Chapter One: The Terror Begins

The ground shook below their feet and they froze in place. Elrohir gasped as the ground lifted and he felt himself thrown back into the dirt. A shout from behind him made him glance back and looked at the shocked and frightened look on Elladan’s face as the ground suddenly lurched dangerously close to the ridge they stood on.

Elladan jumped to his right to avoid being thrown over the cliffs edge and landed in the dirt beside his brother. Both brothers looked at each other then turned their gaze to the uneven ground that now stood as still as before. Frowning, Elladan stood up and glanced around him curiously, and without looking reached his hand down to aid his brother to his feet.

Turning his head, Elladan ran his gaze over his twin searching for injuries and raised his brow in question. A shake of the head gave him relief.

“I am alright.” Elrohir smiled, walking closer to the trees and sat down on a tree root.

Elladan nodded, and glanced over the edge of the cliff. “That was close.” He muttered judging the distance to the ground below them.

“What was that? A quake?” Elrohir placed his chin in his hands.

Elladan nodded again and turned away from the cliff edge. “I remember the quake in Imladris when we were children.”

Elrohir smiled. “So do I.” He shuddered slightly. “Do you think there will be more?”

Elladan shrugged his shoulders, and sat down cross legged on the dirt path. A tremor shook the ground slightly, as he sat and Elladan frowned. It was so slight that they barely noticed it.

Elrohir also frowned, and stood up cocking his head to the side listening to the sounds. It was a faint rushing sound, not the deep rumble that had signaled the early quake. “What is that?” Elrohir whispered.

Elladan pushed himself to his feet, and shook his head slowly side to side. Concern and worry filled his heart, and he warily moved away from the cliffs edge. “Almost sounds like water.”

Elrohir turned his head to look at his twin. “We are above the water.”

Elladan nodded. The rushing sound grew louder, but it sounded like a thick water sound. Stepping forward, Elladan was not prepared for the sight that greeted him seconds later.

A thick mass of mud filled with debris rushed towards them, and Elladan had time only to race to his brother’s side and shove him out of the way onto a higher part of the path, before he was caught up in the thick sludge. Something hard barreled into him, knocking his feet from underneath, causing him to fall backward into the mud.

Elrohir felt his brother barrel into him, and as he twisted in mid air, he saw Elladan caught up in the thick muddy substance. As he connected with the ground he lost sight of Elladan, and he cried out in fear as the mud raced towards the cliffs edge. “Elladan!” Pushing himself to his feet, Elrohir scanned the fast rushing mud as it disappeared over the edge of the cliff, frantically searching for his twin.

Minutes passed as the muddy sludge finally slowed and most of it fell over the edge. Elrohir darted forward, scanning the trees, bushes, rocks desperately searching for Elladan. Fear filled his heart as he finally made his way to the cliffs edge and peered over it. Mass amounts of mud, and branches, trees and rocks met him, but no signs of his twin. “ELLADAN!” Elrohir cried out.

Elladan felt the ground disappear and he plummeted over the cliff, he quickly used his hands trying to find a hand hold, keeping the panic from over taking his senses. As he fell, he found no hand holds to stop his plunge to the ground. He cried out in pain as he connected with something hard, and felt himself sink into the mud. Closing his eyes, Elladan curled up into a tight ball hoping that he would be able to soften the impact with the ground. He did not prepare for the sharp pain that followed after his head connected with a large immobile rock. Stars filled his vision and he cried out.

As he rolled through the mud, his vision cleared and he saw the ground rush up to meet him. Taking a deep breath, Elladan tightly closed his eyes, and was rewarded with a forceful jolt, and blackness.

Elrohir gasped suddenly, and clutched his chest. Falling to his knees, Elrohir felt tears fill his eyes as the pain that his brother felt, flooded his every senses. Swallowing against the pain, Elrohir crawled to the cliffs edge and cried out below. “Elladan!” Tears fell onto his cheeks.

Pushing himself to his feet, Elrohir raced down the path, trying to find a safe way down. Quickly unraveling the rope bound at his waist, Elrohir made quick work of a few knots as his eyes scanned the trees at the cliffs edge. Most of the trees, and boulders were barely secured at the edge, and he knew he might have to climb down before being able to secure the rope to something that was better for his descent.

Finally slowing his frantic racing, Elrohir scanned the edge of the cliff and found that he would have to climb part of the way. Wrapping the rope around his shoulders, Elrohir began his descent slowly and carefully finding hand and foot holds that would hold his weight.

His dark brown eyes scanned the horizon and shook his head. It had only been an hour since his patrol, and was greeted by a family on the road. Quickly greeting them, the mother smiled, and her husband nodded. Two small children sat in the back of a small wagon and they were no more then 8 years of age.

“Greetings.” The guard said.

The husband walked forward and bowed. “Greetings. We are traveling to the village, how is the road ahead?”

The guard glanced over his shoulder and shook his head sadly. “A mudslide took out the path. You will have a difficult time pushing the cart through. There is a path that leads downward, only a few minutes back.”

The man nodded. “You have my thanks.”

The guard dismounted his horse and helped the family push the cart around and watched them make their way back down the path.

“Rivya, hold.” The man muttered, against the strain of holding the cart firmly. “The ground slopes sharply here.”

“I can only hold it for so long. Please hurry Imrid.”

It took them well over an hour to get their cart on firm ground several feet below where they had met the guard, and finally proceeded along the path in hopes of finding a safe place to camp out for the night. The sky was growing slightly darker as it had taken them a few hours to make their descent from the path above them.

Their children were now out of the cart and running down the path excitedly. The little girl stopped and danced out of her brothers way, laughing as their parents watched on. Imrid shook his head glancing at his wife amused.

Rivya smiled, and winked at her husband. “Where do you think we should make camp?”

“I am sure there is a place up ahead.” A shout caused them to glance up quickly. Imrid dropped the rope he had been using to pull the cart and ran towards his children as they shouted around a bend on the path. Fear filled him as he raced, and was greeted by the most unusual sight.

He stopped quickly, and stared at his children who were kneeling beside a being covered from head to toe in mud. Shaking himself out of his shock, Imrid quickly knelt down and used his fingers feeling for a pulse. He was about to give up when his finger tips finally found one extremely faint and erratic.

“Rivya!” Imrid shouted. “Bring the cart.”

His wife stood there dumbfounded before she shook herself out of her surprise, and it took her several minutes to bring the heavy cart around the corner.

Imrid stood up and found a blanket, and threw it over the being stuck in the mud under a large tree.

“Is she alive?” Rivya asked.

Imrid nodded. “Barely. I don’t think this is a she however.”

Rivya moved forward. “Are you sure?” She glanced at the mud splattered face and long tresses caked in mud.

Imrid nodded. “I think it’s an elf.” He said moving the hair back to scan the pointed tips on the ears.

“How would you know what an elf looks like? You have never seen one.”

Imrid shook his head. “I don’t know. All I said is I think it is. Come; let’s see if we can get this log off him.”

With the help of his wife, it took them almost an hour to lift the heavy log off the being, and finally knelt down beside the limp form. “We need some water.”

Rivya stood and walked back to the cart pulling out their water canister, and handed it to her husband. Glancing at her children, they stood by watching silently, quite interested in the turn of events.

Imrid soaked the corner of his cloak and wiped the mud away from the face of the being. He gasped at the features. “He is only a child!”

