After turning the handle and stepping outside Elrohir just stood there for a few seconds taking in the nature around him. He just knew that Elladan would be smiling beside him so he turned towards him and sure enough Elladan had a wide grin on his face. Elrohir huffed but couldn't stop the smile from reaching his own lips.
They walked slowly towards the training grounds often stopped so Elrohir could touch, smell or study something. Elladan couldn't help but smile when he saw the completely genuine smiles that appeared on Elrohir's face for what seemed the first time in ages. Now that he saw Elrohir in the sunlight he didn't miss how pale he looked.
Elladan stood silently as Elrohir leaned his forehead against on of the trees in the path. They had used the tree to practice climbing when they had been elflings. They didn't seem like the same elves anymore, so much had changed.
"It a long time ago, wasn't it?" Elladan asked nostalgically.
Elrohir turned to him with a small smile and said, "A lot of things have happened." Then he walked up to Elladan and took his hand, "But we're still together."
They walked hand in hand to the training grounds and saw Glorfindel conversing with some of the patrolmen. His back was turned to them, but when the elves he talked to stared in their direction, Glorfindel turned around as well.
Elrohir watched as Glorfindel's eyes widened in shock and then filled with relief and joy. Without hesitation he bolted towards them and threw his arms around Elrohir. Elrohir had to step back from the force.
"You had all of us worried sick." Glorfindel whispered, "Don't ever do that again."
"Sorry." Elrohir said and tightened his arms around Glorfindel.
Glorfindel held Elrohir at an arms length and studied him, "How are you?"
"Better." Elrohir smiled. "What about you Glorfindel?"
"I'm fine." Glorfindel answered, "There wasn't anything wrong with me."
Glorfindel moved over to Elladan and hugged him as well, "It's good to see you outside." He said. "Together."
The patrolmen stood silently watching the three. There seemed to be another kind of bond between them after what had happened. They didn't want to interfere with their conversations feeling that it would be out of place. Rivendell had been empty without the three. Silence had ruled the halls and the patrols had been in slight disarray without Glorfindel to supervise.
They saw that there was something more in their eyes than there had been previously. Some scars hidden well beneath their outer appearances. Especially Elrohir seemed to have been affected; once again they found themselves wondering what had exactly happened.
"When did you wake up?" Glorfindel asked Elrohir.
"Last night." Elrohir answered, "If Elladan and Ada hadn't stopped me I would have woken you."
Glorfindel looked scolding at Elladan, but then turned serious again, "Are you sure you should be up and about? Both of you look exhausted."
"I just wanted to see you and Eregon." Elrohir answered.
Glorfindel smiled, "You haven't stopped keeping check of us even though the most worrying one is yourself."
"I have been trying to tell him how overprotective he is from the beginning, he just won't listen to me." Elladan sighed sounding as if Elrohir was impossible.
Glorfindel looked at him and said, "I understand why he doesn't listen to you. You're even worse than he is."
Elrohir laughed at the fake shock and hurt that entered Elladan's expression. Elladan hand flew up to rest over his heart in disbelief.
They laughed for a moment but then turned serious again. Glorfindel turned once again to Elrohir. "I mean it." He said, "Get better. You don't have to worry about us."
Elrohir nodded and turned to Elladan, "Shall we go find Eregon? Make it short and then get better." He asked smiling.
Elladan nodded and took Elrohir's hand again.
"See you Glorfindel." They said and walked over to one of the paths that led them higher into the mountains that surrounded Rivendell. Eregon's parents lived in one of the living compartments up there and Elladan knew that he was with them. Eregon had visited Elrohir's bedside almost daily after he had been released from the healing wing.
Elladan slowed down his tempo so it matched Elrohir's. He now understood that maybe it hadn't been the best idea to walk so long right after Elrohir had woken up. Elrohir looked tired already and was a bit short on breath.
When they walked over a bridge that ran across one of the smaller waterfalls Elrohir stopped and looked over the valley. All of Rivendell was visible from their high place. Some of the trees were fiery red from the incoming season while others stayed green. All the colors resonated with Rivendell's roof and the colors bounced back and forth through the valley. Amongst all the colors Rivendell stood in a soft silvery light, half rose into the air and half grounded on the ledge. The houses lines were never pointed or sharp, but soft and ever curving.
"It is a beautiful season." Elladan muttered from beside him.
Elrohir looked over there and saw his twin just as mesmerized as himself. "Yes it is." Elrohir agreed.
With a silent agreement they moved onwards until they reached Eregon's parents house. Elladan and Elrohir looked shortly at each other before Elladan knocked on the door. They had never met Eregon's parents before.
Before long a female elf opened the door. She had the same green eyes as Eregon, but her hair was slightly more golden than his. As every other elf, she was quite fair. She looked surprised at them, but quickly seemed unfazed again.
"My lords." She said inclining her head. "You must be looking for Eregon, my name is Eredhes. I see both of you have awoken now, I'm grateful that you saved my rash son."
