Disclaimer: I own the hideous mini-Koi, 15 bandits and JRR owns the good stuff!
A/N:
'This is thought'
This in mind speech
'This is visions'
"" This is mind to mind Far Speak ""
A/N 2 : With school starting, I will be updating both Hellfire and Moonfire once a week unless I get inspired frantically and then it will be sooner. I have started a Forum for the two stories for all my readers to enjoy. Please feel free to ask questions, offer suggestions or just ramble about either story or anything else LOTR related. Just remember to keep language at teen level as fanfic site demands. Thanks for all your support and I hope you enjoy this chapter short though it is! Next one will be longer!
To my Lovely Readers: THANK YOU!
Justifiable Homicide
The door slammed back on its hinges with a loud bang. Darkness still clung to the interior of Elladan's bedchamber coating everything a dull dark grey color. Dawn's break was near, but the light would not reach this room's balcony for awhile yet. Elladan slid past his Ada as the twin searched for the hidden intruder. The sitting room was quiet and empty. Nodding silently to each other, they moved on to the bedchamber area. A fire was smoldering in the hearth. It gave off both heat and what little light that was available to the elves. A gentle breeze ruffled the curtains, that were now closed, lending an air of intimacy to the room. A soft moan of pleasure caught the elves attention and they turned as one towards the sound. The sight that greeted their eyes made Elrond gasp in shock and the older twin let out a decidedly feral growl in a mingled state of frustration, anger and well concealed, elated desire. Damn she was back!
Elrohir watched as Shadow reread the agreement for a third time. The last small things had been thoroughly hashed out so the two could make the journey to the Last Homely House by the mid day meal. They had been squabbling happily over different concessions since the Wolven pack had departed and now all was ready to bring their treaty to the attention of the Lord of Imladris. The younger twin was impatient to see Elladan and just hoped his twin had taken his warning to heart. Some times Elrohir worried about his twin's actions.
Ever since their Nanneth had be viciously attacked, Elladan had become more possessive and domineering of all those the older twin considered his; whether they were family, friends, or those under his protection and of course Imladris itself. The light hearted elf, the older twin had been, was still overshadowed by the memories of that horrible past. Elladan had become a vicious, and demanding warrior striking fear into the very souls of the fell beasts they hunted with such fervor. After so many years of errantry, Elladan had finally begun to regain some of his fun loving youth and prank playing ways back, yet the shadow lingered behind his stormy eyes.
Hot tempered as he was, Elladan could bend the rules of proper behavior to fit his needs, yet he always kept his inherent nobility and honor intact. Elrohir desperately hoped the bandit leader could be trusted to do the same, but a wild light in her eyes warned Elrohir that she too walked a fine line between right and wrong. Now would not be the time to push Elladan too far! Having the leader of the Wolven dead by his brother's hand would definitely make the bandits go from calm and civil to all out war within a matter of seconds, not to mention their Ada's wrath! With what he had been witness to last night, Elrohir feared that great tragedy would follow in the wake of such a death and wished to avoid that at all costs. Stretching fully to remove the kinks in his back, the younger twin reached out for Elladan's mind.
Shadow had just finished reading the agreement glad to see everything in order, when Elrohir stretched and began laughing so hard he nearly collapsed backwards. With tears streaming down his face, Elrohir fought bravely to relearn how to breathe. Unfortunately for him, Elladan's emotions rolled over him again lending fuel to an already hot flame of hilarity. Seeing Shadow's quirking eyebrow at the younger twin's reaction, Elrohir lost all control again. Finally breaking his twin bond, Elrohir was able to calm down to just occasional snorts and wiped his face clear of the tears that streaked his cheeks. "Shadow how much do you really like Fury?" Elrohir finally gasped out to the now bewildered bandit.
"She is my twin and most of the time I like her. Why do you ask? Has your mirror done something to her?" Shadow demanded with a slight frown. Elrohir held up his hand and shook his head, while a grin lit up his face.
"Well at the moment it is hard to figure out which action Elladan wants to take in dealing with your sister. He seems to have settled somewhere between taking her to his bed while ravishing her into submission, and happily killing her very, very slowly. Hopefully common sense will stay his hand on the first two ideas. My twin hates to be toyed with and your sister seems to be able to rile him up beyond measure. Mayhap we should arrive before the midday meal just in case Elladan decides to change tactics and does something overly foolish." came Elrohir's amused reply. At Shadow's answering grin and nod of approval, the two amused friends packed up the supplies they needed and prepared to face the Lord of Imladris and a set of very mad older twins.
It had been just before dawn when Fury crept closer to the Last Homely House. Her intentions had been to just scamper back up the tree and into the bedchamber the twin had held her captive in, but an evil thought took hold in her mind and all good intentions fled. She slid into the mostly dark shadowed halls of the main floor like a wraith. Silently stalking the evil Peredhil twin, Fury sniffed the cool early morning air. A pleased smirk drifted slowly across her features as the twin's distinctive scent wafted down from one side of the hall. The smell of food was strong towards the other hallway and a plan began to form. She would torment that evil Peredhil just for fun! Knowing her time in the twin's company was coming to a close, Fury decided to leave behind a memory the elf would not soon forget.
