Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: Blood and Water (#1121)
Author: karushna5
Chapters: 19
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Archive: Tolkien
Category: Alternate Universe (AU)
Description: Elrond has an enemy who would do anything to see the elf lord in pain. Now Elrond must make a choice no parent should ever have to make. He must decide which is more valuable, sons of his own flesh and blood or one he has come to love as one of his own.
Published: 21 Jul 2004
Updated: 13 Jan 2005
Warnings: 
Type: General
Characters: Twins, Elrond, Estel


Chapter 1 - Past and Present Nightmares

Blood and Water
                                                                                      By: karushna5

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one they all belong to Tolkien. You could try and sue me if you wish, but be warned. I’m a poor college student, with no job yet, and all you’ll get out of me is… (Digs through couch) a quarter… No wait it’s a nickel. 

Summary: Elrond has an enemy who would do anything to see the elf lord in pain. First he puts the twins at deaths door only to follow up with the kidnapping of Estel. Now Elrond must make a choice no parent should ever have to make. A decision between sons. He must decide which is more valuable, sons of his own flesh and blood or one he has come to love as one of his own. 

A/N: This is a no Gilraen story (the only thing that more than likely makes it AU) so if you don’t like, sorry. Yes I know I’m not done with my other stories yet. But one of them is almost complete only about three more ch. For me to write, the other is taking longer then expected. 

Anyway enough of my senseless ramblings 

On With the Fic.

Chapter 1: Past and Present Nightmares

It was a bright sunny spring day, and the entire Peredhil family was picnicking at the Bruinen Ford. Elrond couldn't have been happier. He was away from home (a rarity for him), surrounded by his children. Little five-year-old Estel sat near his foster father, the twins splitting a piece of melon between them, and Arwen (home for a few months from Lorien), sat next to Elrohir. Everyone was laughing, playing, making jokes and gentle teases; in general having a good time that was rarely experienced anymore.

Elrond looked to where his adopted son was sitting. He frowned when he saw his adopted son wasn't there. Looking around frantically, he didn't see the bouncy boy anywhere.

Turning to Elladan, he asked, “Where is your brother?"

Looking up from his plate of food Elladan laughed, "He is right there ada." he said pointing to Elrohir.

Elrond shook his head with a slight nervous grin, "No, I mean your other brother."

The twins looked at each other in confusion.

"What other brother ada?" asked Elrohir.

Elrond was getting agitated at his children's antics. They needed to find the boy before he wandered too far and became lost. They needed to start back home to, the sky was quickly growing dark with menacing rain clouds.

"Estel, your human brother. We took him in when his parents died, do not tell me you've forgotten?"

All three Peredhil children exchanged confused and worried looks. Perhaps the stress of their father's work had driven him into a small bout of madness.

Arwen was the first to speak. "Who is Estel, ada?"

"Yes ada, you know the only Men you've taken in were the rangers."

Elrohir completed his brother's sentence, "And even then it is only for healing."

Elladan picked up, "Then they are off to tend to their own duties and families."

Elrohir looked worried for his father's mental state. "Perhaps mother should look at you."

"Mother?!" Celebrían, here? In Arda and well? This was becoming all to confusing to the Elf Lord. How could Celebrían be here? She sailed centuries ago!

Before more could be said the sky grew darker, if it was possible, and lighting streaked across the sky in a brilliant show of instant, half-second light.

A man appeared from nowhere. He was taller than most, and very well built. His loose tunic and slacks hung off his bulky frame. A sword hung at his side while he held another unsheathed in his hand.

Something about this man gave Elrond a very bad feeling deep in the depths of his stomach and he instantly placed himself between his children and the stranger, assuming a defensive position.

The man spoke first. "Lord Elrond of Rivendell, I have come to seek revenge on the death of my son."

"What are you talking about?" the wind was now picking up whipping the Elf's hair about.

"You shunned my oldest son from entering your home to recuperate from his wounds and in doing so doomed him to death at our doorstep. I have come seeking revenge,” the man stated in a mix of angst and fury.

"I never did such a thing! If he had come I would have helped him!" Then, in a flash, it dawned on him. He remembered a young man who had appeared in the middle of dinner. He was in fact in desperate need, but it had all been a ruse to attack the Elf Lord. An assassination attempt on Elrond's life…but that didn't happen for many years yet. Nothing made sense; it was as if the past and present were blending and unraveling at random points. Nevertheless, one thing was clear: this man obviously wanted Elrond’s life.

The man threw the unsheathed sword at the Elf Lord's feet. "Pick it up. I will not fight an unarmed man, or Elf, for that matter."

"I will not fight you. I have some form of an idea of what happened, but that is not for a long—"

The man cut him off, "If you don't fight, I'll take it out on your own young ones." Elrond really didn't want to fight; not unless he had to. However, the threat against his children tore Elrond's attention away from the confusion in his bewildered mind. "Leave my children out of this!" he commanded.

The man just laughed. "Don't you mean I should leave you, my Lord?" Pointing behind Elrond he continued mockingly, "Your 'children' are right there behind you, though I doubt they will be doing much other than being food for the maggots."

Elrond nearly screamed at what he saw when he turned. His sons were lying lifeless on the ground, the once green grass stained a deep crimson and their heads tilted at impossible angles. Pieces of shattered bone jutted out of the thin skin. Blood seemed to pour from every inch of them; there was so much Elrond could not tell which twin was which. Arwen was lying next to one of her brothers, her white summer dress soaked in her own blood. Her throat had been crushed, as if someone had simply stomped on it. Blood leaked from her mouth, nose, and ears. Her eyes were open, staring into the darkness of death. Something had killed them, but he could not tell who or what. All he knew was his children, his babies, the most precious beings in all of Arda, had been killed.

A blind fury engulfed the Noldor elf. Picking up the pre-offered sword, he charged at the man. It happened very quickly; almost too fast for anyone to see. Elrond’s fury suddenly calmed and he drowned in grief and sorrow. The sword was entirely through the man’s chest, the hilt stopping just short of his body. The blood-smeared blade was protruding from his back. Elrond let go of the hilt and the corpse fell forward. He was in shock. What had he done? He hadn't fought in centuries, much less taken the life of a mortal.

As the man fell, Elrond saw something he did not expect. Behind the man was a young woman, no older than 23, looking on in shock and horror. Beside her were two young boys, one around ten or eleven and the other looking no older than four. All had bloodshot eyes and tear-stained faces. Elrond instantly regretted his actions. What had he done?

A/N: Well, whaddaya think? Come on be honest; I can take it. Should I continue or leave the rest to your own imagination?

Come, tell me. Push the little review button at the bottom corner.


Chapter 2 - Gone Fishing

A/N: Hello all you happy peoples. Sorry ‘bout the confusion in the last chapter. It wasn’t my intension to confuse you all. I’m not trying to sound like a know-it-all or anything, but if you ever wake up and think back on your dreams you will find that most really don’t make much sense and that’s what I was doing. Though from what everyone says that wasn’t such a good idea. But one good thing does come from it. All will be explained (sort of) as the story goes along and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. But be warned the answers will be a little vague until the story is complete.

Sorry for the long wait for an update, but I wanted to finish my other story  ‘All For The Ones I Love’ and while everyone waits for me to finish writing my other story ‘The Cerberus Legend’ So this is an in-between story.

Hope I didn’t loose any readers (Stares at empty theater) Guess I shouldn’t have waited that long. Don’t worry my updates wont be as long of a wait, unless I get a really bad case of writers block.

P.S. Oops forgot to tell you. This is AU mostly b/c of the fact I, like half the writers in cyber space, have killed off Gilraen. I my opinion it’s just easier to work around her then with her. I also don’t know if they had oil lamps or any other inventions that may seem out of place around those time periods, but to avoid argument I say they do now.

Review Replies:

-TXFaramirFangirl- Heeeeeerrrrreeeee’ss more. Sorry it took me forever and a day.

-kalia- Hope I didn’t confuse ya too much, but what can I say? It came out that way. Glad U like.

-sindohte- Yeah I’ll have t remember not to that again. You’re not the only one going “What?” 

-ViJanaway- I know and sorry ‘bout that. But you find out in this chapter. It will make since later (I hope)

-Mitharan- Wow, you’re the first to say U like the confusion. Hope you enjoy the site, Thanks for reviewing, and Glad U like.

-BellemaineChercoeur- Nice to know you like it. Here’s your next chapter sorry to keep you waiting.  

Chapter 2: Gone Fishing

Elrond bolted up from the nightmare, his eyes frantically scanning the room for some unseen foe. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and his heart was pounding in his ears. His sheets were tangled at his feet, while his eyes scanned the shadows in the corners of the room. The Elf Lord released calming breath to expel the extra energy he had pent up. As he calmed his racing heart he realized where he was and what had happened.

"It was a dream. Just a horrible," he shuttered in remembrance, "horrible dream." He sighed as he looked out at his balcony. Sliding off the mattress, Elrond walked towards his balcony. He wished to gaze upon the stars, his long-departed father among them. He had always done this; the simple action could calm his troubled thoughts as he watched the silver specks float through the night sky. However, tonight did not appear to be a good night to stargaze. He pulled back the curtains, opened the doors, stepped out onto the balcony, and looked up. He did not find what he had expected to see; instead the stars were hidden by storm clouds. A cool breeze ruffled his hair as if in warning of the storm that would soon feed his river and forest. The trees were silent, their leaves turned up to accept the precious rainwater. Animals of the night had already taken cover. Walking back into the room, he closed the balcony doors and locked them tight to prevent the wind and rain from throwing them open.

Elrond then made his way back to bed and settled down for sleep, but sleep still was not possible. Seeing he would find no rest with the memories of the previous nightmare looming over his head. Getting out of bed for the second time, he slid into his slippers and pulled his robe over his nightshirt. Once he was fairly presentable (at least to sleeping eyes), Elrond headed down the hall to where his sons walked their dreams. The only sound made was the slight rustling of his clothes as he briskly walked down the hallway.

His first stop was Elladan's room. Listening outside, he heard his son's deep, even breaths and content sighs that his dreams brought him. Elrond entered the room and smiled at the sight that greeted him.

Elladan was asleep on his stomach staring with half-lidded eyes staring in Elrond's direction. His sheets had been kicked to a large clump that covered from his feet to his waist, and one arm was hooked under his pillow; the other draped limply over the side of the bed. The older twin's face was one of happiness and peace. He was having pleasant dreams, whatever they were.

He's probably dreaming of breathtaking young maidens, Elrond thought wryly, remembering having such dreams when he was young (and occasionally when he was married—though he would certainly never tell Celebrian of those particular dreams).

Elrond, with the silent strides of the Firstborn, walked into to his oldest son's room. He gently lifted Elladan's arm from the floor, placing it at his side. Straightening out the rumpled blankets, he lifted them up to Elladan's shoulders and gently tucked them around his oldest child. He paused for a moment when Elladan shifted, rolling onto his side and destroying Elrond's careful efforts to making his son more comfortable and prevent him from becoming tangled in his sleep.

Elrond simply rolled his eyes and readjusted the blankets, tucking them in once more. His task complete, the Elf gently stroked Elladan's cheek and placed a light kiss upon his brow. With this he left, easing the door into place so as not to disturb his slumbering son. He would that he could stay longer and watch his oldest sleep, but he had other children to look in on.

Elrohir was no different from his twin, except his feet were wrapped around the sheets (or the sheets were wrapped around his feet; Elrond couldn't tell). His mouth was open and soft snores escaped his throat; his arms were at his side, turned at an odd angle. Elrond let out a soft barely audible laugh. Truly, his children slept in the oddest positions.

His joints will pain him in the morning if he stays like that all night, thought Elrond, adjusting the younger twin's hands and arms into more comfortable and natural positions. Giving the sheets gentle tugs and turns he pulled them in the right direction and placed them at his middle son's shoulders. Placing a hooked finger under the boy's chin, he gently closed his mouth to prevent him from drooling all over his pillow and having a dry mouth in the morrow. Elrond then stepped back and watched Elrohir walk through Elven dreams.

After a few moments in the room, he closed the door and walked across the hall. This was where his youngest slept. As he listened outside the door, he picked up the muffled breathing of its inhabitant. Entering the room, he saw what he longed to ever since his dream. A small lump of blankets rose and fell, curled up near the top and almost resting on the large pillow on the clearly too big bed. Already knowing what he would find under the bundle of blankets, he sighed. He was happy to know that the young human was in fact still with them, not lost and forgotten as he had been in the Lord of Imladris' dream. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Elrond slowly peeled back the covers to reveal a small, curly-haired human boy.

Elrond sat back and watched the bundle of blankets. Estel he was called to the Elves of Imladris. How could a five-year-old human come to live within a city of Elves, many asked. Elrond told the story, omitting only Estel's true name. Only three years ago, when Estel was still called Aragorn and resided with his true parents and the band of Rangers they rode with, vile creatures of the night had attacked. The goblins and Orcs were numerous enough to destroy the band of Rangers, but Gilraen had hidden her son in time to save him. Days later he had been found by Elladan and Elrohir, seeking to join the Rangers.

Estel was in the House of Elrond for another reason, as well. He was in hiding from one of the greatest threats Middle Earth had ever seen. Sauron, he was called; he was responsible for the death of little Estel's parents, who had been heirs to the thrones of Gondor and Arnor. Their lineage could be dated back to Isildur, and further still to Elrond's own twin brother, Elros. Estel, whose birth name was Aragorn, was now the only survivor of heirs of the Kings of Men. If he were to ever claim the throne, he needed to be kept out of the eyes (or eye, in Sauron's case) of the enemy, so as not to jeopardize the boy's life. Elrond had also found a third reason for keeping the child under his roof. It was no secret to Rivendell (or any elves) that knew the family that Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir had grown to love the young one as if he were one of their own. Even Erestor had been swayed by the child's innocent charm. Glorfindel loved him as well and looked forward to the boy's daily lessons.

In the distance he heard a low rumble of thunder. The storm would soon start. Elrond settled himself in the rocking chair near the youngster's bed. It was a well-known fact amongst the Rivendell elves that little Estel was afraid of storms. The twins hadn't helped either, playing pranks on their younger sibling and making him believe the monsters under his bed would eat him on stormy nights. Oh, how they'd regretted it when Elrond got a hold of them, and never again was a cruel joke played on the youngest member of the family. No, instead they were using him in their clever ploys.

Elrond was brought from his musings when Estel shifted restlessly in his sleep. The storm was coming closer and becoming louder as it approached. Rising, Elrond turned up the flame on the oil lamp on the mantel, lighting up the corner. He would it were closer, but it might wake Estel up. That, he wanted to avoid at all costs; it wasn't that Estel was a problem when disturbed, just that Elrond hoped he would soon grow out of his fear of storms as most children do. He was a little tired of waking up to the boy coming into his room and climbing into bed, and he knew the twins were tired of it as well.

No sooner had a fairly large flash of lighting streaked across the sky followed by a crash of thunder that seemed to shake the whole house had the human shot up in bed. All traces of sleep disappeared from his features as he jumped off the bed to head straight for the door and to the safety of his Ada's room.

Elrond had no doubt that was where the child would've headed, had his feet touched the ground. However, Elrond caught the boy as he jumped out of the bed, afraid he would hurt himself upon landing. Estel struggled in his father's grasp; he wanted to get away. If he didn't, the monsters would come! He didn't want them to come; he just wanted his ada.

"ADA!!" the struggling Estel screeched for his 'father' in fright.

Elrond held the child to his chest, attempting to hush him before he woke the whole house.

"Estel, hush I'm here!" Estel kept struggling, unaware it was his father who cradled him. "Estel!" barked the Elf Lord. The boy immediately ceased his fighting, recognizing the voice.

"Ada?" he sniffled.

Elrond shifted Estel to his hip as he brought the oil lamp to the nightstand and brightened its flame. "Yes, ion-nin, it is I."

Another bolt of lighting sent Estel deeper into his father's hold.

Elrond held him close and whispered words of hope and happiness into his son's ears. As the storm passed through the night Elrond finally managed to get the child back to sleep, himself not far behind. There the two sat, Estel comforted by his father's arms and Elrond comforted by holding his son once again.

Before the gentle grip of sleep took hold, he glimpsed two shadowed figures in the doorway. The twins had woken at Estel's cries. Nodding to his sons, a signal that he had it under control, they left.

The next morning was bright, the air comfortably warm and still holding the scent of rain from the previous night. The family of half-elves and their little human boy headed to breakfast. Erestor and Glorfindel were already at the table, waiting for others to arrive. Upon the sight of the twins, they noticed they were dressed in identical clothing.

Upon seeing this, Erestor groaned; they were planning to make someone's morning miserable. It was not widely known, but whenever Elrond's twins willingly wore the same clothes, hairstyles, and speech patterns and body language were shared, someone was bound to have a prank pulled on them. It was a trick of theirs; it was very difficult, if not impossible, to tell them apart, and one could easily take the place of the other. He would need to examine his food and drink before he so much as touched it. Erestor looked across the table at Glorfindel, who apparently was thinking the same thing. Since they were the twin's favorite targets, they would need to be careful today.

Elrond walked trailed by a freshly washed and dressed Estel. Looking upon his sons and advisors, he knew it would prove to be a most interesting day. Being the third favorite, though it was uncommon to have a prank pulled on him, he decided to make himself busy for the day to avoid any pranks and resulting complaints.

Elladan looked over at his little brother. "Good morning, Estel." The older twin's smile made Erestor cringe; oh yes, they were up to something.

Estel let out a big yawn. "Morning El'dan," he replied sleepily.

Elrohir grinned slyly and asked, "What makes you think he's Elladan?"

Estel shrugged, "I just know."

Elrond smiled at his youngest son. He was impressed that he could instantly tell the twins apart, even when they dressed the same and adopted the each other's mannerisms.

Breakfast was served when Elrond took his seat at the head of the table. It consisted of crispy, fresh baked bread, which filled the room with the sweet smell of butter and warm, tender slices of bread. Fresh eggs had been scrambled; smelling their favorite food of old had the twins (and Estel's) mouths watering in an instant. They had to wait until the rest of the food was served, however, before they could attack the eggs. Bacon and sausage was soon added, along with a jug of fresh juice.

The food finally served and ready, everyone immediately grabbed for what they want wanted. Elladan and Elrohir went first for the eggs, then bread and sausage. Elrond threw them disapproving glances for creating such a fuss. Honestly, one would think I have been starving them for years, he thought.

