From Fog To Starlight
By Namarie
The first of the band of orcs was easily dispatched. The second and third were a bit of a challenge, but ivory handled knives flying, they too fell. However, the band numbered nine and he was cornered against the mountain wall. Four and five were on their way to wherever fell beasts traveled upon death, when the first sword pierced his shoulder from behind. The pain almost caused him to drop the left hand knife, but he used the sword's momentum to push the knife into the creature in front of him, slicing its jugular as he fell to his knees. Rolling to the right, he slashed upward with his right knife, trying to parry the down stroke of a sword. He deflected the deadly blow, but the sword shifted down to plunge into his thigh. Ignoring the pain, the elf pushed against the wall to leverage himself up, but his leg gave out from under him. The fall saved him from a strong stroke across his throat, the orc's sword instead hitting him on the side of his head, knocking him into the wall. He thought he heard the singing of arrows as darkness took him.
***
A light lunch with a fruity wine finished off the morning's hunt. Several renegade bands of orcs had penetrated the borders from the Misty Mountains and the twins were making sure that all of the vermin were exterminated. Elladan looked to his brother and capped off the wine flask. "Well, the tracks look like there is one more group in the area. I'll wager with you on who kills the most of the last band -- loser cooks dinner!"
Elrohir sniffed and then grinned. "The way you cook, brother, I'd lose either way." He ducked just in time for a chuff to miss the back of his head.
They were just remounting when they heard the echo of a distant fight. The scream of orcs drew them quickly down the trail. Rounding the edge of a steep rock wall, Elladan notched his arrow and let it fly just as a blonde elf sunk against the wall. With a cry, Elrohir took aim and dispatched two more orcs with aclarity. The final fell to the Elladan's bow, even as he dismounted and approached the unconscious being.
Elladan dropped fingers to the elf's throat and grimaced to his twin as he found the thready pulse. "Let us return to the clearing from lunch, we can rekindle the fire and treat his wounds away from this evil. I fear that only Father will have the skills to save him, but we must do what we can before returning home."
Elrohir picked up the ivory knives and tucked them into his pack, as his brother mounted a horse. Handing up the injured elf, he watched as the duo settled onto the horse and then mounted his own.
Returning to the glen, the brothers fell into an easy pattern for tending their charge. Elrohir gathered wood as Elladan laid the bleeding elf on a cloak and began to examine his wounds. The shoulder wound was not deep. The bone had deflected the orc's aim, making the wound painful, but not life threatening. The gash on the thigh was severe and Elladan grew concerned about the bleeding. Quickly applying a tight bandage over a poultice, he began to investigate for signs of fever or infection -- both ideas to be considered if the orc blades were poisoned. Feeling the elf's brow for fever, he gently probed the bruised temple.
"I have done as much as I can, brother. I fear it may not be enough. This head wound is great and the poison from the blade works against the binding on this thigh." Shaking his head, he looked mournfully at his brother.
Elrohir looked on in concern. "Do not lose hope, brother. We'll take him to adar and he will be fine." Gesturing to the cloak covered body, he pulled Elladan's steed over.
"Mount up, I shall again hand him up. We'll be home before the evening stars appear."
Smiling up at his brother's encouragement, Elladan quickly mounted his horse and again took up the unconscious body. Pulling him comfortingly against his chest, he tucked the cloak in close, motioning his horse in to a canter.
Elrohir quickly tamped the fire, cleaned the campsite and joined his worried twin on the ride to Imladris.
***
He opened his eyes to find a well dressed elf standing over him. Looking at the elegant robe and velvet tunic, he blinked to clear his vision and try to understand where he was. His eyes traveled up a broad chest to rest on dark braids. Continuing on, his gaze caressed a strongly planed face and came to rest upon darkly striking grey eyes. Captured for a moment, a feeling of completeness washed through him, confusing him in is assessment of the situation. A baritone voice interrupted his bewilderment.
"You awake. I am Elrond and you are a guest in my home." The wise, yet gentle eyes captured him, even as he noted the warmth of the hand gripping his own. An odd tingling emanated from the clasped hands and up his arm. The warmth brought a feeling of reassurance and peace. It was all the more noticeable when hand dropped his and the feeling disappeared, only to reappear as Elrond's hand swept his brow. "Your fever has broken; you should be feeling more clear of mind shortly."
Nodding lightly, he regretted the act as soon as the room began to spin. Closing his eyes, he struggled for calm as waves of pain and nausea washed over him.
"I have a tincture that will assist with the dizziness and pain, your head wound was quite severe and it will be several days before you may move about without grief."
