I'm so sorry! * ducks as rotten veggies are thrown* I kinda got writers block. But I'm over it now. *looks up hopefully. I tried to make this a really long chappie. * started to get up from wet ground only to be hit in the face with a rotten tomato. Runs and hits in a large rabbit hole that magically appeared* here is your chappie. Please don't hurt me.
A big thanks to all my faithful reviewers out there I never thought that my story would be so popular! In fact when I starting writing this I was only hoping to get at the most twenty. But thank the valar that you proved me wrong!
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"no!" Thranduil breathed "nienna! No.. you.. Saes"
/ nienna, you were far too young to die!! You were just starting out in your life. How.. Oh, I should have never left with Nefiath. If I had stayed then maybe all this wouldn't have happened. You didn't deserve to die like this. You had been hanging for hours and I never woke up. I should have been here to save you. I should have never let Vero go. I should have gotten here sooner… I should have never of let this happen!/
" amin hero," {my lord} Curufinwë said as he laid a hand on Thranduil's shoulder " re gurth" {she's dead}
Thranduil shook his head.
" come on," Valandil said as he stood up and hauled Thranduil to his feet " I want for two of you to take the body back to the palace. Tell no one who it is, or how she died. No one is to see the body either." he addressed his men.
" I will do it" a warrior said
" no, we need you Ilmgul " Valandil said " you helped us track down Vero and his gang last time and we will need you again. You were a huge help. We cannot afford to lose you. Especially now. We have no idea what we will encounter. I know that we will need your skills in all of this."
" what about me? I wasn't much help last time. I can take her. She was my friend and I think that I should do it.." a woman who Thranduil recognized as Quensa, said with teary eyes.
" we still might need you though. You know what we will be looking for. I'm sorry for your loss but there are even more innocent lives out there that we might be able to save. I liked nienna to and believe me if I had my way I would escort her body myself back to the palace. She was only a couple of years past her majority. Far to young to even think about death." Valandil said as he laid his hand on Quensa's shoulder.
" I understand. I couldn't save her but there are even younger lives, like prince Legolas and lady Arwen, to save. They shouldn't die also." Quensa said as she wiped the tears off of her face. " They are far too young. I will stay for them"
Vero nodded as he gave the she-elf one last shoulder squeeze and said " quel re" {good girl.} {A/n- re really means she but I couldn't find girl in elvish so just pretend.} Before looking out on his men.
After a few minutes of thought Valandil said " I want for Toldur and Ruviel to take the body back to the castle. Remember no information is to be released. I want for you two to take nienna to Antara. Tell only her what happened and get her to examine the body. I don't want for you to notify her mother yet so take care if you see her. Then go and fetch Elu and Eöl. Once you finish all that, hurry back here and then catch up to the rest of us. Understood?"
The elf and she elf warriors that Valandil had addressed nodded their heads and moved to wrap Nienna's dead body up in their cloaks. They mounted their horses and left at a dead run.
Valandil and Thranduil took a deep breath almost at the same time.
" Alright, I need for another two of you to stay here and look for anything that could lead us to Vero's hide out. Um… Aldarion and Mircana, I want for you to do that. If you find anything of interest come and notify me. Once you're done come and catch up to us." Valandil said.
" Uma Nikerym" {yes captain} the two warriors that Valandil had addressed said as they moved out into the rest of the clearing discussing were to start and what to look for.
I want for Tathar, Quensa, and Alata to ride up front with Thranduil and me. Buviel, Olwë, Ilmgul, ride in the middle. And um.. Ennyneth, Daeir, and Alquaa, take the back." Valandil ordered.
/ this is why I made him captain of the guards. He knows what needs to be done and how to do it. His men are very loyal to him and trust him not to make a mistake. I trust him not to make a mistake also. Even more now then ever since my son and others are involved./
" everyone have their orders and understand them?" Valandil called out once everyone had arranged themselves in proper order.
"aye!" everyone called out
"remember, keep your eyes out for any sign that anything has been though here before us. Many of Vero's Wethrils were once members of Mirkwood's guard. They know how to go undetected. Do you all understand this?" {rouges}
" Aye!" everyone called out once again.
" alright then, lets do this!" Valandil said as he mounted his black horse and led the way in the direction that nienna had pointed out before she had died.
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Elladan continued to struggle against his everlasting bonds. He was starting to doubt that he would ever get out of them. But then again, everything had to break sometime. He just had to keep trying. And he was not one to give up. He would keep trying till they broke! Nothing would stop him!
