5. Attack on Redhorn Pass
Elrond threw off his mask once more that night and returned to his awaiting orcs. A guard let him in. "Have fun carousing?" he joked, slapping him on the back.
He received a backhanded slap in return. "What I do in my spare time is none of your business!" The Carnelian Orc swaggered his way inside the deep, dank cave system to the meeting room while an alarm sounded, telling everyone to gather. Once all the important orcs were inside, Carnelian began. "I have learned the nasty elves seek to heighten their attacks on us. Everyone must be extra vigilant and take great precautions not to be caught. The twins are the leaders, and I want them taken out as soon as possible. I know you have tried before and not succeeded, but you must continue. Those elves must die!"
Raucous cheering greeted his speech as his crew vowed to take vengeance on their dreaded foe. They gather all their battle gear and post double the scouts as usual, determined to kill the twins once and for all. They would not disappoint themselves, or their leader. Red Skull gave his own encouragement and cheer in the background.
Meanwhile, the twins discover that Elrond has disappeared and give a speech of their own.
Elladan stood up and faced his loyal elves. "My friends and brothers, I adjure you to aid me in my quest. Elrohir and I have sought to defeat the Carnelian Orc for many long years," he paused as the elves displayed their abhorrence for even the mention of his name. "My brother and I are in need of your help. I ask that you march with us against the orcs and help us defeat them once and for all!"
The elves stopped and stared. A brave younger male elf stepped forward. "My lord Elladan, Lord Elrond has forbidden us to fight the orcs unless they attack us first, and only if he is leading us."
Elladan grinned. "Ada is not here right now, and when he is not here, I am in charge along with my brother." Elrohir came up beside him for support. "We agree that this is the best course of action. Are you with us?"
"Yes!" came the unanimous agreement. Celebrían had been beloved by all the elves and they too longed for vengeance against her tormentors.
"Then come. We must hasten out to our task before Ada returns." He turned and led his army to the armoury, where they quickly donned their armour and weapons and then headed out to the Misty Mountains towards the Redhorn Pass.
The elves marched on foot, not wishing to waste time with horses that only made it harder to kill their enemies at close range. The archers stayed in front with the twins and a disobedient Estel while the others marched behind, complete with a rear guard of five expert archers. The brothers walked beside each other, faces grim with determination as they approached their destination. It seemed to take forever to get there, even if it was only a few hours in reality. At last they reached the familiar and dreaded stretch of land, carving its way through the heavily wooded mountains.
Elladan strode forward. "Come out and face us, orc scum! I demand that the Carnelian Orc show his disgusting face at once."
The orcs scuttled about inside the caves and let Carnelian know what was going on. He groaned. His wayward sons would never learn until they were dead.
"Your wife left too much of her imprint on your sons. If only I had gotten to you before their birth," Schmidt bemoaned.
Carnelian frowned. "Yes, you are right. Which is why I shall just have to kill my own spawn."
"Battle is a good way to go."
"Yes. A good, honorable death and one of the most effective ways to kill an elf."
Reaching over, he pulled the three-strand tow rope that alarmed his entire cave system and summoned them into battle. They once again gathered into the stone meeting chamber. "It seems we have our wish and the twins have come to us. I want them dead, and that lone man as well. He is destined to lead the kingdom of Gondor and it is better to get him out of my way now."
The dark hordes did as they were bid and awaited Carnelian. His armour bearer dressed him and stood alongside him as he gave his last commands before marching forth to meet his sons. When he first met and married Celebrían, he'd had dreams of a long and happy marriage, full of love and several children. He never imagined he would one day become mortal enemies with the seed of his own flesh. However, they stood in the way of gaining control of all Middle Earth. No love had remained in his heart for them.
As for Estel, sure he had vowed to protect him and ensure he survived until he could become king. But he too stood in his way and had to die. The threesome were such good friends that it was fitting for them all to go together in the same manner. Estel had almost been another son to him in a sense, even if by the time he came along Elrond had fully turned into the Carnelian Orc. It is too bad he could never persuade him to join his own orc army.
Shaking those thoughts from his head, he exited his domicile and appeared before the twins. "So we meet at last."
"Yes," Elladan hissed. "I demand that you fight me, one-on-one, and perhaps your army shall be spared." He stood at his full height of six feet, one inch, and stared into his enemy's face.
"Ha, I do not think so." Carnelian motioned to his army, who immediately attacked the waiting elves.
The archers fired, implanting arrows into the thick orc hides. More grew on top of the dead bodies as the elven bowmen continued firing until the orcs got too close for that. All swords were drawn and the elves awaited the command of their fearless leader.
Elladan braced himself as the orcs charged forth. "Now!" he shouted and led his army into the fray. Metal clanged against metal as the elven swords met the orcish scimitars. Carnelian stood in the background as he watched his subjects do his dirty work. He planned jump into the fray once the elves were closer to being defeated. But for now, he could just enjoy the action from his vantage point of a small hillock behind some bushes.