Seeing their father's glance, the twins stopped and took on the manners that had been (in their opinion) forced upon them at a young age.

Glorfindel fought to hold back a laugh. He couldn't remember seeing them react that way in a long time. Even he had to admit, it was slightly amusing seeing the famous glare sent their way; he'd never known they could turn around and behave so angelically in that short a time.

Elrond spooned a few eggs onto Estel's plate, along with some toast and a little bacon. The dress of his older sons did not remain unnoticed—he knew they were up to something and he didn't doubt for a moment they would get young Estel involved in one way or another.

"What are your plans for today boys?" He doubted they would answer truthfully, but it was always worth a try. Who knew; they might surprise him one day.

"The usual," said Elrohir, as if it were the obvious answer.

"And what would that be?" asked Glorfindel as he calmly finished his eggs.

"What we always do—running around causing all sorts of mayhem," answered Elladan

"Our day will consist of a healthy dose of havoc, mayhem, chaos, and many victims." Elrohir looked at Glorfindel and Erestor. They knew that stare; it had been dubbed 'The-Evil-Twin-Mischief-Look'.

Elrond chuckled, quickly covering it with a cough. He was somewhat glad they would torment his advisors and not him. "Only chaos, mayhem, and havoc. You're going easy on your victims today."

"Well, I suppose even they need a break every once in a while," replied Elrohir between bites of toast.

"But we do have to keep them on their toes, or they might come to think we've forgotten them…" started Elladan with a reasonable expression.

"…Or worse, grown out of our habits," continued Elrohir, shaking his head ruefully.

"I have another idea. Why don't you give everyone a proper break and go out today? The cooks have alerted me; they are low on fish. Why don't you go fishing for them?"

Estel spoke up at this, "Ada, can I go with them? Please?" Even if Elrond had wanted to, he couldn't have said no to the little boy's puppy-eyes.

"Of course you can and while they are there they can teach you to swim. You may all leave after you eat and prepare. I'll tell the cooks o get a light lunch for you ready."

With that said and done, everyone went back to their meals and light conversations. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances.

"'Ro, what just happened?"

"I believe it was decided we should fish today."

"Before or after our pranks?"

"I think it's an alternative. What will Estel be up to during this?"

"I believe are to take him with us."

"Oh."

"Did we agree to this?"

"Yes you did." said Elrond not looking up from his plate. "And I would hate to have to inform your very excited, happy little brother of your sudden change in plans. I believe he would be terribly heartbroken." Elrond gently nudged Estel's foot. He had been listening to his father and brothers and understood instantly what his father wanted him to do.

Schooling his expression to look as sad and pathetic as possible, he stared at the twins with huge, watery eyes and pouty, rosebud lips. The twins caved instantly.

Later that morning, the twins set off with their brother between them, a delicate hand in each of the twin's larger hands. Elladan carried his little brother's fishing pole in his other hand while Elrohir held the bait and their lunch.

Elrond watched as his sons set out for their afternoon of fishing. Finally, peace would be restored for the day, even if it would only be a temporary fix.



Translation (If they’re wrong tell me and I’ll fix it. I’m not fluent in elvish only a few words here and there.) 

Ada: dad/ daddy

Ion nin: my son

A/N: Okay the ending was a little week, but  ran out of ideas around that time so it’ll have ta do for now.

Maybe I’ll do better in the next chapter.


Chapter 3 - To Catch A Fish

A/N: Sorry for the wait I tried to have it up a few days ago, but finals snuck up on me. So yeah anyway I had to study for those. 

By the way if some parts don’t really flow right sorry but my elven muse was being random in his ideas again. He does that sometimes, but the stuff he tells me is pretty good so I forgive him.

Review Reply: 

-ViJanaway- Glad U like. Na, nothing too drastic, but I thought it was kinda funny.

Chapter 3: To Catch Fish

The Bruinen River was swollen from the rain, but that didn't stop the three brothers from enjoying the sunny day the season brought them. They had traveled an hour already, but it seemed as if they had left the Last Homely House only minutes before.

Two elves walked along the worn dirt rode. Elrohir now carried all the fishing poles, bait, and the picnic basket, while Elladan had a laughing Estel perched on his shoulders. Estel, having confidence in his brother's hold on his ankles, leaned back and hung upside down; not wanting to drop his younger brother, Elladan tightened his hold slightly.

Estel laughed as he looked at Elrohir, who was traveling a little behind due to the load he’d been forced to carry.

"Elrohir, you're upside down,” Estel giggled.

Elrohir chuckled, "Are you sure of that little one? The way I see it you're the one upside down." He watched as his younger brother’s face turned a light shade of pink from blood rushing to his head.

Estel laughed again. His brothers were silly sometimes. Suddenly, the five-year-old got an idea. Motioning his brother to keep quiet, he reached around with his hands and poked Elladan in the sides.

Elladan jumped and let out a startled yelp. He heard muffled giggles coming from the little being on his back and understood immediately what was going on. So, this is the game he wants to play, thought the dark-haired Elf as he spun around to face Elrohir.

"Elrohir, why did you poke me? You know I don't like it," he stated in mock annoyance and winked at his brother, silently telling him to play along.

Elrohir shrugged his shoulders as best he could with all their fishing gear in his arms. "It was not me, Elladan; perhaps you were imagining things."

Thoroughly enjoying this new game, Estel reached up and pulled one of Elladan's long dark locks. Elladan whirled on his heels, pretending to look around for the one responsible.

"Where is Estel? He must be the one who's doing this." Moving backwards, he came face to face with his twin. "Elrohir, if you see the young pup you are to tell me at once." With that the Noldor Elf turned back and marched in the direction of the lake.

By this time, Estel was beginning to become dizzy in his head-down position. He tried to flip back up, but the furthest he could reach was his knees. He didn't understand; it was easy to lean backwards, his back against Elladan's, so why couldn't squirming back upright be just as easy? Seeing his brother struggle to get back into an upright position, Elrohir shifted the things in his arms and hurried his steps until he was directly behind his siblings. Estel felt a hand on his back as Elrohir pushed him upright.

Elladan felt his brother settle back on his shoulders and place his hands and chin on his head. Moving his eyes upward he spoke to the little Edain. "Ah, there you are Estel. I couldn't find you."

Estel grinned, "I didn't go anywhere. I was here the whole time."

"Really? Are you sure? I didn't see you at all, and I don't think Elrohir did either." They continued the play until they reached the riverbed. Elladan then reached up and removed Estel from his perch.

"Now, Estel, I want you to stay here where we can see you. Elrohir and I need to set up lunch and get the fishing poles ready."

Estel nodded at his brother's instructions. "Yes Elladan." He looked at the water in longing. "Can I go swimming now?" he asked excitedly.

"Not before us, young one," Elladan said gently. Estel's face fell. "Don't worry, after lunch we will go in the water,” he tried to make Estel feel better. It worked.

Walking back to Elrohir, he massaged his shoulders, trying to loosen the muscles of their newly acquired kinks.

Elrohir glanced at his twin with a single raised eyebrow. "Are you alright Elladan?"

"Just a little sore. It won’t be long before Estel can no longer ride upon my shoulders like that; he's getting heavy."

"Yes I suppose he is, he is growing after all. Remember he is human, and they grow faster than Elves."

"Are the lines ready yet? I'd like to start collecting fish soon."

While the twins were getting lunch ready, Estel's boredom was increasing tenfold. Looking around, he spotted his chance for a little fun. The young king to be kicked off his shoes and felt the mud between his toes. Then, after checking to see if his brothers were watching, he scooped a large ball of mud into his hands and aimed for the younger twin.

As Elladan reached for one of the worms Elrohir grabbed his sleeve and pulled his brother in front of him as a living shield. Elladan didn't know what happened all he knew was that Elrohir pulled him in front of him and that his back was now wet. Reaching behind him he felt a large clump of mud slip between his fingers. He heard the laughter of the youngest among them and knew instantly what had happened.

Seeing the look on his twin’s face, Elrohir knew something was going to happen and made a break for the river, removing his tunic along the way. Elladan was not far behind.

Estel tried to run, but his shorter legs could not keep him ahead for long. Elladan scooped up his baby brother and removed the little one’s tunic, throwing it on the bank, near his shoes. Estel watched as the water’s edge flew towards them.

"Time for you to learn to swim, little brother," said Elladan deviously. They hit the water with a loud splash. Elladan covered Estel's nose and mouth so he wouldn't swallow the river water and choke. Seconds later, they surfaced. Elrohir swam to his brother's side. The three played some, splashing each other, before finally teaching Estel how to properly float on his back and swim like dogs do. Elrohir held Estel on his stomach while Estel paddled and kicked, and Elladan gave him directions on what to do. He was getting fairly good at it when quick movements in the surrounding woods caught the older twin’s eye.

A slight rustling and the breaking of a twig brought Elladan and Elrohir to a stop in their play. Something wasn't right. All life in the forest had come to a complete standstill. Nothing moved; not even the wind. It made Elrohir feel like even his breathing was out of place.

Elladan made his way out of the river, listening carefully to his surroundings. Something was definitely amiss. The trees whispered to him a warning that he could not fully hear through the water in his ears, but he knew his sense of danger was not in the least bit wrong. Something watched them, harboring dark intentions.

Elrohir, with Estel wrapped in a towel in his arms, now stood beside his brother. He could feel something was watching, but he could not see it. Whatever it was, it was well hidden.

A slight movement in the corner of his eyes alerted Elladan to the enemy's movement. It was coming closer. Elladan had no doubt in neither his nor his twin’s fighting skills, but they were unarmed, and the little five-year-old, who had just begun to swim and properly ride a horse, could not so much as hold a small dagger; let alone fight a battle! Not knowing what precisely what they were up against grated on his nerves.

Estel, sensing the tension between his brothers, remained silent and still in Elrohir's arms. His only movement was a small wince as the younger twin unconsciously tightened his hold on the human child. Estel lightly pinched his brother’s arm. Taking the hint, Elrohir lessened his grip slightly.

Coming to a decision, spying another movement, he whispered to his twin in Elvish. “Elrohir, listen to me. I don't want to chance a fight with Estel here. When I give the signal, I want you to run back home; do not look back.”

Elrohir gave a slight shake of his head. “I cannot do that. I will not leave you. Besides, we have no weapons; what will you fight it with?”

Estel was now the one to speak. “Why don't we all run? Why must Elladan stay and fight when we can all get away?” Estel’s high voice carried far, and they had to hope their would-be attackers didn’t speak Elvish. The little boy didn't want to see any of his family hurt.

“He is right, Elladan.”

Elladan nodded his head. Estel was correct and if it weren't for the situation he would be proud of his youngest sibling's insight. Taking a quick and hardly noticeable look around, he saw his opening.

He spoke quickly to his brothers, again in the Grey Tongue. “We have a small opening to my right, but if we are to escape the time is now; the enemy is moving.”

Elrohir nodded and held Estel closer to his chest in a protective hold.

It all happened in the blink of the enemy's eye. One moment, his targets were standing; the next they were moving. The man saw his chance but he would need to be swift. Taking aim he readied a tube at the back of one of the retreating elves.

Elladan felt something strike his back. A slight stinging sensation filled his body and he sank into nothingness…


A/N: Sorry I meant to have this one up sooner, but I couldn’t decide on what to put and where to stop. I will warn you though the next ch. Might be a little short.


Chapter 4 - Bad Things Can Happen To Good People

Chapter 4: Bad Things Can Happen To Good People

~Everything happened in the blink of the enemy's eye one minute their targets were standing the next they were moving. The man saw his chance but he would need to be swift. Taking aim he readied a tube at the back of one of the retreating elves.

It was then Elladan felt something hit his back, a slight stinging sensation and then nothingness.~

Elrohir skidded to a halt when he felt his brother's pain. He turned around in time to see his brother fall face down.

"Elladan!" he yelled in panic. Fearing the worst for his twin he ran back, but soon stopped. Estel was wriggling in his arms trying to get at his oldest brother and help in some way. Elrohir was torn between the two of his most loved beings in all of Arda. He was torn between his twin of many millennia and the squirming five year old in his arms he called his younger brother. He could not do it how could he possibly forsake one sibling for another it could not be done.

He had to think quickly he had no doubt they were next. Finally he came to a decision he would put Estel somewhere far, but not too far, from here then run back to help Elladan, and Estel could get help from one of the patrols or head home himself. Taking one last look behind him he ran into the woods, but did not get far before a stinging numbness hit his neck. Darkness quickly fell over his eyes before he could think to set Estel down.

Elrohir fell face first to hard ground beneath him; he was so close to the safety of the woods, but sadly not close enough. Estel fell from the noldor elf's grasp rolling into the nearby woods. He came to a halt right before he hit a large tree. Estel crawled on his hands and knees from where he had been dropped to where Elrohir laid. Tears streamed down the child's face as he placed his hands on his brother's side. He shook him as hard as he could for one so small to one who was so much bigger, being gentle about it all the while. It didn't work.

Through the tears and sobs he spoke, "Come on 'Ro. Get up." he shook a little harder. "'Ro please get up. Don't leave me alone." It was then he saw his brother's eyes, they were closed. 

'Elves don't sleep with their eyes closed.' he thought, a truth he had found out only recently. He looked to his other brother trying to see if he was the same, but Elladan's face was turned away from him. Estel couldn't see his eyes.

The boy quickly ran to the other twin's side. He began to shake him like he did with Elrohir. "Elladan get up please. Elrohir's hurt he wont move and his eyes are closed. Please Elladan get up." by this time he was crying harder and choking on the sobs that quaked his small body. Seeing the noldor elves eyes were also closed only made it worse. Estel then collapsed on his brother's back and cried into it. Out of the corner of his eye and through the curtain of wavy dark hair he saw them.

Estel looked up at the ones who had done this to him. The ones who had done something no other being can ever make claim to doing, the ones who had in moments brought the renowned twin sons of Elrond unmoving to the ground. Never in Estel's five years of life could he remember feeling so alone, so afraid, and great pain of the heart. Feelings of hatred and anger crept into his aching heart at the sight of them.

Three men and one woman stood before him and the unconscious twins. Two of the men were big and looked to be twins both were powerfully built and had thick brown beards and mustaches. Only difference between them being the different animal skins they wore. One with a big brown bear skin that reached from his head to the middle of his calf muscles, the back legs dragged the ground, and the front paws wrapped around his neck to hold it in place while the head sat on his own head. His twin wore the skin of a warg made in a similar fashion while the bone that had once been the creature's fangs hung on a necklace around his neck.

A skinny man reminded Estel of a rat he had seen. He was scrawny, long limbed, and his front teeth almost protruded his thin lips. His face was long and narrow and ears seemed almost pointed. His almond shaped beady eyes bore into his. Seeing right through him striking fear into his very soul. Next to him stood a woman with long dark braided hair, brown and white hawk feathers were interwoven between the single braids. She wore a long green cloak whose ends were tied with the same type of feathers that are in her hair.

The big man with the warg skin began walking towards Estel, with intentions unknown to the child. This would not end well for him if he stayed, but he would not leave his brothers. Who knows what would happen to them if he did. Quickly turning back to Elladan he grabbed the pale clammy hand and began tugging on it. Hoping he would be able to wake him this way or perhaps he was trying to move him drag the elf to Rivendell. But then what about Elrohir, the small child couldn't possible bring both elves back home. The big man had had enough of the boys crying and futile attempts to rouse the elves.

'Why does the boss want this scrawny runt anyway? He should 'ave killed the elves and child for revenge. It would be easier.' he thought as he reached for the sobbing child. He grabbed Estel by the back of his shirt and flopped him stomach down onto his shoulder with a strong hand to hold him in place.

Estel realized, in fear, he was being carried off, away from his home, away from his family, away from the two lifeless beings on the ground. Seeing this as his only chance to get away he began to struggle. He pounded on the man's back with his tiny fists while he kicked the man's upper chest with his bare feet as he called for the twins in a final attempt to get them up and moving.

"Elladan, Elrohir Help! Get Up, Help!"

But alas his calls went unheard, falling only upon uncaring or deaf ears. The man carrying him was tired of hearing Estel's yells and roughly jumped the boy on his shoulder. All the breath left Estel's body when his stomach landed hard on the big mans shoulder.

"Shut up ya runt!" the man growled, "It's bad 'nough we 'ave 'ta carry ya'. I don' wanna ave' ta listen to 'er whining the whole trip. You understand?"

Estel gulped and shakily nodded his head.

Inside the dark oblivion of Elladan's mind he could hear his brother's cries, and wanted nothing more then to rise to those calls and fight off those foes. But his body and eyes felt weighted down. Then the calls and yells faded and he ceased his attempts to move.

"Check them. The boss won't be happy if one of them's faken it." said the skinny man.

The women wearing the hawk feathers in her hair and cloak walked to each elf. Elladan she flipped over using the toe of her boot, as if he was ridden with some sort a disease and should not be touched with bare fingers. The dark haired elf didn't even flinch or moan. She watched him with mild interest. She nodded her head the elf wasn't going anywhere. She then proceeded to where Elrohir laid and did the same to him. No these elves would die if they were out here too long.

Before leaving one of the men bent over the unconscious Elladan and lifted one of the closed eyelids, checking to make sure the noldor elf was really out or if he was only pretending. The pupils were dilated and glazed over a symptom of the poison in their system. Bear, as he was called due to his size and muscular build, and thick beard and mustache, placed the note between the pale skin and the top of his breaches. The bear sized man then stood, but not before giving the unconscious elf a hard slap on the cheek and a quick kick to the side. Elladan still remained unresponsive not so much as flinch at the mistreatment.

Estel watched all this from the other big mans shoulder as bitter tears streamed down his face. He wanted nothing more than call out to his brothers, as he did so many other times, but he now feared what the men would do to him should he try again. However, that did not stop his mind from screaming at them to rise, to move, even so much a as muscle twitch. But nothing happened and the young human was beginning to panic.

'Why can't they move?' asked a small voice in the back of his mind 'What if they are dead?' the same voice said becoming louder as the hope in his heart grew lower.

A/N: NO reviews make me sad 

Push the lovely happy 'ittle review button at the bottom. Pwease.


Chapter 5 - A sad Day For Those They Love

Chapter 5: A Sad Day For Those They Love

Elrond stood up in his study waiting and watching for any sign, any word from any one of his boys. Earlier he had started feeling something wrong with one of them at first he had merely brushed it aside thinking he was only being paranoid but slowly the intuition had grown stronger. He had begun to feel an immense amount of sorrow, though from what he never knew, that was fallowed by a sudden cold feeling and numbness in the middle of his back and lower neck.

