The Healing of Elves and Trees

Title: The Healing of Elves and Trees
Author: Eliza 422 (eliza_422@hotmail.com)
Pairing: Elrohir/Haldir (eventually), Elladan/Legolas
Rating: R
Summary: AU Story. Elrohir and Celebrian are captured by orcs. They survive the attack but Elrohir is changed. Will he ever recover from what he has experienced?
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JRR Tolkien.
Author's note: Read part 1, the prologue, to understand the alternate universe elements of this story. I have to say this story sounded better in my head then it does written down! Let me know what you think.

Chapter 1

Celebrian closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. It felt so good to be out on her horse enjoying a pleasant journey to Lorien to visit her family. It had been many years since it was safe enough to travel across the Misty Mountains, but her husband's soldiers had managed to eliminate a lot of the orc population in the area.

She opened her eyes and looked at the group traveling with her. Her personal guard Angon led the group of soldiers escorting her. He had served her for many centuries and she trusted him completely. The other soldiers were all fine elves who had served Elrond for many years. The only other person in the group was her younger son Elrohir.

She looked at Elrohir, who was riding with Imbe, laughing and talking. If she didn't know er ser she would think that her son was flirting with the handsome captain, but not her youngest son - he might enjoy the company of other elves, but he always went to bed alone.

It had been a tough time for Elrohir when he found out that he was maturing into an ellian and not an ellon. It was never easy for a young male elf to realize that he was going to be a hermaphrodite. He had finally adjusted, however, and only his twin brother still had problems dealing with it. Elladan's protective instincts went into overdrive after the two of them matured into adults.

It amazed Celebrian that despite the gender differences her sons were still clearly twins. They were the same height and coloring and had the same features. Elladan was broader in shoulder and more muscular than Elrohir, and Elrohir had a more androgynous version of their face, but both her sons were beautiful elves, and were pursued by many. Elladan quickly became a well-known lothario around Imladris, but Elrohir kept no company.

Only recently had Elladan stopped his philandering ways. He had married Legolas, the exquisite ellian son of Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood. Legolas and Elrohir had met several hundred years ago in Lorien, and had quickly become fast friends. Elladan met Legolas on his first visit to Imladris and it was love at first sight. Elrohir was extremely happy that his brother and his best friend were a couple.

Celebrian moved her horse closer to Elrohir so she could talk to him.
"Elladan and Legolas seem very happy, even considering your brother's temper."
Elrohir laughed. "I warned Legolas before they married that huldnuldn't be easy to live with, but he wouldn't hear any criticism of Elladan."
"I have to say I despaired of Elladan ever finding a mate who would put up with him. He's very lucky."
"Yes, Legolas is an incredible Elf - I love him dearly." Elrohir smiled thinking about his best friend.
"Now, if only we could find someone like that for you."
"Mother, that's enough!" Elrohir said.
"I'm just worried about your happiness. It's my job to worry."
"I know, Mother. But you don't have to worry about me. I think Elladan and Legolas are mapping out my future right now! I've caught them in the library pouring over family trees and whatnot trying to identify someone 'worthy of me', as Elladan puts it."
"As if anyone will ever be good enough for his twin!"
"He worries about me even more you you. 'You're a beautiful and highborn ellian, Ro, and I won't have just any common Elf marrying you.'"
"You sound just like him!" Celebrian said.
"Yeah, well I've been listening to that voice for too many years."
"He protects those he loves, son, that's all. When you matured into an ellian I think he took it as his personal responsibility to keep you completely safe. He feels the same way about your sister."
"I know, Mom, but sometimes I wish he would just back off a little and trust me. He and I trained together all these years, and I beat him quite often in every type of combat."
"He'll come around, don't worry. I think Legolas will have a gentling influence on him. In fact, he already has!"
"You're right! He never would have let us go on this journey without him before he married Legolas - there are no soldiers in Imladris good enough to protect us, eh?" Elrohir turned serious for a moment. "Is it wrong that I'm glad to be away from him for a while?"
"Of course not, dear," replied Celebrian. "Even the closest lveslves need time apart. Your father likes when I take these trips to visit your grandmother - it gives us both a chance for some breathing room."
"And absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?" Elrohir laughed at Celebrian's blush.
"There is some truth to old sayings, son, never forget that!" Celebrian joined in her son's laughter. She was feeling relaxed on this trip.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing my mother. It's been too many years since I visited Lorien."
"What about grandfather? No one ever says anything about him!" Elrohir said.
He and Elladan were always joking around with their grandfather Celeborn about how much Galadriel dazzles all visitors and no one notices the tall, handsome elf standing next to her.
"Don't be silly, Ro, of course I want to see my father! It's just that women have a special bond with their mothers..."
"I know, mother - Arwen rubs it in my face all the time! 'We have a special bond, mother and I, she just tolerates you two.'"
"I didn't know you could impersonate her too!"

