How do you hate

How do you wake up with

That smile that's on your face.

Our Lady Peace -- `Sell my Soul'

Chapter IIX: A Moment of Clarity

Valar, Estel thought, why was it that he found himself waking up with headaches more often than without when he was around his brothers and Legolas? He sighed and tried to roll over, realizing first the suspicious lack of light, and then that he was bound tightly at both his ankles and wrists, sitting against a stone wall. A small amount of light, a dull grey glow, issued from the figures that approached him, and once his eyes adjusted it was all the light he needed to discern that the figures standing before him were Elladan, Elrohir and two unnamed elves, no, vampires. But by the look of the male, he knew that it must be Aidan. Estel stiffened, holding Aidan's green gaze with his own. Aidan stepped towards him, grasping his stubble-covered chin with one hand and lifting it up to examine him.

"What do you want of me?" Estel challenged.

"You, foolish human, will be of great use to me once I change you. Then you will go back and lure your lovely elven prince to me."

"I would do no such thing!" Estel said, defiantly shaking his head from the vampire's grasp.

"Perhaps this will change your mind..." Aidan murmured, leaning towards the human's neck arteries. Estel squirmed, but found the grasp on his shoulders unnaturally strong.

This was not right... Elladan knew this was wrong. He had to defend Estel! "Stop!" He cried, pulling Aidan's hand away from Estel's arm.

Suddenly, Aidan turned on him with a hiss, grabbing his wrists roughly "You dare defy me!?"

Elladan's eyes widened in fear as Aidan stared back at him, wild and menacing, "I-I mean that he would be of more use to us as he is..."

"Perhaps," Aidan seemed to think, "But defying me like that still warrants some punishment!"

Estel could only watch as Aidan dragged Elladan, who was helpless to resist him for he knew that he was much stronger, to the cave's entrance. Elrohir remained still, his expression unreadable as he watched his brother be forced forward, hands held out. Aidan covered his own hands with Elrohir's cloak, slowly moving towards the cave entrance where shafts of daylight fell down. Then Elladan screamed aloud, his hands held out to the sunlight. They burned as if they had been plunged into the depths of a smithy's fire, fuelled by coal.

Elrohir's hands burned too, or seemed to, and he clutched them, wincing in pain.

"Oh, how I love the sound of screams first thing in the morning." Aidan smiled wickedly, "I could fall asleep to this..."

"Enough!" Elrohir said.

Aidan at last pulled Elladan back into the cave, allowing him to stumble into a darkened corner to nurse his wounds. All this while Estel had closed his eyes, unable to watch his brothers be put through such pain. How much more time he had before Aidan would take him as well, Estel did not know... but for now, he was safe.

"Are you certain, my son, that we are going in the right direction?"

"Yes, I am quite sure."

"We are not lost then?"

"I do not think so."

"That phrase bodes ill."

Legolas gave his father a playful grin, trying to recall the place where the path had broken away towards the cave. The problem was that in the daylight it all appeared alike, and very different from the night. Legolas had been in such a rush then, that he had not noted any particular qualities about the pathway.

"Adar," He said, trying to distract his father from his irritated state, and quell his own curiosity. Even as an adult, elves would maintain the inquisitiveness of their youth. "About the Last Alliance. What happened then, between you and Adain?"

Thranduil sighed and glanced to his son, "You wish to know?"

"Very much so. You never told me about what happened then."

The king nodded, "I had been captured by Aidan, and after his transformation he joined the battle, holding me as prisoner. He knew that this would lead my father and his people into the battle, which before he had been so reluctant to join..."

"Give him to me Aidan." Oropher cried, reaching out. In his other hand he bore a sword, and he was fully armed. Already he, and the rest of his army, were splattered with the fluids of war: mud, sweat, tears and blood, both of the enemies and their own. It was neither day nor night, it seemed, for dark clouds covered the sky scape, bringing thunder and rains down on the battlefield.

"If he matters to you so much, then come and retrieve him!"

Thranduil saw the archers before Oropher, and he knew that he had to warn him of it. But now the rain seemed to fall slowly, and he pushed at the gag about his mouth, his eyes frantic as his father continued towards him, clamouring up the rocky hillside.

Within a flash of lightening Thranduil saw the orcish archer aim, marking Oropher carefully. Even as he struggled against his bonds, he saw the arrow let loose and make its mark.

He was frozen: unable to move, to speak, to warn him, to grieve him...

Dusk was falling again, night draping her dark cloak, embedded with diamond stars, over the world. Moonlight shone on the snow again, making the world all black, grey and soft. Thranduil and Legolas still travelled, seeming to go around in circled along the pathway as they searched for any trace of Estel or the twins.

From the cave entrance, where they were, Aidan watched as the light crept away, as if frightened by the approaching shadow. In his arms was a limp form, shorter and stockier than an elf's. This was Estel, neither dead nor bitten, but simply knocked from consciousness once more. Behind him stood the vampiric she-elf, who seemed exceedingly loyal to Aidan, and the twins, their expressions vacant and uncomprehending.

"Tonight," Aidan muttered, "This shall be the night when both Thranduil and his brat are eliminated."

To be continued...