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Valandil sighed in frustration. This had to have been at least the third time ,maybe the fifth, {he didn't bother counting anymore. It seemed pointless.} that they had lost the trail. Vero sure did know how to lead them on a wild goose hunt. The trail would disappear then reappear about a hundred feet from where it disappeared. He must have spent his time in prison thinking of new ways to trick the Mirkwood guard. And as much as Valandil hated to admit, he was getting rather good at it. They had been lead to dead ends countless times and had gotten stuck in thorny underbrush so much that someone had to stop every once and a while to pull out an aggravating thorn or small twig. Vero had to have thought this through before he even sent the note to Thranduil. That thought didn't help them much either. If Vero had planned all this out then what did he have in store at his hideout?
Of course all this would have been fine if the entire path wasn't rigged with booby traps.
Thranduil groaned as he heard the all too familiar sound of a trip wire going off. Valandil's men were very well trained but Vero and his men were trained well also. While Thranduil, Valandil and his group seemed to find most of the trip wires there were still a few, no, plenty enough that were to well hidden for even the highest trained guard to see. They had given up on riding horses but it only seemed to help little. Thranduil himself must have stepped on about five before realizing what had just snapped. Of course he had almost stepped down on to many to count also. The trip wires weren't only on the ground but in the air concealed by vines and running up and down trees just waiting for someone to put their hand down on it. They were even somehow concealed deep within all the underbrush so that every time they went through it something ended up flying out at them.
/ Legolas, baby, I'm coming for you. Not even a million of these things can stop me. Just hang in there all right? Ada is coming and I'm going to get you out of this mess. I'm going to make everything better. Vero should have never of sank this low. I mean, he's never even met you before. And I wont let you stay another night out of my arms!/
"get down!" Ennyneth yelled as a heavy branch swung at them. If they hadn't have moved a few heads would be rolling around the forest floor right about now.
/ a few limbs would have joined them as well/
Thranduil slowly got up once the fish line small ropes that were holding the branch, no, log, in place broke thus sending it flying over Thranduil's head and landing with a large *thump* nearby.
/ I wonder how the others are doing? Hopefully a whole lot better than we are./
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Somewhere near the clearing where nienna was killed:
" alright, by the looks of it everyone walked up from this stream and into those trees. How many do you think there were?" Aldarion asked Mircana as he walked up from the stream the same way that the footprints went.
" um its hard to say… at least ten at the most maybe fifteen." Mircana replied as he bent down closer to study the light footprints that walked up from the stream and up the trees. " I think they also came back this way. A lot of footprints are doubled."
" well, we have already been up the stream a little ways and we still haven't got any more clues as to where Vero is. I think that we need to study the clearing once more and then to Valandil and tell him what we found out." Aldarion said as he turned and looked down the stream. " after all they may have never gotten out by the bank. There are a lot of branches that they could have just climbed up and into the trees hanging over the stream. They may have never set foot on solid ground until they reached wherever they are staying."
Mircana nodded his head. "Your right. It does seem pointless. Lets head back"
With that the two seasoned warriors started to head back the way that they had came.
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Ruviel and Toldur stopped as the palace gates came into their view.
" have you ever done this before?" Toldur asked his partner
" what? Take a body back?" Ruviel asked as she started her horse forward
" yeah.. Its not the most pleasant of tasks, but, it has to be done" was all Ruviel said as she urged her horse faster.
Toldur nodded his head while he sent Nienna's body an uneasy look as he too coaxed his horse faster.
" once we get inside I will go straight to Antara and you go and find Elu and Eöl." Ruviel said as the gates opened as they rode through ignoring the strange looks everyone was giving them.
" oh no! I can't go looking for them! Are you mad!" Toldur replied as he looked at Ruviel in shock
" only slightly" Ruviel said trying to hide a smile that was tugging at her lips
Toldur rolled his eyes. " you know I can't get anywhere near them!"
" well that's your own fault. After all it was you who took out all their clothes and put dresses in their place, switched the bedrolls and might I add put itching powder in them." Ruviel said as she rode up to the steps and dismounted and slowly slid Nienna's body down so that the cloaks wouldn't come off.
" well it wasn't like I did it all on my own. Enny { Ennyneth's nickname} helped me and you're the one who told me that it was like a tradition for the new guy to play a prank on some one!" Toldur said as he also dismounted and helped carry the body up the steps and into the palace.
" well it is tradition to play a prank on the new guy.." Ruviel said meekly. " I didn't think that you would really do it!"
" sure. Now they hate me!" Toldur said as he waved off some people who where trying to come closer to them.
" they do not!" Ruviel said as they started to climb another set of stairs.
" do too!" Toldur shot back
" do not!" Ruviel said as she turned and started to head down a hall that would lead them to where the healers examined the dead.
" then how would you explain it? Huh?" Toldur said " back off" he yelled at some elves that were following them " you have no need to know! This is private!"
