The dwarves arrived three months after the incident involving Glaeron and his desk. It was not a moment too soon, because the level of general annoyance concerning the twins was at its highest.

Even though the twins had stayed true to their word and had not pulled anymore pranks, they were having a hard time relieving themselves of excess energy. Riding their horses and playing with their cats got slightly redundant after a while. They had also read so much in the library that there was almost nothing they had not read.

They were also spending time in the healing wing, learning the arts of healing even more extensively. They both showed great talent, especially Elrond. They also showed themselves to be willing and able to tell their patients what it was they were about to do and what the effects would be. This was a critical thing to be able to do as a healer, and it showed the level of empathy both twins possessed. They had even shown the healers a few things that they had learned out in the Wilds or with the dwarves and their human kin that were very effective and things that the healers had never seen before. And since both twin's injuries had healed without any complications or problems, they were ready and anxious to show what they could do on patrol. And since Elros' hand had healed all the way two weeks before, they were very anxious to start sparring again.

But since they had not been allowed to spar for months, they were bored; and that boredom translated to a lot of walking around, pacing, and a general inability to stay still. This boredom was something that was as much annoying as it was aggravating, and so it was with great relief for all in the palace when the dwarves finally arrived. Their arrival was also a gift from the Valar, because it signaled the day that the twins could spar for the first time in months. Even though this little test was to see that the twins could take care of themselves when it came to a blade, it was a formality above all else, and everyone knew it. They would not have lasted as long as they did in the Wilds without having good skills with a blade. And since they were raised in Himring, their skills were most likely well honed by the sons of Fëanor. Even the sword masters were interested in how skilled they truly were.

When Lord Durin and his son and entourage arrived and presented themselves to the king, it was obvious that some of the dwarves were mistrustful. They regarded the king and his councilors ad lords with barely veiled suspicion. The armed guards were regarded with open suspicion, distrust, and even some hostility. The guards were not impressed and just ignored the dwarves so long as they didn't pose a danger to the one they were sworn to protect.

Lord Durin and his son, also named Durin, were polite and civil. Neither wanted past distrust and hatred to cloud the present, especially after Doriath. Gil-galad recognized this and the formalities were easily taken care of. Durin, his son, and the king then met in the king's study the next day to meet and speak without formality, since Durin the elder and the king were old friends and similar in a very simple way: they both hated the formality of the court and all that it entailed.

Once they were settled, and the wine poured, Lord Durin said, "Thank you for allowing this, Your Majesty. I would like for my son to learn more about the elves, as well as learn to respect them. He and I have come to the agreement that he will most likely not make any friends on this visit, but hopefully that will change with future visits."

"I am honored to help in any way possible, my lord," Gil-galad said respectfully, "and I believe I have a way to make this slightly easier for your son and make it more enjoyable for all parties."

Lord Durin looked at him with interest and curiosity in his eyes, "And what would that be, my lord?"

Gil-galad did not answer directly, saying instead, "Would you care to come with me, my lords? Everything may be explained at our destination, and if not, I will explain even more when we are back here."

Curious, and slightly apprehensive, the two dwarves followed the king out of his study, down the stairs and outside in the direction of the training fields. Along the way they were joined by the dwarf-lords entourage, who were still slightly leery of the situation and uncertain as to the course of action regarding all the armed elves that they were encountering in this part of the city.

The training area was equipped with archery fields, storerooms for weapons, and flat raked areas for sparring. Many of the flat areas were being used, and Gil-galad headed straight toward them, now and then returning greetings that elves called out to him, as well as answering questions that were directed at him that he knew the answer to. It was clear that he was a well-loved king, and his subjects were honored that he was amongst them.

They approached one of the areas, (all had sand to soften any bad falls), where two elves were sparring beautifully. Their movements were fluid, and there was no sign that they were new to fighting. Many elves were watching them, in awe at the level of skill that was being displayed. They were so quick that the dwarves were unable to determine what the two elves looked like, and were only able to watch in impressed silence. Even the sword masters were impressed, since they were not calling out instructions of any kind and were letting the two elves spar.

The two elves parried, and their blades became locked for a moment. Then one elf dropped down slightly and eased up the strength he was using to keep his sword up. His opponent went off-balance for a split second. It was enough for the first elf to send the other elf into the sand by tripping up his feet slightly. Instead of accepting defeat, though, the downed elf kicked out and knocked his opponent's feet out from under him, sending him sprawling.

