Téci melméva or love letters

Chapter twelve Fearful hours

Elrond rushed inside Elladan’s room and carefully placed the lithe body on the bed. His eyes were grim with detnatination and his mouth only stopped uttering curses to give orders.

The soldiers ran in almost immediately, arms filled with firewood. One of them tended to the fire whilst the other two rushed out to get more.

Elladan looked on with fearful eyes and it mellowed the lord down. He beckoned him closer. “I know not why he did it, Elladan, but I can only bless Lorien for giving me the dream. I remember it vividly now. I watched him write that letter and then sit down and wait for death. I just couldn’t remember it.”
Elladan smiled and some tears left his eyes. “Is he…?”
Elrond shrugged. “I don’t know, Elladan. Right now I cannot even tell if he’s strong enough to survive a binding process.” He held him close. “The only thing you can do right now is hold him close, share your warmth and talk to him. Tell him to come back to you.”

Elladan sighed and nodded. He carefully slid in between the sheets and pulled the other closer to himself. He hissed. The body felt icy to the touch. “He’s so cold.”
Elrond nodded. “I know. That’s why we need as much heat as we can.”

He smiled at the soldier, who started to sweat so close to the fire he was still firing up. “When your comrades come back, have one of them fetch hot water bottles.”
The soldier nodded and cocked his head. “Maybe we should move the bed closer to the fire, my Lord?”
Elrond frowned and nodd“Aye“Aye, that is a sound idea, but we need more hands than we presently have.”

Elrohir burst into the room, cursing when he tripped over a blanket again. “Here, I couldn’t carry more. I can get more if you need them.”
Elrond smiled and helped his son cover Ereineldo in the blankets.
Elladan blew in his face. “If he wasn’t so cold, I would be swimming in my own sweat soon.”
Elrohir smiled at him and his heart ached at the lost and lonely expression in his twin’s orbs. “Now don’t you give up on him, Elladan. Be stubborn. You have to fight.”
Elladan nodded but his fear and pain didn’t leave. “I just don’t understand why he did thihy dhy does he want to leave me? I don’t understand.” He no longer could withhold his tears and they flew freely as he clutched the other close.

Elrond pulled Elrohir close, sensing his youngest son’s inner turmoil. He turned when he heard two loud gasps from the door and smiled at his lover and his seneschal. Theyked ked closer, Glorfindel leaning on Erestor, who held the pouches.
Elrond wordlessly grabbed them. “Elrohir, you know how to prepare some of these herbs.” He handed them over and watched Elrohir prepare them.

He walked to the fire and handed a soft yellow pouch to the soldier. “Add some of this to the fire.”
The soldier nodded and carefully added the dried herbs, jumping back when there was a sudden surge. It died soon and then a kind of fume came from the fire, drifting to fill the room.
Elrond smiled reassuringly. “It will make us rather dizzy and maybe give us a headache, but it will strengthen Ereineldo. And when the soldiers return we can move the bed closer to the fire.”
Elladan made to get out to help but grabbed his head and groaned. “It’s potent stuff. I can already feel it.” He groaned again and lowered himself on the bed.
Elrond smiled. “Which is why we have to wait for the others to return before we can move you.”

He smiled when the warriors entered, their arms filled with more logs.
One of them grinned. “Some others went out into theds, ds, to see if thouldould find loogs ogs and such. And many elves have offered their logs if these are through. This fire will be high for a long time, if needed.”
Elrond smiled gratefully. It warmed him to know there was such a tight bond between his subjects. “Now please help us move the bed closer to the fire. And Elladan, do not remove the blankets from Ereineldo. If you get warm go on top, but do not remove them.”
Elladan nodded, already swimming. His tear-filled eyes were settled on Ereineldo’s chest in fear. With each breath the other took Elladan held his own, fearing it was the last one.

