Again I would like to apologize for taking such a long time to update but this one just did not come easily and I am still not totally satisfied with it but I figured it was better than nothing... I hope you agree.

Thanks to all who are still reading and for all the favs and follows - it means a lot. Also thanks to Ziggy3, alexiana75, emi and paintpops for their reviews. Even a few words mean a lot!

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 10

Elladan had traveled quickly after leaving his twin and Legolas. He had pushed on even after dark and was considering resting when he sensed something up ahead. Knowing he was not close enough to Imladris to encounter patrols yet, he quickly scrambled up a nearby tree and concealed himself in the foliage. He did not have long to wait and soon he heard the sounds of horses.

"Why would they be out at this time of night?" He thought to himself as he strained to see who was coming.

It was a small group but they were moving at a swift pace and it was hard to see in the dark. He could make out three riders but could not tell if they were men or elves. Just as they were passing beneath him moonlight glinted on golden hair.

"Glorfindel!" Elladan yelled as he dropped from the tree behind them.

The riders pulled up hard on their mounts and wheeled around. Elladan soon had two arrows trained on him and he raised his hands in supplication.

"Glorfindel tis I! Elladan!"

The balrog slayer came closer. "Elladan?"

"Yes! Thank Eru you have come!" He could no longer restrain himself and he threw himself at his father's friend who had slid off his horse to get a better look.

All of a sudden Glorfindel had an armful of dark haired elf and all he could do was hug him tight.

"What are you doing out here? Where are you going?" Elladan asked.

"To look for you young one. Your father had a vision earlier today that the three of you were in trouble so he asked me to look for you."

He helped hold Elladan up as he sagged in his arms. "Ada heard me!" He thought in relief.

"And it seems as if he was right." Glorfindel continued.

"We need to make haste." Elladan managed as he regained his feet and looked his savior in the eye.

"Show us the way." Glorfindel said as he leaped upon his horse with Elladan behind him and nudged his stallion into a gallop.

Legolas stirred, mumbling something incoherent as he opened his eyes and looked about. Elrohir felt the movement and groggily pulled himself into wakefulness. "I should not have fallen asleep!" He thought angrily. He moved closer to his friend and took his hand.

"It is alright Legolas." He said soothingly. "He is too warm." He reached over and laid his hand on the prince's forehead. "You are burning up!"

He reached over and got some water and helped Legolas drink. "Elladan is coming Lass, I know it. Hold on just a little while longer."

All the prince could manage was a nod of his head before his eyes slid shut once again.

A few hours later it was dark and Elrohir was using the last of their water to try and make Legolas more comfortable. The poor elf had started to mumble and thrash about and Elrohir was extremely worried.

He was wiping cool water over his face when fevered blue eyes opened. "Roh? Roh?! Where are you?"

"I am here Legolas, calm down!"

"You are alive?"

"Yes, I am fine. You know that. How do you feel?"

"I hurt everywhere…. Where is my ada? Where am I?" Legolas asked as he looked around wild eyed.

"Your ada is not here Legolas."

"He's not?" Legolas almost looked relieved. His eyes slid over to Elrohir and he said softly. "He was yelling at me and I didn't know what to do."

Roh looked bewildered. "Legolas your ada is far away. You are with me and Elladan and we were hunting."

"Roh?"

"Yes Legolas." He tried to soothe the elf but he was delirious with fever.

"I can't love you." Legolas mumbled.

"What?" Roh asked as his breath caught and his heart beat increased.

"I can't love you." Legolas said with more force. He started to move away from the twin but did not have the strength and quickly stilled.

"Love?" He wondered before his thoughts were interrupted.

"I am sorry ada. I promised I wouldn't do that. I am so sorry, please forgive me." Legolas started to sob.

"Lass! What are you talking about? You father is not here. Please calm down." Elrohir tried to comfort his friend but his touch just seemed to make the poor elf more troubled.

"I am not depraved!" He screamed.

"Depraved? What was he talking about?" Roh wondered. "Why is he asking his father for forgiveness?"

Legolas was still sobbing when suddenly he grabbed the twin by the tattered tunic and pulled him close to his face, his lips brushed Elrohir's.

