Against all odds

Chapter three On the road again

Elrond groaned as he awoke from dar darkness.

Slowly coming round he remembered what had occurred. In his haste to get home, or rather, to see Erestor again, he had failed to notice the danger and he had been totally surprised when his horse had thrown him off, which eventually resulted in him rolling down the hillside at alarming speed.

His senses started working as well. He could hear the rain pouring down as well as feel it and the thunder was still roaring above him. He needed to get some sort of shelter.

But these area’s were devoid of any shelter. So we just have to walk a while before finding some. Hey, look at the bright side, if you get ill, maybe Erestor will look after you. Elrond always took any excuse to be near the raven haired advisor. He sighed longingly. No use laying around here.

About to move himself into an upright position, pain attacked him. His legs, his arms, his entire body was exploding. ‘Great, now how do we move?’

But he wasn’t going to give up. It would be a while before the others would be able to look for him and he realised he was far from the road. No, he -had- to get himself dry.

Using the advantage of being on his back, he cocked his head to every side, scanning the area for any type of shelter he could crawl to. The ledges behind him would do. He would still be exposed to the wind, but at least the rain would be stopped. And it was better than staying here.

Elrond painfully turned himself on his belly. Every movement hurt him. Crawling to that ledge suddenly seemed impossible. It was only Erestor’s face that kept him going. He knew that if he did not make it to the ledge, he might die. Going to Mandos’ halls had one major problem: no Erestor. So Elrond grinded his teeth as he slowly crawled towards the ledge. After some painful minutes he finally made it.

He did not have the energy to move onto his other side, so he stayed the way he was and started to wait. He knew that if he did not keep himself awake he would fall asleep again and as a healer he realised the lethal danger in that. In order to prevent it from happening he started to sing to himself.

He would sing every song known to him and some he made up on the spot, which were prayers for help and declarations of his love.

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“Glorfindel, come quickly.” Elladan’s disturbed calls would have reached him even in Mandos’ halls.

He was reluctant to leave the side of the youngest twin, who was still highly upset, but fortunately for him Elladan had already run to him. The door was thrown open and revealed a very angry, worried and concerned Elladan.

Glorfindel knew he had to be the calm rock here. “Elladan, take a seat, calm down and tell me what it is, preferably in that order.”

“No time, we have to go.”

The blond looked at the distressed face and feared for Elrond’s life. “Do you feel your father weakening?” The elder twin was now trying to pull Glorfindel along. “Elladan, I am not taking one step until I know why.”

“Erestor, he….he….he left.”

“I know, I was there remember.” Glorfindel thought Elladan to mean Erestor’s leaving when they first found out about Elrond’s accident.

But Elrohir, being Elladan’s twin, understood immediately. He stood and flung himself at his brother. “No, no, not him too. When? Why? Where? How?” He started to sob, afraid he would lose both his father and one of his best friends.

Elladan, rubbing his brother’s head soothingly, told all he knew. “I don’t know when he left, but he went after father. He has taken a horse and everything he needs. He left fully prepared, Glorfindel, there is rope missing, lots of miruvar and food, and our lembas too, blankets, weapons and he took the strongest horse, not the fastest.”

“I’d have to agree with you, it seems he’s going to find your father. Why does he have to be this stubborn? Doesn’t he realise he just gave us him to rescue as well.”

Glorfindel groaned in annoyance. The counsellor could very well end up killing himself in his folly, but he knew better than to say it out loud. It would certainly worsen Elrohir’s condition. “Elladan, we have to make sure we can leave as soon as the weather allows us.”

“They already are.”

Suddenly Elrohir wiped away his tears and took a stand. “No, we leave now. We were wrong to argue with Erestor. He’s always been right. He went because we wouldn’t. And we can’t leave him alone. I won’t.”

“Elrohir, we can’t. Not yet, the weather.” As much as Elladan welcomed the change in his brother, he didn’t want them all to become…..become what? Sick, hurt, dead? O, no, he didn’t want to think that.

But Elrohir dismissed him. “I go and you’re coming with me, Elladan. And you too Glorfindel. And the archers. We are warriors. Erestor a scholar. But he is out, looking for ata, and we’re inside. If he can do it, so can we.”

Elladan was about to argue when Glorfindel decided Elrohir was right and they -should- and -would- go immediately.

Off to saddle the horses he took Elladan aside. “Elrohir would have gone with or without us, you know that Elladan. At least together we stand a chance of keeping ourselves alive. And capable of finding your father and Erestor.”

