The Jewel of Mirkwood

Chapter 65

Glorfindel sat quietly in the branch of the tree hardly breathing as he watched the party of men below him huddle around their campfire. It had taken the party till dusk to reach the boarders of Imladris and it had only been in darkness that they had tracked their prey to a clearing on the far bank of the river. Glorfindel had taken command of the men indicating for them to surround the party in silence and observe them from the trees above until he gave the signal. For a long time Glorfindel had merely sat watching the party of men, listening to their raucous bantering and their mindless conversation about women and ale. Glorfindel had found it hard to believe that such a small pack of men had done such damage to the boarder patrol and dte tte the rumours there was not a single elf among them to be seen. Still Glorfindel was not going to underestimate them and so bid his time patiently. At the rate the men were drinking it wouldn’t be long before the party became inebriated and defenceless in their state. There were, as usual the two or three men set-aside as lookouts but they would be quickly delt with once the others had fallen.

As he sat observing Glorfindel tried to picture where the men had come from and why they sought Legolas, if indeed that was their desire. As much as he tried though Glorfindel couldn’t determine where the men had hailed nor what their motives where if any. In all appearances the men seemed to be like all the others of their race, stupidly loud, foolishly exposed and most irritatingly uncaring of all things around him. Glorfindel wondered briefly if the situation was all just a set up or a trap, so uncaringly lacking in the basics of survival had the party been but for fear of seeming weak Glorfindel reigned in his thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand. He had seen a thousand battles in his lifetime but yet such a small group men drew fear in him like he had never felt before. Glorfindel slowed his breathing as he watched one of the party get from the fire and move over to the base of the tree he sat in. Cautiously Glorfindel looked down from his post and watched as the young red haired man lowered his breeches and began to urinate at the base of the tree. The man was swaying dangerously and Glorfindel watched in amusement as the man splashed his boots and wet the front of his breeches before uncaringly staggering back to the fire.

It was in his moment of silent amusement that Glorfindel missed the sound of someone climbing up the tree behind him. Glorfindel heard the soft unfamiliar breathing behind him but it was too late then. As he spun around his arrow notched in its bow a shinny elvan long blade shot out to his neck effectively freezing him to the spot.

“Well, Well, Well Glorfindel of Gondolin this is a surprise.” The words were spoken in elfish and Glorfindel swallowed around the lump in his throat as he felt the cool blade pressed firmly against his skin. He did not recognise the voice and because of the darkness he could not distinguish the figure hidden in shadow by the hood of their black cloak. “Lower the bow Glorfindel or I will slit your throat and kill your men.” Knowing that fighting was useless Glorfindel obediently lowered his bow and loosened the string letting the arrow fall slack in his grip. “Good, now lower yourself to the ground and walk slowly towards the fire.” Glorfindel tried to peer at the hidden face behind the hood but could not distinguish any of the features. Slowly Glorfindel did as he was told dropped himself from the branch of the tree to the ground below. The figure followed him down the distinctly curved elvan blade still poised to kill him if necessary. His descent to the ground had drawn the attention of the men near the fire and those still able were at their feet in an instant their weapons drawn as he was pushed forward towards them. From the trees surrounding the fire Glorfindel could see his men all of them with their arrows notched directed towards the men. Elladan was in the tree across the other side of the fire and for the briefest of moments Glorfindel caught the young elf’s gaze silently pleading with him to stay calm and wait. “Stop there Glorfindel where I can see you.” Glorfindel obediently stopped next to the warmth of the fire and turned slowly around to face his captor. The shadow of the person’s hood still prevented Glorfindel from getting a clear look of his captor but it went some way in illuminating the distinctly elvan weaponry that the figure carried with him. “Doran, unarm him.” Glorfindel stiffened as the hidden figure gestured to one of the men standing near by. A dark haired boy, not old enough to be beyond his teens was at Glorfindel’s side in an instant, stripping him of his weaponry and patting him down for hidden knives. Thank-fully the boy passed over the two small knives concealed in Glorfindel’s breeches and the seneschal silently thanked the valar for Filgree’s advice. Doran stepped back from Glorfindel and looked to the figure for further instructions. Glorfindel watched as the figure circled him several times in silence their eyes never leaving Glorfindel’s body until he came to a stop in front of the elf in question. “You have grown Glorfindel, since I last saw you. You are more pleasing to the eye in your majority than you ever were as an elfling.” Glorfindel frowned in confusion. Who ever the hidden person was they certainly seemed to know Glorfindel very well.

“Who are you?” Glorfindel finally broke his silence, his angry tone never wavering as he barked at his captor. The seneschal however was unprepared for the heavy blow that struck his cheek sending him reeling backwards only just missing the flames of the fire as he fell to his knees with the force.

“Did I give you permission to speak?” Glorfindel shook his head as he crudely wiped the blood from his split lip and spat his own blood out onto the grass next to him. The hooded figure laughed darkly before stepping up to stand directly in front of Glorfindel forcing the seneschal to look up at him. “Have you forgotten me already Glorfindel?” Glorfindel did not have time to answer before a swift kick to his chest sent his sprawling onto his back and leaving him gasping for air. “Strip his tunic and undershirt then bind his hands and feet. Quickly!” The figure barked out another order to his men and Glorfindel quickly found himself overpowered by the considerably bulkier men leaving no room for him to struggle. Despite the situation becoming worse Glorfindel was reluctant to call his men in to attack. If they were all killed in the battle Glorfindel would be no closer to knowing who and what these men were.

Once he was securely bound Glorfindel was pushed to his knees in front of the hooded figure who stood quietly observing him his elvan blade still visibly poised to kill Glorfindel with swift brutality if needed.

