To Live Again: Waiting Between Worlds {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}

The Mortal Flaw Part II

A white stallion sped through the bewildered and horrified crowd of Silvan warriors, his two riders wearing matching expressions of anxiety as the beheld the crumbling of the old fortress.

Celairiel clung to Glorfindel's waist, stretching up in the saddle to spy for a familiar face, hoping to see her brother at the very least. She saw nothing but the disintegrating ruins, and heard nothing but the sound of rock colliding with rock...her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

"Princess!"

That voice...she knew that voice!

Tugging sharply on her guides shoulder, he stilled the horse and twisted to look questioningly at the frantic elleth's features.

"Aradan!" She cried and pointed for Glorfindel to head straight for the elf that was sprinting towards the fortress, he nodded once and obliged.

"Where is the King?" Glorfindel called as he slowed his horse on reaching the haggard looking solider.

"The fortress," he gasped for breath, "as is his son!"

"They could be trapped!" Celairiel gasped.

"I'll ride ahead and search for them," Glorfindel replied, gesturing for Celairiel to dismount.

"Not likely," she hissed back, tightening her grip on him, "we are not arguing about this, my family are in trouble...ride...now!"

Glorfindel gave an exasperated roll of his eyes but didn't argue as he forced his horse forward - she was right they had no time to bicker.

The pair raced across the long draw bridge. The clattering of the horse's hooves echoing eerily through the hallow shell of the ruins, punctuated every so often with the loud crack or crumble of yet more rocks, or foundations giving way.

The horse reared suddenly - startled by a collapsing column.

The stall bringing them to a halt not but a few yards from the city's broken gates. A tremor rocked the ground and a jagged spilt shot through the rock.

Celairiel did not wait to heed Glorfindel's warnings as she launched from the animal's back and sprinted toward a staggering figure emerging from he dust and debris.

"Ada!" she cried, alerting Glorfindel to her discovery and he quickly followed suit; racing to collect the injured King before the bridge gave out.

Celairiel caught her Adar just in time and hauled him towards safety, joined seconds later by Glorfindel who ushered them with all urgency out of the way of yet more collapsing pillars.

Narrowly they missed the falling debris. All three of them landing with a force against the now broken bridge.

The young princess didn't wait to catch her breath as she scrambled from the ground and went to make her way back.

"Celairiel!" Glorfindel warned and lunged for the crazed elleth, barely catching her around the waist and holding her back as another portion of the supporting pillars smashed into the ground.

"No! Let me go!" she wailed and lashed out, wrestling with her captor; "my nana is still in there...and my brother...Legolas, I'm coming!" she continued to call uselessly.

"You cannot go back!" Glorfindel ordered her, stilling her erratic movements by pinning her as tightly to his chest as he could. The truth of his words sending a rattling through his soul, the pain of her loss, the grief that spewed from her lips resounded in his own soul...had it come to this?

"Where is Legolas?" The King's voice was void and empty, his eyes glazed and frantic as he peered around the small gathering of warriors who had eventually caught up to him.