On Their Own
The strorm´s howl had aggravated into a constant roar by the time Elrond´s household usually met for their evening meal.
This day, Estel only had his adopted brothers Elladan and Elrohir for company in the kitchen. Most of the other elves were out and about, securing the stables and watching the windows.
Elladan eyed the young human critically while the boy listlessly chewed the meat off a bone. After a while he asked: "How does it come to be that you are sitting here with us, Estel? I thought you would be needed to guard a room or calm the horses."
Estel threw him a moody glance. "You are wrong. I am not needed for anything here."
"That is nonsense, little one", Elrohir chimed in. "There is no-one I would rather spend my time with, our oldest brother excluded, of course."
The young human dropped his half-empty bone onto his plate with a clatter. "If that is so, then why do you never take me with you when you go hunting! Why do you not even notice that I am not so little anymore?!"
The younger twin frowned slightly. "We have taken you hunting many a time. What is all this complaining about?"
Estel balled his fists. He knew in his heart that he was not truly angry at Lord Elrond´s twin sons. Out of all the elves he knew, they were amongst the few who treated him like one of their own. Almost, at least. But now, they were the only ones present and thus presented the sole target for his ire.
"No, you do not take me hunting! You take me to the meadows for a few days and shoot some arrows with me. When you go hunting, you go alone and you stay away for weeks and months. Why do you never take me with you then?"
The twins exchanged a glance.
It was Elladan who answered. "We do not take you with us then because when we go out to hunt, we are not on the trail of deer or even boars. We hunt orcs."
Estel´s eyes grew wide at the blunt statement, as did Elrohir´s, who wore an expression of stunned disbelief. Elladan leaned across the table and looked directly into the boy´s eyes. "If you think we do not see how you grow, you are mistaken. We never told you what we hunt because we deemed you too young to know. You are not anymore. But you are too young to join us yet."
He abruptly got to his feet, as if he could not bear to look at his youngest brother anymore. "The day will come when you will be old enough to ride out with us and face the darkness of the world. Be glad it is not this day."
Silence fell among them. Estel´s anger had evaporated into a mixture of elation and fear. He sensed that what he had just learned was truly not meant for children. He did not know what to say.
Elrohir gently took his hand and said kindly: "Do not hold our reluctance to show you the dark side of the world against us, Estel. You will have to face it soon enough. Let me just say that knowledge is a sword that cuts both ways. It gives you strength, but it can also scare you. Knowledge is a gift you cannot give back, Estel. You cannot un-know things you have learned, even though sometimes you might wish to do so.. Please do not be too eager to know what is in the shadows."
The boy nodded, still stunned.
"On a brighter note, has Ada told you that Legolas will be visiting us soon?" Elladan smiled, the darkness that had glowed in his eyes only moments ago erased. "He could arrive any day, in fact."
Estel beamed. "I shall have to practice with the bow some more then. I promised to beat him at a shooting contest once he returns for a visit. The last time he was here, I could hardly even draw a bow. He´ll be surprised!"
A particularly loud gust of wind suddenly rattled the building, unseen hands pushing against the groaning windows. The boy flinched, his eyes suddenly worried.
"I hope Legolas has found shelter from the storm", he said quietly. Elladan nodded his agreement. "Aye. Not even an elf should be out in this weather."
/
It was the driving rain that slowly forced Legolas back awake. The storm howled around him like a beast on the hunt, circling him as its prey.
His thoughts foggy, the elf tried to rise but was stopped short by a blinding pain that flashed through his left leg, pushing him back to the edge of unconsciousness . He struggled against the current into oblivion, his instincts screaming at him to become alert.
Once his mind surfaced once more, some coherency had returned to his thoughts, and with it the memory of what happened. His glance shot to his right, seeking out the faint outline of his fallen steed. His breath caught in his throat, nausea rising in a stinging wave.
While he was still stuggling to overcome the sensation, he heard a deafening thud, shortly followed by another. He sensed the trees that surrounded the glade groan and heave in pain, faintly sending him a warning. Only heartbeats later, a dark bulk came flying towards him from the darkness.
Legolas barely managed to flatten himself against the wet ground in time. The heavy branch grazed his back where it got caught on his was painfully pulled across the ground until the leather straps snapped and the branch was pushed on by the storm´s strong hands, taking the quiver and arrows with it.
The pain was deafening, but Legolas forced himself to concentrate on the trees´ voices which kept calling out to him in fear, both for his and for their own safety. More branches snapped, crashing into the glade to his left and right.
