Paragraphs in centred italics will be flashbacks for the remainder of the story.
...
Elrond trekked carefully down the long, winding dirt road back towards his quarters. He would be removed from them tomorrow and given his own private living space near the King's Tent. His thoughts cycloned out of control no matter how hard he tried to keep them in check. His fingers continuously flipped the small gold token that was now his. It simply stated his rank and status, nothing more, yet it was one of the most precious insignia's one could gain in the Noldorin army. The cool metal registered at the back of his mind. The sound of his boots crunching on the gravelly walkway was barely enough to keep Elrond's consciousness from drifting too far away. Yes, he thought to himself, pulling his attention back to the here and now for the umpteenth time. We are still in enemy territory. The half-elf brusquely pocketed the trinket that his king had given him as a symbol of Elrond's new command.
Elrond shook his head forgetting once again his surroundings. Staying focused on anything else other than the recent developments was difficult. He couldn't believe it. His left hand found itself back into his belt pouch where the smooth, circular medallion sat. Elrond brushed his thumb against it. It certainly was a magnificent honour to be given this opportunity… It was certainly a daunting task… He pushed his thoughts away from that, deciding he had best try harder at distracting himself.
The silver eyed ellon raised his eyes from the path and took in the surrounding terrain. What little light that accompanied daytime in the Black Land was swiftly fading into darkness. The night would be falling soon. As it so often did, the late hours in this horrid region held evil terrors that would hunt once the last remnants of muted light had been stilled. Elrond did not wish to meet another one of those terrible creatures. He hurried his steps and pulled his cloak tighter around him.
The lowlands, filled with jagged volcanic boulders and harsh brush, were even now coming to life with creeping things. The ellon's hearing easily picked up the dastardly rustlings in the plains to his left. To his right was a steep, natural embankment, on top of which the bulk of the military camp was situated. He glanced up at the tattered remains of a wind-blasted flag still waving raggedly at the top of a tent near the edge of the embankment. The sight instantly depressed him. It reminded one of how long they had been here –
"Elrond!" A deep voice called from further up the path and startled Elrond out of the dark thoughts.
Elrond snapped to attention, his face lighting up and his shoulders relaxing when he noticed who the caller was. "Halvorn, it is good to see you," Elrond jogged up the path to meet with his companion. "How are you. We have not met in too long," he said trying not to sound overly dismayed and looking the ellon over.
Halvorn looked good indeed. It was obvious the elf had had a long journey to get here. The illustrious officer was dressed in ceremonial armour that needed to be polished soon. It had a silver sheen that played nicely with the elf's dark hair, which was shorn very short. The elf's dark eyes were filled with light and merriment.
"You look good," Elrond spoke. He smirked slightly, "Though I marvel at your choice of hairstyle. You look like a… well something awfully strange."
Halvorn laughed off the mild insult and turned to begin walking to the camp. He had not forgotten what time of day it was or what could be lurking in the brush nearby. "That is a long story actually."
Elrond chuckled, feeling suddenly very much better than he had been before. He followed Halvorn towards the camp. "I see. You will have to tell me later. I wonder, however, why you are here."
The ellon smiled over his shoulder. "You don't want to get rid of me yet, do you?" He teased.
Elrond shook his head "Of course not."
"Congratulations by the way." Halvorn dodged the former question. "I always knew that you would be great," Halvorn commended with absolute genuineness.
"I have been told that many times," Elrond sighed, completely missing the averted answer. "But thank you. It is a great honour even if it is somewhat daunting," he admitted.
Halvorn nodded. "I am sure. I would not be able to do it."
A chuckle escaped Elrond's lips and his mood was turned around again. "I never thought so either. You are overly impulsive, I think." This time it was his turn to tease the ellon.
"Maybe…" Halvorn ran a scarred had through his short hair. As if he had been reminded of the story he had wished to share, he piped up once again. "If you had been at the western front last week you would have been surprised with me and my impulsiveness."
"Oh really?" Elrond asked picking up his pace only slightly. The night was growing near and the gate to the camp was in sight now, up at the top of the hill.
