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Scarred Fate	By : Massanie Category: +Third Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2051 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 47
- 48
- 49
CHAPTER 48: The Other Version

CHAPTER NOTES

SCRIPTS:

'Thoughts'; ~visions~; **mind speech**; -l-Letters-l-

Two hours later the Silvan and Noldor warriors wandered north again in a long spread line, carrying the still unconscious elves on litters with them. They took them to the five boats to get them to the king's halls as fast as possible. Prince Legolas went with the majority of the Mirkwood warriors back to the camp to get the horses and to see that Brandon had not escaped.

His father would have to send more warriors to secure the area: due to the lack of men (a large part had been involved in the abduction of Erestor and more than half of them had not returned) the outpost had not been able to keep the spiders at bay thus the monsters had been able to spread that far. And an investigator was needed to solve out who was a culprit, who was a confidant and who had been unlucky enough to be at the wrong place to the wrong time. A tedious task.

All the while the remaining ten Mirkwood elves – along with the young ellon that had lead Elrond – guided the five long boats downstream where the Forest River would lead them to Thranduil's halls. The journey was easy enough as they only had to keep the boats in the middle of the stream and drift with the current, leaving them able to keep a close watch on the surrounding forest and on the three sleeping elves in their midst.

The moon had long since risen over the dark tree tops, shining the elves their way. It was amazing how the pale light brightened the old trees that had seemed so oppressive from below. The forest was sleeping and in its sleep had lost much of its hostile atmosphere.

Elladan in the second boat was watching over Glorfindel, a small smile playing around his lips as he felt the steady heartbeat below his finger that was gently pressed to the balrog slayer's artery. Looking behind he saw Elrohír holding their father in his arms and his smile widened, seeing the cheeky grin on his brother's face. Behind them Gandalf's boat followed with Erestor – all was well again.

A movement of the body in front of him told him that Glorfindel was waking up – almost six hours after they had healed the advisor; it was about time.

Smiling down at his step-father he stroke a golden strand of hair out of the face and looked into sea-blue eyes. "Slept well?"

"As always: bad timing for your shrewd humour! Where are Elrond and Erestor ... did he ...?"

Quickly Glorfindel sat up, looked around and - spotting his husband in the boat behind him – sighed relieved.

"Both are well. But they are still sleeping."

The balrog slayer shook his head, somewhat angered. "Elrond took my strength until I collapsed so I could not intervene ... he ... tricked me!"

The elder twin tried to hide his amusement – in vain. "Well, you're not the first one, mind you. And you'll not be the last one either."

But the captain looked back with a grim and sad face, he had been afraid for his lover before he had slipped away into nothingness. He could understand Elrond's reasons but he did not like them, knowing that if one of them died, the other would follow.

As he looked to his sleeping lover he caught a glimpse of Erestor, swathed in warm furs and coats, lying in Gandalf's arm. The old wizard stroke the black tresses and held Erestor close. 'He should be careful with his actions' Glorfindel thought 'this will confuse my Mirkwood plague to no end.'

But he said nothing, letting the wizard savour the feeling of being a father as long as he could for the moment Erestor awoke he would not let anyone hold him, besides maybe those Mirkwood guards he had come to trust all those centuries ago. Though he observed with a smile how those guards eyed Gandalf suspiciously and indignantly as if they were displeased over his behaviour towards their charge.

Elladan followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow facetiously. "This is going to be very interesting: Our dear chief advisor will find that he gained a whole troop of guardians. They will drive him crazy: Gandalf is maybe the worst, but you should have seen our soldiers ... or didn't you wonder why he has at least six coats to warm him? Oh, it's going to be fun!"

Somehow Glorfindel doubted that.

The party made camp some hours later as the newly awoken Elrond insisted on checking on his chief advisor and contacting Galadriel; but he also wanted to hear how his sons and Gandalf came to be here and what Glorfindel had found. The lord of Imladris wanted to elucidate the past evening's happenings before they stepped in front of king Thranduil, although he did not speak of this to their hosts.

