Part Three
He heard a cry of 'Ada' as he raced through the trees and knew that neither of his sons' could see him or sense him close by, but were simply praying that he would somehow hear them. The thought stung him painfully, but he was glad that soon he would be able to save them from whatever terrible torment they were enduring, he just prayed he wouldn't be too late.
When he burst through the clearing and saw them... actually saw them the whole world went the colour of blood red. Everything was a blur as he let out a cry of rage drawing his sword and racing across the clearing. All he wanted to do was cause these creatures so much pain - they would regret the day they laid a finger on his sons. He was too horrified and angry for conscious thought, but this seemed to aid him greatly.
The elf lord was largely outnumbered but he really did seem to count for fifty elves as he moved faster than lightning killing the creatures before they knew what had hit them. He sustained a number of injuries, most only scrapes and cuts, but he had a deep slash across his thigh before he actually reached his sons - luckily by then a good half of the orcs were dead.
As he reached them Bangronk cut Elladan down making him whimper as he landed on the hard ground. Bangronk pulled Elladan up and held a knife up against the younger elf's throat tangling a hand in the boys hair and pulling his head back, exposing his neck.
Elrond froze as soon as he saw Elladan and Bangronk grinned evilly. "You kill another one of my men and your boy dies."
"Elladan," Elrond said quietly wondering what to do horrified by this terrible turn of events.
"Drop your weapon," Bangronk growled.
Elrond hesitated. Why had he been so stupid? He should have gone to find Glorfindel now he had just endangered his son's lives further.
Banrgonk pressed the blade harder into the young elf's skin, enough to break it, the crimson blood running down the alabaster skin. Elladan's eyes were wide and frightened as he looked at his father, feeling the warm blood trickle down his neck. "Drop it!"
"Ada," Elladan whimpered terrified, he didn't want to die, he didn't care about being brave anymore, he didn't want to die.
Elrond let the blade slip from his hand and it landed with a terrible thump in the silent forest.
Bangronk nodded to his men to grab the elven lord, but just as they were about to grab him Elrond saw something that made his heart leap. A blur shot from the trees and Bangronk fell dead an arrow in his side.
"Glorfindel!" Elrond exclaimed overjoyed as Elladan rushed to his father and Elrond snatched his blade from the ground cutting his son's bonds. Glorfindel dropped down from his tree firing more arrows at the orcs whilst Elrond cut Elrohir down. Both of the boys hugged their father tightly despite the danger they were still in - luckily Glorfindel was dealing with the orcs well and most were fleeing into the trees.
"I thought you weren't coming," Elladan sobbed into his father's shoulder. "I thought I was going to die Ada," his voice hitched then as he buried his head deeper into Elrond's shoulder tears overcoming him.
Elrohir nodded in agreement too overcome by emotions to speak.
Elrond hugged his son's shoulders' tightly careful of the many cruel stripes that decorated the youngster's slender backs.
"It's alright," Elrond said softly. "I'm here, I'm here, I'll never ever let anything like this happen again. You're safe now."
Glorfindel turned to his friend having finished off the orcs that had not fled and walked over to his friend putting a hand on Elrond's shoulder. "We should leave here quickly, we do not know if there are more of them close by."
Elrond nodded slowly. "Just a minute Glorfindel."
"Alright," said the blond elf as he looked sadly on the young elves who clung onto their father tightly. They were too young, far too young. "But you understand my need for urgency." With that the Balrog slayer turned away and began to collect arrows from the dead bodies, checking if they could be re-used.
Eventually Elladan drew back from his father's embrace standing shakily and rubbing the rope burns about his wrists looking first up at the tree they had been tied to then down at the grass beneath that was stained brown slightly where blood had fallen. He staggered forwards slightly and leant against a tree breathing heavily tears still rolling down his cheeks.
"Elladan?" Elrond asked still holding Elrohir.
"No, Ada, I'm... I'm alright," Elladan said shakily.
"No you're not," Elrond said worriedly. "Come back here."
Elladan shook his head mutely trying to focus his muggy vision breathing was becoming harder, it was as though he couldn't get any breath into his starved lungs. His heart pounded in his chest and his vision went black.
"Elladan!" Elrond shouted as his son's hand slipped from the rough bark of the tree and he fell forwards limply. Glorfindel raced from where he had been standing a few feet away to the young elf and caught him just as he hit the ground laying him down on the forest floor.
"His eyes are closed," Glorfindel observed.
Elrond gently stood still holding Elrohir then turned the younger elf around so that they could walk over. Despite how urgent Elrond was to reach Elladan he was still slow for Elrohir's sake as he moved over to his elder son.