Elladan sighed, realising Glorfindel was right. Although that did not mean he liked it.

Within fifteen minutes they were on Erestor’s hot trail. They were pleased to see it went in the right direction. So if they found one elf, they had found the other as well. But they would be wrong.

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Erestor dismounted his horse.

He was sure he had reached the site where Elrond had taken that fall. The tree branch on the ground and the lose rocks pointed to it. And this was the fastest route there was between Imladris and Lorien. He figured that Elrond would have taken this one, being in such a hurry.

He wondered why, as far as he knew nothing was going on here. Nothing important and urgent enough to call their lord home. Maybe it had just been an excuse to return home. He figured Elrond would have taken any excuse to come home, but something didn’t add up. Why had the Half-Elf taken this road and not the longer, but more safer, one?

But that was not the main issue here. He had to find the Half-Elf or none of these things would matter. Without Elrond Imladris would die. It would to him. To him Elrond was Imladris. He had been there when the Half-Elf decided to build this realm, he had seen it grow. He had seen how Elrond had poured so much of himself in it.

He berated himself. Getting lost in thought at a time like this.

Looking at the rocky ground, he wished he was a tracker. It all seemed so alike to him. But he realised that even Glorfindel would have difficulties in this weather.

The wias bas blowing around him, pulling at his clothes, chilling him to the core. The rain was pouring down at alarming rate, slapping him in the face. And above him the thunder rolled and roared.

But it did not kill his determination. It fired it, fuelled it like nothing could have done. If he was feeling cold and miserable, Elrond certainly must.

He carefully made his way down the rocky and slippery hill. He did not want to break any bones on his way down.

Every third step he stood still, piecing the surroundings, looking for any sign of his lord. He forced his ears to pick up even the tiniest sound over the wind and rain. He had to hear his lord.

Halfway down the hill something invaded his hearing. His ears stretched to their limits, trying to pinpoint that sound. It was singing, Erestor now realised. Singing. But that could only mean one thing. He had found his lord.

Very careful and slowly he made his way further down, pushing his supplies a little in front of him. He had from the beginning. He did not wanted to descent without them, but carrying them would have been too dangerous so he quickly decided on tossing them ahead of him. Just one step each time.

After three more steps he stood still and tried to pinpoint the sound again. He could now discern Elrond’s voice above the howling wind, singing softly.

As the wind blew in his direction, raising his voice would be useless. But he could still not pinpoint the singing. He got frustrated. Had Glorfindel been right? Had his senses deteriorated by sitting inside all the time?

Suddenly a sharp wind nearly stole his cloak. Then it hit him. The weather was making so much noise he never even would have heard his lord had the wind not carried the singing to him. So he had to go against the wind. It would be hard, but he had to do it. It was the only possible solution.

Battling the wind he slowly made his way forward pleased when he heard the soft singing grow in strength. It meant he was indeed moving into the right direction.

Then suddenly he saw his lord laying under a small ledge, just big enough to stop the rain from hitting the body. His battle with the elements grew and soon he had reached the Half-Elf.

When he was sure Elrond could hear him he raised his voice and practically yelled. “Lord Elrond?” The singing stopped, but wasn’t replaced and for a moment he feared he had come too late but then the singing continued. The wind must be too strong.

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Elrond did not know how long he had been singing.

He was beginning to feel himself weakening, the weather stopped him from recovering his wounds. Which already wasn’t fast, considering he was only half elf. At times like this he cursed his ancestry.

Even though his voice was beginning to sound like a rasp, he continued singing.

But when he heard his name he stopped. Had he heard correctly? Had they found him? So soon? But that couldn’t be? The weather wouldn’t allow for any rescue attempt. He knew that. And it had sounded like Erestor. Erestor? No, he was delirious. He must have lost more blood than he thought. Erestor was the last one to look for him, even though it was the first he needed to see.

Even more afraid to pass out he continued singing, not even paying attention to the words now.

But then he felt a someone kneeling next to him, touching him. It filled him with warmth. He focused all his senses on that presence. ‘Who are you? Friend or foe?’

But the wae was carefully and slowly turned around, the movement caused a little pain but gave more comfort from the ledge. And then he stared at the most beautiful elf he knew. Erestor was sitting next to him. ‘Either my delusional is getting worse, or I really did hear Erestor’s voice just now’ But either way he was happy. Tears filled his eyes, along with hope and love. He was too wounded and emotionally drained to hide it any longer.

“Drink my lord, the miruvar will warm you from the inside.”

