Chapter 11:  a plan failing

Elladan sat in the dark with his head on his knees. His back was to the little window high up in the wall. He did not want to watch the gibbet being built; he could hear the constant hammering loud enough.

He took a deep breath. He was hungry and cold, yet nothing compared to his feelings when his brother had managed to break his barriers.

He had laughed out loud. He had responded, no longer willing to shut his brother out. Until then he had managed to block his parents, but he had wanted to feel the other half of his soul, maybe for the last time.

He now rued the contact. His silly brother seriously wanted to free him!  Stupid, utterly stupid.

He let out a frustrated sigh. He would have suggested the same were their positions reversed knowing that his brother could be as determined as he, and as stubborn. He hoped that Erestor and Glorfindel would talk Elrohir out of this nonsense.

Again, he reached out for his brother, but this time Elrohir was blocking him. Alright, he was content this way. No one should see how frightened and devastated he really was. Not his parents, and certainly not Elrohir.

……………………

Glorfindel winked and Erestor and Elrohir quickly closed the distance to the warrior. They were already within the walls of the prison, the guard at the great wooden door no problem for the stealthy elves. They had not killed him, only made sure that he would not alert anyone for quite some time.

They had waited out the night and when quiet had settled over the city and the night shift had taken their positions, they started their endeavour.

Elrohir again blocked his brother´s attempt for contact. Elladan must not know of their intent or he would again try to talk them out of a rescue mission.  In only a short time he would envelop his brother in his arms.

Placing his ear on the uneven surface, Erestor listened at the heavy wooden door. The sturdy jailor was sitting at a desk just behind the door. They needed to be swift to knock him out before he could raise the alarm.

Elrohir strained his muscles while Glorfindel got in a crouch when Erestor gave the signal. With one mighty stroke of his sword, Elrohir broke the lock. It clattered much too loudly on the floor. When the door opened just a crack, Glorfindel was already through it shoving the stool the shocked man was sitting on against the wall and pressing a long knife to his throat.

“One word or false move and you are dead.”

Glorfindel had not even finished his sentence when the jailor loudly cried for help. With a quick jerk, the warrior broke the man´s neck stopping the cries affectively.

Elrohir let out a choked cry of horror.

Glorfindel pulled the younger twin forward while Erestor closed the door.

“Move Elrondion, we are not at an elflings Sunday evening walk.”

He pushed the stunned youth forward  

Erestor snorted as he brought up the rear and said,

“Easy brother, he´s just a child.”

This time Glorfindel snorted. “And soon a dead one if someone has heard those cries.”

Erestor took a deep breath. One life was already hanging in the balance. Erestor briefly shuddered when he thought about how his Lord would react if they came back with less than both twins.

The knowledge that Elrond would be less than pleased when he knew about their endeavour, regardless of the outcome, was quickly dismissed from his mind as they had nearly reached the end of the corridor.

Erestor looked over his shoulder again. This was too easy. He had expected trouble, but it was unnaturally quiet. No one seemed to have heard the shouts of the guard.

They did not even know where exactly Elladan was held, yet Elrohir had at least pointed out the direction. While Elladan could see the gibbet, only an outer wall had to be considered.

The small corridor suddenly opened into a room and when Glofindel swore, Erestor readied his bow, for there were at least ten armed men awaiting them.

Erestor took a deep breath. Alright, so much for stealth and a silent rescue.

Ten men were no problem for them, but the cramped space and the young twin would hinder the two experienced warriors from unleashing their full potential.

Before he could think further, one of the men advanced and Erestor blocked the blow effortlessly, retreating only to have the wall at his back for protection. Glorfindel and Elrohir had moved to the other walls drawing the cluster of men apart.

Whilst holding another advancing man away with a mighty push, Erestor looked around. The space was much too small for the men to deploy the full advantage of their much greater numbers.

However, when Erestor saw that more and more men were swarming from the other three corridors, his hope of getting Elladan out of there without more serious trouble, sank with every moment.

They had miscalculated the situation and he had the bad gut feeling that the humans had purposefully waited for them.

Now it was only about damage limitation. He let out a whistle to draw Glorfindel´s attention.

The warrior looked in his direction and instantly understood the signs Erestor was making. With mighty strokes, the golden-haired elf drove the men battling him back into the corridor to make way for Elrohir and Erestor to retreat the into the hallway they had come from.

So far, so good; then Erestor heard a pained cry. His head jerked around just in time to see Elrohir fall to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his thigh.

He swore loudly.

