Tears of the Valar.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Original Characters and their adventures. Everything else belongs to JRR Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate, New Line Cinema/Peter Jackson, et. al. This was done purely for entertainment and as an exercise in creativity.
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“The creatures do not seem to be aware of us,” Orophin told Naveradir quietly as they followed the path of the dark beasts that had taken Erestor. They had been traveling for several days, keeping sight of the winged beasts that paused from time to time to rest and eat. They were gradually closing in on the beings and their prey, though almost every day they lost part of the ground they had gained because the creatures flew for some distance before stopping and running quickly along the ground.

“Unaware or unconcerned,” Naveradir replied. “Surely they can smell or sense us.”

“One would imagine so, but they seem not to care if they do.” Orophin did not like leaving the others, but he could not let Erestor be taken without following. They were leaving a trail for the others to follow when they had delivered the wounded to some place where they would be safe.

They were too far to see how Erestor fared, but he did not seem to be moving and both feared he might have passed on to Mandos, though the creatures seemed to be taking care that he was not damaged too much. Indeed, they carried him almost tenderly.

The two ellyn and their mounts were given only a brief respite before the creatures were on the move again and they were forced to follow. Each hoped Erestor still lived, but if he did not, at least he would be spared the tortures of Lastharos.

The Elves were operating on diminished sleep and nourishment, but could not afford to lose track of the beasts and their burden. After another two weeks, they saw, in the distance, a large city, larger than Minas Tirith or any of the others in the western lands. It was surrounded by a wide sandy desert then high walls, blindingly white in the sunlight. This place seemed to be the destination of the dark creatures and Erestor.

“We cannot approach the city during the daylight; we will be seen for certain,” Naveradir told his companion. “We must either wait for a caravan to enter the city and join in with them or see what darkness brings.”

“I do not wish to wait long,” Orophin replied. “Only the Valar know what Lastharos is doing to him.”

The Rhunian Elf glanced at his young friend with sympathy. “I suppose one of us could get himself captured in order to get inside of Lastharos’ prison in hopes of finding Erestor.”

Orophin shook his head. “That option is not acceptable. We can only hope Erestor will be able to survive until we can get to him. In the meantime, let us see what lies in these hills surrounding the city. Perhaps we can find another way in if we circle it and view it from all vantage points.

“Very good,” Naveradir answered with a smile.

He and Orophin crept soundlessly through the terrain circling the vast desert that surrounded what seemed to be the Khandun seat of power. They left their mounts in a shaded glade and bid them remain there until called for. There was water from a small stream there, but that luxury soon faded as they went back into the mountains surrounding the city. For the most part, the land appeared harsh and lifeless. Occasionally, the dark winged beasts of Lastharos would pass overhead and they would take cover among the rocks and few trees, but otherwise, they saw few other living creatures.

They started down a steep incline one day after another week of fruitlessly searching for an entrance to the city that afforded them cover and were forced to move further away from sight of the city in order to find adequate footholds. Suddenly, Orophin stopped and held up his hand. He and Naveradir listened carefully, eventually hearing the faintest sound of footsteps on the ground, pebbles occasionally moving as someone crept slowly along the rocks.

Both Elves drew their swords and prepared to defend themselves. Their reflexes stopped them from attacking as a large, black and tan hound came into view and stopped, gazing at them with soft brown eyes. It tilted its head and sniffed the two strange creatures standing before it, then its tail began to wag slowly.

Orophin and Naveradir chuckled softly and the Lorien Elf reached out, allowing the dog to smell his hand before scratching the large head, just behind the ears, a place he knew Alexandra and Legolas’ dogs, Dexter and Dita, loved to be rubbed. While Alexandra’s dogs were spaniels, and rather small, this hound’s head reached almost to Orophin’s waist and its body was sturdy and obviously powerful.

Naveradir crouched and looked the dog in the eye.

“Where did you come from, my friend? And where are you bound?” His hand stroked the dog’s smooth hair over muscled shoulders and back and he looked up at Orophin. “He seems to be well fed so there must be food and water near here or else he has not been out here for long.”

Orophin nodded. “Indeed, he appears to be quite a happy, healthy creature.”

The dog, sensing he was the topic of discussion, alternately licked Naveradir’s chin and Orophin’s fingers, all the while keeping up his increasingly faster tail-wagging. He had not barked and the Elves were grateful; they did not need further attention called to their presence.

“Well, my handsome friend, we must be on our way. I hope your travels are fruitful,” Orophin told the dog as he and Naveradir began to cross over to the next hill they must climb, moving back into sight of the city. The dog looked at them with sad eyes as they walked away and a low whine emerged from his throat.

