Return to the North [ Lord of the Rings x Silmarillion ]

Too Soon

Edeva swung her twin axes in front of her. She caught a warg in the face and buried one axe deep into the canine's skull. With that one dead, she whipped her head around to locate Elfwine. She spotted him going head to head with two goblins. His sword swung here and there. She thanked whatever gods were listening that day for the training he had received.

"Elfwine!" She called to him when he had cleared his foes. "Where is Greymane?"

"I saw him over there," her brother said, pointing left.

She nodded. "Come. You should fight atop him. You will be safer."

She took his hand, much to his annoyance, and dragged him where Elfwine had last seen Greymane. After several minutes of searching, they caught sight of the majestic beast. The powerful member of the Mearas was trampling all in his path and kicking wargs in the face. Elfwine leapt on top of him once there was an opening and began his fight on horseback. He was well skilled in mounted combat.

Edeva nodded, glad that was done. She turned back to the right just in time as a large sword came down on her. With her axes, she caught the blow and pushed back, knocking the opposing man off balance. She landed her own deadly blows.

She caught sight of Finduilas and Barahir nearby and ran to them. She let loose a throwing axe and it buried itself deep in the cranium of a huge Angmarin soldier. As she approached the corpse and retrieved the axe, Finduilas nodded her thanks.

"Good throw," she commented. "Where is your brother?"

"I sent him to join the mounted warriors with Greymane," responded Edeva. "He will be safer there."

Finduilas agreed. Together with Barahir they turned back to the fight. The man, their brother and cousin, was hewing his way through goblins easily. Despite his skinny stature, he was all muscle. He wielded his sword with deadly accuracy and strength.

"Any sign of the others?" Finduilas asked her cousin Edeva. "I have not seen anyone for a long while."

"Neither have I," Edeva shook her head.

The two women turned back to the fight as a large warg and orc pair sped towards them. Edeva and Finduilas stood their ground until the warg leapt, taking that moment to spin aside and land deep blows in the warg's flank. It died beneath their blades and sent the orc flying. Edeva finished him off with her throwing axe.

Edeva told Finduilas that she was going to find the others to hear whatever news she could gather. The brown haired woman sped off to find the Gondorian section of the army. When she reached it, she found Elboron fighting off several Angmarin soldiers. She raised her hand to throw her axe.

But an ugly black arrow pierced her hand and she screamed in pain, dropping the axe. Elboron, distracted by her cry, looked over to her as he killed his last attacker.

He screamed in horror. "Edeva!"

A second arrow pierced her, this time in the back behind her stomach. She fell to her knees in pain, one hand maimed beyond use by the arrow. Elboron ran towards her but it was much too late.

A sword swung and met with Edeva's neck. Her head rolled to the ground, her body falling forward lifelessly. The eldest child of Eomer and Lothiriel was lost, her body claimed by the mud.

"No!" Elboron roared in anger.

"Edeva!" came a distressed and horrified cry to his left.

Elfwine, riding Greymane proudly, had watched the entire ordeal in horror. His face was white as snow from the shock. Elboron realized he had to get Elfwine to safety. He had to get Elfwine away from the battle.

Elboron ran to the screaming teenager and leapt atop his horse behind him. For the first and only time, Greymane permitted someone besides his master to ride him.

Elboron spurred the stallion onward. They galloped hard back to base camp, Elfwine fighting Elboron the entire time. When at last they arrived, they found Eldarion and Aderthon speaking in hushed voices.

"Elboron, Elfwine!" Eldarion looked at them in surprise. "What is wrong?"

"She's dead," Elfwine screamed. "She can't be dead!"

"Edeva," murmured Elboron in explanation to the other men as he dismounted and pulled the teenage boy down after him.

"I need to go back," screamed Elfwine, punching Elboron, his cousin, and fighting hard to leave.

"Elfwine, stop!" Prince Eldarion said, grabbing him and restraining his arms. "Stop."

Elfwine did his best to stop thrashing after several more moments of panic. He turned to Eldarion, the person he had looked up to the most.

"She can't be dead," he whispered in distress.

Eldarion pulled the young man into a hug. He didn't let Elfwine move until he felt the boy settle down a little more. By now, Elfwine's screams had attracted the attention of Aragorn. He came over to see what the matter was. Elboron walked up to him.

"Edeva has fallen," he whispered to his king in explanation. "Killed in front of Elfwine."

Aragorn sighed in pain and rubbed his forehead. "Elbereth Gilthoniel."

Eldarion released the teenager. Elfwine met Aragorn's gaze and glared.

"This wasn't our war," he growled. "My sister died for you. Because of the betrayal of one of your kinsmen."

"Elfwine," Elboron wanted sharply. "Lord Aragorn may not be your king, but he is a king."

"It's alright," Aragorn shook his head. "Elfwine, you are not wrong. But your father and I are sworn to protect one another. He allowed you to journey North."

Elfwine stared angrily at the ground. It had been he who had begged to go North. His sister would not have gone if not for him. She was dead because of him.

"Yet your father also placed you under my protection." Aragorn shed a few tears. "And I failed him."

Estelwen came over and took Elfwine by the hand. She kissed his forehead and hugged him close.

"Come on, Elfwine. Let's get you some food and rest." She quietly led the teenager away from the men and towards the tent.

Once Elfwine was away, Aragorn turned to Elboron. "How did she die? Can we recover her body?"

"She was beheaded." Elboron closed his eyes in pain and he began to stumble slightly.

Eldarion and Aderthon caught him.

"Elboron, you are bleeding!" Aderthon gasped and scolded him as he took away his hand to find blood upon it.

Elboron shrugged. "Not too badly."

Aderthon and Eldarion forced him to sit upon a wooden chair as Aragorn looked him over.

"I will not lose another one of you put under my protection." The king frowned and lifted up Elboron's shirt to reveal a large cut.

"Why are you two here?" Elboron asked his friends as Aragorn took a good look at the cut.

Eldarion looked at Aderthon, and Elboron noted that Lord Aragorn had halted his inspection of the wound for a split second. Aderthon's face contorted between rage and fear.

"Lady Míril had been gravely injured," Eldarion explained. "And Tinneth is dead."

Elboron nodded. They remained silent for a long while as Aragorn treated the wound, cleaning and stitching the cut. He needed no other explanation.

Suddenly Elfwine rushed over, pushing away a healer as he scrambled over to the grown men. The four looked at him in concern.

"Elfwine?" Aragorn looked at him, a question on his heart. "What-?"

"She went after her!" Elfwine whined. "She went out there!"

"Who?" Eldarion asked. "Who went where?"

Elfwine frowned. "Estelwen. She went to find Edeva's body."