The twins searched for a red face among the black ones of their foes but saw nothing. They made sure they stayed back to back with each other the same way they had practiced for many years now. Both expertly walked backwards according to the other's need and could even run backwards if absolutely necessary, although neither felt as comfortable with that manoeuvre. They lost count of the orcs that lost their heads as they swung their matching swords back and forth.
Estel put his fighting skills to good use as well. He had long trained with the elves to become an expert swordsman and this marked his first real battle. The orcs gravitated towards him and cut him off from the rest of the elves, intent on slaying him. He immediately sensed what they were doing and put to use all the intricate moves he had been taught, attempting to catch them unaware. He found himself in the midst of fifteen vicious orcs but knew no fear. Face grim with determination, several orcs lay slain on the battleground within a matter of seconds. The remaining orcs closed in, focused on the lone man. He killed the one standing directly in front of him and swung around to face those behind. Each blade swing brought one more enemy to his death. At last, the Ranger stood in the midst of the circle of dead orcs, panting slightly, rather sweaty and covered in the mud they flung up. He glanced down at his leg and noticed a small pool of blood beside his left foot where one of the orcs had nicked his leg.
The man returned, limping slightly, to the main battle near the twins, who had slain their fair share of orcs. The other elves succeeded with few losses on their side, causing the waiting Carnelian to growl in frustration. At last, he jumped into the fray. "My loyal subjects, kill them all!" he encouraged while stabbing his blade into a frightened young elf, who collapsed in his own blood, a look of fear on his face as his eyes glazed over in death.
The elves fought more furiously even as the orcs heightened their attacks. At last, Elrohir spotted the red face he'd searched for. "Elladan! Carnelian is over there!"
Wasting no time, the twins fought their way to the infamous foe. At last, Elladan found himself face to face with the Carnelian Orc. "Face me like a man, you coward!" he challenged.
Carnelian laughed. "If that is how you want to die, so be it." He swung his ugly blade at Elladan's elaborate sword, which failed to glow as bright a blue as it should. But he had no time to think of such things as he fought for his life, Elrohir and Estel keeping the other orcs at bay to allow the one-on-one skirmish they knew had to take place. The oldest elf twin had fire in his eyes, the whole world red along with Carnelian's ugly, mutant face. The orc met his gaze with his own cold fury, the total lack of decency showing within the brown depths.
After matching each other's moves for several minutes, Carnelian slashed his un-poisoned blade across Elladan's cheek before turning away into the fray, his minions effectively blocking the elf's pursuit. Elladan growled and forced his way into the matted group of orcs, becoming a bit careless in his swordsmanship. Glancing at each other, Elrohir and Estel followed the angry elf in a more careful manner, making sure their foes were fully dispatched before moving on, unlike the wayward elf.
Eyes filled with a red fury, Elladan searched for his mortal enemy. Elves and orcs alike jumped to get out of the way of his flashing sword. "Carnelian! I will find you, and you will face me!" he yelled.
Suddenly, a loud horn sounded and everyone stopped dead in their tracks, many mid-swing of their blades. The Carnelian Orc stood in their midst, straightened to his full height. The elves who had never laid eyes on him simply stared; he was far more hideous that they had ever imagined. Glaring, he addressed his army. "Kill all the elves immediately, but spare the twins and the lone man. I have special plans for them."
The battle began anew, the orcs just as confused as the elves. Carnelian turned to walk away, but Elladan tore out from behind him and knocked his sword hilt into the back of his enemy's head. As his body hit the ground, the angry elf jumped on top of him. "You will tell me everything! Why did you torture my Naneth and break my Ada's heart?"
Rolling over, Carnelian jumped up and locked blades with Elladan. "She learned a deep, dark secret of mine. I had to torture her into not telling, and I knew that method rather than killing her outright would play with the emotions of all you sensitive little elves."
The sparring continued as Elladan spoke, oblivious to all else around him. "I don't understand. We elves have never sought you out to harm you, while your people continue to battle with my and ambush them."
The red face grew even more vulgar as a wicked chuckle came out, reminding the elf of a sick cuckoo clock. "That is the way of a villain, my dear elfling. I had to attack your people before they exterminated mine. How else can I take over all of Middle Earth? The elves rule a good portion already, so why not rid my world of them first?"
Taken aback, Elladan felt fresh blood flow down where he had been sliced on the unprotected part of his arm. "Fine, if that is how you see things…"He swung his sword with a new fury. The two sparred as the elves defeated the rest of the orcs.
At last, Elrohir and Estel could stand it no longer and jumped on either side of Elladan, pointing their blades into Carnelian's chest. "Surrender now, Carnelian. We have defeated your army and it is futile to resist us any longer."
Knowing it was useless to fight any longer, the red orc dropped his weapons. The threesome quickly tied him up and carried him back to Imladris, Elladan looking rather smug. His twin bound his wounds, as well as Estel's, prior to heading back.
The older twin punched his brother in the arm. "I told you I could defeat our mortal enemy!"
"Yes, I see you did, with my and Estel's help," Elrohir retorted, miffed that he didn't get his chance at the sparring match.
"What will Ada say when he sees this?"