He went down with a grunt, and the other elf grabbed his sword that he had accidentally dropped and gained his feet. He backed away as his opponent got up and reached for his blade. They started to raise their blades to continue the match, both unwilling to accept defeat.

Before the fight could begin anew, the High King let out a shrill whistle through his teeth. It was a mariner's whistle, but more importantly it was loud enough to get the attention of the sparring elves. The two elves immediately stopped bringing their blades back up and lowered them. They then bowed to each other, signaling the end of the match. They sheathed their blades and walked over to the king and dwarves.

As they came closer, the dwarves realized that the two elves were familiar to them. That the elves knew them was obvious, because once the dwarves were in earshot one of the twin's called out a greeting in Khuzdul.

The dwarf-lord threw back his head and laughed, before walking over and slapping the two elves on the back. Both staggered slightly from the force of it but they were smiling.

"Well met, young ones!" Durin exclaimed.

Both twins greeted him with glee. The rest of the dwarves came over and also greeted the twins. It seemed they were all smiling, but it was hard to tell with their bushy beards. Durin's son nearly hugged them, but was able to restrain himself. Only barely, it seemed.

After greetings were exchanged, Lord Durin said, "It seems you found your kin finally. I hope what we taught you was useful?" referring to some secret knowledge that had been imparted on the twins before they left Gundabad. They would say nothing though, because of the oaths they had sworn never to reveal that knowledge.

Both twins nodded, and Elrond said seriously, "Yes, it was useful and saved us more than once. I never knew how extensive caves could be until we met you."

Durin smiled and said, "I am glad to hear that. How have you been since last we met?"

"Well enough, my lord," Elros answered. "It has been an eventful year since last we met."

"I can imagine so," Durin the younger said, "you attract trouble like bees to honey."

"We do not," Elrond exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes, you do," Durin said. "In quite spectacular fashions it should be noted."

Before the little spat could descend into a full blown argument, Gil-galad cleared his throat. The twins and their dwarvish friend immediately stopped bickering and looked over at him.

"As enlightening as this conversation is, I believe the swordmaster still needs to speak with the two of you," he said with a pointed look at the twins, "and I still need to speak with Durin and his son."

"Until later, then?" Elros asked hopefully.

The dwarves were all nodding and smiling as the twins walked away and the dwarves started to follow the king back into the palace.

The shadow watched as the dwarves said good-bye to the twins and left with the king.

'Not now then. Maybe when the trust in the twins is more cemented. And definitely not when the naugrim are still here, since they have such high regard of those two brats. Those dwarves might take it upon themselves to avenge the twins should harm come to them,' he thought.

He then let another arrow fly, hitting the center of the target and splitting the arrow that was already there straight down the middle. A archery master walking by frowned at him at seeing the arrow split and useless.

Back in the king's study, the dwarves were still chuckling slightly from seeing the twins, and Gil-galad was beaming. He could tell that the sight of the twins had not only taken away the unease the dwarves felt, but had also helped them become more reasonable and easier to deal with.

"I take it that those two are well known to you?" the king asked with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile threatening to break out.

"Very well known, my lord. Without them I would not be here. I owe them my life several times over." the younger Durin said, turning serious very quickly.

"I am aware of that, and I am glad they did not listen to the prejudices of Maglor and Maedhros. Things may have turned out very differently." the king said somberly.

Both dwarves nodded, and Durin the elder asked, "Have they told you much about their past?"

Gil-galad nodded and said, "They spoke of the Sack of Sirion, and a little of Himring. They also spoke of the circumstances that led to you meeting them. Other than that they have said nothing, and we do not wish to pry. They are still learning to trust us and others in the city, as well as coming to terms with the Sack and their time with the Fëanorians."

The elder Durin processed this information, then asked, "They said nothing of meeting their Edain kin?"

Gil-galad shook his head, puzzled, and Durin said, "They did not speak of it with us, but it was something they warned us to be careful about. Whatever happened has terrified them to the point that they fear for the lives of those they call friend or kin."

Gil-galad's expression darkened, and he said, through gritted teeth, "I will endeavor to learn what this is about. I do not want anyone harmed for no reason other than to avenge themselves against two elves who are too young to have made any real enemies."

The elder Durin grimaced, "The best of luck to you, my lord. They would say nothing to us, not even when we pushed. It was like pulling teeth, and we learned absolutely nothing. And when they can back each other up, then there is no chance of learning anything, especially when they are of one mind. They are both too stubborn for their own good."

