-When Great Treasures Are Lost-
-ElvenHope-
AN: The twins their father and the whole world of middle earth belongs to the genius professor J.R.R Tolkien. I am not making any money out of this and am only writing it for the heck of it.
This is a bit of a taster chapter I suppose - I had writers block so I uploaded it. This is first in a series of twins related angst stories and this chapter does need editing. I just wanted to see what you guys thought. Please review! And enjoy! Oh and Happy New Year!
(Warning: When I say angst I mean angst - the first sentence should be a dead give away so if you don't like child abuse or inner character turmoilthen I suggest that you walk away and find a story about some happy little elves ok? Oh and there is no slash in this story whatsoever any mentions of 'love' is simply brotherly love. If you want to believe that there is then I will not stop you from doing so, but please keep your comments to yourself. Reviews from everyone and anyone, however, are appreciated).
I hope you enjoy.
Elladan looked at his twin sadly and wished desperately that he could hold his brother as tears cascaded down Elrohir's cheeks. He himself was shaking, but he would not cry for his brother's sake more than his own, in fact if Elrohir wasn't there he would have wept by now. Instead he only whimpered when the whip slashed across his back.
"'Ro look at me," Elladan hissed through clenched teeth trying to catch the other elf's attention.
Both twins were bound with their wrists above their heads, their ropes tied about a low slung tree branch. The brother's hung barely inches apart, facing one another, but Elrohir could barely see his eyes were so clouded by tears. Still he heard his brother's voice and looked up at Elladan his silver eyes locking with his brother's.
"Don't pay attention to them, look at me," Elladan whispered softly in elvish his voice hoarse. There was panic in the younger twins eyes and his chest was rising and falling rapidly as he tried to fill his lungs with air that he simply could not get enough of. His throat seemed to have constricted form fear and he found that he was gulping in the substance so as not to suffocate. "Slow your breathing," Elladan said gently as new wounds were opened on his already bruised and bleeding back. "Just try and calm down if you hyperventilate it will only make it worse."
Elrohir nodded and bit down on his lip so hard that it broke the skin as he was struck again with the whip.
The orcs had reveled in the fact that the boys were twins and had begun to bet on who would cry out first. It had been Elrohir. He had tried to hold it in, but eventually everything had become too much. The orcs had made the beatings equal to ensure that it had been a fair test and when Elrohir had finally screamed a cheer had gone up from members of the orc camp whilst other's had hissed in annoyance.
Elladan could feel the warm blood running down his back and felt ill, a particularly nasty thrashing was given to both boys suddenly and they cried out in pain. He cut him-self off abruptly. "Elrohir listen to me," Elladan said still speaking in elvish. "We can't cry out, if we do Ada will find us do you understand me?"
Elrohir thought his brother may have gone mad; didn't they want their father to find them? But then again he supposed his twin was right. The twins were not mere sport for the band of orcs, the fowl creatures were using the boys to draw Elrond to them and that was something neither of the twins could allow to happen.
When finally the whipping stopped Elladan sighed in relief and opened his eyes - which had somehow managed to close - to look at his brother. Elrohir's eyes were closed and for a moment panic flared through Elladan as terrible thoughts flooded his mind, but then he saw that his brother's chest was rising and falling slowly.
"Now look what you've done Rorzagh," the orc captain said scolding his underling. "You've knocked the brat out, we need these whelps awake and squeaking until their father is here."
Elladan felt the orc who had just spoken very close by behind him and struck out with his feet kicking the creature in the chest, winding the fowl beast as rage coursed through the young elf. No one hurt his brother and got away with it! No one!
"Why you little scum bag," the captain said jumping up and taking Elladan's face roughly in his clawed fingers, the jagged nails cutting the young elf's flesh. Elladan glowered at the disgusting creature before spitting in the orc's face. The creature reeled away from the young elf in disgust deliberately dragging its long fingernails across Elladan's face and leaving thin cuts across the peredhil's cheeks which instantly began to pool with blood. The orc then slapped the elfling across the face making Elladan bash into his twin and bow his head in the process. Elladan didn't even bother to bring his head back up he just let it hang there, his energy was spent and now without Elrohir he no longer needed to be strong.
