#The Soldier and the Oak

[earlgodwin]

— you would end your pain?

[lendmyboyfriendahand]

More in the AU where Elrond and Elros are 16 years old rather than 6 when Sirion is sacked. Tag is "older kidnap fam fic" for previous installments

Elrond wakes up draped over the rump of a horse.

Not, to be clear, his own warhorse. His faithful stallion is being ridden by one of the few remaining warriors of the Gap, the great cavalry of the Noldor, who will be able to keep her seat regardless of what the horse tries.

Elrond isn't initially sure who is riding the horse that he's been set over like a sack of baggage. His arms are stretched out past his head, tied wrists dangling toward the ground, and his ankles are tied as well, tighter than the hobble that he had while walking. He can't see anything but horse flank.

Elrond wriggles around to try and get a better view, and someone notices.

"Lord Maedhros, it seems your guest is awake."

Maedhros pushes down the middle of Elrond's lower back to pin him more surely to the horse. "Lie still. If you fall off while riding in formation you're liable to get stepped on by the next horse, even if the rider wished to avoid you."

"I know how to ride properly."

"Yes, I saw that you were quite skilled when you killed my soldiers, which is why you're staying right there."

"Could I at least sit upright, even if I have to ride behind someone else like an infant?"

"Maybe tomorrow, if you give your word not to escape."

"I'm not stupid enough to try and bargain with you again, after you broke your word about setting us free from the cellar."

"I never said I'd set you free, I said I'd leave the city and wouldn't kill you. Sirion crumbled in the first assault, but I did no more damage after taking you and your brother into custody. If they're smart enough to repair the castle first, everyone should be able to keep warm this winter."

"And if they focus instead on burying their dead, or rebuilding their houses, or rescuing their kidnapped princes?"

"Who knows? But I'm not king of even the Noldor anymore, and the people of Sirion are not my responsibility."

"You would just let them die?" Elrond wanted to glare at the Feanorian, and nearly slipped backwards off the horse as he tried to sit up.

Maedhros caught Elrond deftly by the bound wrists and pulled him back into place. "Next time you do that, I'll let you fall"

"So you don't actually intend to even spare my life."

"I agreed to spare you, not to save you . None here will harm you, but I won't rescue you from consequences of childish stupidity, no more than I will rescue Sirion from winter. If you would rather bash your head open rather than remain my captive, I am not so cruel as to deny you that escape."

Elrond had nothing to say to that topic, as his first retort about more palatable escapes seemed likely just to enrage his captor, as did any question about cutting off hands. "Where's Elros? Was he at least left back in Sirion?" Elrond wanted his brother to be safe, and his people to have a leader with his mother drowned. But he, selfishly, also did to want to be alone with the kinslayers.

"He's here as well, don't worry. Nornmalo has him, and I trust him not to torture a prisoner, despite what it may sound like."

"The moans of pain might be a headache, he drank rather a lot of beer while we were trapped."

Maedhros laughed. "Well, a hungover child soldier. He will at least bother Nornmalo less with questions."

"Could I give him something to soothe the headache? I know a bit of healing."

"No. A headache won't kill him, and he'll get water when we stop same as you."

They stopped only once that day, to water the horses at a stream. Elros was pulled down from the saddle - feet first, luckily, though he still landed in a heap - and his hands untied. Maedhros tossed him a canteen, and said "if you need to piss, now's the best time. You won't get piss all over the horse or your clothes, and we're downstream of the rest of the company."

"My legs are still tied."

"The ropes low enough you should be able to unfasten your belt."

"Are you going to watch me the whole time?"

"Until I find another guard, yes."

Elrond drinks little enough water to avoid the issue, for the moment.

When it's time to ride again, Elrond puts up a fight about having his arms tied again. That just gets Maedhros pinning his face in the dirt while a soldier ties the rope.

Elrond is slung back on the horse like a parcel.

They stop again just before sunset to make camp.

Elrond's hands are untied again for dinner.

The food is simple, waybread and water, and Elrond wonders if he should mention that Men need to eat more than once a day.

Far more exciting than the food though is the figure dropped on the grass next to him, clutching his own canteen and waybread.

"Elros!"

"Elrond! By Ulmo, you're alright!"

"I am, just a bit bruised from the horse. You?"

"Here's something for your healer's notes: do not put people with hangovers upside down for hours. I must have thrown up a dozen times."

"That's terrible! Maybe we can ask-"

At that point the guard tells them to hurry up, they'll be taken to where they're sleeping in ten minutes regardless of how much dinner they've had. Elrond and Elros focus on eating.

They are not, apparently, going to be sleeping near each other. "Too much chance to plot."

The Feanorian soldiers have tents. Some of them share, some of them have their own. A few soldiers have tents obviously designed for two or three that they go into alone.