Elrond was now pacing the floor of his study he walked past the window looked out, circled the room until he came back to the window, and then he would look out and circle again. It was an unending process that Erestor watched with concern. Lord Elrond had been acting this way ever since mid-afternoon, it was now only an hour past dinner, when he had felt something wrong with one or more of his sons. He could not yet pin point the exact problem, but that didn't stop him from sending Glorfindel out with small patrol to check on them and offer aid if needed.

Erestor was becoming dizzy with his lord's continual pacing. "Lord Elrond, will you please sit down, pacing can be hard on the floors."

Elrond turned to his advisor with fire in his eyes, "My sons are out there and something has happened." his voice softened when he saw the dark haired elf flinch from his harsh tone "My apologies Erestor I did not mean to yell at you."

Erestor sighed and forgave his friend, "I understand mellon nin, but you can not stand here pacing back and forth, it wont make them arrive any faster."

Elrond went back to his place at the window and stared out into the quickly falling darkness of night, "I know, but I can do nothing else when I worry so. I truly do fear for them my friend, I fear something awful has befallen them and nothing I do can stop it."

Erestor nodded in understanding.

~The Bruinen River~

Glorfindel rode atop his white mare along side the river bank searching for sighs of the three brothers. He had ridden out of the Homely House only hours before and had been searching along side the path the children had taken and the river they had been near. He sent the guards back home when it starting to become dark, they were needed at their posts, but they had all promised to take different routes so as to cover more ground in hope they would come across Elrond's twins and adopted son.

'They should be around here, but they aren't. Where can they be?' He thought getting off his horse it would be easier to track them in the dark on foot then on horse back. It the distance he saw something in a heap pilled on the ground near the woods where he was standing; looking closer he instantly recognized it to be the twins. Elladan's and Elrohir's tunics were pilled next to the picnic basket, fishing supplies, and Estel's shoes. It was then he saw one of them lying unmoving on the ground. Running to the first fallen figure he saw what he dreaded to see. It was one of the twins, Elladan he guessed, but he could not be sure. Checking the unconscious twin over he found no visible wounds, but he did find the note on the elf's waist. Taking out the parchment there in bright red letter read "Lord Elrond Of Rivendell". Glorfindel tucked it away in his breast pocket lining the inside of his tunic. Turning back to the unconscious elf he shook the dark haired elf hoping for some sort of reaction.

"Come on El." he said using the nickname when they had trouble telling the twins apart. "Come on wake up; don't send me back to your father with grave news." Panic began to set in as he looked around for signs of the other two. He spotted Elrohir near the woods.

Giving Elladan one final look he ran the younger twins side only to have his hope cast aside as he found him in a similar, if not worse condition. The younger twin was cold to the touch and the Balrog slayer feared the worst as he searched for the live giving pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the beat beneath his figures. But something about it was off, it seemed wrong to him, but he could not be sure. He lifted Elrohir off the ground and moved him beside his mirror image. Now all he needed was the youngest son of Elrond for his job to be complete, but where to start looking.

The boy was no where in sight and the blonde elf loathed leaving the twins alone for even a moment. 'But if Estel is nearby then I would leave him, when he most certainly is in the same predicament as the twins.' Looking to the woods where he had found Elrohir, he looked as far as he could see hoping for some glimpse of the child he strained his ears search for a sound from Estel's movements.

Finding nothing he whistled for his horse, she came almost instantly. Glorfindel placed the twins on the horses back along with their belongings and set off leading the horse at hurried pace back to the Last Homely House. He was saddened by his findings, for the twins hand not made so much of a sound the whole time and their half naked bodies had become cold to the touch, which elves should never feel, while the youngest son of Elrond was missing.

"Elrond will not like this.' he thought grimly. As he walked through the woods with the horse in tow he was bombarded with memories of the past ranging from a time when the twins were young to when Estel had entered their lives. If one looked close enough they would see the mighty elf's eyes fill with tears at the thought of loosing one or mare of the three. But he would not let those tears fall, not before there was a reason to mourn. And he prayed that that moment would not come.

Elrond felt his heart seize in his chest at the sight of Glorfindel leading his horse with the twins lying lifeless against the horse's neck. He took note of the blonde elf's walk it was not hurried as it would be if the twins were injured, but it was not a slow mournful walk either. It was almost a cross between the two Elrond didn't know how to react.

Elrond ran through the house as fast as legs could carry him taking every stair way in twos and threes until he reached the front yard. Coming to a halt before his military advisor he allowed little time for the Gondolin elf to explain before he ran to his sons.

"What happened?" he asked panic evident in his voice, his fatherly instinct taking hold instantly. He took the first one off the horses back and set him on the ground to look him over. He was too worried to bring them inside before knowing what was wrong with them.

They were cold to his touch, their eyes were tightly closed, and a light purple tinge was added to their pale pink lips. Elrond was almost afraid to touch them out of fear of their aliment and the unknown of their place on the delicate balance between life and death.

Erestor skidded to a halt beside Elrond and gasped at what he saw. He was the fist to act shaking the elf lord's shoulder he spoke "Elrond we need to get them inside."

"Yes, they need to be inside." said Elrond coming out of his shock. He picked up Elladan and cradled him close as they rushed up the main stairs and the healer ward. Glorfindel holding Elrohir tightly in his grasp followed not far behind.

They entered the Hall of Healing and put the twins on beds right next to each other. The beds only a few feet apart enough room for one healer to move comfortable and work between the two. Since normally when one twin was injured the other was, more often than not, also injured these beds were almost called their own.

"What happened?" asked Elrond his emotions were pushed back as the healer in him took control of the situation.

"They were like this when I found them." said Glorfindel as Elrond began his examination. "They were near the river like they were suppose to when I found them they were like this and cold. And Elrond I could not find Estel." Elrond instantly stopped his inspection at once.

"Elrond there was a note also." said Glorfindel handing the note that he found on Elladan to Elrond, who all but ripped the envelope open. His eyes grew wide as he read the letter inside.

      Elrond,

   By now your twin sons are in your custody, but they will not rise, which I'm sure you have found to be true. To make thing easier on you I will 
   tell you what ails them. It is ancient poison called Lillie's Breath, a slow acting poison that kills from the inside, eating away at the various 
   organs before finally consuming the heart. There is only one cure for such a poison and it is in my possession. I also have your youngest in 
   my custody, of whom an interesting discovery has been made. Have you ever been told he is an uncanny likeness to the late Arathorn, king 
   of Gondor?

A since of panic filled Elronds being at this point as several questions entered Elrond's mind. Does he know who Estel is? Will he turn him over to 
the Dark Lord? What does he know? How did he find out? Elrond read on in fear of what questions would be answered as to Estel's blood line and 
future. He let out a breath he did know he was holding at the next line.

   Do not mistaken I have no interest in the whelp nor his history, but he does make the bargain I wish to make all the more reason for you to 
   hand what I want over to me. That brings me to my next point. I want Vilya, the elven ring of air. In four days I will make the trade the ring for 
   the antidote and the young pup. I will be waiting by the old rocks you call Weathertop. If you refuse, well do I really need to tell you the
   consequences?

                           Rain, of the Wolf clan.

Elrond's hands trembled as he read the letter his mind couldn't comprehend what it was saying he didn't want believe a word of it. But it was true and he knew it he just couldn't believe it. After reading it twice through he collapsed into the chair Glorfindel placed behind him. It was all too much for him all his mind kept telling him was the same the same thing repeated over and over. His twin sons lie dying beside him while his other son was in enemy hands and might die or worse already dead.

A/N: Yaa, I updated! Remember no reviews = a really really really really really really really really really really long wait for next chapter. I know it seems like I'm starting to get away from what I was going to do, but believe me I know what I'm doing.

Really Handsome Elven Muse: No you don't.

Authoress: Shut up. (Looks over shoulder. Jumps out of chair into muses arms.) You came back to me! (squeals with joy. Sees clones in background) And you brought my clones back to me!

Elladan, Legolas, and Elrohir clones smile sweetly

Elladan: Hello Kat.

Elrohir: We didn't meet to leave you.

Legolas: We were on vacation in …um… Australia. Yeah that's it Australia.

Authoress: Yeah right. Now get in your places for people to read the story. (Hugs elven muse) Yaaa, you came back!

(To see other clone funnies see C&E; T.T.F.N.)


Chapter 6 - The Past Reveled

Chapter 6: The Past Revealed

Glorfindel took the note from the elf lord's limp hand and read it. He looked solemnly at the noldor elf, "What does this mean Elrond, who are the Wolf Clan?"

Erestor took the note and read it his face quickly paling at the words written. "I thought we were past this."

"He wants revenge." said Elrond images of the dream from the past night coming back to him.

'Why does everything happen when I'm not around?' Glorfindel asked himself taking a deep breath. "What happened?" he asked he didn't want to cause his friend pain by reliving the clearly awful memory, but he needed to know if he was going to be of any help at all.

Elrond took a deep breath and began his tail. "It all started many decades ago, before Estel was born. A man came into Imladris telling us he was a ranger from Arathron's troop. He said there had been an orc ambush and they were in dire need of the twins help. Elladan and Elrohir both left not long after he arrived and delivered his message. I had reason to believe the man, though later I wished I hadn't made such assumptions, he was in terrible shape. He had three arrows with broken shafts imbedded in his back. He collapsed not long after delivering his message. I removed the arrowheads and bandaged his many hurts. He was in no danger of loosing his life; in fact the wounds were not very deep his thick coat had protected him well, so I left him in the hands of the other healers. That night while all of Imladris slept…. "

~Flashback~

Elrond was in his room. He was tired from a long day of work and worry for his sons. He smiled at his own thoughts. No matter how old they became he would always be protective of them, but his parental instincts told him they were fine. After changing into his sleep clothes he pulled back the covers to his large bed and fell into a rest filled sleep never knowing of the danger that lurked in halls below his room.

Hours passed without a sound from the single occupant in the healer's wing, but slowly he came out of a healing sleep the pain relievers had caused. Keeping his breathing regular he scanned the room as well as he could on his stomach. Only a few healers sitting up for their night shift were there. When they left to do there standard routine of checking in on their patient and take stock of any and all herbs and medicines they had in stock and of what will be needed. Having heard Elronds sons were out to help fight off yet another band of orcs it was best to see what they had and prepare what would be needed upon their return. First one healer would check on the patient in the main healing room.

Pretending to sleep he easily passed the night check and with silent strides that could rival that of the eldar he left the healing ward and up to the Lord Elrond's family quarters. Sneaking around the corner and blending with the shadows he avoided all guards. Finally reaching his destination he quietly turned the knob.

Elrond was resting lightly when he heard the sound of his door opening he feigned sleep while who ever it was quietly approached his bed. Elrond listened to the foot steps taking note of how they were carefully placed to make very little noise. Whoever it was was taking careful measures to keep from being noticed. He instantly knew this was not one of the elves in Rivendell, for they knew better then to enter his room unannounced if they were allowed in the hall. What really gave the silent stalker away was when he tripped over one of the rug corners.

Elrond took the momentary distraction to his advantage and reached under his bed for a dagger he kept under the mattress and he waited for the assault.

Meanwhile outside two horses raced through the open gates, alerting the late night staff to their presence. The twins jumped off their horses before their faithful steeds completely stopped.

Elladan addressed the first elf he saw, his voice dripped I panic and worry, "Where is my father?"

"He is asleep I believe. He said he was tired and needed the rest." said Figwit.

"What about the man who was here earlier, the ranger who was injured?" asked Elrohir almost sprinting into the house.

"I believe he is in the healer's wing." said Figwit. But the twins were gone in the house before he finished.

Elladan and Elrohir raced up the stairs and down the hallways hoping against hope they were not too late.

Inside Elrond's room a figure stood poised over the mighty elf lord with dagger in hand ready to bring it down on the supposed sleeping elf.

The man was coming closer. He was surprised by how deeply Elrond slept; surly he would have awakened when the man tripped. But no matter he was so close, soon his task would be complete. He knew not why the Dark Lord wanted the ring. Because that was all it was right, only a simple ring, nothing more, nothing less. Then again who was he to question his master's orders? The Eye wanted the ring at any and all costs and killing the elf would be necessary to get it. He was troublesome to Sauron and presented a great threat to his success.

Elrond tightened his grip on the dagger. This mans plans were obvious, it was assassination attempt that much he was sure of. But hadn't anyone noticed? Why had no guards stopped him? What did the man want? All of these questions and more passed through the elf lord's mind. He was close now; Elrond questions would have to wait. Tensing every muscle in his body he struck.

The man watched as the elf's reflexes kicked in. The blade of the dagger coming dangerously close to his face as Elrond spun his body towards the intruder. He pulled back in surprise narrowly escaping injury. He had not expected the attack.

The elf lord's bedroom door flew open as the twins dashed in. Elladan tackled the human to the ground and wrestled the dagger from his hand. Elrohir raced to his father's side.

"Ada, are you alright?" he asked worry etched into his voice.

~End Flashback~

"He and Elladan fought for a sort time." Elrond glanced at the bed that held his eldest, "But he kicked Elladan low, giving him the chance he needed to knock him out. He hit his head on the nightstand." Elrond gave Elladan a sad pained look as he clearly remembered that night. He had been so worried for him when the young elf didn't rebound quickly. "The man then abandoned his mission here and fled. Elrohir followed while I stayed behind with Elladan. I know not what transpired between the two that night, and I doubt I ever will. But when next I saw them Elrohir was bruised and a little bloody and the man had not fared any better. There was a trial, but he had tried another escape attempt. We trached through the woods, but all that was found was blood a some cloth. This time we thought him dead for there was much blood at the site in the forest he ran through, but a body was never found. It wasn't until later we found out what he wanted."

A tear fell down Elrond's face as memories of that night and Elladan's hard fight. The older twin had been unconscious for almost two weeks because of the hard blow to the head. The reality of the situation was beginning to take hold as the contents of the previous nights dream began to make sense.

"Why is it I never knew about this?" asked the Glorfindel. It was more to himself then anyone else. He didn't expect there to be an answer.

"You were away in Mirkwood at the time." said Erestor solemnly

"Yes, when Thranduil requested us for help with his spider problem." added Elrond

"But why does he want Vilya? No one knows that you have it, do they?"

"Vilya was what his son was trying to steal from me." supplied Elrond as he smoothed out Elladan's hair. "He was willing to do anything to get it, even go as far assassination."

Glorfindel thought for a moment, "Now that I think about the ones who call themselves the Wolf Clan were always being pursued by Rangers. But they mostly engaged in theft, plundering, rape, murder, the list is unending. However, for some odd reason they always refused any summons by the Dark Lord."

"That's odd." said Erestor, "And undoubtedly quite untrue." The dark haired crossed his arms across his chest his eyes misted with deep thought on the problem at hand.

"I do not know what deception may lie in their plans…" Elrond started but he could not finish.

"Elrond what of the twins? The poison do you know of it?" asked Erestor as he looked sadly at the unresponsive twins on the bed. Neither of which had made no sounds not even so much as twitch.

"I have heard of it, but never in all my years encountered it."

"I have." said Glorfindel taking a seat in a nearby chair. "It is as the note says, an ancient poison one that was used to torture Morgoths victims. He would poison the friends and loved ones of some of his most formidable enemies, and then torture them by making them watch while their loved ones were hurting and they were not." Glorfindel shuttered in memory of tales he had long forgotten from his own friends long before the fall of Gondolin.

"What will happen to them?" asked Erestor; almost afraid of the answer.

"We are in for a long hard week my friend."

"They will be in much pain should they ever come back to us." said Elrond. He wanted nothing more but to pull his sons form the dark depths of their minds, but that would put them unbearable pain. However should they not wake up then they may very well die in their sleep. Never again seeing their family and friends forever lost until the end of time. The very thought of this broke the mighty elf lord to tears.

Elrond slid out of the chair onto his knees between the two beds each hand holding the cool clammy one of each son. He didn't know what to do and for the first time in a long time he felt lost and afraid.


Chapter 7 - Tears Like Rain Can Be Cold

Chapter 7: Tears Like Rain Can Be Cold

They walked for what seemed like hours Estel still perched on the big man's shoulder. He hadn't made a sound since they left the river. He was worried and afraid. He was worried for him and his brothers. Had they been found? Were they alright and chasing after the attackers right now? Secretly Estel hoped the later to be true. He didn't want to think his brothers were laying on the river side dead or unconscious, but up and well on their way to his rescue.

"Are we almost their?" whined the rat faced man.

"Soon." grumbled the other man wearing the bear skin.

"So what do we do with the whelp when we get back?"

"I don't know? Quit asking."

The woman with the hawk feathers stroked the side of Estel's cheek with a long nailed finger from her hand, "Maybe we can keep him. He'd make an interesting pet."

"I suppose you have a collar and leash picked out for him?" said the man called bear.

"I might."

The man with the warg skin instantly stopped in his tracks and threw Estel to the ground. Seeing this as another chance to escape Estel scrambled to his feet and ran in the direction he knew home to be in. Unfortunately he didn't get far. The warg skin man instantly rounded on him and snatched him by the back of his shirt and threw him into the nearest tree effectively knocking all the air from the boy's lungs.

"No ya' don't." He said to Estel. Grabbing the boy by the arm he dragged him back to the others. Estel pulled at his shirt trying to get free. He felt the hard ground, rocks and all, rub and scratch his back mercilessly. He was tossed at the feet of the woman the feathers in her cloak tickling his nose some. "Here you have a leash you take 'em. I'm tired of carrying the worthless brat."

Not wishing to antagonize the bigger man she took off the rope that hung at her belt and tightened it around the boy's neck. Pulling him close she glared into his eyes. "Listen you maggot, you will stay with us, no more of this trying to get away. You hear?" Estel shook his head. "Good. You see this rope tied to your neck? Every time it's pulled on the knot will choke you until you come close and every time you wander too far it will become tighter." she tighter the rope around Estel's neck to emphasize her point. "You must obey me if you wish to see your family. Understood? You're my pet until we reach our camp." Estel fearfully shook his head. "Good. I don't want to hear a sound."

"Valor help any child that woman may one day bear." whispered Bear to the wind. The others nodded in agreement.

