This is for AngryCupcake. Not exactly a resurrection but hopefully a brief flashback will do the trick. A very short chapter as it was not exactly planned. Thanks for the idea!

I own nothing. Just love Tolkien.

Abarussa - Amros & Amrod

Tyelkormo - Turko - Celegorm

Curufinwë - Curufin

Carnistir - Moryo - Caranthir

Telperinquar - Celebrimbor

Findekáno - Káno - Fingon

Findaráto - Finrod

Aikánaro - Aegnor

~oOo~

Maglor looked at Maedhros and rolled his eyes.

"They are at it again," he said. "And on this day of all days too."

Maedhros looked in the room at his brothers. Ambarussa sat in the corner, their complete disinterest in the scene playing out before them rivaled only by the lack of interest they had in coming to Himring in the first place. Curufinwë leaned against the desk in the corner smirking as Tyelkormo preened around Carnistir who stood staring out the window.

"If you are not careful you will begin to pick up some of their more swarthy habits, you are already starting to smell like them."

This elicited laughter from Curufinwë who never ceased to enjoy tormenting Carnistir. They were mocking him about the atani again. He had assisted a tribe of Men on the outskirts of his lands near the mountains once and was impressed with what he saw. Impressed enough to talk to his brothers of the valor of men, and since he rarely talked at all without yelling Maedhros chose to listen. Carnistir had begun spending more and more time in those mountains with them, finding them worthy of teaching, saying that they were stubborn but eager to learn. Curufinwë however scoffed at this, finding them beneath his notice. And since Tyelkormo for whatever reason tended to follow his younger brother's lead, he taunted him now as well. Maedhros sighed. They did not have time for this. Carnistir's betrothal ceremony was tonight and soon Findekáno would be here along with his new born son. Káno has a son. The thought seemed so strange to him and was the words were bitter on his tongue. He shook it away; he had to deal with this first.

"Tell me brother, what are the women like? Are they capable of eating from a table or do they writhe in squalor, their children attached to their backs like animals. I would imagine they smell worse –"

Maedhros was about to put a stop to Tyelkormo's prattling when Carnistir spun around suddenly, his hand gripping his brother's coat near his throat.

"Tell me Turko," he said coldly glancing around the room, "where is Huan?"

Well that did it. Tyelkormo turned six different shades of red and lunged at his brother. Maedhros stepped in and separated the two, yanking Tyelkormo back by his collar. Maglor went to Carnistir but he had already stopped struggling once Maedhros had Tyelkormo. Curufinwë glared daggers at his brother's while Ambarussa continued to idle in the corner.

"That is enough. We do not have time for this. The ceremony is tonight and guests are arriving. We must –"

"Ceremony?!" Tyelkormo spat as he threw off Maedhros's hand. "I will not be attending any ceremony much less greeting guests. Especially those who belonging to a house of an unlawful king and his mewling grandson, equally undeserving of the throne!"

"I take it that you will not be joining us then."

"You can take it however you wish Nelyo," he hissed, "is that not how you normally like it?"

"Turko!" exclaimed Maglor and moved to intercept his brother but Maedhros stayed him with a raise of is hand. Maedhros said nothing, only stood over his brother. Tyelkormo remained defiant for his part at first but Maedhros's eyes overpowered his brothers bluster and pierced him. Maedhros could see the shame and regret in his brother's eyes and Tyelkormo broke his gaze first and stormed out of the room. Maglor turned to Curufinwë.

"I suppose it is safe to assume that you will be riding his coattails where ever he goes yes?" Curufinwë said nothing as he looked at Maglor disdainfully and stalked out of the room. "That is what I thought." Maglor looked at Carnistir who had turned back to the window and then turned to Ambarussa.

"Come along you two and try to contain yourselves." Ambarussa languidly rose from where they sat and followed Maglor out of the room.

Maedhros turned and walked over to the window and stood next to Carnistir. They fought so much lately. Tyelkormo and Curufinwë's behavior of late had been a great cause of concern for him especially. Tonight was not just about Carnistir's betrothal. Maedhros had called together a meeting of many of the houses of the Noldor and representatives from the dwarves and the tribes of Men to set forth a proposition that would call for the unification of all the races of Beleriand for it to be successful. But Tyelkormo and Curufinwë's reckless actions had threatened everything he had worked for. There were times when he was unsure of who they even were anymore. Even Telperinquar had forsaken his father and gone to Orodreth's people. What had happened? Maedhros sighed and looked at Carnistir. He was wearing all black as usual. He would not break with that habit even for his betrothal ceremony. He was about to leave when Carnistir spoke.

