There's probably only one chapter left, to explain a few things and wrap everything up~

Sorry for the wait!


When the scouting party returns, it's in the dead of night—weeks after their original arrival date. A scout is sent ahead to bring word of their coming, and with one look at the weary elf, Lord Elrond just knows his sons have not returned unharmed.

The elf lord is quick to send Erestor to Estel's room to assure the boy remains asleep. The scholar nods at the task, promising to keep the child in his room until told otherwise.

When the rest of the party arrives Elrond takes note of several severe gashes and wounds littering the elves. He sends for Lindir, pointing out which of the warriors need immediate attention and directing them towards the healing wing.

Elladan and Elrohir are in the middle of the group, Elladan's arm hanging limp in a makeshift sling with the end of an arrow sticking from his shoulder. The elder twin is covered from head to toe in blood and grime, Elrohir looking far better. The younger has a deep gash right below his hairline, the blood trekking down his neck and staining the neckline of his tunic.

Elrond gives them a stern look before helping his eldest to dismount, Elrohir right beside them to steady his brother. "It seems you've run into some trouble along the way," Elrond muses darkly.

"Yes, Ada. We—"

"Don't explain just yet, I'd like to get you two to the healing rooms as soon as possible." The elf lord interrupts with a hard look, the twins sighing as they follow the string of wounded elves up to the healers.

Elrohir nudges his brother lightly on his uninjured shoulder, shooting him a grin through the blood and dirt.

"It's good to be home, isn't it?"


After being ushered into the spacious healing rooms, Elladan and Elrohir are carefully stripped and cut out of their clothes. Their father helps them wash the worst of the grime and blood from their skin, sighing heavily at the scratches and cuts littering their torsos. Handing Elrohir a jar of salve, the brunet uncaps it with a grimace and begins to cover his wounds with it.

Elrond inspects the younger's head wound, dipping his finger in a strong smelling green goo and smearing it over the jagged gash. Elrohir hisses but doesn't fight the touch, sighing in relief when the bandages are wrapped around his head.

Elladan's wounds are more difficult; the shoulder with an arrow in it is dislocated and must be set immediately. The skin around the arrow wound is red and irritated, the elf lord turning to receive a sedative from one of the healers and helping his son to drink it. Once Elladan's eyes become heavy, the elf sets to work removing the arrow and popping the shoulder back into place.

Elrohir hovers anxiously beside his twin, relaying the orc attack to his father.

"It wasn't that we didn't know they were there, but the sheer number of them, Ada!" Elrohir whispers urgently with a worried glance at his twin. Elrond hums distractedly, motioning for Elrohir to hold his brother still as he rubs a foul smelling mixture into Elladan's arrow wound.

The older twin struggles for a few moments before collapsing back onto the bed, biting his lip against the searing pain in his shoulder. Elrond brushes his hair back from his face, Elrohir moving across the room to get a cool cloth for his head.

"I'm sure you two will have a full report for Glorfindel in the morning, but right now you both need rest."

"But Ada, we have to go see Estel," Elladan croaks from the bed, his eyes glassy with both pain and the sedative.

"And give him the biggest fright of his life? I think not," The elf lord chastises, pulling the blanket up to Elladan's chest and motioning for Elrohir to get into the bed next to his brother.

"But Ada…"

"Hush, both of you. Estel has survived almost a month without you two, a few more hours will make little difference."

The words cut at the twins' hearts and they hang their heads, the subtle reminder of how they've broken a promise to their little brother sinking in. Settling back, the twins watch as Elrond moves towards the other beds, leaving both to think about what he said.

"Do you think Estel is mad at us?" Elrohir whispers sleepily, looking up at his brother with a worried glance. Elladan shrugs his shoulders, pain flashing across his face when the movement jars his shoulder.

"I do not think Estel will be mad for long, but we do have an apology to make."


"Estel, wake up, ion nin," Elrond whispers softly, brushing away Estel's dark hair and smiling softly at the sleepy eyes that blink up at him. Estel raises his arms up, the brunet elf scooping the boy up and into his embrace.

"Ada? 'Still dark out," Estel mumbles, burrowing his face into the warm chest and closing his eyes.

"I know, Estel, but I have a surprise for you," Elrond chuckles, rubbing Estel's back and coaxing him to lift his sleepy head. They boy leans back, bringing a fist up to rub the last traces of sleep from his eyes.

"Blueberry muffins?" Estel asks, frowning a bit when his ada shakes his head no. "A pony?" Another shake of Elrond's head has Estel sighing, leaning into the brunet lord but keeping his eyes open. When he notices the direction they're headed, he lifts his head quickly and gives a worried look. "No medicine!"

"Shhh, you don't have to take any medicine, I promise." Elrond laughs softly, pausing outside the door and shifting Estel down to his feet. "Can you be very quiet, Estel? Many are still sleeping inside, and I need you to be good until we find your surprise, okay?"

With a nod, Elrond pushes the door open, ushering Estel inside and leading him through the room by hand. Many of the beds are occupied, Estel looking at the sleeping elves with a furrowed brow. Moving towards one of the smaller private rooms, Elrond steers Estel into the room with both hands on the boy's shoulders.

Estel stops suddenly, his wide gray eyes focused on the large bed against he wall. Erestor is fussing with a bandage on one of his brothers' shoulders, though the elf he's addressing seems to be sleeping, eyes closed and face relaxed.