Moving on deathly quiet feet, Fury angled herself so she could peer into the room the scent came from, yet still be hidden in the dark areas of the hall. She spied the Lord of Imladris, a tall blond warrior, a slighter dark haired elf in a black robe all clustered around the roaring fire. The lord looked as if he was in a trance, while the others watched over him in concern.
Shifting just slightly, Fury's lavender-gray gaze found her prey. Elladan paced beside the hearth like a trapped feral great cat. Lethal grace made his movements like liquid silk. Back and forth he stalked; eyes glaring, mouth thinned with anger. The twin gave off an illusionary wave of leashed power as he fought to control his furious nature. The fire's light danced along his skin turning it to burnished gold. His dark hair was loose and swayed gently with every step he took. His grey eyes were darkened with anger and grief. As she watched her prey, Fury could not see the softening of her own features or the wistfulness within her gaze as she continued to watch the frustrated twin. Turning from the tempting sight, Fury made her way with great stealth towards the kitchen area.
The kitchen area was empty at this early an hour. It would be another hour or more before the first of the kitchen staff made their way down to start the morning meal. Pies, tarts, and bread lay across the cooling counters as they awaited the staff's attention. Fruits and cheese were sequestered in another corner closer to the walk in pantry that held the season's fruits and vegetables; all canned and labeled for the wintertime meals. Spying a pile of satchels, Fury scurried like a quiet mouse and retrieved a small sack. Quickly gathering the supplies she wished for, the bandit left a small gem where the food had been. She might be considered a bandit by those of Imladris, but she was no thief ! Turning with a satisfied smirk, Fury slipped silently down the hallway towards her final destination.
Padding on silent feet, the bandit at last came to her appointed destination … the older twin's private quarters. Looking both ways before leaving the safety of the shadowy halls, Fury opened the door and eased into the room. Closing the door with barely a whisper, Fury walked past the sitting area and headed straight for the bedchamber that had been her prison. She grinned when she saw the pile of blankets still on the floor neatly arranged and the Mithril chain dropped onto the top. She ran her hands over the beautiful comforter once before putting her plan into action.
Fury knew the older twin would be furious, so the bandit devised the circumstances of her return into an unusual and elaborate ploy to throw the twin off balance. She hoped it would give Elladan a sudden pause before he tried to strangle the life from her. Of the little niggling voice, that tried to scream that this was not the only reason for the game, she gave no sign of hearing. The bandit leader refused to acknowledge those thoughts existed and continued to set up in blissful ignorance. Once done with her arrangements, she stoked the fire slightly and waited.
At the sounds of surprise the two elves made, Fury smiled dangerously from behind a decidedly juicy apple. Quirking an eyebrow in their direction, the bandit leader continued to chew the bite of apple slowly as she contemplated the two in the doorway. Fury lay sprawled on a mound of pillows surrounded by a bounty of food stuffs. Pies, cheese, fruit and bread lay scattered atop Elladan's bedcovers, while a bowl of sweet cream balanced precariously on the bandits lower stomach; much like the strawberries had been days earlier. Smiling graciously at the infuriated twin, Fury spiked his already hot temper into an inferno as she asked sweetly, "Hungry?" as she lifted up her half eaten apple for another bite.
Elrond was stunned when the bandit leader came into view. She lay contented amid a pile of food and pillows, with one leg stretched out in front of her and the other bent so as to hold the bowl of sweet cream steady. She wore nothing but a black shirt of Elladan's, that was many sizes too large for her, so it hung off her shoulder with a casual, yet seductive grace. The top clasp hung open and exposed skin still slightly damp from the juice that dribbled slowly down her chin. Her eyes were smoky; more the purple of pansies then true lavender. Around her ankle was the Mithril chain, attached together with a leather hair tie. Her sweet smile, as Fury asked if they were hungry, made the elf lord shake his head in amusement. He could tell the bandit leader had planned this, just so she could put his oldest son's patience through some sort of test. There was a hidden quake of fear in her beautiful eyes, that the elder lord spied, but it could not be seen in the daring way the bandit responded to Elladan's low, menacing growl. With a nod towards the bandit, that Elladan did not see, Elrond turned and faced his son. "Try to keep her in sight this time please. It is giving Glorfindel fits that you allowed her to roam free in Imladris once already!"
Watching his son's narrowed eyes, Elrond had to stifle a laugh when Elladan bit out in a guttural snarl, "Oh do not worry Ada, she will be going nowhere else. I will see to it personally!" Nodding his understanding, Elrond left the tense atmosphere of the bedchamber for the relative quiet of the hallway. Walking to the library, the elven lord thought about the vision he had seen earlier, the bandit's returning to captivity freely and his son's unusual behavior towards his captive.
Seeing the perplexed looks from Glorfindel and Erestor, Elrond let out a soft laugh. "Well my friends it seems as if Elladan's guest has returned and made herself right at home in his chambers. At the moment she is having a decidedly tasty picnic upon his bed, but I fear my son is not so happy about her choice of picnic spots!"