While all around him elves erected their camp and small fires that would keep the night's creatures at bay, Elrond went to see to Erestor. Two of his soldiers had readily carried the bundle of fur and coats ashore where Elrond now bowed over the pale body, probing the wounds and listening to his sons' recount of their encounter with the great eagles, Gandalf and Erestor and how Fiondil had recaptured his cousin, forcing him into a bond by threatening the twins' lifes.

Elladan and Elrohír had cleaned Erestor's body from blood and dirt as best as they could in the forest, eliminating every indication of the sexual assault the young advisor had suffered through and for that, Elrond was glad. But the numerous scars grieved him; although he knew that they would vanish in time they were bound to have left their equivalents on Erestor's soul. Hopefully his advisor would be strong enough to leave the past behind one day.

Still the famous healer was impressed by the quickness with which the wounds from the torture at the hands of those vile Orcs and from the attempted murder by Fiondil were healing.

Even the small cuts on Erestor's feet from his flight through the forest had already started to close.

"Don't forget that he is half Maia. I'd be worried if he would heal any slower." Gandalf intervened. "But why has he not woken, yet?"

Elrond looked to his old friend. "Because he lost a large amount of blood. Although we healed the damage done to his organs, his body is still recovering from the blood loss. I expect him to wake soon though and if he does he should not be confronted with too many faces he does not expect to see."

"In that case, my lord, I 'd suggest me. I am Thalion's brother and Erestor trusts me." With a rather cold stare the blond ellon added "Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought none of you were his friends."

Elladan and Elrohír glared at the soldier's outrageous disrespect. His name was Celairdúr and although he had proven to be courageous and fiercely loyal in battle he had up to now shown his dislike of the Noldor quite openly.

Glorfindel almost growled. "It's not that we didn't try."

"Exactly. Meaning that Erestor obviously did not care for your friendship or else he would have accepted it."

Elrond laid a hand on his lover's shoulder, trying to calm him.

Unbelievingly Gandalf watched them arguing "That can't be happening!" he murmured before speaking up with a voice that left no room for objections.

"Stop now, all of you! Elladan, Elrohír, you are going to watch over him."

Surprised, the twins turned to the old wizard – as everyone else.

"With your dark hair he is not likely to mistake you for someone of his family, firstly; and secondly he sacrificed himself for the two of you, so he obviously cares for you. Thirdly: Elrond needs to recover, too and you are healers as well and fourthly: " he pointed at the Mirkwood elves "I don't want you squabblers around my son right now."

Elladan leaned to his brother, whispering "as I said, it's going to be fun!" which earned him an elbow in his ribs.

Soon the twins had comfortably settled down on the ground next to their charge while the others were preparing for a light meal and some hours rest before they would continue their journey.

Elrohír sat next to his brother, leaning against Elladan with closed eyes, dozing quietly. The elder of the twins closely watched their charge who was stirring in his sleep. He carefully reached forward to stroke Erestor's cheek comfortingly without disturbing Elrohír and break through the impending nightmare the advisor suffered from.

The small gesture did its deed and soon the wrinkles on the pale forehead smoothed out.

To Erestor's other side their young Silvan guide appeared and sat down. Elladan looked up for a moment, wondering over the blonde. Truth be told he did not want him near the black haired advisor, he mistrusted him still. Maybe he had just tried to save his own skin by helping them, who could tell?

"What's your name?"

"Lainon."

Elladan nodded with an unreadable expression in his young face. "And may I ask why you helped us, Lainon?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Do you want to know why I helped you or why I didn't prevent this whole mess by speaking up earlier, possibly in king Thranduil's court?"

The eldest prince of Imladris cocked his head at this pert impudence. It was true that he was not one for etiquette but he was not used to a lack of respect shown to him either. "Both, I guess."

