Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

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
- 6
- 7
- 8
CHAPTER 7: Stratagem 1

CHAPTER NOTES

WARNING: I guess at this point I should warn all of you that there is going to be some violence from here on.

Furthermore: This chapter contains a seeming contradiction to the letter from Elrond (chapter 3: Suspicion), as Elrond's and Elrohír's roles are reversed. That was done deliberately, you'll see why soon...

SCRIPTS:

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

This chapter contains a seeming contradiction to the letter from Elrond in chapter 3-Suspicion, as Elrond's and Elrohír's roles are reversed. That was done deliberately, you'll see why soon...

Elladan felt helpless. A rare feeling in his life and one that he couldn't handle very well. His brother sat at their father's side, silent tears running down his pale cheeks. That was a sight that he couldn't handle all too well either.

Elrond rested in the backside of the little cave they had saved themselves into, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. The poison from the wound in his right upper arm was spreading out and though they had bound it off they could not save his live without the antidote.

Maybe an amputation would have helped but it was too late for that now: the poison was already in the shoulder. It was his fault of course: A soldier had told them that they should cut the arm off, that it was the only mean to save his father's live. But he forbade it, could not allow that to happen.

He pressed his shivering fist to his mouth, trying to keep his tears at bay as he remembered how that nightmare had started.

FLASHBACK

They had been ambushed the day before on the High Pass by human soldiers from Angmar, if one could call those undisciplined ruffians soldiers at all. It had all happened so fast and so suddenly that it was all one chaotic blur in his memory.

Somehow his father had made a step in front of Elrohír, taking an arrow that was meant for the heart of his youngest son. They had drawn back and covered by their soldiers the twins had almost dragged their father around a bend of the pass. Sheltered by a ledge they had helped Elrond climb into a cave some meters above the path. One by one the soldiers had saved themselves into the gap in the rocks that arched up at one side of the pass; but they had lost many in the process.

More than once the humans had tried to attack the elves in the cave, but as they were some meters above the pass and had enough arrows for a while they were able to defend their small refuge with ease. After the humans had lost nearly a dozen soldiers they resorted to besiege the Elven warriors. They were aware of the injured in the hole and that the elves were victualless.

END OF FLASHBACK

Elladan, Elrohír and the others knew that the hunger and more importantly the thirst would soon become a real problem. While they had only gone without drink or food for one day they knew that the lack of fluid would kill them within 7, maybe 10 days.

Glorfindel would notice too late that they were missing and help would come too late for them. The elves knew that they would die in the black hole and maybe never be found.

The elder twin found it hard to accept this, accept that his brother would find a slow death in the Misty Mountains and his father was dying in front of them from the treacherous poison. If Elrond were awake they could maybe use Vilya's powers; maybe they would be able to escape then.

As he could not endure his brother's tears any more, he crawled to the warrior holding watch at the entrance of the cave.

Slowly they saw the darkness descending onto the surroundings. The humans knew better than to try to attack at night when the Elves could see much better than they could and they involuntarily took a relieved breath.

It was half an hour later that they saw a large black bird flowing towards them.

Tauron cursed – again; but this time he had a true reason: he had just rounded a bend of the path and a rock that had up to then obscured his vision. Now he stood for a second in the darkness seeing a mass of shimmering steel in front of him, a dark grey snake that glistened in the moonlight and wound itself along the pass over nearly 200 meters, formed by the resting armoured bodies of human soldiers, most of them situated on the western side of a small gap six meters above the path. It was probably the cave lord Elrond had written about. So most of the soldiers stood between the cave and the side from which Glorfindel would approach, the side on which he stood.

Immediately Tauron drew back again behind the rock and pressed himself against the stone. What was going on? Humans? There should have been Orcs. Was Elrond in this cave at all? What if this was a complot to lure the major part of Imladris' army away from the Last Homely House and attack it then?

But Glorfindel would have noticed if Elrond's letter had been faked. And no one knew the lord's handwriting better than Glorfindel.

