Time Enough for Love
by Elfscribe, elfscribe5@yahoo.com
Characters: Legolas/OC (Elwin), Elrond/Glorfindel, Lindir/OC
Overall Rating: NC-17, this chapter R
Disclaimers, see chapter 1
Beta: Capella
Warning: violence, implied sexual violence
*************************************
Chapter 11 - Ambush

Elrond sat in his study idly twisting Vilya back and forth around his finger.
Faint images seemed to be forming on the ring's brilliant facets. There was
nothing he could pinpoint but they filled him with apprehension. Erestor stood
at his side, leaning against the desk and holding a duty roster up to the
lamplight to read it aloud. His red silk sleeves rustled dryly as he batted a
moth away. Elrond looked up at him.

"Well then, Elrond, what should I do about Gelir?"

"What about him?"

Erestor sighed. "He has complained that he's been assigned only day patrols. He
said Glorfindel always worked out a rotating shift for him so he could spend
more time with his young son."

"So work out a rotating shift."

"Elrond!" Erestor admonished, "I told you this half an hour ago. At what point
did you stop listening?"

"I don't know. Back at the report on pounds of dried apples still left in
storage?" Elrond gave his counselor a faint smile.

"Next time you can tell Glorfindel he can't go on extended holiday," Erestor
said evenly. "I have enough to do without taking on his duties."

Elrond sighed. "Do you miss him, Erestor?"

His dark-haired counselor's severe expression softened. "Well. The house is less
. . . full without his presence, annoying as he is at times."

"Less full. Interesting way to put it. I would say it feels like an ache, one
for which the healer can't find the cure." Elrond looked out of the window into
the cloud-covered night. "I do miss him, Erestor. I had no idea how empty
Imladris would be without him. I find myself listening for his footsteps and
the sound of his bright laughter. I reach for him in my sleep and find the bed
is cold."

Erestor put the pile of papers on the desk. "That's natural. You've been
together a long time," he said softly.

"There is more to it," Elrond said. "He is a devoted friend and lover while I .
. . have not been attentive enough. Instead I allowed my own burden to fall
upon him. We did not part well. I regret the things I said."

"There will be time enough to tell him, when he returns."

"Yes," he looked up into Erestor's glittering eyes. "Something is . . . ." He
stopped, not even able to put words to the helpless feeling he had.

"We can do this tomorrow," Erestor said, tapping the papers into a neat pile.
"Maybe you'd rather take a walk in the garden?"

"That might be good." Elrond half rose and then staggered. Slamming a hand down
hard on the desk to steady himself, he gasped, and his other hand flew to his
shoulder.

"What is it?" Erestor asked in alarm.

"Gods, no!" Elrond cried.

Erestor swiftly reached up to support him. He pulled the Master of Imladris back
down into the chair. "Elrond, tell me, what's wrong?"

"Something terrible is happening, Erestor. I must see what it is. Open the
window."

The counselor unlatched the windows and threw them open. Elrond sent his thought
out and heard the humming of the heavens. Vilya glowed blue, then white as
Elrond summoned its power. At first the images fled like a frightened flock of
birds. He grit his teeth and *willed* them to still.

Then the night sky opened up and Elrond was swooping down over a forest into a
clearing with two lone trees in the center. As he moved closer, his heart began
to pound in fear. There was Glorfindel, his glorious lover, illuminated in the
yellow light of a roaring fire. He was hanging by his outstretched arms from
ropes strung between the trees. His chest was bare and a ragged hole in his
shoulder was bleeding profusely. Several large uruks stood around him, laughing.
There was the glint of a gold tooth. One held a smoldering torch. He pushed it
sizzling against Glorfindel's wounded shoulder and the seneschal lifted his head
and cried out. The orcs howled with glee. Elrond clenched his fists as the pain
wracked him. Tears started in his eyes. "Vanima. No!"

Frantically, Elrond searched the image but couldn't see any of the other elves.
What had happened? Nearby, several of the orcs seemed to be digging a shallow
pit. A grave? Then, he saw Legolas running through the dark woods. The prince
fell and lay still. Had he been hurt? Killed? Elrond couldn't tell. He wondered
if he was seeing the present, past or future. It had a clarity that seemed like
the present. Then another image appeared. Elwin and Thornan crept cautiously
through the trees towards the clearing. And Elrond saw what they did not. Orcs!
Scattered around the edge of the clearing, like cockroaches, they were hidden
in the bushes and behind rocks, glinting weapons drawn. An ambush!

