For Disclaimer please view chapter 1
Author's note: Thank you all for your constructive reviews and thoughts on this story so far, they mean a lot to me. Sorry for the delay. School, work…you know the drill, but I tried to make it a bit longer than the last chapter. I was going to split it into mini chapters, but it was worth having it as a whole thing in the end. Also thank you for all your well-wishes during this difficult time in London. I hope you like this chapter. I loved to write it. Read and Enjoy!
p.s. anything in italics for a long period of time, means it's a memory. If italics appear in speech, it means they are speaking Sindarin.
Kersi.
Chapter 32: Anything for Those You Love...
It was difficult for him to even fathom moving knowing that Aurel was gone, but as soon as more had gathered around Aurel, he felt an instant protectiveness over her and muttered for them not to touch her. He crawled over to her frantically and repeated what he said, seeming crazed.
Sadness marked Gimli's face as he tried to get near Legolas, but the Elf only held Aurel closer to him and refused anyone to touch him. The twins where overwhelmed with grief, but they too took notice of Legolas's state of mind.
"Let us carry her away from this place…friend." asked Elladan.
Legolas shook his head and only held on to her more tightly.
"She must be taken care of properly."
"What do you know Elladan?" cried Legolas, "All those time you came to Mirkwood, my home! And never knew that your OWN sister faded? Why was she not taken care of properly then!"
"Now is not the time for this." said Gandalf.
"And you Mithrandir…" spat Legolas, "You knew of this! You asked Elrond yourself to let her join the council!"
Gandalf almost stuttered, "You are not yourself, you are suffering, but we all suffer in this loss."
"None more than myself!" shouted Legolas, "None more than myself…." He said in a lower tone of voice. He looked up at everyone around him, "… And you stand here, and look down at me…Be gone! Be gone!" He rocked back and forth.
"No Legolas." said Elrohir, calmer than he was before.
Legolas only sobbed and looked up at him, pain etched on his face.
"You know what this means for me Elrohir." His tone of voice was grave. "Just walk away!" He shouted all of sudden and it made Elrohir jump. Aragorn came up behind him and pulled him away slowly.
"Give him some time." He whispered.
"There is no time." Snapped Elladan, he looked over to Legolas, "We need to have our sister's body. We need to take care of her."
"Just a few more moments…" coaxed Aragorn, "He is at the brink of madness."
"We all are." said Elladan as he watched Legolas whisper over and over again the same phrase…You should not be here, this should not have happened. Those simple words triggered a hidden memory in him, and his mind was taken away.
"Elladan!" Pleaded a young Aurel, "Please let me join you. There is no place here for me. Arwen is gone to Lothlorien, Ada and Naneth are unbearably overprotective…I will suffocate!"
Elladan had already mounted his horse and looked down playfully at his young sister. "And if I were to take you with me, Ada would kill me. You know how hard he is trying to keep you from turning into us."
Aurel smirked, "Elrohir has already agreed."
Elladan had a scowl on his face as he turned to his brother who was still packing goods onto his horse. "Why, Elrohir?" he asked exasperated.
"Why not?" countered Elrohir.
"You always leave me to be the bad brother."
"You do not have to be, you could always agree." said Elrohir, almost laughing.
"She is untrained for long rides, and cannot wield any weapon."
"Do not speak of me as if I were not present." whined Aurel.
Elladan ignored her. "I do not have the patience to watch over her, and I know most certainly that you do not have it either." He said to Elrohir.
"Please?" asked Aurel.
"No." Elladan shook his head.
"You leave me to my doom then." Her shoulder slumped forward.
"Oh, do not be so dramatic!"
Her voice became small. "Not one bit dramatic. You know Ada. I am the only child left under his care now. What hope do I have of being left on my own, to do what I please?"
"You are your mother's daughter!" jested Elrohir, "You speak as if you are a prisoner."
"Aren't I?" she sulked.
