The Music in My Heart
folder
Lord of the Rings Movies › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
3,808
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Lord of the Rings Movies › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
3,808
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 56 Pursued by a Bear
I’d really appreciate hearing from readers about their thoughts on this story. This is my first story and feedback is much appreciated. Thanks, S
Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 56
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: PG-13, but ratings will increase in future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Some slash, but mostly het.
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive: AFF; FF
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic. Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 56 --- Pursued by a Bear
“Exit, pursued by a bear.”
Famous stage direction from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (Act III, scene 3).
*****
“Lord Elrond…we have received news from Minas Tirith. The artifact has been safely delivered to the city and the force is returning, supplemented by additional warriors sent from Gondor and Mirkwood.”
Looking up from the notes he had made on their tests of several alternative antidotes for the poison, Elrond found a young guard of no more than twenty years of age standing in the doorway of the garrison commander’s study. “Is there word of casualties?”
“I cannot say, my lord other than to report that Prince Aranuir and your sons are well,” was the reply.
Sighing, Elrond nodded his head. “Thank you for bringing me this news. I admit I am worried about my sons and grandson, but I will sleep better once they have returned and I see all of our warriors safely within these walls.”
“I understand, my lord.” Pausing for a moment, the young man hesitantly added, “My oldest brother rides among the numbers of your expedition. I worry about him.”
“As do I, penneth. I will do all I can to see he returns home to your family.” Smiling at guard, he asked, “What is your brother’s name?” (young one)
“He is called Derufin, my lord. He is assigned to the Prince’s escort,” he replied, his pride in his brother evident.
“And your name?”
“Targon, my lord. This is my first posting outside of the city,” came the answer, as the young warrior squared his shoulders and corrected his stance.
Touched by the teen’s desire to conduct himself as a seasoned warrior, he offered, “Gondor is blessed to have such loyal warriors to defend her.”
Swelling with pride, Targon snapped to attention and bowed. “Thank… Hannon le, my lord.” (Thank you.)
After the young man had left, Elrond rose and went in search of his family and friends, knowing they were likewise worried about the mission.
*****
Glorfindel settled back into the mound of thin pillows Haldir had piled behind him, hoping to create a comfortable nest for the injured elf. He was secretly thrilled by the attention his betrothed was lavishing on him. Having finally overcome his reticence to commit to their bonding, the Lorien elf had dropped all of his barriers and had let Glorfindel behind the last of the walls he had constructed around his truest self. The splendor of his love’s spirit fully revealed had taken his breath away.
“Is that better, melme?” (love)
“Much. Hannon le, beloved. I think I will be up and about by tomorrow thanks to your care,” he suggested, knowing he would meet opposition from both his lover and his lord. “My shoulder is healing nicely and my strength has returned.” (Thank you…)
Frowning, Haldir sat on the side of the bed. “I do not think that is a good idea. You almost died… more than once, Glory. We will soon have to march from this haven and I do not think it is wise for you to strain yourself too soon.”
“Haldir is correct.”
Turning, they found Elrond had entered the healing ward while they had been talking. “While I will reserve final judgment until tomorrow, I do not think you will be ready to leave the healing ward by then.” Seeing the frustration building in his old friend’s eyes, Elrond offered, “Perhaps, you will be up to a walk outside for some fresh air later today.”
“I am ready…” Glorfindel let his voice trail off as he noted the scowls on both faces turned in his direction. Huffing, he muttered, “I am hardly an elfling, needing to be kept to his bed. I know how I feel… better than either of you would know. I am the last patient still confined to bed!”
“While I do not doubt you are feeling much better, your body needs time to recover from the strain it suffered. I will permit a short walk later today, once the heat of the day has diminished… and not before. Consider that an order if that is what is required to make you pay heed.” Smirking at the outraged look his Seneschal gave him, he softened the remark by adding, “Humor us, my old friend. We still feel the fear of how close we came to losing you. Enjoy having Haldir’s undivided attention while it lasts. Once we leave here, you will not have that luxury.”
