Two down the rocky slope, down to the river, so not even their faces would be recognizable and the wounds hard to see as elven arrows caused. Four dragged to the lair or the black wolfs, so they won't leave even the bones to those searching for them, and then the trace wiped so no dirt or branches betray what really happened. For other two the wounds made look like men weapons caused them, for there was no hideout nearby and to take them further was risk to be seen and be forced to further increase the number of dead men and his self-appointed task to mask it under the appearance of the normal mortal killing each other in the high peaks of Enedwaith. One of the men was already upon his dead kinsmen body with anger in his eyes when Naergon returned. And he could not afford to spare him.
Two others left as they were in the very camp they have taken their captives from. The two the elves killed and the other two that their comrades killed before the elves sneaked upon the group. When Naergon approached the camp using the shadow of rocks to hide himself the place was crawling with Men. They were probably investigating the disappearance of six of their own, four dead and two missing. With some luck though Naergon- they would blame the missing for the death of the other and think they ran after to escape punishment. After all the first part was true for two of the bodies, the Elves found the Men fighting each other for some reason when they sneaked upon them. In any case it was nothing he could do about it.One of the captives has said he is new among those in the men camp, a replacement. If he spoke truth then the others would know him little and trust him less, making easier to place the blame upon him. Naergon raised his shoulders and returned to the Rangers camp. Slowly. He had no wish to return, the interrogations were sure to last a while longer. And they were not a pretty sight, even if necessary.
Making the elven presence impossible to detect was necessary as well, so Naergon was glad to take upon himself the task of gravedigger rather than that of interrogator. Even "gravedigger" was not the word for it, since he allowed them no graves. Most likely no last glance from their kindred, no goodbye, no knowing for sure of their fate. Yet they, the Men, would do the same, DID the same many a time before, and his loyalty and mind pushed him to do the right thing for his own not his enemy, be it inferior and pitiable. It disgusted him to kill Men, especially defeated Men begging for mercy, shouting about a plausible individual innocence in crimes against the Elves. At least, with traces completely wiped, the elves would not remain monsters leaving piles of mutilated dead behind them in the stories those men will give their grandchildren. The elves were not such monsters in truth - when not forced to be so. And now they were forced to do their worst at their best efficiency. It was the only way. And questions and pity were left behind in the valley of no ill. For surely Ill was in power in this mountains and further.
At his return to the camp things were not changed much, except the most bold and smart of the two men was almost at his end from blood loss and pain. It seems he remained at his slightly changing- story of innocence and knowing nothing, be it because it was true or because he was brave and stubborn. Naergon had a feeling is the second one but he could not really blame the man. He would try the same, and he hoped he would die too before giving the enemy anything to use. Yet he hoped Nihren broke the man, for that what they desperately needed. Answers. Directions. The Elves needed to kill, take captives, interrogate - all until they found that. Naergon felt an urge to take a lute and sweeten the pain of the Man in agony the best he knew how bu he knew he was not going to do it. To make the Man stronger against his pain was to sabotage Nihren's "work" and he would not do so, he held hope she hated her bit as much as he hated his and would not make her do it again on another Man for his egoist need to be "good". Yet he said nothing when the sweet sound of a lute was heard in Estarfin's group, to the benefit of unwanted targets as well. Nihren's man seemed more at peace, ignoring his pain, sitting against a rock motionless.
Estarfin seemed to try another way of getting answers with the second of the captives. They had him drunk and tried to convince him he would get good treatment if he talked. He got food and now music. Naergon was disgusted. This man was obviously stupid enough to believe he could keep his life. The other one was smarter and shouted it to their faces that they will kill him anyway. It was true. No matter what the captives told, the elves could not afford to send them back to their kindred, one badly mutilated, with news on the elves and their doing, nor drag them along to Anglachelm's rescue.
The Rangers for sure understood it too and were keeping themselves far, arms folded and faces of stone, perhaps regretting they offered their camp to this strange Elves that did things no stories told they would be capable of doing - like torture. For the Rangers the Elves were beautiful and agile, strong and just. Naergon wished they could afford to be so. Half of his heart did. The other embraced the way of his new home: First the Lord, the oaths and love for him. Then Blood, then Justice, then Mercy if there was any room left. The Valar somewhere among those, different for each of this Nordor he got to know. He joined them for this was the promise of the most glorious death he could gain in this Age, and this was the only thing he strived for. But their ways started to get into his blood and become his own.
Someone among the Men that captured Anglachelm must know of his immediate fate. What road he was taken on, where destination first. The sooner Veryacano got his answer was best for all, for the Lord Anglachelm first, as the rescue would gain a chance of success, for the Elves that would risk less loosing of their already thin ranks to the hordes of enemy in the territory of whom they were sneaking, and in the end for the Men too.. for they would bleed less till the Elves got their answers or dye to the last one trying.
Veryacano asked for obedience and discipline as first condition for those who chose to follow him in this close to impossible endeavor, and Naergon understood why. He was sure -maybe with one or two exceptions whose presence he did not understand himself- the others felt the same. There will be no questions no matter what they will need to do. They might silently split the tasks among themselves, each doing as much as he or she had the stomach for. Like he just did now. He frowned, bow to Tindir as he finished reporting, and went to dig two more graves, to save time when interrogations were done. Who knows, maybe they would get an answer and they would hurry to follow the trace before it got even colder. Two graves, far enough not to offend their Rangers host and similar enough to their style so no one dares to "check" them too close,Naergon though coldly.
