Brother, where art thou?

Author’s note:

Many thanks to Erulisse for beta reading this story and to Selene Aduial for her constant encouragement. 

Chapter 3:

Lies, nothing but lies

When the three elves rode through the gate of Adlen, the younger twin shuddered as he felt the unfriendly gazes the two guards standing left and right of the great wooden doors sent toward them. Knowing that Elladan must have passed this town on his way home, this was as good a place as any to start the search.

The hostile atmosphere of the little town flooded like waves along the streets. Elrohir’s concerns mounted when he saw the angry glares some inhabitants fired at him with no shame. He looked at his father and saw the same disbelief on his sire’s face. Glorfindel looked unimpressed, but Elrohir clearly sensed the tension behind the cool façade.

What was the matter here? Why were the people so hostile towards elves? Was his brother’s presence here the reason? Or had he been greeted in the same unfriendly manner? Elrohir couldn’t put the puzzle together and this unnerved him greatly. He narrowed his eyes. If they had harmed his brother they would have to answer to him. He looked up, when Glorfindel closed the distance between his father and himself. “Be careful, the atmosphere is explosive,” he murmured quietly.

Suddenly a blonde man stepped into their path, forcing them to stop. “Halt!” he called. “What business do three elves have in our town?” he demanded. Quicker than a mortal eye could follow, Glorfindel dismounted and moved to stand a close step away from the unfriendly man.

“Our business is not with you unless you are the mayor of this town. Now step aside.” Man and elf glared at each other, but only for a moment. Unable to hold the elf’s gaze any longer the man stepped back.

“Thank you, very much,” Glorfindel said brightly, making Elrohir cringe. And now, if you would be so kind, please tell us where we can find the town hall.”

The man glared at the elves again, but then waved his hand. “Down the street, the big house on the square,” he hissed and walked away.

After an overdone bow Glorfindel remounted his horse. Elrond only shook his head. Elrohir had kept silent, yet his patience and endurance was on edge already. As they rode down the street, Elrohir could clearly feel the gazes on his back. What was going on here? And much more importantly, where was his brother?

The younger twin hoped to get some answers from the mayor. Reaching the central square of the town, the three elves instantly recognized the town hall. It was an imposing building with polished white steps and a beautifully carved wooden door. The building seemed much too grand for the town. All of the wealth and power seemed to be concentrated here.

After arriving at the square they dismounted and walked up the steps, only to be stopped again, this time by a uniformed guard. “Halt!” he called, “what do you want?”

Elrond quickly stepped forward and grabbed the arm of his youngest to keep his rising temper in check. Ignoring the unfriendly tone the Elf-Lord stepped in front of Elrohir and faced the guard

“We seek an audience with the mayor of this town,” he said in a controlled tone. However, before Elrond had the chance to introduce himself or say anything more, the guard shook his head.

“He’s busy and cannot be disturbed.”

Elrohir´s level of patience was now reached. He grabbed the man by the front of his tunic and pressed him against the wall. The guard’s companion, standing only a food away started to help him, but as Glorfindel stepped forward and glared at the second guard he returned to his post.

“If you want to live another second, then go and announce us!” Elrohir whispered in a calm but threatening tone.

The man paled visibly and nodded. “All right,” he said with a shaky voice and an uncertain gaze at his partner. “Follow me!”

The uniformed man opened the great wooden door and gestured the elves inside. Once inside the guard was very eager to reach his destination. All lethargy seemed to have vanished. After placing his hand on his son’s shoulder the Elf-Lord looked at his younger twin. “We are here to gather information.”

Lowering his gaze Elrohir nodded. “I’m sorry, Ada”, he whispered, knowing that his agitated outburst would not help them. After Elrond had turned, Glorfindel laid a reassuring hand on the small of Elrohir´s back. He was as taut as the youngster and could understand his anxiety. Seeing the stiff shoulders of his Lord Glorfindel knew that Elrond was as agitated as his son. Despite the hasty pace the guard was taking, the three elves kept up with the man effortlessly.

Reaching another wooden door the servant knocked urgently. After a brief moment an impatient “Enter” could be heard.