The horses stolen from Sirion are tied to a picket line. It's loped through the reins, but one person untying the end would let all the horses scatter.

The horses the Feanorians rode into town on are not tied at all. They are loyal old warhorses, and will not flee from orcs in the distance. If wolves do sneak past the guards into the camp, better for the horses to run, and come back at their masters' call when the danger is passed.

Elrond, by contrast, is tied to a tree trunk. His hands are tied in front of him rather than behind, and his legs are unbound. Maedhros's brother - and Elrond learned from a careless remark that their is only the one left - even tossed a blanket over Elrond's legs, to guard against the chill of the night air.

It is the most freedom of movement Elrond has had all day, but that's saying little.

He is stuck sitting up, feeling every root and rock underneath him, unable to reach his hands back to where the rope is tied behind the tree.

Elrond sleeps poorly, stirring at every noise, whether it's a guard on their rounds or an owl hooting its warning.

In the morning, Elrond is given a breakfast of water and waybread again.

Maedhros says "You know it would be suicidal to flee, alone in the wilderness, yes?" and lets Elrond ride behind him sitting up.

Elrond's hands are still bound, and a rope leads passed Maedhros to the saddle horn. If he fell off, he better hope he can keep pace with a cantering horse, or else be dragged on the ground.

Elrond stays on the horse. He figures out his balance well enough to turn, and sees Elros riding similarly.

Thing continue like this for over a week, until they reach Amon Ereb.

[cosmiado]

okay i know everyone has differing opinions on everything and all that but yall. i must be honest. it is absolutely baffling to me that there are people who exist who do not like Normal Oak. like, what do you MEAN??? hes a sweetheart!!! hes a menace!!! he smells like shit and he loves his friends so so much!!! he has never used the word "cringe" in his life!!!! i would lay down my life for him in an instant if he asked but he would never ask because hes kind and selfless!!!! if i see or hear anybody say he is annoying i will whimsically teleport into your house and pour milk in your bed

[alphiebetsoup]

emptiest head in the realms

[8-worms-in-a-trenchcoat]

the poet

soldier, poet, king

[buysomecheese]

Soldier Poet King quiz but dndads kiddads

Lark - soldier. No one is surprised.

Sparrow - expected soldier and got soldier; everyone else expected poet

TJ - thought he would be king; got poet

Nicky - was expecting soldier but got poet

(Bonus: Nicholas - would’ve gotten king

Nick - would’ve gotten poet)

Grant - thought he would be poet; got king

[found--family]

once again diving into the must-read dean-study time has come today by the phenomenal @urne-buriall​ and this paragraph is giving me brainworms of j*hn tying dean up and stranding him (maybe even faux kidnapping him first) in the middle of nowhere with coordinates where to meet once he frees himself bc such is the nature of their work dean needs to be self-sufficient he needs to be able to survive and not being old enough to legally drink or drive is no excuse 

[karmaspidr]

I miss Shady Oaks. The lore was incredible and Squid and Kindness made great villains. I wish we could get a reboot or a continuation.

[marshmallowfairbanks]

Art: Mighty Oak

[101flavoursofweird]

Solider (Wolf), Poet (Benson), Ruler (Kipo)

[earlgodwin]

"He's spent the entire time being picked upon and bullied by the family. I think personally from where Juan stands he sees the hypocrisy in the family, how they can do one thing and say another. As far as Juan is concerned he's always had the best interests of the family at heart, however misguided that might be and doesn't quite comprehend why nobody understands that. Nobody seems to understand that what he does, he does for the betterment of the Borgia clan and never waivers from that. He does that in ways that perhaps aren't sanctioned by the church or sanctioned by family law."

[afranse]

В страну законченных рабов

Слетелись чёрные вороны.

Чем больше в армии дубов,

Тем крепче наша оборона.

Какие мощные дубы,

Жаль только, что придурковаты.

И помирают, как рабы,

Они за царские палаты.

Дубы простуженно скрипят,

Как недобитые медведи.

И только вороны хрипят

О наступающей победе.

Страна господ, страна рабов,

Страна тупых военкоматов.

Кто за Бомбасс полечь готов,

Тот в путь уходит безвозвратный.

Поймайте ворона, друзья,

Чтоб на дорогу нам не каркал,

И чтобы место своё знал,

И не спускал с цепи овчарку.

Откуда здесь животный мир,

Хотя, как будто бы, тут люди?

Господь, спаси и сохрани,

Здесь ничего уже не будет.

И в новый бой спешат рабы -

Недальновидные солдаты.

Какие мощные дубы...

Жаль только, что придурковаты.

