Scars Chapter Five- A Bitter Glimpse Into The Past
Disclaimer: This story is being written for enjoyment only. I do not own any of Tolkien's characters.
Author's Note: Thank you all for kind comments and helpful advice regarding my story! :) I hope you enjoy chapter 5.
A fierce stab of sorrow filled Elladan's heart as he watched Aragorn quietly compose the body of the young girl beside him by first rearranging her hands upon her breast and then softly drawing her eyes shut against the inhumanity of this world. Gently the Man continued his painstaking ministrations as he removed the cloak he wore and spread it out upon the foreground. With the utmost reverence, he lifted the girl and settled her upon its length. And with the same finality that now marked her young life, he carefully enshrouded her corpse within the folds of its fabric before lifting the precious burden back into his arms once again.
The raven-haired Elf stood frozen. He could not move nor make a sound for profound grief now overwhelmed him. He knew not the identity of this deceased child nor anything concerning her people or history. But the stirring scene unfolding before him, shook the Elf to his very core, for it brought back the resurgence of a compelling memory from his own past. A remembrance he had long thought buried or so he had misled himself into believing. The Elf's hands began to tremble in reaction as this recollection tore through him. 'Aragorn had not been much older than the child he now held within his arms . . . ' He acknowledged grimly while tears burned within his dark eyes and his throat constricted painfully. Crippling remorse washed over the Elf as this disturbing image refused to abate. "Estel . . . " He stammered in torment while the past claimed advantage over the present.
At first glance, when he and Elrohir had finally come upon their brother's broken and bloodied body after a long and desperate search, he had feared the worst that the boy was already dead. With dread he approached Aragorn's crumpled form. His own sword was still drawn and now bloodied from prior combat with the last of the youth's tormentors. Elladan's hands began to shake as he attempted to hurriedly replace the wavering weapon back within his scabbard not bothering to wipe its blade clean of the black blood fouling it. Intense anger poured through him. For brief minutes before when they had rode up upon the bitter scene, he had agonizingly bore witness to one of the remaining Orcs delivering a staggering blow to Aragorn just before the boy collapsed toward the earth beneath him. Ignoring his own wounds, Elladan rushed toward his brother's side. Reaching Aragorn, it became readily apparent that the child had suffered greatly while within the Enemy's grasp. But what had torn the Elf's heart asunder was when he extended a hand forth in comfort, and Aragorn had shrunk away from the contact. The boy's unfocused grey eyes struggled to open while with labored breaths he attempted to speak though blood flowed from an ugly gash just above his lip hindering his efforts. Choking on the life-sustaining fluid, he managed but one word, "Where . . . " before finally lapsing into unconsciousness.
The staggering profundity of his brother's unfinished query had served to paralyze Elladan in his tracks, and it had been Elrohir, who rushed forward to take his place, while he remained useless at his side. Straightaway his younger twin had begun administering to their Human brother's many wounds and injuries, while Elladan did naught. The only process that was still capable of functioning within him seemed to be his spiraling thoughts and emotions as they sought to complete his brother's prior charge. Miserably he filled in remaining words with those of self-recrimination. 'Where were you?'
Tears of sorrow now pooled in the present day Elf's eyes unlike those left unshed from many years' past. All emotion had eluded him at that time save for the condemnation he had heaped upon himself for his inability to keep his brother safe. Remorse, even now, was a bitter pill to swallow. For he recognized immediately as he shook himself from this crippling reverie, that his present day self-absorption had stalled him from reacting forthwith toward offering his brother any help or comfort during his shocking ordeal. Viewing his surroundings, Elladan grievously noted that while he remained lost in past remembrance Aragorn must have started back on his trek toward the village, unaware of his Elven brother's presence ever being close by. And despondently the raven-haired Eldar muttered, "I have failed you yet again, Estel!"
Author's Closing Notes: Well if you've reached here, then thank you for reading chapter 5. I'm sorry it was so short. This has been written for over a week and edited and edited and edited and edited...(you get the picture! Lol!) I intended to continue on from the ending of this chapter with another scene, but I haven't been able to get back to it between work, home life and exhaustion. I do like, however, ending it with Elladan's thoughts. This chapter is a hint ( a brief glimpse, a teaser...) for what is to come regarding the remembrance. I won't be able to get to the next chapter for a while. I have an important meeting coming up that I must prepare for and a few other important events, which is why I posted now what I have written, so it wouldn't torment me any longer. :) Until next time, Sue a.k.a. Quickbeam1