With that some of the elves left but of course, some remained
" well… lets just say that your not on their good list" Ruviel said as she opened a corridor door
" l already knew that! every time I come near them they threaten to kill me in some slow painful way!" Toldur exclaimed
" they do that to everyone." Ruviel said
Toldur was about to say something back until he saw the coroner's door and the real reason that he was here finally sank in. he was holding a body. A dead cold body. That thought made him almost drop it but he managed to hold on somehow.
" its always hard the first few times" Ruviel said as she stopped for a moment when she saw Toldur's expression " it never gets better but you kind of just zone out a little till you get here or to the family. Then you just have to stay strong till you are done."
Toldur just nodded
Ruviel shot him a small smile and said " here we go. I know that you haven't really been in a battle yet but they might be examining someone in the open, so look out. If the look of it doesn't make you queasy the smell will."
Toldur paled but nodded "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
" when then. Lets go" Ruviel said as she knocked on the thick door and then swung it open
Toldur kept his eyes on the covered body in front of him and tried not to breath too deeply.
" we need to see Antara right now" Ruviel stated as the healers looked at her
" mani?" Antara said as she stepped out of the cleaning room {what}
" we need to speak to you." Ruviel said
" in private" Toldur added still looking down at the floor which seemed to be stained with blood.
" well.. All right. Follow me" Antara said as she led the way to the examining rooms. She picked an empty one and motioned for the two warriors to come inside.
" well what is it? Who died?" she asked concerned. She turned around and closed the door.
" first we need you to swear not to release any information." Ruviel said
" oh, its one of those things," Antara said. " I swear not to tell anyone. I never have and I never will"
" I know, but it's just that this is going to be kind of personal for a lot of people." Ruviel said as she and Toldur placed the body on the table
" okay." Antara said as she moved closer to the body. She unwrapped it starting at the feet and working her way up. Once the cloaks were removed she sighed and said " you poor child. You never asked for this did you?"
Ruviel gave a small smile to her self when she remembered how weird she thought it was that Antara talked to the dead while she was examining them.
" I need for you to do an autopsy for me." Ruviel said
" I can do that" Antara said as she laid a hand on Nienna's cheek.
Ruviel turned to Toldur. " you have a choice stay here and help Antara begin the autopsy while I go and get Elu and Eöl or you can go and look for them and meet me here."
" I think I will take my chances with the demons of death." Toldur said as he hurried out of the room and made his way towards the training fields where Elu and Eöl said they were going to be today. Once he reached them he made sure to keep his distance as he made his presence known. Deep down he knew that they weren't really going to kill him or hurt him very badly, but, it didn't hurt to be careful. After all, what would breaking a few of his limbs mean to them? Not a thing. They wouldn't even think twice about it.
" oh look Elu, if it isn't the little trainee" Eöl said tauntingly
" why yes it is. What's the matter? The others say that you weren't grown up enough to play with them?" Elu said as he took a step towards Toldur " well we aren't going to amuse you either so scram!"
" I never said that I wanted you to amuse me. Even though you do put on quite a fantastic show" Toldur said. He knew that it was dangerous but they probably would never believe him if he had told them the truth about why he had came here. This taunt was a sure fire way to get them to give chase. Toldur only hoped that he could reach Ruviel before they caught him.
" why you little…" Elu said as he started to walk threatening towards Toldur.
" what… don't you remember? It was so hilarious to watch you two scramble up from your bed rolls and dance around the fire like you had been-" he stopped, turned and ran back the way that he had came as Eöl and Elu started towards him. He tore through the training fields barley missing a couple stray arrows and ran up the steps three at a time.
" come back here you little bastard!" one of his pursuers yelled at him. Toldur could tell that they where getting closer and closer. If he could only reach this corner before they got their hands on them he could have a little gain in time. If not… he shuddered
Toldur reached the corner and turned with gathering speed while he prayed to every god that no one would get in his way. He quickly ran up the next few staircases while he listened to Elu and Eol's footsteps grow even closer. He had the first door in his sight if he could just reach it….
Toldur tripped.
As he stumbled on his own clumsy two feet he flew towards the door, which miraculously opened right before he hit it. Instead of hitting the door however he landed straight on one of his commanding officers. With out thinking Toldur quickly straightened himself and left the sputtering officer without saying a word.
" we'll get him, don't worry. There's only one way out of the morgue." he heard Eöl say
Not if Ruviel is there, he thought as he opened the door and ran through . Ignoring the bodies he quickly ran up to the room where he and Ruviel had been earlier. He tried the door. Locked.
" no. oh please no, Ruviel you cant do this too me!" Toldur mumbled under his breath. He knocked ,or rather pounded, on the door. " open… come on …..open!"
He heard one of his pursuers draw closer.
" why don't you just give up. I promise not to kill you too quickly. And seeing that your already here I wont have to drag your body up all those steps. You'll look better for your funeral." Eöl said as he flexed his hands.
