"Iavawen I would call you ... autumn maiden."
Who: Elladan, Elrohir, Celeborn, Wulfred, Feorcwen. What: They discover Khamul escapes, Celeborn arrives, and other fun things. When: A few days after the wraith-burning! Where: Aldburg, Rohan.
Elladan was still sitting beside his brother's bed. He'd spent much of the past few days there, watching and waiting. His brother had stirred, from time to time, moaning things in both the languages of elves and men, and Elladan was trying very hard not to be worried.
Making matters worse was the fact that the autumn-haired rohirric woman, Wulfred, was often warring with his thoughts of his brother for attention, though he hadn't seen her since the day of that embarrassing little chat between them and her friend, Feorcwen.
Wulfred wiped her brow as she left the forge. She looked at the ring her uncle had found in the wraith's pocket and bit her lip thoughtfully. The elven brothers would know if it had any significance. And she also needed to tell him that she - and Feorcwen - had decided to take him up on his offer of a visit to Gondor.
She entered the house where the brothers were and glanced at them to see if they were awake or not. "Hello," she said softly. "I hope I am not disturbing you..." Her hand tightened around the ring she carried.
Elladan looked up as she entered, a smile immediately forming on his face. "Nay, you aren't disturbing us. One of us is already disturbed, and the other of us was getting rather bored, just sitting here." He twinkles his eyes at her, amused at his own little joke about his brother, and then gestured to the chair next to him. "Sit, if you wish... it is good to see you again." His tone was soft.
She smiled softly and sat down beside him. "The wraith is tied up at min onkle's forge. Onkle has been beating him with his crutch now and again." She grinned. "He does not appreciate what he did to my face..." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "He went through the wraith's pockets earlier. He found this." She held out the hand with the ring in it.
Elladan's eyebrow twitched, his face forming a smirk and then immediately freezing into something between a smirk and a frown as she held out the hand with the ring it. The ring was entirely too familiar, and he reached a hand out to touch it delicately with his finger. "You ... found this, in the wraith's pocket?" He said, his tone a bit hollow.
"Min onkle did, yes. He thought - and I thought - that one of you might know more of it. And so I brought it with me..." His expression worried her, and her brows knit together. "Is...is something wrong? Does it bring ill tidings?"
His mind flashed back to a scene in his head that at the time, he'd been trying not to remember. He had already mounted up in preparation for their ride, but Elrohir had remained on the ground, to be joined by that ranger woman, Farandren, moments later. He recalled the passing of something that glinted in the light, from one to the other. But his face remained in that frozen state, trying not to upset Wulfred more than necessary. "That is my brother's ring," he whispered, then spoke up a bit. "I would like to have it back, if you do not mind."
"Ah. There is no need to ask, I meant to give it to the two of you anyway." Wulfred gently dumped the ring into Elladan's palm. "It is not good for the wraith to have had it," she said. She sighed and glanced at Elrohir. "Is he any better than he was? He does not look like he is resting easily..."
"Nay, he is not," Came a voice in the doorway. A tall elf stood there, tall and winowy, but with the wisdom of the ages cast about him like an aura, silver hair falling across his shoulders and down his back, "Though there is no fell taint, the wound is serious."
Elladan tucked the ring in his pocket, somehow shocked to see his grandfather standing there and overwhelmingly relieved at the same time. He stood, walking up to Celeborn and squeezing his shoulder, before turning back to his brother. "I have done all that I can... I fear something tears at him, in his dreams.."
Celeborn nodded his head, walking over to the other twin and kneeled beside the bed. He inspected the bandages, and then reached into his pack, "This might take some time. In the meantime, could you retrieve the sword that injured him?"
Elladan was still staring at his grandfather. It wasn't clear if he was scared of the man, or if he was trying not to cry with relief, but he did nod his head after a moment and glance at Wulfred. "Can you take me to Khamul?"
Celeborn smiled at his grandson, "Your brother will be fine. He's in good hands now." He wondered if he should tell him Galadriel was back, just yet.