Elrond drew a deep breath and collected himself. There was only one hope. He
poured forth his thoughts. "Ionnath nîn," he called. "Hear me!"

*****************************
Vanima - beautiful, in Quenya. Elrond's nickname for Glorfindel
Ionnath nîn - my sons
*****************************

Elwin and Thornan moved quietly through the woods, leading their horses. Elwin
felt his senses prickling with alarm. What could have happened to Legolas and
Glorfindel? Surely, there was nothing evil in these woods. Maybe Legolas had
fallen and was injured. But then, why didn't Glorfindel return to get help?
Something was very wrong. It was a struggle to think calmly.

"Elwin," Thornan whispered. "Look up ahead. Firelight!"

A yellow twinkle was just visible through the tall trees. Unaccountably, instead
of hope, Elwin felt a dark sense of foreboding.

"See it?" Thornan asked.

"Yes, do you suppose it's them?"

"I don't know. I have an uneasy feeling."

"As do I. What do you suggest?" Elwin's horse tossed her head and snorted a
warning.

Thornan swept his bow off his arm and fitted an arrow. "Leave the horses here,"
he whispered. "Follow me. Keep your eyes open."

Elwin pulled his sword from its sheath. The light grew as they crept forward as
softly as elves could. They reached the edge of a wide clearing and slipped
behind the bole of a mossy elm. Elwin peered around it and then gasped as he
beheld Glorfindel trussed between two oak trees, about fifty feet away. His head
was slumped over, his long hair hung down, half obscuring his face. Curiously,
he seemed to be glowing slightly with a white light. He appeared to be
unconscious or, gods no, was he dead? Who had done this to him and where were
they?

"Ungoliant's lair," Elwin cursed softly. He began to stride out into the
clearing. Thornan flung his arm across Elwin's chest to stop him.

"Careful, Elwin," Thornan whispered. "It smells of a trap."

Elwin scanned the clearing but it appeared to be deserted. A wailing began in
his mind. "Where is Legolas?" he whispered.

The Mirkwood guard shook his head. "I don't see him."

Elwin crumpled against the tree, fearing the worst. They had seen signs of the
two of them earlier. What could have happened to his beloved? Surely he would
have sensed it if Legolas had been killed. It was almost preternaturally silent
all about them. No humming insects, no nightjar calls. The wood seemed to be
holding its breath.

Glorfindel stirred and groaned. He lifted his head and stared in their
direction. Thank the Valar, he's alive, Elwin thought, then noticed the reddened
burn marks in various places on his chest and the ugly wound in his shoulder.
He could sense an echo of the seneschal's pain. "Thornan, he's injured," Elwin
said urgently.

"I can see that," Thornan replied. "But we must be cautious. Let's scout the
area under cover of the trees and see if we can locate our enemies."

Elwin nodded. Like shadows, they flitted to another tree, then to a clump of
rocks. Thornan crouched down and raised his hand for silence. He pressed his
head to the ground and stayed that way for many long minutes. Elwin began
twitching with impatience. He could feel Glorfindel's anguish.

"I don't like this," Thornan said. "Come on." They got up again and ran to the
next tree for cover. Now, they were closer to Glorfindel.

"I could just dash in and cut him free," Elwin suggested.

The guard shook his head, but Elwin had already stood up and was starting for
the clearing. They heard a growl in the underbrush. In alarm, Elwin looked back
at Thornan. The Mirkwood guard lunged forward, grabbed the musician, and pulled
him down. Suddenly, the brush erupted in a scramble of heavy bodies. Thornan
fired an arrow which hit with a thud, followed by a howl.

They were beset by a dozen black shapes. "Orcs!" Thornan cried. Elwin swung his
sword and the blade rang as it connected with a mail-clad body. He heard
Thornan's great bow twanging and the sharp zip of his arrows. They found
themselves driven out into the clearing towards Glorfindel.

Glorfindel's clear voice rang out, "Beware, behind you!"

Elwin turned in time to see leafy branches, which had covered part of the ground
near the fire, flung aside. Three orcs emerged from a pit, carrying bows. More
ran in from the forest. In few moments, they were hemmed in by about thirty of
them. Thornan kept shooting and Elwin heard more horrific shrieks as arrows met
their marks.

Suddenly, Thornan was thrown backwards to the ground and his bow went flying.
Elwin turned his head with an cry of dismay. Two black feathered arrows
protruded from Thornan's shoulder and belly. He was gasping as if he couldn't
get his breath. Elwin stood protectively over him and swung his sword in a wide
arc but the orcs hovered and circled just beyond his reach. For quite some time,
he managed to keep the creatures at bay. However, Elwin was not used to sword
work and felt himself tire. He wondered why they didn't just shoot him. They
must be trying to capture him alive. The thought was not comforting.

