A Healing Touch

Hi, me again, ready with your next update!

Aduial: Lol, after reading your review I was just like, "huh?" Then I went back and read what you were talking about. Pardon my stupidity, what I MEANT to put was; "Elrond recognized me from the tales of his childhood", believe it or not, but when your thirteen year old niece has the t.v. full blast only five feet away from you, it's kind of hard to concentrate on what you're writing. I already knew that it would be impossible for Glorfindel to have known Elrond, I don't know why I put that. But since I have a hystorical expert on my hands anyway, can you tell me the EXACT date the battle of five armies started and when it ended? I can't seem to find it in the appendages or the books.
BTW, actually, you HAVE reviewed me once.*g* I made sure to check. But anyway, Thank you! I appreciate the compliment as well as the critique.

HaloHaldir: ::Blushes:: Why, thank you! Very much appreciated. Happy that you're enjoying it, hope you like the next chapter.

Lomawien: LMAO! Actually, I had originally written this chapter before TTT came out! But anyway, you're welcome.
Awe... your girl sounds like such a sweety! You didn't tell me her name. So... bay or liver chestnut, eh? My riding teacher's horse is a liver chestnut. And, lol, don't worry, from what I've seen, ALL mares have an attitude problem. I blame it on their hormones. Hey, men blame our tempers on our hormones, so why not? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about... you know. I'd be a hypocrite, 'cos I break the rules alot, too. I won't go into detail, lets just say if my mother knew, she'd probably have a heart attack. Anyway, yeah, enjoy the next chapter.

giggle: Yeah, I don't know why, but I find it hard to believe that Legolas, who respects nature like he does, would ever have the heart to kill something simply to satisfy his wants. Absolutely, naked Glorfindel... ::drools:: LOL, wow, you must really hate spiders. Personally I have no problem with them, hell, I've held tarantulas in the palm of my hands before and was totally comfortable with it. Then again, I've always been in to the creepy stuff. I actually kiss my pet lizard, he's a total cuttie actually. Enjoy!

lilith: Well, actually, thanks to some rather insistant reviewers, ::Stares pointedly at lilith and Mawgy:: I've decided to let Haldir try to hit on Legolas. I only hope you don't kill me for this. Enjoy!

Mawgy: Okay, fine, Haldir's gonna make advances on Leggy. My God, I spoil you, lol. Actually, I had fun writing it. I guess I can't complain, you draw me cute little stick pics, so that makes me happy. Lets see... that has to be at least four chapters I've changed around for you. And yes, next chapter Erestor shows up. ::Eye twitches:: I'm sure you'll be very relieved.
Anyway... you wanted tent action? Some how I find that predictable, but they were in the middle of the forest with people close by. You could always use your imagination? But, yes, elf smut on the way. Patience, grasshopper. Lol, yeah, the Leggy/Glorfindel scene was fun to write. Enjoy!

Isis: ::tosses Isis a coke:: here ya go! Lol, you are the type of person where it would be fun to dangle a rubber spider in front of. Anyway, I won't say anything... but the Imladris army is on their way. Enjoy!

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Thranduil raised his mighty sword above his head and lunged it forward, giving the order to fire. "Attack!"

The spiders and orcs came charging out of the bushes, heading straight towards the army of elves. In turn the elven warriors began firing arrows at their foes in the hopes to smite the lot of them. Their targets sailed true but they were greatly outnumbered, as was predicted. Many orcs had fallen but still the enemy kept on their course, the only thought in their mind to slay their elven enemies. And it was not far after the creatures breached the gates- the spiders by climbing them, and the orcs by using ropes and ladders.

Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Elrond pulled it out of his scabbard and swung it above his head before bringing it down, severing a spider's head from its body as it lunged for his waist.

Celeborn was quick to follow suit as two orcs ran at him. Raising his sword, the great elven king slit the first's throat before swinging his body around and landing the sword down the centre of the other's skull.