Glancing back to his worried lover, he quickly relented, seeing the strain in the sky-blue eyes he so adored. “Well… when you put it that way…” He was quickly rewarded with a lingering kiss.
Grinning at the oblivious pair, Elrond cleared his throat several times… loudly, to get their attention. “The patrol is returning from Minas Tirith with additional troops detailed to support our mission. They should be here in two days. We will leave on the third. Rest, so that you are ready.”
Pulling back so that he could turn to face the elf lord, Haldir asked, “From that we can assume all went well with their mission? That our people return to us safely?”
Sighing, Elrond admitted, “I know Elrohir, Legolas, and Ara return unharmed, but I have no word on the rest. The artifact is safe within the walls of the city.”
“Then we must wait to learn the rest. We…” Glorfindel was interrupted by the sound of a horn. Recognizing it as the warning horn used by the Gondorian army to signal an attack, both Haldir and Elrond shared a quick look before turning to answer the call.
“Stay here, love. I will let you know what is happening,” Haldir ordered over his shoulder as he caught sight of Glorfindel’s attempt to rise from his bed.
Grumbling, the balrog slayer dropped back against his pillows. “Do not forget me! I will go crazy from worry not knowing!” Muttering a curse, he forced himself to wait, realizing the other two had broken into a run and were well down the hall.
*****
Seeing the elf lord’s rapid approach, the garrison’s commander signaled Elrond to join him on the upper defenses of the garrison’s walls. “Two of our patrols have been attacked in what appears to be an organized assault. The other patrols nearby came to their aid. The rest have been recalled to defend the garrison. I expect all of the patrols… and the wounded to be returning within the hour.”
“The Uruk Hai are massing along that ridge north of us, Commander,” Haldir observed.
Staining to see what the elf had noticed, the Gondorian warrior shook his head in frustration. “I cannot see that far. What do you see, my lord?”
“It looks like our enemy is massing their forces… whether for an attack on this fortress or to ambush the returning patrols, I cannot say. How soon will the patrols be here? I see signs of yrck to our east and west as well,” the Lorien elf responded. “I cannot see to the south from this vantage point, but it is reasonable to assume they are there as well.”
“I will send messenger birds to our patrols, warning them of the danger. Can you estimate numbers?”
Leaning as far as possible out of the opening in the wall, Haldir studied the various locations. “It appears that the group to the north is the largest of the three… several hundred from what I can see. There may be greater numbers yet hidden behind the rise.”
Swearing, the commander signaled his attendant to prepare immediate dispatches to the patrols. “Perhaps, if we are lucky, we can position our patrols so that they can organize into larger formations and attack the enemy from the rear in several key locations. We may be able to cut their numbers significantly if we manage to take them by surprise. The reinforcements from Minas Tirith will not be here before late tomorrow at the earliest.”
“May I suggest you send a message to Prince Aranuir, as well, alerting him to this new problem? They may be able to make better time if they know the urgency,” Elrond proposed, moving back to their side after walking further down the rampart to scan conditions to the south. “It appears we have an equally large number massing to our south, judging from what I can see.”
“I will see to it, my lord.”
Seeing the warriors of their expedition that had remained with them waiting in the courtyard below, Elrond changed topics. “Our warriors are, of course, at your disposal. Tell us where you need us to station ourselves and Lord Haldir and I will see to it.”
Nodding, the commander replied, “If your troops could cover the southern wall, that would allow me to mass my warriors along the other three walls. Our supplies are more than sufficient to arm and sustain us for several weeks, if need be. I doubt the enemy is equipped with scaling ladders and the like, so any attempts to breech the walls should be crude at best.”
“I would agree, Commander. My Lord Elrond… if you will it, I will organize our warriors and see to the southern wall’s defense,” Haldir offered, the mantle of leadership dropping securely around his shoulders as the last of his innate self-confidence reasserted itself.
“See to it, Captain. I will inform Glorfindel and the others of our plan.”