The elf tried to curl in on himself to present the smallest possible target, but his wounded leg would not move. It was pulled taught, fires of agony licking at his skin. With a pained groan Legolas pushed himself sideways until the tension in his leg eased a little. He then ran shaking hands down the injured limb until they encountered cold metal that had bitten into his flesh to the bone. His fingers found two chains that led from the trap in opposite directions, holding the device in place - and him with it.
He brought his hands back to his face, staring blindly at the scarlet liquid that covered them. A foul smell mingled with the copper odour of blood. It was not one he had encountered before, yet he knew enough about leg traps to understand it had to be poison.
For a short moment the turmoil in his body and mind stilled, leaving nothing in his thoughts but the realization that he had no chance to escape. He had nowhere to hide, no means to ease his pains and nothing but a single knife to defend himself with Then the moment had passed and a fresh wave of pain and panic washed over him with deadly force. In its wake there came a blackness which he welcomed this time, unsure whether he even wished to ever leave it again.
/
The storm raged for three whole days, and when it finally cleared, it left devastation in its wake. Trees had been uprooted, roofs damaged, windows smashed. The rain had soaked the ground beyond what it was able to absorb, leaving creeks twice their usual size and meadows transformed into shallow ponds.
When the sun finally reconquered the sky, Lord Elrond was quick to issue his orders. The elves set out to repair the damage unhurriedly, yet with quiet effinciency. Small groups where sent to nearby dwellings to offer assistance.
It was a time of hard work that made Estel forget his former anger. Even his fear for Legolas´ safety was eased now. The twins had continued to reassure him that the elven prince had been through equally bad storms and knew how to find shelter. Now, in the warm light, these claims were easier to believe.
He helped wherever he was needed, and no one hesitated entrusting him with chores. Days were filled with hard work and nights were short.
It was a week after the first day of the storm that Lord Elrond took his human son aside. He placed his hands on the boy´s shoulders with a smile. "I am proud of you, Estel. You proved a true asset in times of need. Are you willing to take on yet another task?"
The young human felt color rise to his cheeks and he nodded eagerly. "Of course, ada. What would you have me do?"
"Take you stallion and seek out the path that leads to the mountain road. We need to make sure it is not blocked beyong passing. Take quill and paper with you to note down where work needs to be done." The elf lord´s tone turned even more serious. "Do not go past our borders, Estel, and do not leave the path unless it is to briefly skirt an obstacle. Never try to remove debris on your own. If the path is fully blocked, return immediately. Is that understood?"
The boy nodded yet again. He could sense that he was entrusted with a man´s task, and he was determined to fufill it to his father´s satisfaction.
/
Oblivion was not merciful enough to offer Legolas infinitive shelter. He kept waking from it, and each time the glade around him had altered. To the elf it was as if everything around him changed in the blink of an eye, a dizzing swirl of changes whenever he so much as blinked. Dark to light, light to dark, rain to an overcast sky, grey skies to sunshine. It was disorientating.
Now and again an ounce of strength would return to him, allowing him to seek ways out of his predicament. Once he attempted to force open the trap with his remaining knife, but it proved to be an utterly painful endeavour that yielded no results.
His thirst drove him to drink from the muddy water that the storm had left in the meadow. But worst of all was the way the never-ending pain joined forces with a biting cold.
It was not like Legolas had never felt cold before, but he had never been alone to endure it for so long. Only subjected to this feeling when he was gravely hurt or exhausted beyond his considerable endurance, there had always been someone at his side to ease his suffering. Not this time.
When wakefulness once again nudged at his senses, the elf kept his eyes shut and waited for the darkness to return. Why should he want to see a world he could not reach, trapped as his was to this one damnable spot?
Yet his senses refused to return to the sweet numbness of unconsciousness. His leg burned with ferocity, so much so that he failed to recall a time when it had been any different. The cold had crept into his lungs and made every breath a painful effort.
There was something else, though, a change to what had been before. The trees whispered warnings to him yet again, and their ancient voices grew more and more urgent when he failed to react to them.
And then there was a snarl.
Legolas´ eyes shot open, his will to endure snapping to life with such force that it even dulled the pain. Cautiously the elf set up, silently dismayed at the considerable effort it took. The glade shimmered in soft evening sunshine, but beneath the trees dark shadows moved. Hungry eyes glinted.
Wolves.
