The Healing of Elves and Trees

Title: The Healing of Elves and Trees
Author: Eliza 422 (eliza_422@hotmail.com)
Pairing: Elrohir/Haldir (eventually), Elladan/Legolas
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU Story. Elrohir and Celebrian are captured by orcs. They survive the attack but Elrohir is changed. Will he ever recover from what he has experienced?
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JRR Tolkien.

Author's note: I decided to heed Edward Uwnhai Silverfang's advice and rework the medicine scene. After rereading it I admit it was quite ridiculous. I was feeling quite weary of the unrelenting darkness of sto story and felt a little levity was in order. It didn't really fit into the story, though, yikes.
I am leaving a version of the medicine scene in, though, because I actually based it on my own experience when I was given nitrous oxide in preparation for general anesthesia. I was in great pain but I really felt the floating sensation and the laughing feeling. No fairies, though! So, most of it is gone.
On the other hand, the hair cutting scene is staying as is. I felt a powerful urge to have something like that in my story. It's been rather subtle in the story, but one of the smaller ongoing themes is the hair fetish my elves have (maybe it's not so subtle!) Because of the attention and focus they place on it, I used it as a statement of the other elves' regard for their ruling family. Believe me - there's a lot more hair stuff in the rest of the story!
Thanks again for all your feedback - I do read and consider it!

Chapter 6

"Elrohir, lie down," said Elrond, gently pushing Elrohir to a prone position. He had stopped crying, but his body was still shaking. Legolas had taken off his outer tunic and bundled it up into a makeshift pillow for Elrohir's head. Elrond calmed himself, pushing his emotions aside so he could start treating his son.
"Look at his legs," Legolas said. "What did they do to him?" He continued to stroke Elrohir's hair, not wanting to break contact.
Celebrian looked up from where she was holding Elladan. "They smashed them with a dwarven hammer."
"What?" Legolas said. "Can you heal him, my Lord?" He looked at Elrond's face, but wasn't comforted by what he saw.
"I don't know, Legolas." Elrond removed his backpack. He had prepared several medicines and brought as many basic medical supplies as he could, not knowing what he would find. He started unpacking.
"I need something to make splints out of. Elladan?" Elrond turned to look at his son and realized he would be no help. Celebrian was sitting on the floor and Elladan was curled up in a fetal position with his head buried in her lap. Elrond turned back to Legolas.
"Can you go find something to make splints out of, son? Planks, table legs, any kind of stick - whatever you can find. We can't move Elrohir until we immobilize his legs."
"Yes, my Lord, I will." Legolas got up and walked over to Elladan. He looked down at his husband.
"I'll take care of him," Celebrian said. She smiled for a moment, but fell serious again when she saw Legolas' bruised face. "What happened to you, dear?"
"It's nothing. I'll go now." Legolas dashed out of the cell.

Sticks, planks - where was he going to find this stuff? He ran back into the guard's room where they had met the orcs. Several elves were standing by in the room, waiting to provide whatever assistance they could to El and and his family.
"I need something for splints, have you seen anything?" Legolas looked around the guard's room, but there was no furniture.
A tall, auburn-haired elf answered. "Back in the throne room there's a lot of furniture. We'll go get some." He grabbed his blond companion and ran back up the stairs.
Legolas stood in the guard room waiting, anxious and self-conscious. The remaining elves were looking at him, probably wondering why his face was messed up. Luckily the two elves returned quickly. They had broken up Burznach's throne into a bundle of sticks.
"This should do it, my Lord."
Legolas jumped at the title, but shrugged it off. He took the wood and returned to the cell.

