Chapter 12:  picking up the pieces

When Erestor reached the inn, he stopped momentarily and took a deep breath to compose the right words to explain the whole mess to his Lord. He was still convinced that the attempt to free Elladan was the right thing to do, even if the outcome was less heartening.

He had known Elrond for many decades now and he could predict exactly how the healer would react. Ever eloquent with explanations, the right words eluded him now.

However, never one to avoid a confrontation, he opened the door to the inn and quickly climbed the steps to their rooms. He could hear murmuring behind his Lord´s door.

He knocked, waited briefly and then opened the door.

Elrond and Celebrían were sitting left and right of their daughter´s bed and, to Erestor’s joy, the girl was sitting upright eating soup.

“Erestor!” Elrond breathed, relieved. Instantly the healer rose and came over; he eyed the counsellor critically.

Only now, Erestor noticed the blood on his clothing. He sighed.

Covering the stains with his cape, he winked at Arwen.

“Hello sweetheart. How are you doing?”

Arwen had finished her soup. The young elf briefly hesitated. “Good, I think. Erestor, where are my brothers?”

Erestor swallowed. Never underestimate a grand- daughter of Galadriel!  Instantly, however, he received a warning look from the healer.

Erestor produced his famous unreadable face.

“Exploring the city, my dear. They will soon visit with you.”

Still drowsy, Arwen accepted the lie easily. She yawned and rolled onto her side.  Elrond motioned for his counsellor to follow him into the adjacent room. Celebrían followed and closed the door silently.

After the three elves had sat down the healer addressed the dark-haired elf.

“On this question we would like to hear an answer too.”

This was not a bidding, but an order. Erestor blew out his breath. Surely the couple had perceived through their bond with Elrohir that something drastic had occurred. Beating around the bush was no option. He had only to see Celebrian’s face to know that they knew enough.

“Glorfindel and I went to free Elladan from the prison; Elrohir also came along.”

Erestor looked from one stony face to the other.

“We failed, needless to say” he said. “Somehow the humans awaited us or were warned. We had no option but to retreat. Glorfindel and Elrohir were injured.”

Erestor pointed to his clothing. “This is not my blood but Glorfindel´s. They are both in safety, but need your help.”

He directed his gaze at the healer.

While Celebrían had sprung up with a shocked cry Elrond´s eyes had closed briefly, and his face went grey.

 “Where are they now and how severe are their injuries?”

 Erestor managed to hold eye contact. This was typical Elrond. First managing the essential. Questions could wait until later.

Celebrían however, cried.

“Erestor how could you start such a ridiculous endeavour?” Her face went red. “And now Elrohir is injured too?”

Elrond rose.

“Celebrían. Please stay with Arwen. Time for explanations will be later. I will go with Erestor.”

Another command.

Celebrían started to reply but stopped when Elrond stepped over and enveloped her in a hug.

“I will bring them back. Please distract Arwen and hold the fort.”

While Celebrían nodded reluctantly and returned to the next room, Elrond retrieved his ever ready packed 

healing bag.

Within minutes, the elves had left the inn and vanished into the night.

Elrond ran swiftly behind Erestor through the underbrush demanding, “Now tell me what awaits me.”

While eying the outskirts of the city skeptically, and still wondering why no search parties had been seen, Erestor softly described Glorfindel´s and Elrohir´s condition to the healer.

“Elrohir got an arrow to his thigh. It’s lodged deeply and broke during the running. I bound the bleeding but dared not cut it out. I feared heavy bleeding.”

Elrond had listened closely never revealing, not even through a grimace, what he really thought.

They were only a few moments away from where the two injured elves were hiding.

“And Glorfindel?”

Erestor took a deep breath.

“He took a bad blow to his shoulder with a sword. Apart from a heavily bleeding wound the shoulder, and most likely the humerus, are broken. He´s in great pain.”

This time the healer grimaced. “I can imagine.”

Erestor rounded a cluster of bushes. To his relief Elrohir was still sitting in the same spot where he had left him.

Glorfindel was lying a few feet away on his right side, his grey face covered in sweat.

“Ada,” Elrohir cried with obvious relief.

The healer quickly knelt next to his injured son and, careful not to touch the injured leg, enveloped him in a gentle hug. Instantly tears begun to flow from the youngster.

“Ada, I´m sorry…I…”

“Shh, Elrohir, we can talk of all this later. Can you hold out a bit longer? First I have to look after Glorfindel.”

The younger twin nodded.

Erestor had meanwhile looked after the warrior.

Glorfindel was awake but still lying motionless, his eyes closed. Erestor was not even sure if he had recognized the arrival of the healer.