Rivya gasped, and knelt down beside the childlike being her motherly instincts taking over. “Oh the poor thing. We should set up camp and try to get him warm and dry.”

Imrid nodded and went about trying to set up camp, setting up their tents, and gathered some wood for a fire. By now the sun had almost set completely, shedding everything in a deep bluish hue.

“We need to make sure that the boy hasn’t broken his neck, or back.”

Rivya nodded, as she continued to wipe away the mud that caked the boys face. Imrid walked over and knelt beside her and used his fingers to feel for broken bones. The neck was fine, and he felt along the spine, finding nothing broken. “Let’s get him by the fire.” Imrid muttered.

They lifted the boy carefully, and moved him slowly over to the pile of blankets Imrid had placed close to the fire. Laying the boy on the makeshift bed, they covered him up quickly, and Rivya started removing the tunic carefully. The boys torso was covered in mud and showing through the splatters of mud, were many dark blue and green bruises.

Looking over her shoulder, Rivya glanced at her husband. “I wonder how far he fell. He has a lot of injuries and his parents must be worried sick.”

Elrohir placed his feet on the dirt path and glanced at the sky quickly. The sun was beginning its descent and panicking, he raced down the path, slipping on the fresh mud and stone. Frantically, he scanned the trees above him, trying to calculate where he and his brother had been when the mudslide over took them. Darting further down the path, he scanned the mud and started digging through the thick substance searching for his brother.

Not finding anything, Elrohir stood and ran further down the path, and stopped suddenly when he caught sight of a figure on a horse. Staring hard, trying to judge anything evil from the man, Elrohir shook his head and walked forward.

“Excuse me.” He called.

The guard turned his horse, and raised his brows. “Good evening, sir.”

“Have you seen anything strange on these paths in the past few hours?”

The guard shook his head. “What exactly do you mean by strange?” He peered at the being carefully and saw a boyish figure with fear in his eyes.

“My brother got caught in the mudslide.” Elrohir spread his hands out in front of him.

The guard nodded. “The slide went all the way down. I saw nothing in my patrol; you might try the path below.”

Elrohir nodded and raced down the path, leaving the guard watching concerned.

Catching sight of the path a few feet in front of him, Elrohir cut the corner and skidded down the leaves and twigs. Slowing his frantic racing as the sun finally set over the horizon, Elrohir scanned the ground, and saw a fire up a head in the trees. Swallowing, Elrohir quietly moved forward towards the camp in the distance.

Chapter Two: A Lost Sense

Crouching low to the ground, Elrohir moved silently towards the fire, praying to the Valar that his brother had started the fire, but was too injured to climb the cliff. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the light difference, and bent low beside a tree carefully watching the site before him. Beside the fire was a human family, and frowning, Elrohir scanned carefully for signs of his brother and saw none. Swallowing, he leaned forward slightly, squinting his eyes.

There were two children, a woman and a man sitting beside the roaring fire, eating. A mound of blankets sat on the other side of the fire, mostly blocked by the flames. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and silently made his way into the camp and was almost upon the family, when the woman let out a cry of surprise, jumping to her feet knocking her plate over.

Holding up his hands, Elrohir immediately stopped. He let his eyes scan the area, and almost choked when he caught sight of a form under the mass of blankets. Opening his mouth, he stared hard at the man who now stood up, looking at him and then at the blanket.

“Oh goodness.” The woman exclaimed. She moved out of the way and moved towards her children, seating herself beside them and wrapping her arms about their shoulders.

“You have my apologies.” Elrohir whispered. “I meant not to frighten you.”

The man nodded, and motioned to the blankets.

Elrohir didn’t hesitate and quickly moved towards the covered figure. Kneeling beside the lump, he pushed back the covers and winced. It was Elladan. Swallowing hard, Elrohir began assessing the injuries and felt tears well up in his eyes. “Valar, El. That was a stupid thing to do.” He whispered softly.

Elrohir concluded that Elladan’s injuries were serious. His most concern was the large goose egg on his head that was wrapped in a makeshift bandage. Blood seeped through the off white material and he flinched at the condition of it. It was stained from previous injuries and dirty.

Quickly tearing off the hem of his undershirt, Elrohir ripped it into strips, and unwound the bandage on his twins head. “Do you have any water?” He asked somewhat sharply.

The woman almost jumped, but quickly passed him a pot of fresh water. Without looking at her, Elrohir dipped one strip into the water and quickly wiped the wound clean, swallowing against the fear that rose in his throat. Elladan’s head wound was roughly four inches long, and two inches wide. Hissing and cursing under his breath, Elrohir took a breath and held it for patience. Releasing his breath, Elrohir lifted his hand to his head and pulled out a few strands of his hair.

Reaching into his tunic, he pulled out a small bag from his inner pocket. Inside was a tiny needle, and thread used to mend any tears in their clothing. The thread was too thick to stitch Elladan's head without leaving a scar, so Elrohir resorted to his fine elven strands. Quickly threading the needle, Elrohir began his task of suturing his brothers head wound.

Many minutes passed, and finally leaning over, Elrohir tied the last knot, and bit the end. Placing the needle back into the bag and the bag into his tunic, Elrohir bound the wound in a clean strip from his tunic. Without glancing at the family, who were hovering nearby watching intently, Elrohir set Elladan’s broken arm, realigned his dislocated shoulder, and popped the kneecap back into place, before sitting back on his heels watching his brother silently.

His brother didn’t move once while he set the bones, or sutured his head and he grew worried. Looking up finally at the family, he looked them over quietly. “Has he woken up at all?”

The man shook his head. “Not once.”

“How long ago did you stumble across him?” Elrohir asked, looking back at his twin.

“A few hours ago, good sir. We meant no hard. Our children found him and we only wanted to help.”

Elrohir nodded and sighed. “You have my thanks.” Resting his head on his knees, Elrohir remained motionless for a few minutes before lifting his head and standing. “I must go retrieve our belongings. It will not take me long.”

“Your parents also?” The woman asked.

Elrohir stopped confused. “Parents?” Shaking his head, he glanced at the woman who had mistaken him for a child. “Good lady, my brother and I are old enough to travel alone. I will return shortly.”

“But it is dark out.” The woman exclaimed.

Frowning, Elrohir nodded confused. “Indeed.”

“You will loose your way, you should wait until morning.”

Holding back his laughter, Elrohir shook his head. Clearly they had never come across an elf before, but he had no time to explain anything to them now. “Trust me, lady.”

“Rivya.” She smiled.

Elrohir inclined his head. “I am Elrohir and he is Elladan.”

The woman furrowed her brows, but didn’t utter a word.

Turning quickly, Elrohir ran out of the camp and quickly made his way up the path, and around the bend where he met up with the same guard as earlier.

“Did you find your brother?”

Elrohir slowed slightly, and then stopped thinking rapidly. “I did, a family came across him and helped him.”

The guard smiled and nodded. “Glad to hear it.”

“How are the woods for enemies or game?”

Frowning, the guard looked at the youth. “I am uncertain. I usually patrol the paths on the other side of the mountain. Why?”

“The family is camping on the path below, and is unarmed. Will you keep an eye out while I retrieve my belongings?”

The guard smiled and nodded. Kicking his mount he made his way towards the end of the path and over looked the path below. Elrohir nodded satisfied and quickly broke into a run again, making his way up the path until he came across his rope. Gripping it tightly in his hands, Elrohir planted his feet on the earth and began his long climb up the cliff face to where he and Elladan had left their traveling packs and healing supplies.

