Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Legolas and the Rangers ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15

 

Aftermath

 

Elrohir staggered and nearly slipped. He was exhausted and he did not think he would be able to continue for much longer. Sweat coated his body making his hands slippery and dust hung thick in the golden, fiery light of the mines, covering him and sticking in the back of his throat making his breathing into wheezing gasps.

 

You must keep going ordered Elrohir's mind as he stooped and picked up the large rock again. Elladan will die if you do not. Yet Elrohir knew that his brother was dying and it would only be a matter of time before it came to an end.

 

He saw his brother once a day or so the goblins told him, for Elrohir had not seen the light of day in a long time. Every time the goblins led him into the storage room where Elladan had been left, slumped against the sacks of flour, Elrohir wanted to be sick.

 

His brother's face seem to get paler every time he saw it and Elladan was rarely conscious, his face slightly clammy and sweaty. Whatever injury ailed his brother needed to be treated soon or Elladan would not live to see the week out.

 

Sometimes Elrohir found himself wondering if it was all some cruel joke of his imagination. He had seen Elladan go over the edge and yet here his brother was, barely alive but certainly not dead as Elrohir had believed.

 

`Hurry up,' growled the goblin on guard from where he stood across the way over another prison. Elrohir shot the guard a venomous look but continued on his way.

 

He had defended prisoners quite regularly from the beasts and bore the marks of it across all of his body though most were hidden by his tattered tunic.

 

Never the less, the goblin was standing on the other side of a large trench and Elrohir did not feel up to the jump. He was still sore from two beatings late the day before and needed to regain his strength before he tried such a stunt again.

 

`Elbereth give me strength,' murmured Elrohir hoping that his quiet prayer might some how reach the Queen of the Valar what felt like a world away. `Not only for me but Elladan too.'

 

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`What are you doing here?' asked Blaen. Glorfindel seemed to weigh up the question before answering, `looking for the Prince of course.' `Yes but why here, at this time? You should be far from here already since you left before I and it was said with a hard pace.'

 

Noting that Trelaen was struggling to rise, Glorfindel bent and pulled the injured ranger into a standing position, stooping so that he could sling the shorter man's arm around his neck. Blaen hurried to do the same and then they set off, away from the carnage and the stench of blood.

 

`I had intended to locate Elladan and Elrohir and check in with their progress but I have seen naught of them except a scant few deserted camp sights,' explained Glorfindel.

 

Having reached a safe distance away from the clearing, Glorfindel paused to lower Trelaen to the ground. The old ranger's wound wasn't deep but it was long and would need tending to quickly.

 

`We are moving the search parties out of the mountains and down to the plains,' continued Glorfindel. `Any underground stream is eventually going to end up in the river Anduin and I fear we may have wasted precious time searching the mountain pass.'

 

Blaen nodded as he cut away the last of his father's tunic. Glorfindel took over; poring water into the wound and then cleansing it gently with a sterile strip of bandage retrieved from a standard traveller's medical kit.

 

`Still, I think the question is why are you here Blaen? Elrond will not be happy considering you must have left in the dead of night,' said Glorfindel shrewdly.

 

Blaen flushed slightly and tugged his own bandage a little too hard across his father's wound making Trelaen gasp painfully and swear at his son.

 

`Sorry!' apologised Blaen profusely.

 

Gently Glorfindel took the bandage from Blaen's hand and finished the job. With a practice born of years, Glorfindel threaded a field needle and began to stitch the wound, speaking softly in the grey tongue to ease Trelaen's pain.

 

`I suppose it is of no consequence now anyway,' conceded Glorfindel. `Aye but I do feel guilty for having done it,' answered Blaen. `The reason I did it is because I would like to help you find the Prince, it was my fault he was lost.'

 

Glorfindel glanced sharply at the ranger. `And why would that be?' he asked.

 

His cheeks flaming Blaen answered, `well Elrond tells me it is not my fault but I can't help but feel guilty. The ground gave way beneath my feet and he pushed me to safety, in turn, falling to his own doom.'

 

Glorfindel sighed, `Elrond is right you know. The do not call him Master Elrond the Wise for nothing.'

 

`There,' announced Glorfindel, cleaning the last of the blood off the stitched wound. `Take it easy for the next couple of days and you should have the stitches out within the week.'

 

Turning to Blaen Glorfindel asked, `I have gone far out of my way in search of the twins and over the last few days they seemed to have been headed east. There is only one way they could have gone in that direction from here and I believe they must have come to the same conclusion as we about Legolas. Would you and the rangers be interested in coming with me to help the search?'

 

`I would come,' answered Blaen, `but it is up to the rest of the troop what it does with itself.'

 

Glorfindel nodded, `if you will have it that way then I guess it is your choice.' `Nonsense,' answered Trelaen crossly from where he lay.

 

`I've only just found you again and I'm not letting go of you again so quickly,' he said gripping his son's hand. `And don't you dare try and persuade me, my mind is made up,' he said to Blaen, including Glorfindel in his glare.

 

`I wouldn't dream of it,' smiled Glorfindel. `Good then I will come too,' said another voice behind them. Trelaen and Blaen jumped but Glorfindel smiled smugly, having heard Kit approach.

 

`Excellent,' said Glorfindel turning to the tall ranger. `Any other volunteers?' he asked. `I will check,' assured Kit and turn to go and ask others of the troop.

 

Eventually it was decided that half the troop would come with Glorfindel and the remainder finish cleaning the battlefield before returning to the base camp in the south east to check in and gather more supplies.

 

`Alright then,' said Glorfindel getting to his feet. `You will ride my horse for the next two days to preserve your strength,' he told Trelaen. `After that you will have to walk and I can do naught about that.' Trelaen looked about to protest but Glorfindel silenced him by getting him to his feet and making Trelaen walk to where his horse stood patiently some twenty yards away.

 

Trelaen's face paled with the effort and once he was on the horse, he no longer offered any protest, grateful to be without the pain.

 

After that, it did not take long before they were on their way, Glorfindel leading with Trelaen beside him and Kit and Asher bringing up the rear.

 

Blaen found himself walking behind Glorfindel and smiling a little smugly at how many times Glorfindel had to duck on the overgrown pathway he was leading them. Though Kit was at least 6 ft 4, the elf still had several inches on him but did not seem to mind the constant ducking on his part.

 

If anything, Glorfindel barely noticed, his mind too concerned about the twins at the moment to be worrying about anything else.

 

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Elladan groaned weakly, his head was reeling and his limbs were on fire. He estimated several fractured bones and a couple of severely broken ribs. Though they pained him, he was more concerned about the fever that was slowly eating away at his body.

 

It was getting so bad that he knew he was rarely conscious and it was becoming increasingly difficult to fight off the nightmares and delirium of the fever. Elladan had some natural healing ability but that was fast burning up leaving only his will to combat his own treacherous body.

 

`Shut up,' grunted his guard from where he sat on a barrel. The guards were changed regularly owing to the fact that most did not like guarding him. They could not sport with him and other than that, there was little to do but watch him.

 

Elladan would have liked to have said something but found for the first time that he was just not strong enough for the retort. Before he even realised it, he had fallen unconscious again, his natural elven glow dimming so low that it was barely even visible.