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Disclaimer: I do not own the character or places associated with the Lord of the Rings or Middle Earth. They are the creations of J. R. R. Tolkien and the property of Tolkien Enterprises.
Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.
- Benjamin Franklin
****************
“What the…” Laurelin stumbled over her words.
Why had Malen blocked off the cave entrance? Could she have…? No, she thought to herself. It was merely to seal Elrohir and the boy in there until it was all over. Right?
Legolas walked partially up to the caved in entrance.
“Estel is in there?” he asked.
“If he’s not under there,” Vocyn sneered.
“Quiet human!” Laurelin snapped.
“We must decide what to do now. Our companion is heading for Rivendell and we need to decide what to do with the prince here.”
Vocyn knew more about Malen’s plans than Emlin, he was sure. He knew she planned to eliminate all of the elf lord’s children from the start. The very reason he was hired was for that specific task. One down and two to go, he thought. Looking at the cave, maybe even two down. The elf prince was just an interesting bonus for the thief. Malen had told him from the start that the events would be easier if Emlin thought she had a say in what happened.
“Why don’t you take care of the complication now?” he suggested.
“What?” she asked sharply.
“Think of it my lady, he can only cause more trouble for you. Do you wish to have to take him with us everywhere? We do not know what has happened at the camp and we can no longer get inside the cave. What other options do we have?” the thief finished in the calmest voice he could muster.
Laurelin looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Perhaps you are right. My original invitation for protection was only for Elladan and Elrohir, but still… I do not know about this.”
“Then do not listen to him,” Legolas chimed in, “a tongue such as his can speak nothing but lies. You said you did not wish for anyone to get hurt, but do you really believe your companions hold such ideas? This accomplice of yours, the one heading back to Rivendell, do you think they would seal Estel in there to simple keep him out of the way? He has been poisoned by this despicable example of a human with the very substance Elrond now fights against. He will die if he is left untreated in that cave for too long. Do you understand that? Because I am quite sure they did and their intensions seem very clear. If this whole affair is allowed to play out, none of us will be left alive.”
“No! That is not true!” Laurelin shouted, “You do not know whom you speak of or her motives.”
“Then tell me Laurelin,” Legolas pleaded.
Laurelin looked hesitant and uncertain and Legolas knew he was breaking through to the maid.
“Silence elf or I will silence you personally!” Vocyn hissed.
“What harm could it…” Laurelin started.
“No! Stop it Emlin! Laurelin died remember? Centuries ago from what I know. She died with her parents upon the bloody ground. Emlin was born that day and she owes her life to her oselle!”
Laurelin seemed on the verge of tears and Legolas knew this was a fragile moment. Before he could convince her even more her bright green eyes hardened and before Legolas knew it, his own bow was raised towards him.
“I know where my loyalties lie human.”
Legolas would not have thought it possible, but he saw his own death in those green orbs. Her eyes pieced his and he saw something. They became colder if possible, but not towards him. Was it doubt then?
Emlin took a step back away from both of the males and the bow came to rest between them.
“What are you doing?” Vocyn asked.
“As I said, I know where my loyalties lie. That loyalty has nothing to do with you though. How do you know so much about me?” she asked coldly.
“Malen has told me of course. This is not the first time we have worked together,” he answered matter of fact.
Emlin was about to question the thief more, but Legolas’ quite voice cut into the night.
“Malen? Not Malentuilinn of Mirkwood?” he whispered stunned.
“Idiot, you had to mention a name didn’t you!” Emlin cursed at the thief.
“Yes,” Vocyn answered ignoring her, “one of your own realm will be the undoing of Rivendell. Surprised? What better way to get close to a renowned healer than to be one of his patients? It was a beautiful plan wasn’t it?”
“Quiet thief!” Emlin hissed.
“She was poisoned and brought here just so she could do the same to the elf lord,” Vocyn smiled.
Legolas was too shocked to respond. One of his own people was the cause of this entire nightmare. What was worse was that it was someone he knew! Why? Why would she want to do this? And who was Laurelin really?
“I said silence human!” Emlin snapped.
“Alright! Just finish him and be done with it,” the thief said irritably.
“Quiet! I need to think.”
“About what?” Vocyn asked suspiciously.
“How to do it,” she snapped, “why do you not go and look for Elladan and do something useful?”