The twin sitting next to the injured one, Elrohir, Estel's mind whispers, turns to look at his father, eyes shifting down to take Estel in. Elrohir's throat goes dry at the sight of his little brother, Estel's wide eyes filling with tears as he stares at Elladan. Erestor has stopped his movements, pulling back with the dirty bandages and glancing to the doorway.

Estel's eyes shift to the blood staining the white fabric, and with a hitching gasp, he shrugs out from under his father's hold and bolts back through the healing rooms. Elrohir curses, throwing the blankets back and scrambling after his little brother.

Elladan starts awake with a wince, though Elrond isn't sure if it's because of Elrohir's careless departure or his pitching emotions. He looks from Erestor to his ada, confusion weighing heavily on his brow.

"Ada? What's happened?" The elder twin croaks, shifting to sit up with the help of Erestor. Elrond sighs, moving to stand next to his son and examine the healing wound. "Where's Ro?"

"Chasing your brother down," Elrond muses, eyes shifting up to the wide ones of Elladan. "I brought Estel to see you two, but it wasn't quite the reaction I was hoping for."


"Estel, wait!" Elrohir shouts, dodging past a confused Glorfindel and following his brother down the hall. Estel's crying fully now, and if he's not careful, Elrohir knows he'll be taking a nasty spill in the hall.

Catching up to the sobbing boy, Elrohir scoops Estel up into his arms, holding him tightly and leaning against the wall for support. Estel wiggles mutinously, crying out when Elrohir brings a hand up to smooth over his back.

"Calm down, tithen gwador, I've got you," the brunet elf coos, straightening from the wall and heading a few feet towards the balcony. The boy's squirming calms in his hold, Estel burying his face in the warm folds of Elrohir's tunic and clutching it tight with his small fists. Taking a seat on the wide ledge overlooking the gardens, Elrohir shifts Estel to his lap and hugs him close.

"Hello, Estel, I've missed you," He says softly, urging Estel to lean back and look at him. The boy does, though it's much slower than Elrohir would like to admit. Estel's face is red and his nose running, but he's the most charming thing Elrohir's seen all month. Giving the boy a smile, Elrohir frowns when Estel's tears begin anew.

"I'm sorry, Ro! Sorry, sorry, sorry," Estel whimpers, burying his head in the elf's tunic and shaking like a leaf. Elrohir holds him tightly, though he can't figure out what Estel's trying to apologize for.

"Estel, wha—"

"Dan is dead and now you'll be sad too!" Estel wails, trying to shift even closer to the elf, his breathing hitching unevenly as he remembers the pale form of the older twin on the bed.

"Estel! Elladan isn't dead, he's merely hurt his shoulder!" Elrohir states, pulling the boy back and using a hand to tip his face up.

"B-but his eyes were c-closed and Restor had b-bloody…"

"Estel, I promise you with everything that I am that Elladan is not dead," Elrohir says seriously, willing his little brother to believe his words. "He was exhausted and sleeping deeply, and Erestor had just changed his bandages."

"A-are you s-sure?" Estel sniffs, his breaths coming out slower, yet still uneven.

"I'm absolutely—"

"—positive!" A new voice finishes, much to Elrohir's relief. Estel's head whips to the side, eyes widening at the sight of his other brother standing before them. A smile breaks over his face, the boy wiggling in Elrohir's hold to be set down. The younger twin complies, and before he can grab Estel, the brunet is running towards Elladan, slamming into his legs and hugging what he can tightly.

To his credit, Elladan merely lets out a grunt at the impact, placing his free hand in Estel's hair and tousling it softly. "Hello tithen gwador, did you miss me?"

"Dan, you're not dead!" Estel cries happily, leaning back as Elladan slowly kneels down, Estel carefully placing his hand on the elf's uninjured shoulder and hugging him loosely. Bringing the boy into his chest, Elladan's body relaxes when Estel fits into place, pressing a kiss into the wild curls of his youngest brother.

When Estel pulls back, his eyes shift to take in the bandaged shoulder, moving down and assessing the new sling. Elrohir walks over to the both of them, crouching down and giving Estel a raised brow.

"I see how it is, Elladan gets all of your love and I get the tears and snot."

Throwing their heads back with laughter, both twins grin when Estel launches himself at the younger, throwing his arms around Elrohir's neck and toppling them backwards onto the floor. "I missed you too, Ro!"

"We missed you more, Estel," Elladan grins down at his brothers sprawled out on the floor, Estel sitting happily atop Elrohir's chest and grinning.

A chuckle from the hall draws their attention to Elrond, Glorfindel, and Erestor, the older elves watching the scene with knowing smiles. Estel grins up at them, throwing his arms out and giggling atop his brother. "Ada look! Elladan isn't dead!"

"No, ion nin, he most certainly is not," Elrond observes, stepping over and lifting the boy from Elrohir's chest. The elf lets out an exaggerated breath, leaning up and taking Glorfindel's offered hand.

"How about we get some breakfast?" Erestor suggests with a smile, Estel nodding his head eagerly and reaching for Elrohir.

"I wanna sit by Dan and Ro," Estel announces, grinning when Elrohir lifts him into the air and Elladan ruffles his hair.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," the twins chorus, leading the party down the hall and towards the kitchens.