Tears of the Valar

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: 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 battle lasted into the night. Some of the creatures managed to escape, but most of them finally lay dead on the field. The men and Elves began searching the fallen for the injured. The dead, they could not help.

“Legolas!” Rumil called as he made his way through the piles of bodies. “Helcarin was injured severely. Where is Glorfindel?”

The ellyn began searching for Helcarin’s father and eventually all of the Elves were gathered together around Helcarin’s unconscious body.

Saelbeth and many of the other men from the survivor’s camp had joined in the fray, the counselor remaining beside Helcarin’s body once it was discovered, and killing quite a few creatures who tried to attack him.

“When I got here, he was already unconscious,” Saelbeth told Glorfindel as the Elf-Lord knelt beside his son.

“We brought him here so he would be away from the battle and somewhat hidden from the creatures,” Rumil said, wiping blood from his neck where he had been cut by a claw.

Glorfindel nodded as Elladan and Elrohir brought field packs to treat the fallen Elf’s injuries.

“I will withdraw the sword,” Glorfindel told them. “It looks as though it was twisted in him to make him bleed more.”

“Obviously, damage was severely inflicted,” Elrohir replied grimly. He and his brother prepared to clean and sew the wound as soon as the blade cleared it.

Breathing a silent prayer to the Valar to spare his son, Glorfindel began to slowly withdraw the blade. Sarendir and Haldir held Helcarin in position so Elrohir and Elladan could begin stitching the wound from the outside to the front. When they finished that part, they laid Helcarin’s body down and Glorfindel pulled the blade out completely. Working swiftly, the twins sewed the torn flesh closed then dressed both wounds.

The mortal generals watched curiously. Even though they had seen the dead bodies of two of them, they had somehow thought the Elves invincible and it was odd to see blood.

“Will he live?” Vetoran asked quietly.

“That is in the hands of Eru,” Glorfindel replied with a sigh as they gently lifted Helcarin onto a litter to carry him to the lakeside camp where other wounded were being treated.

“I am certain Allase will be able to bring about his recovery,” Elladan said with a smile. “She brought me back from the brink.”

“Where is your lady? I have not seen her since we returned,” Elrohir asked his brother as he scanned the healers tending the injured.

“She was here earlier. I imagine she and Alexandra are seeing to those in need,” Elladan answered as he too began to search for the lovely woman and Legolas’ wife in the crowd.

Legolas frowned and called to Alexandra with no answer. Exchanging a look with Haldir, they began searching through the camp for both women, joined by their kinsmen. After hours of what proved to be fruitless activity in which they found none had seen either woman since before the battle started, Legolas began to feel uneasiness in his heart. Alexandra was there, the bond as strong as ever; but he sensed nothing through it. Either she was sleeping or unconscious.

“There is no sign of either of them,” Vanurion said as they gathered again near where Helcarin still lay in deep sleep. “However one of the men said he found this at the foot of the hill.” It was a tatequalme and from the markings looked to have been Pomea’s.

“Alexandra kept it to remember her by,” Legolas said, his voice surprisingly steady considering how his heart seemed to stop.

“What could have happened to them?” Sarendir wondered aloud. Their bodies had not been found so they both had not fallen in battle.

“They took them,” a hoarse voice whispered just loud enough for Elven hearing to pick up.

Looking down, the Elves saw Helcarin’s pained gaze fixed on the group. Glorfindel, glad to see his son conscious at least, knelt beside him, holding the younger ellon’s head in his lap gently.

“Who?” Elladan forced his voice to remain calm.

“Beasts. They … they were following the scent of my—my blood and Alexandra and Allase came to s-see to my injuries. The creatures took them,” he finished with a painful gasp.

“Where did they take them?” Legolas asked, already checking his armament to make certain his quiver was full and his knives and sword were by his side.

Helcarin’s eyes were once again closed and Glorfindel felt his heart constrict. His son was fading. No. It could not happen like this! Helcarin was meant to lead the Eastern Elves from their darkness, to guide the homeless Elves home. He could not die beside a lake in Khand.

The others looked at father and son with varying degrees of shock and sadness. As much as Legolas and Elladan were pained over their beloveds’ disappearance, seeing Glorfindel’s son passing to Mandos broke through their own misery.

Legolas put his hand on Glorfindel’s shoulder.

“I will go and search for them and will send word when we find something. I pray your son finds peace.”

