-Half Blood-

-ElvenHope-

A/N: Apologies for late update, disclaimer and all that lot in Chapter 1. Remember this is AU.

Chapter III

Elladan watched with horror showing clear in his silver eyes as Rael stood quickly finally letting the circulation in his legs continue as feeling began to come back to his limbs. It was raining harder now, great swollen drops pouring from the sky, soaking them as the Balrog was once again awakened from its slumber. It roared as its whip flailed across the sky and the young elf shivered.

"Tie him up," Rael ordered the other youths quickly. They watched him quizzically for a moment before he explained. "To the tree, tie him to the tree." Again there was a momentary pause, it was clear that Rael's so called followers might not have been as faithful to him as he would have liked.

"What?" Elladan asked shocked as his arms were seized even tighter and pulled behind his back, tied so tightly that it hurt. "Rael-"

"You heard me Peredhil," the elder elf sneered down at him. "Your staying here all night. All on your own."

Elladan's eyes widened and he paled visibly - if that was even possible. "No, you can't-"

"Can't what?" the blond asked grinning. He liked the power he had at the moment, he liked it a lot. Elladan didn't look all that high and mighty now. The son of a Lord close to tears, there was something about it which made him smirk. Elladan and his brother always looked so stuck up, looking down his nose at the Peredhil was certainly a good change of perspective.

That did remind him of one vital detail however, he had to make sure none of this got back to Elladan's father, or Glorfindel otherwise he was dead.

"Rael-" Elladan was beyond worried now, his heart was hammering in his chest, he was almost certain that it wanted to break out; his stomach had sunken down into his toes. Two of the elves holding him wrestled him back against the tree binding him tightly to the trunk his back scratched harshly on the rough bark.

Thunder rolled again and Elladan yelped trying to pull away and only managing to blister his wrists on the tight rope.

"Shut him up will you I'm trying to think," Rael snapped and one of the elves attempted to shove the wadded cloth into his mouth. Elladan turned his head away until Rael back handed him hard in an almost absent-minded way which made the others laugh. The young elf gagged as the material was quickly shoved into his mouth, another strip pulled sharply between his teeth and tied tightly until it cut into his already bruised lips.

Elladan made an inaudible sound of protest struggling madly and let out a heaving sob when he realized that it was pointless.

Rael gripped his face tightly, forcing the twilight haired elf to look him right in the eye. "Now the question is Elladan, do you want someone to find you in the morning? Because if you do then I suggest you think very carefully now. If you want someone to find you then you have to promise me you won't tell a soul about what we've done. You tell anyone, and something very bad will happen to not only you, but your brother and sister as well. Do I make myself clear?"

Elladan nodded quickly hoping that they would untie him and take him back. Instead Rael simply patted him on the head lightly and smiled.

"Good, see you in the morning," he grinned turning on his heel, the others following him quickly.

It took a few moments for Elladan to actually register what was happening as he watched Rael's form fade into the shadows. Then he was wrestling insanely against his bonds like a wild animal caught in a trap, the lightning striking cold terror into his heart. He had to get free, how had this happened? Why had they done this to him?

Tears of desperation and terror poured down the boy's cheeks as he realized that there was nothing he could do to break free. Sobbing for air he sagged against his bonds fear running in thrills up his spine as thunder rolled again.

He tried shouting but it simply left him breathless, his throat dry, he tried to escape, to pull away, but he only succeeded in making the biting cord about his wrists hurt even more. Viscid liquid trailed down between his fingers but he kept on fighting until his head was spinning from lack of oxygen and he was hyperventilating around the gag.

He was trapped, trapped out in the middle of a thunder storm with no one there and he was truly terrified, his phobia of thunder and lightning rushing to the surface of his mind overtaking every other instinct. He struggled and writhed and kicked and screamed until eventually all he could do was lie there shaking his breath coming out in short un-even gasps. Why had he ever left the safety of his home? Why had he come here?

"Elrohir?"

Elrohir was sitting out on one of the balcony's of the last homely house, his eyes glazed slightly as he stared out at the sun-rise. It was still early morning and his parents had not wakened. Though he was desperate to search for Elladan he understood that his father needed rest, his mother was right - she always was. They would awake soon, his father would not waste any time once he had slept. He just had to wait.