By the time the pair of them had reached Elladan the youth's eyes were already fluttering open. Elladan looked up at their worried faces confused. "What happened?"
"You fainted," Glorfindel said. "I am not surprised you have lost a lot of blood."
Elladan sat up shakily leaning lightly against the tree trunk his breathing heavy.
"Are you feeling alright?" Elrond asked placing a hand on Elladan's brow.
Glorfindel turned suddenly staring through the trees. "There are more coming," he said slowly. "Lots of them, Elrond we must leave."
"They'll take us again... They'll take us again..." Elrohir murmured clinging to his father.
"It's alright Elrohir, I won't let them touch you," Elrond said fiercely. "Now come on," he said pulling the younger twin to his feat as Glofindel did the same for Elladan. "We have to leave."
"Into the hills," Glorfindel said quickly. "We will be able to loose them there."
Elrond nodded. "Quickly."
With that they fled, the older elves trying not to hurt the younger ones in their flight, but at the same time knowing that they had to be fast if they wanted to get away from the orcs.
They reached the hills a the edge of the valley quickly and scrambled up the rocky slopes, Glorfindel and Elrond pushing Elladan and Elrohir in front of them as the orcs broke through the trees rushing up the rocky slopes after them.
The shale beneath Elladan's feet gave way and he jumped to another rock only for it to give way as well. There was a terrible groaning sound, and the boy shouted as the rocks tumbled down the slope Elladan falling amongst the rubble.
"Elladan!" Elrohir yelled trying to race after his twin, only for Glorfindel to grab him as the rockslide continued on down the hill. The orcs shrieked in terror fleeing once again into the forest as the ground shook beneath their feet.
Elrond tried to run towards the settling rubble too as the last few rocks skittered down the hill, but Glorfindel grabbed him as well as another boulder fell down the hill, one that would have squashed the elven lord if he had attempted to reach his son. The sound of Elrond's cry echoed across the mountains as yet more rubble slid down the mountain. "Elladan!"
Glorfindel let go when he was certain that the rock slide had finished and both Elrond and Elrohir dashed down to the rubble at the base of the mountain sliding occasionally on the scree and cutting themselves on the sharp rocks. The rock slide had blown up dust and grit which got in their eyes and made it impossible to see as they half ran half fell down to the boulders below. The dust agitated Erlohir's cuts as well and he slipped more than once because of the pain.
"Elladan?" Elrohir called once they reached the rubble grabbing at the rocks closest to where he thought his brother was buried. "Elladan!"
There was a cough from inside the rubble and Elrond called out his son's name.
"Ada...?" The voice was weak, but it made Elrond's heart leap.
"Yes Elladan, it's me," Elrond said calmly. "Are you hurt?"
"My leg hurts," Elladan managed the tone of his voice showing the pain of it and Elrohir knew that he had grimaced. "And my arm... and my head..."
"Don't move!" Elrond called. "Keep still you'll make it worse if you move!"
"It's alright Elladan!" Glorfindel called to the young elf. "We're going to get you out of there!" He turned to Elrond his voice low. "I'm going back to Imladris, this is unstable it could fall in at any moment we need help now."
Elrond nodded. "Take Elrohir with you."
"No!" Elrohir protested. "I'm staying."
"You have to go with Glorfindel," Elrond said firmly.
"No," Elrohir said again. "Ada you know what it is like to have a twin, if anything happens to Elladan and I am not here I'd never forgive myself."
"No, you have to go," Elrond said his voice low as he took Elrohir gently by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I nearly lost both of you today and I may yet loose your brother, I will not loose you! Now go with Glorfindel."
"No," Elrohir shook his head tears already coming to his eyes. "No Ada, I can't go I have to stay here. I have to help him! I have to!"
"Glorfindel take Elrohir back home," Elrond said brusquely to his friend. Glorfindel stepped forwards to grab Elrohir, but the younger elf moved away.
"Come here Elrohir, it's alright, you can see your mother and we can clean up those wounds," Glorfindel reached forwards again grabbing Elrohir's upper arm and the younger elf cried out in pain as he pressed down too hard on a bruise. Elrohir collapsed against the stones crying softly.
"I have to stay here."
"Please Elrohir," Elrond begged. "Please go with Glorfindel."
"No!" Elrohir said hysterically pulling at the rubble the sharp rocks cutting his hands. He wiped his loose hair out of his face smearing blood and dirt across his forehead.
"Elrohir," the hoarse whisper was his brother. "Go with Glorfindel."
"But I want to stay," Elrohir sobbed.
"Go with Glorfindel 'Ro," Elladan coughed. "I-I'll be fine, trust me."