" Eöl is that you?" Ruviel said as she opened the door behind him
Eöl sighed, nodded his head and pointed a finger at Toldur before turning to Ruviel and saying " yes, just me."
" where's Elu?" she asked as she stepped out of the room and closed the door quickly behind her.
" right here" Elu called out as he stepped into their line of vision.
" good, I se that you have your weapons. We have to do something. Valandil and everybody else are all ready out there. We have to go catch up now. I'll explain on the way." Ruviel said as she stepped past them
Eöl and Elu followed but not before they threw a parting glare at Toldur.
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" so by the looks of it nienna was killed her. Then she dragged herself over here." Aldarion said as he pointed out the trail of blood to Mircana
" yes. Elladan must have been around here when he had gotten hit." Mircana said as she stood where Elladan had been standing.
" there wasn't much of a fight. Only two people were actually fighting. They must have been Vero and the king. The other climbed out of those tress and surrounded them" Aldarion said as he circled the clearing.
" everything seems to check out with the kings story. Come lets go and catch up to the others." Mircana said as he stared to lead his horse towards the trail that the others had left behind.
" wait up for us!" Ruviel called out as she, Toldur, Elu and Eöl entered the clearing mounted on their horses.
" is that everyone who was left behind?" Aldarion asked
" yep" Ruviel replied " and I'll led"
" not if I have anything to say about it" Aldarion snapped playfully " I would never let a woman such as your self led into a potential battle zone"
" ha! You owe me. I let you go first last time. And I don't care if it is a potential battle zone! I can handle my self better than you can" Ruviel said as she started to urge her horse towards the trail
" you let me go head on into an ambush!" Aldarion said as he fell in line behind her
" we need the distraction! What better then a hapless warrior?" Ruviel replied as she broke into a gallop.
" hapless warrior.. I'll show you someday" Aldarion replied under his breath " come on let's catch up" he motioned the others forward
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"Valandil, I think that the ones we left behind have caught up with us" Thranduil said as he heard a slight commotion at the end of the line
Valandil looked up from the trail he was studying. " good, good. They finished quicker than I thought. Tell me, what do you think of the trail now? They don't seem to have a care about their footprints and there haven't been any traps at all."
Thranduil looked around. "your right. I don't think that they thought we would get this far."
" that is where we have proved them wrong. Now if we can only find out what they have around their base camp then I could make a proper plan of attack" Valandil said as he looked around once more.
" I think that you will make a excellent plan, we just have to wait -" Thranduil cut himself off as he heard a moan sound through the woods.
" what was that?" he said as he drew his sword.
" I don't know but we are about to find out." Valandil said as he drew out his bow and made a couple of hand signals to his men. Immediately Ruviel, Eöl, Elu, Ilmgul, and Quensa had their weapons drawn and were at Valandil's side.
" we are going to see what that noise was I don't want for anyone to attack without word." Valandil explained as he quietly stepped forward. The other that he had spoken to followed just as quietly. They slowly approached a tiny, very tiny, clearing. From their point of view they could see that some one was tied up to a tree and was struggling to get away. He must have been there for a while since his wrists and the rope that held them tightly to the tree were stained in fresh and dried blood. He had brown hair but that was all that Valandil could see.
" whose there?" the figure called out
" Elladan!" Thranduil said as he quickly ran over to the elf.
Valandil shook his head and nodded for the others to follow him.
" Elladan what happened?" Thranduil said as he quickly cut the ropes and helped Elladan down unto the forest floor.
" I.." Elladan in a raspy voice
" here" Quensa said as she handed over her water skin
" diola lle" Elladan said. He lifted the flask to his mouth and drank until his voice felt a little closer to normal.
" Elladan what happened? Do you remember anything?" Thranduil asked again.
Elladan shook his head while he handed the water skin back to Quensa. " I just woke up here. I thought that I could just break out of the ropes but soon I realized that they wouldn't break so I started to call for help. Do you know where my brother is?! I can't figure out where he is."
" I don't know where anybody is Elladan" Thranduil said.
" Quensa, go and get the others. We will rest here for a moment" Valandil ordered
Quensa ran back through to where the others waited.
" for how long?" Thranduil asked " I want to find Legolas soon."
" I do too. But we don't know if there is another trail and everybody else is tired and frustrated. It is far more better to send out a few that aren't as tired to look ahead than to make everyone else trug along as well. Besides Elladan needs some medical care and time to stretch his limbs." Valandil explained.
" your right. As usual." Thranduil said
"as soon as we find another trail we will move out." Valandil said
" good plan" was all Thranduil said as he stared off through the woods.
