Disclaimer: Middle Earth is my playground…unfortunately I don't own the title deed.

Betas: LenaLove and Nautika - the bestest betas around! ((HUGS))

A/N - Somehow in the two previous chapters my betas were deleted! EEK! So here they are! Much applause for their hard work!

Chapter 3

Ever So Slowly And Painfully

"I have never seen anything like this before. I am unsure whether to be amused or frightened! Not only has Estel lured Erestor from his office, but he actually looks as if he is enjoying the garden!" Elladan stood behind a large rock, peering down at the garden from the ledge near the high falls. He turned his head and looked at his twin with a raised brow.

Elrohir grinned at him. "We should allow them their fun, brother. And enjoy the break from sibling caretaking. As much as I love Estel, he can be trying after a time." The elf stretched out on a small grassy plot and closed his eyes with a smile.

Legolas smiled at them from his place on a branch in a tree. From here he could also see the garden and the small child wandering around it with Erestor in tow. Glorfindel was no where to be seen, however, and the prince wondered if he had abandoned the Chief Councilor and small child to seek some solitude. Legolas had noted in his years visiting Imladris that the ancient elf-lord enjoyed time alone outdoors. Legolas greatly admired the Captain of Imladris who had spent some of his valuable free time over the years training him in swordplay and beating him in Tâd Erain, a popular game of strategy among the elves of Imladris. The thought reminded him that Glorfindel owed him a rematch from his last visit when the game had been called due to orcs seen roaming the wilds near the valley.

Erestor, however, was an elf Legolas thought he would never understand. He did not think he had ever seen the elf outdoors before, and he was almost positive he had never seen the Chief Councilor without a scroll or pen in his hand. Erestor was probably the most organized person he had ever met. The prince admired Erestor's sense of duty to Elrond and his dedication to his work, but as a Wood Elf, Legolas could not fathom spending that much time indoors pouring over papers.

The Prince of Mirkwood leaned back against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes. If Estel was with Erestor, he was in good hands. The sun warmed his face and as he sat enjoying the soft caress of its rays, he began to sing softly. Elrohir joined his song from his place on the grass and Legolas smiled. It was good to be here among friends with no worries of danger, no sense of foreboding pressing upon him as it did at home.

The minutes passed slowly, and the calm surrounding the serene hillside eased the ache in the prince's heart. The loss of his companions back home still weighed heavily upon Legolas' spirit, but it was times like these, just being in a place of tranquility with friends who knew him well enough to let him grieve his own way, which helped him the most. He drifted along with the song of the trees, finding solace in their medley.

His peace was shattered, however, when his senses suddenly flared to life, warning him of imminent danger. The trees were troubled! Legolas' eyes snapped open a moment before Elladan cried out in alarm. He was on his feet rapidly and scanning with his sharp eyes for the peril he had sensed. Elrohir joined his brother at the rock ledge and all three looked in horror at the place Elladan was pointing.

There at the edge of the garden Legolas could clearly see Erestor dangling from Glorfindel's grip. Both elves seemed to be suspended from nothing, and Legolas could not fathom how the elf-lord was holding himself in place. Slight movement at the lip of the cliff, near a broken section of wall, caught the prince's eye and he gasped as he realized it was Estel holding onto Glorfindel's leg.

"Estel is still there, near the edge!" Legolas cried. "We need to help them quickly before they all fall down that gorge."

"I know a shortcut!" Elladan called, already heading up the dangerous slope. Where they had rested was across the gorge from the garden and not an easy trip to make quickly. Yet, the three elves scrambled quickly, their sure feet flying over the rocks as the raced up the ridge to the stream.

ooo

A fallen log served as a foot bridge across the gurgling water, and the elves darted across it without a thought, running all out down the slope towards the garden just below. Elrohir shot ahead of them, sprinting down the paths, and dodging trees. As they approached the wall, he leapt clear over it, landing cleanly on the other side, continuing his dash to Estel.

Legolas and Elladan were right on his heels and both gasped when Elrohir all but slid over the edge of the cliff in his haste to grab Estel. Just as he approached, Glorfindel's feet slipped, and Elrohir caught Estel right before the child was pulled over with the two elves. Estel screamed and reached around his brother, trying get to the elves who had fallen down the steep drop.

"Estel! Estel, you must stop!" Elrohir pleaded, lifting the child and moving him from the edge. He grabbed the child's chin with one hand, forcing Estel to look up at him. "I want to help Glorfindel and Erestor, too, but I need your help right now!"

The boy instantly stopped his squirming. Tears streamed down his dirty cheeks, leaving twin trails through the dust. "Help 'em, Elorir! Please!"