"It was our pleasure my lady." Elrohir said and both of them inclined their heads to her.
"Come in." She said and opened the door wider.
Before Elrohir and Elladan stepped into the house they heard footsteps coming. Soon Eregon came into view and he picked up his pace when he saw Elrohir.
"Elrohir!" Eregon exclaimed and hugged him. "You're awake! When did you wake up? How are you feeling?"
"Eregon." Eredhes said calmly from behind him. She seemed used to dealing with her son. "Let them come in first. Clearly they are tired from having walked the long way here."
"Right. Sorry." Eregon said and let go of Elrohir. He had a grin plastered on his lips as he walked into the house again. Elladan and Elrohir followed him and were soon taken to the sitting area. Eregon showed them where to sit and then sat down himself. Eredhes went to the kitchen to make some tea.
"You look well." Elrohir said, "Has your wound healed?"
"Yes, completely. There was no lasting damage so I'm ready to start going on patrols again." Eregon said. "What about you Elrohir? Are you okay?"
Elrohir brushed his hair back behind his ear and answered, "Yes I've recovered some, but it will probably take some time until I'm up to full strength again."
"Did you just wake up?" Eregon asked.
"No, last night."
"Strange… you were just lying there and now only a day after you're here seemingly fine."
"My body kept me unconscious so it could recover some from the ordeal. It used the ten days to replenish my energy with my father's help. There wasn't really anything wrong with me except overexerting myself." Elrohir said.
Elladan huffed and remarked, "Over overexerting yourself."
Then Eredhes came back into the room carrying a tray with four cups on it. She placed the tray on the table and handed a cup towards Elrohir.
Without having any way of controlling it Elrohir's mind zoned back to when Raegon had held out the glass of blood. When Elrohir had refused to take it Raegon and some guards had forced it down his throat after dealing a painful blow to his jaw.
"Elrohir." Elladan said snapping Elrohir out of his reverie.
Elrohir jerked his head over to look at Elladan and saw the worry in his eyes. First then he realized that Eredhes was still holding the cup to him. "I apologize, my mind was somewhere else." He told her and then took the cup with as little hesitation as possible.
"No matter." Eredhes said as she passed the next cup to Elladan and the next to Eregon. She took the last one and sat down in the chair beside Eregon.
Elladan was still glancing worriedly at Elrohir as he saw him drink the tea carefully. He had thought that Elrohir had overcome the issue, but apparently having someone he didn't know or trust completely hand him a cup still brought the memories and skepticism.
"My lords-" Eredhes began.
Elladan cut her off with a smile, "Please, no formalities. Elladan and Elrohir will be fine."
Eredhes raised one eyebrow and asked, "Who's who?"
Identical smiles appeared on both Elladan and Elrohir's faces. "I guess we had that coming then." Elladan grinned, "I am Elladan."
"Why did we give up on nametags Elladan?" Elrohir asked.
Elladan grin widened, "Because one of us thought that it was ridiculous and the other more practical one was overruled."
"Well. Elladan and Elrohir thank you for taking care of my son and keeping him alive. I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Eredhes said they could hear the gratefulness in her voice.
"You do not need to thank us." Elrohir said, "Eregon is a friend to us and we did not want to see him get hurt."
"Besides." Elladan added, "We are lords of Rivendell, who should we protect if not our people?"
Elladan and Elrohir stayed for another half hour before saying goodbye and walking down the path. Eregon and Eredhes stood and watched them leave.
"They seem unaffected." Eredhes said.
Eregon shook his head, "Too much has happened for them to be unaffected by it. They have just had a lot of practice in hiding what they really feel."
"Why did Elrohir hesitate to take the cup?" Eredhes asked. It had not foregone her knowledge that Elrohir had zoned out.
"I don't know." Eregon said, "Something happened to him in the two days where he was in Raegon's hands but neither Glorfindel nor Elladan will tell me what. What ever happened, happened because Elrohir traded it for my life."
"Then I'm glad he did although I mourn the consequences." Eredhes whispered and placed her hand on Eregon's cheek. "I could not bear to lose you after your father died."
Both Eregon and Eredhes walked back into the house.
O
Elladan and Elrohir were finally down the path; both of them were tired after having started the day with little and restless sleep. When they walked beside the tree they used to climb in Elladan steered towards it. Without hesitation both of them laid down in the grass beside each other. They were too tired to go on and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
With closed eyes Elrohir murmured, "Ada will get a heart attack if he sees both of us lying here without moving. He'll think we died."
"I'm too tired to care." Elladan murmured back. "It's actually quite nice right here. Hopefully Ada will check us before he loses hope completely."
"Yeah you're right." Elrohir agreed blurrily. He was already entering sleep and Elladan followed not far behind him. No thoughts of nightmares entered their minds, as they were about to enter their first restful sleep in some time.