"Aye, I was at the front defences there when a large stone was hurled from the dark tower. Took out a sizable chunk of ellyn and the earth shattered around it. A few chunks grazed my temple and shorn my hair." He tutted, thinking back to the moment. It had been an utterly terrifying experience, one of those moments where seconds became horror-filled hours. The memory of it would haunt him to the end of his days he was certain. "I am glad to be one of the ellyn who still have a head… It was only scratch but my precious locks were not saveable, so I opted to shave the rest to match that patch."
Elrond's eyebrows lifted at the story. It wasn't the most frightening tale he had heard told during this war, but the fact that it had happened to his friend made it all the more real. "I am glad that you still have your head as well, mellon." He left it at that. Nothing more needed to be said on the subject of death. There was so much of that going on daily now that it need not be said aloud.
"It will make me stand out for a while until it grows back," Halvorn said, trying and failing to arrange the dark locks.
Elrond snorted. "Well you have this one's approval. It could be worse."
Halvorn nodded again. They soon arrived at the stone gate. It was a squat, russet iron gate hanging heavily on a timber fence, made of many thick logs. The entire fortress would be a formidable sight to anyone who had not seen Barad-dûr. To Elrond and Halvorn, who had both laid eyes on the Dark Tower many times, the fence looked insignificant and weak. It was a constant reminder of how little power they actually held in this land, that even their strongest forces were only barely holding on against the Dark One.
It was also an inspiring sight to those who had the will to see it. Halvorn's eyes beheld the strength and courage of ellyn and men who had the valour to stand with the name of righteousness against the darkness of the black hand set against them. The short-haired ellon greeted the pair of guards with a gentle touch to his heart. Elrond greeted likewise, but was given a deep bow in return.
"Commander, it is an honour," they said in unison.
Halvorn smirked.
Elrond blushed. "At ease," Elrond spoke lightly, still not sure how to respond to this new thing. It was definitely going to be a learning experience.
"Congratulations, sir," the one on the right said, smiling.
"You two should come inside," the other guard said, as merry as a lark in the morning.
Elrond nodded. "Thank you." The two of them did as suggested and entered once the guards had opened the gates wide.
Finally, the pair were safe within the gates of the camp. The area was bustling with many warriors and scouts who were coming in for the night. "Where to?" Halvorn asked innocently.
"I was wondering where you were off to," Elrond said giving the ellon a knowing look. "If you want to come with me, though, I was heading to the bath house." The newly appointed commander began his way towards the aforementioned area.
"Ah, very good. I am in need of a thorough cleaning," Halvorn admitted as he also wound his way around the ellyn and men of the camp.
"Indeed," Elrond casually ribbed.
There were mainly elves in this division, but the occasional man could be found. They usually clustered together in small subcultures within their designated stations and this camp was no different. Halvorn averted his eyes from staring as the two friends passed one such group of filthy men speaking in hushed tones about something.
Elrond gave Halvorn a grim look as soon as they passed the small group, silently giving the other ellon a warning. "They don't like elves very much here either."
Halvorn snorted. "Men never change." He realised what he said and amended it, remembering the kin of Elrond's brother. "Most men don't change. They don't trust us even if we are fighting on the same side."
Elrond nodded, ducking into the bath house. At least this place wasn't full. Only a couple of silent ellyn brooded in their warm tubs. The master of the tent immediately pointed the two companions to a couple of metal tubs, which several servants began to fill with steaming water. Elrond began to undress himself whilst listening to Halvorn.
"I suppose they are afraid of us. They cannot trust what they do not understand… or so it seems." Halvorn went on as he began to strip his armour plates off. He laid them carefully in a pile near the filling bathtub.
"I believe you are right about that," Elrond mused, removing his belt and letting it drop to the floor with a heavy thump. He carefully removed his rank medallion from his uniform pocket and placed it on top of the rest of his belongings "I will never understand men," Elrond confessed. Memories of his brother's choice were surfacing in his mind.