Elrond sniffed the medicines, looking for the right one. He wanted to relieve Elrohir's pain but not put him to sleep. He would need his son awake so he could provide direction during the healing process. He found the one he was looking for.
"Elrohir, I want you to drink this." He lifted up Elrohir's head. Elrohir took a sip of the medicine and gagged on it.
"Father, that's horrible," he rasped. He struggled weakly to sit up, but he had used all his remaining strength to kill Burznach. He had nothing left.
"Medicine always tastes bad, son, but you must drink this. It will stop a lot of your pain." He pressed the bottle to Elrohir's lips, but his son refused to drink. He pulled his head out of Elrond's grasp and turned away.
"No."
Legolas returned to the cell. "My Lord Elrond, I have many sticks." He dropped them next to Elrond and scooted around to sit by Elrohir again.
"You must help me. I can't get Elrohir to drink this, and he must." Elrond showed Legolas the medicine bottle.
"What do you mean he won't drink it? Elrohir, you must do this," he said, turning to face Elrohir.
"No," Elrohir replied.
"Legolas, take this bottle. I will hold his mouth open, you pour it in."
Legolas looked at Elrond like he had gone mad. "You're going to force it on him? He's been forced to do too many things already! I won't do this!"
"It's for his own good," Elrond said. "Do you think this is easy for me? This is my son, my sweet ellian sthatthat lies here on death's door. I don't want to force him, but I have to. I will do this." Elrond looked at Legolas with a determined stare.
Legolas took the bottle from Elrond's hand. "OK, I'll help," he said in a small voice.
"Thank you. Be ready, because he will fight."
Elrond took Elrohir's face in his hands. "Elrohir, you must take this medicine. Will you do this for me?"
Elrohir closed his eyes. "No."
"I'm sorry son, then you leave me no choice."
Elrond pushed down on Elrohir's forehead while simultaneously wrapping his hand around his throat. He pinched fiercely at Elrohir's jaw and forced his mouth open. Elrohir began to struggle and howl.
"Now, Legolas, do it!"
Legolas' hands shook as he put the bottle to Elrohir's mouth and poured the liquid.
"Slowly, so he can swallow it."
Elrohir tried to free his head, chokand and sputtering at the medicine, but he couldn't stop it. He tried to push Elrond's hands away from his face, but he was too weak. He could only hold onto his father's arms and swallow the foul-tasting .
\.
"That's it, my Lord, there's no more." Legolas put the bottle down, and Elrond let go.
Legolas took one of the bandages from Elrond's supplies and wiped spilled potion off Elrohir's face and neck.
Elrohir looked at Legolas with accusing eyes. "How could you," he said. "How could you?"
Legolas began to cry softly, but he didn't stop ministering to his friend.

"Elrohir, tell me what you feel in your legs. The medicine won't kick in for a few minutes."
Elrond examined Elrohir's legs. It looked like the lower leg bones had been shattered then roughly twisted. The flesh was very swollen, but he could see several places where small points of bone jutted out of the skin.
"Why should I tell you anything? I didn't want to drink that stuff."
"Son, please, just talk to me. Can you feel your feet?"
Elrohir couldn't stop feeling obstinate. What was wrong with him? This was his father, the most famous and powerful healer in Arda, and he was acting like a three-year-old elfling! But he could feel the burning in his throat and stomach from the medicine and he couldn't help it.
"No, I can't! Are you happy? Leave me alone!" Elrohir threw an arm across his eyes. His breath started hitching again.
"Please, don't cry. Your father is just trying to help you," said Legolas.
"I know, Legolas. I don't know what's wrong with me." Elrohir peaked under his arm at his friend, tears streaking down his face again.
"How much time do you have?" Legolas said. "Ro-Ro, you've been very badly hurt, inside and out. But that's over nowe'we're here to help you. Please, tell your father what he needs to know so we can get you better. For me?" Legolas smiled, cocking his head to the side.
"How can I resist?" Elrohir wiped his cheeks, but still sobbed a little. He looked at his father. "I'm sorry, daddy."
"It's OK, baby, you're very ill."
"What did you want to know?"
"Tell me how your legs feel."
"I can't feel my feet, and all I feel is sharp, searing pain below the knee, and throbbing pain above."
"Legolas and I are going to splint your legs so we can carry you out of here. The medicine you took should take effect soon. Let me know when it kicks in."
"How will I know?"
"Oh, you'll know," Elrond said, chuckling a little.

