I TOOK MY FIRST S.A.T.! WAI! And hey, congratulate me! I just hit over 200 reviews for my nine-chapter Inuyasha fic! I am feeling very good about that last chapter, too. The lack of reviews is slightly discouraging, but not really. Because now, the authoress is going to take it up a notch... Muaaahahahah! They say a character death is the best way to get people out of the woodwork... I THINK I'LL TRY IT! Won't say who, though.
We're going to see Harry Potter 3 monday, Shrek 2 was hysterical and the music was actually decent! I was impressed. I have trouble keeping my thoughts together, so if I say I'm going to do something and don't, just don't freak out. If it's written a certain way, that's just where the flow of the writing led me.
Oh, and Cassia? If you're out there reading this, I did borrow one of your characters for point-two seconds. His name is Celboril; I didn't want to chance making up the name of any elf. Yet. So GOHENA-NIN?! I had to use him! I needed some servant to come and help!
Someone do us a favor and go assassinate the Quickedit program.
Jaa, Chapter 5! IS NO ONE SAFE FROM THE TORTURES OF FANFICTION AUTHORESSES?! Obviously not.
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Chapter Five: Sacrifice for Dying Faith
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Elrohir had been unresponsive for over an hour. His temperature alone was high enough to kill him; the poison was doing even more damage with the second. The lack of sound was almost as bad as the screams had been; Aragorn was fighting with every nerve not to reach out and shake the life back into his eyes, force him to open them.
The beating had gone on for an eternity, and all Aragorn, Eowyn and Legolas had been able to do was hold him while he wailed, convulsed, shivered, and jerked from the violent blows. He was a mass of bruises and cuts so thick it was impossible to distinguish one from the other on his body. The athelas and other herbs had long since run out. There was nothing left to be done.
Aragorn was sitting on his knees, staring with a blank, mask-like expression at the failing form of his older brother. It would not be long now.
All the while he had tried fervently to convince himself that they could still be saved, that at the last second Gandalf or one of the Rohirrim would find Elladan and rescue him, but that kind of thinking had faded hours ago. Now, there was only the hard truth of Elladan and Elrohir's approaching demise, and the army that would most likely be their deaths in a very short time. Outside it had long since turned black with night, no ray of light piercing the choking darkness. Hope was dying like the setting sun already had, never to resurface.
Estel's faith was waning fast to be replaced with prior field experience. From the earliest age, the Dunadan had never been one to lie about his feelings, and certainly not about the reality or severity of a situation; he was much too skilled a leader to support something as weak and foolish as that. At the moment, though, it was proving to be a devastating curse.
Guilt from a steadily bleeding heart welled painfully within him, repeating like a mantra in his mind. 'I should have been able to do something. I could have helped them fight, I could have saved them... I have to do something, I have to-
"N- Naneth..."
The whisper cracked, longing, almost silent, the white-blue lips barely moving.
The ranger buried his head in his hands.
Legolas had withdrawn into himself, sitting cross-legged with his arms wrapped around each other. Sweat dripping from his pale brow spoke of the toll of long hours binding his companion's gruesome wounds. His eyes were riveted on the Noldor, as though he were contemplating the impending loss. Eowyn was sitting quietly, wavy gold tresses hiding her features, not looking at him. She had obviously resigned herself to facing the facts as well: they were going to lose another kinsman. There was nothing more to be done.
A racking cough came from somewhere in the elf's chest, and he shuddered with the pain. "E... Est-"
Aragorn scooted forward and took him back into his arms; rocking him gently, careful of the splinted, cloth-wrapped arm. "I'm here, gwador-nin. I won't leave you." He would be with him. 'Until there was nothing left to-'
The man cut that off in mid-thought.
He caught sight of Legolas as he reached for another damp cloth for Elrohir's forehead. His friend still hadn't moved. Glancing over at him, with his long legs tucked up to his chin and both arms holding himself tightly, Aragorn realized he was growing worried for another reason. The look on the Mirkwood elf's face was almost frightening. It was the look of a man standing on the edge of a great abyss, into which he could and would fall purposefully at any second: a dark, knowing expression, as though preparing himself for a great and terrible burden.
His heart ached. The prince had known and lived with his brothers centuries more than he had. That would only have strengthened their feelings towards each other. He could only imagine what a horror this had been for him to witness, even as he had watched his companions die on many other fronts.