Elrohir planted his feet on the earth out of breath. He fell to his knees closing his eyes. He knew he was weakened because of his brother’s injuries, but that still didn’t stop him from frantically making his way back to their camp on higher ground. Standing finally, Elrohir ran as fast as he could to the camp which lay abandoned and gathered his and Elladan’s packs. They had traveled on foot for this hunt due to the horses being inexperienced and untrained this year in Imladris.

Shouldering their bags, Elrohir ran back towards the cliffs edge and began his descent once again. The night was passing quickly, and despite his weakened state, Elrohir made excellent time.

Half way down, Elrohir heard cries, and he froze looking over his shoulder quickly. Unable to see past the trees and bushes in his way, terror filled him. Taking a deep breath, Elrohir growled in frustration as he still had a way to go before being safely on the ground. Releasing one hand, Elrohir used his teeth and free hand to open the pack around his shoulder, and pulled the cloak out with his teeth. Quickly wrapping his free hand around the material of the cloak, Elrohir switched hands, and wrapped that one in the material as well. His hands protected, Elrohir slid the rest of the way down the rope quickly, cutting his descent time in half.

Once on the ground, Elrohir placed both packs in the bushes on the side of the path, and fingered the hilt of his sword. Closing his eyes, Elrohir swallowed the feeling of fear, and then opened the grey orbs again, allowing them to adjust to the light that was beginning to fill the sky. Cursing at himself for allowing himself to be slowed due to his brother’s weakened state, too much time had passed and he broke into a run towards where he had left the guard.

Chapter Three: Helpless

Imrid was bound, along with his wife and children. The men who had come upon them quickly, did not notice the lump that he and his wife had placed on the edge of their camp away from the fire. Imrid felt his heart quicken with fear, glancing at his children who had tears in their eyes and were openly crying in fear.

Roughly grabbed from behind, Imrid shouted in pain as his arms were wrenched. Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat, Imrid was shoved to his knees in front of the man who he assumed was the leader.

“Well now, nice strong man here.” The leader growled a smile of contempt on his face.

“Milord?” Another man questioned from a distance.

Turning his head slightly, the leader waited.

“What of the children?”

“Kill the girl, keep the lad. He will grow to be an asset.”

Imrid gasped. “Oh please, leave my children. I beg you.” Tears fell down his face as his daughter wailed as she was pulled away from her brother.

“Papa!” She cried. “Papa!”

“The woman?” The same man as before asked, holding the little girl under his arm.

“Kill her!” The leader said impatiently. Turning his face to Imrid, who was still begging for his daughters life, fell to his face sobbing.

“Please, I beg you. Let them live!”

“Hold, Maloniec.” The leader grinned. “Bring them here.” He motioned his hands to two guards holding Imrid in place.

Imrid lifted his head as his wife and daughter were placed before him.

“Seeing as you are so desperate, I will allow you one thing.” The leader grinned menacingly.

Imrid looked at the leader. “Anything!” Imrid sobbed.

“Truly?” The leader grinned wider. Nodding, the leader watched as the wife and daughter were forced to their knees. “Now what is your name?”

“Imrid.”

“Ah. Well, Imrid. I am going to allow you to pick one.”

Not understanding, Imrid frowned.

“You get to choose who will die first.”

Gasping, Imrid looked at the man in horror.

“I will not tell you that they will die quickly, but you have the choice as which one will die first. The other along with you and your boy will watch.”

Fresh tears filled Imrid’s eyes. “Please milord, let them live.”

The leader snarled and backhanded Imrid across the face. “Watch it, or I will allow you to kill them, and the boy also.”

Falling back from the force of the blow, Imrid was lifted back to his knees.

“Now choose!” The leader shouted.

Elrohir raced down the path, and skidded to a halt. The guard lay bloody and dying on the dirt path. Scrambling over to him, Elrohir placed his finger to the neck searching for a pulse.

The guard opened his eyes startled. “Tra-slavers.” The guard hissed.

Elrohir narrowed his eyes. Nodding to the guard, knowing his time was short; Elrohir scrambled to his feet and drew his sword, curling his lip.

Making his way down the path, Elrohir darted into the trees, and quietly descended on the camp. Quickly counting, Elrohir guessed there to be roughly thirty men surrounding the area. Scanning beside the fire, he searched for Elladan and couldn’t see him. Gasping softly, he allowed his eyes to wander everywhere. The man was bound and his wife as well. Both children were restrained by one guard, all standing in front of Imrid and who Elrohir guessed to be the leader.

Narrowing his eyes further, Elrohir scanned the outskirts of the camp, and sighed relieved at the mass of blankets out of the slavers line of sight. Curling his lip into a snarl, Elrohir vanished into the trees making his way to his brother’s side. Not making a sound, Elrohir knelt beside his twin and felt for a pulse and found it still there. Relieved, Elrohir placed his sword on the ground and pulled the blankets further back into the bushes.

Satisfied that Elladan was well out of sight, Elrohir picked up his sword and once again disappeared into the foliage, circling the camp judging his best advantage point. Cursing himself for not having his bow and arrows, Elrohir knelt beside a tree and looked up. Nodding to himself, he placed his sword in his scabbard and climbed it quickly. Crawling out on a thick limb, Elrohir crouched under the leader and listened to his speak.

A low growl rose in his throat as Imrid was told to choose between his daughter and wife’s lives. Filled with rage, Elrohir stood up slowly, making his way back to the tree trunk. He would never allow for this to happen and quickly made his descent into the thick foliage beside the tree. Picking up a hand full of stones, Elrohir fingered one, and pelted it towards the leader, who shouted and looked around him in surprise.

Smiling thinly, Elrohir vanished deeper into the bush as he over heard the leader shouting out commands to search out the surrounding area. Knowing he would have a fight on his hands, Elrohir quickly bound his hair back at the nape of his neck and twirled his sword in his hand and waited.

Three men stumbled through the bush, and not loosing a beat, Elrohir sliced his sword through the air, cutting down one of the men. The other two turned startled and drew their swords. Elrohir crouched low, and spun his sword in his hand again, flicking his wrist; his sword lifted knocking one of the man’s swords out of his hand, and flying into the underbrush. Startled, the man didn’t have time to shout out as Elrohir sliced his throat, and spun in midair catching the other man in the chest.

Racing towards the camp, Elrohir could hear other men searching further off. Now he would have to defeat the leader, and attempt to save the family that was kind enough to help his twin. With all speed, Elrohir made his way past the other men who were searching the forest for him. Quickly, he crouched beside the clearing taking in the men who had remained behind and cursed silently at them.

Curling his lips, Elrohir counted twelve men including the leader, who held Imrid by the hair. Jumping to his feet, he noticed two men searching the area he had hidden his brother in, and startled, raced into the clearing shouting with rage towards the men who were pushing bushes out of the way. Dodging a man who charged him, Elrohir jumped into the air spinning around, his sword dancing with renewed rage and fear. Slicing down two men before any of them could react, Elrohir landed on his feet in a crouch, growling in fury. Spinning around again, he darted to the men who had been searching near his brother’s hiding spot, and were now drawing their weapons. Quickly, Elrohir thrust his sword out and caught one man in the gut, while the other jumped back from the wild and dangerously swinging sword.

