Title: Bystander
Author: monitorscreen
Fandom: Silmarillion
Characters: Elrond, Elros
Rating: G
Word count: 521
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion are the creations of J.R.R. Tolkien, not mine.
Summary: He had never really considered that Elros would one day not be there.
Author's notes: Fic #24 for LJ comm Ficlets on Demand's Fic a Day June Challenge. Request: Show Elrond's reaction to Elros choosing to live as a human by bangles.
Bystander
by monitor screen
-o-
Elrond remembered the day when Elros had declared to choose a mortal life. They had been in fair Lindon, in the courts of Gil-galad, overlooking the sea. The evening rays had washed Elros's features golden, and Elrond remembered himself squinting, searching for any difference in the familiar face. He had not been able to find any.
That night, Elrond had slipped into Elros's room, to listen him breathe in his slumber. It had been the same as Elrond had ever heard over the years, and he could almost reassure himself that Elros was not leaving. Him, and life both.
In the days that followed Elrond had watched his brother carefully, trying to look for signs of faltering, waiting for the fearful moment when Elros would fall, like all Man did. And when Elros had continued on strong and sound, Elrond had relaxed, pushing aside his worries. Perhaps nothing had been changed.
Then winter had come.
Elrond could never rationalise why the sight of Elros shivering in the cold terrified him so. He had seen men swathed in furs and coats in the snow before; he had known that the race of Man was not insusceptible to cold like Elves were, that it was only natural for Elros to have such behaviour. Yet the sight had been so jarring, hitting home the fact that their paths had already split. Elrond had to steel himself into indifference when Elros had garbed himself in a ridiculous amount of clothing. This was necessary, inevitable, and reacting to it would not help anything.
Elrond had slowly gotten used to these new little habits of Elros, to the point where he stopped getting reminded of Elros's choice every day. With the coming of spring, Elros and the Edain were to sail for the west, to the land gifted by the Valar. Elrond saw them off in Mithlond. It was the last time he set eyes on Elros.
Over the years they often caught news of each other, and they shared letters as well. It had been a joy to correspond with Elros, to converse with a kindred spirit. Elrond was grateful to Elros for sparing him the painful details; with a span of sea between them, it was not hard to forget their deeply lain difference, Elros's fatal choice.
Elrond knew it could not last forever, though. He had seen men age, and eventually die. It would happen upon Elros sooner or later. But even this knowledge could not prepare him for the day when news of the passing of King of NĂºmenor came. It was unimaginable that Elros would be there no more; together or apart, they had coexisted for five hundred years. He had never really considered that Elros would one day not be there.
Elrond slipped into Elros's old room, listening to himself breathe in the silence. If he closed his eyes he could still see Elros's slumbering form, that night long ago. He recalled the years hence, of Elros's delight in his life. This end had been Elros's choice; Elrond should be happy for him.
He smiled wanly, and wished his brother peace.
-o-
