Elrohir

The sun shone brightly through the trees and it felt as if on this day it shone for him alone. He could not contain his joy and it spilled out of him into his smile, his step, his life.

Legolas loved him. Of course he had known that for years but now... to know he loved him so desperately, that he too had felt the instant bond that had shattered his world into tiny pieces so many years ago. It was almost more than he could comprehend.

But he must rein this in, this bubbling cascading river of joy for he went to find his brother, to fulfil his promise to Legolas that they would not part on bad terms and to meet him with his Fea bursting with happiness such as this would ensure that meeting would not go well.

It did not take long to locate Elladan. He was with the horses and his heart sunk as he approached him for his stance was rigid and tension radiated from him.

"Elladan! I must talk to you." He called.

Elladan turned to him glowering in displeasure.

"Unless you have come to tell me you have changed your mind I have nothing to say to you."

"Elladan. Do not do this. Do not let us part like this."

"What would you have me do then Elrohir? I cannot stand and watch you put yourself in danger."

"I am in no danger from Legolas." He said quietly.

"Your love has made you blind!" Elladan snapped. "You do not see-"

He cut him off,

"No my brother, it is you who do not see. You know Legolas not at all, you have never attempted to know him...Wait.."

He held up his hand to stop Elladans reply,

"I know he holds you at arms length. I know the fault for the uneasiness between you lies on both sides but you look at him with eyes tainted with distrust and ignorance. That is why you are so quick to condemn."

Elladan shook his head stubbornly, his face set in a determined frown.

He sighed, his brother was being stubborn. He would have to try this another way.

" You know I stay for Estel also."

" I know, I am pleased you are closer, that that wound is healing. Come with us to Minas Tirith Elrohir. Stay there. Legolas can visit."

"He will not visit, He finds it impossible to be there now. Elladan please, when we were in Minas Tirith you spoke to me of Estel and Arwen. You asked me if I could do what it was I expected from them, if I could allow myself to be separated from Legolas for eternity by death. It was then I realised I could not, then that I began to open my heart to Estel again."

"What has that to do with this, Elrohir?"

"Now I will ask the same of you."

The expression on Elladans face was one of total confusion.

"You saw Legolas when we found him, You tended his wounds, you know better than I what horrors were done to him, why he is still damaged. Tell me, if it were Glorfindel whom we found there, Glorfindel who was tortured and tormented, would you leave him because I asked you too?"

The answer he recieved was only silence and so he plunged on. He had to make Elladan understand this.

"Even if I had fears for your safety, even if my fears were valid, would you leave him brother? Would you abandon him for my sake?"

When Elladan at last spoke his voice was little more than a whisper.

"No." His brothers eyes were filled with pain.

"I would never leave him. Not until I knew he was well...not even for you."

He grasped Elladans shoulder.

"Then you understand. Legolas is not well, not yet, though he improves. Do not ask this of me, I would do anything for you brother, anything, but I cannot do this."

Elladan hung his head, all his defiance stripped away.

"Forgive me." He murmured .

A burst of relief surged through him. At last his brother understood

"Ah Elladan," he said softly, "What is at the heart of this? It can not simply be about Legolas."

Elladan did not raise his head. He looked utterly dejected,

"I will miss you."

His voice was so soft he hardly heard him.

"This is only a temporary seperation. We are not small children who cannot be apart any longer. Anyway I think Glorfindel will be delighted to see you return without me!"

But Elladan did not smile at the joking tone as he had thought he would. Instead he finally lifted his head and looked straight at him.

" Will you promise me... Promise me if Legolas should sail and you go with him I will see you first, before you leave."

He was horrified. What was Elladan thinking?

"Legolas is not going to sail Elladan! Why do you think that? He has no wish to. He will say here as long as Estel is here, it is no easier for him to leave Estel than it is for you and I. Even in Minas Tirith, when he was at his worst and I could see no other way for him to survive this but to sail he would not even consider it."

Elladan sighed heavily and his shoulders slumped in misery.

"I have feared it." He admitted. "Ever since I heard he had been stricken with the sealonging, I have been afraid one morning I would wake to find you gone with him across the sea."

He was astonished, struck dumb at this glimpse of what had been going through his brothers mind. Gently he reached out to him.

