Old Allies
The morning turned out to be sunny and warm, birds singing merrily in the trees and bees humming amongst the flowers at the side of the road.
Estel took this in numbly. He felt detached from it all, so exhausted now he could barely keep his eyes open. More than once his head fell forward unbidden, making him sway on Alagos´ back. The horse walked very carefully, avoiding his usual excited jumps, and nickered worridly.
The boy forced his senses alert with an effort and stroked his steed´s neck. "All is well, my friend, do not worry." The tone of his voice served to calm the horse, even though Estel was not sure whether there was any truth to the words.
Beside him, the archer rode silently. He no longer pointed an arrow at the boy but there was no doubt he could do so again in the blink of an eye. He had carefully positioned himself between Estel and the twins, though none of the other humans had been brave enough to do the same to Elladan and Elrohir,
They rode side by side, seemingly relaxed. Elrohir held Legolas in his arms, now and again speaking to him in such a low voice that Estel could not understand what was being said. He could see, however, that the injured elf shivered violently, even though he had been wrapped in both of the twin´s cloaks and the sun´s warmth brought sweat to his own brow.
A fever, his tired mind supplied. Elves should not develop fevers unless severely poisoned. Had Elrohir not been hopeful that the prince´s condition would improve? Estel sighed so deeply that it almost sounded like a suppressed sob. They should not even be here. They should be home, Legolas being tended by their father and all of them out of danger...
His mind must have slipped for a moment, because all of a sudden Estel found himself looking down at Elladan who gently tugged at his arm. "Come off that horse, little brother", the elf said with a small smile. "Alagos does not fit where we have to go." The boy found himself staring back mutely, unable to understand what his brother meant.
The older twin sighed and reached up, pulling his brother into his arms. "I should have traded with Elrohir", he murmured into Estel´s ear. "You grow entirely too heavy to be carried around."
The young human cared little for his brother´s plight. He simply turned his face into the elf´s shoulder and slept.
/
Estel woke slowly to a feeling of creeping cold and the sound of knocking. He pushed himself into a sitting position, groggily looking about.
The room was dim and dank, only a little light seeping in from a high, small window. It was cramped, too, barely fitting himself and the three elves. Elrohir sat next to him, Legolas pulled against his chest, and turned his head to the boy with a small smile.
"They have beautiful guest chambers here, do they not?" he said lightly, but Estel was not fooled by the words. He could see the worry beneath them.
"I tend to disagree, brother" Elladan replied from the door, which he now forcefully knocked against once more. He turned to look at the boy and quietly said: "I am sorry to have woken you, but our hosts seem to have forgotten about a few things and I attempt to remind them."
"It is a pity, really", Elrohir chimed in, "because he made such a nice pillow for you, Estel."
The boy frowned, suddenly angry at his brothers´ tries to cheer him up. He reached over to take Legolas´ hand and almost recoiled at the intense heat he encountered.
The younger twin´s voice turned serious. "The fever was to be expected, Estel. His body fights the poison that the trap infected him with."
"And very probably the effects of exposure", Estel added grimly, "and shock. And sorrow for his horse."
His anger growing, he rounded on Elrohir. "He should not be here, but home in father´s care. Why did you not fight when you had the chance? I heard so many stories of heroics about you, but now we are taken captive by mere villagers?" He sensed that his words were unfair but could not stop them from pouring from his mouth.
Elrohir sighed, his eyes seeking out Elladan, and then turned back to the boy. "I assure you that Legolas´ life is in no danger at the moment, Estel. I also wished I could help him more effectively but I have no doubt that he could even get through this on his own now that the trap has been removed."
"Has he not been on his own enough?" Estel felt tears rise to his eyes, suddenly realizing for just how long their friend had been left on the glade to face this peril alone.
"We are here for him now" Elladan spoke up from the door, his voice more stern than his twin´s had been. "I agree that Imladris would be a much better place for his recovery, but that cannot be helped right now."
"Not helped by you? Why not? What if these people decide to kill us in their folly, will you be unable to help that, too?"
The older twin´s eyes darkened dangerously, and even though the boy clearly sensed that the elf´s fury was not directed against him, the sight served to sober him up, deflating his anger.
"No-one shall kill any of us, Estel. You have my word."
"But you have no weapons now! Why did you not fight when you were still armed?" He could not help but repeat his earlier question. The longer he thought about it, the less he could understand what had happened in the glade. He had felt the force that had surrounded the twins, had sensed the impeding danger and the gathering strength that could have freed them all.
