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The Returned	By : Liliana Category: -Multi-Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 8591 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Please note that the disclaimer and warnings for this story are given at the begining of the first chapter.
CHAPTER 10:
The next few days of travel became a time of discovery for the companions. The creature, whom the elves had taken to calling ' Wonderer' -in light of how they had found him- had cleaved to them all with the same utter devotion that an orphaned child would show towards those who offered safe, loving haven.
For their part, Glorfindel, Taurnil and Nimarfan had also come to look upon him as a child. It became remarkably easy to forget Wonderer's large physique, when his feral yellow eyes lit up with such unabashed happiness everytime the elves paid him the least bit of attention. And attention, was given to him constantly. For like the child he seemed, Wanderer had to be taught...everything.
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Shortly after his traumatic introduction to bathing, Taurnil had managed to fashion for him a loincloth -of sorts- from the torn pair of leggings wryly offfered up by Glorfindel. it was an odd looking concoction. For though the waistband and front lacings were left intact, the breeches had to be cut to right above mid-thigh and the side seams ripped almost all the way up, in order to accomodate the bulging musculature of Wonderer's legs. Then came some rather comical moments during which, after much coaxing and pantomiming, Glorfindel finally managed to slide the makeshift garment up Wanderer's body, tying the lacings as the other two elves valiantly struggled to contain their mirth.
It was but a few hours later that the three were faced with the need to teach their next lesson.
They had reached a good spot to set up camp for the night. The elves quickly dismounted and began the task of relieving their mounts of the burden of saddles and tack. It was then that Taurnil noticed that Wonderer was making low, distressed noises, while pawing at the front of his loincloth.
" My Lord..." The scout called, softly.
Both Glorfindel and Nimarfan turned their heads at Taurnil's odd tone of voice.
" Er... I think he has to..."
Three pairs of elven eyes then focused on Wonderer, who was staring bessechingly back at them. The Balrog Slayer, in turn, then glanced over at his two subordinates.
" I will tend to the horses, my Lord." Nimarfan hurriedly offered.
" And I will set up camp." Taurnil spoke, almost as fast.
With a resigned sigh, Glorfindel strolled over to where Wonderer stood squirming in ever-increasing discomfort.
" Come." He said, motioning with his hand.
Then he led his charge towards a thick clump of bushes...
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The next morning saw the elves being vastly amused by the sight of Wonderer painstankenly lacing, then unlacing, then re-lacing his loincloth, before discarding the garment altoguether in order to go bathe in the nearby stream. Despite the less-than-salubrious experience of the previous day, it became clear to the three elves that their large companion was irresistibly drawn to water. In fact, he seemed to revel in it, grunting happily as he slid into the gentle current. Though to their further amusement, they noted that he took great care to stay close to the bank's edge.
After breaking their fast, the four readied themselves for the day's travel. They made good time across the wilderness, the hours passing quickly under their steady pace. Anor had just began to dip beneath the horizon, when they came upon a likely spot to stop for the night. Once again, the elves dismounted and began to tend to their horses. Thus, it took a few moments before they realized that Wonderer was gone.
" At least he no longer needs an escort to aid him with relieving himself." Taurnil remarked cheekily, earning a dark look from his Lord.
" Let us set up camp." Glorfindel grumbled, while both Nimarfan and Taurnil tried their best to hide their grins.
So did the three elves go about their tasks, as they waited for Wonderer to return.
And waited...
And waited.
" By the fires of Mordor!. Where is he!." The Balrog Slayer finally growled, trying to hide his nearly frantic worry behind gruffness.
He needn't have bothered, for it was fully shared by the other two elves.
" Taurnil, Nimarfan, spread out. We will begin our search there." He barked, pointing to a nearby copse of trees.
With weapons drawn, the three readied to move. Only to be stopped by the sight of their quarry, emerging from the very place they had intended to go to. Wonderer sprinted towards his companions, with four hares dangling in pairs by their necks from each of his large fists. His face was filled with childlike delight as he reached them. He let the carcasses drop, to land with a dull thud at the feet of the nonplussed elves, then turned his attention to scanning the ground.
He found what he was looking for almost immediately.
Hefting a sharply-pointed rock in the palm of his hand, he then squated down and reached for one of the freshly killed hares. As the elves re-sheathed their weapons, Wonderer looked up at them with a brilliant smile. He had surmised that his companions must not know how to hunt, for all they had eaten, thus far, were the strange loafs that they carried in their travelling sacks. So he was feeling great pride at being able to provide them with other food.