Except … maybe Erestor. And Erestor was …

Carefully the young guard looked around the rock again and tried to spot the black haired possible traitor.

Slowly his eyes wandered over the soldiers and alongside the massive stone walls framing one side of the pass and falling downwards to the valley on the other side. His elven senses quickly made out the outlines of a small figure climbing below the pass in the darkness, moving very steadily so as to not draw attention. Dark grey clothes made it become indistinct in front of the stones and very hard to notice by the humans (especially since their attention was directed upwards to the cave), but Tauron recognized Erestor's grey tunic.

Taking in a shocked breath the warrior pulled back behind the ledge once again and closed his eyes.

'What am I doing here? I should be warning the captain.' The young guard wondered, annoyed with his own indecision.

But Tauron could not just leave, not knowing what Erestor was doing. What should he report to his captain, anyway?

Very slowly and with a racing pulse he glanced around and once again spotted the figure of Erestor, clad in grey. 'At least now I know why he wore those colours the whole journey long. He must have known that he would need them as mimicry.'

The advisor had already reached the other end of the human's camp, and gradually continued his progress.

Protected from the stony walls of the cave, Elladan and the other soldiers watched the black bird soar right towards them.

"Craban?" the soldier next to Elladan asked.

The half-elf strained his eyes.

"No, too large for a crow; that's … it's a common raven!" Elladan exclaimed surprised. Behind him, Elrohír crept nearer. "Elladan, he carriers a leather pouch … it ... it is Erestor's bird!"

Hopeful the Elves gazed forward to the large raven soaring nearer. When the bird glided into the cave, the Elves jumped out of the way, giving the animal enough room.

Immediately Elladan approached the black raven that looked up at the elder twin, his head laid to one side. It allowed the Elf to gently unfasten the leather pouch that had been bound around its feet, then it hopped to the side, beginning to move around restlessly.

Quickly Elladan opened the pouch and drew out a little piece of parchment. Not wasting any time he unfolded the paper and read it out aloud.

-l-

I stand with more than 100 men two miles away from your current position. We are too few to overwhelm them and we need your help.

Elrond, if you are in any condition to use Vilya, then cause an avalanche to the western side of the cave when you hear a single horn signal. It will divide their troops. If you are not, then, whoever reads this, send Vilya to us so I can use it in such a manner.

Glorfindel

-l-

Elrohír snapped the paper out of his brother's hands, his brows knitted. He knew that Glorfindel was able to use Vilya and scanning the paper's content he identified the seneschal's handwriting. But something was wrong. Something about the writing style struck him as odd.

"What if it is a trap?"

Elladan vigorously shook his head. "It is Erestor's bird, Glorfindel's handwriting, …" he paused "… and even if it were so: those humans will get Vilya anyway, when we have died of thirst. This might save us all, ada and Vilya! We have to do this, El', please."

Elladan once more opened the leather pouch and pulled out a little inkwell and the lower part of a feather, the upper part had been cut off, so it could fit into the pouch.

"Let us write an answer before it is too late."

Elrohír looked to the motionless form of his father. They didn't have much time. Slowly, the younger twin nodded and reached for his father's hand where Vilya was glistening in the dark.

Tauron watched as the black haired ellon reached a spot some 50 meters away from the last soldier that was blocked from the humans' view and unprotected from them, as they obviously didn't expect to be attacked from this side. Probably some sentries would be keeping watch further along the road. Erestor heaved his body on the path and pressed into the shadows of the stony walls, nearly invisible now even for Tauron's sharp elven eyes.

While the soldier still contemplated the question if he should head back to warn their captain he saw Erestor's huge black bird leaving the cave above the warriors and flying towards his master.

Tauron knitted his eyebrows. That behaviour did not fit a traitor: if the advisor had been in league with those men, he would not have bypassed them like that and there was obviously something or someone in that cave. Erestor opened a leather pouch and took out something.