“I’m being dismissed? Is that?”
“I will do it, but I cannot with you hovering over me!”
Vocyn looked at the maid doubtfully and narrowed his eyes.
“Very well,” he said coolly, “but I will be back shortly. You can count on it. If the elf is still alive he won’t be for long.”
The thief cast one more glare at the elf maid before he disappeared into the night.
“Laurelin, I beseech you to listen to reason,” Legolas tried once again, “this will only end badly. You have already threatened the lives of two people and now everyone in this valley.”
As if to stress his point a fairly strong gust of wind rose above the constant blowing and they had to struggle to stay on their feet.
“This is madness,” he pleaded.
“Legolas is right,” a voice echoed down to her a second before Elladan dropped silently from the canopy.
Emlin quickly stepped back and brought the bow around.
“You heard everything then?” she asked.
Elladan nodded at the question.
“Is Elrohir in there as well?” Elladan asked indicating the cave.
It was Emlin’s turn to nod this time.
Legolas was a bit taken back. He did not know anything had happened to the other dark-haired elf.
Elladan had another question, one that he dreaded to ask.
“What did you do to him?”
“He is till alive,” she asked simply.
“That is not what I asked.”
“He was shot in the chest,” she would say no more.
Elladan nodded. That was all he needed to know anyway. How by the Valar were they to get his brothers out of there. Even if Laurelin helped there was no way the three of them could move those boulders alone.
“Now that Vocyn is gone, tell me,” Legolas broke in.
“What?” she asked.
“Tell me how you came to be with Malen and what happened to your parents.”
Elladan looked at her curiously also.
“It does not matter. Know that I will stay by her side no matter what happens and that makes us on opposite sides.”
“But you have been trying to help us the whole time. Surely there is yet some compassion in your heart. If this Malen has raised you then she has corrupted your thoughts. It is not your fault,” Elladan stated.
“Corrupted,” the she elf spat the word as she pulled the bowstring taunt, “she has not corrupted anything. She simply showed me the truth! How dare you accuse a person you know nothing about!”
“You could have killed me twice tonight and yet you did not. I do not believe you will fire now. I too wish to know why you blame my father for the death of your parents and what Malen has to do with it.”
“Because your father chose humans over his own kind. My entire family was slaughtered when the masses of orcs swept through my home. Had all the able fighters not been at Dagorlad so many of our people would not have died.”
“You cannot blame my father for the Dark Lord’s doing,” Elladan protested.
“I do not,” she said simply, “I blame him for his choice.”
“But that makes no sense. Sauron had to be stopped or we would live under his shadow still,” Legolas chimed in.
“He is right,” Elladan started, “many elves and men were lost, but the important thing was to stop the Dark Lord.”
“I am not so blind as to not know that, but why did our kin have to go defend the human’s kingdom. They could have made a stand at their own homes first, before rushing to help the humans.”
The maid in front of Elladan was becoming clearer by the minute. Centuries of being raised by someone bending the truth toward hatred had warped the maid views on the world. Vocyn was right about one thing. Emlin had been born the day Laurelin’s life was shattered and Malen took control over her. She had taken an innocent child and raised it for her own purposes. Malen had probably been sculpting Emlin since she was a small-frightened child with no parents. The whole situation made Elladan extremely angry with this Malen.
Emlin had still helped them though. She had warned them about the poison, passed over the chances to kill them, and now sent the thief away. Whether she knew it or not, a piece of Laurelin still existed in her. A shadow of the happy elven child of her past. The one question that came to his mind was: could she still be saved?
****************
“I am sorry Estel, but I must stop,” Elrohir admitted.
The strain of helping the ranger to walk had reopened his wound and he could feel it soaking through the bandage. He was already weak and now that he was losing more blood Elrohir felt light-headed. It had grown until he just could not go on without resting.
Elrohir and Aragorn slid down the rough wall to sit on the cold hard floor. Neither had the energy to talk, so they sat in silence.
Being in a cave hardly helped Elrohir’s condition either. The dark-haired elf remembered well his previous nightmarish experience in one. That had been with Estel also, he mused. How did he always get stuck in these places with the human? Elrohir let out a tired sigh. It was nice to finally sit down. He had not realized how tired he was before now. As the light-headedness past his exhaustion only grew.