*****
Less than an hour later, the sounds of battle could be heard at several points surrounding the garrison. Taken off-guard by the ferocious response to their earlier assaults, the enemy was pushed out into the open before the walls of the garrison. With brutal efficiency, the warriors stationed along the rampart began to rain a hail of arrows down into their midst. In under an hour, the combined efforts of the patrols and the garrison’s defenders succeeded in breaking the lines of Uruk Hai and Yrck. Within minutes, the foul beasts were in retreat, fleeing into the cover of the nearby woods.
Seeing the retreat, the gates to the garrison swung open and the patrols quickly began to move their wounded into the safety of its walls. Handing their bows and quivers to Haldir, Elrond and Celeborn hurried down to assist the wounded. Noting that several were already dead, Elrond hurried further into the midst of the wounded. Feeling a hand grip his arm, he turned to find Seere at this side, his medical kit in her hand.
Nodding his thanks, he knelt beside a critically injured young warrior with an arrow protruding from his shoulder, and began to work. A quick glance around him told him it would be a long afternoon and evening. “Seere, this wound does not appear to be poisoned. We need to remove the arrow and flush the wound so I can suture the injury. Are you ready?”
*****
Celeborn sat down beside Elrond and leaned back against the wall of the healing ward, too exhausted to make his way to the sleeping chamber they had been assigned. “We were lucky that none of the wounded were shot with poisoned arrows.”
“Indeed, I was just considering that fact. Given the number of wounded we had to treat, we would have lost many of them had they been.” Smiling as Seere settled down on his other side, he pulled her to rest against him, relishing the pleasure of having her close.
“Does this mean they are reserving the poison for later use or does it indicate that they have run out of that vile concoction?” she mused.
“I would think they would have used it had it been available. They clearly hoped to take the garrison by force and poisoning their targets would have improved their chances,” Erestor observed as he joined the other weary elves, mugs of herbal tea in his hands.
“Hannon le, meldir,” Celeborn offered, gratefully accepting the soothing beverage. “I think you are correct in your assessment of the situation. This does not mean they will not be able to acquire more. I would still feel better having another option for the antidote before we leave for our next site.” (Thank you, friend.)
Brushing a kiss across the top of Seere’s head, Elrond pondered, “I have been thinking about the adjustments to the tincture and the base. What do you think of using the yew and goldenseal root wash Seere has already made for our kits as the tincture to activate the herbal mix?”
Seeing the considered nods from the others, he sighed. “Assuming we have no more wounded to treat tonight and the hordes refrain from another attack, perhaps we can test this substitution in the morning?”
“I have also been thinking about the base… Ada feels the current alcohol solution is too strong. Perhaps we could use one made with garlic and mallow? I could dilute the proportion of alcohol by a fourth… maybe more, if we use garlic. Garlic stabilizes the base as well as the one with the higher alcohol content, but would be less reactive than the full strength base we have been using,” Seere proposed.
“Both good ideas. Let us hope we have a chance to test them in the morning.” Rising to his feet, Erestor offered a hand to each of the others to pull them to their feet. “It has been a long day. I suggest we find a light supper and see if a little rest is possible.”
*****
Leaving the healing ward after making a final visit to check his patients before retiring, Elrond found one of their warriors waiting. “My lord, Lord Haldir sent me to alert you of a renewed threat from the Hordes. They appear to be regrouping beyond the ridge at several points. He and the Commander expect another attack before dawn.”
“Very well. I will inform the others and alert the healers we may have more wounded. Tell Lord Haldir I will join him shortly.” Sighing, he turned back to the healing wards. /So much for a night’s sleep./
*****
Elrohir gritted his teeth as his detachment cleared a rise in the road to the garrison. Their perspective gave them their first view of the garrison itself, a view that included the ground around the stronghold littered with dead bodies clad in the black armor of the Hordes. Smoke rose from within walls of the stronghold and bands of Yrck and Easterlings continued to attack, firing flaming arrows into the garrison. A crude battering ram made from a downed tree trunk was being used to batter the main gate, as archers from the garrison’s ramparts poured arrows down onto the swarming mass.