Elrohir sat Estel down and kneeled in front of him. "I need you to stay away from the edge, little brother." He glanced at Elladan and Legolas leaning over the sheer drop, calling down to the fallen elves. Looking back at Estel, he hated what he was about to do, but felt he had no choice. "Estel, look at me." The boy's grey eyes snapped back to his and Elrohir took a steadying breath. "I need you to go back to the House, Estel. I need you to tell someone we need help. Find Ada or Lindir…anyone! Tell them what has happened. Tell anyone you find first! Do you understand?" Estel nodded quickly and turned to run. "Walk! Do not run down the hill. You cannot help us if you are injured!" Estel nodded again, and walked quickly down the path toward the gate.

Elrohir turned back to the broken wall and his brother and Legolas. He carefully peered over the edge, afraid of what he would find. His eyes widened in shock. Somehow, Erestor had managed to grab hold of a root of some kind, and Glorfindel now hung limply from his grip. Elrohir grimaced when he saw the blood trickling down the Captain's face from a cut somewhere above his hairline. The elf-lord appeared to be unconscious.

"Hang on, Erestor," Elladan called.

The Chief Councilor looked up dryly. "Do you expect me to purposely let go? I thought you were smarter than that, child." Something, almost akin to a grin twitched the advisor's lips. It fled when he glanced down at the elf dangling from his grasp. "Do something quickly, Elladan. I do not know how much longer I can hold Glorfindel. My grip is slowly slipping!"

"We will figure something out. There must be someway we can pull you up!" Elrohir called down. He glanced at Legolas. The prince's eyes were traveling up and down the cliff face, and his expression was one of contemplation. Legolas was planning something…and Elrohir did not think he would like it.

When he turned to meet Elrohir's eyes, Legolas smiled grimly. We can form a chain. If we each link to the other, I think we could reach them. They are not that far down."

"Have you lost your mind?" Elladan exclaimed. "We cannot reach them that way!"

"Why not? The distance is not far. I have done this at home many times with my patrol when we have no rope. Sometimes it is the only way to rescue an elf caught in a spider web." Legolas' eyes gleamed with hope.

"We do not have much choice, Elladan," Elrohir interrupted when he noticed Glorfindel slip a tiny bit further in Erestor's grip. "You can be the one at the top. I will try anything at this point!"

"Very well. But if we all fall…" Elladan's words were cut off.

"It will not matter very much. We will not be conscious for a very long time," Legolas retorted in irritation. Quickly he outlined what they needed to do.

Slowly, Elrohir and Elladan lowered Legolas down the cliff face. As the one experienced in this form of rescue, Legolas had volunteered to be at the bottom of the chain. Each son of Elrond lay on their stomachs holding onto a leg as they inched the prince downwards. When Legolas could be lowered no further, Elrohir took both legs and Elladan scooted back to grab his ankles. He was pushed forward and slowly they lowered to the dangling elves below.

As he felt himself reaching probably the furthest Elladan could lower them, Elrohir noticed Legolas could just reach Erestor's hand and arm. The prince grabbed hold of the Advisor's writst and Erestor released the root to grasp Legolas' arm in turn. That was when it dawned on Elrohir that Elladan would not be able to hold all their weights single-handedly.

"Legolas? We will all fall! Elladan cannot hold us all for long!" Elrohir shouted downwards.

"He will not have to," Legolas returned. "I will take Glorfindel, and Erestor will climb up us. IF he does that quickly, Elladan should be able to hold us for that long."

Erestor's eyes widened and he gulped. "Climb up…" Slowly he lifted his arm, straining to lift the unconscious form of Glorfindel. Legolas grabbed the elf with his free hand and encouraged the Chief Coucilor to start climbing.

Ever so slowly, and painfully, Elrohir thought, watching Erestor's foot connect with Legolas ear, Erestor moved upwards. But even as he climbed, Elrohir felt Elladan's grip on his ankles slipping. "Erestor! You must climb faster…Elladan is going to lose his grip!"

"I have you!" Elladan called down to them, but Elrohir could hear the strain in his voice. They were running out of time.

As Erestor moved up his body, Elrohir felt his own grip on Legolas beginning to slip. When Erestor's foot came down on his hand, the son of Elrond yelped, and Legolas' ankle slipped from his hand. With the weight shifted, he found he could not hold onto the other either.

"Legolas! I'm losing you!" he cried, as the prince's other ankle slipped from his hand.

TBC

Tâd Erain - means 'two kings'. My name for a Middle Earth form of chess.

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