Disclaimer: If you think I own JRR Tolkin's Middle Earth then you need your head read – and fast!

Double, Double

Sequel to Elemmire and Amdir

Chapter Six. In the Belly of Despair

Elemmire woke with a low moan and rolled over to find himself with a face full of straw. For quite a few moments he lay frozen disorientated. Then he remembered the men; Amdir being knocked unconscious and then the face that loomed above him as a foul mixture was forced down his throat.

'Typical,' he thought as he spat the straw out, 'it's not even clean.'

Elemmire sat up suddenly. 'Amdir! Where was Amdir?'

He shivered and pulled his knees tightly to his chest. He was alone. Alone in this horrible dank place and he was afraid.

Elemmire dearly didn't want to but large fat crystal tears dripped down the line of his nose and cheeks. Great hacking sobs engulfed him soon after. He hid his face from the dark world that trapped him.

There was a sudden tapping noise on the other side of the brick wall. "Elemmire…" a hoarse whisper called.

Elemmire stopped crying instantly and glanced around excitedly. Had he imagined it? "Ellie… Ellie are you there."

Elemmire jumped up and crawling on his hands and knees reached the brick wall. He laid his hands of the wet wall as if he could touch his twin by doing so. "Am… Am is that you?"

"Yes, who else would it be stupid?" the voice replied.

"I'm not stupid!" Elemmire snapped wiping his tears away on his sleeve. "You're the one who didn't listen to me."

There was silence on the other side.

"Amdir?" Elemmire called remorsefully. "Am I'm sorry!"

"No," came the whispered reply. "I am so sorry."

On the other side Amdir ran his watering eyes along the wall and found a small crack. He sniffed loudly and picked at the wall making a small hole. "Ellie… Ellie…" he said poking his finger through and wiggling it about like a worm.

He heard Elemmire's laugh; although albeit it was strained and anxious. He always felt it was his responsibility to look after Elemmire who was more adapt to be emotionally insecure.

Elemmire pushed his finger against Amdir's and felt his twin shiver relishing the physical contact. Never before had a stone wall separated them. Even as elf-babes they had been told by the kindly old woman slave that they were placed in the same crib. But likely it was only because the slavers were so greedy and tight with money they did not spare another crate for the second child.

"Ellie…"

"Hmm…" Elemmire rested his head against the stone wall memorising every detail of his twin's face and voice.

"When we get out of here I'm going to kick those humans all the way to… to… Mordor and back."

Elemmire giggled in response but his heart wasn't in it. 'What if we don't get out of this mess?'

"Well," Elemmire said lightly, "You would have to beat me to it."

"Not likely…"

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Elrohir rolled away from the orc that stood over him menacingly. Ignoring the wet liquid down his side he leapt to his feet once more brandishing his elvish blade. With all his might he refused to look at Elladan, who he knew perfectly well could feel his pain. Whipping his brow with his fore arm Elrohir took a step backwards to a ready position and pulled his lips back and snarled at the ever enclosing orcs.

'Elrohir go…' Elladan's voice quickly spoke into his mind.

'No I cannot leave you…'

'The boys, your children,' Elladan elaborated. 'They need you.'

Elrohir shook his head. 'They need time. I'm hurt Elladan. Fleeing won't help any of us.'

'They'll fade without you. Without their ada.'

Elrohir blinked and viciously swung successfully decapitating an orc that was charging at him. 'Our Ada will find them and protect them…'

A startled cry to Elladan's right hand side woke him back to the grim reality. Estel or Aragon was clutching his left forearm blood streaming down his tunic.

"Estel…!"

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"I think I'm going to be sick!" Amdir exclaimed dropping the wooden bowl that had been pushed through the bars. He hadn't hesitated to eat what he had been given as they hadn't eaten in a long time and they didn't know when their next meal was going to be.

"Me too!" Elemmire cried from his cell. "But I'm not sure it's the food."

Amdir swallowed the bitter bile that was in his mouth and crawled to the wall. He could hear Elemmire's strained sobs through the stone. "Ellie, Ellie…" Amdir wiggled his finger through the hole they had created; but Elemmire ignored him.

"It's going to be alright…" Amdir continued the only reply was Elemmire's sobs. "Ssshhh… don't worry. It'll work out in the end."

"We're… we're… slaves again," Elemmire babbled into his palms.

Amdir sighed and rested back onto his heels. It was true they were back in captivity. They had been told by their jailer they would be sold at tomorrow's market. The jailer even had the insensitive to gloat about the price of a matching set would fetch in these parts.

Elemmire at first had been somewhat defiant earning him a burning cheek all the way to his pointed ear. Amdir had winced hearing the sounding crack and the stunned yelp from his brother.

"It'll be okay," Amdir said.

Elemmire sighed and uncurled himself stretching his numb limbs. "How is it alright Amdir… Will we ever be safe again?"

"Of course we will," Amdir replied with a cheer he did not felt. Elemmire felt it too.