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Whew!* wipes sweat off forehead* I tired to make that chappie as long as I could. I hope it made up somewhat for all those short chappies and that long time of nothing. *looks out of rabbit hole to see if anymore rotten veggies are being thrown* do you forgive me?
A big thanks to all my faithful reviewers out there I never thought that my story would be so popular! In fact when I starting writing this I was only hoping to get at the most twenty. But thank the valar that you proved me wrong!
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"no!" Thranduil breathed "nienna! No.. you.. Saes"
/ nienna, you were far too young to die!! You were just starting out in your life. How.. Oh, I should have never left with Nefiath. If I had stayed then maybe all this wouldn't have happened. You didn't deserve to die like this. You had been hanging for hours and I never woke up. I should have been here to save you. I should have never let Vero go. I should have gotten here sooner… I should have never of let this happen!/
" amin hero," {my lord} Curufinwë said as he laid a hand on Thranduil's shoulder " re gurth" {she's dead}
Thranduil shook his head.
" come on," Valandil said as he stood up and hauled Thranduil to his feet " I want for two of you to take the body back to the palace. Tell no one who it is, or how she died. No one is to see the body either." he addressed his men.
" I will do it" a warrior said
" no, we need you Ilmgul " Valandil said " you helped us track down Vero and his gang last time and we will need you again. You were a huge help. We cannot afford to lose you. Especially now. We have no idea what we will encounter. I know that we will need your skills in all of this."
" what about me? I wasn't much help last time. I can take her. She was my friend and I think that I should do it.." a woman who Thranduil recognized as Quensa, said with teary eyes.
" we still might need you though. You know what we will be looking for. I'm sorry for your loss but there are even more innocent lives out there that we might be able to save. I liked nienna to and believe me if I had my way I would escort her body myself back to the palace. She was only a couple of years past her majority. Far to young to even think about death." Valandil said as he laid his hand on Quensa's shoulder.
" I understand. I couldn't save her but there are even younger lives, like prince Legolas and lady Arwen, to save. They shouldn't die also." Quensa said as she wiped the tears off of her face. " They are far too young. I will stay for them"
Vero nodded as he gave the she-elf one last shoulder squeeze and said " quel re" {good girl.} {A/n- re really means she but I couldn't find girl in elvish so just pretend.} Before looking out on his men.
After a few minutes of thought Valandil said " I want for Toldur and Ruviel to take the body back to the castle. Remember no information is to be released. I want for you two to take nienna to Antara. Tell only her what happened and get her to examine the body. I don't want for you to notify her mother yet so take care if you see her. Then go and fetch Elu and Eöl. Once you finish all that, hurry back here and then catch up to the rest of us. Understood?"
The elf and she elf warriors that Valandil had addressed nodded their heads and moved to wrap Nienna's dead body up in their cloaks. They mounted their horses and left at a dead run.
Valandil and Thranduil took a deep breath almost at the same time.
" Alright, I need for another two of you to stay here and look for anything that could lead us to Vero's hide out. Um… Aldarion and Mircana, I want for you to do that. If you find anything of interest come and notify me. Once you're done come and catch up to us." Valandil said.
" Uma Nikerym" {yes captain} the two warriors that Valandil had addressed said as they moved out into the rest of the clearing discussing were to start and what to look for.
I want for Tathar, Quensa, and Alata to ride up front with Thranduil and me. Buviel, Olwë, Ilmgul, ride in the middle. And um.. Ennyneth, Daeir, and Alquaa, take the back." Valandil ordered.
/ this is why I made him captain of the guards. He knows what needs to be done and how to do it. His men are very loyal to him and trust him not to make a mistake. I trust him not to make a mistake also. Even more now then ever since my son and others are involved./
" everyone have their orders and understand them?" Valandil called out once everyone had arranged themselves in proper order.
"aye!" everyone called out
"remember, keep your eyes out for any sign that anything has been though here before us. Many of Vero's Wethrils were once members of Mirkwood's guard. They know how to go undetected. Do you all understand this?" {rouges}
" Aye!" everyone called out once again.
" alright then, lets do this!" Valandil said as he mounted his black horse and led the way in the direction that nienna had pointed out before she had died.
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Elladan continued to struggle against his everlasting bonds. He was starting to doubt that he would ever get out of them. But then again, everything had to break sometime. He just had to keep trying. And he was not one to give up. He would keep trying till they broke! Nothing would stop him!
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Valandil sighed in frustration. This had to have been at least the third time ,maybe the fifth, {he didn't bother counting anymore. It seemed pointless.} that they had lost the trail. Vero sure did know how to lead them on a wild goose hunt. The trail would disappear then reappear about a hundred feet from where it disappeared. He must have spent his time in prison thinking of new ways to trick the Mirkwood guard. And as much as Valandil hated to admit, he was getting rather good at it. They had been lead to dead ends countless times and had gotten stuck in thorny underbrush so much that someone had to stop every once and a while to pull out an aggravating thorn or small twig. Vero had to have thought this through before he even sent the note to Thranduil. That thought didn't help them much either. If Vero had planned all this out then what did he have in store at his hideout?
