Cirdan, Merwen and Gil-Galad sat in the council room discussing strategy. They had agreed that the King would travel to the surrounding settlements to reinforce their ties and increase support for a joint defensive force.
"I think all of my elite guard should accompany us." Ereinion said slowly. "We will only go to settlements that have not observed any nearby Orc activity as the Queen will accompany us."
"She will undoubtedly help garner support and sway public opinion." Cirdan said approvingly. "You plan to take Elrond as well."
"The youth?" Merwen said. "Is that wise? Can he defend himself if you stumbled upon enemies?"
"Elrond, though a novice in warfare, already has battle experience. His ties to the edain and his twin will be very helpful as well." Gil-Galad revealed slowly. "He is young but has already withstood a number of trials. I anticipate no confrontations or I would not risk Indiriel accompanying us."
"Still" Merwen said. "I think your guards and the council should be kept in the dark about the exact route and timing of your travels. Waylaying the royal couple would be a valuable prize."
"Yes that is wise. Only the council will be informed of our plans. Even my guards will not be told until the morning of our departure." Gil-Galad agreed.
"Elrond may not agree, but I would urge him to dress as one of the edain if he accompanies you into negotiations. It will put the men at ease. They will recognize him as they have had many dealings already with his brother Elros."
"Any progress on emergency preparations for Balar?" Gil-Galad asked.
"The fall approaches too quickly for anything to be ready this year." Cirdan said. "I think it would be best to lure as many citizen's off Balar as possible. Elrond and Erestor had several suggestions including a special festival or drafting some of the inhabitants to aid in ship building or with stock-piling healing supplies."
"That is wise. The construction of ships would be markedly faster given extra workers. Get the help of the council while we are away."
Xxxxxx
"Elrond we are going to visit settlements in Beleriand. Would you like to join us?" Gil-Galad said at breakfast.
Elrond nodded enthusiastically. "It would be my pleasure."
"I will mostly be there in an official capacity. But Indiriel will have a more leisurely schedule. Pack your bags now, though we may not depart for several weeks yet."
"I would enjoy showing you around, Elrond." Indiriel invited in her lyrical voice.
"Depending on the timing and on safety issues, we many also visit a few Edain villages in those areas as well. They have been good allies and have fought often under my command in the past." Gil-Galad noted. There were many smaller towns and villages surrounding the Bay of Balar. The Kings armies were having a difficult time securing such a large area. Some edain had also settled in that area as well, establishing a series of towns near the coast. "One of the towns, we may potentially visit is Baath, although I urge you not to let your brother know that we might come. For safety reasons, only part of the council is aware of our agenda."
"I understand, my Lord." Elrond nodded in agreement.
"I would like to meet your brother!" Indiriel exclaimed. The elfling's eyes glowed in anticipation.
One morning about a week later Ereinion called on Elrond before dawn.
"Elfling, wake up." Elrond could tell even in the dark that Ereinion was smiling. "Today is the day. We leave in an hour." Elrond scrambled out of bed and quickly washed and dressed. Ten minutes later Laeste intercepted him as he was trying to dash out of the family wing.
"Elrond, come I made you breakfast. You want to be at full strength for your trip." Elrond sighed deeply when Laeste playfully tugged on one of his braids. Once he had eaten enough to satisfy Laeste, he rose to leave.
"Namarie, Laeste." But to his surprise the nurse stopped him and handed him a small woven pouch.
"For you Elrond. I filled it with lembas. They could keep you sated for many weeks if necessary."
"Thank you." Elrond whispered. To his surprise, he found that a lump had formed in his throat and his eyes burned slightly.
"Come back safely, child. May Elbereth guide you and keep you safe until you return to me." She gave him a hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek. Then she helped him slip on the heavy leather jerkin and pack the lembas in his travel bag. Elrond quickly headed to the training grounds to get a sword and bow. Cirulian, the guard assigned to Elrond for this journey, met him at the weapons room. The guard had already chosen a bow for him and handed him a quiver filled with arrows.