Elrohir looked around desperately as though searching for a way to get his brother out quickly. "Don't go whilst I'm not here," Elrohir said to his twin. "Do you understand me? Stay awake, you have to... have to meet me again back home alright?"
"Alright," Elladan murmured.
Elrohir turned to his father and hugged him grabbing tight onto the elven lord as though he would never let go. "...love you Ada." He managed before turning to Glorfindel and allowing the elven lord to lead him down the hill.
Elrond stared after him before turning back to the rubble picking up the rocks and moving out them out of the way his mind set on freeing his son. "Elladan," Elrond called. "Keep on talking, try and stay awake."
"I'm tired," Elladan complained his words slurred slightly.
"Don't go to sleep, stay awake." Elrond shouted. "I need you to keep talking, please do that for me."
"A-alright," Elladan said his voice faint. "I'll try."
Celebrain stood on a balcony watching as the sun slowly began to creep over the horizon staring out at the silhouette of the forest praying that her husband and children would soon appear from its depths. It had been hours, something had defiantly happened, she feared for all of their lives. She just wanted the rest of family back now.
When a figure appeared from the trees her heart sped up a little as she recognized him and who he was carrying. It was Glorfindel and... and Elrohir! (The twins looked nearly exactly the same and yet long experience had taught her to tell them apart, even now she knew who it was). She dashed to the end of the balcony and down the steps, running along the sloping lawn towards the pair.
Glorfindel was carrying the now sleeping elfling for he had been too tired to continue the whole way on foot and had promptly fallen asleep once the Balrog Slayer had begun to carry him.
"Glorfindel!" Celebrain exclaimed rushing over and hugging the child the elf held in his arms kissing the top of the raven haired head. "What happened?" Tears sprang in her eyes when she saw the evil cuts and bruises that marked her son's pale and innocent flesh. "What happened to my baby? Where are Elladan and Elrond?"
"I think we need to get Elrohir inside first," Glorfindel said starting the walk up the sloping lawn to the house.
Celebrain hurried to find a spare room and Glorfindel laid Elrohir down on the bed watching Celebrain sadly for a second as she began to tend to her son's injuries before beginning to speak.
"Elladan and Elrohir were taken by orcs," Glorfindel said his voice breaking the silence in the room. He was tired from the long walk, but he suddenly remembered the need for urgency, still he had to break the news to Celebrain gently.
Celebrain looked at her youngest son with teary eyes; she had bandaged most of the wounds on the younger elf's back and had checked him over a good few times. She had seen the cruel whip marks and was disgusted by them; she would never let those creatures touch her child again.
"I don't know exactly what has happened to them, only they can tell you that, but we rescued them and ran up into the hills," Glorfindel explained to Celebrain as she watched her sleeping child forlornly.
"But where are Elladan and Elrond?" Celebrain asked worriedly thinking the worst. "What has happened to them?"
"As we ran up into the hills there was a rockslide and Elladan was caught in it. He is trapped amongst the rubble Elrond stayed to dig him out." Glorfindel answered standing up. "I should go and get them some help now."
Celebrain nodded too shocked to say anything.
"I will bring them back My Lady," Glorfindel said to the distraught elleth. "They'll be fine."
"I hope so," Celebrain managed as Glorfindel left the room. She looked down at Elrohir then sat on the corner of the bed next to his head, pulling him gently up into her lap and scooting down behind him so that her back rested against the wall, her legs hanging over the edge of the bed. She stroked the young elf's ebony hair tears starting in her eyes. "They'll be alright won't they?" She whispered to the sleeping child. "They'll be alright."
Elrond barely heard as the other elves as they came up behind him. It had been hours and Elladan had stopped calling to him a long while ago making him even more desperate to reach his son. Tear tracks ran down the elven Lord's dirt and blood covered cheeks.
"Elrond?" Glorfindel asked watching as the elf lord picked up the stones and pushed them aside.
Elrond turned slowly and looked blearily at the other elves who had already begun to help him. Glorfindel came forwards to kneel by his friend's side looking at the elven lord's bloodied hands and dirty face. "Mellon-nín you are tired," Glorfindel said as Elrond started to pull away the rocks again. "Maybe you should rest."
"I will rest when my son is free," Elrond said exhaustedly.
"Alright," Glorfindel said knowing not to argue and helping to move the rocks out of the way.
Elrohir woke an hour after Glorfindel left, his hearing came first and he thought he heard someone weeping. It was such a terrible sound and he wanted someone to go and comfort the person, why wasn't anyone helping her? And then he realized who it was that was crying. His mother.
He pried his heavy eye lids open, but his vision was blurred and he couldn't see.