"Of course not. Perhaps it would be best for you to stay as Elladan suggested, we would not be any better than Ada or Naneth." Elrohir had his own selfish reasons for not wanting Aurel to join them; he hoped that she would not pick up on that.
"I doubt that! There are none here my age to speak to."
"You mean, none your age that you have not thwarted with your temper." replied Elladan giving her a knowing glance.
Aurel sighed, "So you really mean to leave me?"
"The dramatics again! We do not leave you at all." Said Elrohir, but he could not stand to leave her behind looking so sad, "Let us compromise…this time you may not accompany us, but if you have Glorfindel train you for scouting trips, then next time you can come along."
"You must be mad! Ada would never agree to that! He is always saying that I am meant for greater things…."
"That is solely your problem to solve." said Elladan.
She stomped her foot and turned away from them.
"Are you not going to wish us a farewell?" asked Elladan, feigning to be hurt.
She crossed her arms, "No."
"Fine by me." responded Elrohir, mounting his horse.
The twins smiled at one another.
"I wholly agree with Ada, Aurel. You were born for much greater things than just scouting and fighting…we will miss you." Said Elrohir nudging his horse to go, Elladan followed.
"I will not miss you!" she shouted as they galloped away, but they knew she did not mean it, they knew she would miss them as dearly as they would miss her.
"Ada always said you were meant for greater things." said Elladan, remembering the distant memory as if it were yesterday, tears streaming down his face.
"What have you just said?" asked Aragorn, he had been standing next to Elladan and had heard him say something strange, he did not know who Elladan was speaking to. "Elladan?"
Elladan slowly turned his face to look at him. "Something Ada used to say about Aurel…" he seemed disoriented, "Has she really left?"
Aragorn did not know how to respond.
"Elrohir?" asked Elladan, "Elrohir?"
Elrohir came to him in an instant and embraced his brother, now it was his turn to be the one left in pieces, how quickly the roles had changed between the twins. Aragorn stood to the side, he felt like an outsider, an intruder in this desperate moment between siblings. If ever there was a time where he truly knew he was not related to them by blood, it was this moment. They had never treated him differently, but now the only thing that had kept them together was gone.
Elves are not perfect and could be cruel creatures if they wished it to be so, Aragorn knew this from experience, though he was only a mere seven, living in Imladris was proving to be more difficult as he became older, and as Aurel attached herself to him. Her spending time with him was frowned upon, and Aragorn only found comfort these days when he could be away from the public eye, so he sat in the gardens alone, picking flowers apart, thinking about his dead mother, wondering what his dead father was like, wondering if there would ever be a place for him to belong.
"Aurel is looking for you, why do you sit here looking so desolate?"
Aragorn looked up at the familiar, yet unfamiliar face. It was Elladan, Aurel's older brother, he had only met him twice in his lifetime that he could remember, and both times had been pleasant encounters. Though, honestly, he could not remember if he had met him twice, or he had met the twin brothers only once, it was hard for him to tell them apart.
"Where is your mind, Estel?" asked Elladan tenderly squatting down next to him.
In this quality, Elladan was exactly like Aurel. Elladan was very patient, and tender, more serious and reserved than his twin, and there was compassion in his eyes that Aragorn felt comfortable with.
"There are not many here, who want me here." replied Aragorn.
"Who?"
Aragorn only shrugged, how was he meant to remember everyone's names?
"I know that I want you here, and so does Ada, and Elrohir, and what about Aurel, have you forgotten how much she cares about you?"
Aragorn shook his head. "She is the only one who ever spends time with me."
"What is it you wish for?"
He shrugged his shoulders once more. "I do not know."
"I know it is difficult here. Us Elves are strange creatures at times, but you must not take that to heart, you are a bright presence here Estel, you must show that to others, not hide yourself away amongst the flowers."
"I am more like flowers…than like Elves."
Elladan's eyes became small for a moment. "But we love you more than we do the flowers."
Love? Thought Aragorn, he had not thought he was loved, not by an Elf he barely even knew.