An orc with a blue tattoo on his face yelled, "What's the matter with you sons
of wargs? Rush him!"

As Elwin smote one of them down, he felt the weight of several landing on his
back and hauling him to the ground. His arm was wrenched over his head and the
sword pried from his grip. An iron fist slammed across Elwin's face and he lost
consciousness.

**********************
Legolas fled through the dark woods, blinded by tears. He ducked, narrowly
missing a tree branch. It had wrenched him apart to leave Glorfindel to those
hideous beasts. Who knew what they were doing to him now? This is all my fault,
he thought. If I hadn't run off last night, none of this would be happening. He
stumbled over a root and fell flat. For several moments, he lay powerless with
the wind knocked out of him. When he finally sucked in a breath, it turned into
a sharp sob, then another before he regained control, dashing the tears from his
eyes. No, this was indulgent and there was no time for it.

The prince raised his head and peered up at the star-speckled sky, then at the
dark woods around him. A warm wind was blowing, rustling the leaves overhead.
An owl called. Its voice unsettled, a warning.

Get up, you fool, Legolas thought. He must get up and run as he never had before
- back to the farm. Send Cade and Timothy to Bree to raise a group of armed
men. Get weapons and a horse and return as fast as he could. He believed that
the orcs would keep Glorfindel alive in hopes of luring in the twins. What a
stroke of luck that they were terrified of Elrond's sons. But where *were* the
twins? He'd never known them to let orcs roam loose for so long. Had they also
met with foul play? The thought was terrible. He imagined teaming hoards of the
dark creatures descending on Elrond's fair sons to hack them to pieces, and his
heart ached. You must not despair, he thought. You must go on.

Legolas rose and realized he was about half a league away from the alcove where
he and Glorfindel had spent the previous night. It seemed an age ago.

He heard a muffled shush-clop of hooves against dry leaves and sensed a horse
coming toward him, being led by a human. A slight shadow with an outline of
curly hair stepped from the trees into the faint light of the clearing, followed
by the bulk of the horse. Now Legolas could see his face.

"Cade!" the prince cried.

"Blessed be, if it isn't Prince Legolas!" Cade responded happily. "By the gods,
am I glad to see you. Elwin and Thornan have been lookin' for you high and low.
Didn't you see 'em?" He came up close and peered at the elf.

"Elwin! Elwin is out here looking for me?" Legolas cried, seizing Cade by the
arms and shaking him.

"Aye, my Lord," Cade said, his teeth rattling in his head. "He sent me home,
but I . . . I just couldn't go back. I've been following . . . at a distance."

"Which way? Which way did he go, Cade?"

The boy pointed back in the direction from which Legolas had come. A terrible
fear engulfed the prince. He remembered Elrond's words: "I saw Elwin's death at
the hands of orcs. You came to his aid too late."

"No, it cannot be!" Legolas choked out.

"Well, he was that worried about you, so he came looking. Where on Arda have you
been and where's Lord Glorfindel?" Cade asked.

"Cade! This is terribly important. Glorfindel and I were held captive by a band
of orcs. I just narrowly escaped. Elwin is heading straight for them. If you
care about his life, you must help me."

The boy's eyes opened wide in fear, glinting liquid in the half-light. "Oh
gods! I'll do whatever you need."

"Do you have any weapons?"

"I brought a bow and a hunting knife."

"Yes, good. Give them to me."

Cade went to his horse and returned with a bow and a quiver of arrows. He
unstrapped his knife from around his waist and handed it to Legolas. The elf
seized it, talking rapidly as he buckled it about himself. "Now, Cade. Ride as
if a pack of wild wargs was on your tail, back to the farm. Get a group of armed
men as soon as you can and return. Do you know a clearing northeast of here,
with two lone oak trees in the middle?"

"Aye, I do."

"That's most likely where I'll be. Where the orcs will be. Surround it with
archers. Hurry!"

"Aye, Prince."

"And Cade."

"Aye?"

"Pray."

The boy nodded. He mounted his horse and galloped back along the narrow trail
through the forest.

Legolas turned and ran until his chest burned. He leapt over rocks, tore
through underbrush. He drew strength from the earth, from the tangle of living
things. Determination calmed him and his mind became clear and hard. He heard
Glorfindel's words. "There is nothing like that moment of resolve when all
questions, concerns, and cares fall away and you know what you must do." I will
not despair, he chanted to himself. I *will* overturn this fate. Softly, he
began singing the hymn to Elbereth.