Roh gasped in surprise and then Legolas' eyes widened as if he realized what he was doing. "No!" He shouted as he flopped back onto his bed roll.

Roh scrambled back. He didn't know what to do. "Had he really just kissed him?" He thought in confusion. "And what had he meant when he said he could not love him? He had said love had he not?" His thoughts raced through his mind and he reached out but HHhis presence just seemed to be making Legolas more upset. "But I have to stay with him." The poor elf was still sobbing and shaking. Elrohir could not stand to see him cry, in fact, he was shocked, for he could not remember a time when he had seen the strong elf break down. He moved back over to him and lifted him carefully, cradling him in his arms. This time the wounded elf did not resist.

"You are alright Lass. Do not fear I am here for you." He said as he held him tight. He kissed the top of his golden head and started to sing a lullaby. After a few moments he felt his friend relax in his arms.

This was how they found them. Legolas was in his arms while Elrohir rocked him gently singing to him. Tears ran down Roh's face and Elladan leaped off the horse and ran to his brother.

"By the Valar, have we come too late?"

Elrohir just shook his head. Glorfindel ran over and took the prince from the twin's arms, checking quickly to make sure the prince still breathed. Elrohir sagged, the last of his strength ebbing from his body but his brother was there for him and he sighed as Elladan gently picked him up. They quickly rearranged horses and riders and Elladan mounted, holding his brother on the steed in front of him as they sped off towards Imladris.

It was around dusk when they thundered into the last homely house. The lights were blazing and Elrond and his healers were ready for them. After making sure the exhausted horses were in good hands, Glorfindel rushed into the healing ward with Legolas and placed him on the table followed closely by Elladan with Elrohir.

After making sure Elrohir was in no immediate danger, Elrond turned his attention to the prince. He unwrapped the bloody bandages to see the arrow wound and sucked in his breath at the sight.

"Elladan, what has happened here?"

"He was shot by an arrow and it has been broken off and is still inside him. I did not have anything with which to sedate him…..I did the best I could with what I had Ada."

"Yes, of course Elladan. I am not criticizing you. Now please, let me work."

The other healers tended to Elrohir as Elrond helped Legolas swallow some pain killers and a powerful sleeping draught. Elladan hovered nearby watching as his father sliced into his friends side and after some gentle probing, carefully tried to remove the bloody arrow head. It proved to be more difficult than he had thought and he had to maneuver it around a bit before he was able to extract it from the prince. He checked and realized that there was some internal bleeding so he carefully stitched the organ that had been injured and finally he was able to thoroughly clean the wound and close it with small even stitches.

"His thigh is cut deeply as well." Elladan said softly.

Elrond glanced up and noticed how pale and exhausted his oldest looked. "Glorfindel, get Elladan a chair and something to drink before he falls on his face."

Glorfindel looked over at the oldest twin and quickly complied. He pulled up a chair next to Elrohir who had been cleaned, bandaged and drugged.

"How had they done that so quickly?" Elladan thought hazily as he dropped into the chair. "Roh's back is a mess…." He reached up and took his brothers hand as his father returned his attention to the prince.

Elrond wiped the sweat from his brow and bent his attention to the bloody bandage on Legolas' leg. It still oozed blood which began to flow quite steadily once the bandage was removed. "This is going to require an enormous amount of stitches." Elrond thought as he first cleaned it and then began stitching. An hour later he was finally finished and he sighed in relief. Glorfindel had been watching the prince and monitoring his breathing and heartbeat during the long procedure and was relieved as well when Elrond signaled that he was finished. They made Legolas as comfortable as possible and then checked on the twins.

Elladan was asleep in the chair next to his brother, his limp hand still clutched in his own. Elrohir was sleeping soundly enough so they went to clean up.

"What do you suppose happened this time?" Elrond asked his friend as they washed their hands in the basin of water.

"From what little I could get out of Elladan, Legolas ran off and got attacked by Orcs. Elrohir found him and they both were captured and tortured until Elladan was able to rescue them." Glorfindel answered.

"Why would Legolas run off?"

"Elladan did not tell me."

"Well we will just have to wait until they wake up to find out. I swear that I should never let them go anywhere alone." Elrond grumbled as he went back into the healing room.

Glorfindel smiled as he followed him.