Of course all this would have been fine if the entire path wasn't rigged with booby traps.
Thranduil groaned as he heard the all too familiar sound of a trip wire going off. Valandil's men were very well trained but Vero and his men were trained well also. While Thranduil, Valandil and his group seemed to find most of the trip wires there were still a few, no, plenty enough that were to well hidden for even the highest trained guard to see. They had given up on riding horses but it only seemed to help little. Thranduil himself must have stepped on about five before realizing what had just snapped. Of course he had almost stepped down on to many to count also. The trip wires weren't only on the ground but in the air concealed by vines and running up and down trees just waiting for someone to put their hand down on it. They were even somehow concealed deep within all the underbrush so that every time they went through it something ended up flying out at them.
/ Legolas, baby, I'm coming for you. Not even a million of these things can stop me. Just hang in there all right? Ada is coming and I'm going to get you out of this mess. I'm going to make everything better. Vero should have never of sank this low. I mean, he's never even met you before. And I wont let you stay another night out of my arms!/
"get down!" Ennyneth yelled as a heavy branch swung at them. If they hadn't have moved a few heads would be rolling around the forest floor right about now.
/ a few limbs would have joined them as well/
Thranduil slowly got up once the fish line small ropes that were holding the branch, no, log, in place broke thus sending it flying over Thranduil's head and landing with a large *thump* nearby.
/ I wonder how the others are doing? Hopefully a whole lot better than we are./
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Somewhere near the clearing where nienna was killed:
" alright, by the looks of it everyone walked up from this stream and into those trees. How many do you think there were?" Aldarion asked Mircana as he walked up from the stream the same way that the footprints went.
" um its hard to say… at least ten at the most maybe fifteen." Mircana replied as he bent down closer to study the light footprints that walked up from the stream and up the trees. " I think they also came back this way. A lot of footprints are doubled."
" well, we have already been up the stream a little ways and we still haven't got any more clues as to where Vero is. I think that we need to study the clearing once more and then to Valandil and tell him what we found out." Aldarion said as he turned and looked down the stream. " after all they may have never gotten out by the bank. There are a lot of branches that they could have just climbed up and into the trees hanging over the stream. They may have never set foot on solid ground until they reached wherever they are staying."
Mircana nodded his head. "Your right. It does seem pointless. Lets head back"
With that the two seasoned warriors started to head back the way that they had came.
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Ruviel and Toldur stopped as the palace gates came into their view.
" have you ever done this before?" Toldur asked his partner
" what? Take a body back?" Ruviel asked as she started her horse forward
" yeah.. Its not the most pleasant of tasks, but, it has to be done" was all Ruviel said as she urged her horse faster.
Toldur nodded his head while he sent Nienna's body an uneasy look as he too coaxed his horse faster.
" once we get inside I will go straight to Antara and you go and find Elu and Eöl." Ruviel said as the gates opened as they rode through ignoring the strange looks everyone was giving them.
" oh no! I can't go looking for them! Are you mad!" Toldur replied as he looked at Ruviel in shock
" only slightly" Ruviel said trying to hide a smile that was tugging at her lips
Toldur rolled his eyes. " you know I can't get anywhere near them!"
" well that's your own fault. After all it was you who took out all their clothes and put dresses in their place, switched the bedrolls and might I add put itching powder in them." Ruviel said as she rode up to the steps and dismounted and slowly slid Nienna's body down so that the cloaks wouldn't come off.
" well it wasn't like I did it all on my own. Enny { Ennyneth's nickname} helped me and you're the one who told me that it was like a tradition for the new guy to play a prank on some one!" Toldur said as he also dismounted and helped carry the body up the steps and into the palace.
" well it is tradition to play a prank on the new guy.." Ruviel said meekly. " I didn't think that you would really do it!"
" sure. Now they hate me!" Toldur said as he waved off some people who where trying to come closer to them.
" they do not!" Ruviel said as they started to climb another set of stairs.
" do too!" Toldur shot back
" do not!" Ruviel said as she turned and started to head down a hall that would lead them to where the healers examined the dead.
" then how would you explain it? Huh?" Toldur said " back off" he yelled at some elves that were following them " you have no need to know! This is private!"
With that some of the elves left but of course, some remained
" well… lets just say that your not on their good list" Ruviel said as she opened a corridor door
" l already knew that! every time I come near them they threaten to kill me in some slow painful way!" Toldur exclaimed
" they do that to everyone." Ruviel said
Toldur was about to say something back until he saw the coroner's door and the real reason that he was here finally sank in. he was holding a body. A dead cold body. That thought made him almost drop it but he managed to hold on somehow.