The guard opened the door and bowed to the man sitting behind a massive desk. “My Lord, these three seek an audience,” he spluttered quickly.

Glorfindel could not get rid of the feeling that the guard’s behaviour was only an act. A sturdy grey-haired man rounded the desk and looked coolly at the three elves. “Well, then come in, but be assured that I have little time.”

Elrond stepped forward and hid his annoyance behind a perfectly calm façade. “It won’t take long, depending on how cooperative you are. I am Elrond, Master of Rivendell. This is my son, Elrohir and this is Lord Glorfindel.” As Elrond motioned toward Elrohir he saw a strange expression flitter over the older man’s face, but as quick as it had appeared, it was gone. The man stroked nervously through his hair. “I’m Aduran, the mayor of this town,” he answered unwillingly.

After an awkward silence, the mayor cleared his throat.  “What business brings three elves to my town?” he finally asked.

Elrond stepped closer and looked straight into the man’s eyes. “We are looking for my son. He travelled through this town a few days ago, but since then he has vanished without a trace. Perhaps you can enlighten us about where he went or what has become of him?”

At the mention of Elladan, Elrond saw the same emotion in the man’s eyes as before, and now he was sure he had not imagined it. This man knew something about the older twin. Yet the man stepped back and spread his arms dramatically. “You must be mistaken. No elf came through our town of late.”

“This cannot be!” Elrohir said. “He must have come here. The town lies on his way home.”

Aduran sighed again. “As I said before, no elf was here. Maybe he took another route?”

Elrohir wanted to protest but Elrond laid a hand on the younger twins arm. “But, Ada….,” Elrohir began again, but the Elf-Lord shook his head and turned toward the mayor.

“Thank you for making time for us,” he said and looked sternly at Elrohir, warning him to not attack the man again.

Aduran bowed. “I don’t mind. Always glad to be at your service,” he said quickly and with such a false smile on his face it made Glorfindel cringe.

At Elrond’s gesture Glorfindel and Elrohir turned and left the room. After the servant had closed the doors the three elves went down the corridor. When they were out of earshot Glorfindel grumbled. “He lies whenever he opens his mouth.”

Elrond nodded and received an astonished look from his son. “You are right. If Elladan was here, then we must find out on our own. Aduran hides something and I’m determined to find out what it is. I’m sure he knew exactly what we spoke of.”

While heaving a relieved sigh, Elrohir murmured. “Where do we start with our search?”

Glorfindel hold up his hand. “We must be careful. They have something to hide and we have no-one to trust. Maybe Elladan had stumbled over something he should not have seen.”

Elrohir stopped suddenly, overwhelmed with worry about his brother. The cold eyes of the mayor haunted him. What if they had harmed his brother to hide something? What if…?

Sensing his son’s distress and feeling no better Elrond opened his arms and Elrohir willingly moved into his father’s embrace seeking strength from the contact. Glorfindel straightened his shoulders. “Let’s go and bring some disarray to the mayor’s plans!”

………………………………………….

Elrohir was frustrated.  He leaned against a wooden balustrade and looked at the cold water of the little river meandering through the town. Throughout the day they had searched the town, questioning every person within their reach, but to no avail. His brother had vanished and by now he wasn’t so sure, if he had ever been in the town at all.

Had his feelings betrayed him? Was Elladan already at home while they searched here for nothing? No! He clearly felt that Elladan was in danger and needed their help. Also, the feeling that they were running out of time had intensified. He could still get no connection with his brother. Sometimes he had the feeling that the thread connecting them was vanishing entirely.

All of the people he had questioned today were either afraid to answer his questions or were altogether hostile. “Afraid? What or who were they afraid of?” he thought. He sighed and turned to go towards the stables to meet with his father and Glorfindel. Maybe they had discovered something useful.

In rounding a corner, he nearly collided with an old man. He quickly muttered an apology and trudged on. Then he felt the man’s stare at his back. He turned and saw the totally stunned expression on the old man’s face. “What is it?” Elrohir asked intrigued. The old man shook his head, as if he tried to get rid of a thought which had manifested itself and refused to vanish.

