Chapter 9: Gone!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings
Author's Notes: I want to thank all my reviewers! Thanks so much! And here is chapter 9. Enjoy it! And please excuse any spelling mistakes.
Elladan, who was the only one left awake after their encounter with Duirellon, did not want to believe that the one approaching was Estel. That little human would follow his brothers into rescuing his best friend even if his father had forbidden him to do so. He just hoped at least he would be smart enough to elude being capture by Duirellon's hand.
He was alone, and he saw this as an opportunity to try to wake up his brother.
Estel wasn't present during the noonday meal, and this worried Elrond. Why Estel wasn't there, as he was all day thinking about food? Elrond asked a servant if he had seen Estel, and the servant replied that yes, on the garden.
Elrond was worried, so during the meal, Erestor and Glorfindel seeing the condition that their friend and Lord was in, they decided to try to calm him down.
"Elrond, I am sure that Estel is outside playing, and he is having a good time, so he forgot about the meal" Glorfindel said.
"Do really think so? Estel missing a meal? I think that is highly improbable." Elrond replied.
"Well, Elrond, you have a point in there. But nonetheless, you need to calm down. Maybe he took an apple or some other fruit with him." Erestor said.
"If it makes you feel better mellon-nín, I will ask the Kitchen staff as soon as we all enjoy our meal" Glorfindel said.
"Yes, Glorfindel and I will search for him in the garden. Now eat before the food gets cold", and with this last statement, they began to eat.
Duirellon went outside. All was quiet, really quiet. He knew that something had been following them, but what it was, he could not tell.
"At least" he thought "my charges are still here, and no scouting party is near enough to rescue them. I will make Elrond pay", and with that he headed inside.
"'Ro, please wake up" Elladan whispered to his twin, knowing that if they spoke too loudly, they would be heard. At least now they had the gags out of their mouths, but still Elladan was afraid to speak too loudly.
Elrohir just lay there, chained at the wall, his head lolling down into his shoulder.
"Come on 'Ro, Legolas needs us" He tried again, trying to get near enough to at least be able to shake his twin. He didn't mention Estel at all, knowing that if Duirellon, Salion or Nebegon heard, it would be the dead of their brother, resulting in the downfall of the race of men.
His bonds were still to short when he reached the maximum length that they could be stretched. He tried with his feet, and had success when he shook his brother's arm.
Elrohir woke up with a start, and looked upon his brother. "'Dan, what happened? I went for the horses…" He trailed off after seeing the look that Elladan was giving him, a look to quiet down. His head hurt, but he decided to ignore it, they had to discuss what to do with Legolas and Duirellon.
"'Ro, Legolas is really hurt, and I think that our gwador also followed us" Elladan whispered to Elrohir.
"What is he doing here?"
"Well, he heard that Legolas hadn't arrived at Rivendell, and he heard about Rochmith, and he watched us leave! What else do you think he would follow us?" Elladan responded.
"Well, also remember, Legolas is his friend"
It was true, several years back; Legolas had traveled to Rivendell, to find his friends' new adopted gwador. He had become quick friends with the little adan, and now this adan was determined to rescue him.
Then, Elrohir remembering what had happened, asked his brother "Did you see him, 'Dan. He is back" Elrohir said.
"Yes, I know 'Ro. This time he wants to harm us, and in seeing us harmed, Ada will suffer. That's what he wants, to harm us."
"Yes, I know, let us not give him that satisfaction" The younger twin replied. Then he added "But why Legolas is here?"
"I do not know, but there were whipping marks all over his back, and they were nasty 'Ro. He also has an arrow wound" Elladan said.
"Let us hope that they will find Estel missing and sent searching parties for him. Maybe they will find us" then he fell quiet, as the realization of what would happen if they remained there dawned upon him. "Then, sooner or later they will find us, and Legolas will be all right" he tried to reassure his twin.
After the meal passed, Erestor and Glorfindel went to the kitchens to see if they had seen Estel.
"No, my Lords, he has not come in all this day" the head cook said.
"And neither has one of your helpers seen him" Glorfindel asked.
An elleth who also worked in the kitchens said that no, Estel had not been there in all day, as she had been close to the door, and had seen who entered and who exited.
"Well, thank you mellon-nín. If you happen to see him, please tell us" Erestor said to the head cook.
The cooking staff could only wonder in what mischief Estel had landed now, as they had become really fond of the human, as he went almost every day for little cakes or sweets, and he always praised their work, telling them how delicious it was.
Then the two elf Lords went to the gardens, but Estel was nowhere in sight. 'Just where that little human could have gotten into?' Glorfindel wondered.
The same thoughts were crossing Erestor's mind, including what was he going to say to Elrond, and how he would react.
They asked the gardener, but came up empty handed. They decided to wait for dinner, as if he wasn't present during dinner; then it meant that he really had gone after his brothers.
It was dinnertime, and Erestor and Glorfindel came to Elrond's study. They knocked softly on the big wood doors.
"Enter" Elrond said.
Upon seeing who it was, Elrond turned up hopeful eyes to his friends.
"Sorry mellon-nín, he is not here" Glorfindel broke out the news to Elrond.
"Do you know if someone saw him?"
"The gardener told us that he went to the gardens sometime after the twins left, but since then, no one saw him" Erestor said.
And so Elrond started planning the searching parties that he would send, and of course, Glorfindel was going to be included in one.
"Maybe you could also make them search for the twins and Legolas" Erestor suggested.
So Elrond took out some maps, looked upon them, and discuss with Glorfindel and Erestor the parts where the parties were most likely to come across the human.
And with that, Glorfindel went to make ready, giving orders to his warriors. Elrond just hoped that his son was fine, wherever he was. And he had the same thoughts about the twins, and Legolas. He just hoped that they will fine, but of course, they were not.
TBC…
Translations
Edain: the race of men
mellon-nín: my friend
Gwador: brother
Elleth: elf maiden
Author's notes: I would like to thank Slayer 3, Kerowyn Greenleaf, IwishChan, HarryEstel, Illeanah, and Eshlyn Kar for their reviews. Thank you!
More is coming soon!