But it was dark and even Tauron's elven senses could not determine what it was the advisor was holding in his hands. It seemed as if he was inspecting something, or maybe he read a note. Then the black haired ellon pulled out a small item that he had kept in his pockets and put it into the leather pouch.

Only moments later the black bird was soaring once again towards the gap.

From his position, Tauron could see some of the human guards standing when they noticed the huge common raven. But they did not react fast enough before it entered the gap.

There was shouting in the camp soon after, when the leaders had learned about the message bird that was currently sitting in the cave. Tauron saw how they woke the whole camp and something like a chaotic (mostly pretended) bustle broke out and he shook his head in disdain on account of such unprofessional behaviour.

Those foolish humans hindered each other in their movements. There was practically no one who would be able to take a good shot at the bird once it left the cave. They were all either too near, had no clear field of fire or could not use their long bows because they simply had no space. Tauron smiled sardonically. That would *never* have happened under lord Glorfindel's command.

Long minutes passed while the soldiers were getting nervous. Shooting a bird was not at all easy, especially not at night and a black bird as well. And with their cursing and shouting leaders in their necks who were already starting to find the probable culprits in letting the raven through it was nothing less than a nightmare.

Then suddenly the black bird dashed forward into the darkness. At the same time a shout was heard from the eastern side of the camp, clearly echoing through the night and immediately the soldiers directed their attention towards the source.

Tauron gasped.

There stood Erestor, only hundred meters from the next soldier, a torch in his hand. While Tauron's and the soldiers attention was directed at the raven and the gap above the path, he had put off his grey tunic and pulled over a deep purple one. A diadem graced his forehead and he looked every bit like an elven lord.

The whole camp fell silent for a moment like a heart missing a beat. And into this sudden silence, Erestor shouted words that made Tauron's blood freeze in his veins.

"If you want Vilya and its bearer, come and get me."

Elladan, Elrohír and the guards waited in the cave after sending the raven away again.

New hope had been sparkled in their souls and their hearts beat fast and loud. Neither one said a word while they sat tight.

"There comes the raven again." One of the soldiers suddenly said. They did not dare to lean outside the cave for fear of being shot, so they never saw the bird coming from the eastern side, and not from the western, where Glorfindel should have been stationed.

The common raven had flown a rather large loop away from the mountains and approached from the valley, directly gliding into the gap between the stone walls.

The Elves were nervous, confused. Concernedly Elrohír asked what they all were wondering "Why are you here again?" Maybe there were problems? Maybe Glorfindel could not follow through with his plans, or it had been a trick after all.

They heard commotion outside, where the humans were shouting and rummaging. Probably they had seen the raven.

Elladan was quicker and more calm than his brother and the other soldiers. He grasped the leather back and opened it quickly. Seconds later he pulled out a little green flask and another piece of parchment. It was written in Erestor's fine handwriting.

-l-

Treat lord Elrond's wound with this antidote immediately. The poison the Hillmen from Angmar used is highly toxic. Glorfindel needs half an hour, then we will probably need more time to get you out. Treat him now, or it might be too late. Only use four drops.

Erestor

-l-

Of course Erestor had to be near. The common raven would not leave his master.

Determined, Elladan grasped the flask and strode towards his father. He pulled out the little cork and was about to apply the antidote when his brother stopped him.

Elrohír grasped his arm, and pulled him back.

"What are you doing, Elladan?"

"Applying an antidote. Erestor is with Glorfindel, he knows what to do. "

"Are you sure?"

"Elrohír, be realistic. If anyone wanted to kill us, he would let us rot here. And besides: he *is* already dying. It's not as if we could make it much worse." Elladan's voice was harsh as he no longer had the patience to deal with his overly cautious sibling.

"But …"

"I *will* apply the antidote now, brother." And he pulled his arm away and drizzled four drops onto the arrow wound in the upper arm of his father.

"Get well again, help is coming!"

The moment they had applied the antidote, the common raven hopped to the entrance and flew out again.

Elrohír knitted his brows. It was almost as if the bird had waited for them to do so. He had wanted to write a message to Erestor that his brother had applied the antidote but while the raven had patiently waited for them the first time, he now had rushed out into the night again.