“Now that is a much better view.” Glorfindel could hear the smirk of self-satisfaction in the stranger’s tone of voice and he internally vowed to wipe it clean of the persons face when he got a chance. “So tell me Glorfindel the great balrog slayer where is the runt you call a lover?” Glorfindel’s eyes widened considerably and anger welled quickly inside of him as the stranger casually flicked the knife in his hand so that it’s blade flashed in the firelight.

“I do not know of this lover you talk of? Now I ask again who are you?” Glorfindel was becoming impatient and his anger clearly showed through in his tone of voice. Yet again Glorfindel found himself struck forcefully on the face this time with the handle of the knife that the stranger had been parading around with. This time the blow hurt the bond handle of the knife splitting Glorfindel’s forehead just above his right eye. Blood began dripping down Glorfindel’s face but the seneschal ignored it as he righted himself to his knees again. “I suggest you tell me who you are, there are fifty elvan guards surrounding your camp and at my signal they will attack and kill you all.” Glorfindel could no longer contain his rage and burst out yelling at the stranger. To Glorfindel’s utter shock the stranger merely laughed in his face before gesturing around him uncaringly with the point of his knife.

“Oh I know they are there Glorfindel of Gondolin but at least ten of them are already dead.” The stranger chuckled evilly again. “Now let us not see if the rest are as loyal to you as they are to Lord Elrond.” Glorfindel did not have time to react before he found himself on his back the wind knocked clear from his lungs as the hooded stranger straddled his chest. It was in a split second that Glorfindel saw the flash of the stranger’s knife as it rose above his head before it slammed down into Glorfindel’s exposed shoulder. The seneschal screamed in agony his body bucking into the air as the knife pierced his body clean through to the grass below him. “Now listen to me all of you. If you want him to live drop your weapons and come into the light. You have to the count of ten before I drag this knife down to his heart. One….two…” Glorfindel was desperately trying to steady his breathing as he listened to the stranger’s loud voice hovering above him as he continued to count aloud in elvish. “Three…Four…..Five”. Turning his head to the side a little Glorfindel watched as his men began climbing down from their stations in the trees, their weapons held limply at arms length as they advanced towards the fire. From the shadows around the clearing Glorfindel watched on in horror, as more hooded figures appeared each of them quickly disarming his men. He had known from the beginning that this had been a trap he should have listened to his instincts instead of following his heart. As the stranger had pointed out, their party was vastly outnumbered by the suddenly appearing figures in black. There was no doubting they were all of elvish decent their weapons and unheard attack clearly elvish in training. “Good.” The stranger atop of Glorfindel stopped counting as the last of Glorfindel’s men were brought into the light of the fire their weapons now in the hands of the enemy. Glorfindel was unprepared for the brutal way the stranger tore the knife from his body as he stood. Again the seneschal screamed in agony as the blade tore further into his flesh as it was removed.

“Glorfindel are you alright.” Glorfindel curled up on his side in agony as the blood from the wound began to pour down his chest and back the pain immobilising his arm. Elladan quickly broke free of his own hooded captive and knelt quickly by the side of his old tutor before ripping some of his tunic in which to pack the wound with. “Who are you and what do you want?” Elladan sneered at the head of the group who was now quietly conversing with two of the other hooded figures and one of the men. The stranger turned around sharply wip wiped the blade of his knife on his cloak, clearing it of Glorfindel’s blood.

“I am merely after what everybody wants my dear Elladan. News travels fast about the one who is destined to carry the blessed child of the valar and I have come to claim what is rightfully mine.” Glorfindel groaned as he sat up making sure to lean on Elladan who was still holding the strips of fabric to his bleeding wound.

“He is not yours to have.” Glorfindel growled angrily from between his clenched teeth immediately knowing what the stranger was talking of. Elladan it seemed was still a little confused but said nothing as Glorfindel was clearly in no mood to be interrupted. “Now who are you?!” Glorfindel all but screamed at his smug captor who chuckled loudly and shook his head in amusement.

”Oh dear it seems I have competition. It will make my reward seem so much sweeter when I have conquered you too Glorfindel.” Glorfindel was fuming and Elladan struggled to hold the seneschal still as the stranger clearly mocked the other elf. “Now as for my identity, well lets see if you do remember me.” There was a shocked silence as the stranger stepped back into the light of the fire before slowly pulling his hood from his head. Glorfindel felt his lungs constrict painfully and his body being to shake as he stared up at the face that loomed above him in the firelight. Elladan clearly did not recognise the elf that stood before him but from the way Glorfinhad had begun to cone ine in fear in was clear the seneschal knew exactly who the elf was. Glorfindel went a ghostly pale colour in Elladan’s arms as his lips slowly began turning blue with lack of air. His eyes were locked on those of the strangers as the pair looked at one another in deathly silence.

“Breathe Glorfindel! Breathe!” Elladan began to panic as Glorfindel began violently convulsing in his arms the seneschal’s body suddenly ridged and stiff. Glorfindel could not hear the younger elf’s screams though so lost was the other elf in his pain and memories that his body refused to continue on. With a last gasp of breath Glorfindel’s eyes rolled back into his head, the name of the stranger falling silent on his lips as the blond passed out in Elladan’s arms, much to the cries of dismay of Elladan and the patrol around him….

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

(A/N) *Laughs evily* HA! Such a cliff hanger and so little time to continue updating. What is an author to do?? Sooooo you know who our stranger is? Could be Thranduil??? Could be Celeborn or even Galadrial??? Could be the son of Keeldon???? Could be someone who knows Legolas really, really, really well????? Who knows really? You've just have to wait and see. *Places pillow on the ground in front of her* You better get begging if you want another update before tomorrow. We're so close to the end I can smell the fear of sequal............NOT!!!!!!