Giving a mighty cry, Thranduil lunged forward as he brought down his sword, stabbing right through two spiders bodies at once as they were practically on top of each other, before carelessly stepping on the top carcass with one foot to remove them from his weapon.

The elven soldiers fired their bows rapidly at their foes until they were wasted while others used their knives and swords to end the miserable creatures lives. Though they knew they were greatly outnumbered they fought with honour and courage, willing to defend their home even if it meant their own demise.

Then as if a shift in course, the enemies efforts became focused on Elrond. Any nemesis within reach aimed at him. Though if Elrond was unable to defend himself, another would protect the elven lord, as was to be expected from a guard. It was not soon before Elrond and Thranduil found themselves back to back, defending themselves as well as each other. Just as an orc came charging at the Rivendell lord, Thranduil whirled around and drove his sword into the creature's belly before tearing it free and swiping off its head. Turning his head, Elrond nodded his thanks at the Mirkwood lord. Both were sweating and panting but had no time for rest as another group of spiders came crawling towards them.


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Legolas continued to shift in discomfort as he and the party silently trailed down the tunnels and crevices of the cave. His eyes shifted nervously as he unconsciously wrung his bow with his hands, the palms of them beginning to profusely sweat and he only hoped that his companions could not here the rapid beating of his heart. Elrohir would be able to detect any danger if it were to happen, he knew, but he could not seem to shake off the endless feeling of foreboding in his gut. He also could not get rid of the sense of dread in his heart. Legolas was worried for both Elrond and his family. Had the battle already begun? Were they in danger? Were they still alive?

The young prince suddenly gasped as he feltand and gently grasp his elbow and he whirled his head around only to meet the eyes of his beloved Glorfindel whom was gazing at him with concerned eyes. "Are you alright, penneth?"

Legolas nodded his head and swallowed hard, his bright eyes practically glowing in the darkness. "I am well, Glorfindel, I am just ... unsettled by our surroundings. Really though, I will be alright."

The seneschal furrowed his brow in doubt and persisted. "Are you certain? You are very tense."

Walking up to the pair, Haldir placed a firm hand on Legolas' shoulder as he smirked at Glorfindel, who visibly tensed at the intrusion. "He will be fine, my friend. Legolas is tough and will be able to face any foe that upholds him," Haldir turned to look at the said elf. "won't you, cunneth."

Legolas blankly stared at the March warden, trying to ease the feeling of discomfort of being touched by another, before giving a short nod. "Of course I will."

Haldir chuckled and gave Legolas' shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Good lad. See, Glorfindel? He will be just fine. We will be done here in no time."

"And the sooner, the better," chimed Orophin. "I am looking forward to returning home and seeing my wife and daughters again."

"Then perhaps we should keep moving," inquired Elladan. "the nests should be around here somewhere. Elrohir, can you sense exactly where they are?"

Elrohir closed his eyes in deep concentration. He was silent for a long, lingering moment before he opened his eyes. "I am not entirely certain, brother. I sense them all around. It is difficult to concentrate in here. It is almost as if ... someone or something is blocking my mind."

"Very well," said Glorfindel. "We shall split into groups and search the cave.”

“Fine,” Haldir smirked, shifting his gaze to the younger elf beside him. “Legolas, would you like to accompany me?”

The elfling shifted uncomfortably, but before he could utter a single word, Glorfindel snapped, “No. I think it would be best if he were to stay with me.” The possessive tone in the seneschal’s voice surprised them all, but most were intelligent enough to not voice their opinion. The March warden relented then with a simple nod of his head, and for his part, Legolas seemed to relax slightly to the Balrog slayer. “Haldir, Orophin and Rumil, you shall stay together, and, Elladan, you will go with Elrohir. We will meet back here in two hours. If anyone finds anything do not interfere until we are all together. Understood? Go."

