Peregrin Took had been attempting something he found near to impossible -- explaining to Legolas and Ciendriel the importance of Elevensies -- when the door to the banquet hall burst open and a flood of Elves swarmed into the room. This was unusual in that this was not a time of day when anyone besides Elrond's guests were here eating anything. Only he, Angelica, Legolas and Ciendriel had been in the hall. Merry had gone after Estella, who had gone after Gimli to the garden.

Pip had never figured out how Elves could subsist on as little as they did, so the sudden appearance of nearly all the remaining residents of Rivendell was his first clue that something was very, very wrong. The second clue was the hoard of Uruk-hai warriors who swarmed in after them. Pippin jumped to his feet and grabbed Angelica's hand. Legolas and Ciendriel were already up.

"Our weapons are in the bedroom," Legolas said, sounding anguished.

"And we are well out-numbered," Ciendriel added. "There must be over a hundred of them!"

"Not one of these Elves has weapons! What sort of warriors are you people?" Pippin said, hearing the fear in his own voice. The Uruk-hai, of course, were all armed to the teeth.

"Ones who have been taken by surprise in a place we all thought to be safe," Legolas replied.

The Uruks surrounded them, herded them into the center of the room. The Elves seemed more angry than frightened, Pippin thought, so he tried to keep a brave face himself, hanging tightly to Angelica's hand. He could feel her fingers shaking and she pressed tightly to him, but she said nothing. If the Uruk-hai wanted to slaughter them all, they were doomed.

One of them, bigger than the rest, and slightly better dressed, climbed up on one of the tables and banged his spear on the table for attention. Pippin looked up at him but noticed that the rest of his Uruks kept their eyes fiercely trained on the Elves.

"Elves of Rivendell!" the big Uruk bellowed, "You are now the prisoners of Tallanz, Chief of the Wandering Uruk-hai. I am General Raxror. I hold all of your lives in my hands."

"Let's kill them all!" roared one of the Uruk-hai.

"Silence! Tallanz wants them alive," Raxror sneered at him. "I am in charge here, and if you do not hold your tongue, I'll have it for dinner." He turned his attention back to the Elves. "Tallanz is currently…negotiating… with your leader, Lord Elrond." This brought some nasty chuckled from the Uruks. "Until a decision regarding your lives has been made, we wait. However, any one of you who causes a problem will be immediately executed."

Raxror signaled to the Uruk-hai and they herded the Elves into the back half of the room. The guards formed a line across the room, so that a wall of heavily armed Uruks stood between them and the only exit. Pippin and Angelica stayed close to Legolas and Ciendriel. The Uruks allowed them to sit down at the tables and benches, muttering quietly in frustration.

Ciendriel leaned over and whispered to the female Elf sitting to her right in Elvish. Pippin strained his ears to listen, but his Elvish was mediocre at best. Most of the phrases he knew were things like 'more beer, please,' 'your chamber or mine?' and 'I'll eat anything but lembas.'

"What are they saying?" Angelica whispered to him.

"I have no idea," Pippin replied. "Legolas! What are they saying? Does she know how this happened?"

Legolas nodded. "They came without warning. They outnumbered us three to one, but some Elves made it to their weapons and fought them in the garden."

"The garden! Merry was in the garden!" Pippin cried.

"And Estella and Gimli," Angelica added. "Where are they?"

Legolas turned and asked the Elf Ciendriel was speaking to, then turned back to Pippin and Angelica. "They were not seen. I am sorry."

"Perhaps they escaped," said Angelica hopefully.

"Gimli would not go down without a fight," Legolas said reassuringly. "Perhaps they hid themselves, and indeed escaped."

"I can't imagine Gimli hiding," said Pippin.

"Nor can I," Legolas sighed. He turned back to listen to the conversation between Ciendriel and the other Elf for another moment.

Angelica looked up at Pippin and he saw tears sparkling in her eyes. "I can't stand the thought of anything happening to them," she said, choking back a sob. Pippin put his arms around her gently.

"Shh, my little Diamond. Merry's a fearless warrior. He'll be all right." He had to believe it. He and Merry had been through so much together.

"What about Bilbo and Frodo? And Gandalf?"