"I suppose it doesn't matter," Halvorn decided. He looked down at his armour lovingly for a moment. The flickering firelight emanating from the many torches within the chamber glittered off the dull armour, seemingly making the pieces glow with a deep warmth. The scratches and dents bent the light marvellously. It reminded him of a dirty mirror, though, not a very pretty picture on the whole.
The sound of sloshing water from Elrond's tub broke the thoughts away. "Are you not going to get in?" Elrond asked before plunking his head under the water. He surfaced only to slide deeply into the water, so his chin made the water splash when he spoke. "Or are you going to stand there and admire yourself?" He quipped, trying to lighten the mood both of them were obviously sinking into.
"I am getting in, naneth." Halvorn entered the hot water with a sigh.
Elrond smiled, relaxing into the water's embrace. It felt good to finally be cleansed. For a handful of minutes, he was somewhere else: home. The ellon was warm and clean and safe, his step-fathers were singing down the hall, with rich mournful voices. His twin brother, Elros was drying up in the foggy bathroom. Elrond had not a single responsibility in the world whilst the memory continued.
While he dreamt, the hot liquid melted his tight, sore muscles. The beading water on his forehead tracing little rivers down his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. The slight ripples from his own breathing gave a beautiful rhythm to everything. In that minute, he couldn't hear the rough camp life outside or the quiet conversation of two warriors, also coming in to clean up. He couldn't hear the snapping of a torch or the low humming of an ancient tune, sung by Halvorn.
"I could sit here forever if the water would keep its warmth," Elrond spoke lazily. He opened one eye and set the silver-grey iris on his companion, who was in an apparent state of delight.
"Aye."
"Unfortunately, it won't, however." Elrond pushed off the back wall of the tub, grabbing a brush and bar of soap from a nearby stool. He scrubbed away at the dirt and grime, meanwhile Halvorn also dragged himself into motion, following Elrond's lead.
"I don't suppose that life could forget I existed for an hour or so?" The ellon groaned. The sound turned more into one of pleasure as Halvorn scrubbed the blackened soles of his feet.
Elrond let out a soft laugh. "No, life will not forget about you. Don't you worry."
The ellon gave a soft harrumph. "Well, that is too bad." Halvorn switched to brushing his hair till his dark head was covered in gleaming pearlescent suds.
"Believe me, if I could let the world forget me for an hour…" Elrond let the dream slide away. "I loathe to even think about this new position I am in," he said, tentatively opening up the topic.
"Oh yeah? I would be anxious as well. It's an enormous responsibility." Halvorn winked, before plunging his head below the water.
Elrond was beginning to feel the weight of that apprehension settle again and he did not acknowledge the jest. "I don't know if I am prepared for such a charge to be honest. I have never"—
"Gil-Galad would have never given you the position if he did not think you were well suited to the task," Halvorn soggily interrupted, meeting Elrond's concern filled eyes. "You have done much in your short life. Give yourself more credit. You have much to be proud of."
Elrond's eyes dropped, suddenly finding the grey water far more captivating.
"Pride will be their downfall." Maedhros pitched sternly. "Just as it was all of theirs."
"No, these two will not be like us. We shall instruct them better."
"What of the curse? You know it just as well as I do."
Azure eyes fell like stars from heaven, broken. "I don't know," Maglor confessed.
Halvorn watched silently as something profound replayed through Elrond's mind. The ellon sifted desperately through his own thoughts, trying to discover what it was that he had said that had upset his friend.
"I think you are correct about one thing at least," Elrond finally spoke, breaking the tense moment. He sighed. "Gil-Galad would not have chosen me for this rank if he did not think I could handle it," he pronounced, more for his own welfare than for Halvorn's. Frankly, the statement sounded to him very much like a pitiful excuse for an escape.
"Yes." Halvorn agreed, standing up. He stepped out of the tub, sloshing water everywhere. The ellon took the soft grey towel offered to him by a servant and began to dry himself off.
Elrond also hefted himself from the water. It felt good to be clean, but Halvorn had the right idea. It was best to get out before the water cooled any longer. He stepped out of the bath slightly more carefully as Halvorn. He gave the servant a smile as he took his own offered towel. He was also handed a neatly folded, clean uniform. "Thank you," Elrond breathed.