“It cannot be, are you alright, lad? I thought they…” he trailed off, still staring at Elrohir.

When the meaning of the words sank in, Elrohir grabbed the man by his shirt. “What did you just say? Why should I be not alright?” he asked. The grey-haired man blinked and shuddered, but refused to look away.

“I thought they had killed you, but….” Elrohir took a deep breath. “You are speaking about my brother, aren’t you? Where is he?” When the man didn’t answer Elrohir shook him by his shoulders. “Tell me. Tell me what has happened to him!” he yelled, frustrated by not getting the proper information.

When the eyes of the old man only widened in fear and looked past him, Elrohir turned and spotted his father and Glorfindel coming toward them. “What is the meaning of this?” the Elf-Lord said in a stern voice looking alternately between his son and the old man.

“Ada,” the younger twin called back, never releasing the shirt of the man. “He knows something about Elladan. He mistook me for him.”

As the two Elf-Lords reached the couple, Elrond narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man. “Is that true? You know something about my son?”

As the man still looked confused from Elrond to Elrohir and back, Elrond’s younger son sighed. “We are twins. You certainly have seen or talked to my brother, not to me.” Slowly the man seemed to understand and nodded.

Elrond laid a reassuring hand on the shivering shoulder of the old man and tried a weak smile. “Please, don´t be afraid and tell us what you know. We don’t mean you any harm. We are only trying to find my son.”

With a side-glance at Elrohir the grey-haired man took a deep breath. “He came into our town a few days ago. I saw him only briefly, as he had some trouble with Harad.”

Glorfindel shot Elrond a meaningful look. “What kind of trouble?” the golden haired Elf-Lord inquired. “And who is Harad?”

The old man snorted. “Harad is an idiot. He accosts people, only to have some fun and your son was the welcome victim that day.”

Elrohir eyes flashed dangerously, but before he could vent his anger anew, Elrond asked, "Why does the mayor not object to such behaviour?” He was barely able to contain his anger any longer.

To his surprise the old man laughed, albeit it was a bitter laugh. “Because Harad is his son, the mayor always affects innocence. But he is as bad as his son. Besides, they didn’t want anyone discovering their dealings with the Easterlings.”

Elrond shook his head unwillingly. The men’s business was their own. He would stop all of Rivendell’s aid to the town until all of the mysteries were solved, but for now he didn’t care. The only important thing to him now was the fate of his son.

“What happened on this day?” Elrohir asked, his worry rising with every minute he listened to the man’s tale.

“I warned your brother, because Harad is not easily rejected. Then our ways parted”. The man hung his head. “Later, a friend told me that they had captured the elf and dragged him away. Since then, I haven’t seen him.”

Elrohir trembled and turned toward Glorfindel and his father. “I think we will go and have another conversation with Aduran and especially with his son.”

“Indeed”, Glorfindel answered with narrowed eyes, “and this time I will squeeze the truth out of him.” Elrond only nodded. When Elrohir went to thank the old man for his information, his head shot up at a sound he heard. He looked at Glorfindel and his father for confirmation, and then he heard it again:  a painful whinny from a nearby stable.

Elrohir paled. “Celos,” he whispered and was already on his way to the stables. Elrond and Glorfindel exchanged a glance and followed the younger twin. Reaching the stable-door Elrohir ripped it open and ran along the pathway between the boxes. As the two older elves arrived at the entrance they stopped dead in their tracks. Elrond coughed at the stench that greeted him. The stable was in a pitiful state and the poor occupants didn’t look any better. The roof was leaking, the boxes were dirty and the horses were uncared for.

As Elrohir reached the end of the long and gloomy corridor he drew back a curtain that covered the last box and let out a cry, followed by a sob. His brother’s horse stood there blindfolded and with a broad leather strap bound tightly around his muzzle, digging painfully into the sensitive flesh. Thick ropes bound around all four legs immobilized him completely.

The beast’s whole body was covered with angry red welts inflicted by a whip and many other marks of a brutal treatment. The poor animal shivered and swayed unsteady on his feet. Elrohir paled at the sight. He loved horses greatly and this was beyond any comprehension. An icy hand squeezed now around his heart. His brother was here, there was now no doubt about that now. And if they could be so cruel to an animal what could they possibly have done to his brother?