"Do not think that just because you are not an Elf that you are not loved or cared about, it only makes you more special than you realize, you are connected to us by more than blood, you are connected us by bond, and nothing changes that little brother."
Aragorn looked up at him with wide eyes and smiled. "Brother?"
"You are my younger brother, are you not? You certainly act like it at times, no one angers Ada as much as you do, that is a skill!" Elladan smiled.
Aragorn nodded and stood. Elladan stood with him and reached out to hold his hand and the little boy happily accepted, as they walked away from the garden and out to look for Aurel.
"Aragorn!" yelled Gimli. "You need to help me with this Elf!" he continued shouting while pointing at Legolas.
Aragorn's mind came back to the present and he stared blankly at Gimli.
"Touch me Dwarf, and you will not live to regret it." warned Legolas, being deadly serious.
If the situation would not have been grave, Aragorn may have smirked, even laughed, but the situation they were in was grave, very grave, and he found no comfort in the animosity between Legolas and Gimli this day. He looked up at the brothers who still stood close comforting one another.
"We were careless in our vigilance…." said Elladan to Elrohir... "How could we have been so careless? How?" He asked, but did not expect an answer.
"Ada." said Elrohir as he entered his father's study. He had not seen his father for weeks, and his lack of welcome at his and Elladan's return alarmed him. After days of not seeing his father, he decided to find out what had happened. "Ada?"
Elrond did not look up once, he concentrated on the papers on his intricately carved wooden desk.
Elrohir thought of calling out to him one more time but Elrond responded, without emotion.
"Where is your brother?" Still he did not look up at Elrohir.
"With Aurel." responded Elrohir.
Elrond stopped his writing and looked up at his son. "Where have you been?" again his tone of voice with no emotion, which Elrohir knew only too well was a very bad sign.
"You know what it is we had to do Ada. We could not wait as you had requested. What has happened to our family is something that must be punished."
Elrond went back to writing on his papers and Elrohir stood there not knowing what to do.
"Where is Naneth?" he asked, and he noticed how his father's head seemed to fall slightly forward as if in pain at the sound of the word. "Ada? What has happened?"
He stopped his writing again, less calm than before. "Selfish you and your brother have been. Your mother is gone, she has sailed west."
"But…" but he was interrupted by his father's booming voice.
"You were needed here! Not hunting orc! You know how frail your mother and sister have been! You left with no warning, did you not think of your mother when you and your brother decided to go on a fool's errand?"
Elrohir, surprised and hurt, shouted right back at his father. "We left because you would not do anything! You would not send any more soldiers out there to hunt down those damned creatures! We did what we had to do!"
"What you had to do was stay with your family! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect! I would not do anything!" Elrond stood from his desk. "I have used every ounce of my being to heal, that which cannot be mended! I needed my sons here with me!"
"You had Arwen to help." said Elrohir, calming before his father had.
"Leave my presence…" now Elrond's voice seemed weak.
"No, I will not."
"You will if you know what is best for you. I have not the patience nor the tolerance to deal with your carelessness, leave my sight."
"Carelessness?" Now Elrohir was hurt, as if it was possible to be more hurt than he already was.
A knock came to the door before anymore could be said. A guard came forth bearing a scroll in his hands. "I am sorry to intrude my lord, but a messenger from Mirkwood has arrived and delivered this message which he says you are to read immediately."
"From Mirkwood? I have not had dealings with Thranduil since many years ago." said Elrond to himself.
The guard handed the scroll to Elrond. Elrond quickly took it from his hand and opened it without care. He quickly scanned the scroll and only looked back at the guard who awaited word from Elrond. "Who has brought forth this message?"
"He would not say what his name was, only that he had a message for you."
"Is he still here?"
"No, my lord, he was in a hurry to return."
Elrond waved his hand to dismiss the guard and as soon as the door closed he practically threw himself down back onto his chair, exhausted, and picked the scroll back up, reading it carefully.
"What is it Ada?"
