beta: goodbye_sun
AN: Elladan finds he is more protective of the twins than he ever thought possible.
In this farewell
There’s no blood
There’s no alibi
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth
Of a thousand lies
So let mercy come
And wash away
What I’ve done
-Linkin Park
Chapter 8 - Erase myself
None of the riders of the party bound for Lorien had seen or heard them before they were everywhere. Orcs. Elured instinctively turned to see where Elurin was, but he had just ridden his horse the other way, towards Elladan. For a moment Elured didn't dare breathe, what if Elurin had tricked him? What if he knew what was lingering inside him? Could he feel the slightly giddy sensation he got whenever Elladan was close? Would he kill him? But no, Elurin rode past Elladan to help him. Then, and only then, could Elured let go of the breath he had been holding.
He heard a scream, realising that Elrohir had been left alone to defend Celebrian and Arwen, and he was rapidly loosing the battle. Even if Elured was sure that he would give his life for his mother and sister, Elured could not let that happen. Instead, he and his brother had to get rid of Celebrian, they had agreed to this long before.
~*~
Laying by the banks of the Bruinen, soaking up the sun, Elurin had whispered, ”We should give Father a kingly gift, Brother.”
”Do you think he is cross with us?” Elured asked, his voice worried, but a smile on his lips, as Elurin rested his head on Elured's stomach.
”I do,” Elurin said, barely audible, ”How else would you explain that we heard nothing more from him? And besides, brother, you know we failed. Had we done our job properly, the job Father entrusted to us, then Isildur would not have been alive to preform his unfortunate deed.”
”You are right,” Elured murmured, languidly stroking his brothers long black hair, ”So what do you propose we should give Father to ease his anger?”
”Rivendell,” Elured said, lifting his head, looking his brother straight into his eyes. ”I propose we hand over Rivendell to Father, he always coveted this place, you know this.”
”I do,” Elured agreed, ”But what about Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor? Not to mention the children and Celebrian? We can't just hand this place over to Father, besides its borders are protected by Vilya.”
”Indeed they are,” Elurin said with a smug smile, ”And what if Elrond happened to hand it over?”
”You idiot,” Elured laughed, ”He isn't just gonna give you one of the rings of power.”
”He might,” Elurin snickered. ”If I just had a chance, if Celebrian was not here.”
A smile widened on Elured's lips, ”So you suggest getting rid of Celebrian? And just how are we going to manage that? This is Rivendell, not Angbard, we can't just walk up to her and stab her.”
”Excuses, excuses, I will find a way, trust me,” Elurin said, that foxy gleam in his eyes intensified.
Elured sucked in his breath, ”Kiss me,” he whispered. Seeing the smile on his brothers lips widen, he knew that Elurin's planning and scheming always left him hot and bothered.
”I cannot, I would just end up ravaging you, brother,” Elurin whispered, but planted a soft kiss on Elured's slightly trembling lips.
~*~
And now he found himself fighting off Orcs, if nothing else than to save Elrohir. Celebrian screamed once more as Arwen was pulled from her arms, ”Save her!” Celebrian screamed. And Elured who knew he should not care, looked from Celebrian to Arwen, Celebrian looked so desperate, like she knew her ending was here. With a quick decision, Elured darted after the Orc that had taken away Arwen. He followed it to the forest, where the Orc stopped and looked at Elured, ”Ralak,” he said, ”lay down your weapons.”
Elured squinted his eyes, ”I don't know you,” he snarled, ”Hand me the elven child.”
The Orc shook his head, ”She is mine, spoils of war my Lord.”
”Hand me the elven child or I will kill you,” Elured said, trying his hardest not to look at Arwen's huge frightened eyes.
The Orc was clearly confused, ”Lord Rong promised us the Rivendell elves, the she elf, the child and the twins.”
Elured shook his head, ”Well, I am your Lord as well, and I am telling you that you can have the she elf, and the one twin, the one with the blue rims on his harness, but you cannot have the two others.” Why had he said that? He was here, bargaining for Elladan's life, did he care? And he found that he did, both for Elladan and Arwen, what a magnificent and alien feeling.
The Orc looked up and down Elured, ”If I let you have the elven child and the red brother, what will you give me in return, my lord?” he said a smile upon his charred lips.
Elured grid his teeth, ”Name your price, Orc.”
”You stay behind, and we shall do unto you what we had intended for this one and her brothers.” The Orc looked down at Arwen.
Elured blinked rapidly. Feeling his knees weaken as he realised what it was the Orc said, ”Let the twins and Arwen leave with Lord Rong.”
After a moment of silence, the Orc nodded ”Fine, do we agree then? You take their place for tonight then, Lord Ralak.”
”We...” He took a deep breath, never would he have done something like this for anyone else but Elurin, just a couple of years ago. And he tried hard to determine what these odd conflicting feelings were. ”Agree,” he finally whispered, hanging his head.