The day hadn't started out like this at all. No, it had been a wonderful day, the first day the twins were allowed to venture off on their own and they had just landed themselves in heaps of trouble - if they survived this, they would most certainly not survive their father's lectures.
'Stay on the path I marked out for you,' his father's words rang inside his head.
'There has been news of orcs coming down from the mountains, you must stay on the path," Elrond's eyebrows creased as he looked at his young son's - well not young anymore he supposed, both were teetering on the edge of adult hood and all though at the moment they were still classed as children Elrond had finally agreed that he should give them a chance to prove themselves as adults - they were mucking about with a role of bandages which Elrond had insisted they take with them, throwing it between one another. "Are you too even listening to me?"
Both twins turned back to face their father at the sharp tone and the bandages fell to the floor.
"Pick them up," Elrond instructed and both twins leant down to pick up the bandages smacking their foreheads together on accident. "Oh dear Valar," Elrond said as the pair began to laugh at each other rubbing their aching foreheads. "You know I'm starting to reconsider this after all."
"But that would be going back on your word," Elladan protested whilst Elrohir bent down to pick up the bandages and stuffed them in his pack. "That is a very dishonorable thing to do."
"I don't recall giving you my word," Elrond said looking at the twins who were both grinning like Cheshire cats.
"Well you did," Elrohir said quickly.
"And you can't take it back," Elladan added.
"So we'll be going now Ada," Elrohir grinned shouldering his pack and waiting for his brother to do the same.
"We need to go now or it will be dark before we have even entered the woods," Elladan joked.
With that both twins moved around their father and made for the door.
"Just remember what I have told you," Elrond called after them. "Stay on the path!"
The journey along the path had been rather uneventful and so they had opted to disobey their father. It was most likely that Elrond had sent either Glorfindel or one of his other trusted friends to trail them anyway. The last time they had been supposedly allowed out alone they had known immediately that someone was following them. So they had rigged a trap, which they had learned how to make one day when they had actually paid attention to their teacher, and caught the unsuspecting Balrog Slayer.
Both had found this hysterically funny until neither of the young elves could get the irate Glorfindel down and had considered leaving him there. After all he had been spying on them and they had no desire to let him down whilst he was in that sort of a temper. Eventually they had managed it, but it had taken time and Glorfindel had free fallen a good twelve feet. After which he had chased the pair of them back to the Last Homely House where there had been a massive argument in which Glorfindel had stated he was never ever going to baby-sit the twins again, as he so called it, whilst Elrond had to try and explain to his son's why he had sent Glorfindel to look after them.
But as the pair of them had set off this time they had not detected anyone following them and the day had been a rather boring one - it was sunny with blue skies, but nothing of any interest - and they had decided to take a detour to a lake which they could swim in and rest by. After a good few hours relaxing there they had realized the sun was setting and had only just gotten dry and changed when the orcs attacked them.
Elladan still remembered it and continued to play the whole thing out through his mind over and over again.
Elrohir shook his head quickly to try and dry his hair off somewhat pulling on a thin cotton shirt then reaching for his tunic and boots. Elladan sat perched on a rock, he had been in the process of pulling on his boots when something in the undergrowth had caught his attention.
"At least Ada did not have us followed this time," Elrohir was saying, and Elladan raised a hand for silence, which Elrohir obviously did not notice. "But last time was fun..."
"Hush Elrohir," Elladan commanded softly. "Listen."
"To what?" Elrohir asked looking up although his voice quietened slightly.
"Just listen," Elladan snapped.
Elrohir was startled by the tone of urgency in his brother's voice and stood as Elladan did. The elder twin dashed to his bow and quiver and nocked an arrow staring at the undergrowth daring anything to come out at him. Elrohir went to do the same but before he could he heard an evil howl and looked up to see orcs surge out of the trees towards them. Elladan's arrow flew true and hit its target felling one of the beasts but before he could even contemplate drawing his sword the orcs were on them and it took the throng of fowl being mere seconds to overcome the young elves, pinning their arms behind their backs and shoving them forward moving through the trees to a new clearing carrying the struggling elflings. Both shouted for help wishing that their father had sent someone after them, but alas it was not so and both dreaded what these fowl creatures had in store for them. As they were dragged into the clearing the orcs spat on them snarling disgusting comments calling the twins half breeds because of his father's half elven heritage.