Infuriated, he gave the order for his warriors to draw their swords and prepare to engage the enemy. A quick glance in the direction of his distant nephew confirmed that the Gondorian prince was doing likewise. Catching Aranuir’s eye, he gave a nod to indicate their readiness. “Herio!” (Charge!)
*****
“Elrohir!”
Turning, the peredhel found his father treating a small group of wounded men and elves, attempting to save what lives he could. Sprinting to his side, the younger healer knelt to assist his father is removing an arrow from the arm of a young warrior. Puzzled that his father was not using the poison antidote, he asked, “Do we not need to apply the antidote?”
“The one piece of good news we have is that they seem to have run through their stores of that foul concoction, so we are spared that complication. I have found no signs of poison in any I have thus far treated.” Looking up to meet his son’s eyes, he asked, “Are you unharmed, ion? Legolas? Ara?” (son)
“We are fine, Ada. Is the same true for you and the rest of our family?”
“Aye. Glorfindel is recovering quickly from his wounds… though we have had to threaten to tie him to his cot to keep him from the ramparts,” Elrond responded. “Was your mission without mishap or did you find resistance?”
“All in all, yours and Erestor’s plan to decoy the Hordes from following us worked. We had but one brief skirmish and no serious injuries among our warriors. It seems we were justified in worrying the garrison might pay for our subterfuge,” Elrohir observed.
“Humm… it has indeed been a long few days. The day we received word your party had departed Minas Tirith to return here, several of the daily patrols were attacked. We lost some number of warriors in that exchange, but have faired relatively well since we managed to get all of our forces back inside the walls of the garrison,” he replied. “We have had some injuries, but thus far have lost no more of our people. Ara is fortunate to have so skilled a leader at this post. His commander did well.”
“My commander says he owes much to you and your company for weathering this siege. He speaks quite highly of Haldir and your leadership… and fighting skills.”
Looking up, the peredhil found they had been joined by Aranuir. In a moment of clear insight, Elrond noted, “While it has always struck me how strongly you favor Estel, you look every inch his twin, garbed as you are and flushed from battle. I feel strongly that Middle-earth will have need of your leadership, ion nin, as it did his.” (my son)
*****
Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 56
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: PG-13, but ratings will increase in future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Some slash, but mostly het.
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive: AFF; FF
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic. Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 56 --- Pursued by a Bear
“Exit, pursued by a bear.”
Famous stage direction from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (Act III, scene 3).
*****
“Lord Elrond…we have received news from Minas Tirith. The artifact has been safely delivered to the city and the force is returning, supplemented by additional warriors sent from Gondor and Mirkwood.”
Looking up from the notes he had made on their tests of several alternative antidotes for the poison, Elrond found a young guard of no more than twenty years of age standing in the doorway of the garrison commander’s study. “Is there word of casualties?”
“I cannot say, my lord other than to report that Prince Aranuir and your sons are well,” was the reply.
Sighing, Elrond nodded his head. “Thank you for bringing me this news. I admit I am worried about my sons and grandson, but I will sleep better once they have returned and I see all of our warriors safely within these walls.”
“I understand, my lord.” Pausing for a moment, the young man hesitantly added, “My oldest brother rides among the numbers of your expedition. I worry about him.”
“As do I, penneth. I will do all I can to see he returns home to your family.” Smiling at guard, he asked, “What is your brother’s name?” (young one)
“He is called Derufin, my lord. He is assigned to the Prince’s escort,” he replied, his pride in his brother evident.
“And your name?”
“Targon, my lord. This is my first posting outside of the city,” came the answer, as the young warrior squared his shoulders and corrected his stance.
Touched by the teen’s desire to conduct himself as a seasoned warrior, he offered, “Gondor is blessed to have such loyal warriors to defend her.”
Swelling with pride, Targon snapped to attention and bowed. “Thank… Hannon le, my lord.” (Thank you.)
After the young man had left, Elrond rose and went in search of his family and friends, knowing they were likewise worried about the mission.