"Weapons?" Elladan gave a chuckle that sent chills down the boys´s spine. "This is no horde of orcs, little brother. Nor an army of wild Easterlings. These are untrained villagers."
Elrohir shook his head at his twin. Estel looked back and forth between them, suddenly even more cold than could be attributed to the cellar they were locked in.
"You could kill these people without weapons?" he breathed, hardly able to fathom how such a deed could even be accomplished. The images that arose in front of his inner eye made him swallow.
Elrohir reached over and took his hand, pulling him back to the here and now. "All you need to know is that you are safe with us, brother. And so is Legolas. No further harm will befall you in our presence."
He paused, once again exchanging glances with his twin. Abruptly, Elladan turned back to the door and began pounding on it again.
Elrohir, however, spoke to the boy in a soft voice. "You wish to know whether we could have defeated the band of men in the glade, Estel? Aye, we could have. But ask yourself what the cost would have been."
Etsel was confused. "You mean that the men could have been injured? But they were the ones threatening us! We did not do anything to conjure up such hate."
"No, we did not. But someone did, someone who hurt these humans and Legolas as well. If we allow ourselves to be pitted against each other, we only serve those who committed this devilry."
He sighed. "What if we had killed some of the men, Estel? We could not have guaranteed keeping them alive. A battle follows its own rules, and both you and Legolas were defenseless. Neither Elladan nor I would have taken any chances had either of you been so much as approached in battle. We would have killed to keep you alive. Now think about the consequences. How would the people in the villages have reacted to that? We could not risk them seeing us as vengeful demons."
The boy threw up his hands. "But Ada helps them. We all help them. How many stories have I heard about you riding out to stand at the humans´ side in times of danger?"
Elrohir smiled ruefully. "All you say is true, Estel, but much lies so far in the past that few humans still remember. Time flies in these villages, little brother. It is so easy to turn from an ally to a legend."
Estel was at a loss what to say. He could understand his brothers´ reasoning now but at the same time he felt chilled at the extent of their obvious abilities. He would have never expected them to this efficient, this calculating when it came to killing. Yet on the other hand, how else should they have achieved the victories he had heard so many songs about? Slaying the enemy sounded a simple act of agility and strength in the tales, but he began to understand that there was much more to it. That there was a price to be paid.
His musings were cut short by a gruff voice that finally responded to Elladan´s pounding. "Will you stop the racket? What do you want?" The voice did not come from in front of the door but from the direction of the small window.
Elladan turned and called upwards: "We have not been given our supplies yet. Please be so kind, our injured friend needs them."
"And have you brew up some potion?" the disembodied voice scoffed. "Nay, elves, be happy that you still have heads on your necks. If I give you your magic items, maybe we´ll find a pack of wrags when we open the door. Or you´ll turn into birds and fly away. You will have to make do with what you have."
The man turned and walked away, muttering to himself about the dangers of keeping the elves alive in the first place.
The older twin´s face was a tightly controlled mask. "So much for their hospitality", he murmured, then knelt next to Elrohir to have a close look at Legolas. "What do you say, brother? Will he endure for a little while longer without our supplies?"
Estel scooted over to look for himself, but also to be sure not to miss a word the twins exchanged. He knew now that the answer to this question could have serious consequences.
"There is little we can do in any case", the younger twin replied softly. "I would prefer to make him more comfortable and provide a better protection from the cold." He made a gesture to encompass their prison. "He is weakened enough to suffer from these surroundings. Other than that, we have to allow the fever to run its course. In a few hours we may know more. If his condition worsens…" He trailed off.
Elladan simply nodded. "Very well. So we wait."
He settled back against the cold wall and looked at the boy with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Do you need a cushion again, little brother?"
Estel tore his eyes from his injured friend and sat down between his brothers. "Not now, though I would love to have a nice comfortable bed. If they brought our supplies, could just conjure it up?" He could not help but grin then. "The people here seem to consider you able to do almost anything with a few healing herbs."
Elladan smiled in return. "It seems our reputation has grown quite out of proportion. When did we last spend time in this particular area, brother?"
Elrohir considered for a moment. "That would have been almost sixty years past, during the wolf-winter. I remember many honorable men who fought at our side then, protecting their families. We received quite a different welcome in those days."
"So easily forgotten." The older twin shook his head in dismay. They grew quiet, each of them following their own thoughts while they waited for a change to come.