" its always hard the first few times" Ruviel said as she stopped for a moment when she saw Toldur's expression " it never gets better but you kind of just zone out a little till you get here or to the family. Then you just have to stay strong till you are done."
Toldur just nodded
Ruviel shot him a small smile and said " here we go. I know that you haven't really been in a battle yet but they might be examining someone in the open, so look out. If the look of it doesn't make you queasy the smell will."
Toldur paled but nodded "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
" when then. Lets go" Ruviel said as she knocked on the thick door and then swung it open
Toldur kept his eyes on the covered body in front of him and tried not to breath too deeply.
" we need to see Antara right now" Ruviel stated as the healers looked at her
" mani?" Antara said as she stepped out of the cleaning room {what}
" we need to speak to you." Ruviel said
" in private" Toldur added still looking down at the floor which seemed to be stained with blood.
" well.. All right. Follow me" Antara said as she led the way to the examining rooms. She picked an empty one and motioned for the two warriors to come inside.
" well what is it? Who died?" she asked concerned. She turned around and closed the door.
" first we need you to swear not to release any information." Ruviel said
" oh, its one of those things," Antara said. " I swear not to tell anyone. I never have and I never will"
" I know, but it's just that this is going to be kind of personal for a lot of people." Ruviel said as she and Toldur placed the body on the table
" okay." Antara said as she moved closer to the body. She unwrapped it starting at the feet and working her way up. Once the cloaks were removed she sighed and said " you poor child. You never asked for this did you?"
Ruviel gave a small smile to her self when she remembered how weird she thought it was that Antara talked to the dead while she was examining them.
" I need for you to do an autopsy for me." Ruviel said
" I can do that" Antara said as she laid a hand on Nienna's cheek.
Ruviel turned to Toldur. " you have a choice stay here and help Antara begin the autopsy while I go and get Elu and Eöl or you can go and look for them and meet me here."
" I think I will take my chances with the demons of death." Toldur said as he hurried out of the room and made his way towards the training fields where Elu and Eöl said they were going to be today. Once he reached them he made sure to keep his distance as he made his presence known. Deep down he knew that they weren't really going to kill him or hurt him very badly, but, it didn't hurt to be careful. After all, what would breaking a few of his limbs mean to them? Not a thing. They wouldn't even think twice about it.
" oh look Elu, if it isn't the little trainee" Eöl said tauntingly
" why yes it is. What's the matter? The others say that you weren't grown up enough to play with them?" Elu said as he took a step towards Toldur " well we aren't going to amuse you either so scram!"
" I never said that I wanted you to amuse me. Even though you do put on quite a fantastic show" Toldur said. He knew that it was dangerous but they probably would never believe him if he had told them the truth about why he had came here. This taunt was a sure fire way to get them to give chase. Toldur only hoped that he could reach Ruviel before they caught him.
" why you little…" Elu said as he started to walk threatening towards Toldur.
" what… don't you remember? It was so hilarious to watch you two scramble up from your bed rolls and dance around the fire like you had been-" he stopped, turned and ran back the way that he had came as Eöl and Elu started towards him. He tore through the training fields barley missing a couple stray arrows and ran up the steps three at a time.
" come back here you little bastard!" one of his pursuers yelled at him. Toldur could tell that they where getting closer and closer. If he could only reach this corner before they got their hands on them he could have a little gain in time. If not… he shuddered
Toldur reached the corner and turned with gathering speed while he prayed to every god that no one would get in his way. He quickly ran up the next few staircases while he listened to Elu and Eol's footsteps grow even closer. He had the first door in his sight if he could just reach it….
Toldur tripped.
As he stumbled on his own clumsy two feet he flew towards the door, which miraculously opened right before he hit it. Instead of hitting the door however he landed straight on one of his commanding officers. With out thinking Toldur quickly straightened himself and left the sputtering officer without saying a word.
" we'll get him, don't worry. There's only one way out of the morgue." he heard Eöl say
Not if Ruviel is there, he thought as he opened the door and ran through . Ignoring the bodies he quickly ran up to the room where he and Ruviel had been earlier. He tried the door. Locked.
" no. oh please no, Ruviel you cant do this too me!" Toldur mumbled under his breath. He knocked ,or rather pounded, on the door. " open… come on …..open!"
He heard one of his pursuers draw closer.
" why don't you just give up. I promise not to kill you too quickly. And seeing that your already here I wont have to drag your body up all those steps. You'll look better for your funeral." Eöl said as he flexed his hands.