"Nana?" He had to say the word twice, his throat initially too sore to get the words out. He knew he was dehydrated from the pounding head ache but that did not really compare to the other aches and pains he could feel.
"Elrohir?" Celebrain asked quietly, wiping away her tears hastily and looking down at her child. Elrohir's eyes had just flickered open and where watching her blearily.
"Yes," Elrohir managed his voice hoarse.
Celebrain quickly moved Elrohir off her lap and climbed off the bed. She laid his head down on the pillows, pulling up a chair and sitting across from her son. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," Elrohir said he looked away. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Celebrain asked softly.
"For everything," Elrohir said sadly. "For going off the path for thinking that we were old enough to handle everything on our own..." Elrohir didn't say anything about Vilya, he couldn't, he didn't want to see the look on his mother's face.
"All that matters is that you're alright," Celebrain said.
Elrohir smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He tried to prop himself up in the pillows, but winced as fire shot across his lacerated back. He whimpered softly and Celebrain placed a hand on his shoulder pushing him gently but firmly back onto the bed.
"Don't move," Celebrain said her eyes worried by the pained expression she saw on her son's face. "You need stitches, I could not find a healer, Glorfindel has taken all spare hands out to help your brother."
"Elladan!"
"Yes," Celebrain answered pushing Elrohir back onto the bed once again as Elrohir tried to sit up. "It's alright ion-nín your father is helping Elladan he will be fine. At the moment you are my main concern. Now that you are awake I think I can stitch you up I just needed to check you were alright first."
"Alright," Elrohir said knowing that this would mean he would have to be put back to sleep for his mother to stitch up his wounds. Celebrain had spent so much time helping her husband with his patients that she knew a lot about healing by now and was confident in herself as a healer.
"Do you mind if I leave you for a minute to brew a sedative or do you want me to stay for a while?" When Celebrain got no answer she rose to leave, but stopped immediately when Elrohir's hand shot out to grab her own. Tears were pooling in the younger elf's eyes and he rolled over painfully, burying his face in the pillow sobbing quietly.
"Oh Elrohir," Celebrain said bending down and squeezing the younger elf's hand wishing that she could hug him, but knowing that it would just hurt him more. She had hoped that this wouldn't happen; had hoped from Elrohir's reaction when he first woke, that he had not been hurt so deeply. She couldn't stand the pain these creatures had caused her child. "It's over now," she whispered stroking the young elf's ebony hair. "It's over. I'm here; you're going to be alright."
"I'm not," Elrohir whispered around his sobs. "I can see them so I try to get away... I shut my eyes and the images are still there, o-on the back of my eye lids." Elrohir screwed his eyes tight shut his back heaving. "I-I want them to stop," he whispered. "But th-they won't go away..." His voice broke and he could say no more.
"Ssh, ion-nín," Celebrain soothed still stroking her son's silky hair. "It's alright, the stitches can wait I will not leave you."
"Hannon le," Elrohir whispered his breathing calming a little. "Im meleth-nÍn Nana."
"I love you too Elrohir."
It had been hours. The sun was nearly at its zenith and there was still no sign of improvement save a large pile of rocks. The boulders had shifted once of twice in the past few hours increasing everyone's worry greatly, they had to get the young elf out and quick! Elladan had not called to his father again and they could not reach the younger elf, although they were getting close, they knew they were, they had to be.
Elrond heaved a stone aside dropping it out of the way and collapsing against the rocks for a moment completely exhausted. Tear tracks ran down his dirty and bloodied face and he thought he might pass out as his head swam, but he wouldn't let himself.
Glorfindel noticed and went over to his friend bending down beside the elven lord. "Elrond please," he begged his friend. "Rest, we will tell you if we find Elladan. You'll kill yourself if you keep this up."
"I can't," Elrond said laboriously pushing himself back up and beginning to shift the rocks again. "I can't rest until I have found him."
Glorfindel looked anxiously at his friend, but began to help again. He had been having the same conversation with Elrond for several hours and knew that he would not sway the elven lord. "Just be careful mellon-nín."
Elrond nodded tiredly and turned back to a large boulder trying desperately to push it out of the way. Glorfindel realized that Elrond would not move the boulder on his own and quickly helped his friend to push it aside.
Once it was moved away the pair of them gasped.
"Elladan."
Translation:
ion-nín - my son
Nana - mum
Hannon le - Thank you
Im meleth-nín - I love you.
mellon-nín - my friend
This is a day late my calendar said so, but oh well. Ok so I didn't reach my target in fact I came no where near it the 6 reviews I go, however, are greatly appreciated, thanks! So lots of reviews would be nice hehe. I think there are only one or two more chapters of this left, probably only one.
Please review!
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