"Sing," Elemmire said.

"What?"

"Sing, Am."

"Me sing?"

Elemmire nodded his head enthusiastically even though he knew his brother could not see him.

"Sing what?" Amdir sounded a little perturbed.

"I dunno anything. As long as I can hear your voice in this pit of despair then life has meaning…"

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Elrohir's head snapped up and around and to his utter horror saw Estel clucking his arm and swiping his sword about the whole time. He closed his eyes slightly and felt the prick of tears threatening to overcome him. They were going to die… they were going to die…

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Orophin trudged miserably through the forest making as much noise to irritate his older brother, Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lothlorien. It was working as far as he could tell. Although Haldir's face was smooth and expressionless Orophin could see his jaw clenched tightly and a slight vein popping in his neck.

Rumil lagged behind grinning like an idiot over his two elder brothers. He purposefully stayed behind walking silently so that when Haldir finally gave into the temptation to thump Orophin he would not be in the middle.

Rumil understood Orophin's frustration. They had been tramping away in these parts for the past few days far away from home on the whim of Lady Galadriel. Haldir would not concede into the fact that Lady Galadriel's inner eye could do with some refocussing. He was adamant that she could not and would not be wrong.

Orophin on the other hand was adamant that Lady Galadriel was wrong and was making Haldir's life a living nightmare since day two of their venture.

Rumil however was completely happy to remain silent and smiling. Being the youngest brother he had learnt in early life it was better to keep himself in the good graces of both brothers.

"We're wasting our time," Orophin grumbled. Rumil hid his smile behind his hand as Haldir whipped around looking extremely fearsome.

"Grow up!" Haldir snapped.

Rumil could not help but to snort into his hand at his elder's antics. As both Orophin and Haldir turned to death stare him he held his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot!"

Haldir pressed his lips tightly together and continued walking, much to Orophins chagrin and Rumil's amusement.

"What's that?" Orophin stopped suddenly so that Rumil ran straight into his back.

Rumil shrugged his shoulder and blinked slowly. "A battle," he supplied helpfully.

"A battle?" the three brothers screamed at once before charging off through the forest as quickly as their natural elvish grace would allow them.

Haldir, being the tallest and strongest of the brother reached the battle first. Rumil however was the first one to notch and fire an arrow and then another and another… He had the reputation for being slightly impulsive and quick to action. By the time his brothers had notched their arrows ready he had fired five or six. He wasn't quite sure. He had lost count.

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Elrohir stared in amazement has the orcs around him suddenly started to drop like flies, resembling something like a pincushion from his childhood nightmares.

"Oh and about time too!" Elladan sneered with his teeth clenched kicking one particularly nasty orc in the groin. Too bad it was already dead.

The hailstorm of redeeming arrows soon dissipated after a few short moments. And three blonde elves emerged from the cover. Elrohir plopped himself on the red stained ground and sighed heavily.

"Welcome to our not so merry company," Elrohir said finally rubbing his forehead and glancing feverishly in the opposite direction.

"See I told you Galadriel was right," Rumil replied to Orophin's stormy face.

"You said nothing of the sort!" Orophin snapped.

"I was thinking it."

Orophin snorted carelessly.

"Where are those little mischief makers?" Haldir asked glancing about the clearing. He was relieved to see no bodies of young elves but the young elflings had been expected in Lorien when Elrohir and Elladan arrive.

"They fled…" Elrohir gasped finally allowing himself to feel the pain in his side.

"Fled? Where?" Orophin's head darted around. Rumil grinned mentally. Orophin would never admit it but he was fond of the twins, especially the one that had thump him in the nose mistaking him for a balrog.

Elrohir pointed and stood to hobble over to the horses which had fled during the fighting and decided to return now conveniently as the fighting had stopped.

"No mellon – nin," Haldir said drawing Elrohir's attention. "You're injured and need to return to Lothlorien with Estel. Elladan and Orophin will go with you."

Elrohir's head snapped up. "They're my sons!"

"Aye, mellon – nin, Rumil and myself will track them and bring them back."

Elrohir looked like he dearly wanted to protest but Orophin bet him to it. "No. I will go with you to find the twins. Rumil will go back with the injured."

Haldir raised his eyebrow. "I thought you had little love for little ones."

"I don't," Orophin snapped, "but you need someone with you with sharp mental capacity."

Haldir glanced at Rumil who smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, let-Orophin-have-his-way.

"Fine no get moving…" Elrohir said pushing Orophing and Haldir in the direction he last saw his boys. "And bring them back in one piece or I'll… I'll…"

"Everything will be fine, mellon – nin," Haldir replied blithely. "Everything will be fine."

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To those who didn't like the light humour – too bad. I did. I needed to write that… Please forgive the meagre updates. I've got three HUGE exams this week and very little time to study. Please be patient. I'm doing my best. Review responses are now on my profile page in alphabetical ordering of reviewer name.