One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan

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Chapter 5

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The cooling water from the stream splashed against Angrod's face, providing a blissful respite from the scorching summer sun. As the brothers paused to catch their breath, Aegnor leaned against a towering tree, one foot propped up on its sturdy trunk, angrily chomping on an apple.

 "I had assumed your knowledge of these parts was far superior to mine, brother!" Aegnor grumbled, his furious glare betraying his temperament.

  Angrod flicked the cooling water off his fingers and turned to face his sibling, his expression tinged with aggravation.

 "I loath to remind you that it was you who insisted upon this shortcut that you claimed you had charted before, one that was unfamiliar to me! And your incessant complaints have been not but a hindrance! A bird would not complain as much as you do if it were jolted from its perch!" Angrod retorted "Once again, you fail to remember that I have an esteemed sense of direction!"

 "Yes, I recall the moments I followed your 'esteemed sense of direction' brother, like our journey through Nan-Tathren?"

 "That was hardly my fault! We were unexpectedly cut off!" Angrod retorted, shedding his cloak.

 "Then, I near drowned in the Mouths Of Sirion!" Aegnor continued. 

 "Enough of this idle prattle! Let us be off before I am sorely tempted to drown you in this accursed lake right now!" With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Aegnor to trail reluctantly behind. Yet Aegnor's ire was not so easily quelled, and he soon caught up to his brother, his brow furrowed in a deep scowl.

 "And let us not forget my misfortune, stranded for four days amidst a relentless storm, that falling into that treacherous river had led me to!" Aegnor continued. Angrod turned around to face him, folding his arms in annoyance. "That's what happened the last time I relied on your sense of direction! Frankly, I'd prefer being submerged in this lake and drowned to enduring another scorching moment, lost in the wilderness with you!"

  With that, he stormed past Angrod, their shoulders colliding with a resounding thump. "Why the urgency? What makes this trip so crucial to you?" Angrod inquired.

  Aegnor spun around swiftly. He regarded Angrod with a fiery gaze. "I made a promise!" he yelled

 "I understand your attachment to them, truly,  I do, but they are only children, Aegnor. They will understand."

   Aegnor hurled his apple at him. It struck Angrod square in the centre of his chest, eliciting a soft thump. He let out a long, defeated sigh.  "Your aim could use some work," he retorted. Another apple was thrown hitting him straight between the eyes. "This is how you resolve our conflict!?" He protested

  "We are leaving...Now!" Aegnor bellowed departing swiftly.

  Angrod grumbled as he angrily collected his belongings at his feet, throwing them into a his sack "I deserve more respect than this. I have long endured this abuse from you!" Angrod stomped behind, his eyes caught Aegnor who had stopped, his gaze fixed upon the empty glade before him.. "My patience with you is but a thread thin!" Angrods eyes shifted to the open glade, where Aegnor was staring. His eyes squinting. "The horses..." he said with a spark of realisation.

"They're gone." Aegnor added simply. Matching his candid tone.

 A moment of tense silence filled with Aegnors disgruntled sigh. Angrod flung his sack to the ground, his rage boiled over into a full blown tantrum. Kicking at the sack and grunting, he grabbed rocks and hurled them away, grunting loudly into the air. Aegnor watched from behind. Finally his frustration melted into a calm ease and Angrod crouched low. Cradling his head in his hands. 

 "Now that was much better!" Aegnor praised. "His lips curling into an amused smirk. "I must say Angrod, I prefer this side of you much more! It is good to surrender to the release!" He grinned sardonically, "Let us find our steeds and be gone from here!" He stomped off to pick up their trail.

Angrod finally rose from his pathetic ball of self pity and followed behind. Under the scorching sun, the two brothers embarked on a search for their lost steeds. Aegnor skilfully traced their path, leading them to an open field situated half a mile away from the river.

"They were here...grazing on these weeds..." Aegnor said as he crouched, examining the ground. He then straightened his legs and rose, his eyes following the ground. "Something frightened them, and they ran... in that direction!" Aegnor pointed towards the distance, trying to piece together the events. Angrod sat on a rock, shaking his head dismissively

"It appears your tracking skills match my sense of direction," Angrod murmured. Aegnor glared at him, frustration still lingering.

"I am not making fabrications!" Aegnor growled, his frustration rising.

  Angrod chuckled softly, "We have seen this same rock upon the first pass. We are walking in circles. The horses are lost, and so are we!"

"If you desire to turn back, then go! I will go on alone! I need not your help!" Aegnor growled as he stormed away from his brother.

"And just how shall I leave!?" Angrod cried after him. "As it stands...I am yet without a steed!"

 Aegnor ignored him.

"Stop!" yelled Angrod. Aegnor reluctantly slowed his pace and stopped. He turned, and Angrod closed the distance between them.