His expression also held a great sadness. Bright, intense eyes shadowed with emotion pierced the air between the two elves, and Estel could not help but shiver as he pondered, Will the grief be too much for him to bear? Icy fear clawed at his throat.
Valar... Elbereth, don't let me lose him too...
"A-" The Dunadan looked down at a slight movement from the body in his arms. Elrohir's lips moved slowly, and he had to lean down to hear what the twin was murmuring under his weak breath.
"A... A..da..."
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The leather-bound book he'd been searching for was stuck up in the top corner of the bookcase. He couldn't remember putting it there, which led him to believe that Erestor must have reshelved it when he'd fallen asleep at the desk last night. He had been more than a little surprised that he'd managed to nod off there; it wasn't like him to be so inattentive.
The Lord of Imladris pulled himself up the ladder to the top of the ivory-coloured, intricately carved bookcase and pulled back the sleeve of his robes, reaching for the book. It was slightly heavy; he used one hand leaning on the shelf to keep it steady as he turned the pages, searching. His dark brown hair hung down his back like a sheet of silk, vibrant blue-green eyes and stern features sharp as he tried to focus on the contents of the tome.
Tried and failed.
In the back of his mind a shadow had been licking at his thoughts like the flame of a candle, pulling him down into a dark place that he had no wish to be a part of. The fading leaves of Rivendell and the increasingly cloudy grey sky had been all too obvious, and he knew more than even any other elf to what extent Middle-earth was being overtaken by the darkness. But it was not this darkness that was affecting him so. It was another, more immediate threat that tugged at his spirit.
Elrond shook his head slightly, sending a shimmer through the river of dark tresses. 'What is wrong with me?' The elf lord forced his eyes to the paper, reading carefully through the Quenyan paragraphs, trying to find-
AAAAAADDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
It hit him like a hammer.
A hammer held by a very large, very angry cave troll.
The intensity of the cry blacked out every thought, every sensation, as mentally blinding as an exploding sun. Dazzling white blanketed his eyes, and another sudden flash heralded a vision stronger than any he had ever experienced.
Caves. Stalagmites and rocky walls. No sky visible. Pain! Uruk-hai and orcs, a large gathering of assailants hitting him, Estel, Prince Legolas, many humans, mourning. Pain!
PAIN!
The oxygen was stolen from his lungs as crushing grief and unimaginable agony separated him momentarily from consciousness, cutting into him like a blade. When his eyes finally started working again he was lying sprawled on his back on the cold marble floor, unable to breathe or recall who or where he was. A pain in his head focused into five points where his fingers were clutching involuntarily, vice-like, and he gasped unsteadily for air.
That was how Celboril found him, in a twisted heap of robes with a hand to his forehead.
"Lord Elrond!" the blond servant cried, sounding very alarmed. There was a scuffle as he ran and knelt at his side. "My lord, what happened? Are you hurt?" he questioned, looking the elf lord over before gently attempting to pull him up. Elrond leaned heavily on the other elf in a sitting position, his breath coming a bit more regularly. His hands were shaking, one still refusing to relinquish its hold on his head.
"I... don't know... I fell off the ladder..."
"What happened?"
"There was... a call. Someone... my sons-"
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming his mind and ordering his thoughts properly. Elrond looked up at his servant and his gaze hardened. "They were calling for me. Something went wrong. One of them has been captured by the Uruk-hai."
Celboril's eyes widened and his breath caught.
Elrond grimly set his jaw. "If something is not done, they will die."
He weighed his options in his head, remembering the way the caves had looked and what information his son had sent him of their road to the stone prison. He could see no other way, and realized he would have had it no other way. He was one of the few healers talented enough to repair much of the damage that was even now being inflicted.
A spike of fear went through his heart. Eru knew what kind of things he had been unable to prevent.
Again.
Elrond's eyes narrowed dangerously. The Lord of Imladris would see the minions of the Dark Lord pay for his children's pain.
"...Ready my horse."
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"No... N-NO! nn-NNNOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Elrohir, saes!"
"Elrohir-!"