Naveradir looked back at the dog whose tail began to wag faster when the Elf’s gaze fell upon him.

“I believe he is lonely,” the Rhunian ancient commented.

“We cannot take him with us,” Orophin replied as he also looked back at the hopeful beast.

Naveradir shook his head sadly, then turned back to negotiate the rough terrain. They traveled for a good bit, finally seeing the walls of the city shimmering in the distance. They had noticed that even at night, the city seemed to glow, the white walls reflecting the starlight. As they wound their way through the rocks and hills, Orophin once more paused. He and Naveradir both looked back and saw the dog following them at a distance.

When the two Elves stopped, the dog finished clambering over one of the piles of boulders then stood, looking at them hopefully, his tail hanging down, just the tip of it wagging uncertainly.

Naveradir met Orophin’s gaze and smiled. “He seems determined to accompany us.”

The blonde ellon looked back to the dog and shook his head. “Very well. I cannot resist him in any case. I would feel too guilty.”

Naveradir smiled and turned back to the dog giving a soft whistle and holding out his hand, palm up.

The dog’s tail began to wag happily and he bounded over to the ellyn, licking their hands, standing on his hind legs and covering Orophin’s face with dog kisses. Then turning his attention to Naveradir, the dog leaned his head and body back against the dark-haired Elf, almost knocking him down in his enthusiasm.

The ellyn laughed and finally the dog settled down and began to trot along behind them, content, it seemed, just to be in their company.

“What do you suppose his name is?” Orophin mused as they made their way around the encircling hills.

“I do not know. But we should call him something.”

“Well, Huan was Luthien’s companion and he was a hound,” Orophin suggested.

“And ‘Huan’ means ‘hound’,” Naveradir added thoughtfully, then glanced down at the dog who looked up , his tongue lolling and looking quite pleased with himself. “Still, I think he deserves his own name.” He was quiet a moment, then smiled. “Kidur,” he suggested and the dog wagged his tail faster.

Orophin looked at the dog and rubbed the creature’s head gently. “He seems to like it. What does it mean?”

“In our language it means ‘dark companion’. He is certainly dark, though not evil, and has become our companion.”

“Kidur,” Orophin repeated, nodding approvingly. “Well, our dark friend, we need to find water and a place to rest for a bit. You would not know where we could find such, do you?”

Surprisingly, Kidur suddenly pushed between them and began to head purposefully over the terrain, pausing ever so often to look back and see if they were following him. Within the hour, he had led them to a small grotto in the shade of a large rock with a stream flowing from between some of the rocks and trickling down a sluice in the hills.

“Well done, my friend,” Orophin praised the animal, rubbing his flanks and hugging him. Naveradir did the same Kidur basked in the attention blissfully. The Elves drank deeply from the waters and filled their waterskins. They then each ate a bite of lembas and offered a morsel of it to the dog.

Kidur sniffed the bread suspiciously, then tentatively flicked the tip of his tongue out to taste a crumb. He seemed to consider the taste carefully then with delicacy that belied his size, he took the piece of lembas from Naveradir’s hand and carried it to a spot against the rock, in the cool of the shade, where he laid down and began to lick and chew the bread.

Both ellyn laughed and then leaned back to rest. It was cool in the grotto, but pleasantly so and they took advantage of the moment’s respite. After drifting into reverie for about an hour, they once more drank some water from the stream and assessed their situation.

“We have not yet seen a way into the city and in the dark, the walls and the sand around it shine. Unless we find a way in without being seen, I do not know how we can avoid detection.” Orophin was unhappy with not being able to approach the city and see how Erestor fared. They did not even know if their friend yet lived.

“We have seen no one approach the city either,” Naveradir added. “It is as though no one goes or comes from the place.”

“With the creatures Lastharos keeps around him, it is not difficult to understand people’s reticence in visiting this place.” Orophin began to idly stroke the dog’s side as he ruminated on a solution.

“I suppose we could disguise ourselves as travelers from Rhun,” Naveradir suggested.

“You could,” Orophin replied with a smile. “My hair and eyes would give me away immediately.”

“Not if we said you were a trader from the north who was looking for trade routs through Rhun and Khand.”

The Lorien Warden nodded slowly. “That is a good cover story. What of our ears and clothes and weapons? We have nothing to cover ourselves and they will know we are Elves.”

“And Lastharos wants an Elf,” Naveradir finished with a sigh.