Aragorn was struggling with his own inner turmoil. He absolutely refused to let the poison get the best of him without a fight. Every now and then he would still get confused about where he was and what he was doing, but he always remembered to keep fighting. His whole body throbbed painfully with its own rhythm and at times it almost brought tears to the young ranger’s eyes. The rhythm in a way helped to keep him alert. As soon as he began to drift a stab of pain would come along and wake him back up. The ranger welcomed the pain in those instances. He held onto every feeling he could. If he was in pain, it meant that he was still alive. His father had been brought down over the course of a half a day, at least they believed. If Laurelin had not poisoned him they really had no idea how long it took to affect him. That fact comforted the ranger. If Elrond could withstand it for more than a day, than he as a human might last out the rest of the night. All he needed was just enough time to find a cure for his father. Just enough time.
One of those violent surges hit now and the ranger bit his lip to keep from calling out. He clutched at his head and tried to breath normally until the searing pain backed down to its normal rhythm. He felt his muscles tense up and his jaw clenched down hard. After a pause, how long he didn’t know, it began to recede and Aragorn opened his eyes back up. It was then a thought came to him. On every one of the previous attacks his brother had comforted him through it. Unless he had gone deaf he had not heard anything from the elf.
Aragorn shook his head to get himself moving and turned to the elf sitting next to him. At a time like this Aragorn was glad Elrohir was an elf, for if he wasn’t it would be too dark to even find him, but as it was his brother gave off a convenient light for the human to see him by. Elrohir was leaning back against the wall in a similar position to the ranger. The elf’s head was resting on his chest and his dark hair hung like a midnight curtain across half of his face. From what he could see the elf’s eyes had drifted shut showing his utter exhaustion.
The sight snapped Aragorn’s mind into clarity and he was more focused than he had been a while. Idiot, he cursed himself. Never once since they had been in hear had he asked if Elrohir had been injured. The elf was unconscious when he found him, so something must have happened. And of all things, it had been the elf that needed to take a rest. Why did he not notice before?
“Elrohir,” the ranger said with a rough voice.
The elf did not move. Aragorn felt his pulse pick up. What should he do?! Stay calm, he ordered himself. He was practiced in healing so why was he terrified now?
“Elrohir!” he called more urgently placing a hand on the elf’s shoulder.
They elf’s eyes opened slightly and he looked blinked a few times.
“I am sorry Estel. I must have dozed off.”
Even Aragorn’s dull mind could hear the problem with that phrase. Elves didn’t ‘doze off.’
Elrohir looked at the human with slightly glassy eyes and tried to push himself up so he was sitting strait. The move only caused him to knock into the wall slightly and he hissed at the pain the jolt caused.
Now Aragorn knew something was definitely wrong with the elf.
“What is it?”
Elrohir gave up trying to find a comfortable position and looked over at the human. Aragorn was practically hovering in front of him now. He supposed he really should tell the anger about his injury. He could no longer hide it and the human had an annoying way of noticing such things.
“I was shot in the chest by Laurelin,” the elf said quietly.
The elf sighed again and leaned his head back against the wall. A bad idea he realized a moment later as he felt his eyes drifting shut again.
Aragorn noticed this as well. He pushed his mind to stay clear. Please, he pleaded with himself. He had to remember his teachings. Taking care of injuries had always seemed like a second nature to him and now he was too dull witted to remember any of it.
“Come on. Stay awake brother,” Aragorn said shaking the elf gently.
Elrohir pushed his eyes open again and tried to nod to the ranger. Everything was so dark and oppressive in the tunnel and all the elf wanted to do was lay down and sleep. They needed to get out of here.
Once Aragorn saw his brother’s eyes open again he took the hand he had placed on the elf’s shoulder and ran it down until he felt the damp dressing. His brother was bleeding again and quite a bit.
“The wound needs redressed.”
“We do not have the time Estel.”
“It will do no good if you bleed to death while trying to get out of here. Please brother,” Aragorn pleaded.
Normally he would simply force the elf to be tended whether he wanted to or not, but now he did not have the will.