"The King has your sword. We should make haste and meet the others at the stables." Cirulian set a swift pace. Elrond had to jog to keep up. Elrond could see that most of the King's elite guards were already assembled. Indiriel wore a leather jerkin similar to Elrond's, and her hair was braided to match the other warriors. From a distance, there was nothing to give away her status save for her smaller stature. One of the guards quickly walked to meet Elrond. It was not until he spoke that Elrond realized it was Ereinion.
"Elrond, I have been waiting to give this to you. Now seems like the right time." Ereinion drew a beautifully crafted sword from a leather sheath. "The blade is named Hadhafang (throng-cleaver). It was your father's sword. May it serve you well." Elrond was speechless as he took the sword and studied the flowing script and the blade's gentle curvature. Ereinion helped Elrond belt its holder around his waist.
"We should depart, Sire, to have a chance to reach the first settlement by nightfall." His Seneschal directed.
Ereinion nodded briefly, then the party departed. Indiriel rode at the center next to her husband. Elrond and Cirulian stayed at the rear. The low-lying lands of Beleriand outside of the city of Mithlond were a mix of salt marshes and stately forests with long swaths of live oaks and beech trees. They road mostly in silence only soft whispers broke their reverie from time to time. The soothing songs of the forest and the birds brightened the ride. The silence was for safety, as they did not want to risk any confrontation given that their rulers traveled as well.
Elrond had studied the maps of Beleriand, memorizing the lay of the Sirion River and its many tributaries recognized that they were following the Sirion River northward and three settlements sprang to mind. Which, he puzzled, was this evening's destination? In excellent conditions, a horse could cover about 50 miles in a day. Surely, they were not maintaining a pace to cover that distance, so perhaps it could only be 30 to 40 miles away. The trees startled him from his reverie. He instinctively drew his sword. Cirulian stared at him in surprise until he heard the King's signal. Other blades were silently drawn and bows readied. Obviously, Ereinion had recognized the tree's warnings as well. Moments later, their enemy descended in what could have only been a planned ambush.
Rage pulsed through Elrond. He would not fail his newly found family. He sword rang out with deadly precision, cutting down orc after orc and dodging the errant arrow. Both Cirulian and Elrond could see that the majority of the enemy arrows were concentrated on the center of the elven formation. Their foes knew that the King was among them.
"Cover me!" Cirulian order as he switched to his bow and took aim at the archers in the tree. Elrond and another guard protected Cirulian from the orcs at hand while he focused on the assassins in the trees. Small groups of guards were using similar strategies. The wounded were being protected in a shielded spot to the left that had been cleared of archers.
Xxxxxx
Elrond walked towards his King, who was leaning over a prone figure. King Gil-Galad was surrounded by four of his elite guard. Ereinion, well trained in the healing arts, was assessing Indiriel's wound with shaking hands. One of the guards had brought healing supplies and boiled water for cleansing the wound. Indiriel was deathly pale and was bleeding profusely from the arrow wound to just above her right breast below the shoulder.
"A moment, my Lord." Elrond, whose sword and clothes were stained with dark blood. The youth quickly washed his hands and moved to sit beside Indiriel. Elrond laid his hands on her forehead and closed his eyes in concentration. Under his touch Indiriel settled, the pain leaving her features as her eyes closed. The stunned King looked on.
"Now, my Lord."
Ereinion worked quickly, removing the arrowhead and cleansing the wound. Thankfully, there was no sign of poison, but the wound was deep and his beloved had lost a frightening amount of blood. Tears ran down Ereinion's face as he whispered encouragement to his love. At the same time, he tried desperately to stop the bleeding and close the wound. Again, Elrond's voice broke through his thoughts.
"I can help." His young charge whispered, gently moving the King aside and laying his hands over the wound. Ereinion watched in amazement as a golden glow flowed from Elrond's hands passing into Indiriel. Minutes passed in silence as Elrond's breathing grew fainter and the wound beneath his fingertips closed. The tissue and blood vessels slowly knit together under Elrond's guidance. The golden glow grew brighter and Indiriel's color improved, her breathing growing steadily stronger.
"You have the healing gifts of Melian." Ereinion whispered in astonishment, relief flowing through him as he saw his beloved wife, being steadily called back from the brink of death. The bleeding slowed then stopped. He looked up at Elrond, whose skin was now ashen. His eyes were still closed in concentration. He had never heard of Elrond healing someone. Well, now that he thought of it, perhaps that dwarf, Thainren had mentioned something. The power of a true healer was a rare gift indeed and required training and guidance to control and use safely. Ereinion was suddenly filled with worry for the youth. He could not allow this boy to trade his life for Indiriel's.