He felt a small cup at his lips and felt a strong arm support his head and shoulders. Not opening his eyes, he drank deeply of the liquid and leaned into the warmth holding him. The cup was removed and the scent of cool water replaced the herbs. He started a long draught and was disappointed as the cup was pulled away.
"Take short sips, the water will be more harsh to your stomach than the medicine."
He opened his eyes as the voice rumbled against his side and echoed softly into his ears. The one-armed embrace brought him a pleasant tingle, even as the medicine began to calm his head and body. He felt something tickle at the back of his mind, a gentle reassuring presence that seemed rooted in an empty space he hadn't noted before. "This will make me sleep?"
The arm tightened on his shoulder in support. "Nay, forcing your body to sleep with the wounds you have is not prudent. This will ease the aches and allow you to rest or awake at will."
He relaxed a bit at this information. But stiffened again as he heard, "However, under no circumstances are you to attempt to leave this pallet. I'll not have you undoing all of our good works with stubbornness."
Pulling back slightly, he opened his eyes and stared into those of the healer holding him. "I'm not a child, my Lord, and I do not want to bring undo burden onto your household." He struggled to push himself up to further his point and felt the arm tighten around him. Pain arced from this head down his back in protest of the attempt.
"Nay, you are not burdening us with your presence. The only trouble you may cause is that of acting too soon, as it will set back your recovery."
A piercing gaze met his.
"I know that accepting assistance may be hard, but if you are to heal properly, there is no option. And I will not have all of my hard work undone!"
Blinking at the slight sparkle in the eyes boring into his, he considered. Teasing? Could it be the stern lord was jesting to lighten his concerns? He opened his mouth to reply when the door to the room opened and two elves walked in.
"Father, is he worse?"
He noted the figures in front of him were identical, save for some decorative stitching on their clothing.
Gently he was lowered back to the pallet, the reassuring embrace and presence in his mind disappeared. Oddly feeling bereft, he focused back on the conversation around him.
"No, my son, he actually is much stronger this morning. The tea he has taken seems to have lessoned pain from the wounds. I was just about to ask our guest how he came to be on our borders."
Turning back, Elrond gestured. "These are my son's Elladan and Elrohir. They brought you down from the mountain and tended your wounds." Loving pride shown from Elrond's face as he explained.
The twins approached and bowed.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance, I am Elladan. And our father tended your wounds. We only treated you enough to bring you here to safety."
He noted that stitching on Elladan's garment was golden in hue and it accented the light sparkle in his eyes. That allowed the silver trim to be left for the brother Elrohir, he mentally noted for the future.
He slowly bowed his head back to the two brothers. "I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for the rescue. I am called..." His voice trailed off as a sharp pain jolted his head. Wincing, he reached a hand to his eyes as the world swam before him.
Elrond bent quickly over him. "What is it? Tell me what you feel." He felt a hand at his brow once again and the accompanying sensations of the Lord's touch returned. His mind was swirling too much to really take note of his body's reaction and he struggled with a blank void in his memory.
A gentle calm began to wash over his mind and he heard the murmur of ancient words graze over him. Settling a bit he dropped his hand, peering up at Lord Elrond. The healer stood over him with his eyes closed and a look of great concentration on his face. His lips moved with the chant, but even elven hearing could not pick out the phrases. The pain receded to a dull throbbing, and he watched as Elrond opened his eyes.
Concern warred with curiosity in the Lord's gaze and he dropped his eyes from its intensity.
"Can you tell us about yourself?" The Lord's hand slid from his brow down to his shoulder and held with light reassurance.
Blinding pain accompanied the fragments that flashed through his head. He saw bits of several things: a tall man sitting on a dais yelling, the pain of a beating as he struggled bound, strange images of a great tower with dark beasts, the flash of the feel of a bow in his hand, the singing of arrows loosed, the hint of the voices of trees as he sat in sheltered branches, and finally a voice echoing, "I have no need of you." Confused amongst those traces were bits and pieces of things he could not grasp; but there was no feeling of a name. No knowledge of who he was.
Raising a slightly shaking hand to his chin he rubbed in consternation. "I do not know. I see pieces of memories in my mind, but they flee as I try to grasp them. A sharp pain comes each time I try to seize my name." He grimaced as the room darkened and a strong agony pierced his head once again. The room began to fade as he felt Elrond's grip tighten on his shoulder.
"Come back to us, young one. Do not focus on that which you do not know. It will come in time."
The words pulled him away from the sting and the room fell into focus again. He was drawn to the penetrating gaze of Lord Elrond and found he could not draw his eyes away.
