Elrond paced in his study, unable to focus on anything, and unable to leave and go be helpful anywhere else. Nearly four of the longest days of their lives ago he had sent out almost all of his men, certainly all the best, in search of his wife Celebrían, who had been captured by Orcs on what should have been an easy journey to Lorien.
The news had been brought back hurriedly by Glorfindel. He was nearly in tears to give Elrond the news, even as the much aged and fearless warrior he was.
"My Lord." He had said shakily. "I bear news of the worst kind."
"Out with it, then!" Elrond had commanded, less kind and controlled than he usually was, knowing something must be terribly wrong to have shaken Glorfindel.
"We were attacked by an Orc pack on our journey to Lorien. We tried to fight them off, but there were endless numbers of them…and the Lady Celebrían was captured. All the rest of our company is still out looking for her. There was no sign when I left."
Elrond's hands had been gripping the back of his chair, the knuckles growing whiter and tenser as Glorfindel went on. His head was bent with emotion and his eyes were shut tightly.
"We will find her, my lord." Glorfindel said carefully, moving towards Elrond.
He snapped back into action.
"Of course we will." Elrond answered passingly, unable to imagine the possibility of alternatives. "Send out every warrior we have. Span all of Middle-earth if we have to. Send my sons to me, and Arwen too. Quickly!"
Glorfindel hurried off, and Lindir behind him hurried to help.
Elrond was distraught, pacing back and forth, but quickly erased all signs of it off his face when his children walked in.
"Ada…" Elladan said quietly, using the childish name they rarely used anymore and embracing his father.
Elrond held him close for a short moment, then released him and looked between the three of them. They had heard what happened from Glorfindel when he told the men and gathered the warriors, which was good, because Elrond was not sure he could repeat the tale without showing his fears to his children.
"We are riding out too." Elrohir stated firmly, expecting his father to argue.
Elrond reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder. "I knew you would ask, and I will not stop you."
They were young, too young in his opinion, but they were of age and were more skilled than many of Elrond's older men. Together, with the bond they shared as twins, they made an unstoppable force in battle, and were skilled enough in tracking too. And being close to their mother, they might be able to sense things in finding her that the other warriors would not.
"I am too!" Arwen told him indignantly. "She is my mother too!"
"Certainly not!" Elrond said sternly. He would not lose Arwen too.
Arwen grumbled a little, but she knew her father well enough to know that he would not let her go no matter what she said, and that this was not a good time to argue with him.
"You will stay here with me. I must stay and be ready to heal her as soon as she can be brought back." His voice was flatter than usual.
Elrohir and Elladan stood to leave.
"Find her." Elrond told them, his eyes searching theirs, unable to keep the emotion from choking his voice now.
"We will." They answered in unison, both turning back and giving their father and sister each a quick hug before hastening out the door.