*****
Glorfindel settled back into the mound of thin pillows Haldir had piled behind him, hoping to create a comfortable nest for the injured elf. He was secretly thrilled by the attention his betrothed was lavishing on him. Having finally overcome his reticence to commit to their bonding, the Lorien elf had dropped all of his barriers and had let Glorfindel behind the last of the walls he had constructed around his truest self. The splendor of his love’s spirit fully revealed had taken his breath away.
“Is that better, melme?” (love)
“Much. Hannon le, beloved. I think I will be up and about by tomorrow thanks to your care,” he suggested, knowing he would meet opposition from both his lover and his lord. “My shoulder is healing nicely and my strength has returned.” (Thank you…)
Frowning, Haldir sat on the side of the bed. “I do not think that is a good idea. You almost died… more than once, Glory. We will soon have to march from this haven and I do not think it is wise for you to strain yourself too soon.”
“Haldir is correct.”
Turning, they found Elrond had entered the healing ward while they had been talking. “While I will reserve final judgment until tomorrow, I do not think you will be ready to leave the healing ward by then.” Seeing the frustration building in his old friend’s eyes, Elrond offered, “Perhaps, you will be up to a walk outside for some fresh air later today.”
“I am ready…” Glorfindel let his voice trail off as he noted the scowls on both faces turned in his direction. Huffing, he muttered, “I am hardly an elfling, needing to be kept to his bed. I know how I feel… better than either of you would know. I am the last patient still confined to bed!”
“While I do not doubt you are feeling much better, your body needs time to recover from the strain it suffered. I will permit a short walk later today, once the heat of the day has diminished… and not before. Consider that an order if that is what is required to make you pay heed.” Smirking at the outraged look his Seneschal gave him, he softened the remark by adding, “Humor us, my old friend. We still feel the fear of how close we came to losing you. Enjoy having Haldir’s undivided attention while it lasts. Once we leave here, you will not have that luxury.”
Glancing back to his worried lover, he quickly relented, seeing the strain in the sky-blue eyes he so adored. “Well… when you put it that way…” He was quickly rewarded with a lingering kiss.
Grinning at the oblivious pair, Elrond cleared his throat several times… loudly, to get their attention. “The patrol is returning from Minas Tirith with additional troops detailed to support our mission. They should be here in two days. We will leave on the third. Rest, so that you are ready.”
Pulling back so that he could turn to face the elf lord, Haldir asked, “From that we can assume all went well with their mission? That our people return to us safely?”
Sighing, Elrond admitted, “I know Elrohir, Legolas, and Ara return unharmed, but I have no word on the rest. The artifact is safe within the walls of the city.”
“Then we must wait to learn the rest. We…” Glorfindel was interrupted by the sound of a horn. Recognizing it as the warning horn used by the Gondorian army to signal an attack, both Haldir and Elrond shared a quick look before turning to answer the call.
“Stay here, love. I will let you know what is happening,” Haldir ordered over his shoulder as he caught sight of Glorfindel’s attempt to rise from his bed.
Grumbling, the balrog slayer dropped back against his pillows. “Do not forget me! I will go crazy from worry not knowing!” Muttering a curse, he forced himself to wait, realizing the other two had broken into a run and were well down the hall.
*****
Seeing the elf lord’s rapid approach, the garrison’s commander signaled Elrond to join him on the upper defenses of the garrison’s walls. “Two of our patrols have been attacked in what appears to be an organized assault. The other patrols nearby came to their aid. The rest have been recalled to defend the garrison. I expect all of the patrols… and the wounded to be returning within the hour.”
“The Uruk Hai are massing along that ridge north of us, Commander,” Haldir observed.
Staining to see what the elf had noticed, the Gondorian warrior shook his head in frustration. “I cannot see that far. What do you see, my lord?”
“It looks like our enemy is massing their forces… whether for an attack on this fortress or to ambush the returning patrols, I cannot say. How soon will the patrols be here? I see signs of yrck to our east and west as well,” the Lorien elf responded. “I cannot see to the south from this vantage point, but it is reasonable to assume they are there as well.”