***********************
"Well, Ergluk, looks like your little plan worked," a large, bulbous-nosed orc
chortled. He put a foot on Elwin's chest and pressed down. "We've caught one of
‘em, at least." The orc's ugly form was sharply shadowed in the firelight.

Elwin looked up at another orc, the one with the blue-tattooed face, who was
regarding him skeptically. The orc stroked his chin. "It could be," he said.
"I'm just not sure."

"Where's the other one?" the large orc asked, leaning down and snarling in
Elwin's face.

The musician recoiled and said nothing. The orc struck him. "Your double, where
is he?"

Elwin's head reeled. He couldn't think. "What are you talking about?" he asked
as he struggled to sit up.

"Your twin brother," Glorfindel called loudly. "Did you leave him in the woods,
*Elladan*?"

Elwin heard the message in the seneschal's tone. "Uh, yes. He's back there," he
stammered.

"And the rest of our party, are they with him?" Glorfindel asked.

"They're coming," Elwin said. "They'll be here soon."

Thornan groaned behind him. Elwin could sense that the Mirkwood elf was badly
hurt. And where was Legolas? His stomach churned with fear.

"No need to keep this one around then," said the large orc. "I'll take his head
right now."
He raised his ax high over Elwin's neck.

The musician looked up at him. Was this how it would end? He had a brief vision
of himself, cold and still, cradled in the prince's arms. Legolas was sobbing.
My love, I'm so sorry, Elwin thought.

"Hold!" Glorfindel cried.

The ax swept down. Ergluk reached up and grabbed it, stopping its descent.
"Wait, Grutznaga," he said.

Glorfindel spoke rapidly. "The other twin holds his brother's life dearer than
his own. You kill this one, it's certain doom when they come." He paused and
tilted his head as if listening, then said dramatically. "I can *feel* that they
are near. While we are alive, you have some bargaining power. You have none if
we are dead."

"You don't get it yet, do you, Yellowhair?" Ergluk smirked. "There'll be no
bargain. We'll have them as easily as we took you. We're returning home
triumphant with all your heads on pikes. But first we're going to have a little
party. You are invited." He laughed, showing yellow fangs. Then he turned back
to the larger orc. "You know, Grutznaga, our revenge on the Elfwraiths will be
much sweeter if we make one of them watch the other die . . . very slowly."

"So it will," Grutznaga laughed. He kicked Elwin in the groin. Pain roared
through the musician and he rolled into a ball. "Truss ‘em up, lads," the uruk
leader said gleefully.

Orcs pulled Elwin and Thornan to their feet, tied their wrists and threw the end
of rope over a branch, hauling them up to dangle with toes touching the ground.
Grutznaga approached them with a drawn knife. He seized Elwin's collar and
sliced through his clothes. Another orc did the same to Thornan, pulling off a
blood-soaked jerkin and tunic. Grutznaga broke off the arrow shafts leaving the
points within Thornan. The elf turned white and slumped over. The orc bent and
licked blood from the elf's chest, then threw his head back and gave a yipping
battle cry.

Grutznaga went over to Glorfindel. He stood behind the elf and ran his hands
down Glorfindel's thighs. Rubbing himself up against the elf's rear, he reached
around to grab the seneschal's cock through the thin leggings. "Let's see what
you've got in there, Yellowhair," he gloated.

"Grutznaga," Ergluk shouted, angrily. "No time for that now. Help me patch up
these wounded quickly, so we can get back into hiding before the other Elfwraith
shows up."

Grutznaga gave Glorfindel one final squeeze, which caused the elf's eyes to
water. "Playtime is only postponed," he hissed and licked Glorfindel's face.

"Our friends are near," Glorfindel said ominously. "You won't live out the
night." The orc leader laughed and gave him a push. The elf swung helplessly
back and forth.

Oh gods, if only the seneschal's words were true, Elwin thought. His heart
raced. He longed to ask about Legolas, but dared not speak.

**************************
Stealthily, with his bow drawn, Legolas peered into the clearing from behind a
large tree. The sight that met his eyes confirmed his worst fear. His lover,
Thornan, and Glorfindel were all hanging by their arms from the trees. He
couldn't tell if they were alive or not. He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea
passed over him. Opening them again, he studied the elves more closely. There,
he could see Glorfindel's ribs move with shallow breaths. Elwin raised his head.