"How did I gain the Peredhel's loyalty and allegiance?" Ereinion thought. "Surely, I do not deserve such a sacrifice. I did not protected him at Sirion."
"Elrond," He called gently while firmly grasping Elrond's shoulder. "Elrond, you have healed her. It is done. Come back to me." The color continued to drain out of Elrond. It was clear that the youth could not control it. "Elrond!" He called more forcefully, placing his hands over Elrond's. "Come back to us!" Elrond slumped forward as the connection to Indiriel was severed. Ereinion caught him and eased him gently to a sitting position, leaning against the neighboring tree trunk. Then, he quickly tended his beloved's wound, spreading salve over it and binding it. He turned again to Elrond, a ghost-white statue with closed eyes. He tried to steady his shaking hands as he reached to feel for Elrond's pulse. It was slow and irregular beneath his fingers. He sent a silent prayer to Elbereth to sustain these two lives that were so dear to him.
"Ereinion," Elrond whispered. His breath came in uneven gasps and his eyes were closed in exhaustion. "Is Baath far? I can call on Elros."
"It is too far. The Elven settlement is closer." Ereinion answered stroking the dark head, though he made a mental note of the possibility. "Rest Elrond."
"My King." His Seneschal addressed him. He paled at the amount of blood that surrounded the Queen. Surely no one could survive that. "Our Lady?"
"She is weak but lives." Ereinion paused. "We should move to safety quickly." He stood and surveyed the area. They were surrounded by nearly twenty of his best guards. The orc corpses had already been piled in preparation for burning.
"They were expecting us." His Seneschal observed. "We have a spy in our midst either here or within the council or palace. Who knew in advance about our departure?"
"Not here." Ereinion hissed. "We shall discuss this later. The settlement is but an hour's ride. We will head there."
Cirulian approached to update his captain and the King. "We have dispatched the orcs and scouts are checking the vicinity. The wounded are being cared for." He pointed towards where they had set up a makeshift treatment center. "We do not want to risk burning them until you and the Queen are away from here."
"The young one fought like a seasoned warrior. He dispatched a number of orcs himself. Is he well?" Cirulian whispered in concern.
"He has the gift of healing and gave much of himself to aid the Queen." The King admitted in a low voice much to Cirulian's surprise. "If it were not for him, she would be dead. Construct a litter to carry her. We should transport her and the other wounded to safety as soon as possible." Cirulian nodded and left to carry out his King's orders. Ereinion remained close to his wife watching over her and his young charge. His heart quaked with fear at the thought that he had almost lost his beloved. Nearly an hour had passed when his guards returned with a litter and carefully transferred Indiriel. Elrond stirred, opening his eyes and taking in the scene before him.
"The Queen?" Elrond's soft voice trembled slightly with fear. Ereinion turned when he heard him, kneeling next to him and taking his hand in comfort.
"She is weak but alive, thanks to you Elrond." The King gave him a scrutinizing stare. "Can you ride? We will try to reach the settlement quickly."
"Yes. I can ride." Elrond slurred, but he was unable to stand unaided. Cirulian steadied him, bearing most of the elf's weight. He noted the Elrond's extreme weariness and his weak erratic pulse.
"Elrond, ride with me." Cirulian requested. The warrior bent and lifted the youth. "We should make haste. You fought admirably, young one." He eased the semi-conscious elf onto his horse and then mounted behind him.
Xxxxxx
The next thing Elrond could recall was waking up in a strange bed. His vision was blurred. The room swam before his eyes.
"Elrond" Cirulian called and lifted Elrond's head slightly to bring a cup of healing draught to the parched lips. "The King will be heartened when he hears that you are awake." Elrond slowly drank the draught. Then Cirulian helped him to sit up. The room spun. Elrond closed his eyes until his head cleared.