"How could you think I would leave? That I would leave without you,"

It was as if he was looking in a mirror. His brother reflecting his own fears back at him, and suddenly he could not understand them. He would never sail without Elladan. If only Elladan had asked him he would have known Legolas would not sail yet either. It made no sense he thought, but then, he had feared Legolas would leave him. Now in the cold light of day that made no sense to him either. He had feared Elladan would choose to stay, would choose the way of Men, how silly that seemed now. Who was the bigger fool. Himself or his brother?

"What has made us so insecure Brother? I have worried you might choose to remain here, as Arwen has. How could you ever imagine I would abandon you? How could I have worried you would do the same to me?"

Elladan was hesitant in his response.

"So you will not?..."

"I will not! Cast your fears aside. You will see me in Imladris again probably before you even wish it!"

And finally there was the hint of a smile on Elladans face.

"I fear also," he said, the smile broadening, "the damage you will do if I leave you here unaccompanied. Without me to keep you under control who knows what will happen. I do not wish to hear you have somehow caused a war between Ithilien and Gondor!"

He laughed at the thought of it.

"You do not think Estel would be foolish enough to let that happen. Anyway Legolas will keep me in line."

Elladan looked giddy and lightheaded with relief, the same kind of relief he himself had felt when he finally realised Legolas was not going to desert him.

"Legolas has never been able to keep you in line. He is as bad as you, the two of you together...perhaps Estel needs to send warning to Faramir..."

He stopped mid sentence as if a thought had just occurred to him.

"Estel does not know you will not accompany us. I have not told him."

" Then I will speak to him now. I will explain things."

He turned to go but something drew him back towards his brother and he walked to him, clasped his head so that they stood forehead to forehead. He felt Elladans breath warm upon his cheeks.

"I will miss you too my brother."

And he released him.

"Will you do one thing for me?"

Elladans smile was his old generous one, lighting up his face so it was soft and warm.

"Name it." He said.

"Will you speak to Legolas before you go. He is labouring under a heavy burden of guilt. It will help him to know you are at ease with me staying. That you do not fear for me here..."

Elladan hesitated and he held his breath anxiously.

"That would be a lie, Elrohir. I still have concerns about his state of mind." He paused as if considering something.

"But I will tell him I am happy for you to remain here. That I understand. Is that enough for you?"

He released his breath slowly. It would have to be enough. It was more than he expected at the beginning of their discussion.

"Thank you." he said simply and he smiled at his brother in return, So good it was to be at odds with him no longer for already he felt the loss to come, the lack of his presence beside him. Already he missed him as he would often in the weeks ahead. To have parted in anger would have been unbearable.

Aragorn was easy to find as it turned out. He watched him from afar at first, noticing the stress and nervousness he attempted to hide. He was struggling with leaving Legolas, he was sure of that and also with the difficulties that now lay between them. He vowed to himself he would make every effort while he was here, in Ithilien to help them repair their friendship. He was certain Legolas could not be truly well without it.

Eventually Aragorn looked up and saw him watching.

" Elrohir." He called, "Are you ready? We will be departing soon."

He strode towards him with determination. He was not sure what his younger brothers reaction would be to his news.

"Aragorn,...I do not plan to accompany you today. I am staying here. "

Aragorn raised his eyebrows in surprise and then a frown creased his forehead.

" You wish to remain longer? I understand Elrohir, but Elladan says your return to Imladris is imminent. Does it really gain you anything to stay when it can only be for a few days at most? I do no doubt your abilities but I am reluctant to have you travel back to Minas Tirith alone... Perhaps Faramir could send some men with you..."

He grasped him by the shoulders interrupting his train of thought.

"You misunderstand me Estel, I am

not returning to Imladris with Elladan."

Aragorns reaction to that was one of disbelief.

"You are what?"

He wondered then why it was so astonishing to everyone that he and Elladan would wish to embark on separate plans. Did no one see them as individuals capable of living lives apart?

"I am staying here. Is that so surprising? Legolas needs me and one of us must return home. So Elladan will go and I will remain."

"Forgive me Elrohir... It is just... unexpected."

"I don't know why it should be. Legolas is not ready for me to leave...actually to be truthful I am not ready to leave him."

He paused then. He had treated Aragorn shabbily over a period of years, how would he react to his next request?

" I will stay here with Legolas" he went on hesitantly, " but... I wish to spend time with you also. I have...I have behaved badly. I wish to make recompense..."

He shook his head, no that was not what he wanted to say. He tried again.