Glorfindel bent down and jerked the young elf over his shoulder. Erestor gritted his teeth when Elrohir cried out as the arrow shaft broke. However, before he had a chance to reach the duo, a man had managed to come close.

Erestor was one second too slow to block the stroke. Glorfindel just managed to jerk aside and the blow missed his head by a fraction but struck hard on his shoulder.

Erestor finished the man off then extended a hand to his kneeling friend.

“Can you walk?” he cried while shoving back another advancing man.

Glorfindel came back to his feet and gritted his teeth. He still had a firm grip on the young peredhil slung over his shoulder.

“Are you kidding,” he retorted, starting to run through the corridor. With a critical eye on the blood spurting from the wound on Glorfindel’s shoulder, Erestor followed his friend.

On reaching the anteroom where the jailor had been sitting, they hurried through the door, the men just a step behind. Erestor restrained the mob again by pulling the door shut. “Run,” he shouted holding the door as the broken lock was useless in keeping the door shut.

When Glorfindel had crossed the yard and climbed the wall, Erestor let go of the door and raced after the warrior, an arrow barely missing him.

After running half an hour and no longer hearing their pursuers, they stopped.  Glorfindel sank to ground while Erestor took Elrohir in his arms. He carefully let the youth slide to the ground.

Elrohir grimaced. He clutched his thigh where the broken shaft of the arrow was protruding from the skin.

Glorfindel leaned back on a tree trunk until his head touched the bark.

Erestor listened intently, but nothing could be heard. He took a deep breath; still no pursuit, not even an alarm raised.

He leaned their weapons – his bow and sword and Glorfindel´s sword against a tree trunk before he kneeled next to the twin, and gently placed a hand on his back.

“I will care for Glorfindel´s wound and then help you.”

Elrohir only nodded, his eyes closed.

“Let me see to this wound,” he said while crouching next to the warrior.

Glorfindel opened one eye just a crack.

“It´s only a scratch, help the boy.”

Erestor snorted. “Humour me.”

Glorfindel did not answer and that worried Erestor more than the ugly looking wound.

He took out a small knife and cut away the sleeve. He blew out his breath for this was a severe wound. The shoulder was broken, and perhaps even the humerus. The agonized face of his friend spoke volumes. 

Additionally, there was a long gaping open wound still bleeding.

Wordlessly he began covering the wound and binding it. After that, he created a sling from the cut away shirt to immobilize the arm as comfortably as possible. Glorfindel´s eyes were closed the whole time but Erestor suspected that the warrior´s muteness did not stem only from the pain.

Erestor briefly wondered if he should find some comforting words but he knew that Glorfindel would not appreciate them.

As if reading the other´s thoughts the fair-haired elf opened his eyes.

“I have failed him.”

Erestor swallowed.

“That was not predictable. Maybe the humans were warned, or it was simply bad luck.”

The warrior jerked forward, instantly regretting the sudden movement. Nevertheless, he glared at Elrond´s counsellor.

“Bad luck? We have made the situation worse.”

Erestor directed a worried glance at the younger twin. Glorfindel hushed instantly. Erestor knew what his friend meant. He briefly closed his eyes. If fate was cruel, the mayor would execute Elladan this night because of their failed attempt to free him.

“I will look after Elrohir. Try not to move.”

The younger twin was also leaning with his back against a tree trunk. Silent tears were running down his cheeks.

When Erestor started cutting away his breeches, he opened his eyes.

“They will kill Elladan because of my fault.”

Erestor sighed.

“Nothing was your fault, Elrondion. We simply underestimated the humans. I doubt that the mayor will do something drastic to your brother. He enjoys his show too much.”

“How do you know?”

“Experience.  Now let me tend that wound.”

Erestor did not look at Elrohir, not wanting the youngster to see his doubts. He examined the arrow wound.

Elrohir looked at the counsellor questioningly as Erestor begun cutting strips from his cape, “I will only bind the wound. The arrow is embedded deeply, and I have not the means to cut it out and not cause heavy bleeding.”

Elrohir said nothing only leaning back with gritted teeth.

After Erstor had finished he rose and slung his bow over his shoulder.

“What are you up to?”

Glorfindel was more alert than Erestor had given him credit for.

“Getting help.”

He took the warrior´s sword and placed it into his lap.

“I will be back shortly. Don´t move and keep the boy from doing anything stupid.”

Glorfindel only nodded.

“Take care.”

Without another word, the dark-haired elf vanished into the night.

To be continued……