"Gandalf left Rivendell this morning," said Legolas. "I know not for what purpose. He means to return in a few days."

"And the others?"

"I know not. I hope that they, too, have hidden themselves."

"Frodo's certainly good at that," said Pippin.

Legolas nodded.

"What else happened?" Angelica asked him.

"The Elves in the garden fought well and killed many of the Uruk-hai. Now they outnumber us only two to one. Still, they are many, and we are few and without weapons. Of those who fought, most were disarmed and are here now…"

"Haldir and his brothers are not here," Angelica pointed out.

"Nor Elrond," said Pippin, "Or that advisor fellow and his sister, the ones who were with us in the library."

Legolas nodded. "Erestor and Isilwen."

He turned and asked the female Elf about them. Pippin heard her reply slowly and carefully, looking distressed. Tears began to run down the cheeks of Ciendriel, and cold fear spiraled inside of Pippin. Legolas did not betray his feelings with his expression, but deep sadness came into his eyes as he turned to deliver the news to the two Hobbits.

"Of Haldir, Erestor, and Isilwen there is no word. Elrond is the prisoner of the one they call Tallanz…the leader of these Uruk-hai." He paused and took a great breath before he continued. "Orophin and Rúmil of Lorien fought with the Elves in the garden. They-- they were the only two to fall."

***

Meriadoc Brandybuck was doing all he could to keep himself together. He knew that he, Estella, and Gimli could have found themselves in a lot worse of a situation than they were in now. He didn't have a clue as to how they were going to help the Elves that were still inside and had been taken prisoner by the Uruk-hai. His instinct told him that they should run -- but there was one problem with that. Pippin, Angelica, Bilbo and Frodo were in there, and he would never have abandoned any of them.

His anger at Estella and Gimli was nearly, but not quite, forgotten. He had gone out of his mind when he saw them kissing. He couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to sock Gimli in the nose. He was lucky the Dwarf didn't have his ax handy in that moment -- Gimli could have filleted him.

It's all a sham! Estella's words still rang in his mind. Was she ready to give up the game already? Why? Had she forsaken Pippin for Gimli? True, she had said she had just followed him out to the garden to ask him a question and that she did not mean to lead him on, but Merry wondered. In any event, the Dwarf was a better choice than his cousin for her misbegotten crush. At least she would stop trying to come between Pip and Angelica.

Estella was a mischievous, conniving little minx, and more and more Merry wanted her for himself. Yet this was absolutely not the time to be thinking about romantic tangles. The three of them crept carefully towards the two blond Elves that had fallen in the battle with the Uruk-hai.

"No!" Gimli cried softly, cursing under his breath. "Not the lads. Not the both of them."

Rúmil and Orophin of Lorien lay face down and still on the grass just below the steps to the garden. They still wore their quivers and sword belts. Merry wondered if he was strong enough to lift an Elven sword. They were going to need what weapons they could find, and the Uruk-hai blades were heavier. Dozens of Uruk-hai bodies littered the garden, filled with Elven arrows.

Estella began to sob as they neared the bodies. Merry put his arms around her and stroked her long, curly brown hair. She melted into his embrace. She felt so right in his arms. His heart was heavy with grief for the two brothers of Haldir. Orophin and Rúmil had been some of the most entertaining fellows he had ever known. In fact, he had learned most of his Elvish from them, as they did not speak the common tongue very well. Of course, most of the phrases Merry knew could not be used in polite company.

"We should bury them," Gimli said.

"Oh, right. I'm sure the Uruk-hai won't notice the three of us conducting an Elven funeral," Merry said. Estella let go of him and looked at him solemnly, wiping her eyes with her fists. "Unfortunately, I think we're just going to have to leave them."

Before Merry could add that he thought they should take their weapons, one of the bodies began to move. Estella let out a little shriek as Orophin and Rúmil sat up.

"Shh!" said Orophin, putting a finger to his lips. He said something in Elvish that Merry didn't understand. Merry looked at Gimli, who shrugged.

"Alive," said Rúmil, after apparently struggling for a few moments to come up with the word. "Uruk-hai…very stupid."