Relief flooded the prince. Oh, thank the Valar! He wasn't too late. Maybe
Elrond's vision was not certain doom! One side of Elwin's face looked swollen
and bruised but otherwise he seemed unharmed. Thornan, on the other hand,
looked bad. Blood dripping from several wounds had painted his bare chest with
red stripes. He had passed out. And Glorfindel, Ai! Legolas could see the fiery
abuse blistered red and black on the seneschal's strong body.

Anger possessed the prince. They will pay for this, he vowed. All of them. He
searched for his enemies. Ergluk was bent over one of the orcs and seemed to be
stitching up a gut wound. Grutznaga pulled an arrow from another one's leg. The
creature bellowed and Grutznaga snarled at him. Good, it looked as if Elwin and
Thornan managed to do some damage. A half dozen orcs stood guard over the
prisoners. Legolas wondered how many others there were. They must be hidden. His
sharp ears detected rustling in the bushes several hundred yards away. Two more
there.

What could he do? Even if Timothy started for Bree immediately and was
successful in recruiting help, it was unlikely they could arrive before morning.
It was up to him. One against forty. Impossible? No. He could play on their
fears. Make them think he was more than one. His lips curled up into a grim
smile.

The prince put his bow over his arm, grabbed a branch overhead, and quietly
pulled himself into the tree, climbing about twenty feet up. He slithered on his
stomach along a wide branch until he was over the clump of bushes where he had
heard sounds.

Listening carefully, he detected heavy breathing, one here and one . . . just
there. He sat up, wrapped his legs around the branch, fitted an arrow to his
bowstring, took careful aim, and fired. He heard a sharp scream and then an orc
scrambled out of the brush backwards, stood, and began to run. Legolas fired
again. The orc fell and didn't get up. The prince listened again for sounds.
Nothing. He must have got the first one. Well, that was two less.

He looked out through the curtain of branches at the elves and gave a shrill
whistling call, an eerie birdlike sound. But no bird in Middle Earth ever spoke
with that voice. It was the signature of the Mirkwood elves. Two of the
captives' heads snapped up and looked joyfully toward him.

The prince climbed higher and leapt from the first tree into one nearby. In this
way, he rapidly made his way halfway around the perimeter, where he located two
more uruks hiding behind a rock. He silently dispatched them as well. Four,
now.

Legolas gave another call and was pleased to see Ergluk jump up and look hard in
his direction. He called again, as much to reassure his friends as to unnerve
the orcs.

On the other side of the clearing, one of the orcs appeared and crawled into the
circle of firelight. Curse of Mandos, he hadn't quite killed that one. Only
three. He fitted another arrow.

"Enemies," the orc croaked out and fell flat on his face. Back to four.

"Get down! They've discovered us," cried Grutznaga. He jumped into the pit.
The other seven threw themselves flat and began crawling. Legolas rapidly made
his way to a new location and shot an arrow across the clearing where it landed
quivering in the back of one of the crawling orcs. He followed that with two
more arrows near to the same spot. The orc stood up abruptly, fell backward, and
landed halfway in the fire amid a shower of sparks. Two others pitched
themselves down into the pit.

"Fools! They're over there," Ergluk snarled. He pulled an arrow from the quiver
on his back and sent it flying where Legolas had been standing. But by then, the
prince had scampered through the waving treetops back in the other direction.
He paused, standing on a thick branch, and fired three arrows in rapid
succession, hitting three more of the enemy. Eight so far.

"You're surrounded," Legolas called out. "Surrender!" He fired again and the
arrow sliced through one of the ropes holding Glorfindel suspended. The
golden-haired elf fell to the ground.

Ergluk reacted quickly. Pulling Elwin in front of him, he held a knife to the
dark-haired elf's throat. "Cease shooting," he roared, "or you lose your
precious brother."

Legolas froze. No.

"Get up, cowards," Ergluk shouted at the other orcs. "Grab the prisoners. Use
them as shields." Two orcs seized Thornan and Glorfindel and pressed knives to
their throats.
"Show yourselves," Ergluk called, "All of you. Or I'll start killing ‘em, one by
one."

Now what? Legolas thought. He couldn't give himself up, that was certain doom
for all of them. Best to keep the beasts talking. "There are five elven archers
with arrows aimed at you right now," he called. "You'll never leave here alive."

"Neither will your friends," Ergluk said. "To show you I mean it, we'll kill one
of them, now. Which one will it be, Elf? Your choice." He pressed the knife so
hard into Elwin's throat that the musician began to gasp for breath.

In horror, Legolas looked down at his friends' stricken faces. He cast about
wildly, trying to think. There had to be some way to get all of them out of this
- alive.

*********************
-tbc-