The pair of them were stripped down to the waist by groping, clawed, hands and they tried desperately to pull away as the orc's sharp nails scratched their pale flesh drawing blood and making the twins struggle even harder until the orcs slapped them both momentarily stunning the frightened elflings. The orcs bound them then, wrenching their hands above their heads and binding them with coarse ropes of knotted hemp then dragging them over to a tree with low hanging branches.
The orcs intentions had become clear as soon as they were bound to the tree's low branch and the captain had brought a whip holding it coiled in his hand and trailing the frayed end across Elrohir's face, smiling as the younger elf shivered.
"Which one do you reckon will squeal first Rorzagh?" Bangronk, the captain, asked leering at the young elves as he trailed the whip down Elrohir's back. All the orcs were excited about drawing elven blood, but they knew that leaving the boys waiting for a while longer would aid them. Despite how stupid the creatures could be sometimes they knew that given time fear could break the mightiest warrior if used properly. It was just an emotion, just a feeling, but one so strong that given just a short time would leave their captives trembling and wishing for death, it was such a strong emotion that it could kill given time. A person's mind could wreak terrible havoc on them when left to its own devices even without the person having the pain inflicted on them. It would be interesting for the creatures to see what sort of a state their captives could get themselves into before they even applied the threatened beating.
"I don't know," Rorzagh seemed to study the pair of them intently. "At the moment that one," he said shoving Elrohir, "seems more likely to scream first, but this one could just be hiding it all in and then when we start on them he may break first."
Elladan's terrified gaze locked with his brother's and Elrohir tried to comfort his twin in the only way he new how.
"Oiale nad na trow," Elrohir whispered to the other elf in the grey tongue as Elladan began to shake from fear. "Tirio-nin lasto-nin avo last hain. Im si an le."
"Hannon le," Elladan said. He should be stronger than this why was he being so weak?
"Ah but now this one is shaking," Bangronk said running a clawed fingers down Elladan's back and sending shivers up the young elf's spine as blood spilt from the cut which the orc had made with his sharp nails.
The waiting was bringing the young elves to the brink of sanity as their captors toyed with them evilly their actions a mixture of sadism and morbid fascination as they tested the young beings; pulling at and smelling the locks of raven hair that hung down about the twin's shoulders running their hands across the lithe bodies, and watching as the alabaster skin bled slightly from cuts caused by the their sharp fingernails. The orcs were in no rush for it would take a few more hours before a search party was sent out and they had yet to know whether Elrond would be leading it. They needed the twins as bait and if they were awake then that was all the better they needed the young elves to cry so that their father could find them.
The orcs found it odd to look at and touch the exact opposite of what they were. The two young elves were as pure as they were not completely opposite in ever single way. Whereas elves were fair the orcs were ugly and maybe the most ironic thing of all was that the orcs had originally been elves. It was as though the orcs hated the fair beings for simply being their opposites, which was understandable. But more than anything these orcs hated Elrond. He had been one of those who had lead the elves in the last alliance and it was because of him and others that the orcs had become scattered, divided, leaderless, fleeing for the mountains and the darkness of the caves.
"Should we begin then?" Rorzagh asked taking up position behind Elladan whip in hand. Another orc moved up behind Elrohir also holding another of the cruel whips and Bangronk seemed to be thinking for a minute before he spoke in his low guttural voice to the twins.
"Which of you do you believe will scream first?" He asked smiling at the twins' discomfort. "Which of you is the younger?" When neither of them spoke Bangronk reached out and shook Elladan hard making his already hurting wrists rub against the hemp and he whimpered softly. "I said which of you is the younger?"
"I am," Elrohir said drawing the orc's attention away from his brother.
Bangronk sneered. "And who do you believe will cry out first?"
Elrohir looked across at his brother wondering what to say. "I will," he said softly.
Bangronk nodded. "Who bets on this one?" He called to the group about them and the other orcs called out their agreements.
