Chapter 2

One day after Elladan left Rivendell the dwarves came and Elrohir had to control himself every time the dwarves said something what was wrong in his eyes to give a bad remark. Especially when the dwarves said something disparaging about the culture of elves he tried to be polite. The peskiest thing was the look with which they used to look at Elrohir. It was very mistrust like he had something in reserve.

After three days of listening to stupid allusions about things elves do Elrohir was quite happy that the dwarves wouldn't stay any longer in Rivendell.

Elrond wanted to talk with Elrohir and so he stood in the room of Elrond and waited for him. The sunset and the room got a red colour.

Mostly Elrohir didn't feel good when he had to stay in this room. In his mind he checked if there was really no mistake, which the dwarves gave a reason to complain about him.

Elrond opened the door and came in. He walked slowly through the room and stopped in front of Elrohir.

"I think you've managed your lecture quite good. I hope you learned something by doing your lecture!"

"Yes I did. The dwarves are unfriendly, small, stupid, ugly, fat, clumsy, …" He looked up to Elrond and added quickly

"… and I learned many things about the traditions of the dwarves and I think I need no second lecture to understand that I must be punctual."

"I hope so." Elrond said emphatically.

"Well … and I want to ask you if you heard something about Elladan."

"No, but I suppose that he must be near Lorien if nothing bad happened. Besides I get a message from Lorien that some strangers were at the edge of Lorien. So they sent Haldir and some others to come to meet Elladan and Megildar."

This news was a little shock for Elrohir. Elladan was somewhere with an idiot who can't distinguish a beech from an oak tree and maybe some stranger attacked them. He tried to calm down with the thought that Haldir search him. But what happened if he didn't find them?...

Elrond seemed to read his mind.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah… but ….well… Would you give me the permission for leaving Rivendell and help Haldir to search for Elladan? I mean I'm his brother and I know how he would react. I know him better than everyone else and moreover we wanted for a long time to visit Lorien."

He knew that these arguments were more than idiotic. Haldir was the best elf to do this mission but Elrohir had the feeling that something was wrong with Elladan and he needed him now. All over the day he had a strange feeling but he couldn't understand why. But now he recognized that this made him feel worry.

"I know how you feel. Between you and Elladan is a strong connection. I know you feel something had happen with Elladan. I think you can help him but I want that you don't act alone. The condition is that you'll stay with Haldir. I don't know where these strangers are and how powerful they are. So I don't want that you try to find Elladan alone because you think you know something better than Haldir. Tell him what you think and accept his decisions."

"Yes, I'll do. I promise." Elrohir smiled. He was very happy that Elrond let him go. Perhaps he knew that Elrohir couldn't rest before he did something to help for finding his brother or he knew that Elrohir would get on his nerves all the time if he wouldn't let him go.

"I'll prepare immediately." Elrohir said with a strong voice and without the smile on his face.

"Do that. I'll select somebody who will accompany you."

Elrohir gave his father a gratefully smile and left the room. He went to his room and packed some things for leaving Rivendell at sunrise.

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Haldir was on the way to fight some orcs with a small group. The elves that spied on the orcs gave them the information they needed to set up some traps and to position themselves. But some time before they were ready with the preparations an elf came and searched for Haldir. When he found him he handed over a message from the Lady of Light. He was instructed to come back and help at the search for Elladan who was on the way to Lorien, because of the possible danger from the strange enemy they saw last time.

He consulted with the elves and they decided that just Haldir would leave. The other elves went on with the mission while Haldir set off to Lorien.

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"Hey, Elladan. Say something!" Megildar knelt behind him.

"You're such an idiot." Elladan groaned.

"OK well… and what shall we do now?"

Some dark dressed persons came out of the forest.

"We tried to show you that in Rivendell."

"But I can't run away without you."

"You can. I'll kill you if you won't do." Elladan tried to pull his dagger but something withdrawed his strength from him.

"I can't do that anyway"

"You can!"

"No I can't."

The stranger came nearer. Elladan looked up and saw that every one of the men was armed. Some waited in the forest but five of them came nearer. They were tall and two of them held bows in their hands and the other had swords.

