Category: Tolkien-Universe

Rating: M

Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant

Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything

Chapter: 12

Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me

Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'

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He was nibbling on some kind of nutbread slathered in honey when the leather flap in the dooropening was thrown open. His lunch fell to the furs when he recognized the form. "Coruneth...?" The Avari wife of one of their friends was suddenly staring at them without any warning.

Beside him, Rog turned his head as much as he could, back too hurt still to quickly turn to face her.

"Rog... Egalmoth." She was at their side in an instant, falling to her knees. "Oh, thank the Powers you two are alive."

"Indeed." He grinned widely at her, missing the black-haired form following her. Elrond joined her on the floor, humming softly over them. "How did you find us this quickly!?"

"We honestly figured we'd have to get back on our own." Rog was stopped from turning to face her more fully by the hands of the Peredhel on his arm. The healer pulled the furs away from him, gentle fingers trailing over his still tightly-bandaged back.

"Your necklace broke on the beach and I managed to spot the pendant, so we decided to check the forest before moving further down the river." She looked up as more elves entered the building. She adressed one of them in their language, as the diagnostic hum surrounding them turned to a full-on Song of Healing. Power blanketed them, seeping into their bodies.

Egalmoth hissed and Rog felt his wounded leg jerk against his.

"Sorry, I am trying my best." Elrond interrupted his Song briefly to inform them. "It's a bit harder now since your bodies have started healing on their own so I have to accomodate for that. If I had help, it would be easier on you. I'll fix the worst of it for now, so you can at least travel back to New Gondolin without suffering too much before proper healing."

"No problem." The voice of the Lord of the House of the Heavenly Arch was tight and his free hand clawed at the furs below them despite the sentiment.

"They have no Song Healers." Coruneth spoke up softly, sitting beside the three. "The closest to one they had has not yet chosen to re-embody, as far as they know."

"We noticed the lack." Rog felt the urge to crawl out of his skin when the Power moved along his back and stitched together his flesh. " How far from Gondolin are we, exactly?"

"Seven hours of searching the river from the docks." She chuckled lightly. "And out of range for me and Ecthelion, at least. Erestor is probably heading here by now, so we'll find out soon whether we're in his range."

"Did everyone come looking for us?"

"No, though they certainly wanted to. Turgon called upon Tuor and the other skinchangers available on such short notice to swim down the river, and then there's some people in boats to move supplies." She shrugged, watching the other Avari leaving them alone again. "Our group has Elladan and Legolas, then there's a group with Elrohir and Tuor. I am going to go on a limb and assume that Elladan has warned his brother, so they hopefully can get here quickly now they do not need to search anymore. Then we can get back to the city and the inevitable fistfights. I feel Glaur will have opinions about hypocrisy..."

"Fair..." Egalmoth plucked his sticky - and now hairy - lunch from the furs beside him. He could no longer complain too much about Glorfindel tackling a Balrog down a cliffside considering he had remained on a collapsing road at least half a mile up a mountainside.

"How's Mouse...?" It was Rog who finally remembered the one they had sacraficed themselves for. He had not seen Tinnuion once he had disappeared below road-level, but he had heard his wail just before hitting the water.

"Bloody depressed." The Avari dryly pointed out. "He blames himself for what happened, no matter what anyone else tells him. You two are going to have a field-year getting him to deal with it once you're back."

"Also fair." The black-haired Lord flinched a bit at that statement. "Who's watching over him?"

"His entire family - Fingon came along with Elrond from Tumfalas and is taking care of the city for now - Glaur and Ecthel... Probably the other Lords, to a lesser extend." She looked at Elrond when mentioning him. "Are you alright? Don't overdo it, I can't carry all three of you back to the rest."

The two in the furs rolled to look up and had to agree with her. Elrond was pale, cold sweat on his forehead.

"Yes... yes... I just wanted to do as much as possible." He released a brief chuckle, leaning back on his hands. "I'll be fine as long as I can stay here for an hour orso before needing to move."