"I sense much turmoil in you, but you need to put that aside as you heal. Imladris is a place of sanctuary for any who would ask it. I bid you to take your rest, recover here and I'm sure, in time, your full memory will return. In the meantime, do not over-trouble yourself with this. It will only serve to shore up the strong wall that has been built in your mind."
The grey eyes were mesmerizing and he felt that he could lose himself in them. Finally blinking the hypnotic power away, he closed his eyes and sought to center himself. Calming slightly, he reopened his eyes and took in the three elves standing before him. "Thank you my lords, I am grateful again for the hospitality. I will accept your offer of sanctuary until such time as I may heal and be of service to this household."
Elladan smiled slightly and then looked to his father. "Well met. However, named or not, we must have something to call him. I don't favor introducing him to your household as 'unknown elf guest' for the next few fortnights."
A slight twinkle appeared in Elladan's eye. "You know father, that last pet that we had was named by Arwen. A great bulk of a beast and she called it 'Tithen pen nin.' The animal before it was Elrohir's doing 'EdainFeaster', the coney was called. Neither should be trusted with this responsibility, unless our guest would like to be known accurately as Leadweight or Shortshanks!"
He felt the room lighten with the teasing from the lord's son and relaxed into his pallet. "I believe that I might want some say in this process, as none of those creative titles appeal to me." He quirked an eye at the trio. "Perhaps, we can estimate something from the belongings I carried with me?"
Elrond looked down upon him. "You were traveling lightly. I believe you to be an archer or scout from Mirkwood, by the appearance of your clothing and bow. Neither explains your arrival to our borders, as our dealings with King Thranduil's realm have been limited of late. We did not search your satchel when you were brought forth, so I believe we can offer limited information."
He felt a sharp pinch at the mention of Mirkwood, but put it aside to focus on his host. "Perhaps it is appropriate to search it now then, m'lord?"
"Nay." Elrond's hand once again came to rest on his shoulder. "You name is not of great import this evening and I am more concerned that you rest. Tomorrow shall be soon enough to begin the search."
Eyes heavy and body aching, he felt no need to object. The warm presence stayed with him as he fell into a healing sleep.
TBC
***
"Tithen pen nin" = My Little One "EdainFeaster" = Maneater
The first of the band of orcs was easily dispatched. The second and third were a bit of a challenge, but ivory handled knives flying, they too fell. However, the band numbered nine and he was cornered against the mountain wall. Four and five were on their way to wherever fell beasts traveled upon death, when the first sword pierced his shoulder from behind. The pain almost caused him to drop the left hand knife, but he used the sword's momentum to push the knife into the creature in front of him, slicing its jugular as he fell to his knees. Rolling to the right, he slashed upward with his right knife, trying to parry the down stroke of a sword. He deflected the deadly blow, but the sword shifted down to plunge into his thigh. Ignoring the pain, the elf pushed against the wall to leverage himself up, but his leg gave out from under him. The fall saved him from a strong stroke across his throat, the orc's sword instead hitting him on the side of his head, knocking him into the wall. He thought he heard the singing of arrows as darkness took him.
***
A light lunch with a fruity wine finished off the morning's hunt. Several renegade bands of orcs had penetrated the borders from the Misty Mountains and the twins were making sure that all of the vermin were exterminated. Elladan looked to his brother and capped off the wine flask. "Well, the tracks look like there is one more group in the area. I'll wager with you on who kills the most of the last band -- loser cooks dinner!"
Elrohir sniffed and then grinned. "The way you cook, brother, I'd lose either way." He ducked just in time for a chuff to miss the back of his head.
They were just remounting when they heard the echo of a distant fight. The scream of orcs drew them quickly down the trail. Rounding the edge of a steep rock wall, Elladan notched his arrow and let it fly just as a blonde elf sunk against the wall. With a cry, Elrohir took aim and dispatched two more orcs with aclarity. The final fell to the Elladan's bow, even as he dismounted and approached the unconscious being.
Elladan dropped fingers to the elf's throat and grimaced to his twin as he found the thready pulse. "Let us return to the clearing from lunch, we can rekindle the fire and treat his wounds away from this evil. I fear that only Father will have the skills to save him, but we must do what we can before returning home."
Elrohir picked up the ivory knives and tucked them into his pack, as his brother mounted a horse. Handing up the injured elf, he watched as the duo settled onto the horse and then mounted his own.