"What can we do? What can we do?" Megildar said nervously.

"Don't crack up." Elladan said urgent. With his healthy arm he held his hurt shoulder. The arrow didn't seem to be deep. So he pulled it out of his shoulder with a short outcry of the sudden pain and threw it away.

The men came nearer and nearer. The two ones who had the bows aimed at Elladan and Megildar. Elladan knew that if they would run away they risked getting more arrows.

So he stood up slowly and looked at the stranger. His shoulder bled and Megildar trembled behind him.

"What do you want? We did nothing what give you a reason to shoot at us! "Elladan said a bit annoyed.

No answer-

Suddenly one of the men took a blowpipe and shot two poisonous arrows. Elladan wanted to get out of the way but even when he thought about it the arrow bore into his neck.

At first he saw everything became blurred and then there was just darkness.

Next morning Elrohir left Rivendell. He didn't want to make many stops. So he got along quite fast but he knew that he had to use another way than Elladan took. His fellows were some friendly elves. Some wanted to go to Lorien and entered voluntary for accompany him. Some other had to do a journey to Mirkwood for Elrond and accompanied him just to Lorien and wanted to go then to Mirkwood. All of them were armed with bows and some with swords.

It took two and a half day when they came to the pass of Caradhras. Then they needed one and a half day for coming to Lorien.

Haldir welcomed them. He told them what they knew about the stranger and that wasn't much.

"In the afternoon we want to start to search Elladan and Megildar. Somewhere they had to rest for the night. First we'll go to the route Elladan should have taken. Perhaps we'll find a trace or anything else. OK? You can rest. We'll pick you up. Some of us bring you something to eat and to drink. I hope you can enjoy the short time."

"Thank you." Elrohir said exhausted.

Haldir put his hand on the shoulder of Elrohir.

"We'll find him. I promise."

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Elladan woke up with serious headache. He didn't know what happened and where he was. Also he couldn't recognize how long he stayed here. He didn't see anything. Someone bandaged his eyes and left him lying on the hard ground.

After a while his memory came back. The arrow in his arm –the stranger-Megildar… Megildar! Where was Megildar! It was his duty to take him safely to Lorien. He tried to move anyway but someone tied up his feet and hands.

Suddenly he heard some voices. At first they were just a whisper than they came nearer and got louder.

"I told you that it was too much poison. Now he slept for three days! You can hope when he will wake up at all. Arkin wants him alive." said one of them.

"I know. But where should I know from that the boy is such a wimp."

"But you took less poison by the other boy."

"Yes, but he didn't look like he could handle with a weapon. The other is one of Elronds sons and you don't know what he taught him. So I just wanted to be on the safe side."

"Well… perhaps you're right."

The voices became quiet again and at last Elladan heard nothing except of a quiet groan.

"Megildar? Are you that?" he whispered.

"Elladan! You woke up?"

"It sounds like that."

"I thought you'll never wake up and we would sit here our whole lives." Megildar said very loudly.

"Can you speak more quiet! I don't want that this slangs come back again. But tell me what happened. I don't know anything since this strangers eliminated me."

"Well… You know that they shot with that poisonous arrow at me, too. So I couldn't see where they carried us. I woke up much time before you. Some persons came and looked after us." Megildar said.

"Did you see them?" Elladan asked.

"No. They bandaged my eyes. I just see darkness but I heard them. But I think they were here several times than I heard them. One time I tried to decrease the bandage when I thought they weren't here. They hit me and said if I would try it a second time they would kill me." Megildar said intimidated.

"That's not a serious threat. If they want to kill us they had already done it."

"Where do you know from?"

"I just know it, ok! You wouldn't understand if I would explain it. But don't give them a reason to do it. I don't know what they want and how unscrupulous they are."

"OK. And what can we do to free us?"

"Like I see our situation we just can wait."

"What? I thought you could do something. I thought Elrond told you what you have to do in those situations. What an elf are you?"

"You of all people have to say this. You are the biggest idiot I ever knew and your brain must be smaller than that of a fly. You are such a bum and smart-arse. You are a cipher…

Somewhere in the near they heard rushing and Elladan stopped immediately to insult Megildar.

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