For Recap follow the link…. https://muaawin.org/author/abdullah09/

 

Elmar came out of the bathroom to find a tray laden with food on an oak table which was lined with silver around the edges.

‘I am famished’, he thought as he ate a loaf of lembas and drank a clear liquid that looked like water but had a sweeter taste and gave vigor to his body. After eating a few more loaves and a few fruits he sighed and got up to comb his wet hair in front of a mirror. As he did so the full moon peeked through a high window and cast a pale light on his face revealing to him dark spots under his eyes and a few scratches that he had gotten during the battle.

As Elmar was busy braiding his long jet-black hair, an elf came in with armor and a helm.

‘A gift from lord Elrond’, he said after putting the armor on the stand nearby, he bowed and left the room.

Elmar stared at the polished armor, it slightly gleamed in the moonlit room. He went to pick the chest plate up, expecting it to be heavy but it was as light as a feather but as strong as steel, the cunning smiths work of the elves was unparalleled except by the dwarves.

As soon as Elmar was done donning the armor, lord Elrond walked in.

‘I see you are ready to go.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘As you said your friend was badly injured, he may need immediate medical attention, that’s why I am dispatching Eöl and another elf, who is a master in the arts of healing to accompany you. You may find the elves extremely helpful.’, said Elrond.

‘I am grateful for your help lord Elrond’, said Elmar bowing.

‘No need. Cirdan has also helped me before, I am only returning the favor to his people.’, said Elrond, slightly smiling. He then turned and left Elmar alone in the room.

After making final adjustments to the fitting of his armor, he picked up his bow and sword and made his way to the courtyard to find Eöl and the other elf patiently waiting for his arrival.

‘Eöl’, Elmar called. ‘I need a quiver of arrows.’ Eöl nodded and briskly went away to fetch some arrows.

Elmar looked at the other elf.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Gelmir, my lord.’, he replied.

‘Are you a good healer Gelmir?’, asked Elmar.

‘I think I am but it would help to know what will I be dealing with?’

‘I am not a healer but I do know that the wound was infected and Borlas was burning with fever.’

‘Well in that case we should really hurry up. I was told that it took you a day to get here and it will take a few hours to get back even if we run. I fear that we may be too late.’ Said Gelmir.

‘That’s what I fear but I keep hoping that he is alive. Otherwise, his death is on me, I left him behind.’ Elmar said with guilt in his eyes.

‘I am sure sir you gave your best to ease the fever.’ Said Gelmir, trying to soothe Elmar. Elmar turned his head towards him and gave a faint smile.

Soon the three elves were on their way. Elmar started to run as soon as they were out of the valley and he recognized the way, the other two elves followed suit.

It was nearing 10 when Elmar neared the place where he had left two nights ago. He vaguely remembered the surroundings as he had been there when it was night. The sun was just rising over the treetops, already burning their backs with the heat. Sweating Elmar reached the lake where he had found the herb to ease the fever of Borlas. The elves drank from the lake and washed their faces before Elmar set out to look for his friend.

It didn’t take long for him to find the place where he had lain Borlas, but now there was only a cloak and the skin containing water that he had left with him. The skin appeared to be empty.

‘This is it?’, asked Gelmir.

‘Yes, it is.’, answered Elmar sternly.

‘Are you sure? I can’t see him anywhere.’ replied Gelmir.

‘No someone was here, see.’, said Eöl pointing to the grass near the tree where Borlas had previously slept.

‘The grass is all springy except the place where Borlas had lain down. There it is all flat.’, Eöl explained the all too obvious clue.

‘So, what do you think happened?’, asked Gelmir.

‘I have no idea.’, said Elmar as he collapsed to his knees, unable to take in the sudden realization that instead of being possibly dead Borlas had disappeared.

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After examining the area Eöl and Elmar came back.

‘Did you find anything?’, asked Gelmir.

‘The most logical explanation that we can come up with is that the orcs may have carried Borlas. There are heavy footmarks all around the area which can be made by the boots of the orcs’, replied Eöl.

‘And since the water skin is empty, I think Borlas may have woken up and emptied it. Or the orcs may have spilled the water, of which they are very capable of doing.’, added Elmar.

‘So, what do we do now?’, asked Gelmir.

‘We should look for him.’, proposed Elmar.

‘No, I don’t think it wise. We should make for the havens. The orcs would have gone to meet up with their friends. It is pretty normal for orcs to take captives.’, argued Eöl

‘I fear we won’t be of much help. And Gelmir does not know how to fight does he?’, replied Elmar.

‘Well, we should leave him somewhere near the haven, away from the fight. We could also see how the fight is faring and if we could help in any other way.’, said Eöl.

‘Alright. But after that I am going to search for Borlas if we don’t find him with the orcs.’, said Elmar, giving into the idea of going to the havens instead of looking for Borlas first.

With that the three elves shouldered their packs and weapons and made for the path that led to Mithlond.

 

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NOTE: This a fanfiction based on Middle Earth created by J.R.R Tolkien who is also the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit from where this story takes inspiration from.