Wulfred, for her part, gazed in awe at the new arrival. Three elves she'd met now. Three. Her mouth worked up and down for a moment like a fish's. Then she nodded. "I will take you. The sword should be at the forge as well...this way." She quietly left the house and led him to her uncle's forge. "It is not the largest of forges," she said, smiling, "But it is min onkle's and I am proud of it." She had no way of suspecting what they would find when they arrived on the scene.
Indeed! At the scene, Feorcwen hung nude, bound spread-eagle and gagged from some beams overhanging the doorway to the forge. Her eyes were closed, and there was a fresh brand on her right hip, the first letter of Khamul's name in Sindarin. She was alternately red from embarassment and blue from the cold, though she'd clearly not been there too long.
Wulfred froze at the sight, her face twisting first in disbelief, then horror, fear, and rage. She pulled the knife strapped to her leg and cut the ropes that bound her friend's feet, then those that bound her hands to the posts. Her own face very nearly matched the color of her hair. She tugged off her over-dress and wrapped it around Feorcwen. "I will kill him," her voice was low and strained. "I swear on my father's grave I will kill him..." Her shoulders shook with fury as she held Feorcwen tight. She couldn't even bring herself to ask the dreadful question that had formed in her mind the insatnce she saw her friend tied there naked.
Elladan, for his part, was trying not to stare. He would have sprung to cut her down himself, if Wulfred had not beaten him to her, and now he turned away from them, searching around the forge for clues as to what else happened here. For the sword, as well, and for tracks. He didn't even know what to say to the two women, and thought it best Wulfred handle that part herself.
Cwen shivered against Wulfred, muttering, "It was min fault, min fault, I listened to him and it was min fault!"
He was furious, of course. Furious with the wraith for what he'd done to him, to his brother, to the ranger woman that he presumed dead, and to Wulfred's friend. But Elladan's anger took the form of something more cold, and calculating, and his eyes soon caught on the sword. He picked it up, looking it over and finding it vaguely familiar. "And if my brother were awake, we would be forced to pin him down in such a way for he would surely tear up Rohan looking for him."
Wulfred held her tight and clenched her eyes shut. "It's not your fault, Feorcwen. He is...he is a monster and that is that." She stroked her friend's hair for a moment before asking softly, trying to control her voice, "Did...did he...?"
She shook her head, whispering, "He was I was not worth his time...After he sounded so..seductive...Ilethimfree...he tricked me! Bema, you hate me.."
"I do not hate you! I could never hate you!" Wulfred looked like she'd been stabbed herself. "You are dearer than a sister to me, min freond, and you always will be...it kills me to hear you say I could do such a thing as hate you..." She swallowed hard. "I will kill him anyway, but had he forced himself upon you I would have killed him thrice over for it...know that, leof."
Elladan listened to all of this, while tucking the sword in his belt. He was trying to keep his heart from sinking into his knees, while alternately trying to decide between making haste to his Grandfather with his sword and staying behind to make sure the women were alright... if they were to find Khamul, they would have to be swift about it, too. He frowned. "It is likely he stole a horse and rode off with it," He said, softly. "And Lady, we will be hard pressed to catch up with him, and even more hard pressed to kill such a thing. Perhaps we should instead concentrate on getting your freond to someplace safe."
Saying nothing else, Cwen just shook her head, looking up at Elladan for a brief moment, a bit worrisome and a bit..grateful to see him. clearly, elves had moved above Easterlings in her book.
Wulfred sighed and, after a long pause, nodded slowly. "You are practical, Elladan of the House of Elrond. Though if I ever I cross his path, I will kill the Easterling for even looking at her again." Wulfred stroked Feorcwen's hair and kissed her forehead. "Can you stand?" she asked softly. "I will carry you if need be, min freond..." She should have told Feorcwen to keep clear of the forge. Should have made sure her onkle would be there all the time before leaving the prisoner.