Narrowing his eyes to slits, Elrohir bared his teeth, and spun his sword in his hand, waiting for the men to make their moves. A rush of air behind him made him duck and twirl around on one knee as he lifted his sword in an upward jab. The man grunted and fell over clutching his stomach in pain. Rolling sideways, Elrohir jumped to his feet and faced the remaining men who were now armed watching warily.

Smiling menacingly, Elrohir winked at one man, and spun around again catching another man in the chest as he rushed him. Bending to the ground, Elrohir gripped the dead mans sword and twirled them both, waiting for more attacks.

“Enough!”

Elrohir didn’t miss a beat, and kept his attention on the men who had surrounded him. The leader came into the clearing as the men lowered their weapons to the ground. More men entered the clearing swords drawn, but a raised hand from the leader stopped them.

Turning to face Elrohir, the leader smiled. “Who are you?”

“I might ask you the same thing.” Elrohir sneered in the common tongue.

The leader grinned wider. “Do you seriously think you can out smart my men?”

“I have already taken down eight of your men.” Elrohir curled his lip. “What makes you think I cannot?”

“No one is that good, and besides, you would have to defeat me if you want them-“ He waved to the family. “To live.”

“That is my intention.” Elrohir never lost his concentration.

A man entered the clearing pulling something behind him, and Elrohir allowed his eyes to linger on the bedding. They had found his brother.

“Milord!”

The leader turned around and walked over to the form of Elladan. “Well, well, well, what have we here?” The leader reached down and placed his fingers on Elladan’s neck.

Elrohir curled his lip, his heart beating faster at the close range the leader was to his injured twin.

“Twins. So that is the reason for your outrage.” The leader stood grinning. Drawing his sword, the leader placed the tip on Elladan’s chest. “Lower your weapon child or I will plunge this into his chest.”

Elrohir swallowed, but kept his face immobile of all emotion. Narrowing his eyes even more, Elrohir felt his lip curl in fury.

“Drop your sword!” The leader shouted.

A rush of air behind him made Elrohir spin into action immediately lifting his left hand slicing the mans neck. Turning around feeling defeated, Elrohir lowered his sword tip. “Allow them to go.”

The leader laughed. “Look around you boy!”

Elrohir didn’t move his head, but his eyes traveled to Imrid and Rivya and their children. All had swords to their throats, and Elladan was in danger. Taking a deep breath, Elrohir released the swords allowing them to drop to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he stood still while three men tackled him, knocking him to the ground and binding his hands behind his back. Another man gripped his hair, which had come undone in his attack, and pulled his head back.

“So young, and so pretty.” The man purred.

Elrohir snarled and spat into the mans face. A sharp blow to the side of his face made his head snap back forcefully.

“Now boy, what stupidity made you think you could out smart a group of trained warriors.”

Elrohir smiled at the leader who still had not detected him to be an elf. “You under estimate me.”

“Do I?” The leader sneered. Turning away from Elladan, the leader walked up to Rivya and placed the sword against her neck. In one quick movement he sliced through her neck and she gasped in surprise.

Chapter Four: Horrifying Reality

Horrified, Elrohir ground his teeth together, and felt his heart lurch at the coldness that seeped from the leader. He watched as Rivya dropped to the ground face first mouth open in surprise. Swallowing, Elrohir turned his eyes away from the dreadful sight and held back the tears that threatened to surface.

The leader glanced at the amusing sight and decided to egg the young child on. “You know, she would have lived had you been more co-operative.”

Lifting his eyes, Elrohir narrowed his eyes. “When the time comes, you will regret ever meeting me.” He hissed.

The leader laughed menacingly. “Take the child over to the others. The man still has a decision to make.”

Elrohir gasped. “You already took away one of his choices!”

Laughing the man sneered. “True, but you see, he has two children.”

Feeling sick, Elrohir snarled, pulling against the grip of the man who held him. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Wouldn’t I?”

Elrohir grinned. “Why would you risk loosing money should you kill the boy?”

The leader stopped, his grin washing off his face in fury.

“With the proper training, he could be an asset as a slave, plus, you will get a lot of money for him being so young.”

The leader raised his eyebrows. “Trying to save the boy are we?”

Elrohir smiled wider. “What of the girl? You could always have her sold as a maid.”

“Women sell for less, child.” The leader snarled. “Kill the daughter, and gather the boy and man for travel.”

“And this one?” The man asked holding Elrohir.

“He comes with us. A youth such as he will sell for much.” The leader sneered walking away from Elladan.

“This one?” Another man asked walking up to Elladan looking down at him.

The leader looked over his shoulder. “He comes with us, despite him being injured, that one will behave himself, to make sure he lives.”

Elrohir felt his heart sink. Shoved forward, he still knew he had yet to be discovered as an elf, so that gave him a slight advantage. If they took Elladan, Elrohir had no means of escape. To ensure his brothers safety he would have to remain calm and attempt to bring Elladan out of the state he was in. At least for Elrohir he would be able to keep an eye on his twin and make sure he would be alright.

As he was lead away, Imrid walked beside him, tears falling onto his face and his little son crying openly. Glancing over his shoulder, Elrohir spotted one of the men lift Elladan into his arms, flinging him over his shoulder roughly. Grinding his teeth together, he almost gasped in surprise as a small pain jolted through his chest. Startled, Elrohir knew it was happening again. Elladan and him had shared so much in the past, that no matter what happened they could always feel what the other felt. Whether they were conscious or not.

Their bond was so strong that even with Elladan as injured as he was, they could still reach each other even in darkness. Ever since their journey almost two years ago, they had never been the same. Their bond had strengthened, their ties to one another had grown, and their heart had tied together as though they were the same person. Elrond had never been able to figure it out, or even themselves. Over the past year, both he and Elladan had yet to figure out how they were able to feel the others injuries, sense danger to one if they were apart, and even able to mind speak.

Shaking his head, Elrohir frowned as his brother was jolted and placed into a better position. Flinching, Elrohir pulled on the rope that was held by his guard. The man jerked it back along with Elrohir and growled. “No funny stuff boy!”

Elrohir drew his lips into a tight line, but remained obedient for the moment.

They walked the entire day, but they finally stopped for the night and Elrohir and Imrid were tied together to a tree. The man's son was taken away and tied to a tree across the camp. Imrid was exhausted, and slumped against the tree sadly. Elrohir winced at the grief mirrored on the mans face, and sighed. The screams that had erupted from his daughter as she was wrenched from her father’s side still echoed in Elrohir’s ears.

Glancing up, Elrohir saw the men prepare the camp, starting a fire, and placing bedrolls around it. A lean to was set up and Elladan was placed on the hard ground roughly, making Elrohir bite against the cry of pain. A large tent was set up near the lean to, and Elrohir sneered.

“Do you think she suffered?” A whispered voice drew Elrohir’s attention.

Raising his eye brow, he looked at the man. Unable to lie, but not wanting to hurt the man more, Elrohir glanced away and nodded. “I wish I could say she did not, but the leader is malicious. Knowing him he does this sort of thing for fun. It’s like a game to him.”

A sharp punch caused Elrohir’s head to snap back hitting the tree trunk behind him. Biting his lip, holding back the startled cry, Elrohir glared at the man who had struck him.

“No talking or I will render you unconscious like your brother.”

Curling his lip, Elrohir growled at the man who backed away quickly, but raised his fist and shook it warning Elrohir to remain silent.

