The Jewel of Mirkwood

Chapter 128

The ground was sodden below their feet, the weeks of rain turning the grassland into a quagmire. The smell was a putrid mix of orc filth and decaying grass, and most of Elrond’s party covered their faces with their cloaks in order to breathe easier as they approached. It had taken them two weeks to reach the plains and the degradation of the land grew worse the closer they drew to the battlefield. Bodies, both rotting and fresh had littered their path through the valley testament to the months that the elves had held the boarders of Rivendell from the orc attacks. Now however as they rode swift across the plains in the pouring rain did Elrond realise the true extent of what was to come. Just as the tales had said a black mass was camped on the far side of the plains, the orcs taking refuge in the shadows of the mountains. The black smoke from their fires curled up into the sky turning the raindrops into sticky blobs.

As predicted Glorfindel had made strategic plans for the placement of the elves own encampment. Without the mountains as rear protection Glorfindel had ensured that their encampment clung to the edges of the forest to the north of the plains. With the trees not strong enough to hold talons in this part of the forest the elves had been forced to settle on the muddy floor under canvas.

Approaching the encampment Elrond was saddened by what he saw. Elves unrecognisable beneath the filth and mud stood guard in the trees ever watchful for the orcs who potentially could sweep across the plain and attack at any moment. Others sharpened swords, and re strung bows, while more still tended the injured within the small canvas huts that were further into the protection of the woodland area. Above the rain not a single conversation could be heard, the stagnant silence a sure sign that moral among the ranks was wavering. Sighing heavily Elrond called the company to a halt before dismissing the ranks to Elrohir’s instruction. Although weary, tired and wet Elrond managed a smile for Filgree who approached with a happy bounce in his step.

“You are a most welcome sight my Lord Elrond. I pray that you bring with you some good news for us.” Filgree held Elrond’s horse still as the elvan lord lowered himself to the ground a little stiff from the days of riding. Elrond chose not to answer the tutor’s question and merely clasped Filgree’s hand in a warriors greeting ignoring the dirtied bandages, festering cuts and bruises upon the dark haired elf’s hands and body.

“It is good to see you to Filgree, where is Lord Glorfindel and Lord Erestor?” Elrond swallowed hard as he realised how desperate he sounded when speaking Erestor’s name. From the messages nothing had been spoken of about Erestor and while Elrond knew his lover was still alive he did not know his condition of health. Filgree chose not to acknowledge Elrond’s desperate words and merely smiled warmly as he gestured to a canvas hut near the rear of the encampment. “If you please Filgree, help Elrohir organise the company, change the guard with fresh soldiers and have the healers start tending the wounded.” Filgree nodded and bowed low to his Lord before turning and wandering off towards where Elrohir was barking orders out to the party that had just arrived.

Wiping the rain from his face Elrond strode confidently towards the canvas hut that Filgree had indicated to, trying to steel his composure for seeing what state his friends were in. Elrond paused momentarily outside the flaps of the tent listening as he heard Glorfindel discussing some tactical matters with his captains in Quenya. Drawing a hardening breath Elrond confidently pulled back the flaps of the tent and stepped in out of the rain.

“My Lord you are here at last.” Elrond managed to smile at the gathered group of elves in the tent even though he was shocked at seeing their appearance. The captains bowed respectfully to Elrond as Glorfindel embraced his friend and Lord with a hug. “Your coming has been timed well.” Glorfindel stepped back from Elrond who held him at arms length and surveyed the damage. Apart from being dirty, wet and somewhat bloodied with cuts and bruises Glorfindel seemed unharmed. A particular bandage on the seneschal’s upper shoulder had Elrond frown in concern but Glorfindel merely shrugged it off as nothing major, which satisfied the Lord for the moment.

Seeing movement behind Glorfindel Elrond glanced over his seneschal’s shoulder and gasped as he saw Erestor stand from his seat by the map covered table. Erestor looked unnaturally pale, his face covered in dirt smudges and bloodied cuts. The sleek black hair Elrond loved about his companion was twisted into knots, the warrior’s braids having turned into a wet tangled mess. Elrond had never seen his advisor look so different, as if he was not the same elf Elrond had seen leave. Cautious that the argument they had had was still not resolved Elrond moved around Glorfindel and extended his hand in a warriors greeting to Erestor. For a moment Erestor merely stood stoically staring into Elrond’s eyes unmoving and silent. When Elrond thought that Erestor was not going to take his hand the Lord slowly lowered it in regret, thinking their rift had not been mended with time apart. However before Elrond could turn back to Glorfindel a body came crashing into his sending Elrond stumbling back a few paces in shock. In his arms was a shivering wet Erestor, the advisors arms wrapped so tightly around Elrond’s body the Lord found it difficult to breath. After the initial shock Elrond returned the hug nuzzling his nose into the dirty locks of his lover and finding the unmistakable scent of Erestor beneath the grime.