They traveled for a few more hours, but to Estel it felt like an eternity. He wanted to call out, he wanted to yell, he wanted to do anything but obey these people, if that was what you would call them. To Estel they were monsters, the kind that haunt your dreams, the ones that hind in the shadows waiting for the time to strike. The beings any and all creatures feared on an instinctive level. Estel was very much afraid. He would stumble and trip along the way the rope ever growing tighter around his neck. The woman was good on her threats. She did not slow when Estel fell and if the boy didn't almost instantly rush to his feet then the rope would choke him and they would drag him along the path. The woman would even give a mighty tug to get him moving faster or just to torment him with the primal fear of death.

At last they reached weathertop. The sun was beginning to set filling the skies with all sorts of pinks, purples, blues, and red. While the sun itself no longer held its bright yellow, but a mix of orange and red. Estel was reminded of home and how he and his father would always go out onto one of Rivendell's many balconies and watch the sunset together. Where that normally brought joy into his little heart he now felt an immense sadness as he quietly asked himself if he would ever watch those beautiful sunsets with his ada again.

'Maybe ada is watching it right now. I wonder if he misses me.' Estel shook his head. Of coarse his father missed him! How could he ever think such terrible thoughts?

'If that's true then why has no one come for you yet?' asked a little voice in the back of his mind.

Estel was startled out of these thoughts when a large shadow loomed over him, blocking the sun from his view. Looking up he saw another man, he was not one of the ones who had dragged from his brothers and through the woods. This one was well built with dark eyes to mach his black hair and handsomer then the others. He wasn't all muscle like the twins nor was he skinny, dirty, and oily like the rat face man. This man wore wolf fur on his feet, wrists, and waist, which had the wolf tail still attached. He wore light dark armor across his chest, protecting the vital organs hat laid beneath the skin. The look alone was not enough to frighten Estel though, but the two wolves that lurked behind the man in the wolf skin did. One was black while the other was a mix of gray and white. They growled and showed their teeth to the boy as he cowered in fear of them.

"Down boys." said man clad in the wolf skin to the wolves behind. They instantly became quiet as the wolf man squatted to Estel's level.

"Hello little one, I am Rain." he said with a smile.

Estel was hesitant. Why was he being nice when the others were cruel?

Rains smile instantly faded into a cold harsh grin his black eyes glittering in the setting sun. He grabbed a handful of the boy's hair and jerked him closer to his face. "We're going to have lots of fun. Little Estel." a cruel laughter escaped his throat at the boys now wide eyes with fear etched into their depths. For the first time that day Estel did something he had feared doing.

He cried cold, bitter tears.


Chapter 8 - Memories and Pain

Chapter 8: Memories and Pain

Night had now fallen in Imladris the stars were out and shining bright, the moon was big and full to the brim. The outside area surrounding the house was teeming with night life. However, inside the Homely House tension was high and very few slept peacefully if they slept at all. Inside the healers wing candles and torches light up the room. The best healer in all of Arda sat at a table across from two identical beings in nearby beds. Elrond was sifting through one of his many books from the library, Glorfindel and Erestor had brought them in from the library so he could watch the twins while he searched for a cure.

Every now and then he would look up from his work at his beloved sons and thought about what he should do. In one hand he held the life of his adopted son and in the other he held not only the lives of his twin boys, but many other beings that will surly perish should he surrender the ring. But should he not then he might loose every chance he had of saving the twins and the man called Rain would kill Estel, or worse hand him over to the dark foes of the world.

The twins still had not awakened. There had been some hope that they would, when they had earlier started to shift around and moan as if they were caught up in the pains that infiltrated their peaceful dreams. But, to everyone’s sorrow they had gone back to their unconscious state.

Standing up he walked about the room trying to clear his weary mind and sooth the ache in his heart. He watched as the moon climbed a little higher in the sky before he turned back to look over his sons for any changes. So far there had not been any signs that there was even a poison in their bodies. Except they were cold, almost freezing, their eyes were tightly sealed, and the blue in their lips had spread. On Elladan he found what appeared to be bruising on his side. Tears threatened to; once again, fill his eyes as he realized it to be a sign of internal bleeding. Elrohir had bright red marks on his neck that traveled down his back. Elrond didn’t know what to make of those, but they seem to be coming from a tiny hole the size of a pinprick on his neck. That was where he had found the poison darts that felled his sons; the other had been in the middle of Elladan’s back. He had been studying the darts and books for hours now and still nothing had been found. The only thing he had to go by was what Glorfindel could remember from his first life. However, it was not a very reliable source, not that he didn’t trust his military advisor. Quite the contrary he trusted him with his very life, but the thought that the memories had been long before Elrond’s birth. That and when he had been first found after his reincarnation he remembered not even half of what he knew in his past life. Most of the memories returned with time, but still one question remained. How could he be sure he was remembering correctly?

As he watched his sons his mind wondered back a few months ago, back when everything was simple, when everyone was happy. Back to when he wasn’t worried for the lives of three of his four children.

~Flashback~

It was one of those lazy quiet days in the elven city called Imladris. It was a warm spring day, flowers were coming into bloom, baby birds were happily chirping in a nearby tree, fish splashed and jumped trying to get at the insects sitting on the clear water surface in the nearby fountains of Elrond’s favorite garden. The elf lord himself was enjoying the blissful silence the morning brought. Lying comfortably in a well furnished, brightly decorated settee on his favorite balcony he watched as the new day dawned. The twins had gone to Mirkwood before the sun had completely risen to visit their friends leaving the five year old Estel behind with his foster father.

Elrond was taking the day off so he could spend some much needed alone time with his youngest. He had been very busy lately and hadn’t been able to spend any of his time to indulge the child in his little games. But Estel had been very content with the way things were after all the twins would play with him when given the chance, and even when they had work Glorfindel, Erestor, and many other elves made time for him. So he was left never in want for playmates, but Elrond could tell the boy was beginning to miss his father. He could see the longing look in his eyes as his soul cried to be played with by his father. Taking notice of this Elrond decided to take a day or two off and leave the city in the hands of others for a short time. After all Estel was human and humans grow very quickly.

The familiar sound of little feet running down the hallway reached Elrond’s sensitive pointed ears. Estel was awake and no doubt looking for him.

Estel dashed down the hallways searching for his foster father. He had awoken not long ago and was still a little sleepy, but yesterday his ada had promised to spend the whole day with him. Thinking he was still asleep he ran straight for Elrond’s room only to find the elf lord wasn’t in there. He then turned around and headed for the kitchen. As he passed one the balconies a voice called his name.

“Estel, don’t run in the halls.”

Estel skidded to a halt and headed back to where he heard the voice call. Looking into the room on his ada’s favorite balcony he saw the person he was looking for.

“Ada, what are you doing?” asked Estel as he walked to his father.

“I’m relaxing and enjoying this beautiful morning. You are not normally up this early what are you up to?”

Estel grinned as he climbed into the settee at Elrond’s feet. “Nothing, Can I watch with you?”

“Of course nothing would make me happier.” Elrond smiled at his most beloved son.
Estel crawled up on his father’s stomach and settled down contently stretched out on Elrond’s chest his ear placed comfortably over the elf lord’s heart. Elrond stroked the messy mass of dark curly hair that spilled in every direction on Estel’s head. He would need to have it trimmed soon. As Estel started to close his eyes and relax into a comfortable sleep a strange sound reached his ears.

Thud-Thump, Thud-Thump, Thud-Thump.

The noise rang loudly, yet soothingly in Estel’s ears pulling himself up he looked at Elrond.

“Ada, what’s that noise?”

Elrond looked at his son, “What noise?”

“A thumping sound, right here.” he put his hand over his father’s heart feeling the rhythmic pulsing against his palm.

Elrond smiled “That would be my heart.”

“Oh.” Estel settled back down on his father’s stomach. Elrond continued to stroke the child’s dark hair.

Estel was about to fall back asleep when another sound reached his ears. He could not explain it. It was a gurgling and bubbling sound that drowned out the soft beets of the heart.

He didn’t move from his spot to ask this time, “Ada?”

“Yes, ion nin.” the elf lord gently prodded

“I hear another sound. It’s different from the heart, it gurgles.”

Elrond smiled ‘Ah curious youth.’ he thought happily, “That would be my stomach.”

“Oh.” Estel inched up a little higher so he could hear his father’s heart better.

Soon Estel was asleep and Elrond smiled as he felt the young one breathing slow and his own heart beat changed to match his ada’s rhythm. It was mornings like this that made him happy to have children, even if they weren’t of his own flesh and blood. He would miss these moments when the boy grew too old and big for a parent to coddle and hold as all children do, as the day wore on the two feel asleep dreaming of pleasant dreams and happy times.

~End Flashback~

Elrond smiled in memory that day was uneventful, but one of the best he ever had. Looking down at the twins, who still had yet to waken, he was reminded of anther memory. One that was much farther back in time, one that happened when the twins were about thirteen years old.

~Flashback~

Roll, Roll, Roll,

The twin Peredhil held their breath as the vase rolled on its stand. Neither dared to breath incase the very air they exhaled would cause the vase to come crashing to the ground. Finally the vase slowed and almost stopped. The twins released the breaths they had been holding, but as they looked to each other with relief written on their faces. The vase tipped off the stand and crashed to the unmerciful stone ground below.

The twins stood with looks of horror written into every feature of their identical faces. Both twins then dashed for the door looking every which way someone was bound to hear the crash the vase made. Sure enough their father and mother were quickly coming down the hall each having heard the noise. Both twins backed back into the room one thought sifting through their young minds. They were in so much trouble.

“You tell him.” said Elladan panicked at what punishment would be in store for them should they be caught.

“No, you tell him.” said Elrohir horrified that his brother, his very twin, would suggest such a terrifying ordeal.

“No, you.” Elladan quickly countered.

“You do it you’re the oldest.”

“True, but they love you more. You’re the baby in the family.” Elladan began to push his brother towards the door.

“Yeah, but you’re the older sibling. You’re suppose to protect your younger brother.”

~End Flashback~

Elrond laughed at the scene that flew through his minds eye. He remembered it like it was yesterday they had both gotten into trouble for the accident. His eyes came back to focus at the two beings lying almost lifeless on the bed and he thought on how he would give anything to have them young and small again. To hold them in his lap and take away their pain, when all he had to worry about was the burses and scratches they got from playing a little too hard. Sighing he went back to his books searching for the very cure he would need to save them. He had just found the passage on it when something happened.

The sound of a hacking cough came from beside him. Looking quickly with panicked filled eyes he saw Elladan curled in on himself coughing into his hand, which had instinctively covered his mouth while his other arm draped over his stomach clutching it. Elrond instantly went to his son’s side and attempted to calm the older twins coughing. Not long after Elrohir eyes flew open as he rolled to the side a retched onto the hard wood floor. Elrond’s eyes grew wide at what he saw in the mess at his feet, a large amount of blood was mixed with the fluids that were normally contained in the stomach. Elrond looked at his oldest sons hand and saw that it was covered in a sticky red substance he immediately recognized as blood.

Not knowing where to start he panicked and yelled the first name that came to mind.

“GLORFINDEL!!!”


Chapter 9 - Life And Hope

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Chapter 9: Life And Hope

Meanwhile, at Wheathertop, Estel was doing his best trying not to get in trouble. He had been in the company of these people for a total of one day and already he had been abused and treated as nothing more than a pet and a slave. He was tired, hungry, bruised and scratched. A tight metal collar had been placed around his neck to which a chain was attached to whoever held the end or sometimes it was tied to a rock. They would tug on this whenever they wanted his attention.

The leader Rain sat on one of the boulders that surrounded the historical site. He watched while his partners made preparations for the arrival of the elf lord. Various traps had been set up all along the woods and clearing he knew Elrond would come, the elf lord was well known to be devoted to his children as any father should be.

‘Like I was.’ Thought Rain as he remembered his son from that special moment when had first held him in his arms, when the boy had looked up at him and smiled, the day he took his first steps, to his first word. ‘His first word was my name, Daddy.’ He remembered that was the reason he had changed the clans ways. He wanted a better place for his son. A place where he could be surrounded by people that loved him that would take care of him. However all that had changed when that elf had so cruelly taken his life away.

He spotted Estel bending down to pick a stick for the fire tonight. Bear had given him that order; if it wasn’t done there would be consequences. Though he would still abuse the boy anyway, this Rain knew.

‘How could a lowly human come into the clutches of the elves? Perhaps the rumors of him being the last prince of Gondor were true. I’ll take him there and see if it’s true. Who knows maybe there’s a reward?’

“Come here whelp.” Commanded Rain.

Estel stood defiantly at the foot of the bolder the wolf clad man sat on.

“No.”

The others who had been occupied with other tasks stopped what they were doing. No one defied their leader; he was their superior, their better. What gave the child the right to go against his whim?

Rain sat wide eyed at the five year old before him. ‘How dare this child disobey me.’ He thought bitterly.

“What did you say?” Rain’s voice was cold and spoke of the cruel things he could do to the child.

Estel shook like a leaf at the sound of his voice, but still remained relentless. His father had taught him to never bow to those who treat you not as you should. He was not to be pushed around; he would stand strong for his family never giving this man the satisfaction of breaking him.

“I said NO.” he yelled.

Rain’s eyes grow in size.

‘How dare this child.’ he thinks. Rain jumps down from his perch and lunges at the boy catching him at the metal collar around his neck.

Rain shook the child with force that could rival that of the eldar. “I don’t think you understand runt. I’m the one in charge which means what ever order I give you fallow. Understood?” he slapped Estel across the face with his free hand.

Tears filled Estel’s eyes as his face stung where he had been hit.

“I think we should teach the boy a lesson he won’t soon forget.” Said the girl called Hawk. The others nodded in agreement.

Rain looked at each one of his followers. He agreed with them on this, but there was something more to their intentions then just a simple punishment. There was a menacing look in each of their eyes that he did not like.

“No, I will deal with the boy on this matter.”

“What, why?” asked Hawk in outrage. She wanted to torture him to hurt the boy in ways he could never imagine.

“Because, I am the leader and what I say is the way we do things.” he sent a glare into her that dared her to try and stop him.

Rain picked up the chain and dropped Estel to the ground and dragged him to up to the top of Wheathertop so that he may deliver the punishment.

~Rivendell~

Elrond, Glorfindel, and a few trusted healers worked tirelessly to save the twins. They had spent half and hour to get the bloody coughs and retching under control. Only to later be plagued with other symptoms: sudden drop and rise in body temperature, blood would come from almost every opening in their bodies, heavy nose bleeds, little rivers would leak out of their ears and corners of their mouths, their eyes were glazed almost a milky white, seizures were a common occurrence, there were several times when one or both were thought dead. But closer inspection would prove that wrong, much to everyone’s relief. To everyone it seemed that when one problem was fixed another started not long after.

At last things had once again stopped and all remained anxious to see what would happen next. Now Elrond was sitting and watching the unresponsive twins the last horror having been solved not long ago. He dared not leave their side; he was almost a nervous wreck. His sons always became injured in some way, shape or form, but never had they been this bad.

Glorfindel walked back from the kitchens. He had left after the last event, claiming to be in need of something to eat. But in reality he had left to relieve some of the tension set on his nervous. He needed the break and he bet Elrond did to, but trying to drag the elf lord away now would prove fatal. Erestor had long since left not being able to stand seeing his old students in such turmoil. He had taken to finding the cure while Elrond and the others work on the young elves. They had little time to spare and they needed to do something, plus the advisor needed to do something to keep his mind of the crisis at hand.

It was up to Glorfindel to keep everyone together if the were to get anywhere. But for now he settled for bringing his friend food, it would have to be something simple, something that would not spoil. Fruit, cheese, and a simple broth created from the leftover meat stew the cooks had stowed away for winter.

“What should I do my friend?” asked Elrond when he sensed the Balrog slayer near.

Glorfindel looked at him a frown was every present on the elf lords face. HE seemed tired, both physically and emotionally.

“Maybe I should give him the ring.”

Glorfindel was shocked; Elrond never gave in that easily. “Mellon nin, are you sure. You can’t give him the ring. Not yet anyway. We still have three days…”

“Exactly!” Elrond stood and stared at Glorfindel, “Three days Glor! Three days to find a cure, three days to save my sons. Then we have another problem, Estel! Or did you forget about him.”

“Elrond, I would never forget.” He had known the young human since he had first been brought to Imladris. He would never forget him, especially when the boy was in danger; the same went for the twins.

Elrond was about to say more to his advisor when a moan reached his ears. Looking to one of the beds his eyes searched over each twin.

“What is it Elrond?” asked Glorfindel.

“I heard something, one of them moaned.” Elrond was becoming excited was one of them finally waking up.


Chapter 10 - One up, One down, the Third Is Still Missing

Chapter 10: One up, One down, the third is still missing

Someone was talking, and very loudly that much was clear to Elladan as he listened to the distant voices that surrounded him. He couldn't make out what was being said or who was saying it all he knew was that both were shouting to his ears causing a dull pounding in his head to steadily grow. He knew that if he woke at any time the dancing trolls and oliphaunts in his head would hasten their tempo, and that would hurt, a lot. But the voices would not stop as they slowly pulled his conscious state back from the dark recesses of his mind.

A moan escaped his lips as a sharp pain exploded behind his eyes. It was unlike anything he had felt before, it was as if his brain was trying to break out of his head through the sockets of his eyes or the hallow channels of his ears. His side hurt down the very bone, no… through the bone, muscle, and tissue. The sudden intensity almost caused him to blackout a second time. The darkness offering to take away the pain was awfully tempting.

The voices that had been drowned out by the pain came again.

"Elladan, look at me. Please open your eyes. Let me know you're alright." said one soothing voice. He knew the voice, he knew he did, but he could not place it at this time. Thinking was quickly becoming painful.

"Hurts" was all he said.

"I know ion nin, but please do it for me." The back of the speaker's hand gently stroked his cheek trying to coax him back to the land of the living.

Elrond leaned over the bed after hearing the moan he instantly knew which twin was waking, as happy as he was by this find he was still worried about the younger of the two who still had yet to make a sound. Glorfindel stood off to the side out of the way so as to give the father time with his son. He would have left, but he would need to be there if anything went wrong, which was still a very real possibility.

Elladan did as he was told and slowly cracked open one eye only to be blinded by the bright afternoon sun pierced through the pupil. He quickly shut it tight to block out the sun.