Elrohir smirked. “Wait until you discover what I am, then you won’t be so brave.”

Imrid looked at Elrohir quickly at the softly whispered words. “What do you mean?”

Elrohir clamped his mouth shut and shook his head firmly. After awhile, Elrohir lifted his eyes and caught the leader trader looking at him deep in thought. Knowing instantly that he was being measured up, Elrohir grinned winking at the leader. Instantly, the leader narrowed his eyes and looked away waving to another man who leaned in to hear the whispered words.

Tilting his head slightly, Elrohir strained his ears trying to hear what was being said.

“Keep an eye on that one.” The leader whispered

The man nodded.

“If he becomes difficult give him something to make him more resilient.”

The man nodded again and drifted off into the shadows.

Smirking to himself, Elrohir heard the man trudge through the under brush sneaking up on him. Looking to his right, where Imrid was bound, Elrohir noticed the man sleeping.

Shaking his head, Elrohir tilted his head back and leaned it against the trunk of the tree, momentarily forgetting about the bump that was there now. Instantly, he jerked his head up and narrowed his eyes in frustration.

Focusing his eyes across the camp, Elrohir saw Elladan lying perfectly still. Keeping his mind on his brother, Elrohir closed his eyes trying to reach him mentally. With his other senses open, his hearing, and second sense, Elrohir was able to concentrate most of his energy on his twin.

Knowing that his brother was just out of his reach, Elrohir retreated back to his own mind and shook his head absently. He wouldn’t give up. Elrohir couldn’t, his brother was lost at the moment and needed help to find his way back, so Elrohir decided to try again later. Tilting his head back, just enough so that the back of his head wouldn’t connect with the trunk, but enough so that he could see the stars, he remained still watching silently.

The camp grew quiet, and Elrohir lowered his head looking around the camp, listening for sounds of hidden movement. Closing his eyes, he knew that to prevent the traders from discovering who he was, he needed to act more like a man then an elf. He opened his eyes again.

Keeping his eyes focused on the camp, he kept his senses open, looking for weaknesses within the group. The first thing he noticed was the lack of guard presence, however Elrohir knew that they could be hiding, so didn’t take any chances to draw attention to himself. The other thing Elrohir noticed was how disorganized the men were. Their fire was carelessly made, not shielding the flames from other traveler’s sight. Thinking hard, Elrohir guessed that was how they attracted attention to lure others in for possible slaves. Frowning, Elrohir knew he needed to leave some kind of trace for his father and the others so that they could find them.

Elrohir and Elladan’s predicament was worse then when they had traveled for the first time out of Rivendell. That journey had been a disaster. Both twins had been injured, and had lost each other for a time. The worry Elrohir had felt loosing his brother had been so great that when they had finally reunited with one another their bond seemed to have grown stronger. Their feä’s had connected leaving them breathless and frightened, but drew them closer to the other then before. Now they were able to feel pain and anguish while they were apart, even so much as leaving a mark on the other. They were able to sense the others thoughts, and even finish one another’s sentences.

Their second journey had gone better, that was until they had reached Mirkwood and had stumbled across a spiders nest. Elrohir shivered inwardly at the thought, remembering the prank his brother had pulled on their fiftieth begetting day. Pushing those thoughts to the side, Elrohir found himself unconsciously looking at the ground for the little creatures. Groaning, Elrohir glanced at his brother’s still form across the camp and sighed. He needed to find someway to reach Elladan and inform him of the dangers they were in. Elrohir also knew that he had to formulate a plan to leave a trail for his father and guards to follow when they discovered the predicament the twins had placed themselves in again.

Grunting, Elrohir muttered quietly. “Father will surely tan our hides this time, and he will never allow us to leave home again.”

Shaking his head, Elrohir closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off onto the path of dreams. If he were to remain in control he would need all the rest he could get.

Chapter Five: Escape

A rough kick brought Elrohir out of his sleep. Cursing, he glared up at the man who had assaulted him. “Time to get up boy!” The man threw down a water skin and walked away laughing mockingly.

Elrohir glanced down at the water skin raising an eyebrow in annoyance. Imrid groaned licking his lips, catching Elrohir’s attention. Taking a deep breath, Elrohir moved his feet beside the skin and pulled it towards them with his heel.

“What is this? Torment?” Imrid muttered. “I’m hungry.”

Elrohir nodded. Lifting his head, Elrohir watched as the men started their fire and prepared breakfast. The smells of coffee drifted across the camp and Elrohir frowned in frustration. Snorting, he looked back down at the water skin and shook his head.

Imrid groaned and watched the features of his companion. He was upset over the loss of his wife and daughter, and he knew it was going to take him years to get over the feeling of loss. Looking at Elrohir, he swallowed at the face of determination and bravery that shone there. Grateful, Imrid would never forget what the boy tried to do, however they both had failed, and there was still no sign of his son.

“What are you?” Imrid asked.

Elrohir raised his eyebrow looking at the man curiously. “Not now.” He hissed, his ears catching a sound behind the tree they were bound to. Inclining his head, he motioned to behind them. “We are not alone.”

Imrid stiffened. Clamping his mouth shut, he frowned. He didn’t hear anything. “I don’t hear anything.” He whispered after a few moments.

Elrohir smiled and winked. “Trust me.”

Imrid nodded, and remained silent.

The camp was torn down, and Elrohir and Imrid were tied by a single rope attached to a horse. Walking in a straight line, they began walking. Cocking his head to the side, Elrohir heard the trees around him whispering frantically to him. The saddened song that lingered in the air caused Elrohir to swallow, and shake his head firmly. Moving his mouth, but not saying a word, Elrohir assured the trees that he would be safe.

Glancing up, Elrohir noticed the leader watching him hard. Cursing himself, Elrohir looked away. Drawing his brows together in anger, Elrohir almost snarled in frustration at how closely he was being watched.

The morning passed quickly. They stopped for a bite to eat, but both Imrid and himself were left tied to the horse, and were forced to stand and watch. A tug at Elrohir’s heart caused him to gasp surprised. Lifting his head, he looked around surprised. Holding a groan of pain back, Elrohir searched his mind; his brother’s presence was close. Elladan was fighting.

New hope filled Elrohir’s heart, and he closed his eyes sending all reassurances to his brother. Elrohir was tugged suddenly, and pulled off his feet. Letting out a startled cry, he was dragged over to the leader, who sat in a makeshift chair glaring at him.

“Well boy?”

Forced onto his knees before the leader, Elrohir narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Well what?”

The leader grinned, which caused Elrohir’s blood to run cold. Fear had eluded him for a time, but the menacing grin that the leader wore now, caused him to wonder what he was up to. Raising his eyebrow, swallowing the overwhelming fear that threatened to surface, he grinned back.

“I seem to be a bit confused over you, boy. My man, who was told to keep an eye on you, tells me that some words were exchanged between you and Imrid.” The leader stood up and placed his hand under Elrohir’s chin lifting it so they could meet eye to eye.

“Oh?”

“You are a feisty one, so full of bravery. But how brave do you think you will be once we get to where we are going?”

“Enough of your riddles. Why not just tell me our destination and get it over with?” Elrohir snarled.

“What and spoil the fun?” The leader shoved Elrohir’s chin away, and stood up. “Come now, this will be a surprise. Have you not discovered who I am yet?”