"As if enough sorrow was not dwelling in our house…now this." Elrond bowed his head in defeat and the scroll rolled out of his hands. Elrohir did not hesitate to pick up the scroll his father had so desolately discarded. His eyes widened as he read what the scroll contained and then thought back to the day when he had found Aurel and Legolas. He should have known by the look they held in their eyes, he should have known by their laughter.
"What do you know of this Elrohir?" asked Elrond, looking into his son's eyes and seeing understanding.
"Nothing."
"You know something."
"I only saw them together once."
"And?"
"And what?"
Elrond shook his head. "Do not play games with me! Are they bound or not? There is truth that you cannot hide from me Elrohir, tell all!"
Elrohir was once again alarmed by his father's temper. He put the scroll down. "I only saw them together once, but the look in their eyes… they are bound."
"Foolish son!" exclaimed Elrond. "When were you going to tell me of this! Did you not realize what could have happened to Thranduil's first born?"
"I did not realize." He said quietly.
"What shall I say to Thranduil now?"
"The truth Ada, no one expects you to be able to know everything."
Elrond meant to shout, but found that he could not, what Elrohir had said struck a chord deep inside of him.
"Ada, I am sorry. About leaving…about not telling you what I had seen between Aurel and Legolas, but then, I did not recognize what would happen. I have been so full of rage and contempt, and I do not know why I cannot control it. I feel as if all the emotions kept inside myself are spilling out…you are right, I have been careless and reckless…forgive me."
Elrond was near tears as he sat back down in his chair. "No, forgive me. I have lost my temper with you this day, it shall never happen again. I am grateful that you have returned, for I have needed your brother and you so. I do not think that I know in which way to respond to Thranduil."
"I will go to Mirkwood." said Elrohir.
"I cannot ask you to do that."
"I volunteer myself. I will go and see how Legolas fares. After all he is my friend, and if I am correct in my assumption that he and Aurel are bound, then he must be taken care of properly. You must let me know if Aurel improves; it will have an effect on Legolas."
Taken back by his son's act of kindness, he let the tears fall freely from his eyes and nodded his head. "Thank you Elrohir."
"Anything for those you love Ada, that is what I have learnt from you."
Gandalf stepped closer to Legolas, trying to grab hold of Aurel's body, for a moment he was able to touch her arm. Something shot up through Gandalf's body, and he jumped back in shock. "She is still warm."
"What?" said Elrohir, running towards her, but he felt nothing.
"Do not touch her!" yelled Legolas.
"Legolas! Let go of her this instant, I know what I have felt, she is still warm. She struggles…" said Gandalf.
"I felt her spirit go Mithrandir…" Legolas began to cry again, "Do not give false hope…"
"She is gone." Said Elrohir, "I would have felt something…"
"She is at the brink, foolish elves! You are too overcome with emotions to feel anything, give her to me!" Gandalf went towards her, but Aragorn stopped him.
"What do you do? She is not breathing…Gandalf…please." pleaded Aragorn.
"You will step out of my way now, there are only moments left, there is more to dying than you know….I have felt her, she is still warm, deep inside her there is still life."
"Move out of his way Estel." said Elladan.
Aragorn looked at Elladan in surprise.
"You heard me, move, what have we to lose? Mithrandir is older and wiser than us…" Elladan's voice was determined.
Aragorn stepped out of the way.
"Gimli…I want you to hold Legolas down, this will not be easy…" warned Gandalf.
Gimli only nodded and went over to Legolas who immediately began to struggle. Gandalf immediately went and snatched Aurel from Legolas's tight grip, making a whistling type sound, he called his horse to him, and mounted as quickly as he could. Before any more could be said or done, he had vanished in fleeting gallops. Legolas still struggled and cried as Gimli held him down. Elrohir stayed sitting on the ground. Elladan and Aragorn now stood together trying to catch a glimpse of where Gandalf had gone, but they could see nothing.
"Anything for those you love" said Elladan into the wind.
Aragorn turned his head to look at him for a moment, and nodded. "Anything…"