His eyes slipped in and out of focus as he sat there, his eyes not seeing, his ears not hearing the early morning bird song until he slipped completely out of conscious thought, seeing.

"Elrohir?" Arwen repeated wandering up behind her brother, the sun shining down on her dark hair picking out the lighter chestnut colours mixed into the obsidian inherited from her father. She had been on her way to the kitchens for food and a drink when she had seen Elrohir sitting there. There was something wrong with her quieter brother and yet she couldn't tell what.

Presently she reached him and placing a hand on his shoulder was startled when he grabbed it in his own hand, squeezing so tightly that it hurt.

"Elrohir!" Arwen yelped startled. It was not like Elrohir to hurt her nor Elladan though she could not remember Elrohir ever laying a finger on her. Her exclamation did nothing to deter her brother however, in fact Elrohir applied more pressure squeezing harder. "Elrohir!" Arwen yelled in distress trying to pull his hand away, clawing at his fingers trying to pry them free. "Elrohir please!" She could tell that there was something wrong, something in the way Elrohir was acting, he had not said a word, had not even looked at her. Something was not right.

If Arwen had been startled before it was nothing compared to when Elrohir stood turning to face her - still gripping her hand tightly - and took a large handful of her hair pulling it hard forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Elrohir!" Arwen pleaded, the hold on her hair hurt even more than that on her hand and she could see nothing in Elrohir's eyes - no emotion. It was unusual - disturbing. "Elrohir please!"

"Shut up you filthy half-elf!" Elrohir snarled suddenly. He released her hand only to back hand her across the face knocking the younger elf to the floor. Arwen - now in floods of tears - was unable to rise before she received another blow this time cuffing her across the back of the head.

"Nana! Ada! Saesa! Elrohir stop it!" Arwen cried attempting to shield her head from the blows until Elrohir tangled his hand in her hair again, pulling her up to face him, pulling back his arm for another blow…

The sound of a door being wrenched open, slamming into the adjoining wall was all the warning Elrohir had before his father raced onto the balcony. He took in the scene before him in a split second dashing across the balcony and catching Elrohir's hand as it swung down towards his sister's cheek again.

Horrified grey eyes stared into his son's shocked silver ones and then slowly Elrohir loosened his grip on Arwen's hair and she fell back to sit on the balcony floor with a bump.

"Ada-" Elrohir's voice was confused and dazed his eyes only just coming back into focus.

"What in Arda do you think you're doing Elrohir?" Elrond's voice was oddly quite for the considerable amount of ire it held.

"I-" Elrohir looked at Arwen sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks where bruises were already appearing marking the porcelain skin. "I didn't I-"

"What do you mean you didn't?" Elrond asked furious with his son. "I saw you hit her Elrohir. You had best start making some sense right this minute."

"Ada, I-I don't remember… I just…"

"I do not want to have this conversation with you now, go to your room and wait for me there, I will see you once I have dealt with Arwen." Releasing his son and turning to his daughter Elrond paid Elrohir no more attention checking that Arwen was not badly hurt besides the bruises that marred her fair face.

Elrohir stood there stunned, he had no recollection of doing anything, he had just been sitting here…

"Go," Elrond ordered and with that Elrohir left brushing past his mother as she stepped out onto the balcony. She tried to stop him, tried to ask if he was alright, but he found no words with which to answer and so carried on to his room.

Celebrían looked at her husband confused. "What in Arda happened out here?"

Elrond looked at her a little too shocked for words. He couldn't believe he had just seen Elrohir do that to his sister. It just didn't make sense, none of it made sense. And he still had to find Elladan, he did not have time for this now.

"I'm not quite sure," he lifted Arwen up easily in his arms, and handed her over to Celebrían. "I need to go and talk to Elrohir and then I really must go and find Elladan-"

"Elrond-"

"I promise you that I won't be long, I'll sort this out when I get back I swear," Elrond really did not have time for this and the look he threw his wife made it clear to her. Instead she decided not to question her husband and simply turned her attention back to the elleth in her arms who was still crying quietly. What had happened? What had Elrohir done? As she watched her husbands retreating form she knew that it would be a while before she got an answer.

A/N: Okay this was supposed to be longer, but I just needed to update so here you go, I may combine this chapter with another one later.