Seeing the light was hurting his eyes Elrond spoke to his second in command, "Glorfindel close the curtain and turn down the lamps some." Elrond never once moved from Elladan's line of view. With the lights out Elrond once again tried to get his son to open his eyes. "It's alright now Elladan; you can open your eyes."

Elladan growled a little at being spoken to like a child, but followed the orders anyway. With the curtains closed the light now longer hurt his eyes he slowly opened them back up and started to focus on a pale peach and purple blur in front of him.

"Elladan?" asked a voice full of worry and uncertainty. The blur slowly taking the shape of his father. Elladan was relieved to be home, now he wouldn't have to walk back. He was sure any movement would increase the pain, especially the one in his side that was steadily spreading across his hip bone and up to the lower portion of his ribs.

"Ada?" his voice sounded week even to him.

Elrond nearly cried with joy. His son was awake, and probably week and in unbearable pain, it didn't matter now he was awake. Perhaps there was hope after all.

"Yes my son." Elladan looked like he was about to fall back to sleep, "NO! Elladan, stay with me! Don't go to sleep!"

Elladan's eyes flew open though not without struggle. "I'm tired ada and in pain. Please let me go back." he quietly stated feeling the void, and its promise of a quiet, painless plain, calling to him again.

"No, not yet, please don't go. If you do you may not wake. You don't want to that us now do you? Think about how that will affect everyone."

Elladan remained awake for the others, but at the last sentence he remembered what had happened at the river. His eyes went wide when he recalled how Estel had called for his help and said something about Elrohir. He had thought that was a dream.

Elladan grabbed the lose sleeve cuff of his ada's shirt. His eyes wide with panic and fear, "Ada, Elrohir, Estel what happened to them? Where are they?"

Elrond quickly went to calm his older son before he did any damage to himself. "Shh. Don't worry about that now. They are fine."

Somewhere in the back of Elrond's a voice stared wide eyed, 'What a lie.' it said, 'you know full well that is not the case. How could you lie to him, like that?'

Elladan was not to be fooled, no matter what Elrond tried. He saw how his father reacted when he mentioned his brothers. Why was Elrond keeping the truth from him? "Why do you lie ada? I know there is something wrong."

Elrond closed his eyes, well he had tried. He looked at the bed that held Elrohir; Elladan followed his gaze.

Elrohir laid as still as death and with a pallor to match the sheets. That was not all that had captured Elladan's attention; the white sheets were blotched in large dried blood spots. Elrond hadn't had the chance to change the sheets yet. Elladan's tear filled eyes met Elronds, as he silently asked for every detail of what had happened. Elrond complied and started to tell what he knew.

While Elrond spoke with his eldest Glorfindel looked through the books that sat forgotten on the table that Elrond had been using. A passage had been written on the very poison they were looking to cure. He was reading it as it described in detail what would happen should the poison had been injected, alone it was fine you could touch it with your bear hands, but upon entering the blood stream, even the tiniest amount, it became lethal.

In the pages it wrote how the poison reacted to each creature, apparently it was worse for men and dwarfs versus elves. He hoped Estel hadn't been subjected to this type of poison. It was then Erestor barged in, a red leather bound book in hand and a rare grin on his face.

"Elrond, I found it. I found the cure." Erestor's grin soon disappeared when he laid eyes on the twins. Uncontrolled joy filled his heart at the sight of Elladan being awake and seemingly alert, but it quickly vanished when his trained eyes traveled to Elrohir. Something about the younger twin wasn't quite right. Looking closer he realized what the other two elf lords had yet to see.

"Elrond, Elrohir isn't breathing!"


Chapter 11 - Cruel Punishments

Chapter 11: Cruel Punishments

Estel stood just past the campsite watching as the midnight sky loomed overhead. He watched while wonderful smells reached his senses. His stomach growled in protest of his hunger. As he watched the travelers begin what was sure to be a feast of kings, he thought back to his earlier punishment. He remembered how Rain had taken him up to the top rocks and hung him over the side where his dogs sat hungrily waiting for their meager dinner. Estel stared wide eyed at the creatures who drooled in hopes of a fresh kill of their own.

He was hung just past their reach, but close enough that when one jumped it almost bit off his ankles. He could feel the hot breath on his bear feet, the saliva that spatters onto his legs and arms. He screamed in fear of the great beasts. He clearly remembered how Rain had lowered the chain a little so the dogs could get a better reach. The big black one almost made it then. He had lunged at the child after rebounding from one of the rock sides; he had come close to snapping his jaws into the boy's stomach. But Rain had seen his pet come and at the last moment yanked the chain up with boy still attached. The dog didn't calculate in the fact his target had moved before slamming his nose into the rock wall that had been at Estel's back.

So sacred was Estel that he hadn't heard Rain's cold laughter as his fear triggered an accident. Later Estel had been embarrassed to find himself stripped down bare and thrust into a nearby stream to wash himself off, while the woman took care of cleaning his clothes. By the time Estel had been flushed from the water she had returned with them. They were wet however, insisting that a child who had been raised by elves should be treated as an elf and since elves don't feel cold then he won't mind wet cloths on a cool night. And that is where his torment had ended, at least for the day.

However now it was night at Estel was feeling the where and tear of the day. He was beginning to loose hope of ever seeing his family again. He kept thinking that they would never find him, that his ada had forgotten him. After all what was a human child to an elf who would find another to take his place when he was gone. He was nothing more then a pet to the elves of Rivendell just like these people who kept him now. At least that was what they kept telling him. But the boy had yet to fully believe it.

Estel's stomach growled angrily again, he was so hungry, having not eaten anything in a long time, by his reckoning, and the cooked dear with greens smelled so good. His mouth watered with just thinking about it. A shiver shuttered through his body as a cool wind blew his damp clothes and hair.

The man named Bear walked to where the young boy was standing a plate of food piled high in his hand. He stopped five feet from little Estel and watched in mild amusement as the boys eyes grew twice their normal size at what must look like a feast in his eyes. 'Ha, big eyes small stomach.' he thought as he watched the hope filled eyes.

He smiled cruelly as a new torture came to mind. "Well little one I see how much you want this food. So I'll make a deal." A spark of hope shown brightly in Estel's eyes, 'What fun it is to dash a child's dreams' "If you want this food so badly all you have to do is come and get it."

'That's all! Surely their must be more to this.' Estel looked at the food, still in the big mans hand, with a careful eye. What was he looking for? I doubt even he knew, it was something he had learned in one of his lessons. Always be cautious when taking offered food from an enemy, it may contain something vile and horrible that could things that would be much worse then death. For food can hide much if properly done. But so far nothing happened in the meal, nothing moved anyway.

Bear set the plate down where he stood and walked away. What could possibly be wrong with it? Estel thought but his stomach was trying desperately to get at the meal before him. So Estel easily complied and reached out for the food.

But alas he could not reach.

He tried again.

Still out of reach, but only just. If he moved a little closer he might be able to get at it.

This time he lay on his stomach and reached out his arm hoping to gain the inches he needed.

But the chain grew tight and his collar constricted around his neck. He tried to hold out as long as he could without hurting himself. He pulled at the leash, he dug his heals into the ground. He pulled and reached, pulled and reached, but it was no use. The young lad was doomed to starve.

But wait there was hope yet. If he could only reach the leaf his plate was sitting on he might be able to drag it over to him. He tried for the leaf this time and to his joy reached a piece of it he gently tugged the leaf and plate to him, being careful all the while trying not break off the little piece he held. The plate was almost in his reach when a shadow fell over him and just as he was about to gain his prize the shadow snatched the plate from him.

Estel looked up to see the rat faced man towering over him, his plate in hand. "Sorry kid, but you took too long now it's up for whoever wants it." he laughed cruelly as tears filled the little boys eyes. He had tried so hard for his meal and now it was lost to him.

"Rat!" yelled Rain coming up behind the oily man. "Give it back to him, NOW!

"What? Why?" Rat stood stunned to the spot at his leader.

"He will not starve, but perhaps you will?"

"What? But he's our captive…"

"And deserves a meal. I will not let him starve, not before I have what I want. Is that clear!" it was a demand not a question.

"Yes." Rat slunk away in defeat as Rain took the plate of food and placed it at Estel's feet.

"Eat it. You will need your strength later. I promise you nothing is wrong with it."

Estel stared at the plate, something about this wasn't right. Why had the man who tortured him so much just offered him is food back? "Why?" he asked in a small voice.

"There are many others that starve in the world against their will; a child should never have to starve when food is plentiful. Now eat and go to sleep. Things will not be easy on you." He tossed a blanket over the boys head and went back to camp.

Estel stared after him for a time before eating his now cold meal and curled into a ball under the thin blanket. He did not want to see what tomorrow would bring.


Chapter 12 - Middle Child Sorrows

Chapter 12: Middle Child Sorrows


(cont. from chapter 10.) "Elrond, Elrohir isn't breathing!" 

Elrond whirled around to look at Elrohir his face paled at the sight as his heart leapt into his throat. But he quickly pushed aside his feelings of terror and went to work to save his son. First thing he needed to do both as a healer and to assure the father in him was to make sure if he had just stopped breathing or if the heart no longer beat. He feared greatly for the other. He placed two tentative fingers to the young elf's throat searching for the artery that moved and pulsed with the heart. Panic began to set in when he had trouble finding it. There was an easier way to find someone's heartbeat he only hoped he would find it.

Elrond refused to despair until he could no longer find the beat of life within his son. For no amount of healing can return that precious rhythm once the heart permanently stopped. He bent down low placing an ear above Elrohir's heart and listened as silence filled the room. When hope seemed to fade he heard it. The beat was soft and light, hardly any strength left in it. If he didn't do something soon Elrohir would die in moments. Elrond balled up his fist and pounded on his son's chest. This only worked for a short time before he was back to where he started. He tried every method he could think of, but each try met in failure and despair. Then something occurred to him.

'It's worth a try.' he thought.

He took a few short moments to prepare for the task he was about to perform. It was a trick known only to the most prominent of healers. Only the best could use it. It would leave him tired, physically, and mentally drained, but it needed to be done. He had only done this one other time when his wife had first been brought back home and delivered into his arms. Problem was it had only done so much and Celebrian had left for Valinor not long after.

'It would be worth it.' thought Elrond placing one hand on his son's forehead and the other over the fading heart. 'At least he would still be alive.' With that he relaxed his entire body and cleared his mind, entering Elrohir's mind.

Elladan sat up in bed staring in shock of what he had woken up to. How could things go wrong so quickly, at this rate he would lose everyone he held near and dear to him. It would easily kill him should his twin die. How could he go on without either of his brothers for that matter? Through the bond they shared he could feel his brother fade, leaving them for the Halls of Waiting. Right then he wanted to jump from his bed and shake Elrohir until he awoke. But sadly that was not possible, Glorfindel's hand was rested on his shoulder in a gentle hold, but one that was strong enough to hold him down should he try to rise out of bed.

"Elrohir." he said his voice in choked whisper.

Glorfindel looked at the older twin. 'He should not be seeing this.' Thought the balrog slayer. He patted Elladan's shoulder saying, "Do not fret young one your father will soon have everything under control."

Elladan could only nod, not trusting his voice to do nothing more then whisper when all he wanted to do was scream. As he watched and waited for Elrond to announce Elrohir's health one way or another he felt darkness creep into his line of vision as figures faded and blurred. He wouldn't be conscious for much longer. But he didn't want to, not until he knew his twin was alright. To bad he didn't have a say in the matter.

Glorfindel watched as Elladan's eyes slid shut the poison once again sending him into unconsciousness. He would watch over the older twin for any signs or warnings that would prove ill for the noldor elf. Elrond was troubled enough; he didn't need Elladan to start having problems as well. Erestor was now standing by his side, tears threatening to fall; he put the book open on the nightstand near the blonde elf.

"Here, read this it tells how to cure them, if it's any use now." he began to choke as he watched his once students.

As he turned to leave Glorfindel stopped him.

"Please Erestor stay. They will need you soon." Erestor turned to look at him. Glorfindel smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Keep me company mellon nin. I could use some right now." Erestor nodded thinking on how he could use the same. The two odd elves, whose fights and bickering were common between them, both had a deep friendship no one understood and so they sat together side by side as all friends do as they watched their other friends fight for life.

He was in a room, he thinks, it was swirling clouds of gray and black with walls of a dark gray. Elrond walked around for a while searching for his lost son. He had no idea where he was or what this was supposed to be. It was Elrohir's mind this he knew, but what was this. He had no idea. Finally the sounds of sobbing reached his ears from a door that appeared from nowhere beside him. He entered knowing what he would see on the other side. It was a dark room. No light touched it for what seemed like forever. He could feel the sadness of the room as it stifled him. His son was despairing he could feel it.

Looking around he saw him. Elrohir was sitting in a corner his knees drawn up tight against his chest, his arms locking them in place; his face was buried in his legs as he cried into them, his ebony locks spilled out over them. Elrond tried to run to his son's side but something held him back. Soon Elrohir stopped crying.

"What is my worth to you ada?" Elrohir's voice was soft and dripped in emotion. Elrond could almost make out his eyes through the dark hair that surrounded his boy.

Elrond was taken aback by this question, he loved his son dearly, surely he knew that. Elrond loved all his children more than life itself, never had one, not even little Estel, questioned that fact.

"What do you mean ion nin? You know I love you. Why ask such silly questions? I value yours, your brothers, and Arwen's lives over myself and all I have."

"That's not what they say." whimpered the noldor elf retreating once again into his knees.

"Who?" asked Elrond.

Elrohir looked up, "The voices adar. Can you not here them?"

For the first time Elrond got a good look at his son. His hair was matted to his face and neck, he was pale and his glow was gone, but what got attention the most was his eyes. Those blood shot, tear filled gray eyes. They looked back at Elrond with such sadness, so much they broke the elf lord's heart to see. The depth of the void of sadness was too deep for his liking. How anyone could feel such emotion so deep was inconceivable, but something in them spoke as clear as day. They were dulled, dark, and glazed as they begged to be released. It only had one meaning. Elrohir wanted to die.

Elrond was frightened by the haunting eyes, but he would be damned if he lost one of his

own.

"What do these voices say Elrohir?" he asked wishing to put a stop to whatever was causing this. If that meant fighting off the demons of the mind then so be it.

"They say I am nothing to anyone…"

"That's not true!" bellowed the might elf lord horrified by such thoughts.

Elrohir looked stunned at his father's voice; he had only heard him speak like that when he was … well now that he thought about it he never heard shout like that. It was disturbing.

"But ada, Estel is out in the woods with dangerous men that can do anything to him. It's my fault he's out there. If I had only been a little quicker, or left for a different part of the river. And Elladan is dying because of me." he paused burying his face yet again. "I am sorry ada. I have failed you, I failed as Estel's protector, as Elladan's twin brother, but most of all I have failed you. I am no longer worthy of the Peredhil name."

To say Elrond was shocked by this admission would be an understatement, but no other words can describe what he had heard. "Why do you say these things?"

"Because the voices say it's true." Elrohir fell to his side and curled in on himself, "Please ada leave me, I am not fit to be among you or any others. I have no great path set before me, no thrilling history to tell to others. I am just Elrohir, the younger twin of Elladan, heir to Rivendell, older brother to Estel, heir to Gondor. I am nothing more and nothing less, only a being that exists." he then feel quiet and Elrond could move again.

Elrond rushed to his son's side and pulled him into a loving embrace. "Elrohir, never utter such words again." he said in his sons hair. "They are not true, nor shall they ever be. You mean so much to everyone, they need you, and though you do not yet see it, there is a path for you. It only needs to be found, or perhaps you walk it already. What would Elladan do without you to help him with his pranks? If I recall you're the one who comes up with the better ideas. Do not forget all you have done for Estel. Whenever he needed help in his lessons you were the one he turned to. Not to mention how much of a joy you are to have around. The ideas you place into councils are almost always worth considering. You see many different sides of life that so many others seem to miss. I know you hurt, this poison has not been easy for anyone to fight and I cannot guarantee anything as of yet, but please return they need you… we all need you. Without you everything will fall apart."

Elrohir was quiet as he pondered over his fathers words. Memories flashed through the dark room giving it a little light as he remembered all the good times.

Elrond smiled as he watched the memories play, his son was coming back.

"Yes, that's it ion nin. You will be fine now."

Elrond looked over Elrohir's and saw the ones who had put the vial thoughts in his sons mind. They were shadowed figures, with no form only black wraths with glowing red eyes. They were angry with him for stealing away their prize.

Elrond tightened his hold on Elrohir, "You can not have him." he said through gritted teeth. His voice and growled hidden speech brought Elrohir to attention.

One of the wraiths bent down and whispered into Elrohir's ear the elf's eyes dulled again. He was returning to the way Elrond had found him. Elrond moved quickly to swat the wraith away. It turned into smoke as Elrond's hand passed through it he watched as it resumed its shape near the other wraiths.

"Keep away form him." Elrond growled, "Elrohir, listen to me. This isn't real, these demons don't exist, they lie to you everything they say and do is a lie. You must not believe them. Think of everyone waiting for you when you wake. Fight them Elrohir you are stronger then you think right now you can defeat them if you stand against them."

And listen Elrohir did, but not to the wraiths he listened to the one he called father. Because he knew his words to be true, his memories had shown him that. The wraiths had somehow been able to block all his good memories from him it wasn't until his father had come had he been able to see them again. Now he knew the strength he possessed, he only hoped it would be enough.

Elrohir turned to face the ones who plagued him. He only had this one chance to defeat them.

Standing up he spoke to his father. "Ada, I thank you for everything, but I want you to leave."

"What! No, I will not leave you to fight alone."

"Nay ada, this is my fight, in my mind, I don't want you to be hurt. You will have others to tend to do not forget them."

Elrond would have protested, but something was pulling him back, away from here. He didn't want to leave Elrohir to fight alone; what if the wraiths took him again he may never get another chance at life.

"Ada, they call for you, go back something may have happened. Don't worry about me."

Elrond bowed his head in defeat and stopped fighting the urge to return. "As you wish, but always remember we love you dearly and to lose you would be unbearable."

Elrohir smiled "I know, don't worry. And ada I love you."

Elrond smiled as his heart swelled. "And I love you Elrohir. Return to us."

With that he could no longer stay and Elrond turned back to make his way back to his own body and mind. His heart filled with hope and worry.


