Chapter 8:  hit the mark

Erestor walked down the broad main street of Tharbad leading toward the town hall, with Elrohir beside him. Both elves were aware of the many gazes following them.

As well as curious stares, Erestor also recognized openly unfriendly, even hostile, gazes directed at them. He wondered where this came from as Imladris ever had good relations with the river-town, with no noteworthy animosities that he could recall. Last spring, during the great flooding, the elves had even sent workers and food to the suffering people. Many injured were treated in the sheltered valley.

The new mayor and his henchman, the judge, had obviously twisted the good relationship between elves and men, but Erestor could not fathom their motives. He directed a quick look at the man who had made no secret of following them since they had left the inn, nor the great knife he was carrying in plain sight.

Despite the law forbidding the carrying of weapons within the town hall, Erestor was also armed; he would not be taking any chances.

He cast a quick glance at the younger twin walking silently beside him. He would rather have come alone, but Elrohir had made it very clear that he would not stay behind.  By allowing the younger twin to come with him, Erestor could at least convince Elrond to stay at the inn with his wife and daughter. Also, after a long debate with Celebrían, the healer was worn out and he would not need an emotional mother at his side. Elrohir was the lesser evil.

A major argument had arisen last night. Celebrían had accused her husband of not doing enough to help their daughter and, on top of that, of also neglecting their son. Normally, the healer reacted quietly to the spirited outbursts of his wife – at least those Erestor had been witness to – yet now the healer was pent-up, fighting on two fronts.

Elrond was as worried as his wife for their children yet, as always, he was never one to display his feelings. Erestor did not understand why Celebrían even dared to mention that Elrond would not care enough for his children; he would die for any of them without a second thought and Celebrían knew this. The Lady was agitated, as were all involved. Finally, Glorfindel had succeeded in soothing the family, their mood had cooled somewhat, and he had promised to look after the troubled family.

When Elrohir groaned, Erestor did not need to ask what the twin had perceived. They had nearly reached the town hall, and Elladan was near. The older elf placed a comforting hand on the youngster´s shoulder. He tightened his grip while they marched through a cordon of edgy townspeople.

“Get lost elves! We do not want you here.”

Erestor thinned his lips at the comments. What had so enraged these people?

When a young man grabbed Elrohir´s cape, Erestor whirled around and twisted the arm of the youngster behind his back until he sank to his knees, crying out. The dark-haired elf did not say a word, simply staring first at the young man and then at the nearest bystanders. No human could withstand that gaze for long. They drew back, lowering their heads.

Erestor used the advantage and dragged the younger twin forward, quickly opened the door of the town hall and shoved the peredhil in.

There was no time to take a breather. Instantly, a low murmur rose in volume. The hall was again filled to overflowing. Erestor quickly looked at Elrohir and, after a nod from the twin, he straightened his shoulders.

Let the game begin. 

Erestor´s gaze darkened. This was indeed a game – a deadly serious game with a youngster´s life, as dear to him as a son, in the balance.

Again, the mayor and the judge were sitting on the dais looking down on them while they came closer. Erestor´s gaze was unreadable. Elrohir looked around trying to catch a glimpse of his brother.

“That´s near enough elf.”

The mayor was as unfriendly as the day before and, if Erestor had hoped otherwise, he did not show it.

Erestor and Elrohir stopped when they reached the dais. While the warrior looked steadily at the mayor, Elrohir searched the back of the room behind the dais.  

“Where is my brother?” he demanded, his tone icy.

Erestor gritted his teeth; maybe letting Elrohir come along was not the best of options. These two arrogant leaders of the town you could confront only with indifference and coolness.

The mayor made a dismissive gesture, and said

“He did not want to come…”

“That´s a lie…! What have you done to him? Why is he not here?” Erestor placed a placating hand on the younger twin’s forearm. Elrohir shrugged it off.

“I decide who, when and where is present, elf.”

“SILENCE!”

Erestor´s booming voice ended the debate instantly. Before continuing, he took a deep breath.

“We are here to speak of Elladan Elrondion. Bring forth your charges so that we may comment on them.”

Elrohir looked aghast at the older elf. He felt that something was not right with his brother. How could Erestor ignore him?

The mayor rose.

“The elf killed my son. There is no comment to be made on it.”

Erestor narrowed his eyes. Glorfindel had informed him of the whole incident. He knew how the young man had died - Elladan had acted in self-defence when the judge´s son was about to attack Elrohir.

“As far as I´m informed, your son was about to kill Lord Elrohir, standing here beside me.”

“How?” the judge interjected for the first time. “With his bare hands?”

At this, a collective laugh surged through the hall.

Erestor did not let himself be baited. “With a knife” he replied.