“I do not care who you are. All that I need to know if that your attempts at breaking me will be in vain. I am stronger then you think.”

“Really? How strong do you think you will be, with a dose of these?” The leader held out his hand and in them were three tiny yellow seeds. At least to Elrohir, they appeared to be seeds.

Frowning, Elrohir studied them, but through all his years of studying herbs, and healing droughts, he had never seen anything quite like them before. “What are they?” He asked, his confidence failing a little.

“You think I will tell you?”

Elrohir smirked. “You would not have shown them to me, if you had planned to keep them a secret.”

The leader laughed. “My, my, so full of fire. You will find out soon enough boy. I have plans for you, and these will work into those plans nicely.”

Narrowing his eyes, Elrohir felt his stomach waver slightly in fear. He was dragged back to Imrid’s side and tied to the horse again. Never taking his eyes off the leader, Elrohir knew that what ever those things were, he would have to figure out a way for him to avoid drawing attention to himself in order to find out.

Turning his head, he glanced at Imrid. The man was looking at him curiously.

“What did they want?” Imrid whispered.

“To frighten me.” Elrohir hissed.

Imrid gasped. “What did they show you?”

Shaking his head, Elrohir rolled his eyes back to where the leader was standing. Looking back at Imrid, he smiled. “Fear not, it takes more then threats to frighten me.”

Imrid swallowed and nodded. “I’m terrified.”

Elrohir nodded. “I know.”

“What are we going to do?” Imrid whispered tears of fear in his eyes.

“I’ll think of something.” Elrohir hissed. “Quiet now. We are being watched, and that leader is looking for me to make a mistake.”

“What kind of mistake?”

“Shush.” Elrohir hissed again, this time more firmly.

Imrid clamped his mouth shut and nodded, tears falling onto his face.

Elrohir glanced at him and felt his heart tug painfully. “Easy, grief will only make things worse. Ease your heart and know that Mandos is watching over your wife and daughter.”

Imrid glanced at him hard. He mouthed the name and peered into Elrohir’s eyes. He had heard that name spoken a few times, and was startled.

Elrohir winked at him and nodded at the startled recognition in the mans eyes. Imrid’s face held a look of disbelief then faded into one of acceptance. Without giving the man another look, Elrohir turned his gaze to the leader who still looked at him hard.

Growling with rage, Elrohir snarled at him, and stepped forward warningly. The leader smirked and turned away unfazed. Rolling his eyes, Elrohir grinned. Sighing impatiently, he waited for the men to finish their meals and begin travel again. Over an hour passed and Elrohir turned his head surprised as Imrid’s stomach made a large disapproving sound.

Chuckling, Elrohir smiled. “Hungry?”

Imrid nodded and sheepishly smiled. “Remarkably so. Are you not hungry?”

Elrohir nodded slightly. “I am hungry, and thirsty, but I will be alright for a time.”

Imrid shook his head. “Do you think they will allow us to eat?”

Elrohir raised his eyebrow slightly. “They must, if they want to keep us healthy and strong. They are slave traders, so allowing us to become weak will be of no use to them.”

Imrid nodded in understanding, and then slumped back sadly. It was only moments later when the men began to break their camp. Now packed up and ready to go, Elrohir sneered at the men who passed him. Following the horses lead, Elrohir sensed the horses uneasiness and frowned. Looking closely at it, he realized it was under fed and mistreated. Bruises appeared faintly on the dark coat, and the horse limped along slowly.

His frown deepening, he also noticed the poor animal’s ribs showing. Shaking his head in anger, Elrohir moved closer to the animal and brushed up against it. Immediately the horse relaxed and nickered in acceptance. Being a horse lover, Elrohir smiled and whispered softly to the animal, then moved back to his position beside Imrid. They had only gone a few steps when Imrid lost his balance and fell to his knees. Sweat covered the mans forehead and Elrohir stopped immediately kneeling beside him, holding him up with his shoulder. Imrid smiled briefly at the small distraction the man had planned had worked.

The leader unaware of the ploy the man had set up walked back to them angrily. Grinning Elrohir waited.

“What is the meaning of this?” The leader growled, reaching down and yanking the man up by the hair.

Elrohir snarled, and took the opportunity to over take the slave leader. Jumping to his feet, Elrohir ran into the leader knocking him off balance. Before the guards could react, Elrohir had twisted and gripped the leader’s dagger and in one swift movement cut the ropes binding his arms behind his back. Leaping away from the leader who staggered to his feet, Elrohir ran to the cart that Imrid was still tied to and sliced the rope. Jumping into the back of the cart, Elrohir spotted his sword, and unsheathed it as the guards approached the wagon with their swords drawn.

Quickly, Elrohir hopped onto the carts wall and flipped over the guard who swung his sword at his legs. Landing on his feet, Elrohir lowered his head, and rammed into another guard with his shoulder, knocking him off balance sending him flying into the dirt.

Knowing that his quick speed and advantage of having years of training, Elrohir knew he had a small chance of reaching his brother to free him. Turning and facing a large armed guard, Elrohir snarled and twirled the sword in his hand, racing towards him hoping the attack would stun the large man enough to distract him to make a mistake. The attack gave him an advantage as the guard stepped back surprised. Swinging his sword, Elrohir took down the man before he could make a sound.

Jumping nimbly over the dead man, he raced towards the trees. Elrohir would have to use them to gain a bit of control over the situation. Highly outmanned, Elrohir leapt to the first tree at the edge of the path, whispering words for help. Almost immediately the tree seemed to lower its branch so the elf could jump and grip it quickly.

Climbing with all the grace the elves possessed, Elrohir jumped to the next tree swinging into the branches with ease. Keeping an eye on the path to his left, Elrohir searched for signs of his brother. Imrid would have to fend for himself or wait until Elladan was safe before Elrohir could help him. His first concern was his brothers’ safety.

Jumping into the next tree, Elrohir caught sight of several guards surrounding another cart further up the path as the other guards behind him shouted out warnings running down the path trying to keep their eyes on the elf in the tree. His identity safe for the moment, they still thought him a youthful mortal.

Leaping from the tree, Elrohir landed on the path quickly. Swinging his sword desperately, Elrohir struck down three guards who were unaware of how close he had been. Two more stood ready, and waited for the boy to make his move. Elrohir narrowed his eyes and charged one guard with his shoulder lowered to knock the man off balance. Once the guard flew back, Elrohir twisted slicing with his sword at the man who raised his own sword trying to block the attack.

Knocking the sword out of the mans hand, Elrohir jabbed forward cutting through the mans gut quickly. Jumping into the cart, Elrohir dropped the sword and lifted Elladan onto his shoulder. Reaching for the sword again, Elrohir jumped out of the cart and raced for the trees. Almost to the tree line, Elrohir heard the distinctive sound of an arrow. Gasping, Elrohir twisted out of the way, his movements slowed by the added weight of his brother. The missile barely missing him, Elrohir ducked as another flew for him. It missed him by mere inches flying past his face. Another sliced his cheek, and hissing through his lips, Elrohir knew that this escape attempt would fail.

A sharp pain filled him as an arrow embedded into his shoulder, and he staggered at the burning sensation. Not willing to give up, Elrohir continued to run as hard as he could and leapt into the brush. Wincing as the weight of his brother jarred his shoulder, Elrohir ran with all he had. His momentum slowed by the injury and his brothers limp body, Elrohir continued to run as the voices of the men grew closer.

