When the bond with his twin returned suddenly, Elrohir almost wept with relief. The connection that had snapped was suddenly mended again, warmth flooding his fëa and sending a buzzing through his veins. He could feel his brother again . . . he was fine. Nothing had changed. He could sense his brother a few hundred yards away, in the main courtyard. Something was slightly off though . . . the bond was still there, but there seemed to be a dark cloud of something hovering just between them. All dark memories of what had happened a few moments ago were gone, replaced by a wave of complete and utter relief.

"Elrohir?" He realized his father was holding him up, and a sudden flash of anger went through him at his weakness. He pulled away and Elrond's arm dropped, releasing him. Elrohir straightened, feeling energy course through him at the restoration of the link with Elladan. He raised his chin. "I'm fine." Taking a look at his father, he could tell that he was confused.

Elrond's face was a mask of confusion. He had no idea what had just happened. His son collapsed, was lost in his mind for a few minutes, came to, struggled to his feet, was supported by his father, then suddenly jerked away again. He reached for Elrohir, only for the twin to pull away again.

"I said I'm fine!" Elrohir looked around. "Where's Erestor. Wasn't he just in here?"

"I sent him to look for Elladan," said Elrond. He narrowed his gaze at his son. "Since you seem to be fine now, what happened?"

Elrohir didn't really feel like explaining about it, yet he knew it wouldn't do any good to ignore his father. He sighed and faced his father, deciding to get the words out and over with. "My link with Elladan disappeared, I kind of passed out, then it came back. That's all. Happy?"

The extremely condensed version of recent events had Elrond baffled, but he got the basic idea. "It vanished?!" He paused. "But it's back? How?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Elrohir snapped, all of the tension and former worry about his older brother getting to him. He regretted it instantly, though, shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry, Ada. I just . . . I'm worried. That's never happened before." He looked with muddled grey eyes up at his father. "What could have happened to him?"

"We'll find out," Elrond said firmly, making up his mind. Placing his hand on Elrohir's shoulder, he nudged him toward the door. "Let's go find him."

"He's in the courtyard," Elrohir volunteered, and they started that way.

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Ioreth hummed to the sleeping elfling in her arms as she walked back toward her chambers. He had fallen asleep just moments before, lulled to sleep by a ballad Ioreth had sung to the trees. She was going to head back to her bedchambers and let Duron have his nap. She would then work on some of her needlework while he slept, then she would possibly go eat supper, or play with him some more.

Turning into the path that would lead to her chambers, Ioreth paused and tilted her head slightly at a distraught cry that came from the direction of the courtyard. "Ai Elbereth! What happened?"

She was instantly worried. In the past four days, not once had she heard someone yelling. Was something going on? Readjusting Daron so his head wouldn't loll to the side, Ioreth let her curiosity get the better of her and hurried toward the direction the person had yelled. She went around the corner of a building and her eyes widened immediately in surprise.

The two ellyn Ioreth had seen minutes before were in the middle of the courtyard, two other dark-haired elves with them. Elladan was being held up by the Balrog-slayer she had just guided in the direction of the twin, and she recognized one of the others as Lord Elrond's adviser, Erestor. Concern lacing her features, Ioreth hurried toward them.

Glorfindel was supporting Elladan with his arms around the twin's waist, slowly lowering him to the ground. Erestor was firing questions at him in Quenya so fast Ioreth couldn't keep up. She had learned it, but she was still much better at Sindarin, her native language. The other dark-haired ellon behind them had a bruise forming on his throat, and a shocked look on his face.

"Á pusta!" Glorfindel finally ordered, letting Elladan rest on the ground. He reverted to Sindarin the next moment. "Lindir, go fetch Lord Elrond."

The minstrel stood dumbly for a moment, then nodded and darted away, sending strange looks at the few puddles that littered the ground.

Glorfindel looked up from his ministrations. "Well, Erestor, don't just stand there! Help me!"

"What did you do?" the adviser asked, his eyebrows furrowing, but he dropped down next to the Balrog-slayer, his long robes getting muddied. Ioreth clutched Duron closer to her chest and stared in confusion at the unconscious Elladan. His eyes were closed, dark eyelashes a terrifying contrast against his unnaturally pale face.