Chapter 13 - Moving Out

Chapter 13: Moving Out

Elrond was brought back from Elrohir's mind in a most terrible state. He was kneeling on the ground coated in a thin sheet off sweat, his hair was tousled, as if he had gone to bed with it wet, tears leaked from his eyes and his mind felt fuzzy as to his surroundings. Glorfindel had been shaking his shoulders while calling to him. He had been loath to bring his friend around, but having read the cure in Erestor's book he knew they would need a decision on what to do if they are to save everyone.

Elrond watched his military advisor with odd glazed, confused eyes; his mind wasn't quite registering being back yet. He watched in dulled fascination at what the blonde elf was saying; his mouth was moving but there was no sound.

"Do you understand?" finally the blonde elf's voice finally penetrated the fog in Elrond's mind and from there it quickly cleared.

Elrond shook the cob webs from his mind and said, "My apologies Glorfindel what was you said?"

"He said we found a cure." said another voice from behind Glorfindel.

"Erestor?"

"Aye."

"We did not wish to leave any of you alone." said Glorfindel.

"But who's tending to my city?" asked the elf lord curiously.

"Elrond do not worry for Rivendell, she can stand on her own for a few days whether you will it or not." said Glorfindel.

Elrond nodded when Erestor's words finally registered in his mind. An overexcited glint sparked in his eyes.

"You said you found a cure?!" he grabbed the dark haired elf by the shoulders.

"Yes." said Erestor a little nervous.

No sooner had that word escaped that Elrond pulled his friend into a fierce hug that nearly knocked them both off balance. Erestor in complete shock and at a loss of what to do patted the elf lords back a little uncertainly.

Elrond pulled back and shook his head returning his features to the usual pride filled look.

"Good. Good, let me see it."

Erestor handed the elf lord the thick volume where the cure had been found. Elrond read everything that would be needed his smile growing at each new ingredient. They were all fairly common, and plenty was stored away in the healing cabinets in various places in the house. The instructions were simple enough, no real work would be required only boil water and add the herbs. Let boil till thickened, and allow it to cool for a short time so the herbs could properly mix and blend. Common procedures all of them. His hopes were high by the time he read the ingredients, but all was quickly dashed to bits when he reached the most important part.

Glorfindel watched as Elrond's features went from happy to deeply depressed in moments.

"What is it?" he asked

Elrond looked up over the book at his closest friends. Swallowing thickly he spoke, "The last ingredient." he put the book on the table for both elves to see. "Moon Spark. A very rare flower that only grows in the Lorien and in the light of a full moon."

"Is there any way to replace it with another plant with similar qualities?" asked Erestor.

"No if I remember right that's the most important part. Am I right?" said Glorfindel.

Elrond "It is. It can cure almost anything, but one must be careful on how they use it. Too little it becomes useless, but too much can end a life in seconds. It is very hard to come by and even harder to use. One must be very careful on not only the dosage, but what parts of the plant to use. Only the white parts of the petals, any of the blue colored tips could prove deadly, or worse."

"And you don't have any." said Erestor shaking his head.

"No, and according to this it must be cut fresh and used within two days."

"We can't wait that long." whispered Glorfindel.

"No, tomorrow is the forth day, it will be too late."

"What is your decision?"

"Give a few moments then we will head out."

"You are going through with it?" said Erestor astonished by the decision and yet not really the least bit surprised.

Elrond nodded his eyes never moving from the twin elves, who were once again in clutches of the vial potion.

Glorfindel stood and headed out the door Erestor both understanding Elrond's unspoken request to be with his sons for what may be the last time.

"Oh my boys what trouble you have found yourselves in now." He smiled fondly at both. "I know that if either of you were awake now then you would be fighting your way to your brother's side, but please do not follow. I don't care how well you may feel, I will not have you gallivanting around half dead." A light laugh passed his lips. Elrond didn't know why he was saying this, he just knew he did no reason, he only wanted to. It was silly he knew, but he also knew that the instant one was awake he would ride out in full armor trying to rescue the others. Shaking his head he continued, "I will be leaving you both soon; I will trade the ring for yours and Estel's lives. I will be honest I do not know how much longer either of you have but if nothing else please be here when I return."

He looked at Elrohir, "My son please fight the shadows, I know it's hard but please, remember what awaits your return to the waking world. The shadows lie; keep that in mind when you fight." His eyes turned to Elladan, "And that goes for you as well. I know not what fears those shadows have placed in your mind, but fight them they nearly broke your brother, do not allow them the same privilege. You are both stronger and better then I had ever thought you to be, you continually amaze and surprise me. Please don't leave for I could not bear life without either of you. Besides who would Estel have to tease and play with without you?"

He glanced out the nearby window at the pair of blue birds sitting on the branches of a nearby tree. They looked almost entirely alike. Their beaks were a light brown yellow, dark and light blue feathers decorated the delicate bodies. A single white stripe crossed both backs from wing tip to wing tip. The only difference between the two birds was the tail feathers. One had a single feather that was white while two blue ones flanked on each side. The other was a complete opposite the middle tail feather a dark blue while the side feathers were white. A small high pitched chirping brought his attention to a third blue bird. This one was much younger then the other two only a fledgling compared to the others. Baby down feathers still covered him for the most part. He didn't know why he stared at the birds for so long, but they comforted him some how. They reminded him of his own sons and besides blue jays were a good omen. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present.

"It is time."

Elrond nodded turning to Glorfindel, "Yes I shall be ready momentarily." he looked his old friend from head to toe. He was dressed in travel clothes a light elven armor that molded to his frame matching him perfectly. It's painted metal bringing out his bright blue eyes and enhancing the shine of his golden hair. Elrond looked at him questioning.

Glorfindel chuckled, "The letter didn't say you had to be alone. So I will accompany you, who knows what tricks this Rain may have in store. You may need me."

Elrond agreed with this logic, "Then that will leave Erestor in charge, yes?"

"Aye, he began that task when those two were first brought home."

With everything said and done Elrond left for his room to prepare for the upcoming battle, though he hoped it would not come to fighting. One last check on the twins then he and Glorfindel were off.

Weathertop

At the ruined place called Weathertop the wolf clan prepared for the elves arrival. Rain made some last minute orders and plans before hand. He smiled as he remembered a waterfall not too far off when another twist to his plan made its way into his already twisted mind. Oh the torture, he couldn't simply hand the brat and the antidote to the elf lord, no Elrond would have to earn it.

"My friends I leave you tonight with the runt in tow." He glanced at Estel still sitting on a nearby bolder. He sniffled a little, he was crying again. Rain rolled his eyes. 'Great the pup's a cry baby.' he thought.

"You're leaving us?" said Bear.

"Yes, I have another plan in mind. Come closer and I'll reveal to you what you need to know and what I want you to do."

That night plans were changed and twisted into almost a sick game to them.


Chapter 14 - Cold Death

Chapter 14: Cold Death

As the door shut and the elf lords left, something began to happen in the healing wing. One of the twins began to stir as the other healers, who had been hand picked by Elrond himself, stood nearby, ready to do anything and everything necessary at a moment's notice. This time, it was Elrohir who began to wake. The healer immediately went to his young lord's side.

"Lord Elrohir?" he asked tentatively, not quite believing the elf was waking.

Elrohir moaned as he tried to force open his eyes. It hurt so much, and yet a strange numbing sensation swiftly followed, bringing the pain down to a dull ache. The light stung his eyes the second he opened them.

The healer turned down the nearby oil lamps before returning to his charge's side.

Elrohir's vision, after much trying and focusing, finally cleared and blurred figures took on recognizable shapes and features.

Elrohir squinted his eyes to better see the elf before him. "Celsil?" he asked, not quite sure who was there.

Celsil smiled and nodded, "Aye. How are you feeling? Don't tell me you're fine," he stated before his charge could say it.

Elrohir merely stared at the elf. Celsil had lived in Imladris for as for back as the twins could remember. Born in the first age and being raised with Elrond in his younger days, before he and Elros had lost their family, he was one of the first to be mentored by Elrond in the art of Healing. He was really the only one Elrond felt confident enough to leave in charge of the lives of his favorite patients while he was detained elsewhere. Unlike their father, however, Celsil was a lot more understanding of his patients and kept his hovering at a minimum, allowing things that Elrond would have frowned at. He was the healer everyone wanted to see.

Celsil was now becoming worried by Elrohir's silence. The Elf hadn't said a word and stared at him as if he wasn't there. "Elrohir?" he snapped his fingers in front of the Elf's eyes, hoping to get some form of reaction.

Elrohir blinked when the slight wind from the snapping fingers hit his eyes. "Hmm?"

"I asked if you were all right."

Elrohir smiled, "You also asked if I was fine. Adar is always complaining about us saying that and not meaning it. So instead of an annoying and overused bicker I decided to hold my tongue."

"So in other words…" the healer left the sentence open.

"I hurt."

Celsil didn't know if he should be proud of this admission or worried. The only time any of Elrond's children admitted to being in pain was when there was something very wrong; usually, they were on the verge of death before they would admit to being injured or ill.

Seeing the look in the healer's eyes, Elrohir managed a weak smile, "Don't worry Celsil I'll be fine. In fact I'm feeling better already."

Celsil looked Elrohir from head to toe suspicion clearly written in his ageless features,

"Hmmm. That remains to be seen."

Elrohir looked around the white room, "Where's ada? He's never left us when we were hurt."

Celsil had been expecting this. Lord Elrond had given specific instructions to not tell them where he was going, "He stepped out for a while," he said, shifting the younger twin into a sitting position. As he touched Elrohir's hand he felt icy cold of his skin.

"Elrohir your hands are ice!" he exclaimed, reaching for both hands in an attempt to warm them.

Elrohir eyes began to droop as the darkness came for him, but this time, it felt different. This time, he knew if he fell asleep, he would not wake up. His lithe frame began to shake as goosebumps coated his arms. A freezing feeling began to engulf him as he slowly lost the battle with consciousness.

Not getting any sort of response from the younger Elf, Celsil began to shook him gently, calling his name.

The last thing Elrohir heard before he left was his name.

A Few Hours Later

Elsewhere, two horses galloped in the direction of the now setting sun. Neither would sleep this night they had too far to travel and only a short time to travel it in. Both were prepared, though loath to do it, to run their horses into the ground if they must. The twins only had so much time left, if they didn't get the antidote soon… well no one wanted to think way just yet.

Sensing their riders needs and urgency the horses swallowed up the ground beneath them. They would have flown if they only could, but they came as close as any ground animal could. Their feet hardly touched the ground before they were off again.

Glorfindel's hair flew behind him in a curtain of gold as he sped his horse along. He was anxious to get to Weathertop, but not because he wanted to be there for Elrond when he got the antidote (though that was part of the reason). Something about this whole thing was off. Something like this shouldn't be this easy. There had to be a catch somewhere, something that Elrond had to do to get both the antidote and Estel. Sure there was the ring, but to simply hand it over and retrieve the child and the antidote….it was too simple.

'There has to be more to this.'

Elrond had similar thoughts racing through his mind, but they were not as pressing as the others that flooded his senses. He could only hope this was as easy as it seemed. The thought of who awaited him at Weathertop sent an angry fire coursing through his veins. If Rain had hurt his son in any way, there will be blood shed and it would not be his.

The next problem came without warning.

Elrond was back in Rivendell; in the healing room, to be exact. Something was wrong here…he could feel it. As he walked through the door he saw someone he did not expect.

Legolas walked right pass the elf lord, as if he wasn't there. Elrond almost asked his reason for being there (not that he disapproved of the prince's presence; he simply hadn't heard he was coming). However, the look he saw on the blonde Elf's face stopped him from uttering a syllable. His features were filled with sadness, as if he had lost someone close to him. It was a look he had seen before, in many other faces; even in his own children. Legolas eyes were puffy and bloodshot, like he had been crying. Dried tear streaks stained his pale face, and dark circles sat below his eyes. His chest heaved with every breath as he was fighting to hold back tears that filled his eyes.

He soon found the cause for the elf's sorrow; it was a sight he had dreaded seeing since he had taken Estel in. Estel lay atop one of the many beds. He was pale and motionless, his eyes dark and sunken in. There was no movement beneath the lids, his lips and eye lids blue-purple in color. However, the most startling discovery was his small chest. It wasn't moving.

"No…" Elrond whispered in horror.

Yes, Estel Elrondion had died.

Sobbing sounds from beside him brought him back. His twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir were standing next to the bed eyeing the unmoving form that was once Estel. Elrond couldn't believe what he was seeing; they were alive and appeared to be healthy. Elrond would rejoice, but had this come at a terrible price. Had Estel died for them, or was this something different?

Sensing Elrond's presence, Elladan turned to look at his father. Elrond saw the same look in his oldest son's features as had earlier seen on Legolas….except, the instant Elladan's eyes laid on Elrond, a fire burst behind them. He was angry…with him? What had he done?

"How could you?" Elladan growled at Elrond.

"Elladan, what happened?"

"What happened? What happened!" This was Elrohir who was now as angry as Elladan; a very rare event indeed.

"You know full well what you did." Elladan's voice was low and menacing.

This was another difference between the two twins, and one not often seen. While Elrohir would loose his temper in one swoop, Elladan would draw his out, preferring to let the anger boil and seethe while he drew out the rest in menacing tones and semi-hallow threats. When it came to anger he was the one to avoid at all costs. One could always tell when he was not to be trifled with; his eyes would turn completely black. Currently, his irises were indistinguishable from his pupils.

"Why could not just let us die ada?" said Elrohir, looking back at his newly deceased sibling. "It would have been better."

'What?" thought Elrond. "I did this? I let him die? No!'

"Yes, you let him die. You did, Elrond."

'Did Elladan call me Elrond?' This is truly a bad sign thought Elrond.

"You couldn't help it could you? You had to choose us over him." Elladan grabbed the back of Elrond's neck and pulled him close. Whispering into his ear, he hissed, "Now you may loose all of us. Ada." The name he had used to call Elrond when he was young was spat back at him in disgust.

The twins left the room leaving a shocked and greatly disturbed Elrond behind to stare at the one he had let down.

A/N: Again I'm sorry 'bout the wait. The next ch. Is being written as we read so hopefully that won't take as long.

Hope U enjoyed this installment. Tell me what u think, whether it's like, dislike, or just general outrage review anyway. They make me happy.


Chapter 15 - Dilemmas

Chapter 15: Dilemmas

Glorfindel glanced back to Elrond, whose horse had slowed down considerably due to the fact Elrond was not responding as he should. The blonde elf moved to ask what was wrong, but he caught the look in his friend's eyes. They were glazed over; not in the half-lidded Elven sleep, judging by the glazed unseeing look, this was a vision of some sort. Tugging on the thin rope that served for reins he slowed his horse down enough so the other horse could easily catch up.

As Elrond awake from what most surely was a nightmare, he swayed slightly, momentarily forgetting he was on horseback. A strong hand gripped his arm, keeping him from an informal meeting with the ground below. His eyes traveled to the hand's owner.

Glorfindel held Elrond on his steed until he was sure the Elf lord could hold his own. The two continued riding, silence the only thing between them. They rode until it was too dark for even Elves to see. Rain clouds came once again, covering the stars and veiling the silver moon in blankets of cottony cloud.

That night they settled down under the last of Rivendell's familiar trees. Tomorrow, they would reach Weathertop, and then everything would be decided. Tonight was only the calm before a great storm. Both elf lords sat in the dark, not daring to light a fire. That would surely alert the enemy to their presence.

Elrond broke the silence, "It wasn't a dream. I had not fallen asleep, had I?" he asked. His hope filled eyes pleading for the truth to be that he had simply fallen asleep on his horse. He hadn't had much rest in the past few days, or was it years? Time seemed to have completely slipped by the mighty lord of Rivendell.

Glorfindel nodded his head. "I saw, it was no dream." He handed Elrond a small leather travel sac, filled with dried berries and lembus bread. Silence once again settled between the two.

"What did you see?" asked Glorfindel quietly, taking out a few red berries and examining them briefly before popping them one by one in his mouth.

"I saw happiness and sorrow." Said Elrond solemnly, his food lay forgotten in his hands.

Knowing his friend needed time to gather his thoughts, Glorfindel waited Elrond out; the Elf would speak when he was ready. Still, he couldn't help but feel worried for his long-time friend. He could only guess at what Elrond had seen and the Gondolin Elf didn't like where those guesses took him.

Taking a deep breath Elrond eventually continued, "I saw Elladan and Elrohir." he paused, his eyes never leaving his lap. Glorfindel waited anxiously, Elrond smiled at the next few words, but that soon faded. "They were alive, the poison no longer wreaking havoc on their bodies. However," Elrond choked on threatening tears, "Estel had… Estel." He broke down and sobbed into his hands as the memory resurfaced. Moving to his side, Glorfindel held Elrond as he cried. The Elf no longer needed to tell him what had happened. Glorfindel recognized these tears; these were tears of a father's shattered heart.

Through the sobs and tears the mighty Elf Lord spoke, "He was dead Glor! I don't know how but he had died. All the twins would say was how I had chosen to save them over him. That I had let him die." Elrond's watery eyes looked up at Glorfindel, seeking some sort of relief that what he had seen was false, that it had never happened. More then anything he hoped he would wake up to find that these last four or five days had been nothing more then a simple, lengthy dream. But alas; it was not so.

After many tears and constant babbling, Elrond finally stopped and calmed down a bit. All the tension that had built up had released; a large, watery tear stain on Glorfindel's shirt was proof of it.

"Why don't you get some sleep tonight? I'll keep watch."

Not up to bickering about something so trivial, Elrond lied down. He stared up at the starless sky, hoping to find some light in the dark.

The next day brought them to the meadow surrounding Weathertop. They stopped their horses where the woods met the grassy field. Dismounting, they cautiously looked around for anyone that may be part of Rain's party; the elves held no doubt that Rain would appear with others by his side.

A light breeze rustled the grass and leaves swirling the dirt and dead leaves on the ground into a spiraled dance. The temperature was rapidly dropping as the storm moved in preparing to drench them and any others unlucky enough to be outside. The wind flew both elves hair in every direction. Nothing moved on its own; the wind did everything.

Rain was not here to great them like they had both expected and hopped.

"Where are they?" said Glorfindel.

"I don't know. They should be here."

"Oh we are," said disembodied voice near them. Sword drawn and ready Glorfindel turned to see a rat-faced man standing in one of the lower branches of a tree.

"Now, now. Let us not be hasty in our actions," he said. "Which one of you is the Elf Lord Elrond?"

Elrond steppe forward, standing next to his fierce guard and friend. "I am. You are…"

The rat-man jumped down from his perch, Glorfindel's eyes never leaving him.