The Golden Lord nodded without looking up. He concentrated on Helcarin, trying to give him what strength he could as his father. If only he could hold on … but then, Helcarin would be reunited with Pomea. Perhaps he had done what he was meant to do here in Middle-Earth. He gave the message of hope to the Elves of Rhun; now it was up to Vanurion and Sarendir to tell their people and lead them back to the Valar.

“You will not go alone,” Elladan told the prince as he and Elrohir prepared to depart. They had known Helcarin since the ellon’s arrival in Imladris as an infant but Elladan could not let Allase be taken by creatures of darkness.

“If you are going after Lastharos, you are not leaving me,” added Rumil. Haldir nodded his agreement and they began gathering their supplies.

“I will remain with Glorfindel,” Saelbeth said quietly. He, too, had known Helcarin since his infancy and could not leave his friend to face the death of his son alone. Besides, he was not completely healed himself and would slow down the others as they pursued the creatures who had no doubt taken Alexandra and Allase to Lastharos.

Glorfindel glanced at his close friend and smiled his thanks, then returned to concentrating on Helcarin.

“We will see the mortals to safety,” Vanurion told the Elves preparing to depart. “Once they are settled, we will join you.”

“Please, stay with Glorfindel and Helcarin until—as long as is necessary,” Legolas told the eastern ellyn. They clasped arms and bid one another farewell.

Having found their mounts among those taken by the army from the ruins of Naraketh, Legolas mounted Arod gratefully, glad to have his old friend back with him. As they started toward the southeast, another rider joined them.

“You do not know the way to Fwaban,” Crasthion told the Elves.

“You will be killed if Lastharos finds you,” Haldir reminded him.

The man smiled bitterly. “It matters not how I die as long as it is with honor.”

There was no answer to his statement and the Elves and man rode swiftly into the night.

***

“Some of Lastharos’ beasts have returned,” Maglor told Erestor, shaking out his cloak.

The counselor looked up from where he was changing the dressing on some of the worst of Sui’s wounds with a slight frown.

“I thought they were off slaughtering people in the northwest.”

“They were. They have also brought two more prisoners. I could not see them, but I believe them to be female.”

Sui inhaled sharply. “He will rape and kill them,” she murmured.

“Not if we have any say in the matter,” Maglor told her with a slight smile. In the days since she had been with them, she was growing stronger, gaining some weight so she no longer looked like one of the walking dead, and her bruises were fading, her wounds healing. She would likely always have scars but at least she was alive.

“How will we find out who it is?” Erestor asked, securing the last bandage and giving the woman a small cup of wine and medicine. She drank it obediently and he gave her an approving smile.

“There are sources,” Maglor replied in a vague tone. “And do not forget Orophin, Dehlina and Naveradir are there. They will likely know first.”

“Why have they not killed him yet?” Erestor wondered aloud.

“He is never without bodyguards except in his private chamber,” Sui told them. “And if they do not share his bed, they will not get close enough to do anything to him without everyone in Lastharos’ presence being cut down by his guards.” She had been surprised to find out all three were Elves and feared for their safety. If Lastharos found out …

***

“Alexandra. Alexandra! Wake up! Please!”

The urgent voice cut through the deep slumber, dragging her from nothingness.

“Alexandra! You must awaken—we are in grave danger.”

Opening her eyes, she saw nothing for a moment but grey; then she saw texture in the color and realized she was looking at a stone ceiling. Sitting up, Alex gave a sharp curse as pain shot through her body, especially her shoulder and hip. Squinting, she managed to finally focus on her surroundings. She was in a large room—a quite opulent one, at that—and was in the middle of a soft bed draped with sheer curtains and piled with silken pillows. At first she thought she was back at Vanurion’s keep, but then her gaze fell on the other woman kneeling on the floor in the middle of another pile of cushions. Allase was watching her with an agitated look, wearing nothing but a metal collar attached to a heavy chain that was secured to a ring in the floor.

“Allase? What happened? Where are we?” She winced as she slipped from the bed. She was wearing a silken slip of a gown and wondered why she was dressed and the other woman was not.

“We are in Fwaban, in Lastharos’ palace. We were brought here by the creatures.”

Memories rushed back and Alex swore again, making her way across the room to where Allase knelt. She felt dizzy, unsteady and very weak. Without warning nausea overwhelmed her and she turned to the side, finding the balcony just in time. Nothing came up, but she heaved for some time before weakly wiping her mouth on a cloth then walking slowly back to where Allase watched her with a slight frown.