Uncaring of the world around them Elrond distantly heard Glorfindel dismissing the captains from the tent leaving just the three of them alone.

”I have missed you my love.” Elrond whispered softly in Quenya against Erestor’s forehead before the pair locked lips in a passionate kiss. After a long moment of silence the pair finally drew apart as Glorfindel cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Let me look at you, are you all in one piece?” Smiling at Glorfindel apologetically over his shoulder Elrond pushed Erestor away from him a little to survey the other elf just as he had done his seneschal a moment before. Like Glorfindel, Erestor sported minor cuts and bruises everywhere but it was the thick bandage that encased the advisors left hand that made Elrond frown in concern. “What is this?” Erestor winced and pulled his hand sharply away from Elrond’s grasp as the healer attempted to inspect the haphazard bandage.

“It is nothing…” Erestor trailed off as Glorfindel tutted loudly at his side almost grabbing Erestor’s bandaged hand and placing it into the gentle ones of Lord Elrond.

“He has lost his middle finger.” Erestor yelped in agony as Elrond began to slowly unravel the layers of bandages that had been wrapped around his lover’s hand as Glorfindel continued to hold Erestor’s hand still in a firm grip at the wrist. “He got it caught in the armour of an orc and it was completely torn off but for a few tendons. We were under heavy attack and I had no choice but to take it off completely so he could continue to defend himself.” Glorfindel looked sympathetically at both Erestor and Elrond, having remembered the scream that Erestor had let out when Glorfindel had taken the rest of his finger off in the middle of the battlefield. Elrond nodded understandingly as he took the last of the blood soaked bandages from Erestor’s hand exposing the still bleeding stump where Erestor’s middle finger had once been. Judging from Erestor’s erratic breathing the advisor was trying not to cry out in pain and Glorfindel sympathetically held his friend close to his body as Elrond began inspecting the wound.

“Thankfully it has been cleanly cut away and the rain seems to have staved off infection but I will have to stitch the wound together or it will not heal on it’s own.” Elrond looked sadly up at his lover and gently soothed a hand across Erestor’s forehead where it was creased in agony. Erestor had gone even paler than before and worried that his lover was going to collapse instructed Glorfindel to lie him down on the small camp bed in the corner of the tent. “I will stitch and clean it now then you can tell me everything that has happened while Erestor rests.” Glorfindel nodded understandingly and watched as Elrond disappeared from the tent, retuning a short while later with two guard captains and another healer that carried the necessary implements to stitch Erestor’s wound. “I will not risk giving him anything for the pain, it dulls the senses and would make him defenceless if we are attacked. You will have to restrain him while I do it.” Glorfindel sighed heavily as Erestor looked up at them in fear, his injured hand already beginning to shake violently.

“Sit on him.” Glorfindel rose from Erestor’s side and watched as the two big guards sat promptly down upon Erestor’s body at his command, stilling him as he began to struggle and protest. Sympathetically Glorfinsmilsmiled at Erestor before taking a firm hold of the advisor’s arm and holding it completely still as Elrond and his helper began to work.

Erestor’s screams of agony would have woken the dead had the advisor not passed out after the first two stitches were pulled through. With his body limp beneath his captors the guards reluctantly stood up allowing Elrond to work more swiftly with no struggling lover. Just in case the advisor woke again Glorfindel held Erestor’s arm still until the final stitch was through and Elrond had cleaned and re-bound the injury. After applying a waterproofing plant gel to the bandage Elrond turned Erestor’s limp body over onto his side and pulled a blanket over his sleeping lover. Satisfied with the outcome Elrond left his healing aid to clean the mess before he wandered over to where Glorfindel was sharing a cup of herbal tea with one of his captains around the table full of maps.

“He will sleep now and the pain should lessen enough for him to defend himself should he need to.” Elrond gratefully accepted a cup of the herbal tea before turning seriously towards his seneschal. “What news is there Glorfindel?” Glorfindel sighed and moved over to the maps his dirtied hand pointing out serval places of interest as he spoke.
“The orcs are massing here across the plain.” Glorfindel pointed to the map before continuing. “While there are still many 1000’s of them there is not as many as we first thought. Our campaigns at the boarders have slayed many of them and we are sending singular parties out in the cover of darkness to take out some of the unsuspecting patrols but we are still outnumbered despite our best efforts.” Elrond nodded understandingly as Glorfindel continued to point to the map. “We have a camp hidden here in the hills to the east and another hidden camp in the forest to the west. Should an attack come we have an element of surprise from these two parties but they are too few in number to make much difference. We are in need of more warriors Elrond.” Again Elrond nodded but sighed heavily as glanced cautiously up at Glorfindel from the maps.

