Chapter 6
It had of course been Naht who had discovered the elf twins. He and the other elves who were loyal to Maedhros and Maglor had tied them up and carried them back to the house. There, they had been locked up in the cellar room again that the Elrond and Elros had spent their first nights in. Neither of them was saying anything. Elrond felt that waiting for their punishment would be worse than the punishment itself but something told him the worst was yet to come.
Time passed and the twins ended up dozing off despite all the excitement and adrenaline. No one came to see them and they were still in the small, wet room with moist rock walls and no light. Elrond wondered how long they would keep them there and he feared that they would just be left to die.
"I'm scared," Elros finally said.
"Me too," Elrond admitted and cuddled closer to where he had heard his brother's voice from. Arm in arm, they doze off again.
Elrond woke up very hungry. But he knew there was no chance they would get food any time soon. More time passed. Both of them had lost any track of time, but eventually, Joht was the one to open the door. He was a good friend of the sons of Fёanor and also their sword practice teacher. Johnt had hair as light as that of Naht. His face was mean and he had a variety of scars all across his face and body because he loved his sword just too much.
"We have debated long what to do with you," he said. The disgust was written in his face. If Maglor had not stressed that the boys were not to be killed, he would have done so by now. "Get up," he hissed and the boys followed him into the entry hall. Naht was sitting by the fire just like the first day they met him.
The cook, Mahtos, was also sitting on one of the leather chairs and so was Mebat, the healer, who also had a bag with him that Elrond recognised to contain the most important healing herbs and creams. He knew they were for his and his brother's wounds that would now be inflicted on them.
"Strip," Naht said.
Neither Elrond nor Elros understood. But Joht was faster. He chose one of the knives he always carried with him and cut the brothers' clothes until they stood naked before the grown-up elves. Luckily, elves could not feel cold or they would have been shivering.
"I am not sure how to choose," Naht said, looking from Elrond to Elros and then back to Elrond.
Elrond was very nervous. He knew that the worst that could possibly happen would happen to him and he had watched his mother kill herself.
"Tie that one up," Naht finally decided and pointed at Elrond.
"No!" Elros shouted and grabbed his brother's arm. But Joht yanked him away and Elros was taken by Mahtos to a chair and then tied up at his feet, wrists and upper body to the wood.
Naht stood up and picked up the fire irons. "No," Elrond muttered while Naht was walking with the red-glowing irons towards Elros.
It is uncertain whether Elros' or Elrond's screams were louder, but Elrond's were definitely longer. In the end, he just saw how his brother was sinking down onto his knees and began to smell the burning flesh. No matter how much the twins shouted, Naht would not stop. He would take a knife and create additional wounds, then seal them by burning. After a while, Elros stopped screaming as he began fading in and out of consciousness. But Elrond screamed his lungs out.
When Elros did not move anymore, Naht stopped. "Let's have dinner," he said. Mahtos went to the kitchen to serve some dishes he had prepared and the elves sat down at the dining table with view onto Elrond whose yells were becoming more and more silent and Elros who lay moveless on the stone floor.
Elrond had caught breath and began shouting all kinds of insults in both Quenya and human speech at Naht and the other elves. He wanted them to punish him as well, but they just ignored him.
After a while – the evil elves had started eating dessert – Elros regained consciousness.
"Elros," Elrond muttered. "Elros!" he repeated louder.
Elros looked up. And that was the moment when Elrond stopped yelling. And stopped talking. His brother's gaze met his eyes and it was full of desperation. Elrond did not know it yet, but seeing his brother's eyes of so much pain broke his heart. And that was when Elrond realised that any decision was out of his hands. He could not change fate, he could not change what others did. There was no point in shouting or trying to loosen the restraints of fighting. There was absolutely nothing he could do and this realisation began to sink in. One single tear rolled down his cheek and hit the floor. He noticed the drop spillage, he felt his breathing calming down. Time seemed to slow down. There was absolutely nothing he could do but endure.
Naht had finished his dessert and now he walked back to Elros. But no matter what he did to the elfling, there was not a single word coming out of Elrond's mouth. Wearily, he witnessed his brother being tortured over hours. His brother shouting for help and for his mother. But all Elrond could do was watch. And he knew that his turn would not come. That this was his torture and that Naht knew that it was worse than what he did to Elros.
When it had become dark, Elros was carried into the cellar where he was left in the dark and alone. Elrond was brought to their room with beds and a candle. He was given bread and soup. He knew that he was supposed to not eat them. To refuse. To show them how strong he was. But what was the point? So he ate the soup and the bread. And he slept in the bed. No tears came this night. He did not know what he felt, even if he felt at all. He knew he should feel anger. Or hatred. Or sadness. But there was nothing. He was numb.