Legolas took a deep, steadying breath and unsheathed his knife. A calm came over him the way it always did before a battle. Maybe, just maybe the wild beasts would finally set him free, but he found himself strangely determined to keep them from doing so. It surprised him that he was willing to defend his life, consindering how painful it had become. Yet his life it was, and it was his obligation to fight for it.
/
Estel had left the Last Homely House behind some time after noon. He could not move fast, no matter how much his eager steed wished to do so, for the path was littered with branches. To the left and right, trees had been tossed aside like toys, in some places lying on top of each other to reveal blue skies where there used to be thick foilage.
Dutifully, Estel noted down where the worst damage was located. He was set on reaching the eastern border of Imladris before returning home. So focussed he was on this goal that he was surprised when he realized that dusk began to fall. Looking around, he saw with delight that he had achieved his aspiration.
"Ai, Alagos, we have not paid attention to the time!" The stallion turned his head towards his young rider and nickered. Estel chuckled. "I am not blaming you, do not worry. We have done well. But let us turn back now." The ride home would be less time-consuming because he had no need to stop and examine the storm´s damage. The boy was confident that he would reach his home safely before his adopted father´s worry would transformt to anger.
He had just turned his stallion around, when all of a sudden the animal stopped. Its nostrils flared and it began to prance nervously.
"What is it, my friend?" Estel gently rubbed the horse´s soft fur. His own senses began to awaken, the hair at the back of his neck standing up and his heart beating faster. Unconsciously he reached for the bow that was strapped to the side of his steed and he silently nocked an arrow to the string.
For a moment the boy and his horse stood frozen, listening in an attempt to locate the danger they both sensed. Then a loud shout shattered the silence, followed by the unmistakeable snarl of a wolf. Only heartbeats later there was a painfilled screech.
Estel and Alagos where moving as one, the steed jumping fallen trees gracefully as they raced towards the cause of the commotion. It did not take them long to reach a small glade. Estel´s heart jumped into his throat in shock as he beheld the gruesome scene before him.
Only a few paces from him lay a dead horse. Three wolves had begun ripping the carcass apart, their fangs dripping blood when they stared up at the boy.
Another wolf was rolling on the ground, screeching pitifully but seemingly unable to move away from whatever was causing the pain.
And then there was the elf. He was kneeling with his back to Estel, one leg twisted awkwardly beneath him, the knife in his hand dipped in scarlet. A wolf lay dead before him, but a second just readied itself to jump.
Estel shouted in dismay and brought up his bow. The arrow whizzed off the string before he had taken proper aim and it went wide, only missing the elf´s blond head by a handbreadth.
Estel saw the flinch this caused, but the elf did not turn, keeping his eyes on the wolf. The animal had at least been distracted by the unexpected attack and the boy hastily fumbled for a second arrow. His hands shook so much that he dropped it. Cursing, he pulled out a third.
"Calm", he breathed to himself, "be calm." It was easier said than done though, when before him was no training target but a snarling wolf that was about to rip an elf apart. With an effort he forced his heart to slow at least a little.
His eyes sought out the chest of the wolf, and with a prayer to the Valar he released the shot. This time, his aim was true. The wolf fell silently, the light leaving its eyes before it hit the ground.
The wolves feeding on the horse turned to stare. Out of instict, Estel dropped the bow, reached down to snatch a half-detatched branch off a tree and waved it at the beasts. "Ha! Ego! Ha!" /Be gone!/ After a moment´s hesitation the animals turned and ran, disappearing towards the opposite line of trees.
Estel´s heart raced and his hands shook. He could not even hold the reins properly, but he knew he had to get to the elf and urged Alagos forward. The stallion had only set one hoof onto the glade when the elf suddenly whipped around.
His knife glinted in the reddening light of the evening sun when it cut through the air with deadly precision. It caught the last remaining wolf in the throat and instantly stopped its pitiful struggle. Then, he looked up at the boy, his eyes burning, and shouted: "Daro! Hnyf!"/Stop! Traps!/
Automatically, Estel did as he was told. His gaze locked with the elf´s and he felt as if the earth was falling away beneath him. "Legolas?"
Around them, the darkness began to deepen. Soon, it would be night.
To be continued...
Review responses:
Thorongirl: Great! Wonderful to have you on board Thanks for the review.
Horsegirl01: Yep, I feel bad for killing the horse but it´s really the plotbunny´s fault *g* About the effects of the trap - its a pretty viscious one and poisoned, too... Hope you liked this chapter also, and thanks for your comment.