"STOP! STOP- PLEASE STOP-"
It was happening. The seizing had started anew, rousing him from shock, this time centered around the burning hole in his abdomen. He cried, screamed, cursed, but comparatively his limbs were still. The only movement he could manage now was breathing, and shouting. Sweat and tears ran down the exhausted body and terrified features as his head lolled back in the ranger's arms.
"Naneth- Ada!" he sobbed.
Aragorn could feel his strength draining, the deadly cold settling into the Noldor's tense, curled form, ebbing in his very hold-
"ELROHIR! You can't go, do you hear me?! YOU CANNOT GO! FIGHT! YOU MUST RESIST THE DARKNESS!"
The man's throat was raw; his pleas, his commands, mingled with the elf's tormented cries. The Dunadan hugged his brother's forehead to his, his own body trembling with the force of his conviction, his defiance, his sheer will not to lose them-
"Elladan! Elrohir!"
A sudden shove sent him sprawling across the stone floor and into Eowyn as someone leapt forward and seized the wailing elf from his grasp. Aragorn felt the weight and warmth of his brother's fevered form leave his.
No! He whipped his head up, leaning forward on his arms and staring up from the ground in shock.
Legolas.
The prince of Mirkwood had broken his paralysis and pulled the Noldor away from him, laying the twin flat on the blankets and taking his head in both hands. He leaned over him, paused, and looked back at Aragorn with a calm, resolved gaze, his golden hair falling messily about his shoulders. He shook his head gently, slowly, a sad acceptance engulfing his features.
"Forgive me, my friend," he murmured.
Eowyn was completely bewildered, her face slightly flushed, eyes not leaving Legolas' face as she bent to help her lord. What was the prince attempting? The Rohirrim grew uneasy, shifting away from them and taking the younger children further into their arms.
A flash of realization went through the ranger like lightning and he screamed for his friend as he lowered his head toward the elf on the pallet. He scrambled forward, forcing himself up on numb legs, vaulting upright-
Their foreheads touched.
The soft, blue-white glow around the prince intensified, swelling. A lone, relieved gasp went through the vacuum of sound and the people watched astounded as the glow vanished from Legolas, and poured itself into Elrohir.
"NO!"
Aragorn pounced on his friend's hunched shoulders, trying to pull him away, to sever the connection.
It was too late.
Even as he watched, Elrohir was pulling in breath after breath as though he had been drowning, his body limp with complete and utter relief. Estel looked on with mixed emotions as the inflamed red marks disappeared from his brother's person, fading into pure white skin. The mottled bruises darkened, then vanished, and the oddly angled arm bent slowly inward. But most heartening and heart-rending of all, the large gash dominating the smooth flesh of his belly gradually sealed up from the inside.
A different scream echoed from the walls and into the night, stronger, more piercing, making each heart stop with confusion and fear.
Legolas collapsed in a heap, hitting the floor with a smack and curling into himself in an attempt to stave off the burning waves of pain, his green cape crumpled in a mound beside him. All traces of the light had left him, and he was as mortal now as Aragorn was, perhaps more; the Dunadan could see that much just by glancing at him. He rolled him onto his back swiftly and saw with mounting terror that lacerations were appearing like pink scars under his skin.
"Oh Eru," he whispered. "Legolas-"
The blond elf let out another shout that flung his head backward before clamping his jaw shut against the shrieks welling in his chest. His hands dug painfully into the middle of his gut, and Aragorn whipped the green tunic away from his stomach to find blood pouring from a visibly deepening tear.
The ranger cried out in anguish, bracing his hands against the blood flow."No! LEGOLAS!"
Ai, Elbereth- he had been planning this from the second he knew they were dying. Oh, Eru forgive me...
"Legolas, you can't do this, you can't," the words tumbled over each other, "You cannot make them live with this- You cannot make me live with this!"
Eowyn had gone in a flash to the side of the dark-haired elf who lay drawing heavy breaths. She was shocked into silence and her mouth dropped open when he suddenly sat up on his elbows and turned toward where the two companions were trying to stifle the prince's bleeding.
His blue eyes went round and he gaped in terror and disbelief at the writhing outline of his friend.
"What... what have I..." he croaked. "Oh Eru..."
"Lord Elrohir?!" A blond ran to him from the gathering of Rohirrim women, throwing herself down next to him and holding onto his shoulders like an anchorage in the storm. "My lord Elrohir, you're- you're healed-" He stared back dazedly into Erhia's tear-filled eyes.