It had been a very long time since Aragorn had said please and simply asked him to bandage an injury and something about the situation struck Elrohir. The boy was tired, in pain, and slightly confused and the elf knew the thought of being alone right now terrified the ranger. He grabbed the ranger’s hand still touching his chest and gave it a reassuring squeeze. (Get your mind out of the gutter you perverts, they’re brothers! Okay, so I just thought of it as well, but that is not how it is meant to be ;))
“Alright Estel, but we must be quick.”
****************
On the eastern border of the valley of Imladris two riders paused before coming down the mountain trails out of the Misty Mountains. In the view below the forest surrounding Rivendell could be seen, but barely. Heavy clouds were beginning to build over the valley and even this high up the winds were apparent and tussled the ends of the two maids’ hair.
“Sweet Eru,” Arwen whispered at the scene.
The Lady of the Golden Wood sat calmly on her white stallion and looked thoughtfully down at the scene below. She could feel the mayhem, tension, and unrest from this height. It was apparent that the treachery had already done much damage to the valley, but it was something that could be tended. Provided Rivendell had a leader left to tend it. Gandalf would undoubtedly know she was here, but hopefully no one else would find out. She just hoped their combined strength could save her son-in-law. Galadriel turned her head to glance at her granddaughter. For her sake and for her grandsons she hoped the same thing as well.
The two maids rode without the escort of guards. They were not overly worried about being attacked for riding with the aid of Galadriel’s magic nothing could have possible caught them. And anyone who saw the cold glimmer in the Lady’s eyes for the ones responsible would have backed away immediately under the glare.
“Come Arwen, we are almost there.”
Arwen nodded to her grandmother and the two maids set off with all possible haste down the mountain pass.
***************
For the first time in many years Glorfindel was becoming restless. He took to pacing around Elrond’s bedroom. He knew it was unbecoming of an elf lord, but it pained him dearly to see his friend suffer so.
Gandalf looked up at the rapidly growing distraught elf and furrowed his brows.
“Master elf, you shall wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up. You might even make it down far enough to find Elrond’s usual path,” Gandalf said lightly.
Glorfindel gave a ghost of a smile to Gandalf.
“And to think I chide Elrond for doing this,” the golden-haired elf responded.
The two friends’ eyes meet and they shared a genuine smile. Gandalf’s attention was ripped away as he turned his head to the window. He looked sharply back at Glorfindel who was looking curiously at the wizard.
Galadriel is very close; Gandalf’s thoughts came into Glorfindel’s mind.
Can she help?
I do not know my friend, perhaps.
At least it is some hope.
Gandalf nodded in agreement and was quiet once more.
*************
It was late, but like everyone in Rivendell Celaviel would find no sleep tonight. All now knew of their Lord’s struggle and had been warned to stay inside for their own safety. Every once in a while the winds outside would pick up enough to make the building groan or something would hit one of the delicate windows, windows that were not made to withstand such harshness from nature. Already, on two separate occasions something had flown into one of the windows and broke them flinging shards at the elves inside. So, everyone was to stay clear of the windows now as well.
The healer was still in denial about Laurelin having anything to do with this dreadful event. She just could not see the girl having the hatred required inside her. Another maid she was thinking about now was Malentuilinn. The maid had not been in the healing wind the last time she had checked. That alone did not mean anything. She could just have been visiting someone. Upon further inquiry though no one had seen the maid in awhile and the healer was on her way to see if she was back in the wing.
Celaviel walked into the room and to her dismay the maid was still not there. Where could she be? Normally the healer would be worried over the maid, what if she had passed out, gotten sick, or any number of worries. During this confusing time, though, Celaviel was suspicious. It could just be coincidence that Lord Elrond had gotten ill soon after Malen had gotten better, but… She should really tell Lord Glorfindel or Mithrandir about this. If it was nothing this would just be an annoyance for the two already stressed beings to worry about. They had not even been here when Malen arrived and on top of that Prince Legolas knew the maid and had not said any ill words against her. Still, she made up her mind. She would let them know about it. Celaviel turned around in the doorway, dress swirling around her, and headed out of the room.
***************
Elrohir pushed his tired body up using the wall for support. He knew he would feel much better out of the gloom. The dark memories he had from his prior experience threatened to steal what strength he could muster. He had almost died in that cave in, but he had made it out and he would make it now.
“Here,” Aragorn offered to help the elf away from the wall.
Elrohir chuckled to himself.