 "We find the horses together, and we leave together. We are not separating. I need you to stay together. You are my brother,") Angrod spoke

"Your brother..." Aegnor's resolve hardened. "I feel like your mule!"

   Angrod's fist collided with Aegnor's face, sending him crashing to the ground. Aegnor grunted loudly, his eyes flooded with surprise, and betrayal stared up at him.

 "Get up!" Angrod growled

  Meeting his brother's intense gaze, Aegnor slowly rose to his full height and stood eye-to-eye with him. The silence between them palpable, Angrod dared Aegnor to strike. After a seething pause, Aegnor released a tense, dismissive sigh and turned away, seemingly disengaging. Then, a sudden sweep, Aegnor whirled around and struck Angrod with even greater force than he had received. The powerful blow sent Angrod stumbling, landing hard on the ground with a painful yelp. Aegnor glared down at him, flicking the numbness from the impact in his wrist. Staring up as Aegnor, Angrods jaw tensed with rage.

  The melodic elvish language was laced with venomous accusation as he rounded on his brother. ("Alas, your skills in tracking have clearly deserted you! We shall never recover those errant horses, for your head has been lost amidst the clouds since our return from Ladros!")

  Aegnor's brow furrowed in defiance, and he refused to engage in the Elvish tongue. "What do you mean?" he growled, his tone laden with bristling ire.

"You know full well what I speak of!" Angrod snarled, his features twisted in a mask of fury.

 "You flit about, doing as you please, heedless of the world that burns around you. You neither see nor care! You are selfish, and you are weak!"

   At this, Aegnor's eyes flashed with a tempest of emotion. "Weak and selfish, am I?" he roared, his voice resonating with a righteous indignation. "Nay, brother, it is I who holds our ranks together in the accursed depths of Angband! While you oft disappear to Eru knows where, I endure the poisoned fumes of that treacherous place, just as you do!"

  He drew in a shuddering breath, his features etched with a pain that ran deeper than mere words could convey. "Yet I also yearn to bring some measure of joy into the lives of these poor children, Is that such a grievous misstep?

 "Nay, this goes far deeper than mere concern for the children," he spat. "This is about her, is it not? That girl, Andreth - she has been lodged within your thoughts since the day we first laid eyes upon her."

  Aegnor's voice and expression softened. "It is not so simple as that,"

"I care not for the nature of your feelings," Angrod snapped, his hand raised in a stern, commanding gesture. "You must put them aside, now! We have far graver issues to contend with!"

  But Aegnor stood firm. "She is not merely a whim, brother," he replied, his tone laced with a quiet intensity.

  Angrod's eyes narrowed, his frustration palpable. "I said, enough!" he snarled. "I need y—"

  But his words were abruptly cut short as an arrow came whistling through the air, grazing his cheek before embedding itself in the trunk of a nearby tree. Angrod cried out in surprise, falling to the ground in a graceless heap.

"Angrod!" Aegnor exclaimed, his weapons drawn in a flash as he spun around, his keen senses heightened and alert.

"I am unharmed," Angrod growled, his hand pressed against the shallow wound. "It merely grazed me."

  Aegnor's gaze was fixed upon the arrow, his brow furrowed in suspicion. "Orcs," he hissed, the word laced with a palpable dread.

  Aegnor helped Angrod to his feet and threw him a sword. Standing side by side, weapons at the ready they scanned every tree and every horizon. The cut on Angrod's face stung exceptionally. The sound of orc feet in black armour thumped louder as they came as one unit from under the bend on the hill. A small army of heavily armoured, snarling creatures of horror marched toward them. 

 "And here I thought this journey would be boring..." Aegnor commented.

 "How about a wager?" Angrod smiled ."I shall take two hundred on the left. You will take the two hundred on the right,"

 "I get only two hundred!?" Aegnor scoffed.

 "Don't be greedy, Aegnor!"

 "It's a wager!" Smiled Aegnor, raising his blade in readiness. Any sane man or beast would run from such a terrifying sight coming toward them, but not Aegnor and Angrod. Together, the brothers stomped toward the orcs, stoic determination chiselled onto their faces. 

   The elves, as if they were the same person, worked in perfect harmony as they sliced through the horde. Their unadulterated wrath came with each merciless, calculated blow. Like machines, they powered through with their blades as orcs fell one by one at an alarming speed. Like a graceful dancer, Aegnor swirled and leapt as he sliced the legs and heads of anything that stood in his way. He wore no armour, no helmet, no protection from the sea of oncoming blades, yet still, not even one was able to cause even a scratch to his skin.