Elladan tried to catch his brother's gaze, but Elrohir would not look at him and then Elladan screwed his eyes tight shut as the first lash was dealt and the orc pack exploded into shrieks of excitement. The twins heard the whip crack first and they lurched forward from impact bashing into one another the stinging bite of the cruel device leaving a ribbon of blood trailing down both twin's backs. Both of them bit their lips in an attempt to stay silent, neither of them wanted to cry out for they did not want to give the orcs the pleasure nor did they want to be the first to cry out. The whips slowly shredded the flesh on the younger elves backs as they steeled themselves from the pain swearing not to give their captors the joy of their cries, but as the beating increased so did the pain. 'Don't cry out don't cry out,' the thoughts echoed through both their minds but Elrohir lacked the will power of his brother.
After twenty strokes of the whip a scream was torn from the younger twin's throat and the orcs jeered in satisfaction. Only after another ten did Elladan cry out and soon the brothers' screams rent the air as the tormentors beat them mercilessly.
Elladan's head was wrenched back up as Bangronk tangled his hand in the young elf's hair and spat in his face. "See how you like it," he sneered at the disgusted Elladan and the young elf shuddered. "I suppose we will have to be more careful," Bangronk said. "We need to keep you two squeaking so that your Ada can find you. How long do you think it will take before he comes looking for you?"
Elladan just glowered at the orc. His father would not find them! He would rather die at the hands of these fowl creatures than see his family and friends suffer.
"Or will he just abandon you? After all who would want pathetic whelps like you for sons?" Bangronk asked an evil smile spreading across the twisted featured. "Your father is probably glad that you are gone." It didn't matter that it was a lie, the words still hurt Elladan and he wished that the orc was not holding his hair so that he could lower his head. He did not feel strong, he was weak and he wanted his Ada to comfort him, but at the moment it looked as though he would never see his father again.
Elladan looked away from the orc as he tried to keep himself calm hehad to protect them now.
Elrohir stirred slightly his eye lids flickering before he opened them completely his brain taking a second to process the information given to him by his senses and come out with the answer to where he was.
"Let go of him," Elrohir ground out defensively as he saw tears pricking in his brother's eyes and Elladan closed them so as to stop them from spilling over. This, however, did not have the desired effect and the tears slipped from beneath his lashes running down his pale cheeks. Bangronk wiped them away with a clawed finger.
"Tears from the brave sons of Elrond?" Bangronk teased inspecting the moisture on his finger.
"Leave my brother alone spawn of Morgoth." Elrohir hissed kicking out with his legs.
"Hm playful whelp are we?" Bangronk asked turning to Elrohir. "I wonder just how playful the pair of you can be," he said maliciously eyes flashing and Elrohir gulped, he could only guess what the orc was implying.
"Leave my brother alone!" Elrohir growled fiercely.
"Ssh, Elrohir," Elladan said quietly still not opening his eyes.
"Your brother is smart see," Bangronk said to Elrohir. "You keep quiet until we want you to scream."
With that Bangronk turned and left the young elves moving into the midst of the camp to get his share of the food. There was no point in continuing to beat the boys for at least another few hours anyway, they needed news about what was happening in The Last Homely House and to know whether the Lord of Imladris was coming or not. If things began to get boring then he may give them a going over again, but at the moment he was content to leave them.
"'Dan," Elrohir said his earlier despair forgotten as he saw that his brother was beginning to loose hope. The light that surrounded his twin was beginning to fade and Elrohir knew that he had to somehow show the other elf that he could not give up this easily or loose his brother to a terrible fate. "'Dan?"
"What?" The other elf asked opening his eyes and locking his gaze with Elrohir. Their foreheads nearly touched and Elrohir could feel the despair and fear coming off his brother in waves.
"Don't give up," Elrohir whispered. "I don't want you to leave me here alone."
Elladan smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "You are never alone 'Ro, and I will not leave you so easily."
"And I'm not going anywhere," Elrohir said quietly.
Elladan closed his eyes again. "Ada's not coming."
"What do you mean?" Elrohir asked his brother confused.
"He's not coming 'Ro," Elladan said softly trying to stop his voice from shaking. "We can't let him find us, we're going to die here."
"But he might come with a whole army," Elrohir said trying to lighten his brother's mood. "Or at least a patrol, and Glorfindel - he counts for ten."
"If Glorfindel counts for ten then Ada counts for fifty," Elladan said his voice still quiet.