The elves turned their separate ways, but before the March warden could take a second step, Glorfindel roughly grabbed his arm to still him, and dragged him behind a curving wall before he spoke to him in a dangerously low tone. The ever smug smirk remained plastered to Haldir’s face. “Is there a problem, mellon-nin?”

“I am warning you, Haldir, stay away from him. If you make anymore advances on him I swear, I will gut you like a trout and leave you to hang from a tree.”

“Ah, I see,” Haldir grinned then, infuriating the seneschal even more. “you want him for yourself, do you? You expect certain privileges from him for saving his life, just as Turgon expected the same from you?”

Fury blazed in Glorfindel’s eyes, and he roughly grabbed the front of the ‘Lorien elf’s jerkin in his fists and slammed him against the wall, his breath coming in short pants and his face so close to the younger elf’s that Haldir could feel the warm gasps on his face. “You have no idea what he’s suffered.”

Haldir’s eyebrow raised, his features remaining calm and collected. “And you do?”

Glorfindel relented his hold then, his face beginning to soften and before he turned, Haldir barely heard the muttered words that escaped his lips. “More than you could know.”


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Sweat rolled down his face as Celeborn turned his sword downward and pierced the throat of yet another orc. He was trying to make his way to Elrond and Thranduil but the Lothlorien lord kept getting forced back from the two elven kings, as were many of the soldiers. For certain now, he knew, Elrond was the centre of the enemy’s efforts. But why? The only reason that occurred to him was that the foul beasts somehow knew that Elrond possessed one of the three rings but that was impossible. How could they possibly know? It did not matter at the time, however. The only thing that mattered was to protect Elrond from the enemy’s grasp.

Eventually, with his hard efforts, lord Celeborn had finally made it to the pair and fought alongside them with all his might. As the three battled, Thranduil turned to the silver haired elven king. "Do you see how the enemy places most of their efforts solely on Elrond?"

"I do," Celeborn replied. "and I think I know why." he glanced at Elrond's hand but did not elaborate further as he swung his sword at a spider. "Thranduil, we should call for a retreat."

"No! I will not run away from this battle like a coward."

"We are losing this battle, son of Oropher. We should regroup and recalculate our efforts before we lose anyone else."

"Do you honestly believe that my people will willingly give up this fight?"

"We are doing no such thing. We are merely looking for different options as to how we can defeat our adversary. Thranduil, please they are your people. They will listen to you. You must do this."

Thranduil sighed. He raised his head and gazed at the battle taking place before him, watching elf, orc, and spider clash and brutally kill each other. Taking a deep breath, he cried out to his people. "Retreat! Fall back to the palace! Fall back!"

At their king's command, the elven warriors looked reluctantly at each other. Some completely ignored it, continuing on with the battle. But after a second cry from their lord they finally began to retreat back to the cave, some less willingly than others.

Once inside the cave, Celeborn, Elrond, Thranduil and his sons took council with Gandalf and the Lady Galadriel while several elven guards kept their bows aimed at the doors should any intruders breach them. "What are we to do?" cried Tallen. He was sporting a deep gash in his forearm and a cut above his eyebrow. "We have lost many already and countless people have been wounded. I do not know how much longer we will be able to last."

"Aye," agreed Nava. "The last I saw a massacre this great was in the Last Alliance. And I had barely reached my majority even then. Remember, adar? But I do not remember the orcs being so intelligent. How could a spider possibly gain such an ability to control these beasts?"

"I do not know, ion-nin," sighed Thranduil. "but somehow we must destroy them."

"Elrond's soldiers will be here soon, how soon I cannot tell you. But have hope, they will come." replied Galadriel.

"That reminds me," said Nava. "I am sure you all noticed how the enemy seemed to be pinpointing lord Elrond. Why?" Thranduil and his two sons looked suspiciously at the Noldor who was reluctant to answer. "You’ve already gotten us involved in this battle. I think we have the right to know what is going on and why the orcs and spiders are after lord Elrond, but are attacking our land."