He didn't offer to carry the woman, himself. He knew better, knew that Wulfred could handle it on her own, as well. Elladan watched the two of them for a moment, and then held the forge door open to make way for their passage. "I am not practical. I merely think enough needless blood has been spilled today. And you can be assured that when the time comes for revenge, neither of you will be alone." He didn't want her riding off by herself, either, and he begged her not to with his eyes.
Wulfred looked back at him, her eyes telling him that she couldn't leave Feorcwen, not now. Not after this. As much as she wanted to kill the Easterling, she needed to be with her friend more. "That is practical, in a way. To recover before the next battle."
"Do not chase him, either of you!" The blonde begged them with her eyes, "Please!"
"If we do not, Lady, who is to stop him from hurting someone else?" he asked, as gently as possible. When they were clear of the door, he shut it securely behind him, and started making his way back to the healer's house. "I must get this sword to my Daerada, so that we can see how else to mend my brother." He looked an apology at Wulfred, for having to part them, before heading inside.
Cwen sat down on a chair, rubbing at her arms. She was still shivering from the cold, "Bema, I'm a fool. He played me for a fool."
Wulfred wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders and leaned her cheek against her head. "You will not make the same mistake again, I think," she said softly.
Elladan made his way swiftly over to Celeborn, holding out the sword. "He has gotten away, unfortunately. There was a bit of an incident at the forge, but he left the sword behind. I do not think he will be easily found." He glanced at his brother, and his face softened. "How is he?"
Celeborn was working on Elrorhir. He glanced up, frowning, taking the sword and looking it over, "He will live. The blade missed his heart, and other organs." He nodded his head. He wasn't ElrondUberhealerwitheyebrowofdoom, but he had skill of his own, "The wounds are not fell tainted. Is this not a Dunedan sword?"
Elladan's jaw twitched,and he nodded. "It is the sword of one he thought to love," he said, in a whisper. Scared that his brother would hear, even in this state. As if Elladan's fears were true, Elrohir stirred a bit, and moaned Farandren's name. Elladan's eyes couldn't decide whether to be sad, or steely with anger. "I have a ring he gave her, as well. A promise to return. It is best we do not mention that, as of yet, I think."
Celeborn nodded his head, hair glimmering dimly, sadness flashing across his eyes. He handed the sword back, "Hold it for him, and give it to him when he is ready to claim it." He looked between them both, concern warring with a bit of anger on his face, though what that anger might be directed at wasn't entirely clear.
Elladan caught the look, trying to decide what the cause of it might be, besides the present circumstances. He nodded, solemnly, and tucked the sword away somewhere, before sinking into the same chair he'd been in before. "At least we got to set him on fire," he whispered, still taking pride in that.
"You never change, no matter your choice," Celeborn said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
Elladan swallowed, and shook his head. "We were always too hasty in our choices, but this one would have been made, regardless." He whispered, looking from brother, to grandfather, and back. "I could not leave without him. Aman is no place for me, alone."
"It was still a mistake," Cwen whispered, shaking her head. "I couldn't even..stab him."
"Your mother will be heartbroken," He whispered. "I think part of the reason she sailed, was in the hopes that one day she would see her children again." He closed his eyes, the anger in his voice fading, "She would understand, but that would not less her grief."
Wulfred sighed. "In a way, that makes you the better person. I would have poked him mercilessly and given him many small cuts and crushed his toes." She blinked. "...I am less calm than you are, min freond."
Cwen shook her head, "I mean to kill him but I could not. I dropped the sword and he freed himself."
She shook her head slowly. "You are not made for killing, Feorcwen..." She sighed. "If I could keep you from ever having blood on your hands, I would."
"I am a woman of Rohan!" She blurted, eyes flashing. She sighed, calming down, "You are so good with your hammer."
Elladan let out a long sigh, his face falling into the most sad expression it had made in quite some time. It was something Elrohir would have considered, more than he had. Though he had thought of it, more than once. "When we saved her, we never dreamed it would be one of the last times we would look upon her." he said, sadly. "Elrohir thought to leave some letters for her, in your care, I think."