[dansnaturepictures]

30th July 2022: Durlston: Post 1 of 2: The butterflies, moths and other wildlife

It was time for another of our big day trips that we like to do every year today, visit Durlston to look for Lulworth Skipper butterflies and more. It was a fantastic day out of walking and wildlife watching. We didn’t come in April this year as we usually do as well due to the Pembrokeshire holiday that month taking us to similar habitat and seeing similar species that we target on that April trip the seabirds and others so it was nice to be back. We had two butterfly targets today, the Lulworth Skippers and Wall Brown that we had not yet seen this year. And we saw them both not long after arrival in a precious field we explored quite far up the country park which we hadn’t been in before but had seen Wall Brown flying in from behind the gate in the next field last year. We first saw the exotic Wall Brown flitting along fighting with Gatekeepers at times showing glimpses of its orange colour and settling down nicely seeing its beautiful patterned underwings too which was great. I took the first picture in this photoset of this butterfly. We possibly saw a few more of this butterfly I really admire one of my favourites on a big walk round this afternoon.

In terms of Lulworth Skippers we saw a few dusty looking males in the initial field which was great. The females are the more obvious for this species for me with their distinctive crescent on their wings so it then became about could we see one of them too having got lucky for this last year. We did see one walking round and it’s unmistakable seeing this beacon of light of the crescent on its wings. Then it became a phenomenal afternoon as we saw loads of Lulworth Skippers male and largely female. We saw well into the double figures of them a positive contrast to the handful we have saw doing this trip in 2019, 2020 and 2021 albeit the 2020 trip was in late June in a year many butterflies emerged early so their season may not have really got going at that stage. All three were incredible experiences just to see some of this rare species and today was sensational. It was an honour see these remarkable butterflies so intimately and well today, seeing pairs together, one really flapping its wings and seeing them land and their wings peel open to reveal the crescent on the females was amazing. I really cherished seeing this golden butterfly today and it’s so good to see them doing well here. I took the second, fourth, sixth and seventh pictures in this photoset of Lulworth Skippers here today. 

As butterfly species forty two and forty three of my year it takes my butterfly year list current number beyond my 2018 total and level with my 2020 total to be my joint second highest ever butterfly year list behind my 2019 and 2021’s tied total of 45. Of the only five other butterflies seen in my life there’s two I geographically cannot see this year now and we’ll try to see the other three so I could still make this year my highest butterfly year list ever. It’s such a delicate balance to try for that as one missed and it all tumbles if we didn’t succeed in seeing these two species today we would not have necessarily seen them this year especially true for the Lulworth Skippers as its only these parts in Dorset they’re around which makes it even more special to be able to see them so it felt even more precious to see them both today.

It was a circus of other glorious butterflies seen this afternoon with many Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Common Blues seen and some beautiful views of dashing Marbled Whites a decent amount still around here different to home where I’ve stopped seeing them pretty much now. There were a fair few Small Heath about too. It was perfect to do a Big Butterfly Count here as I always enjoy doing when we come in the summer.

Moths played a big part in a top trip today too as we spotted a sensational, bright, beautiful and colossal couple of Oak eggars, stunning moths to see one of the best I’ve ever seen and another key new one in an amazing year of moths for me this year I felt so lucky to see it. I also saw my first Silver Y of the year one I have been hoping for I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of this, my twenty sixth moth species of the year I am proud of how my moth year list is going the second year I’ve been doing them again.

There was a strong cast of other wildlife dominated by insects and other precious little things today; including a Common Green grasshopper that landed on my Mum’s leg and me at one point and was great to see intimately I took the fifth picture in this photoset of this, my first Common Lizard for a couple of years I believe always great to see dashing across the path, a splendid looking hoverfly, a striking Bloody-nosed beetle and possibly a second one too I identified the one in the ninth picture in this photoset as this using the Seek from iNaturalist app, Common Red Soldier beetle, Seven-spot ladybird which the eighth picture in this photoset shows on some wild carrot and Southern Hawker dragonflies with a good showing of bees this afternoon I saw some looking nice on woolly thistle and took a photo of this which I tweeted on Dans_Pictures tonight. I was also spoiled by another brilliant Roe Deer sighting this week with one staring out from a well vegetated back of field. There was another good mammal moment seeing a herd of cattle old and young well including a big bull I took the third picture in this photoset of two cows. My full wildlife sightings summary for today is in my next post about the birds, flowers and landscape today.

[skelecored]

having so much fun in 2.1. honestly 2.0 was kinda overwhelming, i'm glad we're back to some silly shit

[shevour]

me 2 days ago: i'm siding with minthara this run and destroying the grove h.alsin: *whimpering in bear form as he gets rocks thrown at him* me:

[8-worms-in-a-trenchcoat]

the soldier

soldier, poet, king