The Eldar were still quiet, struggling with their decision as the three Mirkwood elves eyes bore into each of them until finally Gandalf took a deep breath. "What is about to be said will not go beyond these doors, do you understand?" at Thranduil's nod, Gandalf continued. "I am sure you've heard the tale of the three rings that were gifted to the race of the Firstborn," the sons of Thranduil nodded. "what you don't know is that Gil-galad was gifted Vilya, the ring of air. Before he died he gave the ring to Elrond." at this, Thranduil, Nava and Tallen snapped their gaze directly to the elven lord whom matched their stare. "Somehow the enemy knows he has it. We must protect him from them at all costs, otherwise this could mean disaster for us all."

"Vilya?" repeated Nava in disbelief. "So this is what this is all aboBut But why would they attack him here? Why not Rivendell?"

"Because Mirkwood is more vulnerable to an attack, it has not the power of one of the rings to protect its kingdom," replied Celeborn. "This was their plan all along. Why do you think your brother was so viscously molested so many years ago?"

"What does this have to do with Legolas?" Thranduil barked.

"They knew, somehow, that he would be brought to Rivendell until his majority. Then when he was old enough he would wish to return home. The orcs kept their attacks at all three of our lands to keep track of his whereabouts. They deliberately worsened the attacks on Mirkwood so that Legolas and Elrond would come. It was the perfect opportunity to capture them and torture them for answers."

"That is why they forced themselves upon Legolas the second time, then? To force Elrond into submission and give up the ring?" Tallen asked.

"That is correct, my prince. Elrond is a healer, and as such has a duty to protect his patients."

Thranduil was silent several seconds, mentally struggling with his emotions. Suddenly he turned angered eyes on Elrond. "So, my son suffered all these years, in the worst way possible, simply because the lord of Imladris refused to give up a worthless ring!?"

"The ring is anything but worthless, you know that." Galadriel chastised. "If it were to find its way into enemy hands--"

"He could have been killed! All the pain and humiliation Legolas had suffered could have been prevented were it not for Elrond's pride."

The elf lord’s heart clenched at those words and he had to use what was left of his strength to restrain himself from crying out as the past guilt for the tragedy resurfaced. "Pride," Elrond growled. "Do you not think that it did not pain me to see Legolas be tortured so? I watched helplessly as he was beat and raped. I held him as he cried his heart out after Glorfindel rescued us. And I suffered with him as I cleansed every wound on his body. For every flinch, every hiss, every whimper and cry of pain that escaped his mouth, I suffered! But at least I was there for him, which is far less than what I can say of you!"

"How dare you!" Thranduil growled. The elven king was ready to lunge for the Noldor elf but his sons held him back. "You are lucky if I let you leave my kingdom alive!"

"That is enough!" Galadriel angrily scolded. "This is neither the time nor place. We should be concentrating on the battle at hand. Now, enough of this nonsense."

"Right," Thranduil sighed. "we need a change in tactics. How shall we proceed?"

Nava's brow knitted together in silent thought before he answered. "If we could sneak a squad of soldiers out the back way we could probably surround them. The question is how do we make a big enough distraction to draw their attention away from so many?"

All were silent. Most were pondering the same answer but none had the heart to speak it. Elrond, being nobody’s fool, spoke what had to be said, as much as it secretly frightened him. "I will use myself as bait. It is I whom they are after, and I hate to think that this all happened because of me."

"That would be a foolish course of action," replied Galadriel. "If you were to be captured they would stop at nothing to retrieve the ring and once they do, it would reek havoc over Middle-Earth."

"They will not retrieve it, for I will not carry it." Elrond explained. He then lifted his hand and whispered inaudible words, and suddenly Vilya appeared on his middle finger. He easily slid the small jewel off and turned to face Thranduil, all seriousness plastered to his ageless features. "We were once the closest of friends, Thranduil. And in my heart I know that you will never truly let go of what happened so many years ago, but for the sake of me, for the sake of your people, I ask you to protect this until I return for it."