But Elrond was unable to move and Erestor, determined to get Elrond back to the horse and keep him alive moved to sit behind him. He manhandled his lord until he had the body leaning against his own. Now Erestor would be able to pour some liquid into the mouth.

And Elrond realised he wasn’t delusional the moment he felt the miruvar flowing, warming him. This really was Erestor. But how? The weather was too bad for any kind of rescue attempt and yet here was the scholar, telling him everything will be all right. Why had Glorfindel let him go? Did they not realise Erestor could have gotten himself hurt?

He managed to cock his head backwards so he was facing Erestor. He voiced his troubles, still sounding like an rasp. “What….are….you….doing….here?” He was too drained not to pant in between the words.

Erestor gave Elrond a convincing look. Elrond would be all right now that he had found him, and he knew that if he believed otherwise the Half-Elf would believe it and stop fighting.

Before he could answer Elrond had already voiced his next question. “Where… are… the… others? They…shouldn’t….have….let…you! You…could….have….gotten…hurt.”

Elrond’s concern for his person brought tears to Erestor’s eyes. Even in this condition his lord thought of others before himself.

But Elrond took the tears as a sign of humiliation. Of course, he figured, Erestor probably didn’t give the others a chance to stop him. He should have realised. He knew Erestor well enough to know that once the counsellor wanted to do something he would not be stopped. Elrond hurried to sooth his secret love. The last thing he wanted was to see tears in those lovely chocolate orbs. “I’m….sorry. I…don’t….mean….to….”

He got no further for Erestor silenced him, making him drink more miruvar. “It’s all right, my lord. I am just glad I found you in time.”

Erestor realised Elrond would not last out the storm here. He had to get him to the Healers as fast as possible. He hoped he was stable enough for two. In this storm anything was possible. Although he had the distinct impression it was getting less. “My lord, we have to get to the road. If you lean on me, could you walk?”

El lau laughed at the other’s words. It was a bitter laugh. Walk? Him? He could not even get up. But when he saw the hurt in the counsellor’s eyes he swallowed his words. He had managed to hurt him yet again. “Are you kidding? I was about to ask you if I needed to support you.”

Erestor smiled. Elrond had just made a joke. That meant things were not as hopeless as he thought they were.

Very slow and careful he lifted Elrond to his feet, cringing as he saw the pain etched on the Half-Elf’s forehead. The way back went even slower than when he had come down.

Silently he cursed Glorfindel for not going. It was mostly the tin thn the rain that has gotten to Elrond and Erestor knew th

“I am sorry I could not get here sooner, my lord.”

Elrond wanted to say it was alright but he could do naught but pant heavily. This walk was the toughest one of his entire life. It was only Erestor’s hold on his body that stopped him from falling down several times. But finally, after a long and antagonizing painful walk they were standing on the road again.

For a second Elrond doubted his sanity. He saw only one horse. Was he still laying under the ledge and was he fantasising this? He looked at the horse as if struck dead. Why was it alone? Where were the others? Even if this was an illusion, he would still think up other horses. So this had to be real, he told himself, but what did that mean? Only one thing: Erestor had come alone. “You….came….alone?” He could not believe it.

But Erestor nodded, forcing his eyes to the ground in shame. Elrond would not appreciate it. He had endangered his own life to save Elrond’s and Elrond would not stand for it. But the scolding Erestor feared didn’t come. Instead he heard Elrond mutter unintelligible words of awe. He put it down to a fever or something Elrond must have contracted.

He let Elrond lean against the horse while he made the necessary arrangements on the horse to insure the ride back would be as comfortable as possible for Elrond. Then he gently lifted the wounded elf on the strong and sturdy horse.

When Elrond was safely seated he felt how Erestor first covered his body in a warm dry cloak. He realised Erestor had come very well prepared. He had seen some rope and even a sword. He wondered why Erestor had brought all those items. About to voice his questions he stiffened. Erestor mounted to horse behind him. ‘now you’ve done it. How are you going to keep the distance now?’

Elrond was panicking, Erestor would expect him to lean back but Elrond couldn’t do that without betraying his feeling. He didn’t fear erection, the cold would make sure that stayed away. But there were other signs.

Erestor noted the hesitation as he wrapped his arm round Elrond’s waist, waiting for the other to lean back before taking off. “My lord, lean back, it will make the ride easier and my body can warm you.”

When Elrond didn’t move, he pulled the body closer and they took off.

End chapter three
Notes:
Miruvar is an elvendrink that brings new energy. I think it’s their variant of our Energydrinks. Hihihihii