Returning to the glen, the brothers fell into an easy pattern for tending their charge. Elrohir gathered wood as Elladan laid the bleeding elf on a cloak and began to examine his wounds. The shoulder wound was not deep. The bone had deflected the orc's aim, making the wound painful, but not life threatening. The gash on the thigh was severe and Elladan grew concerned about the bleeding. Quickly applying a tight bandage over a poultice, he began to investigate for signs of fever or infection -- both ideas to be considered if the orc blades were poisoned. Feeling the elf's brow for fever, he gently probed the bruised temple.
"I have done as much as I can, brother. I fear it may not be enough. This head wound is great and the poison from the blade works against the binding on this thigh." Shaking his head, he looked mournfully at his brother.
Elrohir looked on in concern. "Do not lose hope, brother. We'll take him to adar and he will be fine." Gesturing to the cloak covered body, he pulled Elladan's steed over.
"Mount up, I shall again hand him up. We'll be home before the evening stars appear."
Smiling up at his brother's encouragement, Elladan quickly mounted his horse and again took up the unconscious body. Pulling him comfortingly against his chest, he tucked the cloak in close, motioning his horse in to a canter.
Elrohir quickly tamped the fire, cleaned the campsite and joined his worried twin on the ride to Imladris.
***
He opened his eyes to find a well dressed elf standing over him. Looking at the elegant robe and velvet tunic, he blinked to clear his vision and try to understand where he was. His eyes traveled up a broad chest to rest on dark braids. Continuing on, his gaze caressed a strongly planed face and came to rest upon darkly striking grey eyes. Captured for a moment, a feeling of completeness washed through him, confusing him in is assessment of the situation. A baritone voice interrupted his bewilderment.
"You awake. I am Elrond and you are a guest in my home." The wise, yet gentle eyes captured him, even as he noted the warmth of the hand gripping his own. An odd tingling emanated from the clasped hands and up his arm. The warmth brought a feeling of reassurance and peace. It was all the more noticeable when hand dropped his and the feeling disappeared, only to reappear as Elrond's hand swept his brow. "Your fever has broken; you should be feeling more clear of mind shortly."
Nodding lightly, he regretted the act as soon as the room began to spin. Closing his eyes, he struggled for calm as waves of pain and nausea washed over him.
"I have a tincture that will assist with the dizziness and pain, your head wound was quite severe and it will be several days before you may move about without grief."
He felt a small cup at his lips and felt a strong arm support his head and shoulders. Not opening his eyes, he drank deeply of the liquid and leaned into the warmth holding him. The cup was removed and the scent of cool water replaced the herbs. He started a long draught and was disappointed as the cup was pulled away.
"Take short sips, the water will be more harsh to your stomach than the medicine."
He opened his eyes as the voice rumbled against his side and echoed softly into his ears. The one-armed embrace brought him a pleasant tingle, even as the medicine began to calm his head and body. He felt something tickle at the back of his mind, a gentle reassuring presence that seemed rooted in an empty space he hadn't noted before. "This will make me sleep?"
The arm tightened on his shoulder in support. "Nay, forcing your body to sleep with the wounds you have is not prudent. This will ease the aches and allow you to rest or awake at will."
He relaxed a bit at this information. But stiffened again as he heard, "However, under no circumstances are you to attempt to leave this pallet. I'll not have you undoing all of our good works with stubbornness."
Pulling back slightly, he opened his eyes and stared into those of the healer holding him. "I'm not a child, my Lord, and I do not want to bring undo burden onto your household." He struggled to push himself up to further his point and felt the arm tighten around him. Pain arced from this head down his back in protest of the attempt.
"Nay, you are not burdening us with your presence. The only trouble you may cause is that of acting too soon, as it will set back your recovery."
A piercing gaze met his.
"I know that accepting assistance may be hard, but if you are to heal properly, there is no option. And I will not have all of my hard work undone!"
Blinking at the slight sparkle in the eyes boring into his, he considered. Teasing? Could it be the stern lord was jesting to lighten his concerns? He opened his mouth to reply when the door to the room opened and two elves walked in.
"Father, is he worse?"
He noted the figures in front of him were identical, save for some decorative stitching on their clothing.
Gently he was lowered back to the pallet, the reassuring embrace and presence in his mind disappeared. Oddly feeling bereft, he focused back on the conversation around him.
"No, my son, he actually is much stronger this morning. The tea he has taken seems to have lessoned pain from the wounds. I was just about to ask our guest how he came to be on our borders."
Turning back, Elrond gestured. "These are my son's Elladan and Elrohir. They brought you down from the mountain and tended your wounds." Loving pride shown from Elrond's face as he explained.
