A/N:

I´m sorry for the long delay but RL is not always cooperating. Hope you enjoy nonetheless. Lai

Chapter 4:  first findings

After a few hours of restless sleep Elrond returned to his workroom determined to finally get some answers. He had quietly closed the door to their bedroom to avoid disturbing his still sleeping wife.

After entering the room he spotted a wrapped bundle on his desk. It had to be the arrow Threlan had brought with him.

He wanted to check on the substance as quickly as possible to forestall it from changing, causing him to miss new findings.

After slipping on a pair of leather gloves he carefully un-wrapped the linen bindings and peered at the arrow tip. Apart from dried blood he could make out an oily substance still clinging to the wooden shaft.

This was nothing new. Orc poison always initially appeared like this, then it dried to powder and finally it would wear off.

Yet after remembering the hint from Threlan he looked closer. Holding the tip against the light he could see that the substance actually showed a blend of colours ranging from a deep black to a dark green.

He arched an eyebrow. This seemed to imply that the substance consisted of two poisons combined together to enhance their strength.

With an almost resigned sigh he sat, leaning back into the high back of his chair and closed his eyes after carefully placing the arrow back on the desk.

To determine the nature of a poison meant he had to determine what it was made from and this was always difficult and arduous. Determining which other source had been used to augment the poison and in which combination the two substances worked best would be nearly impossible.

He had neither the time not the heart to give up just yet; he had to at least try. At any moment another elf or a man could be attacked and felled by the poison. He was not willing to again watch them die while he was standing there with empty hands.

Yet he still had to determine what other source had been used to make the substance.

Briefly he wondered how the orcs had gained the knowledge to extract the poisons and make them into the deadly combination that they used on their arrows.

The common sources of poisons with this deadly potency were certain plants and some animals. He knew many of the more toxic ones, of course. It would be as painstakingly difficult to search for the right animal as a specific plant. There were so many possibilities that it made him dizzy.

He would need a lot of time and many experiments to determine the right animal, if indeed an animal had been used. The possibility of failure was great. Of course, now he still did not know the plant and the right combination of ingredients. He was as far away from a remedy as ever, yet it could not be helped.

Determinedly he strode over to his apothecary and selected a few of the deadliest plants he knew of to begin his experiments.

………………………………

After two days of trials he had at last been able to identify the identity of the plant that formed one part of the poison. It was Aconitum. The plant was extremely dangerous. Once poisoned, symptoms appeared quickly, usually no later than one hour. With large doses death would be almost instantaneous.

As potent as the poison was it quickly diminished its power once exposed to air and put on the arrow head. But the poisoned arrows were just as deadly in the end if not treated properly and quickly. To change the Aconitum into the deadly portion the orcs were now using there had to be a second poison added, the composition of which had yet to be determined.

Elrond jerked his head up hearing a cry from Erelyn. The elleth had been busy crunching the leaves of Aconitum. To tackle the many experiments for confirmation he had asked Erelyn to help him.

The elleth had long been working with him preparing portions, drying and cataloguing herbs and searching for new remedies. She was very experienced and he had no other he wanted to entrust with this work.

The healer blanched when he looked at the pain contorted face of the elf. Seeing shards on the table, it was obvious that she had broken some glass.

He quickly rose and hastened over where Erelyn was sitting holding her hand upward. Blood was dripping on the table from a deep cut along the palm. With shock he realized that green mush was smeared over her palm. Whereas the poison of Aconitum quickly lost potency when extracted or treated, the stamps and leaves were still a deadly poison.

Seeing the shock on her Lord’s face Erelyn raised a placating hand.

“Don’t worry, Lord Elrond. These are leaves of scented mayweed. I wanted to combine both plants to try to reduce the potency of Actonicum. I pushed too hard and broke the bowl.”

The healer swallowed with relief. He would not have been able to help the elleth had she been poisoned with Actonicum.

“Let me see to this cut,” he said softly and turned to hide his slowly fading fright. He quickly regained his composure while cleaning and bandaging the cut on Erelyn's hand with practised ease. Afterward he ordered the elleth to retire despite her protests.

With a sigh he sat back in his chair. Now he needed to search for the right animal. He had some ideas from which animal the poison could originate but he had to make the tests to be sure. He had to know the exact combination of the poisons to make a remedy, if one was even possible at all.

After two further days the healer closed his notebook with a resigned sigh and rose from his desk. Again the tests had been negative. This final test had been the last of the poisonous animals he could think of in the area stretching from Imladris all the way to the Misty Mountains passes.

Had he overlooked something or interpreted a test wrong? Nothing he had combined with the plant had brought the desired effect, not to mention any hope of finding a remedy.

Resigning himself to repeating his tests yet again he looked up, startled. His advisor was standing in front of his desk. How long had Glorfindel been here?

With a half annoyed, half questioningly raised eyebrow he inquired after the fair-haired elf’s business.

The ancient elf only smiled knowing his friend all too well. His irritated façade was always in place when the healer was frustrated and tired. He could do nothing about Elrond's frustration, yet he had the perfect distraction for his exhaustion.

He strode back to the door, opened it and received a tray from a waiting servant. Not even the healer would escape the fragrance from the steaming tea and the heavenly smelling rolls.

Setting the tray on a low table in front of the couch Glorfindel didn't even need to ask the Elf-lord to join him. Elrond took a long sip of his favourite tea and bit heartily into one of the rolls, closing his eyes while savouring the sweet taste.

“Just what I needed right now,” he declared while still chewing.

“I know,” was all the warrior replied as he helped himself to a baked treat. “With the best wishes of Celebrían.”

After a short time of silence Elrond looked up at the warrior. “I’m no longer sure if the poison is really constructed from two parts. I have tested every animal in a wide stretching area that I can think of, yet I never got the desired effect.”

Silently contemplating the words Glorfindel didn't answer immediately.

For two days he and his men had caught and brought home any poisonous animal they could think of for the healer's experiments.

Many of the elves of Imladris had supported the hunt and Elrond was sure they had caught any animal he could think of, poisonous enough to produce the deadly substance the orcs were currently making.

“Maybe it’s not an animal from this side of the mountains?” Glorfindel suggested suddenly and the healer looked up sharply.

“What’s on your mind?” Elrond inquired after Glorfindel didn't elaborate further. His nerves were strained and he had no desire to play games.

Not reacting to the healer’s irritated tone Glorfindel only inclined his head.

“Another poisonous animal I can think of are the great spiders of Mirkwood!” he stated.

Elrond let out an exasperated huff.

“Rhovanion is beyond the mountains, Glorfindel. Why would the orcs take the poison from the spiders carry it over the barrier and use it here instead of there?”

The warrior shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe King Thranduil has already encountered this new sort of poison?” Glorfindel countered.

The healer nodded absentmindedly. No messages had been sent that this was the case, but maybe Mirkwood's healers were struggling as much as he was to find a cure? If that was the case, then it would be absolutely necessary to share first results and combine their efforts.

Before either of the Elf-lords could think further about the problems the door to Elrond’s study was thrown open and Elladan, the Elf-lord’s oldest son hurried into the room.

“Adar, please come quickly! Elrohir was struck by a poisoned arrow!"

To be continued…………………………..