"Not Rain, I have come with a message for you. Rain says that he is waiting for you, and I am to take to him." Eyeing Glorfindel he smiled, "And he said you were to be alone. No one is to aid you in the trade."

"What?! No! That was not part of the deal." roared Glorfindel. He knew it there was something more to this, and he would be damned if he left his friend and Lord alone to face such foes.

"I don't believe we were introduced," said Rat.

"My name is of no importance to you." Glorfindel growled. The hold he had on his sword never loosened; only grew stronger.

"Rat back down." commanded a second voice. The elves and man turned to see a women with hawk feathers. Elrond looked her from head-to-toe, wondering where he had seen her before. His mind flashed back to the nightmare that started it all. She was the woman he had seen standing with the children!

It was as Glorfindel had thought. Rain was not alone in this, there were others with him.

"Elrond I bring a message from Rain." the woman said, scoffing as she spoke his name.

Rat sneered at her. Why was she here? He was supposed to deliver the message. Why was his fun and joy always ruined by others? A flash of hatred and anger passed over his; this did not go unnoticed by the blonde Elf nearby.

"Rain would like you, Elrond. To come alone he would make the trade then. Rat will show you where to go."

Glrofindel's eyes shot up at her when this was said. What was going on? As if to complicate the situation further, Bear and his brother entered the scene. Grabbing Glorfindel, they held him tight.

Before Elrond could protest Rat stepped in, giving the Elf a harsh shove towards the waiting place, he said, "Let's go Elf. If you want to see the child again, you will go."

Glorfindel stopped struggling (not that it had done him much good anyway). His soft blue eyes met the silvery-grey of Elrond's there an unspoken argument passing. Elrond wanted to help his loyal friend and then run after his son. But Glorfindel wouldn't hear it. His eyes assured him that he would be safe and the lives of Elrond's children were of far more importance.

Elrond reluctantly followed the one called Rat. As he walked away, he began to heard the sounds of fighting behind him. He knew what had happened without turning around. He wanted to return to Glorfindel's side and fight, but no matter what happened; no matter if Arda ended this very moment, the lives of his children would always be his first and foremost priority. He would do anything for them; fight for them, lie for them, and even die for them. They were his passion. Without any one of them he would surly fade from all existence, fade so far away even Mados couldn't reach him.

The wind picked up, catching the elf lord's hair in its clutches and whipping it in every direction. Elrond brushed a few locks from his eyes. He followed Rat with his head proudly held high. He glanced at the ring invisible on his hand. Second thoughts never crossed his mind.

The light, misty rain was beginning to pick up. In a moment the clouds would burst, releasing the watery burden on the inhabitants below. Thunder began to role overhead. Elrond hoped Estel wasn't too afraid of the storm. They had to be getting close; after all how far away could they be? The sounds of a waterfall could be clearly heard over that of the now steady rainfall.

Finally they came to a halt behind thick foliage. Pushing aside overgrown tree limbs and wading through ankle-deep grass, he saw a place he had forgotten existed. Even with rainfall and dark skies, he saw the beauty and peace the place offered. A small waterfall filled his vision; only about ten feet high, surrounded by moss covered boulders and over grown plant life. Words could not describe the sight before him.

A hand stopped him from continuing forward. Glancing over at Rat he knew what was coming.

"Give him the ring, Elrond, and I will give you what you want," said Rain appearing from the top of the waterfall.

Elrond did as he said, perhaps foolishly. He couldn't wait to feel his youngest son run into his waiting arms. To feel the familiar weight of a five-year-old boy attached to his leg, to have his twin sons running around playing pranks on unsuspecting victims, to have life back to the way it was before this mess.

Rat felt the surprising heavy weight of the Elven ring in his palm. He thought how easy it would be to simply take the ring and run. Then he would be in control, with the power of the air at his fingertips; he could easy overrun not only Rain, but every being in the known world. How easy it would be… but first he would need to dispose of his leader Rain. No doubt he would hunt the Rat-Man down the second he hinted at running away with the Ring of Air.

Rain snatched the Vilya from Rat's fingers and examined the silvery metal, blue jewel incased in the center. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he wanted to see what was so special about the ring his son had once nearly stolen.

"Ada!" a gurgled voice reached the surrounding being's ears.

'Ah yes, my plan.' Rain thought to himself.

Elrond heard his son's cries. Something was wrong… he sounded as if he was trying to talk underwater.

"Elrond," called Rain. "Your "son", as you call him, is behind the waterfall beneath me. I have decided that I can't simply hand over the boy and the antidote. I will take this ring and complete the task that my son could not." He placed a hand over a pocket on his shirt. Reaching inside he pulled out a small vial containing the light blue liquid that was the antidote. "I will leave this place in moments. Whether I walk away with the antidote in my hand or your son's life is now up to what you decide. As you notice, the rain is coming down hard and quite fast, and it doesn't seem as if it will let up anytime soon. Your son will drown. He is currently tied to a rock behind these very falls, and from the sounds of that pathetic call, the water is already up to his mouth." Elrond listened carefully to Rains every word.

Rain continued, "So now I place a choice before you. You can either chase me, get the antidote for your twins and loose the brat child, or you can save the child and lose any hope of your true son's recoveries." The man sneered at the elf lord on the ground. "The choice is yours. But, keep in mind, time is of the essence. The human will drown if you're not quick to rescue him."

A/N: This is the moment you've all been waiting for. The choice. (dramatic theme music) What will happen? How can he possibly choose? And finally who will he choose?

Authoress runs and hides from angry readers. Review me and the next one comes out sooner. If you forget I will take longer.


Chapter 16 - Pleading and Bleeding

Review Replies:

-Cakresvari- (Happy Dance) Yay, someone reviewed! Thanks. (Reads review) O_O I see. Well guess I'll move. (hehe) Here's the update you wanted. Sorry it took so long, life got in the way. Thanks again for the review. 

Chapter 16: Pleading and Bleeding

Glorfindel watched as Elrond walked away, following Rat to what could have been the Elf Lord’s doom. He could only guess what would happen in his absence, and those thoughts didn’t bring him much assurance. Glorfindel had made a vow when he first came into Gil-Galad’s services; always watch out for the High King. He had failed in the Last Alliance—Gil-Galad had died, leaving Elrond in charge of everything. Since then he had carried his oath to Elrond. No harm should come to Elrond or his family while he still lived, and even then he would try to defend from the grave if it were possible.

Glorfindel’s calculating mind quickly came up with a plan. He would distract the others from Elrond and Estel. He knew with out a doubt that once they were through dealing with him their attention would turn to the others. That was something he wanted to prevent at all costs.

A harsh jerk on his shoulder brought the blond Elf back to the situation at hand. The rough treatment caused Glorfindel to stumble back some. He soon regained his balance, but the enemy would not have it. Glorfindel felt a foot connect with the back of his knees, knocking him to the moist ground.

A roll of thunder overhead was the only warning before the rain.

“Well it looks like we get ta ’ave ourselves a little fun,” said Bear.

“What should we do with him?” asked Hawk.

I don’t like the sound of that, thought Glorfindel all the while glaring them his eyes daring them to try something.

Hawk bent dawn to the Elf’s level and ran her fingers through his golden tresses, gently tickling the points of his ears as they passed over. Reaching under the elf’s chin she forced his eyes to meet hers.

“My, you are a pretty one.”

Glorfindel spat in her face, a look of disgust marring his fair features, venomously spouting, “You hag.”

Hawk, outraged, slapped his face, allowing her sharp nails to dig into his cheek and leaving three light cuts behind.

“Say, this is a nice knife,” admired Bear, eyeing Glorfindel’s sword. Snatching it from the Elf’s hand he examined it. From hilt to tip he peered at the inscription, which written in Elvish.

The rain continued to fall. It started as a slight drizzle and steadily grew faster. The water stung the cuts on Glorfindel’s face as it passed over them.

Before he knew it, the blond Elf was engaged in a fight for his life. Three against one was hardly fair. Hawk pulled out her whip and lashed it Glorfindel’s direction. Glorfindel caught the whip, allowing it to coil around his arm, but he didn’t see the enemy sneaking up behind him. Warg came up from behind in an attempt to bring him down. Glorfindel felt metal pierce his flesh. He cried out in surprise and sudden pain.

Seeing her chance, Hawk pulled tight on her whip, which was still wrapped around the Elf’s forearm. Glorfindel fell face-first into the mud-flooded ground. The Gondolin Elf’s head came dangerously close to a sharp rock, which, had he hit it, would have surely broken his skull.

Bear charged the prone Elf, Glorfindel’s sword in hand. Glorfindel saw his intentions and, pulling with all his might, he wrenched the whip from the girl’s hand and sent the thick handle across the big man’s face, knocking him unconscious. Glancing around, he found he was alone in the clearing.

'They must have run off,' he thought. It didn’t matter; now was his chance to chase after Elrond.

Glorfindel kept his eyes to the ground and listened to his surroundings, hoping to get some form of an idea of where they had gone. Because Elrond was an Elf, he left no footprints. Glorfindel had to follow Rat’s. It wasn’t easy with the rain pelting down on him. Multiple times he had to wipe the water from his eyes, watching as the rain swept away the prints. He had to be quick; who knew what was happening to Elrond at this moment. Looking up he saw him standing on a slope in the woods watching the storm as it passed. The lighting illuminated Rat’s face. Glorfindel smiled to himself at how easy it was becoming for him. He snuck up behind the Rat-man not leaving so much as a bent blade of grass in his wake. Rainwater streaked down his face, dripping off the curves of his jaw.

Rat watched as a streak of lightning crossed the sky. He had always loved storms. The roll of the thunder was the sound of the Earth breaking as the lighting brought fire and a sort of beautiful terror in his eyes. Chaos in the sky.

Lighting flashed once again, splintering beautifully in different directions.

Glorfindel took his chance and grabbed the man’s neck squeezing it tightly. He could feel the bones beneath the skin. The human’s neck was so fragile. He pulled the man back and whispered into his ear.

“Remember me?” he asked cruelly. Rat shivered; whether it was from the rain or out of fear, Glorfindel didn’t know. “Tell me everything I want to know.” He squeezed the man’s throat in reminder of his position in this situation. “It’ll be easier on you should you do as I ask.” The man nodded his head as well as he could with hands wrapped almost entirely around his throat. “First of all, where are they?”

Rat pointed in the direction where the falls were. After a few more questions and simple answers Glorfindel kept true to his promise. Possessing the information he needed, Glorfindel eased the man’s passing. A quick twist of Rat’s neck was all it took to kill him. Glorfindel caught the warm corpse as it fell, gently easing it to the wet ground and not allowing so much as a twig to break beneath the dead weight. Using the gift of silence given to all Elves by the Ilùvatar, he snuck up to where Rain stood talking with Elrond. As he got close, his foot slipped slightly in the mud, nearly sending him face first into the ground. He grunted as he corrected his balance. Realizing his mistake, he quickly dodged behind the nearest tree.

The wind picked up, whipping rain and debris every which-way. Drops of rain stung his eyes as he came closer to his destination.

Rain twirled, scanning. He could have sworn he heard something.

'It’s probably Rat,' he thought. 'That worthless fool.'
 
How he hated Rat with a passion. The man was annoying and had been planning to overthrow him for some time now; at least that’s what his informants had told him. He had taken the boy Rat once was in, more out of pity than anything else. From then on the wretched human had been following him and he wouldn’t take the hints and leave.

Glorfindel slumped against the tree, his wound still steadily bleeding. He watched in dull fascination as the blood mixed with the rainwater and mud causing the puddles to turn a sickly brownish-red. Realizing he was going into shock, he shook his head; he needed to stay alert for as long as possible. He winced as he put his hand on the gaping wound and tried to slow the bleeding, or maybe even stop it. Eru! That stings! Instead of focusing on the pain, he listened as Rain spoke with Elrond.

“Come now Elrond; surely this decision isn’t that hard for you.”

“You can’t possibly believe that I would make such a horrible decision.”

'Decision?' wondered Glorfindel. What decision? His eyes widened in horror as he realized. 'How could he possibly decide something like that? No parent could!'

wondered Glorfindel. His eyes widened in horror as he realized. 
Rain’s voice drifted over to him. “Time is running out Elrond. Every second you waste brings the boy one step closer to death. Not to mention that by now, if your twins aren’t dead then they are very close.”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” yelled Elrond, his anger breaking through the calm visage he had tried to keep up. He could take no more of the torment brought on by the decision he was being forced to make. He simply couldn’t choose, nor did he want to. He loved his children more than life itself. The weight of his predicament was crushing him. His father’s heart was slowly shattering; he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, could hardly think.

His mind kept drifting between two places. In Imladris, he could feel his blood sons slowly slipping away from him. They would die soon if he didn’t do something. Even if he chose them, he might not make it back in time to save. Then, he would lose all three of his sons. There was also Estel behind the falls, falling prey to the icy wind and water, slowly drowning. Is this what his vision had been trying to tell him? That he would choose his real sons over his adopted one? He knew that if Estel died then twins would never forgive him...he would never forgive himself. But then again, if the twins died that would shatter the poor boy’s world. To Estel the twins were everything. He doubted that his youngest could bring himself or anyone else back from that grief. The child would probably die of a broken heart.

The right to fade from grief and despair was (despite popular belief) not reserved for the Elves alone. Humans could too; however, theirs was a longer, more grueling process, whereas the Eldar could simply decide they no longer wished to live and pass quietly in their sleep...eyes closed to the world, body stiff and unmoving, the bright Elven glow would vanish from the cold corpse.

As if reading Elrond’s thoughts Glorfindel closed his eyes to keep from crying. Sure, the twins annoyed him, especially by making him the favorite victim of many pranks. More recently, they had made Estel an accomplice in their plans. Still, that didn’t mean he didn’t care for them. He loved them as much as would his own, if he had had any. He was the uncle none of the boys had. Should anything happen to any of the three, the heartache alone would kill him. He wondered if any of them truly realized how loved they were.

“Is there no other way you would be satisfied?” Elrond whispered. The rain masked the tears that began to seep from his eyes. “Forget this foolishness Rain. I am the proper owner of that ring and the only one who knows how it works. Please, leave my children alone. I beg you; release Estel and give the antidote to my friend. I will do anything you ask. I was the one who killed your son, after all.” The last part was a lie. Elrond didn’t know who he was, or how the young man died, but he would say anything if it helped to release his children. “If you wish I will cut out my own heart and hand it to you. I will bleed all life from me and all you have to do is forget my children. Leave them alone; never again bother them. Do this and I will fall at your feet and take whatever punishment you wish on me.”

Glorfindel stiffened at the sound of defeat and despair he heard within the mighty Elf Lord. In his mind’s eye, he could see Elrond falling to his knees, begging Rain to do as he asked. Is this what it had come to? One of the most powerful beings on Middle Earth, begging for punishment and death at the release of the children? Was this how it ended? Rage began to replace the sorrow and remorse eating its way into his heart. No; he wouldn’t allow that to happen, not while he still lived and breathed.

Drawing up his knees, his hand traveled to the throwing knife he kept in his boot. He carefully removed it, not allowing the metal to sing as it was withdrawn from its sheath. He loved this knife—it had been a gift from the twins when they had celebrated one of his many begetting days. Throwing knives had never been his specialty, but for this he made an exception. He practiced with the knife every time there was a chance, and being an Elf sometimes he had nothing but time.

The blade finally free he grasped the cool, now wet, metal in his palm. Glorfindel eased himself off the muddy ground, using the tree to hold him. He gritted his teeth as his wounds scraped against the bark. Slowly he carefully placed his feet and weight until he could at last see what was once hidden from him. Rain’s back was facing the blond Elf; he was completely hidden. It would take one hit and the man would be dead before he hit the ground. Rolling the knife until it was positioned between his fingers he aimed at the humans back. It would have to be quick.

Unfortunately the world decided this was the perfect moment to take a rather large spin. He gripped the tree tightly as the world whirled faster than he thought possible. The blood loss was getting worse and the rain wasn’t helping either. He would have to act fast. The blond Elf closed his eyes, willing the dizziness to pass.

After a bit, the world stopped and his vision returned to close to normal. He was leaning heavily against the tree for support; almost his full weight was resting on it. Looking up, he saw that Rain still had yet to notice him. He was speaking again to Elrond. The words were lost in the rainwater flooding his ears.

‘Must…be…quick.’ His breath was becoming more labored with each drop of blood that hit at his feet. ‘Must be quick.’ He repeated over and over while he aimed for Rain’s unprotected back.

His breath was becoming more labored with each drop of blood that hit at his feet. He repeated over and over while he aimed for Rain’s unprotected back. His vision began blurring again.

After what seemed like hours, he was finally ready. Pulling back, he threw the dagger straight at Rain’s back.

Sensing something coming towards him Rain turned. Seeing the knife, his eyes widened in horror. Before he could blink, the throwing knife hit his chest. It was said that just before one dies, they see their life flash before their eyes, watching everything from the outsiders point of view. Rumor had it you see everything from ones’ first breath to their last. After seeing ones’ life, the spirit flies. Rain saw everything, old playmates long since past, his parents, his first love, every fight he had ever had. The first time he killed, the children he took in, his wedding, his love, then his son. Everything up to this very moment; he saw it all again before he drew his final breath.


Chapter 17 - Falling Star

Chapter 17: Falling Star

Elrond stood, completely stunned by what he saw. His loyal military advisor, Glorfindel, had killed Rain.

“Ada,” came a gurgled cry. This one was weaker than the last.

“Glorfindel, get Vilya and the antidote. I’m going after Estel.” With that, Elrond removed his outer clothing and dove into the cold water, intent on reaching Estel.

Glorfindel nodded and began searching as his Lord splashed into the freezing water. The blood loss from his wound nearly stole his consciousness once more, but the golden haired elf fought against it. Having had enough, he tore his favorite cloak in half and wrapped it tight around his abdomen, where the stab wound bled ceaselessly. He senses slowly improved as the fabric helped stem the bleeding. Slowly, he staggered towards Rain’s lifeless body and fell to his knees at the man’s side, frantically searching for Vilya and the antidote. Mud clung to his fingers, making them slippery and hindering his efforts.

At last, he found the ring near the fallen man’s hand. His fumbling fingers tried to clear the mud away, but instead they merely smeared it. After recognizing the ring for what it was, he quickly pocketed it and began his search for the lost antidote.