"Considering how he reacted when you discussed our missions with him, I doubt he will be pleased. We lost about a fourth of our army today, tôr nîn. Not to mention your wounds. Ada will be rather perturbed to learn you allowed Estel to join us and he has been injured as well."
The older twin sobered a bit. "I suppose you are right. But still, we have captured the infamous Carnelian Orc! Surely he would be proud of us!"
"We shall see when we arrive."
Much to his chagrin, Estel had listened to the whole conversation, so Elladan turned to him. "What do you think?"
The man sighed. "We lost too many elves for my comfort, and I disapprove of your seeking out a battle. However, I also understand your need to avenge your mother. I certainly hope the defeat of the Carnelian Orc will make these mountains friendlier to travellers."
"That was my intent."
They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence. Finally, they burst through Rivendell's gates.
"Ada!" Elladan cried, expecting his father to greet him and congratulate him. Instead, the elves who had remained stared at him. "Where is Ada?"
Lindir approached, the only elf who knew the truth. "Lord Elrond is not here, master Elladan."
"Where is he, then?"
"Away."
"Well, when will he return?" Lindir could be too dense sometimes.
"I do not know."
"Lindir, I am losing my patience. As the rightful ruler in Ada's stead, I command you tell me where he is and when he will be back!" Elladan glared.
Frightened, Lindir trembled under the intense gaze. "I…I…I can't tell you! I swore to Lord Elrond I would tell no one!" He could feel the cold eyes of Carnelian upon his back, daring him to break his vow.
Elladan whipped out his sword and held the point to Lindir's throat. "I will kill you if you do not tell me at once. You are risking treason to the acting ruler of Imladris!"
Even the elves on the other side of Rivendell could see Lindir shaking violently. "Please…you must speak with Carnelian about that," he gulped out, eyes wider than anyone imagined eyes could be.
Releasing Lindir, who fell to the ground gasping with relief, Elladan ordered that the red orc be taken to the dungeons. Within minutes, Carnelian was safely locked away in the most secure cell and Elladan placed himself on a chair in front of him. "What did you do with my Ada?" he demanded.
Carnelian cackled. "If only you knew!"
"Knew what?" Elladan wished now he had paid more attention in learning interrogation techniques. Perhaps he was due for a trip to Mirkwood to seek King Thranduil's council on such matters.
However, his attempt at grilling was met with a cold glare.
"You tortured him, didn't you, so that he too sailed away to the Undying Lands. But he chose not to tell us so we would not worry about him or recklessly chase after your foul minions."
More raucous laughter followed. Sighing, Elladan left. Perhaps Elrohir or Estel could get farther with the mad beast.
A few minutes later, Elrohir entered the dungeon and took the chair facing the only occupied cell. "Carnelian, I would like an explanation of why you must take over all of Middle Earth."
The orc glared. "How else is the world supposed to run the way I want it to?"
"So you attack innocent females who haven't provoked you and torture them. Is that how you want your world run?"
"Yes. Everyone is expendable."
Elrohir choked at the thought. "Tell me, what did you do with Ada? I would at least like to bury his remains in proper fashion…"
"There are no remains!" Carnelian growled, then turned his back to the elf.
Elrohir left and decided to let Estel try. Perhaps a human would do a better job at the task. However, even he could not get any more information out of the orc.
The next morning, Elladan decided Lindir would be better off in the dungeon and placed him on the other side so he could not speak with Carnelian. Perhaps the two were in league with each other and had planned a wicked scheme to get rid of Elrond forever. Really, Lindir barely left Elrond's side and knew even more about him than the twins, so he would be the perfect candidate. But he had already interrogated him and he refused to tell anything, fearing Lord Elrond's wrath more than anyone else's. Elladan hated to ask Mirkwood for help getting information out of Carnelian, and even worse would be his grandmother Galadriel. Although come to think of it, most people found her slightly disturbing, particularly those on the wrong side of the law. Yet at the same time, he wanted to do everything for himself, prove he was the full grown elf no one wanted to believe he was.
The elf made his way back to the dungeons and tried a different approach. "Carnelian, what is your favourite colour?"
The red orc looked at him, puzzled. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Well, that tactic didn't work. "I want you to tell me what you did to Ada!"
"Not unless you let me out first, or come in here with me."
"No. Neither one will work."
"Then you will never know."
Elladan walked off in a huff to discuss this with his brother and Estel. Then he went to Elrond's study to see if he could find some clues.
While he was occupied, Estel and Elrohir drew up a plan. The younger twin made his way to the dungeon and let himself in the cell with Carnelian. "Elladan tells me you will tell us everything if we comply with you a bit. So what happened to Ada?"
Carnelian cackled as he drew close to the elf, who stood his ground. "Elrohir, I am you Ada!"
"What?" He stumbled backwards, head spinning.
After looking and listening to make sure they were indeed truly alone, Carnelian made Elrohir sit as he related his tale.
A/N: Sorry for disappearing! I'll plead writer's block & laziness. I do hope you enjoyed that Star Wars reference! Reviews give me motivation.