Elrond rooted through the pile of wood for four similar pieces of wood. He found what he needed and laid them out next to Elrohir's legs. He sorted out several long strips of cloth to tie two pieces of wood to each leg. He packed the rest of his supplies back into the backpack. Elrohir's condition was too grave to do much in the cell.
He looked back at his son's face.
Legolas was stroking Elrohir's hair again. Elrohir couldn't remember anything feeling so good before. But where was Elladan? Hadn't he been one of the four? Whoa, what was that? Elrohir felt the pain in his legs recede. His head felt like it was filling with air.
"Wow, my head feels weird! You better hold me down, Legolas, I think I'm going to float away!" Elrohir smiled at the feeling.
Legolas turned to look at Elrond in amazement.
Elrond laughed. "I think the medicine has kicked in."
"Legolas, hold onto my hand, please! Don't leave me alone!"
"I'll hold on tight, Ro, I promise."
rondrond turned his attention to his son's legs. He started to manipulate the swollen flesh, trying to straighten out the legs as much as he could. He placed a stick on each side of the leg. At first he was going to splint just the lower leg, but decided to do the entire leg to be safe. He gently slid the cloth strips under the leg and around to tie the sticks firmly. He quickly did the other leg. He looked back at Elrohir's face to see if he had felt anything.

"I've done all I care to down here, Legolas. Let the elves outside know that we're ready to go." Elrond stood up and shouldered his backpack again.
Glorfindel reentered the cell when he saw Legolas come out. "My Lord Elrond, I've started the evacuation and notified the dwarves. Whenever you're ready we can go."
"We'll have to carry Elrohir out. Celebrian, what would you like to do?" Ed tud turned to his wife. She was still sitting on the floor holding Elladan, who hadn't moved or said a word since Burznach's death.
"I can walk with a little help. In fact, I insist on walking out of here." She held her head up high.
Elrond smiled at his wife. "That's fine with me, dear. Now, about Elrohir. Glorfindel, help me make a litter to carry him on. I have a blanket with me, and we can use some of this wood."
Elrond and Glorfindel tied the blanket to the two largest pieces of wood. They lay it on the ground next to Elrohir. Glorfindel lifted his shoulders and Elrond lifted his hips to move Elrohir onto the blanket.
"We have to carry him very ly. ly. The less we jar his legs the better," Elrond said.
"I can help carry him, father," said Elladan. He was sitting up out of his mother's lap. His face was flushed and swollen from crying.
"Thanks, son, why don't you take the foot end and Glorfindel take the head end?" Elrond moved out of Elladan's way.
Elrohir looked up at his twin, smiling at him. "Dan-Dan! This has got to be the best medicine father has ever given me!"
Elladan looked at his father. "What did you give him?"
"It's an extract that relieves pain but doesn't put the patient to sleep. We need him awake. Unfortunately, it does tend to have this kind of side effect. It's only temporary - the side effect, I mean. He should settle down soon."
"I hope you're right, father!" Elladan said.

Elrond hugged Celebrian close and left the cell. Legolas was waiting in the hallway. Glorfindel and Elladan slowly picked up the litter and left the cell. The group walked toward the guard room.
The elven warriors who were waiting in the room hushed when they saw the royal family enter. They averted their eyes from Celebrian, not wanting her to feel self-conscious.
"Amlin, how goes the evacuation?" Elrond said.
The auburn-haired elf who had helped Legolas stepped fod. \d. "My lord, all elves are outside and accounted for. We are the only ones left. The dwarves are ready as well, and just await your signal." Amlin looked at the litter holding Elrohir. "My lord, does the young lord live?"
"Yes, Amlin, he is alive."
Relief swept the group of warriors. They had heard Celebrian's voice earlier, and so were reasonably sure she was fine, but they had not heard about Elrohir.
"We are all most glad to hear that, my lord."
"Thank you, Amlin. Please, lead the way out." Elrond gestured toward the opposite door.

Amlin and his warriors led the others out of the great hall and through the maze of corridors until they reached the outer door. They stepped outside and stood aside, standing as an honor guard for the others.

Celebrian cringed a bit when they reached the door. She hadn't seen the sun in a while - she didn't know how many days they had been in the orc dungeon. It had never looked more beautiful.
"Elrond, what now?" She asked.
"I've directed our forces to set up a camp on the plain next to the forest. We're not going to be able to return home immediately. The healers and I will have to stabilize Elrohir. We might be here a while."
"What about the orcs?"
"You don't have to worry about that, my love," he said. "The dwarves from Dwarrowdelf are going to help us with that."
"Dwarves?"
"Yes, dear. I'll explain later. We need to leave this area."

