark and piercing.
Endara would not be separated from his lord and insisted on following the elves as they carried Legolas to his room. Elrond spoke briskly and clipped; this was no time for niceties.
"I want three pots of boiling water and the freshest athelas leaves we have. Also…" Endara phased out the rest and watched as two attendants laid Legolas on the bed and pulled off his boots, shirt, and breeches. Endara helped them redress him in silk breeches; but they left the shirt off, and the Ring was a golden blemish on his chest. Elrond sat carefully on the edge of the bed next to the still elf. Taking Legolas' hand in his own, Elrond bent over Legolas' form. Gently he probed the wound with two fingers; Legolas whimpered in his sleep.
Endara shoved the two attendants to the side and touched his lord's good shoulder. Murmuring softly, he got Legolas to hold still as Lord Elrond examined him.
"You are his companion?" Elrond asked without looking up.
"Yes, my lord."
"Good, he will know you. What is your name?"
"Endara, my lord."
"Lord Elrond?"
Endara looked up, though Lord Elrond did not, as Glorfindel entered. "Yes, Glorfindel?"
"I thought you might want to see this."
Elrond did look up now, even as the attendants brought in the steaming pots of water and the athelas leaves. Glorfindel handed him something wrapped in several handkerchiefs. Elrond shivered slightly as he unwound it; it was the hilt of the Morgul blade that had stabbed Legolas.
Elrond studied the hilt for several breathless moments. To Endara's eyes, looking at the hilt was painful, and Lord Elrond held it carefully away from Legolas, as though further contact might harm the elf-prince even more.
"Have it melted down," Elrond ordered, re-wrapping it and handing it to an attendant. "You say the blade was notched at the tip?" he added to Glorfindel.
"Yes, I am sure of it. It was made so that even if the Rider somehow missed and hit his shoulder or arm instead of his heart, the piece could work inward and…" Glorfindel let his voice trail off.
Annoyed at being kept in the dark, Endara spoke up. "What do you mean, the knife was meant for his heart?"
Elrond turned his gaze on the younger elf; Endara flinched from the keenness of his glance. "Legolas has been stabbed by a Morgul blade; the knives are meant to stay in the wound, and when they strike the heart they would turn him into a wraith, much as the Riders are, accept weaker and under their control."
Endara shuddered. "But I do not understand—what are the Riders?"
Glorfindel spoke in a low voice. "They are the Nine, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, one of Sauron's greatest weapons."
Endara's eyes widened. "The Nine?" he cried in shock.
Legolas groaned and tossed his head side to side. Endara caught his head between his hands and held him still, speaking soothingly.
Elrond sighed. "It is as feared." He turned to the remaining attendant. "Collect and sterilize the surgical tools," he ordered. The attendant bowed and hurried away.
"What will you do?" Endara asked uneasily.
"If there is a shard in the wound, it will be working its way inward; if it touches his heart we will loose him for sure. He is already fading."
Endara looked at his dear lord, and saw to his horror that Lord Elrond was right. Legolas' left hand, arm, and shoulder were particularly transparent; and the white light that shone through was laced with black threads.
"We must re-open the wound, and get the shard out." Elrond's voice was grim as he washed his hands in one pot of boiled water. The attendant returned with the tools and laid them out on the table next to the bed. Elrond nodded his thanks, and then bathed the wounded shoulder and arm with athelas treated water. Then he carefully picked up a very sharp, delicate knife, and moved next to Legolas' shoulder.
Towels were placed next to and under his shoulder to catch the blood; but because of the cold in his arm he bled very little as Elrond made a careful incision closer to Legolas' heart than the wound.
"Clamps," he ordered, and the attendant, who had also washed his hands, handed him two clamp-like devices. Legolas was completely unconscious now. Endara gently took his lord's hand in his own, trying not to watch as Elrond pulled the sides of the wound apart with the clamps and began probing with a tweezers-like device.
Endara bit his lip and Legolas groaned. Elrond bent his head closer to the wound, frowning. An attendant lifted a lantern overhead to give more light.
Softly Elrond spoke in elvish, "Legolas, lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad.*" Legolas stirred.
For many precious minutes Elrond hardly seemed to move or breathe as he probed carefully around the nerves and veins in Legolas' shoulder. At last he smiled and sat back. Endara leaned forward and saw a tiny piece of metal covered in blood held in the tips of the tweezers.
Elrond put the tweezers, clamps, and piece of metal all on a tray. The tray also held the handle of the Morgul knife, wrapped in the handkerchiefs. "Have everything on this tray, and including this tray, melted down," he ordered. "Not a trace of the toxin must remain, understand?"
The attendant bowed respectfully and took the tray away. Elrond turned picked up and threaded a needle, and began stitching the wound closed. As he tied off the last stitch he re-bathed the shoulder with athelas treated water.
"Now we just have to wait and see," Elrond explained as he stood. His arms were covered in blood up to his elbows, and the towels laid to catch the blood were crimson. Neither he nor Glorfindel seemed alarmed, though, and so Endara managed to relax. "You should get some rest," Elrond added over his shoulder.
"Your pardon, my lord, but I would just as well like to stay here," Endara answered.
Elrond opened his mouth to respond, and then stopped as Glorfindel lightly touched the back of Endara's head. The elf's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed back into the golden-haired elf's arms. "Was that really necessary?" he asked as Glorfindel laid the sleeping elf on a cot and covered him warmly.
"I believe so, my lord. Endara would have died for Legolas, and I would rather not have two patients near death to treat."
Elrond raised an eyebrow at that. "Why, Glorfindel, I did not know you, too, were treating the in-coming patients we get."
Glorfindel laughed at the jibe. "I am the field-doctor, my lord," he said straight-faced, earning him a chuckle from Lord Elrond.
"Come, Glorfindel, let us leave these two to rest and recover."
Elrond paused inside the door as Glorfindel slipped past him. "Welcome to Rivendell, Prince Legolas," he murmured, and then closed the door softly behind him.
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* "Legolas, hear my voice, come back to the light."
All righty, was that long enough for you guys, or do you like longer chapters? Or slightly shorter? Most of the other chapters are three pages on my word processor, and this is five. Is it about right? Also, the next chapter will have the Council of Elrond (minus Frodo and Sam) so if you're getting bored I'll speed it up a bit. I do realize there isn't must description of the rooms in this chapter, but Endara was more concerned about his lord than what the rooms looked like, so I take almost everything from his point of view. Hope you don't mind…enjoy, and please let me know what you think, I always read and consider your comments, complaints, suggestions, etc.