The twins approached and bowed.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance, I am Elladan. And our father tended your wounds. We only treated you enough to bring you here to safety."
He noted that stitching on Elladan's garment was golden in hue and it accented the light sparkle in his eyes. That allowed the silver trim to be left for the brother Elrohir, he mentally noted for the future.
He slowly bowed his head back to the two brothers. "I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for the rescue. I am called..." His voice trailed off as a sharp pain jolted his head. Wincing, he reached a hand to his eyes as the world swam before him.
Elrond bent quickly over him. "What is it? Tell me what you feel." He felt a hand at his brow once again and the accompanying sensations of the Lord's touch returned. His mind was swirling too much to really take note of his body's reaction and he struggled with a blank void in his memory.
A gentle calm began to wash over his mind and he heard the murmur of ancient words graze over him. Settling a bit he dropped his hand, peering up at Lord Elrond. The healer stood over him with his eyes closed and a look of great concentration on his face. His lips moved with the chant, but even elven hearing could not pick out the phrases. The pain receded to a dull throbbing, and he watched as Elrond opened his eyes.
Concern warred with curiosity in the Lord's gaze and he dropped his eyes from its intensity.
"Can you tell us about yourself?" The Lord's hand slid from his brow down to his shoulder and held with light reassurance.
Blinding pain accompanied the fragments that flashed through his head. He saw bits of several things: a tall man sitting on a dais yelling, the pain of a beating as he struggled bound, strange images of a great tower with dark beasts, the flash of the feel of a bow in his hand, the singing of arrows loosed, the hint of the voices of trees as he sat in sheltered branches, and finally a voice echoing, "I have no need of you." Confused amongst those traces were bits and pieces of things he could not grasp; but there was no feeling of a name. No knowledge of who he was.
Raising a slightly shaking hand to his chin he rubbed in consternation. "I do not know. I see pieces of memories in my mind, but they flee as I try to grasp them. A sharp pain comes each time I try to seize my name." He grimaced as the room darkened and a strong agony pierced his head once again. The room began to fade as he felt Elrond's grip tighten on his shoulder.
"Come back to us, young one. Do not focus on that which you do not know. It will come in time."
The words pulled him away from the sting and the room fell into focus again. He was drawn to the penetrating gaze of Lord Elrond and found he could not draw his eyes away.
"I sense much turmoil in you, but you need to put that aside as you heal. Imladris is a place of sanctuary for any who would ask it. I bid you to take your rest, recover here and I'm sure, in time, your full memory will return. In the meantime, do not over-trouble yourself with this. It will only serve to shore up the strong wall that has been built in your mind."
The grey eyes were mesmerizing and he felt that he could lose himself in them. Finally blinking the hypnotic power away, he closed his eyes and sought to center himself. Calming slightly, he reopened his eyes and took in the three elves standing before him. "Thank you my lords, I am grateful again for the hospitality. I will accept your offer of sanctuary until such time as I may heal and be of service to this household."
Elladan smiled slightly and then looked to his father. "Well met. However, named or not, we must have something to call him. I don't favor introducing him to your household as 'unknown elf guest' for the next few fortnights."
A slight twinkle appeared in Elladan's eye. "You know father, that last pet that we had was named by Arwen. A great bulk of a beast and she called it 'Tithen pen nin.' The animal before it was Elrohir's doing 'EdainFeaster', the coney was called. Neither should be trusted with this responsibility, unless our guest would like to be known accurately as Leadweight or Shortshanks!"
He felt the room lighten with the teasing from the lord's son and relaxed into his pallet. "I believe that I might want some say in this process, as none of those creative titles appeal to me." He quirked an eye at the trio. "Perhaps, we can estimate something from the belongings I carried with me?"
Elrond looked down upon him. "You were traveling lightly. I believe you to be an archer or scout from Mirkwood, by the appearance of your clothing and bow. Neither explains your arrival to our borders, as our dealings with King Thranduil's realm have been limited of late. We did not search your satchel when you were brought forth, so I believe we can offer limited information."
He felt a sharp pinch at the mention of Mirkwood, but put it aside to focus on his host. "Perhaps it is appropriate to search it now then, m'lord?"
"Nay." Elrond's hand once again came to rest on his shoulder. "You name is not of great import this evening and I am more concerned that you rest. Tomorrow shall be soon enough to begin the search."
Eyes heavy and body aching, he felt no need to object. The warm presence stayed with him as he fell into a healing sleep.
TBC
***
"Tithen pen nin" = My Little One "EdainFeaster" = Maneater