Leaping over a log, Elrohir turned and changed direction. He hoped his knowledge of the forest would give him an advantage over the men who were slower through the thick under brush. Perspiration covered his forehead, and Elrohir ground his teeth together in desperation. His elven speed and light footed running kept his fleeing silent to the men’s hearing. Changing directions again, he kept his hearing perked to the loud cracking and shouts of the men in the distance. The voices grew softer, and Elrohir allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Turning deeper into the forest, Elrohir kept running, not wanting the men to catch up to him.

He ran for almost an hour and the voices of the men pursuing him faded to silence. Gasping, Elrohir found foliage that was thick and well hidden from prying eyes and finally fell to his knees. Lowering his brother to the ground gently, Elrohir planted his hands on the ground trying to catch his breath. Quickly breaking off the shaft of the arrow, Elrohir gritted his teeth as it snapped and caused him lightheadedness. Closing his eyes, Elrohir breathed slowly allowing his mind to clear from the wound. Tearing his tunic at the bottom, Elrohir bound his wound tightly. Slumping against a tree trunk, Elrohir pulled his brother into his arms and lost consciousness.

He walked down a calm forest path leading to the faint rumbling of a waterfall in the distance. Chirping from the birds filled the air, and the rustling of the leaves made everything seem almost perfect. That was until a sharp pain ran down his shoulder piercing his chest. Gasping and gripping his shoulder in surprise and instant anguish, he fell to his knees.

Immediately the sky turned red and the forest faded. Looking down at his hands he realized they were covered in blood. Elrohir looked past his hands and he felt his eyes widen as his brothers agonized face scrunched up in pain. Blood covered his brother’s torso, and at Elrohir’s feet was a small dagger covered in his twin’s blood. Elladan’s mouth moved and Elrohir bent over to listen.

“Why?” Elladan hissed between clenched teeth.

Elrohir felt his breath catch in his throat. “Why what?” He felt tears well up in his eyes.

Elladan lifted his hand slowly and gripped the front of Elrohir’s tunic, pulling him down in anger. “Why have you done this to me?”

Elrohir’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “I-I…” He shook his head not believing it. Another sharp pain ripped through him and blackness filled his vision. Everything around him faded and his eyes snapped open in startled fear. A cry of anguish fled his lips and filled the air as he anxiously tried to sit up. He was being restrained. Fully conscious now, Elrohir peered into the dark brown eyes of the slave trade leader.

A hot searing pain filled his every sense and he screamed out in agony. The leader pulled back the hot poker and sneered. “Welcome back to camp.”

Elrohir closed his eyes and he broke out in a cold sweat.

“You led us on quite the chase, I am impressed.” The leader brushed back the damp hair on Elrohir’s forehead. “Now that you and your brother are back in our company, you need to have a bit of a sedative.” He gripped Elrohir’s hair forcefully, pulling him up and tilting it back sharply. A cup was placed at his lips, and before he could protest, the cool liquid poured down his throat. Gagging and coughing, his head was released and cracked against the earth hard.

Curling up into a tight ball, Elrohir shivered uncontrollably. His lungs heaved, trying to fill them with air, and his heart started pounding hard. His ears rang, and tears of pain ran down his face. The agonizing pain that filled his stomach took over his senses, and he tried to curl up more, clutching his midsection with his arms and hands.

His mind became hazy and he frowned as the pain subsided. Everything around him became a grey hue, and he blinked quickly trying to clear his vision. Shaking his head and rolling onto his back he swallowed the vile taste in his mouth. Something wasn’t right; he knew it instantly as his body became ridged. His muscles stiffened and seemed to lock, he couldn’t move. Nothing seemed to work, even though he knew he was trying to move, he couldn’t. He felt heavy and almost light at the same time, like he was floating.

He tried to cry out in frustration and found that nothing came out of his mouth. Within the gray fog, Elrohir saw the leader bend over him, and grinned mockingly. Every inch of him wanted to jump up and erase that smirk off his face, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t. The voice of the leader was loud and deep and extremely slow, and Elrohir swallowed.

“Quite the feeling isn’t it?” The deep menacing voice mocked. “Enjoy it while it lasts, for once that is over more will come.”

Shaking his head trying to clear his hearing, and sight, Elrohir didn’t realize that even his head wasn’t moving. As his eyes moved, everything in his line of sight tripled, and seemed to move in slow motion as they separated from the original image to several. Panic filled him, as he realized that the drug affected his nerves and his mind.

Closing his eyes, Elrohir tried to block the images, and found bright lights behind his lids where there should have been only darkness. His eyes snapped open and the grey fog appeared again. Biting his lip, he heard the deep menacing laughter as the men stood watch. His mouth formed the words he wanted to cry out, but only silence filled his muddled hearing. ‘Oh Valar help me!’ He was loosing his mind. Nothing he did seemed to shake the feeling of utter helplessness. Elrohir was at the mercy of these slave traders and the clammy feeling that came over his skin, made him fear for his life.

His heart beat far too quickly, and his shallow breathing made his chest hurt as he tried to gulp in more air to fill his lungs. All he wanted to do was move. A hand yanked his head up, he had felt that. Pain was definitely a feeling where everything else seemed numb. Swallowing, Elrohir peered at the hazy face that appeared. “You will fetch me quite the price elf!” The slow deep voice sneered. His head was thrown back slamming into the earth again, sending a sharp pain through it and stars to appear in the grey fog that surrounded his vision. That had hurt, and the cry that should have been shouted into the night air was silent.

Defeated, Elrohir was devastated that they knew what he was. They didn’t know who his father was however, and he knew that Elrond would find them. The name didn’t sound right in his mind. Frowning, Elrohir tried to focus on the face of his father in his vision. The image faded and disappeared. Trying desperately to cling to reality, Elrohir found himself fading into nothing but grey and fuzzy images. Shadows came into his line of sight and he gasped as the images turned red, and black. Things jumped at him but as he tried to cringe away, they disappeared, and more images darted out at him.

Whimpering in fear, Elrohir felt his mind waver between reality and fantasy. What was real? Glancing around him with his eyes, the men were there, but so were the dark beasts that jumped at him. His breathing increased as panic took over all reason, and finally he fell into a black void filled with swirling colors.

He felt himself twitch and he jerked awake startled. Elrohir’s grey eyes opened, and he saw the forest around him clear as day. Was it a dream? Looking around, able to turn his head, he saw the men by the fire. Feeling extremely weak, he tried to roll onto his side and found that his body was stiff and sore. His muscles twitched and he groaned in frustration. A hand gripped the hair on his head lifting his head to face the leader.

“Another dose?” The leader placed the cup to his lips, and Elrohir tried to clench his lips shut. It wasn’t a dream. Panic filled him again as his lips were pried apart and the vile liquid rolled down his throat again. How long had he been out? How long had it been since the frightening images had filled his mind?

Completely helpless, Elrohir was thrown back to the earth and his body twitched and stiffened as the drug took affect again. He quickly thought of his brother. Elladan should be there, shouldn’t he? They were twins and were always together, but the face seemed to fade as the drug took over his mind again. Screaming out, Elrohir called for his brother. ‘ELLADAN!”

The Slave Trade

The leader looked back at the cart which carried the two elves and human who were unconscious from the potency of his drug. He was quite surprised at how resilient the elf had been but his surprise turned to amusement at how it changed. The young boy was further back walking with his guards. Shaking his head, he barked out a command. “Let’s get this over with. I want to be gone by nightfall.”