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind: the humans had seen the raven enter, they would shoot it!

He went to the cave's entrance seconds after the bird had left and then he heard a call from the eastern side. There stood a single figure on the path, merely 50 meters from the soldier's camp away; a torch in his hand and a mad smile on the handsome face.

"Erestor" Elrohír whispered shocked.

"If you want Vilya and its bearer, come and get me."

"No." the younger twin grew white. Then he looked into the cave where Elladan had applied something to his father's wound that might just have cost him his life.

"Elladan, Erestor has betrayed us!"

Just as the elder twin looked up with wide eyes full of terror there was a loud noise in the mountains above them.

The Imladris' warriors looked at each other, fearful questions in their eyes. Some few moments passed that seemed to long forever and then silently and distantly first, but getting louder and louder very fast, there was a deep resounding roar.

Then all went black as the snow masses flowed by at the entrance of the cave, obscuring them from every source of light.

"If you want Vilya and its bearer, come and get me."

And with this, Erestor raised his other hand. Those words broke the spell that had immobilized the humans and the first ones started to run after the advisor. Erestor stood still and suddenly a cracking sound was heard high above in the mountains.

The soldiers running uphill towards the Elven advisor halted for a moment, confused by the sudden loud roar. Everyone looked upwards and the humans froze in shock: a slap avalanche had loosened itself, a large layer of snow went crashing down the mountain with incredible speed and force, taking with it rocks and more snow masses, growing ever larger.

Its source was directly above them, maybe half a mile away, but it was very fast and the humans had only two narrow ways out to every side: the pass on the eastern and the western side of their camp. Immediately the humans began to push against each other, trying to reach the only escape routes before they were blocked by their comrades.

A fatal behaviour, because some were thrown over the cliff and half slid half fell into the valley below and into certain death; furthermore it slowed them down.

But Erestor was not about to leave them those escape routes. With a sardonic smile he raised his hand once again and a small avalanche loosened itself directly above the fleeing humans on the western side of the path, burying them and closing off the western escape route for the humans.

Tauron ran for his life as that second avalanche came down and did not turn back. He managed to outrun the smaller avalanche and get out of reach before the snow masses of the larger one came down on them not even a minute after it all had started, but only barely. Behind him the human soldiers were buried under snow or swept from the pass. The deep roaring of the avalanche sounded in his ears while he ran further and further.

Much later when his body had already started to burn with exhaustion, he slipped and fell hard onto the iced snow layer that covered the path. Slowly he turned huge eyes back, but he could not see around the corner.

"Elbereth!"

Elladan dived forward and pulled back his little brother, as some of the snow went inside. The sound was deafening in the small cave and Elladan pressed Elrohír against the rocks, shielding him.

It seemed to take an eternity, but then everything was over again, the snow masses flowing down the valley below.

Elrohír's voice hitched as he whispered "He must have caused the avalanche … Erestor."

Elladan had not witnessed what his brother had, and for the moment he blamed the shock for his brother's behaviour. After all, Glorfindel had announced to cause an avalanche. And yet it sounded like a really huge one, one that Glorfindel should not have been able to loosen; and there had not been a horn signal either...

Still it was not the right moment for asking those questions: whatever or whoever had caused the avalanche, now they needed to get out again. If they could not remove the snow masses blocking the entrance, they would suffocate.

So he addressed the other guards: "Help me, we have to dig a way through the snow."

In the darkness, the Elves groped their way to the caves entrance and began to move the snow to the sides of the cave. Luckily after only digging little more than a meter, their hands pierced through the snow and reached the open air behind it.

Moments later, Elladan carefully leaned outside the cave's entrance. Open-mouthed he looked around. Where merely half an hour before nearly 200 soldiers had besieged them, there were now only thick layers of snow piling on top of each other.

CHAPTER END NOTES

craban ~ crow

ellon ~ male elf
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Scarred Fate