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As Eruwaedhen perceived that she was slipping from life, a scene from the distance past of nearly eighty-five years ago played out in her mind as it were a dream, and she was only falling into Elven sleep.

"Where's Nana?" little Eruwaedhen wept, wandering through the halls of Imladris. "I want my nana!"

"Nana...is not here," a tall Elf-lad managed.

"But where is she?" Eruwaedhen collapsed on the ground. "Nana! Nana!" The lass cried herself to sleep. The boy, thirty and three years old, carried her away to her elder sister.

"Poor child," said Cirdurwen, taking Eruwaedhen in her arms. "Thank you, Aearon." The lad bowed and departed.

Cirdurwen took a deep breath. "Our mother...our father...they are slain."

This was more than the fifteen-year-old child could bear. Loud wails escaped from her mouth, stilled only by an ancient lay from Cirdurwen that put the girl to sleep.

Days later, Eruwaedhen took notice of the lad as if for the first time.

"Suilad," she blurted out.

"Len suilon," the boy answered in return.

"Man i eneth lîn?"

"Im Aearon eston."

"Im dhem an Nana a Ada."

"Iston." A look of understanding appeared in Aearon's eyes. "My parents were slain also. As a sister you shall be to me."

Aearon awoke painfully, lying on his back on earth and stone. He was still in the Redhorn Pass, his lady taken captive, and his head and torso bleeding. The sun was at the nooning. Aearon groaned and sat up. Two hours had passed. He looked about him. Many slain foes lay hard by, while further on in every direction lay the bodies of friends and foes mingled together in death. No living enemies could be seen or heard.

"A!" Aearon moaned again and put a hand to his head.

Aearon tore off a part of the cloak that had been Gondithen's, and stanched and bandaged his wounds as best he could. Now he must plan his next move. What of the Lady Celebrían? Was not she in danger at the moment? Was it not needful that he know where the filthy Orcs had taken her? He then remembered that one mount at least had escaped. A gleam of hope returned to him.

Aearon waited several minutes longer, then whistled a long high note and a long lower note. And lo! From the thickets a hundred yards downhill a noble beast emerged. The stallion came and nuzzled Aearon's face. Aearon spoke to the horse, and the horse knelt. Aearon painfully crawled astride the beast, carefully surveyed his surroundings for a few seconds, then proceeded uphill at a slow walk.

The orc-trail was not hard to find. Much trampling had been made through the broken forest. No cry was heard, no shaft sped from rock or thicket. At last Aearon spied a large cave opening, across which a boulder had been hastily rolled, blocking the lower portion. The Orcs seemed to be heedless, setting no watch, deeming that all their foes had been destroyed.

Aearon approached the entrance carefully on foot, put his ear to the stone, and heard evil cackling coming from within, mixed with Celebrían's voice crying out in pain.

Aearon took thought within himself. There were too many foemen in too small and tight an area to attempt a secret rescue. To challenge a hundred goblins would court disaster not only for himself, but for the Lady, whom the Orcs would almost certainly slay rather than run the risk of their captive being rescued. The only choice that remained to him would be to ride with all speed to Imladris, tell the Lord Elrond what had befallen, and make plans from there. Having made up his mind, Aearon departed swiftly.

A/N: Keep in mind: a fifteen-year-old Elf would look like a five-year-old as we picture it, in appearance and development, so don't be picturing a teenager in the flashback. Also, Aearon being thirty-three would be kind of like him being a teenager. But I hope you liked this chapter, and there's more to come! Please review! And don't forget to follow or favorite as you see fit.

By the way, I made a few minor changes to the third chapter so that it would fit better with a future chapter. No serious alterations were made (it was just Uidor listening to a conversation between Aearon and Eruwaedhen), so you can read it if you want, but nothing bad will happen if you don't.

Sindarin translations:

Nana = Mummy

A! = O!

Ada = Daddy

Suilad = Greetings

Len suilon = I greet you

Man i eneth lîn? = What is your name?

Im Aearon eston = I am called Aearon

Im dhem an Nana a Ada= I am sad for Mummy and Daddy

Iston = I know