”Good. Only kill the she elf, leave the others wounded and battle impaired,” the Orc yelled to some other Orcs. ”Run and tell the others.”
”Give me the elven child then,” Elured said, smiling as the Orc handed her over to his arms. ”Arwen,” He whispered switching back in elvish, ”You will just remember that I saved you.” He kissed her forehead, ”I am truly sorry little one, your father, brothers, and me and Elurin will look after you, I promise.” He looked up at the Orc and handed him Arwen back, ”Take her to her brother, he is by the thickening, defending the she elf, he will see that she is safe, and I, I will stay here.”
The Orc took Arwen and started to walk back, Elured turned, ”Oh, tell my brother I will return to him shortly, or he will worry and come looking for me.”
~*~
When Elured finally returned to Rivendell, he was torn, battered and so filthy he wasn't even sure it would ever wash off. Knowing he had saved Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir from this fate, and worse still made him smile in his misery. He snuck along the panelling up towards his room, hoping to make it there unseen.
”Brother,” Elurin said, obscured by shadow in the long hallway.
”Not now, please,” Elured heard his own voice rasp. He opened the door to his room, and to his surprise, his brother, clad in black followed. He could tell his brother was furious, but also worried.
”Let me make you a bath,” Elurin said softly.
”Thank you,” Elured just whispered, sitting down with a wince, starting to pull his dirty clothes off. He had told himself to be brave, he had seen Orc copulate before, he knew what to expect, or so he thought. When he had seen the group of dirty Orcs all looking at him, sitting on a tree stump, he had paled, but none the less, had he taken a deep breath and stood up, pulling off his harness, and helmet, discarding his swords on the ground.
He had wanted to be brave, but all he had heard was his own screams.
”Let me see you,” Elurin said, pulling Elured to his feet. ”By the Valar,” He sighed, paling to the point of ghostly. ”What did you do, Elured?” he whispered, his voice think of tears that would never be shed. ”How could you do that? How could you do that to you, and to me?”
”Arwen,” Elured whispered back, swaying slightly as Elurin gently guided him to the bath, ”I swapped places with Arwen,” he answered truthfully.
Helping Elured into the bath, Elured shook his head, ”But I had arranged for them all to die, brother,” He whispered, slowly pulling off his own clothes, to join his brother in the bath. ”Why did you have to interfere?”
”I don't know,” Elured answered, allowing his brother to pull him close, cradling him in his arms. ”Twas a most strange sensation, to find that I did care.” He looked directly up in Elurin's green eyes. ”Are you mad at me?” he asked innocently.
”Yes,” Elurin said, frowning slightly. ”But father will be furious that you let this happen to save that useless elven child.”
”I like it here,” Elured whispered, ”I wish we could stay like this forever, you and I in this peaceful place,” he mused, closing his eyes while smiling.
”The plan has begun, brother,” Elurin said, ”There is no turning back now, just think of how much father would praise us.”
”That's right,” Elured whispered, drifting slowly into a dreamlike state. ”I miss father, I wish we could go see him.”
”We cannot,” Elurin said, ”Not yet.”
”No, not yet,” Elured chimed in, agreeing.
”They are at the gardens, grieving” Elurin said, ”We should join them,” he stroked his brothers hair motherly. ”I shall leave you for a while, and dedicate myself to Elrond, and before you know it, I will wield the Vilya.”
”He will be heartbroken and easy to befriend without his wife,” Elured slurred. And then opened his dull, tired eyes, looking at his brother, ”I shall miss you terribly, brother.”
”We have been apart before,” Elurin said with a sweet smile. ”Fret not, it will not be long till the lord joins his lady.”
Elured smiled, ”And the children?”
”They can do as they please, if that would make you happy,” Elurin frowned, shaking his head in disgust, ”I would not want your sacrifice to be in vain.”
Elurin dragged his brother up from the tub, and managed to get him to bed, ”Even like this, beaten bruised and torn. Even like this, I find you the most beautiful creature,” he whispered, carefully applying some healing ointment to his brother's back, covering the cuts and bites.
”I feel defiled,” Elured whispered into his pillow, ”I do not feel beautiful.”
”I will let you have the heir,” Elurin said softly, his hand making its way between his brother's cheeks, applying ample of the ointment there.
”What did you say brother?” Elured whispered, turning with a laboured breath, laying on his back, looking up at Elurin.
”You can have Elladan,” Elurin whispered, carefully applying the ointment to Elured's shoulder and chest. ”You want him, am I right?”
”I do,” Elured whispered, shuddering from the thought.
”If I fail, the ring will pass to his heir, and to you,” Elurin whispered.
”Then the next time someone touches you like this, it shall be he, and not me,” Elurin whispered hoarsely, running a slick hand up Elured's flaccid penis. ”Now come, we must get down to the garden's and pay our respect.”
”Yes,” Elured pushed himself off the bed with much labour, letting his brother dress him, covering up as much of his scratches and bite marks as possible, before they left for the wake. Celebrian's wake.