" Eöl is that you?" Ruviel said as she opened the door behind him
Eöl sighed, nodded his head and pointed a finger at Toldur before turning to Ruviel and saying " yes, just me."
" where's Elu?" she asked as she stepped out of the room and closed the door quickly behind her.
" right here" Elu called out as he stepped into their line of vision.
" good, I se that you have your weapons. We have to do something. Valandil and everybody else are all ready out there. We have to go catch up now. I'll explain on the way." Ruviel said as she stepped past them
Eöl and Elu followed but not before they threw a parting glare at Toldur.
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" so by the looks of it nienna was killed her. Then she dragged herself over here." Aldarion said as he pointed out the trail of blood to Mircana
" yes. Elladan must have been around here when he had gotten hit." Mircana said as she stood where Elladan had been standing.
" there wasn't much of a fight. Only two people were actually fighting. They must have been Vero and the king. The other climbed out of those tress and surrounded them" Aldarion said as he circled the clearing.
" everything seems to check out with the kings story. Come lets go and catch up to the others." Mircana said as he stared to lead his horse towards the trail that the others had left behind.
" wait up for us!" Ruviel called out as she, Toldur, Elu and Eöl entered the clearing mounted on their horses.
" is that everyone who was left behind?" Aldarion asked
" yep" Ruviel replied " and I'll led"
" not if I have anything to say about it" Aldarion snapped playfully " I would never let a woman such as your self led into a potential battle zone"
" ha! You owe me. I let you go first last time. And I don't care if it is a potential battle zone! I can handle my self better than you can" Ruviel said as she started to urge her horse towards the trail
" you let me go head on into an ambush!" Aldarion said as he fell in line behind her
" we need the distraction! What better then a hapless warrior?" Ruviel replied as she broke into a gallop.
" hapless warrior.. I'll show you someday" Aldarion replied under his breath " come on let's catch up" he motioned the others forward
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"Valandil, I think that the ones we left behind have caught up with us" Thranduil said as he heard a slight commotion at the end of the line
Valandil looked up from the trail he was studying. " good, good. They finished quicker than I thought. Tell me, what do you think of the trail now? They don't seem to have a care about their footprints and there haven't been any traps at all."
Thranduil looked around. "your right. I don't think that they thought we would get this far."
" that is where we have proved them wrong. Now if we can only find out what they have around their base camp then I could make a proper plan of attack" Valandil said as he looked around once more.
" I think that you will make a excellent plan, we just have to wait -" Thranduil cut himself off as he heard a moan sound through the woods.
" what was that?" he said as he drew his sword.
" I don't know but we are about to find out." Valandil said as he drew out his bow and made a couple of hand signals to his men. Immediately Ruviel, Eöl, Elu, Ilmgul, and Quensa had their weapons drawn and were at Valandil's side.
" we are going to see what that noise was I don't want for anyone to attack without word." Valandil explained as he quietly stepped forward. The other that he had spoken to followed just as quietly. They slowly approached a tiny, very tiny, clearing. From their point of view they could see that some one was tied up to a tree and was struggling to get away. He must have been there for a while since his wrists and the rope that held them tightly to the tree were stained in fresh and dried blood. He had brown hair but that was all that Valandil could see.
" whose there?" the figure called out
" Elladan!" Thranduil said as he quickly ran over to the elf.
Valandil shook his head and nodded for the others to follow him.
" Elladan what happened?" Thranduil said as he quickly cut the ropes and helped Elladan down unto the forest floor.
" I.." Elladan in a raspy voice
" here" Quensa said as she handed over her water skin
" diola lle" Elladan said. He lifted the flask to his mouth and drank until his voice felt a little closer to normal.
" Elladan what happened? Do you remember anything?" Thranduil asked again.
Elladan shook his head while he handed the water skin back to Quensa. " I just woke up here. I thought that I could just break out of the ropes but soon I realized that they wouldn't break so I started to call for help. Do you know where my brother is?! I can't figure out where he is."
" I don't know where anybody is Elladan" Thranduil said.
" Quensa, go and get the others. We will rest here for a moment" Valandil ordered
Quensa ran back through to where the others waited.
" for how long?" Thranduil asked " I want to find Legolas soon."
" I do too. But we don't know if there is another trail and everybody else is tired and frustrated. It is far more better to send out a few that aren't as tired to look ahead than to make everyone else trug along as well. Besides Elladan needs some medical care and time to stretch his limbs." Valandil explained.
" your right. As usual." Thranduil said
"as soon as we find another trail we will move out." Valandil said
" good plan" was all Thranduil said as he stared off through the woods.
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Whew!* wipes sweat off forehead* I tired to make that chappie as long as I could. I hope it made up somewhat for all those short chappies and that long time of nothing. *looks out of rabbit hole to see if anymore rotten veggies are being thrown* do you forgive me?