Wulfred looked rather like a chastised shild. "...I am protective of you. That is all. And the hammer feels more at home in my hand than a sword does, though I can use one."
Celeborn nodded his head, cleaning his hand and standing, "Elrohir will survive this. And I think..she would appreciate that, very much." His eyes softened, when thinking of his daughter.
Cwen snorted, and fell silent, leaning against her friend.
Sighing again, Wulfred held her close. "Do you still wish to go to Gondor with me? If you say no, I will stay too."
"Daerada.." he whispered, looking up at him. "It is not as if we do not love her, or you, or Ada, or Daernaneth. We love you all. It was a swift choice, but not... an easy one." For all he was a natural born jokester, who never seemed to grow up, he still hated making people angry. " ... thank you." he added.
"Nay! You go with him," She insisted. "I've decided he is not so bad."
Nodding his head, Celeborn clasped a hand on Elladan's shoulder, "Now that Elrohir is stable, you said the wraith escaped?"
Her brows knit together for a moment and she absentmindedly scratched at the wound on her cheek. She winced, then asked, "Would you still go with me? It would not be the same without you..."
She touched the wound, frowning a bit, and nodded her head, "I'll go with you, even if Faeder does not wish me to go."
Elladan nodded his head grimly, looking up at Celeborn with a bit of that anger returning to his eyes. "I might still be able to track him, though I know not if I will catch up with him." He patted at his side, indicating his own wound, "And if I did, I am not sure I would survive it. The rohirric woman who helped us wished to come along, though I do not think that is wise, either."
Wuldred smiled. "Thank you, min freond. I could not bear the distance without you. This is my home, but the ache for it will not be so great if you are by my side, as you have always been." 'Always' being longer than Wulfred had memory of, to the point where people told how they had been friends before either could talk.
"You should turn to Gondor," Celeborn said. "Someone who loves you has gone on ahead to see to Arwen. I will track down this wraith." He smiled, the expression a little dangerous. It was easy to forget that Celeborn the Wise was a capable warrior.
She nodded her head, "I shall pack. How many dresses will I need? My best certainly, if I want to impress in Gondor.."
Wulfred bit her lip. "I do not know. I had not thought of that, to tell you the truth."
Elladan hadn't quite forgotten it, though he did have a confused expression on his face that he didn't even bother hiding. "Ride ahead to Gondor?" he repeated, then looked at his twin. Something wrenched in his gut. "Elrohir cannot travel yet... and I rather wished to hang that wraith from Meduseld by his underclothing." And who could have gone on to see Arwen? Certainly not his father! He would have stopped in Rivendell first and pitched some sort of fit!
Cwen nodded her head, "You can borrow some of mine!"
"You will have to wait until you reach Gondor, and if you use a cart and travel carefully, Elrohir will have no problem." Celeborn smirked a bit. Pity he could not see the looks on their faces.
Wulfred smiled. "I thank you. I am sometimes at a loss when it comes to clothes. Maeder sometimes tells me I am hopeless." She chuckled softly.
"I blame your faeder," Cwen teased.
Wulfred tousled her firend's hair. "I think he reallt did forget I was a daughter, sometimes. My name says some of that would be true." She sighed. "He was a good man, if not the sharpest spear in the eored."
Elladan rose, and ran a hand through his hair. "You will join us, in Minas Tirith?" and hopefully bring the wraith? His hopeful eyes added. He rarely got to SEE his family, and it would have been nice to see more of Celeborn. "I can find a cart easily enough.."
She laughed, shaking her head as the golden hair cascaded about.
The Lord of Lorien nodded his head, "I will join you. There are people there I wish to see. And I wish to spend time with you while I may."
Wulfred smiled and stroked her hair back into place. "I am more than glad that the Easterling did not..." She glanced away, unable to bear even thought that the wraith might have done such a thing to Feorcwen.