When the bed was moved the soldiers were reluctant to leave.
Glorfindel understood their desire to aid and ed. ed. “Looking for some orders? Well, there needs to be food, warm liquids too; one of you can make sure it arrives. We’re eating here, I wager. And also search Ereineldo’s rooms for clues, anything.”
He smiled at the eldest soldier. “And you, go to all others and find out if he talked to them. Find out how he was, acted and so on.”
The soldiers nodded, happy with the occupation. They could not go home.
Glorfindel held them back. “And when you return you will guard this door. Or better: the corridor. No one is allowed entrée.”
The soldiers nodded and rushed away.

Elrond sighed and locked eyes with Elladan. “Do you want us to leave?”
Elladan shook his head.
Elrohir smiled and started dragging in some more chairs from his room until there were four in total.

Elladan could not help grinning when he saw Elrohir pull Glorfindel in his lap and seeing the blond actually allow it. He laid his head on Ereineldo’s chest. “Ván fir! Ván! Mauran ellën. Ettulat. Ettulat nin. Ván auta nin. Ván. Manna?” He kept repeating it until he had no more voice. The room had long faded and all that mattered to him was the too slow beat of his beloved’s heart.

Elrond leaned against Erestor for strength. He knew, even if he didn’t voice it yet, that Elladan would follow Ereineldo into death. If the servant died, so did Elladan. And if Elladan died, Elrohir would slowly fade as well, no matter he now had the blond. Their relationship wasn’t strong enough to yet to fight such a tragedy. He sighed and fell into a dreamless slumber, lured into it by Erestor’s soothing hands on his back.

Glorfindel too had managed to lure Elrohir into sleep and he smiled sadly at Erestor. Understanding met understanding and they sighed as they both prayed to the Valar to save the elf. To Mandos to deny him and sent him back.

Glorfindel’s eyes settled on the door that cracked open and his senses calmed down when he saw the soldiers silently and carefully walk inside. Two immediately took position near the door and one of them attended to the fire before approaching the seneschal.

“We found nothing but Lord Elladan in his room, sir.” Glorfindel frowned and the soldier sighed, realising he had to voice it differently. “Images, carvings and such, all resembling Lord Elladan. It appears he loved the lord form the beginning, sir.”
Glorfindel nodded and silently motioned for the other to continue.
The soldier sighed and the seneschal mentally braced himself for bad news, recognising the sign. “From what we’ve heard he’s got a very low self-esteem. He must think Elladan to act out of pity.” He smiled sadly. “We’ve found one small letter in his room, though, addressed to Lord Elladan. We think it’s a suicide note.”
Glorfindel closed his eyes. He didn’t want to open it and yet he did, needing to know whether or not Elladan would be able to handl. “A. “Anything else?”
The soldier nodded. “Aye, nobody suspected a thing, but we now do have a chief domestics with a guilt trip, sir. Now that he knows he’s sure Ereineldo had this plan when he asked for time off. In fact, both of us are sure he only asked for time off to prevent any rescue attempts.”

Glorfindel groaned and instantly regretted the action for it woke the slumbering Elrohir up, who instantly looked troubled and worried. He hushed him before he could speak and smiled bitterly. “He hasn’t worsened.” /But he also isn’t any better. And the longer he stays like the this, the more our chances dim./
Elrohir yawned and his eyes returned to their unfocused state, lured both by Glorfindel and the fumes.

The seneschal held the soldier back when he wanted to leave. “Would you please make sure the counsellors know we are indisposed for a while?” He shois his head. “Better yet, bring me quill and paper. I will write a letter for my second in command; he’s been begging for some time to prove himself anyway. And I will ask Erestor to write one to the counsellors. If you would make sure they arrive?”
The soldier nodded. “The cook asked if she could makes some strange recipes. She states they are his favourites.”
Glorfindel nodded. “Aye, but he cannot eat them now. But it is a nice thought.”
The soldier nodded and left to retrieve the paper and quill. The other two left as well and went to take up their places in the corridor. Some more soldiers had come. When off duty they all would come here and guard their lords.

TBC

Translation: fir fir! Ván! Mauran ellën. Ettulat. Ettulat nin. Ván auta nin. Ván. Manna? Means : You can’t die. You can’t. I need you. Come back. Come back to me. You can’t leave me. You can’t. why?

AN:
Don't worry, it will all turn out right. I just love happy endings. As you might already know.