"They underestimate them. They cannot see past their own wounded pride to the potential that is there. They cannot see that they were beaten by a worthier opponent."

"Is your faith in the second born truly so strong?" Carnistir turned and looked at Maedhros, his eyes lit with the intensity of his words.

"There is strength there Maitimo. Yes there is weakness but there is also strength and beauty. It is raw and uncut but there is beauty. Not restrained and repressed like many of our own people. When they feel they act upon it with passion and fire. Perhaps it is because their lives are so fleeting that they live so frantically and love so furiously." His eyes took on a faraway look and he spoke almost to himself, lost in some memory. "Strength and beauty and a love so true it would have rivaled any of the Eldar."

Maedhros looked at his brother and heard the loss in his voice as he spoke. There was a time when Maedhros could look into his brother's eyes and see her there, a light in in his brother's eyes that interweaved with his own. He could see their bond. His voice had taken on a strange synergic quality as well and Maedhros had always been surprised that Maglor's keen ears had never picked up on it. But Maedhros always knew, he who had raised six younger brothers. He had answered their cries when they woke from nightmares in the dark and soothed their hurts from skinned knees and a variety of other injuries. He knew them well. And he knew Carnistir had been happy then, at least as happy as Carnistir could be anyway. But now his voice was empty and his eyes now possessing but a single mournful light. Gently he took his brother by the shoulders and turned him around to face him. Carnistir stiffened when Maedhros touched him but allowed him to turn him around. Carnistir said nothing, only looked at Maedhros, waiting. Maedhros reached up and straightened his brother's collar where it had become undone from his altercation with Tyelkormo.

"You know, Findaráto said much of the same once." Maedhros glanced at his brother who stared at him in that haughty imperious way of his. "It is said that Aikánaro even loved an atani woman, though he never took her to wife."

Carnistir sniffed in disdain at that. "Aikánaro was a coward, nothing more."

Maedhros looked at him curiously as he arranged his brother's overcoat. "He was a coward because he did not take her to wife?"

"He was a coward because he was too frightened to embrace that which he knew he would lose. He was protecting himself from the pain of her eventual end."

Maedhros took a step back and looked at his brother. "You are too harsh Carnistir. It is the fate of our kindreds to be sundered. That bliss is fleeting for such is the Gift of Man."

"If it is the Gift of Man to face inevitable death, then it is the doom of the Eldar to face life eternal, woefully holding on to the memories of what once was. I for one will welcome death when it finds me for it will be a release from the emptiness of my loss."

"Is that such a bad thing, to want to avoid pain?"

"Life is pain Nelyo. You of all of us should know this. The bliss of ecstasy balanced on a thin line between pleasure and pain. You cannot embrace one without the other. And in these times they are almost one and the same. Aikanaro chose never know what it is to love or to be loved to avoid the inevitability of losing it, but if you do not fear losing it then what is it worth? I would not turn from it. I would not scorn something so pure and inviolable. Even though the pain will follow me till the end of days I reveled in the moment, even if only for a little while."

"Then it is fortunate that you have found Iphandis," said Maedhros and Carnistir started and the sound of that name, as if reminded of some chore that must get done.

"Iphandis, yes," he said absentmindedly and turned to leave, "it is fortunate."

"Moryo," Maedhros called out suddenly and Carnistir looked back, his haughty demeanor returned, "you were happy then yes? In the mountains, during that time, were you happy?"

The question must have not been what his brother was expecting because he blinked in surprise when Maedhros asked. But then his face softened and his gaze seemed to go inward, recalling some memory that had been tucked away. And for the first time in what Maedhros thought had been years and for the last time that Maedhros would ever be able to remember, Carnistir smiled.

"Yes Russandol. I was."

~oOo~

Saeran sat in the bath house pool till her fingers shriveled and her teeth began to chatter. She was getting sore now. The adrenaline of the nights and day's events was wearing off and an ache was all over her person and her arm had begun to throb. A giant, angry purple and blue bruise had formed where the orc's mace had partially connected with her arm. Things were starting to become painful. And yet still she stayed. She stayed till Hestil peeked her head around the corner and then entered carrying a bundle of clothes and dressings. Saeran looked up at Hestil and felt her eyes start to well up. Hestil set down the bundle she carried and rushed to Saeran and embraced her where she sat.

