Double, Double

Sequel to Elemmire and Amdir

JRR Tolkein's works belong to him alone. This is just 'borrowing.'

Chapter Twelve Finally Broken

Amdir rushed through the shrubs not sparing a glance over his shoulder. He knew that if he did so that he could not bear to leave his twin. Each step cost him his confidence and self respect. His mind was screaming for him to return and protect his brother whom he regarded as his younger half. It was his duty; his birthright to fight for Elemmire. It was his burden as the suspected elder twin. And now he was running away.

It seem a fruitless effort to convince himself that he was running away to get help so that they could survive. Doubt nagged him. Nusayer had told them both not to speak to any other travellers and to avoid intelligent being's all together if possible.

Bowing his head Amdir ploughed through the thick shrubs. He could feel the wetness on his cheeks that signalled to him that he was indeed crying. His ears were now ringing with horse's hoofs and the awful shrieks of Elemmire as the orcs delighted themselves with their perverted sense of entertainment.

Amdir rushed out of the clearing only to find himself nearly trampled by a horse galloping at full tilt. There was a cry of indignation as Amdir reeled backwards and rolled onto his backside. Raven hair blocked his vision as he glanced up at the riders but it did not obscure is vision enough that he did not realise what his hope had been pinned on… He let out a cry and slumped onto the road sobbing uncontrollably.

AaEeAaEe

Orophin and Haldir had been riding at full speed for some time. Orophin was hoping to catch the twins before Lothlorien so that he could be home in his talen sooner rather than later. Haldir was intent however to complete the mission he had taken from Elrohir.

Cries and shrieks were what had sprung their current speed however. The twin's horses whom they had purchased from the humans that had kidnapped them thundered down the narrow tracks.

Orophin had immediately strung his bow, a deadly arrow notched in case of a surprise attack. Haldir had followed his younger sibling's actions. They were no fools. Elrohir, Elladan and Estel had been surprised by orcs not to far away. Those foul creatures could quite possibly still be in the area. Orcs had a terrible tendency for turning up where they were wanted.

Haldir on Lithônion streaked ahead; Ainion followed at Orophin's bidding but his footing seemed to be hesitant as if he was sensing something.

Something dashed from the undergrowth. Orophin didn't see it coming as he was focused on the ground a head of him. He wheeled Ainion around who let out a screaming whinny. A small crumpled figure reeled and fell to the side as Orophin cursed his stupidity loudly.

Haldir had stopped and turned Lithônion around hearing the commotion. He was quicker than his brother to dismount and approached the shying intruder.

Frightened blue –green eyes locked onto Haldir and to Orophin who was slowly dismounting before bursting into tears.

"Come on up you get, tether pen, no damage done," Haldir said pulling the elfling to his feet.

"Elemmire! Elemmire! Help him," the elfling gasped in fright. "They'll kill him…!"

"Hush now, Amdir, " Haldir soothed, determining the twin before him had to be Amdir if he was babbling incoherently about Elemmire. "Which way?"

Amdir pointed a shaking finger in the direction hence he came. "Please hurry," he begged. "He didn't have much time."

"What attacked you? How many?" Orophin was already stalking quickly through the shrubbery.

"Orcs… five or six…"

Amdir had spoken quite softly but Orophin had caught the youngster's trembling words. As a warden of the Golden Wood he had had encounters with the foul beasts and understood all too clearly the fear they inspired.

"We'll wait here for Orophin's signal," Haldir breathed softly to no one in particular as Amdir was crumpled on the ground again biting his nails and glancing at the point where Orophin had disappeared.

AaEeAaEe

Orophin crept through the path that Amdir had taken in his flight. It was not hard to distinguish which way the elfling had fled from for in his hasty attempts he had not tried to cover his tracks. Even an inexperienced human could follow him. He made a mental note to talk to Elrohir about that once they were all safely back in Lothlorien…

Orophin glanced around the trunk of a large tree with his arrow notched and bow taut ready to fire in the blink of an eye. Being only one elf against a small mob of orcs his advantage solely relied on stealth and agility. Taking down six unsuspecting orcs should be child's play…

Slinking further Orophin heard the orcish revelry; apparently the beasts had not accounted for the missing twin for they were too far engrossed with Elemmire to bother about his indentical brother.

Aim carefully Orophin let his arrow loose. It streaked through the air making no noise but a faint whisper before embedding itself in the nape of the leaders neck.

The orcs suddenly stopped in their tracks, surprised at the sudden attack. Orophin didn't allow them to regroup. He fired another arrow before the orcs could react taking down another with a fatal wound.

A terrible beastlike growl greeted his third arrow. Orophin held his ground and fired his remaining arrows not allowing his foes time to reach for their quivers which they had unwisely abandoned.

A fourth arrow hit an orc through his throat making him gurgle before life fled his body. A fifth hit another orc between his eyes and the last arrow through a black heart.

Orophin sniffed disdainfully at how easily it was for him to overcome six grown orcs. He stepped gingerly over the corpses and to the quivering lump on the ground.

"Elemmire," Orophin whispered strapping his bow to his back. The lump did not reply.

"Elemmire," Orophin insisted brushing his fingers through the youngster's raven locks. Blue green eyes looked up at him filled with pain and horror. A slight whimper was released from the elfling's closed lips before he closed his eyes dolefully.

Orophin cast a look around the clearing but seeing no blanket ready for use he sighed and clasped his own cloak before wrapping it around Elemmire's shoulders.

Elemmire flinched violently at the touch and tried to pull away from Orophin's offending hands. But Orophin stood his ground and bundled the youngster in his arms. "Well, I should get you back to your brother," Orophin sighed. "He was very worried about you."

AaEeAaEe

Haldir had taken pity on the bewildered weeping Amdir who had convinced himself that he had killed his twin brother, whom he could not live without. So he had quickly found Amdir's pressure point and rendered him unconscious before the elfling could question his motives.

Haldir was sitting by Amdir's prone form when Orophin came crashing through the shrubs which Elemmire in his arms.

"Is all that noise necessary?" Haldir inquired with a raised eyebrow but then he spied the limp form in Orophin's arms. "By Valar he isn't…"

"Dead… no," Orophin replied curtly. "Shock."

Haldir nodded knowingly while Orophin's eye spied what had happened to Amdir. "Good idea," Orophin murmured before he too rendered Elemmire unconscious.