Remembering his own frustration after his very first hunt, Wonderer held the rock aloft for the elves to see, grunting as he sought to teach them the lesson he had learned quite by accident. He then quickly made a jagged cut into the hare's belly, tossing the rock at Glorfindel's feet when he was done. Eagerly, he grabbed the now-opened carcass and shoved it up to his mouth, his eyes closing in bliss as he began to loudly chew on the meat. Those eyes opened in question some moments later, however, when he did not hear any like sounds coming from his companions.
That was because the three were staring down at him, unable to hide their disgust.
Wonderer's brow furrowed. He did not understand what it was that he was seeing in the elves' faces, though he did have a sense that it was not good. He slowly lowered the hare away from his mouth, his own expression going from puzzlement to shame, though he did not understand that either. All he knew was that somehow, he had displeased them.
To the elves, Wonderer suddently looked like nothing more than a contrite elfling caught with his mouth, chin, and the tip of his nose wreathed by the contents of a pilfered pie. The comparison melted away their disgust as they understood that in his own way, Wonderer had been trying to do something special for them.
" I think that we can risk a fire, my Lord." Taurnil said.
" Aye." Glorfindel agreed. " Nimarfan, would you get one started?." He then asked.
" With pleasure, my Lord." The younger scout answered, smiling.
As Nimarfan went about his task, Glorfindel and Taurnil unsheathed their knives and squated down across from Wonderer. Then, they began to show him how to properly prepare the bounty of his successful hunt...
~~~~~~~~~~
Hours later, Glorfindel stood watch over his sleeping companions, his colbat eyes pensive as he recalled what had happened earlier around the campfire.
Wonderer had watched with avid interest as Glorfindel and Taurnil skinned the hares. But that interest gradually changed to a strange kind of tension, when the elves took the carcasses and impaled them onto the spit that Nimarfan had rigged above the campfire. His large frame seemed to fold into itself and he crawled over to sit by Glorfindel, his feral eyes becoming haunted as he looked at the fire. When the flames began to crackle in contact with the flesh, Wonderer flattened the palms of his hands over his ears, moaning softly. The three elves looked at him, concerned.
" My Lord, what distresses him so?." Nimarfan asked, frowing. " It is only a cooking fire."
A cooking fire.
Oh! sweet Eru...
Glorfindel and Taurnil locked gazes for they, unlike Nimarfan, had seen the charred remains left behind in orc encampments. Remains that bespoke of agonizing deaths suffered by men...and elves.
" Remember your lessons on the foul practices of the orcs." Taurnil said to the younger scout, as Glorfindel began to run his hand soothingly over Wonderer's back.
And Nimarfan then recalled the things he had, thus far, only heard about.
" Valar..." He mumbled, horrified.
All thoughs of enjoying an appetizing meal fled, and the moment seemed to stretch in awful poignancy, as the elves were once again faced with brutal evidence of what Wonderer had somehow managed to escape from.
Then, it changed.
Wonderer had shut his eyes, vaguely aware of the golden one's comforting touch. Though he knew that the prey were dead, some part of him was still waiting for the screams to begin, for the stench of tortured flesh to invade his nostrils. But when the smell finally did reach him, he found it to be unlike anything he had known before. This smell was...delicious. His feral yellow eyes snapped open in surprise, and his large hands fell away from his ears. The look he then gave Glorfindel was filled with such relief that the Balrog Slayer could not help but smile.
Thus it was that shortly thereafter, Wonderer wolfed down his first cooked meal. And loath to dampen his obvious enjoyment, The three elves even managed to choke down a few bites of their own...
Now, looking down at Wonderer's peaceful, slumbering form, Glorfindel made a silent vow to himself. Never again would Wonderer know such horrors.
Never again.
TBC...
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Author Notes:
Julia: Sorry for the long lull between updates. Hopefully, RL will now let me write and post more often.
Jayn: I'm glad you are enjoying this story so far. Visualizing that bathing scene was fun, let me tell ya... *grin*
Nikkiling: No meldis, I did'nt quit. Real Life just got hectic as hell!. As for you impatiently waiting for more... Funny, I feel the same way about your great story, " Songs of the Spirit."! :) :)
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- 9
- 10
- 11
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The Returned