“What of Lorien and Mirkwood? Have you heard from them?” Elrond dreaded asking the question but knew it had to be done. Sadly Glorfindel shook his head and pointed to an unmarked path leading into the mountains upon the map.

“We have received no word as yet but we are still holding on to hope. A small party of Lorien warriors were spotted crossing the mountain pass a few weeks ago heading towards Mirkwood but they did not pass us and have not returned since.” Elrond sighed heavily and silently cursed the stubbornness of the last alliance; it’s effects still being felt even now nearly 400 years after the event. “There is still time yet for them to come, the spies say the orcs are still disorganised and while they are preparing for war it is at a much slower pace than previously thought.” Holding onto Glorfindel’s hope Elrond smiled weakly before turning to where Erestor was beginning to toss and turn in his sleep restlessly.

“Very well we will stick to this plan of surprise it seems well founded and may just give us the edge we need. I am sure you have duties to attend to, I will stay with Erestor for a little while before joining you to help with organization.” Glorfindel smiled proudly glad that Elrond approved of his plan even though the odds were slim that it would work. The seneschal watched as Elrond approached his lover gently soothing his hand across Erestor’s face almost instantly calming the restless elf. Although he had been dismissed Glorfindel hesitated in the tent as he watched Elrond grace Erestor’s lips with a kiss. Since Elrond’s arrival Glorfindel had desperately wanted to ask after his own lover but had held his tongue fearing that Elrond would not deem it important enough to discuss. Now however Glorfindel just had to know how Legolas was, having not seen his lover for more than seven months.

“My Lord………” Glorfindel trailed off as Elrond glanced over his shoulder pointedly at the seneschal who now stood nervously behind the table avoiding Elrond’s gaze. “May I enquire after Legolas my Lord?” Glorfindel shuffled his feet again avoiding eye contact as Elrond stared at him sadly.

“He was well when I left him Glorfindel. His stomach has swollen considerably and he waddles as a duck would do, quite ungracious it makes you laugh.” Glorfindel smiled brightly at hearing the news but as Elrond’s smile faded so did Glorfindel’s. “As he himself predicted it seems the babe will not be born until the end of Autumn and when I left him his chest had already begun to fill a sure sign it was nearly time.” Glorfindel nodded understandingly still feeling there was more being unsaid.

“Lindar is to deliver my child then?” Glorfindel questioned cautiously as he watched Elrond continue to sooth Erestor’s torment.

“Nay he does not have the skill to do so.” Glorfindel frowned concerned as he realised all those with the ability to deliver a baby to a male elf were now here in the battlefield. Sensing Glorfindel’s panic Elrond continued sharply. “He has set out from Rivendell after Mithrandir who is making for the dwarves in the mountains. With luck he will find the Istari befor is is time…..” Glorfindel was almost fuming in anger of what Elrond had made Legolas do and was about to shout at the Elvan Lord when Elrond silenced him with a stern wave of his hand. “You know as well as I do Glorfindel that our chances in this war are slim, if we fail it will take only a few days for Rivendell to be overrun. Legolas and your child would face a fate worse than death at the hands of the orcs and that is why I have sent him after Mithrandir.” Elrond paused and watched as reality settled in Glorfindel making the seneschal calm down. “If we succeed you will go after him if not the dwarves and Mithrandir will ensure his safety and that of your child.” Finding wisdom in the words of his Lord, Glorfindel finally nodded in understanding before turning sadly to leave the tent. Glorfindel had hardly moved when Elrond called him to a halt. Looking back over his shoulder Glorfindel watched as Elrond smiled warmly, a sense of hope filling his gaze. “There is still hope Glorfindel and let the desire to gaze into the face of your child for the first time drive that hope in your heart.” Glorfindel smiled weakly back at Lord Elrond before taking a deep breath and striding into the rain again a new determination driving his soul. Even if he had to kill every orc in this war single handily Glorfindel was determined to hold Legolas in his arms again and smile into the face of his heir….

(A/N) Again sorry it's only one chapter I'm at work today which sucks so I'll have an update on Friday for you hopefully. Thank-you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the replies I can't tell you how much it means to me that so many of you are enjoying this story and for all of you who've stuck by me with this story, it is dedicated to you, cause it wouldn't be possible without such a receptive audience as you've all been.

Thank-you soooooooo much and I promise the ending is gonna have you covered by piles of tissues and blubbering like children.

Your Dedicated Story Teller

RIFF RAFF