"Precisely," Elrohir said. "He'll come in here like an avenging angel and kill all these orcs and set us free and... and..." Elladan heard his brother's voice break and opened his eyes to see that Elrohir was crying again the tears shimmering in the dim firelight as they ran in rivulets down his cheeks. The last few hours had hurt both of them badly, physically and mentally and neither of them could keep up their act of resilliance any longer.
Elladan cast his gaze up to the stars and found Earendil doing his best to keep his own emotions in check. He began to sing a song that their mother had sung to them when they were little, and still did now when it was called for, it would most certainly be called for if the twins ever got back to Imladris, but now Elladan sang it for his brother.
'En elen tu erio am ar
Tal en menel or ammen hi
Earendil tal en nedhdu gwilith
Im tath nia le anoiale
Ha thio sui nauth im palan
Im critho forn si ar le
Oiale du oiale aur
Im tath anoiale berio le o hi ambar
Ui en li o dur
Im tath no si garo le ta nin ran...'
"Quiet scum!" Rorzagh yelled throwing a large stone at Elladan and hitting him hard in the side of the head splittling the young elf's temple and sending crimson blood running down the side of his cheek. Elladan's eyes rolled as he teetered on the brink of consciousness and his head fell forwards slightly as he tried desperatly to cling onto the waking world.
Elrohir shifted his head rubbing his forehead against his brother's not caring about the blood that he involuntarily wiped across his own forehead. "Stay with me 'Dan," he said as Elladan's head lolled forwards. "'Dan! Stay awake Elladan saesa!" A tear slipped down Elrohir's cheek as desperation took over him, he didn't want to be left alone in the darkness with no one to talk to he needed Elladan here with him now. As well as that though he was worried about his brother's health, the head wound could be serious and he needed looking over or the wound at least needed staunching. "Saesa Elladan stay awake." It was clear to him now, however, that his brother was unconscious and that Elladan would not wake up for a long while no matter how much his brother wished that he would. "'Dan please," he whispered tears overcoming him and slipping down his cheeks he needed Elladan now he needed his brother with him - awake.
Eventually he was heard by the orcs and a few of them, including Rorzagh and Bangronk moved over prodding the young elf.
"Leave... me... alone," Elrohir managed around his sobs.
"Do you hear that Rorzagh?" One of the orc's asked. "This pointy-ear thinks he can order us about," the orc tugged on Elrohir's ear for emphasis.
"Get... off me," Elrohir growled his breath hitching.
"Do you think we should teach him a lesson?" Rorzagh asked looking at the young elf.
"I dunno," another said. "It's more fun when the other is awake and can watch."
"Well he has to be taught a lesson and it can't wait until this one wakes," Bangronk said shoving Elladan. "You should be more careful Rorzagh, and don't knock this one out we need at least one of them awake, patrols are being sent out, and the damned elf lord is with them."
"Ada," Elrohir whispered. He remembered what Elladan said and new that it was the truth. He couldn't cry out, he just couldn't, if his father was drawn to them then eveything would just get a whole lot worse.
"Yes," Bangronk sneered. "Your Ada is comin' and then we're gonna stick both you little maggots." Bangronk turned to Rorzagh. "For now just give 'im a going over with that whip, make 'im squeel so that we can draw the elf lord to us."
Elrohir trembled as Rorzagh took up position behind the young elf and drew back the whip. He stifled a sob as the whip struck across his bear shoulders leaving another laceration on the boy's terribly scarred and bleeding back. After only five strokes from the whip he cried out the sound echoing through the night air muffled by sobs. The world began to spin when a particularily harsh blow was delivered smashing Elrohir into his brother and his vision was clouded by grey mist.
"Ada..." he breathed. "Ada please help me... please."
"How touching," Rorzagh sneered. "The little brat is crying for his Adar. Well he's not coming!"
"Hold up," Bangronk warned Rorzagh holding out a hand to show the other orc that he should stop. "You'll knock 'im out."
Elrohir was praying for the darkness to take him, but Rorzagh did not strike him again and he didn't fall into the darkness he would have so welcomed. Instead he hung there by his aching wrists his eyes closed as he tried to calm his breathing.
Translation:
Oile nad na trow - Everything is fine
Tirio-nin lasto-nin avo last hain - Look at me listen to me don't listen to them
Im si an le - I am here for you
Hannon le - Thank you
Saesa - Please
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