"When are your planned dates for setting out on this manoeuvre?" Halvorn asked, running a hand compulsively over his short hair.
Elrond pulled a pair of trousers on. "I have not yet received official guidelines on the upcoming missions, but I am under the impression they will occur soon."
"I hope they come quickly. Oh, by the way…" Halvorn continued nonchalantly, "I am in your battalion,"
Elrond perked up at that news. "I was wondering why you had come here." Elrond smirked but the mirth pulled his face into a grin. "Welcome."
Halvorn gave a flamboyant bow. "Thank you, my lord! It is a pleasure" –
The ellon's words were cut short, however, by a hoarse scream crying out from outside. "Wargs!"
As if to respond to the warning, a piercing chorus of fell snarls echoed loudly throughout the camp. Both ellyn snapped alert in an instant, their identical movements blurringly fast with years of battlefield experience. The two snatched their swords from the pile of armour they had left before bathing and bolted from the tent, anxious to see what had occurred.
Elrond's gaze swept over the scenes before him. The entire camp was in a state of organised chaos with warriors taking up arms and shouting orders. Night had nearly enveloped all light and the torches had been lit. Elrond caught the arm of one soldier running southwards, which seemed to be the direction the sound of battle emanated from. "What happened?" Elrond hastily asked.
The breathless ellon swallowed hard. "Wargs are scaling the southern wall and attacking."
Elrond let the man go and quickly ran the direction towards the fighting. He had never heard of Wargs scaling anything so steep, but it seemed the entire land had lifted its hand against the Alliance. Anything could happen in this forsaken region. He rounded a corner, aware of Halvorn, who was still half dressed but armed, turning right on his heels.
The scene before him was one of harsh familiarity. Amongst the flickering shadows of a dozen lit torches, there were at least six Wargs and more were clawing over the heavy stone wall that marked the southern border of the camp. The sheer number of fighting elves was on the Alliance's side, and Elrond immediately raised his sword in challenge, rushing into the fray with his compatriots.
He ducked under a whirling fragment of someone's snapped spear. Rising, he slammed his sword forcefully down into the thick skull of a crouching Warg. The beast died with a gurgling howl. He turned his gaze to find another target when he noticed an ellon struggling against the weight of one of the giant animals.
The sword buried deep in its chest was doing nothing against the sheer willpower of the enraged creature, which was quickly pushing the ellon backwards, threatening to knock the soldier down. Elrond was just about to run to the aid of the warrior, when a sudden outbreak of unleashed arrows found their target in the Warg. The creature finally stilled.
More arrows flew above the heads of those fighting on the ground. Each sailing weapon either finding a victim on the wall or flying far behind the dark wall to perhaps kill an awaiting creature.
The sudden foray seemed to be over like that. Elrond didn't even notice that the din was over. All he could hear was the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. The formerly moving soldiers merely stood, as if daring the next Warg to try scaling the wall and jumping over. The Alliance had won this round it seemed, though at a cost.
Feeling the energy of the situation beginning to slightly subside, Elrond ran his gaze around the camp. There were two ellyn lying wounded and one fallen on the floor, his state apparent by the pooling gash across his chest. "We need a healer," Elrond spoke out loudly. His voice broke the ellyn around him from their unsteady state of alertness to one of recovery.
The area filled once again with sound, this time of edgy order giving and hurried movements as the soldiers immediately began the clean-up operation.
"I have never seen Wargs do that. Have you?" Halvorn whispered as he carefully made his way to Elrond's side.
Elrond kept his eyes on his men… Valar, he was calling them his men already? No, they were not his men yet. He hadn't proved himself yet. He shook the thoughts away, turning to answer Halvorn. "No, I have not," he answered.
"They are learning," a deep, eloquent voice spoke ominously from behind the two.
Elrond and Halvorn faced the newcomer, a tall, blonde-haired king. His hard, blue eyes were filled with scorn.
Elrond had to hide his surprise. Halvorn had not the care to supress his raised eyebrow. "Thranduil," Elrond greeted simply.