Standard Disclaimer: Most of this is his; heck if it was mine, well let's just say that I certainly wouldn't be writing fanfiction to the Internet… Only Arryn is mine, and that's doubtful, too. He keeps running off with a certain elf-twin…
Crucifixion
Three horses galloped frantically, trying to stay ahead of the pack of orcs behind them. The copper-haired rider looked back over his shoulder and yelled for the twins to keep riding, he would stay and delay the orcs. The two brothers would have none of this, and spun their brave mounts, rushing back to help the other. With wild war cries, the three elves bit into the fell creatures, tearing wide swathes through them, leaving only dead and dying.
Then, one arrow. One shot.
The copper-haired elf was struck in the chest, just below his heart.
An anguished cry tore through the night; Elrohir dismounted and tried to reach his fallen comrade, but to no avail. Elladan seized his tunic, and dragged him back, pulling him off the ground onto his own horse. With a backwards look, the elves fled, Elladan trying not to hear the sorrowful keening cries of his brother whom he held in front of him.
*~*~*
When the elves finally reached a sanctuary, they were both exhausted. Elladan carefully lifted his twin off the horse, barely able to carry him to the back of the cavern where he laid the other down on the ground, before curling up around the still body and trying vainly to sleep, imagining his friend being alive and tormented by the orcs.
Elladan next awoke to his brother twisting and thrashing in his sleep. The elf turned over, trying to hold his hands, hold him still, comfort him, anything.
With a murderous glare, Elrohir awoke, and immediately focused his look on his twin. "*You,*" he hissed. "You took me away from him! Why, Elladan? I could have saved him! I was so close... and you took me away!"
Elladan felt tears spill down his cheeks. "Please, Elrohir, I had to... don't you see? They would have captured all of us, and then who would have saved *us*? This way..." he faltered. He had no idea what he could say to placate his twin. "This way, we can go to Father, he can send a guard with us, we can rescue him!"
"And what if we are not in time, *Brother*? What then?" Elrohir was almost screaming in his grief, torn between wanting to rush back out to save his lover, and seeing the sense in Elladan's words.
"We will be in time. We will rescue Arryn, and he will be alright, if a little battered." Elladan tried to smile reassuringly at his brother. "Let us go now to Imladris. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get to Arryn."
Elrohir was on his feet in an instant. "Hurry, then Elladan!" He ran to the front of the cave, where the horse was standing quietly. The twin paused for a moment, before he walked up to the mare, rubbing her neck comfortingly. "You lost your friends, didn't you?' He whispered to her. She turned large, sad eyes to him, and then nudged him with her nose. "I know," he whispered in response. "So did I. And I fear that I shall be too late..."
Elladan came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They fought bravely, even after we left them. The last I saw of them, they were surrounding Arryn, keeping the orcs away as best they could."
The soft-spoken words nearly sent him into tears, and he shrugged off his brother's touch to lightly spring up onto the mare's back. He held a hand down to his twin, hauling him up behind himself. "Then let us go quickly, so we can be sure that their sacrifice was not in vain."
Crucifixion
Three horses galloped frantically, trying to stay ahead of the pack of orcs behind them. The copper-haired rider looked back over his shoulder and yelled for the twins to keep riding, he would stay and delay the orcs. The two brothers would have none of this, and spun their brave mounts, rushing back to help the other. With wild war cries, the three elves bit into the fell creatures, tearing wide swathes through them, leaving only dead and dying.
Then, one arrow. One shot.
The copper-haired elf was struck in the chest, just below his heart.
An anguished cry tore through the night; Elrohir dismounted and tried to reach his fallen comrade, but to no avail. Elladan seized his tunic, and dragged him back, pulling him off the ground onto his own horse. With a backwards look, the elves fled, Elladan trying not to hear the sorrowful keening cries of his brother whom he held in front of him.
*~*~*
When the elves finally reached a sanctuary, they were both exhausted. Elladan carefully lifted his twin off the horse, barely able to carry him to the back of the cavern where he laid the other down on the ground, before curling up around the still body and trying vainly to sleep, imagining his friend being alive and tormented by the orcs.
Elladan next awoke to his brother twisting and thrashing in his sleep. The elf turned over, trying to hold his hands, hold him still, comfort him, anything.
With a murderous glare, Elrohir awoke, and immediately focused his look on his twin. "*You,*" he hissed. "You took me away from him! Why, Elladan? I could have saved him! I was so close... and you took me away!"
Elladan felt tears spill down his cheeks. "Please, Elrohir, I had to... don't you see? They would have captured all of us, and then who would have saved *us*? This way..." he faltered. He had no idea what he could say to placate his twin. "This way, we can go to Father, he can send a guard with us, we can rescue him!"
"And what if we are not in time, *Brother*? What then?" Elrohir was almost screaming in his grief, torn between wanting to rush back out to save his lover, and seeing the sense in Elladan's words.
"We will be in time. We will rescue Arryn, and he will be alright, if a little battered." Elladan tried to smile reassuringly at his brother. "Let us go now to Imladris. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get to Arryn."
Elrohir was on his feet in an instant. "Hurry, then Elladan!" He ran to the front of the cave, where the horse was standing quietly. The twin paused for a moment, before he walked up to the mare, rubbing her neck comfortingly. "You lost your friends, didn't you?' He whispered to her. She turned large, sad eyes to him, and then nudged him with her nose. "I know," he whispered in response. "So did I. And I fear that I shall be too late..."
Elladan came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They fought bravely, even after we left them. The last I saw of them, they were surrounding Arryn, keeping the orcs away as best they could."
The soft-spoken words nearly sent him into tears, and he shrugged off his brother's touch to lightly spring up onto the mare's back. He held a hand down to his twin, hauling him up behind himself. "Then let us go quickly, so we can be sure that their sacrifice was not in vain."