“How long have you been ill?” she asked as Alexandra dropped to the cushion beside her.

“I’ve only been throwing up for the past few days but I’ve felt tired and weak longer.” She closed her eyes then focused on the collar. “We need to get this off of you.”

“Lastharos does not care what happens to me—I am a woman of Khand and so I am supposedly his to do with as he pleases. You, however, are the wife of an Elven prince and of great value. Be thankful for your husband.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Alexandra snapped. “Lastharos is insane and no one is safe from him.” She got up and began to search the room for something with which to pick the lock, finally finding a set of thin skewers. She didn’t want to think what they were used for as she began working on the lock.

Allase remained silent, watching the other woman closely. Alexandra did not seem terribly frightened by their circumstance and she wondered just what the prince’s wife had done in her life to be immune to fear. She herself was, quite honestly, terrified. Lastharos was the Butcher of Khand. She did not doubt he would make her ending most unpleasant.

Alex muttered under her breath, cursing the lock, the skewers, Lastharos, the entire nation of Khand and anything else that irritated her. Finally, she was rewarded with a click and the metal collar sprang apart. She tossed it aside and looked to see if the Khandun woman had been harmed. Her neck was chaffed from the collar, but appeared otherwise healthy.

“Come on. You need clothes.” Alex stood then stumbled. Allase caught her and then stood alongside the other woman.

“You should lie back down. Those things that brought us here had poison on their claws. You were out longer than I was.”

Alex reluctantly allowed Allase to help her back to the bed. Reclining against the pillows she watched as the other woman searched for something to wear, finally finding a drawer full of beautiful, thin gowns that concealed nothing. Dropping one over her head, she came back to sit beside Alexandra.

“We were brought here, bathed then left,” she told the prince’s wife. “Lastharos has not yet made an appearance, but I am certain he will.”

“Then we can kill him when he does.” She looked at the two skewers she held in her hand. “I’ll happily shove these through both of his ears or through his throat. Although,” she smiled wickedly, “they aren’t painful enough.”

Allase shook her head. “We must get out of here. What is out the balcony?”

“A sheer drop,” Alex replied. “We’re apparently in the tallest tower in the palace. Unless we have something to climb with—and it will have to be extremely long—we’ll just have to go out the door.” She made to get up, but Allase pushed her firmly back against the pillows.

“I will check the door,” she told her, getting up and doing just that. As expected, it was locked.

Alex swore again and closed her eyes, the back of her hand resting against her forehead. They were trapped in Lastharos’ palace. On the bright side, however, they were close enough to kill him.

“Come back here and lie down,” Alex told the other woman in a tired voice. “There’s no sense in losing sleep. We can’t go anywhere.”

Allase slipped under the coverlet on the other side of the bed, turning on her side to study the western woman.

Feeling eyes on her, Alex turned to meet her gaze.

“What?”

“You are not afraid?”

“I’m terrified.”

“You do not appear to be frightened at all.”

Alex laughed. “Believe me, I’m so scared right now I can’t think straight. I’m worried about our friends; I don’t know how the battle came out; I don’t know who’s hurt, who’s killed. And I don’t know what we’re going to do to get away from Lastharos. As long as I get a chance to kill him, though, I’ll stay right here happily.”

“What of your husband? I am worried about Elladan—I … he …” Her voice trailed off and a blush crept over her cheeks.

“Legolas is fine; I can feel him in my heart through our bond. What about Elladan?” She smiled as the other woman’s blush grew fiercer.

“He … we … joined with one another.” She was not accustomed to speaking on such an intimate subject.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” She rested her chin on her hand and gazed at nothing. The memory of his lips, his body; the feel of him inside of her … Allase had never known it could be so beautiful to join with another.

“Elladan will be fine,” Alexandra told her. “And he’ll come for you, I know. They won’t let us be taken without looking for us. And remember, we have friends who came here though I don’t know where they are at the moment.”

Allase managed a small smile. “Then I will try to be as calm as you are.”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Me? Calm? Oh, if the others could hear that. They think I’m ridiculously emotional and I suppose, compared to them, I am. I wish I could be as serene as they seem to be when faced with dangers.”

Any reply from the other woman was silenced as the sound of a number of bolts being thrown came to their attention. Both women looked over at the door and saw the handle begin to turn.