With tears in his eyes Elrohir patted the long neck gently. “Shht, my friend. Hold still, I will help you,” he whispered, opening the restraints with shaking hands. Glorfindel silently helped to free the poor animal.

“Be careful,” Elrond warned also shaken by the sight, knowing how dangerous a shocked and ill-treated animal could be. Yet the horses’ frantic movements ceased instantly, because he had heard the familiar voices.

When Elrohir removed the blindfold, the horse looked at him with big sad eyes and nudged him softly with his velvety nose. Looking around for water Glorfindel bent down and inspected something lying half hidden under an old blanket. He kicked a bale of hay to the side and revealed saddlebags and a tunic. Glorfindel reached out to grab the tunic having identified it as Elladan´s. Closing his eyes briefly, he handed Elrond the garment.

Elrohir took a deep breath while offering the horse some water. Elladan had been here and they had harmed him, of that he was now sure. His worst fear crept slowly back to the forefront of his mind: that he had come too late, or that his brother was lying injured somewhere and he had not come quickly enough to help him.

“So much for Aduran or his son not seeing Elladan earlier,” Glorfindel muttered. Hot fury mingled with cold fear coursed through his veins. What had they done to the young elf?

After they had calmed the horse, they provided him with more water and some hay. Then the three elves walked again down the main street toward the town hall, their grim expressions hiding their internal concerns and worries.

Not daring to stop the three elves again, the guards permitted their entry and hastened to announce the visitors. As the double-doors opened Aduran sprung to his feet, nearly toppling over the chair, he was sitting on. “Who the hell…,” he cried at first, but stopped when he saw who was striding briskly into his study.

“Where is my brother?” Elrohir growled, stepping closer to the now retreating man, until he was just a step away.

The man paled and cleared his throat. “As I said before, I don’t know who you are talking about!”

“Is that so?” Elrohir mocked. “Then I wonder what my brother’s horse and his belongings are doing in a stable of your town, when he was never here?”

Before Aduran had a chance to answer, a side door opened and a blonde man, a younger version of Aduran, started to enter. Elrond and Glorfindel whirled around.

Realizing quickly what was going on, the newcomer turned back to retreat the way he had come, but he was not quick enough to escape Glorfindel. He blocked the man’s way, seized his arm and whirled him back around.

“Don’t be so hasty, please stay with us. We have a lot of questions. You must be Harad, I guess?” Glorfindel demanded.

Unable to shake off the elf’s deadly grip, Harad relented and glared darkly at the elves. “Release me. I have nothing to say and certainly not to you,” he spat.

Glorfindel´s limit of endurance was now reached. He grabbed the human by his tunic and pushed him back against the wall. He squeezed his hand around the man’s neck, until he saw a flash of panic in the others’ eyes.

“If I were you, I would listen very carefully, because I will ask this only once. Where is Lord Elladan? What have you done to him?” Despite the fact that the man’s feet dangled a few inches above the ground, his arrogant stare did not falter and no answer was forthcoming.

Elrohir, still holding Aduran in place saw his father stepping closer toward Glorfindel. Elrond certainly disapproved of such actions, but he was also anxious to gain an answer at last.

“Where is he?” Glorfindel shouted and this time the man winced in beginning fear.

“Let him be, the elf is dead. They killed him,” a calm and clear voice suddenly sounded from the open doorway. Elrohir, Glorfindel and Elrond whirled around facing the new stranger, clearly not yet comprehending what the man had just said. In the doorway stood a young man with a pale face and blue eyes which were staring intently at the elves.

When the words sunk in Elrond staggered back. “No!” he whispered. Glorfindel reached out to steady his friend, suddenly uninterested in the wailing man on the floor.

Elrohir looked still unbelievingly at the young man. His heart refused to accept what his mind had told him. No, this could not be. He still sensed his brother’s presence! He was not dead. In too much emotional turmoil he sank to his knees, unable to activate their bond. After regaining somewhat of his composure Elrond knelt next to his son and embraced the shivering form.