"Elfling, you never do anything halfway do you?" Cirulian teased. He handed Elrond a lemba. "Eat this." He directed, lifting Elrond's hand towards his mouth and coaxing him to take a bite. He waited until Elrond had finished half of the waybread. It was still amazing to him that this brave elfling, not yet a warrior, had placed his own life in jeopardy to save the Queen. The last week had been tense as they waited for the young one to regain consciousness.
"I will send a message to the King that you are awake." With that Cirulian left the room momentarily. When he returned he found Elrond had not moved or eaten any more.
"Finish the lemba Elrond." He ordered. Elrond slowly complied, enjoying the energy that seemed to pulse through him after each bite.
"The King is coming soon. Do you want to change into a tunic?" Elrond looked down only now realizing that he wore a simple white sleep shirt.
"Yes, thank you."
Cirulian helped him change and led him from the room into a small adjoining kitchen. He was happy to see that the elfling was remarkably steady on his feet. They sat down at the round wooden table and the guard pushed a bowl of fruit in Elrond's direction.
"Queen Indiriel?" Elrond asked in a dazed and fearful voice. His last memory was of her blood spilling out onto his hands as he struggled to direct healing thoughts towards her.
"She is well, Elrond." Cirulian reassured him. "The King wants to update you himself. You are starting to regain some color. Try eating some fruit. I think you are light headed due to lack of nourishment." Elrond nibbled on some ripe strawberries. Their sweetness brought a smile to his lips. He saw Cirulian stand and bow.
"I see that we have discovered your favorite fruit, elfling." Ereinion smiled. "Please do not get up Elrond." The King dismissed Cirulian and joined Elrond at the table.
"How do you feel?"
"Tired and a bit.." he paused and frowned, "faint but the food is helping."
Ereinion indulged in a strawberry while he carefully watched Elrond. The boy was already looking much better. Relief spread through the King.
"You healed Indiriel, Elrond. We are forever in your debt." Elrond looked away embarrassed.
"Anyone would have done as much." He mumbled. Ereinion caught his hand and turn it palm up, half expecting to see something unusual there.
"No, Elrond. You have a special gift for healing. There are only a handful of others with this gift. Queen Melian had it, as does Lady Galadriel and perhaps also the minstrel Maglor. Have you healed anyone else?"
"I have healed some of Elros' minor injuries." He paused. "I helped the healers stabilize Thainren's sister." Elrond recalled.
"After you healed Thainren's sister, how long did you need to recover?" Ereinion asked. The boy looked startled by the question.
"I'm not sure. Thainren said that I was unconscious for two days." Elrond met Ereinion's gaze steadily. "Where is Indiriel? How long have I been out for?"
"Indiriel is alive and well thanks to you. I took her to the Havens and left her in Cirdan's protection. Cirdan located the spy among my council but the elf had pointed suspicion at you due to your heritage and friendship with the dwarves."
"Not all dwarves are bad just as not all elves are good." Elrond blurted out then added in a quiet voice. "I trust Thainren, but I know that some of the dwarves will fight with Morgoth." Ereinion reached over and laid his hand on Elrond's shoulder.
"I know, Elrond." Ereinion said. "Things are rarely black and white. Most are shades of gray. You, however, must be a blessing bestowed on me by the Valar. You, Elrond, I would trust with my life." Elrond felt as if the King could see to the very center of his heart. He could feel Ereinion's deep love and gratitude.
"I trust you with my life as well." Elrond confessed. They sat silent for some minutes until Elrond's brow furled in question.
"You went back and forth to Mithlond?"
"Yes." Ereinion confirmed.
"Then how long was I unconscious?"
"Elrond, I am extremely thankful for what you did for Indiriel. But you put yourself at grave risk. Please, promise that you will try to refrain from using your healing gifts until you are older and have received some training." Elrond nodded. "You are very dear to me, young one. Indiriel was close to death when you helped her by sharing your own strength with her. Galadriel said that it is a miracle that you are not both now gracing Mandos Hall. You have been unconscious for nearly a week. I left Cirulian and some of the other guards here to watch over you while we returned to Mithlond to hunt down the spy." He watched as Elrond process this information.
"If you are well enough to travel tomorrow." Ereinion whispered. "I will make Baath our next destination." Elrond's eyes glowed with happiness at the prospect of seeing his brother.
Authors Note:
Baath is a fictitious town and does not appear in Tolkien's writings.