“I will send messenger birds to our patrols, warning them of the danger. Can you estimate numbers?”
Leaning as far as possible out of the opening in the wall, Haldir studied the various locations. “It appears that the group to the north is the largest of the three… several hundred from what I can see. There may be greater numbers yet hidden behind the rise.”
Swearing, the commander signaled his attendant to prepare immediate dispatches to the patrols. “Perhaps, if we are lucky, we can position our patrols so that they can organize into larger formations and attack the enemy from the rear in several key locations. We may be able to cut their numbers significantly if we manage to take them by surprise. The reinforcements from Minas Tirith will not be here before late tomorrow at the earliest.”
“May I suggest you send a message to Prince Aranuir, as well, alerting him to this new problem? They may be able to make better time if they know the urgency,” Elrond proposed, moving back to their side after walking further down the rampart to scan conditions to the south. “It appears we have an equally large number massing to our south, judging from what I can see.”
“I will see to it, my lord.”
Seeing the warriors of their expedition that had remained with them waiting in the courtyard below, Elrond changed topics. “Our warriors are, of course, at your disposal. Tell us where you need us to station ourselves and Lord Haldir and I will see to it.”
Nodding, the commander replied, “If your troops could cover the southern wall, that would allow me to mass my warriors along the other three walls. Our supplies are more than sufficient to arm and sustain us for several weeks, if need be. I doubt the enemy is equipped with scaling ladders and the like, so any attempts to breech the walls should be crude at best.”
“I would agree, Commander. My Lord Elrond… if you will it, I will organize our warriors and see to the southern wall’s defense,” Haldir offered, the mantle of leadership dropping securely around his shoulders as the last of his innate self-confidence reasserted itself.
“See to it, Captain. I will inform Glorfindel and the others of our plan.”
*****
Less than an hour later, the sounds of battle could be heard at several points surrounding the garrison. Taken off-guard by the ferocious response to their earlier assaults, the enemy was pushed out into the open before the walls of the garrison. With brutal efficiency, the warriors stationed along the rampart began to rain a hail of arrows down into their midst. In under an hour, the combined efforts of the patrols and the garrison’s defenders succeeded in breaking the lines of Uruk Hai and Yrck. Within minutes, the foul beasts were in retreat, fleeing into the cover of the nearby woods.
Seeing the retreat, the gates to the garrison swung open and the patrols quickly began to move their wounded into the safety of its walls. Handing their bows and quivers to Haldir, Elrond and Celeborn hurried down to assist the wounded. Noting that several were already dead, Elrond hurried further into the midst of the wounded. Feeling a hand grip his arm, he turned to find Seere at this side, his medical kit in her hand.
Nodding his thanks, he knelt beside a critically injured young warrior with an arrow protruding from his shoulder, and began to work. A quick glance around him told him it would be a long afternoon and evening. “Seere, this wound does not appear to be poisoned. We need to remove the arrow and flush the wound so I can suture the injury. Are you ready?”
*****
Celeborn sat down beside Elrond and leaned back against the wall of the healing ward, too exhausted to make his way to the sleeping chamber they had been assigned. “We were lucky that none of the wounded were shot with poisoned arrows.”
“Indeed, I was just considering that fact. Given the number of wounded we had to treat, we would have lost many of them had they been.” Smiling as Seere settled down on his other side, he pulled her to rest against him, relishing the pleasure of having her close.
“Does this mean they are reserving the poison for later use or does it indicate that they have run out of that vile concoction?” she mused.
“I would think they would have used it had it been available. They clearly hoped to take the garrison by force and poisoning their targets would have improved their chances,” Erestor observed as he joined the other weary elves, mugs of herbal tea in his hands.
“Hannon le, meldir,” Celeborn offered, gratefully accepting the soothing beverage. “I think you are correct in your assessment of the situation. This does not mean they will not be able to acquire more. I would still feel better having another option for the antidote before we leave for our next site.” (Thank you, friend.)