Elrond fought the strong current that threatened to pull him out of the cave. Before long, he made it to the other side of the tunnel. Tilting his head back, he greedily gulped in several lungfuls of air. Somewhat refreshed, he glanced around – the inside cave was bigger than he had originally thought. The inside was almost completely full of rain and river water, all except for a thin ledge that circled along the wall. A large hole in the top of the cavern allowed one to see the night sky, but there was nothing; only the rain clouds and the water that fell onto a nearby rock where he saw him. Tied to the very rock that had fallen and allowed the hole in the ceiling was little Estel, struggling to keep his head above the rising water. His hands were tied together and attached to a spike that had been driven in the stone above the boy’s head.

“Estel,” whispered Elrond. He swam toward the boy as quickly as his numb arms allowed.

Elrond fought the ropes with his numb fingers. It was not as easy as expected; the water was freezing, the ropes were far above the water, and Elrond’s right – and dominant – arm was wrapped protectively around his youngest. Estel was also kicking and trying to help, but due to the long exposure to the cold water his movements were slow and caused more trouble than good.

Rain could tie a good knot Elrond would give him that. He was having more trouble with untying the knots than he was trying to keep them both afloat. Every knot he loosened would tighten another vital knot; he needed both hands to undo the bonds, but if he did that then Estel would drown before he finished. He would just have to keep trying. If only he had a knife, or something sharp…

‘Glorfindel’s knife,’ he thought. Glorfindel had killed Rain with a throwing knife. Looking at Estel, he spoke quickly to the frightened five-year-old.

“Estel, I have to go back and get something that will help. I need you to be strong and stay above the water as long as you can.”

Estel looked at his father with big watery eyes he tried to wrap his small body around the elf’s. “No! Ada I don’t want you to go!” he cried frantically.

“Estel,” said Elrond as he tried to soothe his frightened child.

“No! No, please don’t leave me Ada! Please don’t go!”

“Estel, I must. I promise I shall return as soon as possible.” Elrond detached himself from the child and swam back out of the cave, leaving a sobbing Estel still tied to the rock behind the falls.

Above the waterfall, Glorfindel fumbled about, trying desperately to find the missing antidote. So far, he had found nothing, and as the rain pelted down against his back, he became dizzy. The blood loss was becoming too much for him, combined with the cold wind the storm brought with it. He would not last much longer without treatment. He covered his eyes with a muddy hand as if to ward away the dizzy feeling stirred up by a sudden gust of wind. Standing up, he noted that the wind was picking up slightly and the rain was lessening some. The storm was almost over. Walking a short distance, he felt something under his boot roll out from under him causing the elf to fall to the ground. Looking up he realized how close to the edge of the waterfall he really was. If he hadn’t slipped, he would have been speaking with the fishes; but what caused had him to fall?

Watching the water below with dulled fascination, he saw a shadow moving beneath the dark blue liquid. Squinting his eyes, he watched as Elrond’s head emerged.

Elrond shook the water from his eyes and his hair out of his face. He needed to get the knife Glorfindel had used. Swimming around he looked for the blond elf; he spotted him gazing over the cliff.

“Glorfindel!” he yelled, “I need the knife you used to kill Rain. Estel’s tied to a rock and I can’t get him loose.”

Glorfindel nodded. Standing straight, he pushed back the dizziness he felt and quickly retrieved the throwing knife from Rain’s chest. Tossing it over the side of the cliff he yelled, “catch!”

Elrond swam to where the blade came down and caught it before it touched the water. He quickly scrubbed it clean of the sticky blood; it would frighten Estel. Securing the knife in place behind his belt, he swam back behind the falls. Looking up through the hole in the ceiling, he felt relieved. The rain was slowing down, and would soon stop; at least something good was happening.

The child had yet to notice his father’s presence as only his upper face was above the water level – from the cheek down was underwater.

“Estel, hold on to me.” The five-year-old opened his eyes and was happy to see his father had indeed returned.

“Ada!” he exclaimed as Elrond once more wrapped a secure arm around his son, working on the ropes with the knife. He glanced down every once in while to make sure Estel wasn’t falling into hypothermia; the water felt cold to him, and if he felt it then he knew Estel was absolutely frozen. Elrond hugged him tighter as the bonds came loose, trying to keep him warm.

On the surface, Glorfindel searched everywhere for the hidden antidote: on Rains’ person, in every mud puddle, between blades of grass; even under rocks. The Balrog slayer was becoming frantic. He was about to search on the banks of the waterfall when a glint among the boulders, near where he had slipped, caught his eye. Looking back, he sighed in relief.

He had found the antidote; now all they needed was Estel and they could be on their way. Glorfindel placed two fingers in his mouth and let out two sharp notes. He listened as two horses answered in the distance. Their mounts were on the way; now all he had to do was wait. The hardest thing the mighty Balrog slayer had ever done in two lifetimes was wait. He could not stand it, but what else was he to do? He climbed down the moss and wet grass on the cliff face to the ground below, ready and waiting to aid his friends when he was needed.

Finally the rope had come loose and Elrond was able to swim out with his boy held tight in his arms.

“Estel.” The child’s eyes met his. “When I tell you to, take a very deep breath.” Estel nodded, but his eyes were questioning. “We are going to swim under the falls and unless humans can breathe the water as fish do, then you need to hold your breath.” said Elrond, trying to lighten his youngest’s mood. Estel snuggled closer to his foster father, clutching at the elf’s clothes so tight that his knuckles turned white.

“Ready?”

Estel nodded and took as deep a breath as his small lungs allowed. As they dived under Elrond pushed off one of the nearby ledges to give himself a boost of speed to get to the other side. He would have to swim very quickly, as child’s lungs were neither as strong nor as large as an adult’s, and could not hold air for very long. He monitored his son’s progress during the whole swim, watching as the boy’s cheeks bulged from the air he held in. The child’s cheeks began to change colors, from pink to red, red to a brighter red. They broke the surface of the water when Estel was about to pass out.

Estel gratefully gulped in every drop of air he could get. His heart and lungs hurt from the strain he had put on them. As he got his fill, he felt a large set of hands pull him from the water and wrap him in a several-sizes too large cloak. Looking up at the one who now held him, he smiled. Glorfindel clutched the young pup tight against him, trying to warm him while Elrond leapt onto his horse. Soon they would be off.

Glorfindel could not believe how cold Estel was. The boy was almost frozen; his skin had taken on a light purplish tinge to it, while his lips were almost a dark blue-purple. His teeth were chattering and he shivered fiercely in the elf’s grasp. Glorfindel gently rubbed the boy’s hands and arms, trying to help warm him some.

When Elrond was ready, he reached out his hands, anxious to hold his little Estel close. Tears of joy and happiness filled his eyes as he cuddled the young one. Finally, he could rest easy knowing his children were safe. Now if he could only make it back home in time to save Elladan and Elrohir. Elrond glanced up at the now clear night sky, where he saw a horrible omen.

Glorfindel looked up to see what had taken his fiend’s attention. “What is it, Elrond?”

“I…” the Elf Lord swallowed loudly, “I saw two stars fall.”

A/N: Sorry about the wait. The next chapter should be done soon at the most you’ll only wait a week (that’s assuming our computers don’t decide to be mean and evil to us.)

Review, (big sad puppy eyes)

I want to hear it all: the good, bad, and the ugly.


Chapter 18 - Ending A Long Road

Chapter 18: Ending A Long Road

“Sleep, my young one.
No dream shall scare you here.
Nightmares will end,
Like the long roads we travel.
Have no fear, for daddy’s here
To fight them away again.
No foe will come against you in his presence.
Together, we will reach the end of a long road home.”
-W.L.G.

As Elrond gazed up at the now clear night sky, a horrible omen flitted across his vision. Two stars fell from their perch leaving only a light trace of their presence behind until that too disappeared as quickly as it came. The meaning behind this was clear. Two beings had recently died. His fëa instantly went in search of his children.

“Elrond? What is it?” asked Glorfindel from atop his horse.

Tears slipped down from the Elf Lords’ eyes. “Two stars have fallen.”

Glorfindel cast down his eyes in sorrow. “Do you know whose they were?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“Glorfindel…I can no longer feel Elladan or Elrohir.” Elrond looked down at the sleeping form of Estel, and was glad the child, for now at least, was ignorant of the twins’ fates. However, that wouldn’t last; such secrets could never be hidden.

“We must ride quickly; it may not yet be too late, my Lord.” said Glorfindel, compassion and sympathy wrapped in his words.

Elrond nodded, and they raced off in the direction of home, urging their horses past their limits. The animals were Elvish, and understood the predicament their masters were in, at least to an extent. They needed no urging.

Elrond rode through the passing night with neck-breaking speed; his steed almost flying as he galloped. His worry increased tenfold with each passing minute, and it was not only for his twin sons. Estel’s temperature had been steadily growing; he could feel the heat radiating through the boy’s clothes. His entire body felt like a growing fire. He could hear the rasping in the boy’s chest and feel the shivers as his insides were assaulted with illness. Great – just what he needed: a sick child. This was going to make things even more complicated.

“Glorfindel, I fear the Fates conspire against us.”

“Why’s that?” yelled Glorfindel, the wind whipping hair into his face.

“Estel is ill.”

*Hours later…*

In Rivendell’s infirmary, Celsil, the healer in charge in Elrond’s absence, was frantically dashing between the twins, who were growing worse by the second. They were slipping away from him. Both had a great deal of internal bleeding that was once again flowing from every possible orifice. They were dying, and Celsil was beginning to panic. He had to put a stop to this, at least until Elrond returned. What would he say if they weren’t here when Elrond came back? How could he possibly explain? How could he tell a devoted father that his son had fled to Mandos, much less BOTH of his sons? If there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was telling parents that he couldn’t save their sons. Telling parents that their child would die, or worse, was dead.

Celsil was snapped from his thoughts as Elladan began to seize. He rushed to hold him down and avoid further injury. Specks of blood flew from the sick Elf’s mouth, splattering Celsil’s face and arms, as well as the bed and wall behind.

If he had been listening to his surroundings he would have heard a horn blowing in the distance, signaling Lord Elrond’s return, followed by the sound of running through the hallways. What did grab his attention was the healing wing doors flying open, each heavy piece of oak slamming into the wall. Startled, he looked up to see Elrond running through the door, Estel still asleep in his arms and an exhausted Glorfindel on his heels.

Elrond arrived in time to see Elladan stop moving on the bed. Panicked he rushed to his side pushing Celsil out of the way and shoving Estel into the Elf’s open arms. He didn’t notice his friend had nearly dropped Estel in the shock of it all, nor how Glorfindel flopped down on a nearby bed.

He crouched down between the two beds his eyes and hands searched for a sign of life, any sign. He didn’t care how faint it was; anything would do. There he found it: a faint, slow heartbeat.

“Glorfindel, the antidote. NOW!” he commanded, holding his hand out.

Glancing at the healers that surrounded him, the blond elf dug through his pockets for the small bottle. Finding it, he handed it to one of the other healers, who in turn gave it to Elrond.

To say Glorfindel was tired was a gross understatement; all he wanted to do was sleep. He almost felt ashamed about it, but figured it mostly because of the blood loss that made him this way. Finally his task complete, he lay back, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Celsil watched everything from a distance; Elrond was in control now and it was not his place to be there. Feeling his arms and hands warming up, he looked down at the child that had been temporarily placed in his care. He was relieved to see the youngest family member had been returned to them, but not in good health, it seemed. His cheeks were flushed and the rest of his face was pale. His breath was labored and he wheezed with every bit of air he took. Frowning in concern, the Elf walked a few beds down, so he was out of the way, and tended to the sickly child.

Elrond fed the antidote to each of the twins and waited. That was the hardest part about being a healer and a father both: the waiting. He looked over at the bed where several other healers were with Glorfindel, attempting to fix his wound. It wasn’t a serious one; at least, it wouldn’t have been if he had been treated sooner. Now he had to battle with severe blood loss that should, in all rights, have killed him. Elrond swore in that moment that if they all made it out of this lovely predicament alive, none of them would ever leave Rivendell again. In fact, he would tie them all up and lock them in the cellars, only letting them out for occasional bathroom breaks and once-daily exercise. He knew how exactly he would do it: they would be tied on a leash, so he could keep track of them and they couldn’t run off. Yes; he could see it all now.

A harsh coughing caused him to jump. Ai; he had forgotten Estel in his rush to tend the twins! How could he have forgotten about his most precious and beloved human? Quickly, he ran to the boy’s side, attempting to calm him.

Estel struggled for breath as each cough passed. He felt a hand gently rub his back and someone picked him up and holding him close, all the while whispering something in his ear. What the voice said, he didn’t know, but soon the coughs subsided and he was able to breathe. His eyes watery, he looked up at the one who held him. He smiled when he saw his foster father and nuzzled closer, trying to absorb some warmth and comfort.

Elrond began to breathe himself when Estel’s coughs stopped. For a moment, he had feared they never would. Though the coughs were gone he could clearly hear the child’s wheezing with every breath. This cold was not yet over, it was only the beginning. Elrond smiled as he felt Estel nuzzle him slightly and Elrond held him closer. The Elf Lord sat down on the bed with his son in his lap, and slowly rocked him from side to side humming an old tune, lulling the human to sleep.

Before sleep took its claim on the young child Estel heard the strong gentle beat of his father’s heart and knew everything would be all right.

*One Week Later*

Elrond made his way back to his chambers, feeling a burden being slowly lifted off his shoulders. Elladan and Elrohir were recovering nicely, and were finally able to be out of bed for short periods of time. It had taken a long while for the antidote to take affect; at first it hadn’t seemed to work, but a day and a half later they were awake and doing better. Estel, on the other hand, had developed a serious cold, but that too was slowly dying out as the boy’s body fought off the virus. He still had a bad cough that shook his whole form with each spasm and left him almost breathless afterward, his nose constantly ran (the sneezing, not being very powerful, had done nothing to ease the sniffles) and his fever spiked yesterday, but that too was going down. Glorfindel was also doing well. Though still very pale, he was slowly recovering and was active, but he was forbidden to do anything too strenuous. More often then not he was found resting in his room. At least he isn’t overexerting himself, Elrond thought with a smile. The twins were also allowed to leave the healing ward, but Estel still needed looking after to make sure he didn’t relapse. Elrond would have stayed by his ailing youngest son, but Celsil didn’t like the idea and shooed him out, except for visits.

Elrond thought of only a few moments ago, when the Noldor Elf had forced him out of the healing rooms. “Elrond you may be the Lord of Rivendell as well as the best healer in all of Arda, but even you must rest at some point. Being your friend, I think it is only right for me to tell you to leave before you pass out where you stand,” Celsil had argued. What exactly had happened then, Elrond wasn’t sure, but he had an inkling Celsil may have forcibly pushed him out the door, and he knew it’d been locked behind him.

Walking down the quiet halls of the private family wing, he checked on his most precious treasures. His first stop was Elrohir’s room.

The younger twin was sound asleep with his back to the door. He looked so peaceful, Elrond could hardly believe his son was grown. Walking to the side of Elrohir’s bed, he watched his son sleep. After what seemed like an hour but couldn’t have been nearly so long, Elrond left to see to his other son, Elladan.

Elladan’s sleep was not as peaceful. The elder twin tossed and turned in his sleep, his hands gripping at the sheets, threatening to tear them under the strain. Elrond ran to his side in hopes of calming the troubled twin.

“Shh, Elladan, shh,” he soothed. Taking the elf’s hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze as his other hand went to Elladan’s tangled hair, stroking it lovingly.

“Shh, Elladan. Everything’s all right now, Ada’s here. Shh.” He continued until Elladan clamed down and his vision cleared.

“Ada?” he asked

“Yes, I am here.”

Elladan sat up and looked frantically around his room.

“What is it?” asked Elrond, though he knew it was only a remnant of the twin’s dream it would make him feel better he if told him.

Elladan relaxed after he realized what had happened. “Nothing,” he said as looked at his father. “‘Tis nothing, Ada. Only a dream.”

Elrond smiled. He should have known Elladan would never say what had frightened him. “Must have been quite a dream.”

“It was. Still, it was only a dream. I’m sorry to have woken you.”

Elrond reached up to hug his son. As he held Elladan tight, he inhaled the scent of one he had nearly lost. Elladan returned the hug; after all, how often did his father come to see him as he slept? He felt his pervious fears and worries melt away in that moment. He was safe; his brothers were safe; everything was fine now. Nothing would dare try to ruin it again. (A/N: Yeah, right!)

The End (for now at least)

A/N: Well sadly all good things must end and so it is with a heavy heart I close this story. I hope you have enjoyed my work. (Lawyers, who look suspiciously like Agent Smith, are seen standing in the background) I-I mean, Tolkien’s work and my plot bunnies. (Lawyers send threatening glares, then walk away.) Anyway, tell me what you think. Reviews make me happy, and make my muse feel loved. The next story is being written and rewritten as we speak.

Thanks to all who reviewed and a special thank you to my beta for all your wonderful help, and coming in when I need you. (Blue-haired head pops in and grins, “You’re welcome!” With a flash of electric blue, the head is gone)

Till Next We Meet


Chapter 19 - Darkness Of The Mind

…Preview…
                                                                      DARKNESS OF THE MIND

‘Of all the dark shadows and corrupt places in the world none are near as dark and bleak as those in ones own mind.’ 
                                    -W.L.G. (a.k.a. karushna5)

Legolas: (Raises head. Stares at screen with groggy eyes)(thoughts) Where am I?

(Fighting background noise)

Legolas Voice: What’s going on? (Fighting becomes louder) Where is that noise? Who’s fighting?

(Scream of pain)

Aragorn’s Voice: LEGOLAS!

(Aragron turns smiling at the screen)

Elladan: Ada! Help he‘s dieing!

Legolas: Why can I not remember? Everyone I know is dieing and I can’t help them.

Thranduil: (shouting) I want to know what’s going on and want to know now! Who’s killing my people!?

Elrohir: (crying) what do we do?

Elrond sadly: I do not know.

Thranduil: (stares in horror) No! You’re the killer!

(Knife plunges into Legolas’s heart)

Darkness Of The Mind

Summary: A great tragedy has struck, Aragorn is injured and lies at death’s door. No one knows what happened except for Legolas, who’s suffering from frequent blackouts. Now all of Mirkwood is being attacked by an unknown murderer and only the Prince knows who it is. Now if only he could remember what it is he has forgotten.
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