“I will secure the perimeter.” Erestor rose while the healer nodded and knelt next to his chief of the guards.  “Better you do,” he said.  Erestor swallowed at the curt and cold tone, yet he knew that the healer was very worried.

After Erestor had left, Elrond touched the fair-haired elf´s shoulder gently.

“Glorfindel?”

The warrior did not open his eyes, or react in any way.

“I know you are awake. Please look at me.”

Elrond could clearly feel the heat emanating from the body. The amount of dried blood on the elf´s leather jacket predicted nothing good.

Finally, the warrior opened his eyes. Elrond could clearly see the fine lines of pain on the ashen face.

“Elrond I´m……

When Elrond barely touched the bindings, the elf gritted his teeth.

“Let me treat this wound. I´m not in the mood to hear details of this foolishness, at least not yet. So, concentrate on breathing.”

Glorfindel did just this while the healer carefully rolled him on his back to have better access to his shoulder.

Elrond frowned when at even the slightest touch the warrior moaned. He carefully removed the firmly wrapped bindings and hissed when he took his first look at the wound.

The flesh gaped open so that he could see the shoulder bone. He could also see the shards from the shattered bone. The unnatural position of the humerus spoke its own language. If fate was cruel, the collarbone was also broken. The pain level did in any case indicate this.

However, he was more worried about the still welling bright red blood, fearing the thick clavicle artery had ruptured, or been cut.

“Looks bad?” Glorfindel asked thinly. “At least it feels bad.”

“I can imagine. Now lie still.”

When Elrond heard Erestor return he rose.

“All quiet. No predators – human or otherwise.”

Elrond nodded.

“I will need your help with Glorfindel. But first, I will have to drug him. He will not withstand the treatment while conscious.”

Erestor nodded and instantly began collecting wood to start a small fire. The healer would need boiling water.

After Elrond had created the painkiller, he made the elf drink the bitter concoction. It took some time for the drug to take effect and the warrior´s posture relaxed into unconsciousness.

The healer came over to the still waiting Elrohir.

The younger twin opened his eyes.

“Ada, I should not have…..”

When the healer opened the bandage, the young elf gritted his teeth and stopped speaking.

The healer did not look up while probing the wound and weighing his options.

“Yes, you should not have. Now spare your strength. Your brother is safe….. for now.”

Elrohir´s and Erestor´s heads jerked up. What information did the healer have that they had not?

However, Erestor refrained from asking and Elrohir had enough to do with holding back his moans.

The healer had begun to widen the hole the arrow had left via small incisions with his small but sharp knife. The removal of the arrowhead would otherwise cause too much damage to the tissue.

When Elrohir jerked violently at another fine cut, Elrond stopped.

“This is not working.  You will take the painkiller too.”

Elrohir nodded mutely while the healer rose. Even if he would normally have refused a painkiller, now Elrohir gladly drank the poppy juice.

Within minutes, the healer had removed the arrow, staunched the bleeding and re-wrapped the wound tightly. He had packed herbs on the wound to encourage healing. Now Elrohir was lying and sleeping under a warm blanket, his body also relaxed thanks to the painkiller.

Elrond rose and stretched his back. He directed his gaze toward the little town. Some silent communication took place and Erestor did not have to guess who was informed.

With a sigh, the Master of Imladris turned and knelt next to the still unconscious warrior.

“Erestor, a hand?”

The counsellor knelt also and carefully lifted the upper body of the unconscious elf. Elrond removed all bindings and took a closer look at the deep wound. After washing his hands, he felt inside the wound to determine the state of the artery.

The warrior moaned even in his unconscious state. After a while Elrond brought forth a bone shard.

“The artery is not cut, and the bone is only cracked on the surface. Both will have to heal on their own. I will align the broken humerus and then we must wrap all tightly so that he can withstand the ride to the inn. Unfortunately, the collarbone is broken too, and this will cause much pain.”

Erestor nodded mutely. What could he have said anyway?

After they had finished wrapping the arm and shoulder tightly, the warrior was placed next to the younger twin to share their body warmth. Both were covered with a blanket.

When Elrond was sure that his patients were resting as comfortably as could be expected, he gratefully accepted the mug of tea Erestor had brewed.

The sun was already rising on the horizon.

“We have to watch him closely,” Elrond said after a while, pointing at Glorfindel.

“The blood loss is life-threatening. I´m not at home to have my apothecary at hand. I could not predict that I would need all of my equipment”

Erestor swallowed. Another criticism. He felt clearly the gaze of the healer.

“Now Erestor tell me, how did this whole mess come about? Whose idea was this attempt to free Elladan?”

Erestor took a deep breath.

 Elrond raised an eyebrow.

“I´m all ears.”

To be continued……