They walked down the hill, keeping their heads held high, and keeping a wary look out for anyone who would ambush them for their prey. This town was a dangerous one, where bandits and thieves would kill them to sell the captured for their own wealth. The only advantage he had was this town knew him well, for his cold façade and unrelentless ability to kill anyone without feeling. Those who didn’t know him found out quickly that he was one not to be trifled with.

They made their way through the town without incident, not escaping attention at his massive group, nor the large cart which held his captives. He had covered them with a blanket to hide his treasured elves. Smirking, he walked up to a man sitting at a table in the middle of the courtyard.

“Ah, Liyvurus! I had not expected you so soon since your last visit.”

Nodding and extending his arm, they greeted each other. “But you see this time I have a special treat.”

“Wonderful. I have some buyers who are anxiously waiting for the opportunity to purchase a strong slave.”

Nodding, Liyvurus waved his hand and called forth the youth. The boy was brought before the man at the table, and was inspected thoroughly.

“Good strong teeth, no lice, bruises will fade. Young, will grow to be strong. Yes.” The man babbled as he turned the boys head side to side. “He will fetch you a mighty price.” He placed a stone tablet around the boy’s neck and pushed him towards the platform behind the table. There were other children, and men with tablets around their neck in line, and a crowd of people on the other side shouting out prices at the current slave up for grabs.

“Now, where are the others? I would think you would have more.” The man glanced behind Liyvurus curiously.

Nodding, he smiled. “Indeed I do, follow me.” The man followed him to the cart, and the blanket was ripped away.

“Unconscious?”

Nodding, Liyvurus climbed into the back of the cart. “It was necessary, for one tried to escape.” He pushed the elf forward and pulled back the hair showing the tapered ears.

The man gasped. “An elf?” He exclaimed. He grinned widely.

“Not just one, I have two.” He shoved the other one forward, and dropped him by the edge of the cart.

Shaking his head, the man’s smile grew bigger. “I don’t even want to know how you captured them. Did you have to beat this one so bad?” He pointed to the one who was covered head to toe in bruises.

Shaking his head, Liyvurus explained. “It was not me who did this. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but I have a drug which will bring him out of it. I want him sold separately from this look alike of his.”

“Selling both together would bring you more money.”

“I understand that, but we will up the price on them. I do not want them sold together, too many ideas this other one had.” He waved indicating the one dressed in a blue tunic.

Nodding in understanding, the man pointed at the other figure lying in the back. “What about that one?”

“Only a man, but a strong one.”

Covering them up again with the blanket, Liyvurus jumped out of the cart, and began preparing for his sellers who would purchase his slaves.

Liyvurus hovered over the wounded elf, and slipped a skunk root out of his pouch. Breaking it open, he waved it under the elf’s nose, which earned him a gasp and coughing. The elf twisted his head out of the way of the stench and his eyes slowly opened.

“Welcome back to the living.” Liyvurus hissed. He pulled the elf up to his feet and shoved him towards the guard who would hold him firmly while the bidders called out their prices.

Elladan frowned groggily. Stumbling, he was caught by a strong grip and his injuries made him cry out in pain. Doubling over, Elladan gripped his stomach, wincing at the pain which ran through his entire body. Confused, he gasped when he was roughly pushed in front of a huge crowd. Frowning, he tried to move off the platform, but he was gripped from behind immobilizing him in place. Growling with rage, Elladan rammed his head backwards connecting with the guard who held him tightly.

Liyvurus walked onto the platform and gripped the elf’s hair yanking it back. “Enough of that.” He held the hair tightly and remained standing there as the bids started.

Elladan hissed angrily. “What is this?”

“Close your mouth. You are worse then your brother!”

Elladan gasped. “Elrohir.” He whispered. Moving his eyes around, Elladan desperately searched for his twin. “Where is he?” He spat.

Yanking the hair again earning himself a startled gasp, Liyvurus hissed into the pointed ear harshly. “That is none of your concern!”

The rage that rippled through Elladan was so intense that he growled and yanked himself out of Liyvurus’ grasp. The man stumbled from the force the elf used, and shook his hand free of the mass of hair still gripped in it.

Elladan stumbled away, but got a sharp jab in the stomach by a pole, and he doubled over falling to his knees gasping for air. Liyvurus gripped the elf’s hair again and more guards pinned him down. Noticing a change in the bidding, Liyvurus grinned and held out a pouch.

“This here comes with the elf; it is a drug which will make him very obedient. You have seen his strength, and combined with this drug, you will have no worries that he will perform his tasks without trouble.”

Immediately the bids started again, increasing as more people joined in. Smiling secretly to himself, Liyvurus stood there behind the elf holding him in place.

Confused and frightened, Elladan was held down on his knees. He listened to people shouting out numbers, but didn’t understand why. Glancing to his left, Elladan noticed a man drop gold disks into another man’s waiting hands, then walk off with a small boy crying out for his father.

Furrowing his brows, Elladan tightened his lips, and ground his teeth together. ‘What is this?’ He thought silently. Finally he was yanked up by his hair, and he cried out in rage and pain. He was shoved over towards the man who took gold disks, and his hands were bound. He watched confused as two men passed gold disks and he was pushed away into the man’s waiting grasp.

“Come slave!” The man hissed.

“Slave?” Elladan barked. He was tugged away, and he planted his feet firmly in the dirt. The rope was yanked, and he stumbled forward. Three other men came forward and began pulling the rope, making it almost impossible for Elladan to stop. A sharp crack entered his ears and his head spun from the impact that had connected with his head. Blinking his eyes clear, he shook his head. He was lead away forcefully, and nothing he did stopped them from walking away from the platform.

He panted from the exertion, and growled low in his throat. He would have to wait until he had recovered from his injuries before making his escape. He needed to find Elrohir.

Memory resurfaced as he thought back to how he had gotten injured in the first place, and he gasped. He had fallen over the cliff in the mud slide. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to remember what else had happened. His head had connected with something hard, knocking him out. But he had woken since then, didn’t he? He had no memory of what happened. How he had gotten captured. What of his twin? Where was Elrohir? He looked to his left and right searching out his brother, but saw no signs of him. Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them back.

Was all this pain his own? Or was some of it his twins as well? Frowning and shaking his head, he began plotting a means of escape. He wondered what drug was handed to the man who now led him. Thinking back to his training with his father on healing herbs and potions, he tried to search his memory, which was incredibly fuzzy, on what drugs caused obedience.

Wincing as his head filled with pain, Elladan tried to shake it clear. There was a sharp throbbing, that seemed to be connected to his beating heart, and he panted against the ache. Words seemed to be amplified with the ache which caused it to hurt more, and his eyes were filling with tears. His ears were ringing, and the stench that filled his nose increased the ache.

His stomach turned and he gulped uneasily. Closing his eyes, he opened his mouth and began breathing through it rather then his nose. It helped the nauseating feeling, but his head still hurt. Trying to glance over his shoulder, he was yanked forward once again.

Pulling back sharply, the rope was yanked out of the guards grasp. “Stop pulling!” He snarled. Another sharp crack connected with his head and he suddenly felt the ground tilt dangerously to the side. Gasping, he fell to the ground. Stars filled his eyes, and he smiled as a black void filled his mind sucking him into oblivion.