The mayor smiled smugly and said, “But no knife had been found.”

Erestor sighed. That dammed knife was the linchpin.  “Lord Elladan had clearly seen the knife” he said.

Now the judge rose to his feet, and said “Maybe your fosterling has imagined the knife and killed Gareth in cold blood?”

Erestor´s stance became rigid. He briefly closed his eyes, then said “He is a renowned warrior. He did not imagine the knife.”

“Maybe he is lying to save his neck?”

“Elves do not lie.”

“Elves do not lie ….how touching,” the judge mocked, evoking another round of laughter from the crowd.

Erestor tried to centre his fea by swallowing down his rising irritation.

“Erestor they are not……” Elrohir begun, but the older elf silenced the twin with an inaudible `still´.

When the hall had again quieted somewhat, Erestor looked up at the mayor. He tried a different approach.

“One thing, however, we have left out. The cause of Lord Elladan’s intervention was that Master Elrond’s daughter, Lady Arwen, was raped by your son’s friends.

“Heaven, elf, give me a breather,” the judge cried. “This ´poor girl´ was not raped; the boys just had a bit fun with her.”

Before Erestor could react, Elrohir had sprung forward.

“FUN?” he cried. “This attack was far from fun. My sister was assaulted in the most hideous way imaginable….”

Erestor had managed to grab the twin by his wrist and forced him with an iron grip back beside him. He knew exactly what feelings were coursing through the younger elf´s veins. For elves, rape was an inconceivably outrageous act. Never would an elf force himself on a female. And, Arwen was still a child.

Yet this outburst helped no one. To make matters worse, the judge had come down from the dais.

“Maybe she encouraged the youngsters?” he said with an arrogant sneer.

Wrestling his wrist from Erestor´s grip, Elrohir sprang at the judge. Together, elf and man were rolling down the steps of the dais, the judge crying out under the blows of the younger twin

Most of the people in the hall had also sprung up and cried out in confusion.

“Arrest him,” the mayor cried, but his voice was drowned out by the uproar in the hall.

Erestor, who had also moved forward, managed to grab Elrohir by his collar and, with a determined tug, forced the younger elf off the judge.

The elderly man rose on his knees holding a bleeding nose. “

You will regret this” he called, pointing at the struggling Elrohir.

“Be still,” Erestor murmured into the younger twin´s ear. Slowly the young elf stopped struggling. He hung his head. “I´m sorry.”

Meanwhile, the judge had crawled back onto his seat on the dais, accepting a handkerchief from the mayor. Most of the townspeople had also calmed down, and when the mayor rose, it suddenly became very quiet.

“Good people of Tharbad” he said.  “You have seen it´s impossible to clear the issue with these elves.”

He pointed at Erestor and Elrohir and continued

“The one called Elladan has killed my son and there is only one penalty for this: he is sentenced to be hanged. I order execution within three days.”

After a few muttered exclamations of shock, it went deadly silent in the hall.

Erestor stood perfectly still. Had he heard correctly? They had had no chance to plead their case. And now this.

Elrohir let out a cry of disbelief. Before the younger twin did something stupid, Erestor walked toward the dais. His eyes were fixed on the mayor.

“You cannot be serious” he said, “This is no official trial, this is a travesty.”

The judge slid to the edge of his seat. His nose had stopped bleeding.

“Call it as you will elf. The judgement is made and no further discussion…ah boy, I would leave that.”

Erestor whirled around. Elrohir had drawn a long knife. He had once seen such a weapon on young Legolas Thranduilion. Where had the boy hidden this? Determined he walked into the young elf´s path. “Lower it, Elrohir,” he demanded.

Elrohir however was beyond reasoning. He dodged Erestor and sprinted onto the dais pointing the naked tip of his knife to the mayor´s throat.

“Release my brother, or I forget myself.”

“Elrohir, daro!”

“Injure him, boy and you will join your brother on the gibbet.”

Faster as any mortal eye could follow, Erestor wrestled the knife out of the younger twin´s hands. The long knife clattered to the floor. With a mighty push, Erestor shoved the dark-haired elf away from the two men.  He turned and bent down to the sitting man. “Lay one finger on Elladan and I will finish what Elrohir has just started, man. And believe me, no one will stop ME.”

With that, Erestor turned, hastened down the aisle toward the entrance, dragging the bristling Elrohir with him.

Once outside and the din in the hall drowned out by the heavy door, Erestor hugged a crying twin in his arms, his gaze directed into the distance.

Inside the hall, two men looked at one another with grim satisfaction. “My revenge on this dammed elf Elrond is within reach. This young elf will pay for his father´s deeds and my son did not die for nothing.”  The mayor could only nod.

To be continued…………….