Gil-galad nodded, and grimaced, "I am well aware of their stubbornness. They are their parent's sons, and were raised by Fëanorians. Being stubborn and strong-willed is something they excel at."

Both dwarves nodded and returned to their wine and discussion of other matters that required their attention.

The swordmaster had accompanied the twins to the king's study. There, he praised their skill and said that there was nothing he could think of to teach them.

"I may not like the sons of Fëanor for what they have done, but I will not deny their skills. These two have been well-taught." he said with a glance in their directions.

"Hannon lle, Leithianor," the king said. "I need to speak with the twins alone. There is something I must know."

Leithianor nodded, bowed, and left.

Deciding to catch them off-guard, he asked bluntly, "What happened when you met your Edain kin that has terrified you so?"

Both twins were shocked, but recovered quickly. Elrond then stated simply, "Durin told you something, but at the same time nothing."

Gil-galad nodded, and the twins shared a glance before redirecting their gazes to him. They seemed to be able communicate much in a single glance.

Seeing the glance, but not quite understanding it, Gil-galad said, "If you do not tell me, I will not let you leave on patrol. I cannot allow you to be distracted in any way. That puts yourselves and your companions in danger."

"The reason we said nothing was because there was nothing to say. Our human kin were glad to meet us, and are willing willing to help in the fight against Morgoth. A problem only arose when we left." Here Elros broke off, unsure how he should continue.

A raised eyebrow from Gil-galad was the only response, and it was when Elrond answered that answered the question of why they were so willing to trust the king. He had, in his own way, become a father figure to them, more so than Círdan, and the trust they had in him would never fail. Gil-galad doubted they would have even trusted Círdan with the information they revealed then, for he was more protective and would most likely have not let them leave on this journey.

"When we left we noticed we were being followed. We were able to confuse and corner the tracker, only to learn it was Oldhinor, from Himring. He had been sent by Maedhros to try and lure us back. We did not take the bait and he did not try and force us, but he warned us to be careful, saying not everyone would be accepting of us. He also warned us of someone that was following him as he followed us, always staying far enough away that there was no way to know who it was. We took his warning seriously, knowing he was not one to make idle warnings that had no context." Elrond concluded.

Gil-galad had been silent up to this point, but now he asked, "You do not know who this person is?"

Both twins shook their heads negatively, Elrond saying, "We cannot think of anyone that we could have angered much. That is why we fear for our friends and kin. The worst kind of enemy is the one that no one knows and can be easily hidden. That kind of enemy is the one that we fear, not anything that happened with our Edain kin ."

"And now I am tempted to keep you here until this can be resolved. However," he raised a hand to silence any protest, "I think everyone's, including mine own, sanity depends on you two getting away from the palace now that your wounds are completely healed. You know where your father's knife and blade are, do you not?"

Both twins nodded, hope starting to light up their expressions and Gil-galad continued with a smile on his face, "Then go collect them and make ready. You leave with the splinter group in three days time."

Joy blossomed on their faces as Gil-galad rose and put his hands on their shoulders and said, "Quel fara. Uuma ma' ten' rashwe."

They both then wrapped him in a hug that left him breathless and trying to collect himself from the sudden display of close trust that they had displayed. Not even Lady Galadriel, who was like a mother to them, and been shown such a deep trust. Only Círdan could say to receive hugs that were strong and trusting.

They then released the king, chorused "Namárië" at the exact same moment and left to retrieve Hadhafang and the knife.

Three days later, the morning dawned bright and sunny, with very few clouds to block out the sun. The gulls were calling along the shore, and the more inland birds were reveling in the clear air and beautiful day.

Elrond and Elros were with the splinter group led by Barhador, a stern and sometimes unforgiving captain. Fooling around was not allowed on his patrol, and he did not allow anyone to get away with anything on his patrol. Insubordination could lead to very unpleasant punishments.

As the twins were readying their horses, Barhador came over, and after watching them for a few minutes he said, "I do not want any trouble from either of you. I expect you to behave yourselves, and no pranks, understand?"

Both twins nodded seriously, and Elrond said, "We know better than to misbehave on a patrol. We know it can be dangerous for everyone. The only time we act up is if we sense danger; be it from the trees or a sense we possess."

"What sense?" Barhador asked sharply, not liking what this implied.