Thranduil was speechless and stared at the elven lord incredulously, stammering before he could properly voice his opinion. "We have had our differences, Peredhil, and you are correct, the only reason that I put up with you is for the sake of my son. But if anything were to happen to you I know I would be unable to bear my son's sorrow if he lost you. His grief would most likely send him to the Halls of Mandos... and I would follow him there. So if I am to take this ring, you must promise me that you will return alive and well."

Elrond slowly nodded in promise, and cautiously handed the Sindarin the ring of air. In turn, Thranduil carefully pocketed it under his chain mail. "I don't think I have to tell you not to put it on."

"Of course not, do not think me to be so naive or cocky as thus," replied Thranduil. "I will guard it with my very life, to this I swear."

"What has just transpired is not to be spoken of." Celeborn spoke to everyone in the room. "You will take this secret to your very graves if you must, Valar forbid."

"Very well. Tallen, do you believe that you can lead your troops through the back road and into the forest without being noticed?" asked Gandalf.

"Yes, I will take as many soldiers as I can spare."

"Good. The rest will go back into battle. Have at least eight guard flanking Elrond at all times but make yourselves noticeable to the enemy. Keep close to the front entrance but make an effort not to be caught. They will not risk harming you on the battle field, Elrond, you are too valuable to them. Do you understand what you must do?" Elrond nodded with grim determination. "Good. Tallen, go and tell your warriors to prepare themselves," The prince nodded an exited the room. "Everyone else resume your positions. This will no doubt be a long night."

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Legolas nervously fingered his bow as he and Glorfindel trekked down the dark tunnel. He may not have admitted it, but despite the prince's constant reassurances that he was well, the seneschal could tell that Legolas was more then a little paranoid, both from the light sweat that beaded on his brow, and the constant shifting of his bright eyes. He chose to say nothing though, for the sake of harming his pride. The prince was very young yet, but held a great amount of dignity, not unlike his father. Glorfindel could only imagine how badly his pride was ruined with the encounter with the orcs. The shame that must have taken hold of his heart must have been unbearable, and frankly Glorfindel was very surprised, albeit very relieved, that Legolas had survived the encounter. The prince's love for him and Elrond must have been great, otherwise he surely d had have lost his life.

The seneschal was suddenly startled out of his reverie by Legolas' soft voice. "You are brooding."

"Yes." he admitted, shifting the torch he held to his other hand, his arm growing tired.

"About what?"

"About you." At Legolas' raised eyebrow Glorfindel continued. "I was thinking of just how lucky you are to be alive. You really had me worried. When I found out what had happened to you... I was so afraid I would lose you, Legolas."

Legolas guiltily looked at the cold stone floor below his feet. "I must admit... during the incident I was hoping I would fade," he admitted in a low whisper. "do you have any idea what it is like? To be begging for mercy while you are so brutally beaten and tortured, to have your very enemy dominate you and make you plea for the pain he is inflicting to stop, and have you sob from their ministrations under their cruel and mocking scrutiny?" Legolas involuntarily gasped, trying to regain normal breathing while he blinked back tears. "I wanted to die, Glorfindel. But the Valar did not grant me that wish. I did not want to face what I had let happen to me, I was too ashamed. But ... then I thought of you, thought of Elrond. He made me promise, Glorfindel, made my promise not to leave."

Glorfindel sighed, blinking back tears of his own. "I am very glad he did," he croaked. Stopping in mid-stride, the seneschal turned face to face with the younger elf and tenderly held his cheek, staring into the teary-eyed, deep blue orbs. "Oh, you were so brave, Legolas, to endure so much only to protect a worthless trinket. I'm so proud of you." Glorfindel then pulled Legolas into a tight embrace with his free hand, feeling the youngster's body tremble as he did as the frightful memories invaded his mind. Legolas eagerly returned the hug, desperately fighting the onslaught of tears.