   He skilfully disarmed and mutilated the creatures and left none who hadn't yet tasted his wrath. Angrod was equally skilled in the art of war as he flanked the orcs with his brother. One of the last orcs left to slay was one particularly large orc. He came plundering toward Aegnor. Covered in blood, Aegnor's mischievous grin taunted him onward and engaged with the elven prince. Despite the challenge posed by the orcs towering height, Aegnor gracefully leapt into the air, attempting to overcome the obstacle in front of him, his trusty knife came swiping down as he thrust it into his face. The orc dodged and grabbed Aegnor's hand. Causing Aegnor to dangle from the ground.

   In a taunting gesture, the orc ate and swallowed the knife Aegnor was holding. He instinctively let go, and he watched in horror as the hilt of his beloved knife slipped down the orc's throat. The giant creature laughed sinisterly. Savouring the distress in the elf before making his kill. As hope teetered on the edge of oblivion for Aegnor, Angrod fearlessly leapt onto the giant's hulking, scarred back, his shadow engulfing their struggle. With a swift and calculated move, Angrod coiled his arm around the orc's throat, his grip unyielding, and drove his sword deep into the creature's skull. A guttural cry escaped the orc's lips as it relinquished its hold on Aegnor, its feeble attempts to grasp Angrod proving futile. Collapsing to its knees, the monstrous foe slammed its torso, face-first, into the unforgiving earth, succumbing to death's undeniable grip.

  Angrod stood up, his chest heaving. He pulled the weapon from the orc's lifeless head and turned to face Aegnor, a genuine smile gracing his face. There was a tone of sincere affection in his voice as he extended his hand.

   Aegnor's lips curled into a soft smile, and he accepted Angrod's hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. The two brothers locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.

 "It seems there are still some things I can teach you," Angrod said, his voice filled with pride.

   Aegnor's gaze turned momentarily despairing, and he nervously licked his lips before reaching out and pulling Angrod into a tight embrace. Amidst the chaos of the fallen orcs, the two brothers stood intertwined, reaffirming their unbreakable bond and re-establishing their unwavering trust.

 "We stay together, Aegnor. You are my brother," Angrod spoke affectionately into Aegnor's shoulder.

 "I'm sorry," Aegnor quivered.

Angrod's expression softened, and he gently squeezed Aegnor's shoulder.

"Come," Angrod said, "Let's find our horses and make our way out of this place."

 Aegnor's voice rose with urgency. "Wait!"

His gaze fell to Angrod's hand. "Give me your sword." He commanded, holding out his hands

Angrod handed his weapon

 "What are you doing?" Angrod asked, perplexed. Aegnor swiftly sliced through the orc's stomach, reaching inside to retrieve his lost weapon. Blood and sinewy coated his arm as he pulled out the knife, a triumphant grin on his face. Angrod's eyes everted in disgust.

 "Urgh, Aegnor! Was that truly necessary?" Aegnor's eyes gleamed as he turned to Angrod." He swallowed my blade, I want it back! Yes, it is completely necessary!" He uttered, casually wiping the blade clean on the dead orcs leg.

   As they navigated through the grim scene of blood and corpses, a lone figure stumbled from the surrounding forest. His face contorted with rage as he spotted the two elves.

"Hey, you two!" he bellowed, his voice filled with anger.

   Turning to face him, they watched warily as he stumbled and waded through the strewn orcs. With his unsteady steps, he inadvertently stumbled into the stomach of a disembowelled orc. His foot pushed straight through the opening, into the orc's body causing him to wretch loudly, stumbling backwards, He tripped on a dismembered limb, causing him to curse and crash to the ground.

  Aegnor glanced at Angrod, who returned the incredulous look.

 "I know you!" he slurred, pointing a shaky finger at Aegnor. Covered in dirt and emitting a pungent odour, he continued, "It took weeks for me to track you down! Finally I have you!! I have you right where I want you!"

"Do I know you?" Aegnor asked, squinting.

("He is the mortal you bested in the knife competition at the wedding. Do you not remember Aegnor?") Angrod smirked, his lips bending into Aegnors ear.

  ("Did he follow my trail all the way out here?") Aegnor spoke in a hushed tone. ("Truly, I am surprised that I did not perceive his presence.")

Angrod whispered in reply, ("I am equally surprised that we did not catch the scent from him upon the wind.")

 "Do not insult me by whispering in a language I don't understand!" He barked. "I have come to settle the score with you once and for all!" With a feeble attempt at menace, he brandished a flimsy knife and ran at Aegnor, roaring loudly. Another severed limb tripped him, and he slammed into the ground again. His face landed directly in some upturned mud.

  Aegnor stood motionless, watching the pitiful Rolfe failing to rise to his feet amongst the mess of blood and mud. Angrod stepped forward, stopping just at Rolfe's head

 "You made a threat toward my brother, I can not let that go unanswered,"

 "Angrod!" Aegnor called. "Do no harm to him. His misery is enough,"

 Angrod turned back to him. "Consider now your every breath, a gift from me," Slowly, they turned away, leaving him alone to sob among the lifeless bodies of the fallen.