It seemed that Lainon retreated into himself within moments, suddenly sombre and serious. "I don't expect anyone to understand. Brandon is a master of deception ... Do you really want to hear about his ... about this?"

He did not wait for Elladan's nod before proceeding "It started in a subtle way. Lalaith was dead, Brandon took her newborn child in, took care of him. None of us was aware of the fact that Brandon knew who sired the child." His gaze sought out that of Elladan, somehow pleadingly.

"Growing up he ... the boy had always been different. He did not speak until his fifth birthday and was very reclusive in other ways as well, so no one was surprised that he was more inside than outside.

Only when Brandon all of a sudden became one of king Thranduil's most valued advisors he told us that the child had the gift of foresight."

He paused, obviously caught in his memories. "He used his position to keep our family together here in this northern outpost, far away from great peril; he prevented our brothers and friends from being sent to the dangerous southern parts of Greenwood. He gave me the chance to study with the best healers of Thranduil's court ... It was so easy not to object ... we ... we seldom saw the boy."

"Erestor!" Elrohír hissed. He had heard Lainon tell the story, getting sick with the objectification those elves were using to calm their conscience.

"What?" The blond seemed confused at the interruption.

"Erestor! That is his name. Why don't you call him by his name? He is real as well as the suffering that he endured because *you* decided to close your eyes! Elbereth, he started fading when he was not much older than *three decades*, decades, not centuries! A mere child! You were training to be a healer while right under your very nose a child was harrowed until the thought of continuing his life and misery became too much to bear!"

The younger twin had risen to his feet during his last sentences and his voice had grown with anger and volume until he was almost shouting at the poor Lainon.

"Elrohír!" Elrond exclaimed alarmed, hurrying over to them along with Gandalf.

Still quite furious the younger twin looked down, where Elladan was trying his best to console Erestor who had opened his eyes wide in terror and was trembling violently.

Immediately Elrohír went to crouch down and help, regretting his outburst, but a hand held him back. "I'm sorry, I did not want to ..."

But he was not given the chance to end his apology as he was pushed aside by Thalion's brother and told to stand back. It was Glorfindel who laid a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Come, young one: Too many cooks spoil the broth. Don't fret, you have a strong sense of justice but you and your brother sometimes need to control yourself just a bit more."

But the young prince cringed every time he heard Erestor whimper and it was not long before he could make out hoarse words in between the desperate sobs and fearful moans.

"Extinguish it! Elbereth, he lives ... help him! Saes ... "

"Erestor, wake up!" came Elrond's commanding voice. But it was not long ago that he had exhausted himself by healing his chief advisor's mortal stab wound and he had not much healing energy to spare and it seemed that the dark haired ellon could not awake on his own.

"It's not a nightmare, it's a vision!" Lainon tried to get the other's attention, failing as Erestor started to fight in earnest against Elrond's and Elladan's restrictive hold and they were quite challenged by only holding him down and keeping him from harming them or himself.

"You cannot stop a vision, you need to support him in distinguishing between present and future!"

Gandalf looked to the young blonde, his eyes narrowed. "And how?" he calmly asked and saw Lainon blush weakly, before he blurted out "pain: a slap or a pinch ..."

He obviously felt uncomfortable having to tell those details but he did nonetheless and it was maybe that little moment that would earn him the wizard's support and defence.

The wizard strode forward, pushing aside those who stood in his way without wasting a thought as to whom he was snubbing. Reaching his son he pressed past Elrond and slapped the dark haired ellon once, twice before he heard the moans and ranting subside.

Flabbergasted Elrond looked at his friend and he would have lashed out at him had not Erestor's small voice claimed all of his attention.

"Elrond? Don't let him burn him alive."

Glorfindel closed his eyes for a moment, remembering how he had woken the advisor in a similar way when he had dreamt of finding Elrond on the top of the High Pass.