"I- I-" Elrohir choked, tears dripping from his eyes. "I have killed him- I have killed..."
With that, the dark-haired elf began crying so hard he could do nothing but lean into the secure embrace of the human woman kneeling beside him, sobbing that was now entirely from the pain of his heart muffled in her shoulder.
Elladan... what can we do?!
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Well, yes, I did say I wasn't going to tell who died... but I never said I wouldn't make it easy to guess, now did I? (runs and hides) Want more? REVIEW!
I have gotten another chapter out despite school and GOD knows what else, and I need encouragement for the next post! I really don't know where I'm starting the next one! Hahahaaa...
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Review responses:
BakaBokken - YES! My first reviewer for that chappie! And am I surprised? NA! And hey, yes sneak peek for the last one, not for this! HA! Yes, I believe I truly am evil. Big ouchFUN! Aww, so sorry about homework... I feel your pain. And hmmm... don't let El/El die? Hmmm... might be doable! Now, Leggy on the other hand...
Lisseyelen aka Lady V - (blinks) (blinks again) OH. MY. GOD. I HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE CREATOR OF ISENGARD'S CAPTIVES?! (faints) (gets up hours later) OH MY GOSH! I am SO HONORED BY YOUR PRESENCE! (Kow-tows and doesn't know how to spell it) Me?! Good grammar?! TRANSLATIONS?! WOMAN, I USED THE SONG YOU WROTE (You did write it right?) "Vanimle sila tiri", AND PUT IT TO THE TUNE OF BLACK BEAUTY BY DANNY ELFMAN! YOU MADE ME SOB! I adore that fic, I really do, and I feel so bad that I haven't reviewed you lately! My faves list for PotC/LotR is mostly in Kesa-Kiriage's file. LOVE YOUR WRITING! You belittle yourself UNBEEELEEEVABLY! Review again if you can! I'll review you if you review me! (Oh who am I kidding, I'll review you anyway!)
whiteswan - Yes, me and my damned cliffhangers. Hee hee hee... You will probably hate me after this chappie... And yes, the bond between El/El is sweet, but that may just be what makes Elladan do what I'm gonna have him do next...
L3g0lsluv3r - I luv the way you spelled that name. THAT is genius! Well, sorry about yet another cliffie? It keeps people reading and gives me a good starting place for the next chappie! SO glad you like it!
shadowfaxgal7 - YOU AWWED TOO?! I am pathetic, I need to get IM. I'll tell you when I do! YESSS DEATH TO QUICK-EDIT! I'd love to talk too! I have a cell that does free long distance, if you want It, just lemme know! I'm so flattered that I have written someone's all-time fav story! Your long reviews are always the highlight of my day! Yes... I write what really touches me too, it's half the fun. Now he's calling for mother tho, and Aragorn saving? Nope. Elrond? Mmmaybe.
HAH! No worry! HAHAHAHAAAH! (wipes away tears) Was this quick enough for you? I worked hard!
Aubre - Thank you!
Zammy - Eek! Was this soon enough?! I hope so...
Sliced, Diced, and Minced to perfection - ...The name says it all. "Pain is good, pain is nice, by the pound or by the slice"! I LOVE IT!
Veritas and Aequitas - I know. Glad you like!
White Wolf1 - (faints again) OH MAN! I HAVE JUST BEEN REVIEWED BY ANOTHER UNBELIEVABLE FAV AUTHOR! I AM SOOOOO IN LOVE WITH The Wrong Path! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPPIE! I'm sooooooooooooooo sorry I haven't reviewed, I've been so darn BUSY! Is your mom okay? I hope so, I prayed for her. So, YOU LIKED?! (sniffle) J-JOY! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE! Ahhh, yes. The wonderful country of elftortureland! WAHAH! You are far more amazing than I could ever hope to be! KEEP GOING! I am SO amazed by your stuff! Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it! Again, my fav LotR/PotC stuff is in Kesa-Kiriage's file, so YOU ARE THERE! I think I am going to pass out now. (faints)
Wow. Such dedicated reviewers. You know what they say, it's quality, not quantity. MATA! (later in Japanese)
PLEEEEEEZE REVIEW!
(makes kittycat eyes disturbingly similar to the ones in Shrek 2)