Lord Malin and his dwarf warriors were also waiting outside the door.
"My lord Elrond, what is the word?"
"It's a go. Once we get out of this pass and onto the plain, commence your work." Elrond looked back at his son on the litter. "I cannot begin to thank you for your help."
"We are glad to be of service. Young lord Elrohir has been dwarf-friend for many years. Finlin! Calin! Start the sequence!" Two stout dwarves stepped forward.
"Yes, my lord Malin!" They said in unison, and headed into the caves.

Elrond led the way out of the mountain pass onto the plain below. He was startled to see his entire company of wors ors assembled on the plain near the pass. They had been milling about, some sitting, some standing in small groups. When the royal family appeared, a hush came over the crowd and the elven warriors all stood to the side and formed a path down the middle that led to the encampment by the forest. They stood with their heads slightly bowed, showing respect. Elrond led Celebrian up to the group.
A tall elf stepped in front of Celebrian and dropped to his knees.
"My lady! I'm so sorry I failed you and your son! I beg your forgiveness!" He pressed his head to the ground.
"Angon? You survived? But how?" Celebrian was amazed. She thought the orcs had killed her entire escort. "Did any of the others survive?"
"I'm afraid not, my lady. I am the only one who survived. I'm so sorry."
Celebrian looked down at Angon. "Angon, no elf kneels to another." She leaned over and pulled him back up by the arm. "You did your best, that is all I have ever asked. It was not your fault."
Angon raised his eyes to her face. He gasped softly at her appearance. Her hair was a mess, she was dirty and bruised, and her clothes were mere tatters. He dropped his eyes again.
"I...I saved your braid, my lady. I returned it to Lord Elrond."
Celebrian blushed in sudden shame. She had forgotten how she must look. She reached a hand to her close cropped hair. She began to cry and hid her face against Elrond's shoulder.
"Oh, my lady, I did not mean for you to cry." Angon looked at her for a long moment. "You will not face this alone, my lady." He pulled hiife ife out of his belt, grabbed his own braid, and cut if off. He dropped it at her feet. "See, my lady, you are not the only one with no braids."
A ripple went through the crowd of elves. Angon had cut off his braid!
"No, my love, you won't be alone," Elrond said. He slipped his arms out of her embrace, unsheathed his own knife, and cut off his hair. He threw it on the ground in front of her.
Celebrian looked ae twe two men, dumbstruck.
"Legolas! Do mine, now!" Elladan said. He had been standing behind his parents and Glorfindel, holding Elrohir's litter. Legolas was standing next to him.
"What?" Legolas said.
"Cut my braid off!"
Legolas hesitated a moment, but pulled a knife and cut off Elladan's hair. He then pulled his own blond hair forward and sawed it off.
"No!" Elladan said softly. Not his husband's beautiful golden hair!
The mumbling in the crowd grew louder. Elrond was not surprised to see bundles of hair start hitting the ground of the path. Celebrian started crying harder when she saw elf after elf cut off his hair or that of his comrade and throw it on the ground. Soon there were hundreds of elven braids on the ground. The four elf captains stepped forward.
"My lord, my lady," said Finrel, the senior leader. "We warriors of Imladris are honored to express our support of your family. You have governed us in peace and prosperity for many centuries. We can only hope that this small gesture reinforces our commitment to you."
Elrond stepped toward his captains, tears shining in his eyes. "Finrel, you have served me loyally for many millennia now, and this only confirms what I already knew of Imladris and its people. You are elves of honor, and I am humbled beyond your ken by your loyal service. No leader, whether king or captain, has had such as you. This has been a hard time for my immediate family, and only the knowledge that I had you at my back made me feel confident that we would rescue my wife and son. I thank you all!" Elrond raised his hand in acknowledgment of his warriors' sacrifice. He stepped back to Celebrian and led her down the path to the camp. Their feet did not touch earth, as the entire way was carpeted with elven hair.
The group stopped momentarily when a muffled booming began deep inside the mountain. The dwarves had gathered along the mountain path and were congratulating themselves. The rumbles continued for several minutes, and dust began bursting out of hidden holes in the mountain. The elves stared in amazement at the spectacle.
Celebrian turned to Elrond and hugged him close. She whispered in his ear. "Thank you."