Brushing a kiss across the top of Seere’s head, Elrond pondered, “I have been thinking about the adjustments to the tincture and the base. What do you think of using the yew and goldenseal root wash Seere has already made for our kits as the tincture to activate the herbal mix?”
Seeing the considered nods from the others, he sighed. “Assuming we have no more wounded to treat tonight and the hordes refrain from another attack, perhaps we can test this substitution in the morning?”
“I have also been thinking about the base… Ada feels the current alcohol solution is too strong. Perhaps we could use one made with garlic and mallow? I could dilute the proportion of alcohol by a fourth… maybe more, if we use garlic. Garlic stabilizes the base as well as the one with the higher alcohol content, but would be less reactive than the full strength base we have been using,” Seere proposed.
“Both good ideas. Let us hope we have a chance to test them in the morning.” Rising to his feet, Erestor offered a hand to each of the others to pull them to their feet. “It has been a long day. I suggest we find a light supper and see if a little rest is possible.”
*****
Leaving the healing ward after making a final visit to check his patients before retiring, Elrond found one of their warriors waiting. “My lord, Lord Haldir sent me to alert you of a renewed threat from the Hordes. They appear to be regrouping beyond the ridge at several points. He and the Commander expect another attack before dawn.”
“Very well. I will inform the others and alert the healers we may have more wounded. Tell Lord Haldir I will join him shortly.” Sighing, he turned back to the healing wards. /So much for a night’s sleep./
*****
Elrohir gritted his teeth as his detachment cleared a rise in the road to the garrison. Their perspective gave them their first view of the garrison itself, a view that included the ground around the stronghold littered with dead bodies clad in the black armor of the Hordes. Smoke rose from within walls of the stronghold and bands of Yrck and Easterlings continued to attack, firing flaming arrows into the garrison. A crude battering ram made from a downed tree trunk was being used to batter the main gate, as archers from the garrison’s ramparts poured arrows down onto the swarming mass.
Infuriated, he gave the order for his warriors to draw their swords and prepare to engage the enemy. A quick glance in the direction of his distant nephew confirmed that the Gondorian prince was doing likewise. Catching Aranuir’s eye, he gave a nod to indicate their readiness. “Herio!” (Charge!)
*****
“Elrohir!”
Turning, the peredhel found his father treating a small group of wounded men and elves, attempting to save what lives he could. Sprinting to his side, the younger healer knelt to assist his father is removing an arrow from the arm of a young warrior. Puzzled that his father was not using the poison antidote, he asked, “Do we not need to apply the antidote?”
“The one piece of good news we have is that they seem to have run through their stores of that foul concoction, so we are spared that complication. I have found no signs of poison in any I have thus far treated.” Looking up to meet his son’s eyes, he asked, “Are you unharmed, ion? Legolas? Ara?” (son)
“We are fine, Ada. Is the same true for you and the rest of our family?”
“Aye. Glorfindel is recovering quickly from his wounds… though we have had to threaten to tie him to his cot to keep him from the ramparts,” Elrond responded. “Was your mission without mishap or did you find resistance?”
“All in all, yours and Erestor’s plan to decoy the Hordes from following us worked. We had but one brief skirmish and no serious injuries among our warriors. It seems we were justified in worrying the garrison might pay for our subterfuge,” Elrohir observed.
“Humm… it has indeed been a long few days. The day we received word your party had departed Minas Tirith to return here, several of the daily patrols were attacked. We lost some number of warriors in that exchange, but have faired relatively well since we managed to get all of our forces back inside the walls of the garrison,” he replied. “We have had some injuries, but thus far have lost no more of our people. Ara is fortunate to have so skilled a leader at this post. His commander did well.”
“My commander says he owes much to you and your company for weathering this siege. He speaks quite highly of Haldir and your leadership… and fighting skills.”
Looking up, the peredhil found they had been joined by Aranuir. In a moment of clear insight, Elrond noted, “While it has always struck me how strongly you favor Estel, you look every inch his twin, garbed as you are and flushed from battle. I feel strongly that Middle-earth will have need of your leadership, ion nin, as it did his.” (my son)
*****