/
Estel had drifted back into a fitful slumber when he was yet again awakened by Elladan, who gently shook his shoulder. "Someone approaches", he said quietly and pointed towards the door.
A moment later the boy also heard the steps. They were halting and shuffled, accompanied by wheezing breaths. The brothers glanced at each other with raised eyebrows but remained silent.
Finally, a small knock could be heard and a frail voice asked: "May I dare ask the question who has been locked into this cellar?"
To Estel´s surprise, the twins simultaneously broke into smiles. "Not so easily forgotten after all", Elrohir said under his breath. Elladan nodded, then replied: "Elladan, Elrohir and Estel, sons of Elrond, as well as a Legolas of Mirwood." There was a pause before he continued: "It is well to hear you again, Miran. It has been a while."
A cackling chuckle answered him. "A while and a day, my friends. I could not believe my ears when I heard the story of your capture. I can only bow my head in deep thanks, for I know how close this village has come to losing half of its able men. Able in body that is, not in mind. Stupid goats they were to follow a father in grief. I expect they could have been slain far more easily than the packs of wolves we fought in my youth."
"It is always more difficult to slay a man than a wolf", Elrohir replied, "but I admit that the presence of our young brother and the severe injuries of our friend made us consider any possibility."
"So I gathered." They could hear the man spit in disgust. "Taking advantage of a child and a wounded elf, only to lock all of you in such a pig´s hole... Where has wisdom gone in this place?"
"It seems to be standing in front of this door." Elladan smiled at the laugh this produced.
"Aye, but wisdom with no muscles behind it. Old wisdom with thin bones and few teeth left to bite those who deserve it." He sighed. "I cannot let you out, for I fear that this would only lead to more bloodshed. I will, however, throw your travelling packs down the window in a moment. I hope they contain a few things to help your injured friend. And then I shall seek out Botham and his mindless followers to remind them that they owe the village´s elder some respect."
Miran gave the door a friendly pat, then left, walking with audible effort. True to his word, he soon provided the brothers with their supplies and several blankets. "You shall not stay down there much longer", he called as a good-bye, "even if I have to break down that cellar door myself in the end." He chuckled yet again. "Though that would probably take a week or two."
Still smiling, Elladan and Elrohir set to work. Though unable to conjure up a bed, they manage to turn the blankets into a snug berth for Legolas and even had some left to hand to Estel, who accepted them gladly.
The lack of a fire limited their abilities to use their herbs, but even so they produced a salve to further stem the infection in the inured elf´s leg and provide some relief for this pain. When they were done, the boy was glad to see that a little color had returned to Legolas´ cheeks and his eyes had opened, signaling that he was merely sleeping now.
Elrohir placed his hand on the woodelf´s forehead for a moment and sat back with a satisfied expression on his face. "His fever is subsiding" he informed the others.
"Thank the Valar for small favors", Elladan replied. He was looking up at the small window of their prison. Light was fading as night approached.
"I consider it to be a big favor that Legolas will soon be well again", Estel said excitedly. "And your old friend will help us flee. And father is probably on his way here already."
Elrohir grinned a little ruefully. "It is good to see your spirits up, Estel, though things might be just a little more complicated than that. We will soon have to do something about setting that leg, for example. And Miran will not be able to simply spring us from this cell."
He patted the boy´s arm reassuringly. "But I am sure father long knows where we are and plots some help to be sent our way. He knew where we went to get you, after all, and the tracks we left on the way here were broad enough to be followed by a dwarf. It will not…"
He was interrupted by loud voices that drew closer. Botham could easily be identified, repeatedly yelling: "I object to the offspring of my son´s killer being treated like guests in this village! They will poison us all! Slay us in our beds! Turn to wolves and rip out our throats!"
Elladan turned to his brothers with a gleam in his eyes. "It seems that things are finally improving after all."
To be continued
To all who said they don´t get a break – here you go. A break of sorts, but not for long *g* Thanks for reading and your delightful reviews.
Review responses:
Mirkwood Warrior: Thank you! And you are quite correct, more things are going to happen…
Annual123: Happy you still like it Please keep reviewing.
Snow-Glory: I hope you could live with the break (and I don´t mean Legolas´ leg…)– more troubles are coming, don´t worry.
ShimmeringWater: Thanks a lot *blushes* The characters are pretty much acting on their own though, all I need to do is write fast enough to keep up.
SnoCat: You are very welcome. This story really wants to be written, I usually don´t update quite this fast but I cannot help it right now