Elrohir was about to respond when he suddenly felt a tingle up his spine. The captain of their escort, Imbe, quickly rode back to Elrohir and Celebrian.
"My lady, my lord, there is danger! Stay close to each other!"
Imbe and the other soldiers quickly surrounded the royal pair, unsurewhetwhether they should turn back or press on.
Horses on each side of the group started stamping the ground and neighing loudly. A hideous clamor started and orcs came streaming at them from all directions.
"To arms!" Angon shouted. The soldiers drew swords and knives. They couldn't use their bows because the orcs were already too close.
Elrohir pulled out his fighting knives but stayed close to Celebrian.
"Mother, stay close to me - whatever you do, don't get separated from the group," he hissed at her under his breath.
Celebrian nodded agreement, terrified of what she saw. It looked like there were over 100 orcs running toward their small group.
The orcs didn't hesitate when they reached the band of elves. They started swinging their short swords, stepping over any of their comrades who were killed by the elves.
Elrohir swung his knives on both sides, mowing down any orc that broke through their escort and headed toward him and his mother. When an orc stabbed his horse he immediately jumped to the ground to avoid getting crushed.
More orcs kept coming from the hills, and despite the fighting skills of the elves their numbers started dwindling. Elrohir was slowly pushed away from Celebrian by the murderous mob.
He couldn't understand why he was having trouble getting any of the orcs to fight him until he realized that the orcs weren't trying to kill him at all - they were slowly moving him away from Celebrian. He didn't like the impolications of this at all.
Elrohir began fighting with more ferocity, but he was greatly outnumbered. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, and the orcs moved to surround him completely. They made no move to engage him in battle.
"Elf!" A deep voice bellowed behind the wall of orcs surrounding him. "Stop fighting or we kill the woman!"
A gap formed in the mob. A large orc, probably the leader, walked through. He had Celebrian with him, one hand around her arm, the other buried in her hair.
Elrohir stared at his mother. Should he continue to fight? Should he surrender? Should he kill her then himself? He couldn't let them get captured, could he? The fear in her eyes broke his heart.
"Drop your weapons, elf," said the orc captain.
Elrohir spun slowly in a circle, looking at the orcs around him. There was no way he could defeat them all. When he faced the orc captain and Celebrian again, he threw his knives down.
With a roar 10 orcs surged forward and tackled him to the ground, beating and kicking him. He cried out in surprised agony at the pain.
"Stop you idiots! Burznach wants them alive and unharmed. Bind him and let's go before more dirty elves show up."
The orc captain held Celebrian by her hair while one of his orcs tied her hands behind her. He fingered her long braid and started laughing.
"Marz, bring the elf's knives to me." A small orc standing next to him jumped at the command, but quickly obeyed. He retrieved Elrohir's knives from the ground.
"Here they are, boss."
The orc captain took one of the knives and laid it against Celebrian's throat.
"How do you like this, elf? I could slit your throat with your own son's knife!"
Celebrian gasped at his words. "How did you...."
"Yes, elf bitch, we know who you are, and your pretty little son, too. We've been waiting for the chance to get our claws on you, and you rode right into our trap! So, do you want me to cut your throat or not?" He leered at her, wrapping her braid around his hand, pulling her face close to his.
Celebrian stared at the twisted face in front of her. She looked at Elrohir, who was being held by four orcs who had tightly bound his arms and legs with rope and gagged him. She couldn't believe this was happening.
She turned back to the orc captain and stared him right in the eye.
"I want you to die!" She yelled, and spat in his face.
The orcs roared with laughter at their captain. His gray skin turned reddish with anger.
"You'll pay for that, elf bitch!" He slapped her across the face.
"Boss, unharmed, remember?" Marz said quickly, worried that his captain's temper would cause them all trouble.
The captain stopped. He thought about what Marz said. If this was any run of the mill elf whore he would not worry about Burznach. These two were different, though. They had been trying to capture one of the royal family of Imladris for hundreds of years, and now they had two of them! For once he let reason prevail.
"OK, Marz, I'll stop. I'm sure Burznach will let me have a go before he kills her. I love the taste of elf flesh, don't you?" All the orcs started laughing. "And elf whores love the taste of orc spunk!"
At these horrible insults Elrohir struggled against his captors again, but to no avail. His arms and legs were very tightly bound and he was helpless. His only hope was that he and his mother would survive long enough to be rescued, although he didn't know how that would happen.
"I think we should leave a little momento for the elf scum who will be coming to the rescue of these two," the orc captain said. He took the knife he was holding and cut Celebrian's braid off. He stuck both knives into the ground in an x and wrapped the braid of hair around them.
"Nice memorial, eh?" He said.
The orcs cheered.
"Hey boss, what about these dead elves?" Marz said, smacking his lips at the elf meat lying around.
"Leave them! We can't waste any time. I'd like a feast too, but Burznach was clear for once. We've got to get these two underground as soon as possible. Let's go, orcs, or Burznach will have your carcasses for a feast instead!"
The captain headed back into to hills, dragging Celebrian by what was left of her hair. She stumbled several times before he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She caught a glimpse of Elrohir over the shoulder of a burly orc behind her. She began crying. She and her son were going to be tortured and die a horrible death, and their family would never find them.

She knew her men - Elladan and Elrond will try to storm the orc lair in a rescue attempt, probably to get killed themselves. Even if those two did somehow survive such an impossible task, they would never forgive themselves for losing Celebrian and Elrohir. Her whole family was going to be destroyed in one fell swoop. She began to cry harder.
Elrohir's could hear his mother's sobs. He knew what she was thinking - they would die by the hands of these orcs, and his brother and father, and who knows how many other elves, would die in a rescue attempt. He couldn't let that happen. Whatever it took he would have to save himself and Celebrian and hold out for rescue.
"Mother, I know you can hear me. We'll get through this alive, I promise. Elladan and Father will find us." Elrohir spoke very softly, but he knew his mother could hear him. "I love you."
"I love you too." Elrohir heard her gentle voice.
He made his promise - but how was he going to keep it?