"He said I was displeasing." Cwen frowned, "I am grateful, but he did not have to insult me!"
She snorted. "He is a bastard and a liar. You are not displeasing."
"...I'm not?"
"No. You are not."
"..oh." She blushed a bit, "I am not as pleasing as you are. The way Elladan stares at you is -scandelous-. At least I think that is Elladan. I mix them up."
"...Elrohir is the one that is not moving much." Wulfred frowned. "He does not look at me scandelously." She paused. "Does he?"
"He does!" She put her hands on her hips, and mimics Elladan's mooney-look.
Wulfred blinked, blushing slightly. "He does not..."
Elladan nodded his head, and took Celeborn's hand in his. He squeezed it, gently, as if he wished to hug the elf in a rather unceremonious manner and be all kinds of lacking in decorum. But he restrained himself, instead letting go and heading for the door. "I will find that cart immediately, and will be on our way as soon as we can." he paused, and added, "The tracks indicate East, or Southeast."
"Thank you. That will aide greatly," Celeborn said. He knelt over Elrohir again, adjusting something, before straightening. "I will see you both in Gondor."
Cwen snorted, and gave her freond a knowing look.
"Namarie," Elladan whispered, nodding his head. Then he opened the door and was gone, off to find a cart. His mind was whirling from the day's events, and he was still dwelling on who in Arda could possibly be waiting for him in Gondor besides his sister. So much so that he passed a few carts before even realising he'd done so.
Wulfred rubbed the back of her neck. Having Cwen look at her like that...it felt...different. And imagining Elladan looking at her like that felt different, too.
Cwen grinned, "See? I win."
"...only because I do not believe you."
Finally noticing the carts by way of running into one, he blinked, then looked at the nearby house. It wouldn't do simply to steal one - they'd only ever 'borrowed' things, in their time, or nicked food from the kitchens. He walked up to the door and knocked on it.
Cwen jumped when someone knocked at the door.
Wulfred's hand dropped to the knife strapped to her leg, just incase.
Elladan cracked the door, peering in a bit and deciding that the tension was something a knife would have had trouble cutting. "It is simply me, simply Elladan, and I would like to ask to borrow a cart, is that alright, or shall you stab me?"
"Borrow a cart????" Cwen stood up, glaring at him.
Wulfred sheathed her knife. "What do you want the cart for?"
He opened the door a bit wider, so that he could see more clearly, and nodded. "My Daerada is going to track the wraith for us, he is more fit than any of us to do so, and has years more practice than I." Ages, in fact. "And he has bid me go on ahead, to Gondor, for there is a visitor there waiting for us. " He looked a bit worried for a moment, as though this wasn't entirely his plan. "I need the cart for Elrohir."
Cwen blinked, then glanced at Wulfred, "Gondor? Now? BEma, I need to pack!" And she rushed out the door to go home and do just that!
Wulfred blinked as Cwen rrushed out the door. "Don't forget to pack some for me!" she called.
Eladan blinked and shouted after her. "Not overly much, or we will shall need three carts instead of one!"
Then he turned to Wulfred, eyes growing serious again. "I will need blankets, soft blankets to lay him on, do you have extras?"
She nodded. "I do. I will fetch them and a few other things. Rations that will see us through, water..."
Elladan nodded his head, walking up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder without even thinking if it was a bad idea or not. He squeezed momentarily and caught her eyes. "Thank you, Lady."
Wulfred flushed slightly. She still wasn't used to his calling her 'lady'. She was the daughter of a knight, yes, but a lady? That part was a little confusing for her.
He wasn't sure what else to call her! Going by the first name seemed rather odd for him, what with the culture gap and all. "Iavawen, they would call you, in my home. Autumn maiden." He said that softly, then shook his head a bit as if to clear it, and withdrew. "I will get the cart prepared, and then can you help me get Elrohir situated?"
Okay, that really made her blush. Wulfred glanced away and nodded. "I will get the blankets and the supplies." And break the news to her family. That would be interesting.