"We do not know how to describe it, but it is like an early warning system when danger is near. We think it is because of Melian's blood, for it is like foresight, but very un-trained. Neither of us understand it. But we never let this sense get the better of us when we are on patrol, and we do not get distracted. Do not worry, we behave ourselves when on patrol. It is only when we return and have been coped up for too long that our mischievous sides come to the fore." Elros said seriously.

Barhador nodded thoughtfully and walked away. It seemed he needed time to process this information and decide on the best course of action. Both twins went back to packing their horses, who seemed to be very excited to be getting out and about. Gwaereneth was trembling with excitement, and Veryafion did not look to be in a bad mood for once.

Durin the younger approached as Barhador left to finish preparing his horse. Elrond cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrow as he said, "Come to say good-bye for now or telling us to be careful?"

"A bit of both, I think, knowing your penchant for trouble as well as I do," the young dwarf said jokingly.

He turned serious all too soon, eyes darkening as he said, "Take care you two. I may not be an elf, as you have reminded me several times in the past," as they openly started to grin, "but I sense malice and danger that is directed at you. You would be fools to lie to yourselves and say you do not sense it."

Both twins nodded, sharing an unreadable glance. For Durin, who knew them as well as anyone could hope to know them, the glance wasn't completely unreadable. It said that they were aware of the danger, maybe even knew where it was coming from, but they weren't sure. Durin knew that they would not speak of their suspicions to anyone, not until they knew more. There was more in that glance, but Durin could not read that part of the glance. The small amount he could read set him on edge, and slightly glad that a message had arrived from Gundabad of urgent matters that left his father with no option but to go back. The dwarves were able to stay a week more, and then they would have to depart.

Durin wished he could stay and spend more time with the twins, but duty was something he understood far too well. The twins understood it as well, which is why they did not complain and only looked slightly sullen. Thankfully, Gil-galad had been understanding, and had invited the dwarves back again later in the year. Durin was even looking forward to the visit. Being with the twins promised an interesting time, that was something he had learned when they had stayed in Gundabad. He could still vividly remember them being chased by an irate healer as they escaped the healing caves after they saved his life. It had been funny, since they had been supporting each other and were half naked, and when the healer caught up to them they were not even the least bit intimidated. It seemed that living with Fëanorians made you automatically unafraid of anything that wasn't missing a hand and had flaming red hair.

Unfortunately, the twins patrol would not return for three weeks, which meant the twins would miss their departure. It upset everyone; the twins in the fact that they were still settling in and the dwarves were a huge help in understanding the court and all it implied, all the dwarves in the fact that the two elves were still so innocent and naïve at times, but serious as well when the need called for it. It made for, as Durin thought, an interesting time.

Stepping forward and extending his hand (as well as hoping quietly that the twins hadn't corrupted anyone in any way), Durin said, "May Aulë keep you and yours in peace and prosperity," which each twin returned as they grasped wrists in a warrior's grasp. Both twins were trying not to look upset about the dwarves leaving before they returned, but were failing horribly.

Durin grinned suddenly, slapping both elves on the back, saying, "Do not look so glum, my friends. We will see each other again, I know it."

The twins attempted to smile at his words, even though the smiles looked more like grimaces, but even when they had mounted and left the dwarf behind neither could dispel the fear in their hearts and the foreboding sense that had an iron grip on them. Sharing a glance, they silently agreed to say nothing, not even to Círdan so as not to worry him, but be more cautious and on guard than usual.

Danger was near, and it was not one of the Dark One's minions. It was something far worse.

And no one knew who, or what it could be, which terrified the twins more than they could ever realize.

As the patrol mounted up and rode away, the twins at the back of the line, the shadow watched them. His eyes lit up at the sight of Elrond carrying Hadhafang, and he was even able to catch a glimpse of a knife hilt on Elros' left hip.

'This will be easier than I expected. They have sealed their fates by openly showing their father's weapons.' he thought as he made his way down to the beach. Once there, he worked his way secretly to a hidden place. Hidden there was what he would need very soon. He would move them later tonight, to his secret place, when there were no witnesses to see what he would be doing.

'Now I need to join a patrol to get the things this city can not provide.' he thought cruelly as he walked back to Mithlond.

'No one will see this coming.'

Translations:

naugrim – Dwarves
hannon lle – thank you
Quel fara. Uuma ma' ten' rashwe – Good hunting. Don't look for trouble.