Erestor meanwhile started hyperventilating as he saw stonewalls and trees overlaying each other, fire and humans where elves stood at the same time. Desperately he tried to make out what was real and on what he should concentrate. Clenching his eyes shut against the present he focused on the future to erase what he saw there in the image he had of the presence around him.

Slowly the tactic he had taught himself paid off and he managed to calm down though he still felt shaken and trembled in Elrond's arms. Elrond's arms ... oh Elbereth! He was being embraced tightly by *his lord*.

Erestor tried to sit up and escape the bodily closeness but he felt so weak and was immediately pushed down again by strong hands. "Elladan!" he whispered.

"Yeah, I am here. Thanks to you I might add."

Erestor's breathing still came hitched and ragged. There was just too much to take in and his mind was not working the way it should. Somehow everything had descended into Chaos and he was not sure if it was for the better or the worse.

Overwhelmed he closed his eyes again.

Elrond frowned worriedly. He had hoped the dark ellon to wake in a more controlled setting and not that abruptly with so many faces around him.

"Hush. You are weak because you lost a large amount of blood. And do not worry about anything: Everyone is safe now, Brandon convicted and Imladris is in good hands with Galadriel and the great eagles. You can rest assured ... but stay awake only for some moments longer, you need to drink something."

The Half-elf begged his eldest son to get him water but moments later he felt his counsellor's breathing even out as he escaped once more into lord Lóriën's gardens.

A sigh escaped his lips and he searched his husband's gaze for comfort, relieved to feel his presence in his mind. Well ... two or three hours would not harm him too much.

"He needs to sleep and gain strength. I will *strangle* everyone who wakes him up during the next hours."

Gently Elrond tried to lay down his charge, but the pale hands clasped at his shirt, not letting him go. So he allowed it and held the small body close.

But he directed his stern gaze at Lainon and asked him with no small amount of suspicion. "And how came you to know so much about his dreams and visions and how to treat him?"

The blonde nervously noticed how he was cornered by the other soldiers. "I have never done this before, I swear! When he was small Brandon only trusted his sons and his siblings with Erestor's care."

Desperately he noticed that this did nothing to ease the hostile feelings directed at him.

**Elrond, love. You have to interfere. Legolas promised him pardon ... **

**Do not worry, Glorfindel, I will not let any harm befall him. But I want to hear his reasons. **

"What would you have me done? Over years and years Brandon integrated a reign of terror without us even noticing! Convincing the naives with promises of riches and power ... of guidance and protection and keeping the others in check with the pressure of friends and family.

I am nothing more than a low healer, no one would have believed me had I charged him without any proof ... and I do not doubt for a moment that Brandon would have killed me or anyone else trying to bring word to king Thranduil."

Lainon turned to Elrond, taking hope as the old wizard came to stand next to him to lay a calming hand onto his shoulder.

"Brandon sent me to learn the healing arts in the king's halls and when I came back ten years ago he told me that he would bring Elethael ..."

"Erestor!"

"... yes, yes ... Erestor ... that he would bring him back and that he needed me to help care for him. Magron was not versed in healing and he did not want Fiondil near. I knew that if I was to stop this, I needed to wait until there was proof for Brandon's dark deeds."

"How convenient for you that we came before you had to prove that you would hold true to your noble intentions!" one of the Mirkwood guards hissed.

"Stop this now. He did not have to help but he did, revealing much in the process and nothing in his favour!" Gandalf tossed in. "I'd say everyone rests for some hours more before we continue our journey."

Only gradually and with much grumbling the elves turned away to settle down again.

They were warriors, they risked their lives for the sake of others, for each other ... because they could do it and because it was the right thing to do; Lainon had treated that ideal with contempt and could not ask them now for understanding. He had flinched and turned his back at the suffering of a fellow elf and this behaviour couldn't be excused. It was as simple as that.

CHAPTER END NOTES

ellon ~ male elf
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Scarred Fate