"Ahh, but you laddies are very clever!" cried Gimli. He hugged both of them around the waist as the got to their feet. "Now we have enough of us to fight them properly."

Merry wasn't entirely sure about that, but it did seem that the two Lorien Elves were prepared. They had hidden their bows when they pretended to fall. Each took daggers hidden in their boots which they handed to Gimli, Merry, and Estella. Estella looked at hers as if she didn't know which end to hold it by.

"I can't fight Orcs," she whispered. "I can't, Merry!"

"You'll be fine," Merry told her firmly. "Just keep it for now. I'll…I'll look after you."

"This Elvish blade is no battle ax, but 'twill serve nicely," Gimli said. "Come now! I long to taste blood!"

Haldir's brothers motioned for the Dwarf to keep his voice down, and to follow them. Merry told Estella to stay between him and Gimli as they crept closer to the perimeter of Elrond's palace. When they saw the first of the Uruk-hai guards patrolling the grounds, she nearly swooned. Merry fought to reassure her, to keep her conscious and quiet. Taking care of Estella helped him forget his own fear.

"Come on," he whispered to her urgently, "Don't forget that Pippin is still in there. Do this for him. Keep yourself together."

Estella nodded, but there was nothing he could say to erase the fear in her eyes. The two blond Elves took down the guards stealthily with well-aimed arrows shot in unison. Merry knew this would buy them only a small amount of time.

"Uruk-hai don't take role calls," Gimli whispered to them. "They rarely notice when members of their guard are missing. They achieve their victories with sheer numbers. Luckily, they can't count very well."

"What exactly are you saying, Gimli?" Merry asked with frustration.

"It's very simple. All we have to do is creep around and pick them off a few at a time."

Merry did not like this plan at all. He also did not think that Estella would hold with it very long. Luckily for the both of them, Orophin and Rúmil seemed to have some other plan as well. They stopped beneath the window and indicated that they were going inside.

"You can't leave us here, laddies!" said Gimli. Orophin nodded. Rúmil swung himself up and into the window, then indicated that it was safe. Gimli frowned. "I hope you're not thinking of tossing me," he growled in a warning tone.

"You can toss me," Merry said, elbowing Gimli out of the way. "Go ahead, Estella, let him lift you up."

Orophin passed Estella up to Rúmil, who helped her into the room. Merry let the Elf lift him next, and as he had expected, Gimli soon followed, protesting all the while. Orophin followed him in. They found themselves in one of the many guest bedrooms of Rivendell. This one was large and open. It looked vaguely familiar to Merry, and he remembered why as a flash of blue light and a battle cry alerted him to the presence of others.

They all jumped out of the way as Bilbo Baggins came running forward, waving and slashing Sting. Bilbo tripped and went flying onto the bed, impaling one of the pillows with his sword. He looked around the room wildly, then gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness. You can come out now, Frodo! I think it's safe."

An armoire popped open and Frodo appeared, looking serious and worried. Merry had never been gladder to see him in his life.

"Merry! Estella! Gimli!"

"Maybe," said Bilbo, finally managing to free Sting from the pillow, "I had better give this back to you, Frodo, my lad."

Frodo went and took the sword from his uncle, tucking it away into his scabbard. He turned to the two Elves. "Orophin. Rúmil."

Frodo said something else, which Merry was amazed to realize that he could understand -- Frodo had asked them what had happened. Orophin explained to him slowly, but Merry could not follow the conversation. At least in Frodo they had an interpreter of sorts.

"The Uruk-hai have taken over the palace," Frodo told them at last. "Bilbo and I have been hiding. They went through every room and rounded up all the Elves. They are keeping them prisoner in the banquet hall, except for Elrond. I do not know where he is."

"Pippin and Diamond went to the banquet hall," Estella said miserably.

"So did Legolas and Ciendriel," Merry added.

"The banquet hall! Do they mean to make a meal of them all?" Gimli gasped.

"I hope not," Frodo said sincerely.

"Has anyone else managed to escape?" asked Merry.

"I don't know," Frodo sighed. "We should stick together and try to find Elrond."

Rúmil said something urgent to Frodo in Elvish. Frodo nodded.

"They know a secret room that Elrond made below the palace. We'll go there first."