"Oh lissë hína, shhhh," she soothed, "it is alright. You will be alright." She held Searan, rocking her back and forth while she sobbed. Eventually Hestil pulled Saeran up out of the tub and helped her dress. As they walked over to the house of healing Saeran noticed how many in the courtyard avoided looking at her. She began to feel embarrassed about her behavior and dreaded returning to the keep. She imagined that word would spread quickly about her unseemly behavior. Hestil seated Saeran by the fire and laid a blanket on her lap. She gave Saeran another once over before resuming her work. The injured from last night's raid were already set up inside. Cormick sat near his wife who looked to be sleeping peacefully. Saeran recognized her as the woman who was awake with Saeran when the orcs first came. One of the injured men sat up with his arm in a splint while the other lay still. Janneth and Kady bustled around the room. The combination of the warmth of the fire and the balms that Hestil had given her suddenly made her feel very tired. Her eyes grew heavy and try as she might, she could not keep them open. Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness, the occasional awareness of movement around her and soft voices whispering barely audible enough for her to hear. A one point she felt the sensation of being lifted and carried. She dreamt of strong arms cradling her, she dreamt she felt the rhythmic pulse of a heart beat as she buried her face into his neck. She knew who it was, even in her dreams she always knew him. She brought her hand up around his neck and felt the pulse quicken. She floated now, drifting weightless to the steady drumbeat of the pulse that fluttered lightly against her cheek. She wished she could be the source, the reason for that heartbeat. You are, the voice whispered in her mind and she was surrounded by stars and silver light embraced her. She floated down and felt herself become grounded again, something soft and feather light brushed across the lids of her eyes and lingered a moment on her lips. The light that had enveloped her began to fade and she wanted to cry out as it dimmed. She did not want it to go and pleaded for its return, grasping at nothing. The light blazed forth and surrounded her, and she prayed it would not leave her again. Never again, the voice caressed her back to calm. Never again. She opened her arms and let the light take her into the restfulness of deep sleep.

When Saeran woke, the sun was at its zenith. The pains she had felt yesterday had reduced itself to the dull ache of muscles that did not wished to be used. She sent her arms out into a slow stretch and could tell by the way her body brushed against the sheets she was in a bed and not one of the cots of the healing house. She was not in the house of healing at all, she was in the keep. More specifically she was in her room at the keep. She lay there and took in the familiar surroundings and had to wonder of the events of the last few days were not but a dream. But when she sat up, her head throbbed in protest and she saw the dressings on her arm and knew. The memories flooded her mind and she found herself becoming somewhat horrified at her behavior. Had she truly thrown and handful of . . . well, she was not really horrified at her behavior per say. When one thought about it, he had it coming. But she was horrified that she had behaved that way in front of her child and a courtyard of people. She was embarrassed by their public display like some petty lover's spat. Lover's spat, she thought. Are we even lovers anymore? Tentatively she reached out for the bond felt the surge of its presence. It almost overwhelmed her as it flooded her senses. It coursed through her and she wrapped her arms around herself in some vain attempt to hold it. Gone was the murky dull awareness that had kept him hidden from her. The bond pulsed and his white silvery light filled everything. But as much as she relished the feeling she still remained on defensive. Who knew if he would leave again. She knew he was close and rose from the bed for her dressing robe. As she pushed her arms through the sleeves she heard a voice from the attached courtyard. She walked to the small outer room that connected her room to the courtyard and looked outside as she pulled her hair out from under her robe.

Maglor lay on his side on the ground propped up on an elbow as Evon leaned back against him. They were facing Elros who also sat on the ground as they played a game of Castles. A silly game that seemed to only consist of knocking down the other's structure. Evon was looking at Maglor who casually pointed to a piece that Evon then gleefully pushed down. Elros threw his arms in the air and made accusations of cheating and fixed games as Evon laughed even harder. In the back of the courtyard on a bench sat Elrond and Maedhros, both hunched over a chess set, elbows on knees and chins in hand as they contemplated the board. Saeran walked to the doorway and looked at the scene in the courtyard and for a brief moment was able to shut out the horrors of the world around them. There was no war, no monsters in the night, there was only this and it was perfect.

Maedhros looked up from the chess board briefly and stared at Saeran as she stood in the doorway. She was rested and her color had returned. Her hair was unbound and fell across her shoulders and the familiar heat he always felt when in her presence came to him. She had called to out for him last as she slipped in and out of consciousness and he thought his heart would leap from his chest with joy. He had brought her to her room and felt her as she desperately reached for him through the bond and so he stayed, his hope rekindled that he could make amends. But now that she was awake he felt her defenses raise and he knew there was still more he would have to do. Elrond had looked up from the chess board and looked over to what held Maedhros's gaze. He looked back at the game and moved his queen across the board, setting it down with a click that brought Maedhros's attention back to the game. Elrond leaned back and looked at Maedhros.

"Check," he said with a small smile of satisfaction. "It is your move."

Maedhros raised an eyebrow at the peredhil, his own little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Indeed," he said and reached for his king.