After a look toward his Lord and the younger twin, Glorfindel walked across the room toward the young man and looked at him intently. “What do you know?” he asked shaken but determined to finally find out what had happened to Elladan. The young man looked from one elf to the other not knowing who he should address. Eventually he fixed his gaze on a neutral spot and began to speak.

“Two days ago in the early morning hours, I saw Harad and two of his men dragging someone down to the river. As I sneaked closer, I realized, astonished, that it was the elf I had seen the day before and….,” he trailed off, carefully looking up into Glorfindel´s impassive face, “he was in bad shape.” The young man couldn’t stand the elf’s gaze any longer and looked down again. With his voice barely above a whisper he said: “I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to help him, because they would have killed me right away, along with the elf.”

Glorfindel´s voice trembled slightly as he addressed the young man again. “What happened then?” he asked, although he could imagine the answer.

Still avoiding the elf’s piercing gaze the youngster continued. “They bound him and threw him into the water. I’m so sorry, but the water is cold and injured as he was….. Later I came back, but found nothing, of course.”

As he finished, all was deadly silent, until Elrohir sprung up and stormed with a pained scream from the room. Thanking the youngster briefly Glorfindel helped Elrond back on his feet and with a last look toward the mayor with the promise to return, they headed after Elrohir knowing exactly where he was heading.

Reaching the river, they saw the young elf kneeling in the dirt at the beach with his face in his hands weeping openly, not caring anymore who witnessed his breakdown. Elrond’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces at the sight and he quickly headed down to comfort his despairing son. He knelt down and embraced his youngest, sharing his tears. Glorfindel remained at the bridge, his heart also broken, at the sorrowful scene in front of him but tears refused to come. He still harboured some hope that the eldest twin had survived.

Unsuccessfully his eyes travelled up and down the river bank, in a hopeless attempt to find a lifeless body. The surface of the river rippled innocently, as if not knowing what tragedy had taken place a few days ago. After a few days however it would be impossible to find any trace of a body anymore. The current must have dragged him off long before. After what seemed an eternity, father and son rose and joined the blonde elf on the bridge. Not caring in the slightest for the looks and gestures directed toward them, they headed toward the stables. Their grief wrapped like a cloak around them, they readied their horses and walked toward the gate, Elladan´s horse trailing behind them.

When they had crossed the threshold Glorfindel looked back. “Justice will come upon them. That I swear. They will not get away with it.”

Elrond looked at him with red rimmed eyes, barely able to hold the younger twin upright. “And what would that achieve? As much as I would appreciate this, it will not undo what has happened and will not bring Elladan back.”

Glorfindel didn’t respond, his lips pressed into a thin line. Had Elrond already accepted what had been said? Maybe this was another lie. He knew that grief was clouding the Elf-Lord’s judgment right now. As soon as they arrived home punishment would be dealt out. Aduran would not get away with this. He would make sure of this.

They mounted their horses and rode in silence for a while. Then Elrohir suddenly stopped his horse. With his eyes nearly black he looked at his elders. “I cannot leave like this. Perhaps he was able to loosen his bonds somehow and could escape the river. What if he is lying injured somewhere and needs our help. Maybe….,” he trailed off seeing the pained look on his father’s face.

“Elrohir, please,” the Elf-Lord said with tears in his eyes, “don’t torment yourself. You know as well as I, that under these circumstances he had no chance to survive.”

“No!” Elrohir shouted. “How can you say that? Have you already accepted his death? I can still somehow sense him. He’s not dead. I will turn every stone on this dammed riverbed until I’ve found him. As long as I haven’t found his body, I will not accept his death!”

Not seeing the shock on his father’s face he wheeled his horse around to return to the river. He intended to search along the riverbank as long as necessary until he found a body or other confirmation that his brother was dead. He knew he was betraying himself. The bond with his brother was so weak already that he could barely sense him, much less make a contact, but he would not give up; he simply could not give up. As long as he sensed something he would not quit his search and he would surely not leave this town without punishing the one responsible.

To be continued…………………………