Double, Double

Sequel to Elemmire and Amdir

JRR Tolkein's works belong to him alone. This is just 'borrowing.'

Chapter Thirteen. Fly Away Home

Elemmire curled up into strong warm chest and arms that held him secure and safe. He floated blissfully somewhere in-between the state of consciousness and slight wakefulness.

The gentle bubbling sound of voices speaking softly reached his ears like water lapping a sheltered shore. First the voices seemed loud and then the volume receded to a distant hum.

There was a tickling sensation Elemmire could have registered as pain however it was no more than a dull ache and distant memory.

Elemmire was half painfully aware that he was not tucked into his warm bed he left behind in Rivendell. He was somewhat uncomfortable; body swaying side to side and up and down. He tired; awfully so. His mind churned with lazily activity as if he somehow needed to disparate a thick fog from his brain to function.

Groaning he forced one eye open to find that his vision was blurred with unshed tears.

Fighting against the fog to recall what was happening to him, Elemmire remembered…

He remembered the human and the map… and then… and then….

The orcs…!

Numb fear cursed its way through his body. Suddenly the dense fog vanished leaving Elemmire in a strange world of surreal reality and full consciousness.

Blue – green eyes snapped open and Elemmire started to squirm and struggle like a fish caught out of water.

"Daro! Daro! You stupid elfling. Daro!" a voice hissed angrily in Elemmire's ears.

Elemmire heard the wards spoken to him but his mind was so full of panic it refused to register or comprehend the message behind them.

The young elf drew back his elbow and with all his force slammed it into his attacker.

"Ai! Haldir he's crazed!"

"Stop yelling at him for Valar's sake and start soothing him…"

"I'll soothe him alright!"

"You are completely useless Orophin…"

Orophin…

Slow comprehension seeped through the shield of panic and fear. Things started to make a little sense…

Large green yes snapped open, which had previously had been screwed tightly shut, and flew straight to the face of his disgruntled attacker.

"Oro… flyn…" Elemmire murmured, his mouth felt unnaturally dry as if he had stuffed it full of saw dust and swallowed.

Elemmire's eyes turned from the face of Orophin to the horses, which he recognised as their own, then to Haldir and back to Orophin.

"Orophin?"

"You already stated as much," Orophin muttered impatiently.

Elemmire however was not listening to his sarcastic rescuer his eyes had landed on his twin's face and seemed quite stuck on their target. Then he started to panic and squirm and scream all at the same time.

"Am! Am!"

"For the love of Valar…"

"Soothing, Orophin, soothing…."

Orophin glowered at Haldir's expression which was a mix of bemusement and concern that Orophin would end up murdering Elrohir's precious elfling. Orophin grunted roughly and turned back to the wriggling elfling and brushed his hand through sweat drench hair.

"Hush now, your brother sleeps… hush…" Orophin said with half hearted grimace. He glanced up to Haldir for help, but his elder brother seemed to be entertained by the sight and merely nodded for Orophin to continue.

Tears streaked down Elemmire's distraught face leaving dirty tracks; much to Orophin's disgust. "Am! Amdir…"

"Shhh… he's fine. Amdir will wake soon," Orophin continued still gingerly patting Elemmire's head like he had seen his father do to Rumil after a childish nightmare many, many, many years ago.

Orophin's words did their job and slowly they seemed to sink through Elemmire's consciousness. Elemmire looked sheepishly into the elder elf's face. Blue-green eyes widened in pure apology.

"I'm sorry," Elemmire squealed looking direction into Orophin's pained face. "I didn't mean to elbow you like that…"

"You could have fooled me," Orophin muttered.

Embarrassed and mortified to be caught acting like a frightened baby, Elemmire's eyes stung with tears but he held them back.

"I don't think it's broken…"

Orophin pushed away small insistent fingers that seemed to be determined to see how Orophin was faring. Well Orophin grimly noted, Elemmire was cradling his broken fingers to his chest protectively. He was brave as his Ada, the Lorien elf noted, when it came to things like injuries.

"You'll be a tad bruised," Elemmire was telling him gravely, reminding both Orophin and Haldir of his adopted grandfather, Lord Elrond.

"You dare say?" Orophin said with mock sincerity.

Serious green eyes scowled at the warrior. "You should apply some crushed herbs as a poultice." At Orophin's glare Elemmire broke his spile off with a muttered apology. "I am awfully sorry."

"That is what you said last time."

"Well I am sorry!"

"Peace, Elemmire," Haldir said from his advantage point, clearing glowering at his overbearing brother, "My brother is just teasing you."

ElEmMiRe

AmDiR

Lord Elrond's eyes snapped open. Deep within himself he was not at peace.

Trouble and doubt had gnawed at his heart not long after his sons' and grandsons' departure.

Elrond had forced calm upon himself remembering clearly Elrohir's stern warning not to interfere with the leaving of the younger twins to visit their great-grandparents.

But oh Valar! Elemmire and Amdir were still very young. Too young to venture far from the assured safety of the Last Homely House.

Their leaving had just seemed wrong; irrevocable so. Completely and utterly wrong. Ther was no other way in which to describe the feeling Elrond had felt when he heard Elrohir's plan to take his sons with him.

Elrond had the surreal feeling of standing on a knife's edge, so sure he was of disaster. Yet he had allowed Erestor, Glorfindel, Estel and Elladan tell him how it was all his imagination. But the feeling of dread had only worsened.

There was no room for any doubt in his mind. He should have forbidden the young twins to accompany their father; however cruel and mean that sounded.

Frustrated and angry with himself. Elrond turned elegantly and began to pack making sure to take care to add all his medical supplies with him.

aMdIr

eLeMmIre

I'm so sorry – here it is an update. It is shorter than usual but having difficulty with writing the ending parts… as you can tell it is starting to wind down a little bit now. … well I updated. What more do you want?