“You can barely stand either and you wish to help me walk? Really Estel, have you no wits?” the elf said with a light laugh.
The ranger ‘harrumphed’ the elf and, using the wall as well, started walking in front of Elrohir. The ranger was not mad, but he had to keep up appearances. The elf smiled to himself at the human’s stubbornness and followed suit.
**************
“Elrohir! Estel! Answer me! What are you doing in there?” Elladan shouted outside the cave entrance.
He was beginning to shout his self hoarse and finally gave up. Laurelin had not stopped him, but she did not move either. She still stood menacingly nearby with Legolas’ bow.
“Maybe there is another way out and they beyond hearing range,” Legolas suggested.
“Perhaps,” Elladan muttered.
He desperately hoped that was what it was and that they were not under the rock pile. The thought made Elladan shudder and he shook his head to clear the thought. What should they do now?
“Laurelin please help us. We need that antidote. Already we must choose who to give it to,” Elladan asked quietly.
“I am sorry it came out like this. I do not even now what to believe anymore. Malen has taken good care of me over the years, but what you say makes sense also.”
“Then side with neither,” Legolas suggested.
“Yes, help us both. Help Legolas and I get the antidote and help Malen by trying to talk reason to her. She might listen to you. Whatever fuels her hatred of my father can be dealt with differently. It need not be solved by all this heart-ache,” Elladan said moving closer to the maid.
“I do not know if she will listen to me,” Laurelin said more to herself.
“If she cares for you as much as you say than she will listen.”
As they spoke Elladan slowly made his way towards the maid and her raised bow. She did not turn it away from the dark-haired elf, but she did not fire. He made his way to stand directly in front of the arrow point and Legolas silently sucked in his breath.
“Vengeance can only breed more suffering. You will get yourself locked into a never ending circle of pain and suffering and nothing will be able to break you free. You can stop the process now and all you need do is talk to her.”
Laurelin looked the dark-haired elf in the eyes and he could see her internal struggle.
The past and the present were struggling for control. Imagines of her parents came unbidden to her and she saw them smiling serenely back at her. The happy memory was soon replaced by having to watch how sad her mother had gotten when her father went off to war, which blended with horrifying memories of her mother’s screams as she died defending her child. The heart stopping terror as she saw the orc coming for her, the sight and the smell of blood, orc and elven, smeared all over the ground. Being told her father was never coming back for her and crying in Malen’s warm embrace until she could not cry anymore. Elladan was right. Why did the pain have to keep going? Why?
Laurelin focus back on Elladan and looked hard at him.
“You are right, this should end here. Alright, I will try to talk to her and I will get you the antidote, but I say again no matter what happens I will not abandon Malen. If that brings us at odds again, so be it.”
“Fair enough,” Elladan responded.
Laurelin lowered the bow and Legolas, and Elladan, let out a sigh of relief. Legolas walked up beside Elladan.
“And you scold Estel for doing brash things,” Legolas commented, “no wonder he turned out so.”
Elladan simply huffed at the prince and a slight smiled tugged at the edges of Laurelin’s mouth.
**************
A soft knock at the door brought Glorfindel and Gandalf out of their thoughts. One of the servant girls poked her head in the door.
“Sorry to disturb you my lords. There is a maiden waiting in the front hall for you Lord Glorfindel. Shall I tell her you are indisposed?”
“No, Elerinna, thank you. I will see to her.”
The girl bowed her head and left the room. Gandalf looked up at the elf standing next to him.
“You know that Elerinna knows every elf who resides in Rivendell,” Gandalf commented.
“Yes,” the elf replied nodding his head.
The golden-haired elf moved to the doorway and left the room without looking back. He walked down Rivendell’s empty hallways towards the front door. Who could possible be here that the servant did not know? It could not be Galadriel for Elerinna knew the Lady of Lothlorien also.
Glorfindel walked into the front hall and froze. The golden-haired elf that was renowned for his steadfast, calm composure in all situations went pallid and his breath caught in his throat.
“Malentuilinn…” he breathed barely above a whisper.
“Glorfindel,” the maid said in way of greeting.
“How?” he stuttered.
“It’s been a long time has it not?” she asked casually.
Glorfindel regained some of his composure and swallowed hard. Forcing his body to work again he spoke.
“How can this be? You died a long time ago. I watched you fall.”