Erestor's fingers were darting to check the twin's pulse, then up to his forehead. Pulling back an eyelid, he examined his eyes and then sat back, frowning at Glorfindel. "There seems to be nothing wrong. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" protested the Elda, then did a double-take. "Nothing wrong? Did you see his eyes?"

"They're normal. Whatever happened, he doesn't have a concussion." Erestor pulled Elladan's arms up to rest on his chest, then glanced up, seeming to notice Ioreth. His slight frown told her she wasn't wanted there. "Hiril vuin? Why don't you . . ." He looked like he was wracking his mind for a command to give her.

"I'll go help find Elrohir," she volunteered, scurrying away. The sleeping Duron was held tightly to her chest. She didn't want to admit she was scared by the sight of Elladan lying so still like that, but . . .

"Yes, find Elrohir," Erestor agreed, then turned his attention back to the unconscious twin, Glorfindel saying something to him.

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Lindir sprinted across the courtyard, trying to think of nothing but getting Lord Elrond. His throat was sore, aching with the reminder of what Elladan had done to him. He had stepped on his throat! No, no, not thinking of it. Must tell Lord Elrond, quickly. Refusing to look over his shoulder, he rounded a corner and almost slammed right into two figures. Rebounding, Lindir muttered a hasty apology and was about to go past him when he recognized the fair features and dark hair of the two he had narrowly avoided banging into. His eyes widened. "Your - my lord! Lords! I was just looking for you - Glorfindel sent me, he said that . . . he needs you to," stammered the minstrel, "I mean, Erestor was with him, and someone else - but he fell, and then he went crazy and Glorfindel went to knock him out - "

"Sîdh!" Elrond exclaimed, raising a hand. He took in Lindir's ruffled appearance. "What happened, penneth?"

"I . . ." Lindir took in a deep breath, calming himself as the Elf lord had instructed. He took a quick glance at Elrohir and saw that the younger twin was very pale, his brow beading unnaturally with sweat. "My lords, I just came from the courtyard. Lord Elladan is . . . er, unconscious."

"Oh," sighed Elrond, in partial relief, it seemed. Had he been expecting something worse? Elrohir, however, paled even further, if it was possible.

"El!" the twin gasped, lunging past Lindir. He stopped as a shocking sight greeted his eyes. Erestor and Glorfindel bent over Erestor, their fingers flying as they checked for vitals. Golden hair mixed with black, the ones usually at each others' throats working together. Elrohir had no eyes for the ones kneeling though. He was only looking at his twin who was lying on the ground, his head tipped up and eyes closed in terrifying starkness against his white face. "No!" Panic lending him swiftness, he ran across the courtyard, slipping briefly on a small puddle of water.

For the smallest of moments, Lindir was filled with complete terror as he thought that the younger twin was going to fall. He would hit his head, and the same thing would happen . . . but he regained his elven balance and continued sprinting toward his brother. Elrond nodded quickly at Lindir before hurrying after his son, his slower pace meaning nothing but that he didn't want to slip on the water. Lindir just stayed where he was, sensing another presence come up beside him. It was Ioreth, her pale grey eyes in worried turmoil as she watched Elrohir reach the trio and shove Glorfindel and Erestor aside, dropping next to his brother. An elfling was cradled in Ioreth's arms, sleeping peacefully and blissfully unaware of the scene in front of them.

Elrohir let a finger graze across his brother's cheek, his fear fading as he could feel Elladan returning to consciousness, slowly but surely. Bending, he scooped his lightweight twin up in his arms, resting his head on the dark hair exactly like his. All of the emotions of the past ten minutes caught up to him - fear, panic, abject terror, and relief - and he finally let it all loose, releasing a long and loud wail that echoed through the courtyard.

Lindir's heart almost stopped when he heard the fervid howl that came from Elrohir. Relief crashed over him when Elrond stopped next to them and his shoulders didn't slump. The twin wasn't dead - oh Valar, how everything would have changed if he was.

Dropping his head and pulling Elladan closer, Elrohir let the tears flow.