"Elrond would argue that the 'trinket' is far beyond worthless." Legolas jested, trying to lighten the mood.

"It is compared to you, my little one." Glorfindel sniffed and held Legolas at arm's length. “But, despite what you may think, I am all too familiar with being dominated as such.”

The elfling glanced up in surprise and for a moment stared at the seneschal in disbelief. “You? But… but you don’t seem like you were ever—I mean, Elrond would never-”

“No. Not Elrond… never Elrond.” sen seneschal sighed with a shake of his head, struggling to find his voice. “Turgon.”

“Turgon!?e pre prince gasped, unable to believe what he had just heard. “King Turgon? But you have always spoken of him in the highest regard. And, besides, you have always told me that an elf would never rape another.”

“It was not so much as rape as it was… non-consensual. He took me several times but I never objected to it. Don not take this wrong, Legolas, Turgon was a good king. He was just… lonely.”

“That still does not make it right.” The elfling contended.


“No, but I was young thend fed felt that I owed him for taking my sister and I in after our parents were killed. I did not understand what we did at the time, though he was always sure to bring me pleasure… but that did not mean that I enjoyed what he did to me. He was always rather rough, that was the only thing I knew; to experience pleasure you must also experience pain. It was only shortly after my majority that I understood the full implications of our actions. By then it was too late, I could not change what I allowed to happen. And I hated myself for it.”

Legolas was speechless as he stared at the ground, unable to meet his lover’s sorrowful gaze. He slowly shook his head then, feeling completely helpless. Unable to do anything else, he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them tightly around the older elf’s shoulders, bringing his head down to rest on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Glorfindel,” he managed to whisper against the lump in his throat. “I am so sorry.”

The seneschal sighed, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, distracting himself by wrapping his own arms around the prince’s waist, breathing in his scent. “It happened long ago, Legolas, and after I had built a house of my own I did not allow it to continue. I distracted myself most of the time, either by practicing archery or swordplay or by scouting the boarders and commanding the soldiers. That is how I managed to master my anger, by taking it out on the battle field.” Glorfindel blinked to clear his senses then and reluctantly parted from the prince’s warm embrace. "Come, we must not let our emotions interfere with our task at hand." Legolas nodded, but mentally noted to himself that this conversation was not over, and he and the seneschal both turned to continue on their trek.

Rounding a corner, the pair stopped in their tracks. Raising his torch above his head, Glorfindel involuntarily gasped at the sight. There before them lay many clutches of egg sacs, each concealing at least a hundred spider eggs. The large cavern was literally littered with them. Walking several paces forward, Legolas stared wide-eyed at the spacious surroundings, resting his eyes on the closest egg sac. Approaching it slowly, he gently laid a hand on it curiously, only to quickly retract it at the contact of its sticky substance in disgust and wiped his palm on his leggings.

"Legolas," Glorfindel said lowly, his eyes nervously shifting about, "I think we should return to the others and tell them about this place. Our two hours are almost up."

Legolas nodded his head and turned to follow, but both stopped dead in their tracks when suddenly a white, sticky substance darted past their heads and splattered against the tunnel where the two had just come from, creating a rope-like barrier across the entrance. In unison Glorfindel and Legolas whipped their heads around only to meet the red eyes of a large female spider, accompanied by four orcs at either side of her massive body.

"Well," the spider hissed. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise."

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ada/adar: father
penneth: young one
mellon-nin: my friend
ion-nin: my son

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Okay, before I get bitched at: I am not trying to make Haldir the bad guy here, know that. And also, I'm not implying that Turgon was some sick child molester, he just seemed the right character for that part of the story. To anyone who's wondering, Glorfindel was the equivalent of a fifteen year old when that stuff happened. So, yeah, Turgon's not really a bad guy either. Okay, thats said.
Not exactly my best work, I know, I'm sorry. But I hoped you liked it anyway.