Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

A/N: Okay, I'm getting this out of the way in the first chapter- The only way that these stories are connected is through the fact that they are all about the effects that the twins' obsessive orc-hunting have on them, the people of Imladris, and their friends and family in general. I will most likely not be writing longer versions of any of these stories, so don't expect a "Part Two" in the next chapter(s). Also, these are not necessarily in chronological order, just so you know.

There are some things that Elrond knows he will never forget. He will never forget the sight of his sons bringing back their beaten and tortured mother from the orc den, not even if he lives to see a hundred thousand centuries. He will never be able to forget the pain and heartbreak they went through during that year, and then after she sailed.

Elrond had seen his sons sneak out a few days ago to hunt orcs. This in itself was not anything new' they had often ridden out with the Rangers to help them deal with a particularly large or violent group of the creatures. However, this was the first time they had ridden out since their mother had sailed and he knew that they weren't hunting because they needed to. They were hunting for revenge.

Not that Elrond could really blame them for it. If he was younger and wasn't the lord of Rivendell he probably would have left long before they did to hunt them. It still worried him to think about how they could be in the middle of a fight, their rage blinding them. They could easily make a mistake and then-

No. He wasn't going to think about that. He was going to have faith that Iluvátar was going to bring his sons out of this- that they were all going to be brought safely out of this. And in the meantime he would wait for his sons to return and try not to worry or think about everything that could go wrong.

But there were so many things that could go wrong. One of them could make a mistake in the battle, or they could be distracted by their twin's fight. They could be poisoned or severely injured and too far away for him to help them. They could be simply overwhelmed or be ambushed by the orcs.

"My lord?" Elrond sighed and shook his head. It seemed like everyone here was trying to distract and, while he appreciated the effort, it got rather tiring after awhile.

"Yes, Erestor?" He asked, turning around to face his advisor and friend.

"There are some new papers that you need to look over, perhaps you should come inside and start reading them before dinner is served."

Elrond shook his head. "No, I think I'll stay outside for a little bit longer." He said, turning back to look out towards the gates.

"They'll be alright." Erestor said, leaning on the railing with him. "They are good warriors; they know how to fight a group of orcs. Worrying about them is not going to do anyone any good. They'll come home in a few days."

Elrond smiled. "I know, mellon nin, but I'll worry just the same until they do come home safe."

XXXXX

Elrond was once again leaning on the balcony, watching the gates. He yawned slightly; the many nights spent catching up on the work he was neglecting during the day was obviously starting to take a toll on his strength. He should probably get some sleep soon. After all, he didn't have a lot of work left to do…

The faint sound of the gate opening caused Elrond to jerk up, instantly awake. His eyes flicked to the gate, where he could just make out two figures riding into Rivendell. He jumped up and silently made his way down to the courtyard, wanting to see how his sons were.

They had just dismounted when Elrond reached the courtyard. Instead of rushing out to greet them though, something held him back. There was a dark, rust-colored stain on Elladan's tunic and similar smears were on Elrohir's leggings. The light from the quarter moon glinted on the knives hanging from their belt, showing that they hadn't been cleaned. The twins glanced towards the house, allowing Elrond a brief glimpse at their faces.

What he saw tore at his heart.

He had seen them return from patrols or minor skirmishes, tired but still in a relatively cheerful mood. Now, however, they were simply exhausted. How they managed to remain standing was beyond him; it looked like they were both on the verge of collapsing. There was also no trace of any sort of happiness on their faces. Their eyes were cold, filled with hate and a need for revenge.

When they passed by him on their way to the stables, Elrond silently drew back farther into the shadows. Right now they needed to rest; they didn't need their father fussing over them. There would be time for that later. They needed to heal, but when that would happen he did not know. The thirst for revenge was still strong in them. It would be awhile before they could put that aside and move on.

If they could move on.