"I wish to get the time back. We have little enough as it is and I have wasted it Estel. I would spend some time now... with you..."

When he looked up he saw Aragorn was smiling, his face lit up, radiant through the fatigue and worry. Before he could move he was enveloped in a hug that took him quite by surprise.

"So you will accept a visit to Minas Tirith then?" He said with a smile when he was released.

"With gladness! You do not know how much." Was the reply

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Legolas approaching them looking anxious and hesitant. He too was uneasy about Aragorn's departure. Aragorn followed his gaze and sighed when he saw him.

"I do not know what to do for him Elrohir, I can not make him see sense."

He put his arm around his shoulders.

"I will do what I can to try to mend this for you Estel. I will find a way. Though I have no idea how."

"I have been looking for you Elrohir." Legolas hung back, his gaze darting uncertainly toward Aragorn as if he did not know what to say.

"I have been telling Estel you are not getting rid of me." He smiled, trying to lighten the tension,

" That he may expect us in Minas Tirith also."

Legolas hastily took a step back,

"You only. I cannot go there." He shock his head adamantly.

"Maybe you will feel differently in a few months...?"

He mentally kicked himself for bringing that up at all.

"I am not welcome there." Legolas was accepting no consolation.

Beside him Aragorn gave a sigh.

"You are welcome Legolas. In my city you are always welcome."

"Not by your people. I see their distrust. They do not want me there."

Aragorn reached a hand out towards him which Legolas smoothly dodged.

"Legolas. There is no distrust. If anything they feel shame, shame that some of their own have visited such horrors upon you. If they avoid your eyes it is simply because they are afraid you will judge them. They were at the clearing. They saw...we found evidence of what was done there. It sickens them as it does me."

But Legolas was having none of it.

"You fool yourself Aragorn. I know what I see, I know what I feel from them."

He decided he needed to intervene, this conversation was going nowhere helpful. He needed to distract them and lighten the mood.

"Perhaps you could visit Ithilien while I am here Estel? How much time have you spent here?"

Aragorn instantly brightened, obviously glad at the change of subject.

"Not enough, that is true. Perhaps I should..."

"Come when there is a celebration!" He was warming to his subject now. " Wood-Elf celebrations are the best ones. Arwen would love it."

Aragorn began to look decidedly uncomfortable as Legolas interrupted with a bright smile.

"Aragorn has always avoided our celebrations, they make him uncomfortable."

"That is not true," Aragorn said defensively. " What was last night if not a celebration?"

" Last night..." Legolas said haughtily, "Was a sedate and muted formal welcome."

He watched Legolas with amusement. His tension had abated, his eyes sparkled with mischief. It was as if the uncertain, hesitant Legolas who was there just moments ago had transformed into someone much closer to the Legolas he knew and loved.

Legolas leaned forward and placed his hand on Aragorns shoulder. He was up to something Elrohir thought, all the signs were there. Aragorn obviously thought the same, he leapt away at the touch and Legolas smiled, a wide, fine brilliant smile.

"Come to see us during the spring festival Aragorn."

"Ahh..." Aragorn was searching for words, "That is maybe short notice, I don't think Arwen-"

"Arwen would enjoy it!" He joined in the conversation, he was in the mood to create some mischief, If Legolas was starting some he would take this opportunity.

"Don't forget Estel, she spent much time in Lothlorien, she is well used to wild celebrations."

Aragorn looked startled,

"Galadriel did not have wild celebrations, there was no sign of it whenever I was there. It was all very sedate."

He laughed loudly,

"That was probably for your benefit, She was a bit secretive about it, why do you think She encouraged Lothlorien to have such a mysterious aura?"

"Say you will come Aragorn," Legolas moved closer to his brother, "It will be fun, long have I wished to show you how wood elves have fun. It would help in my recovery I am sure." He voice was light and somehow very suggestive.

Aragorn edged away,

"I don't think...it will take some planning..."

Legolas was not going to let him off easily however.

"I promise I will keep my hands to myself. I know how upright you are, I know you disapprove of our loose and wild ways. I will not jump on you. I will not need to, Elrohir will be here...unless of course..."

He threw a bright cheeky glance his way.

"Unless Elrohir would like to join us? What do you say Elrohir?"

It was all he could do not to laugh out loud at the look of absolute horror on his brothers face at that and he tilted his head as he asked the question,

"It could be interesting Estel, what do you think?"

Aragorn had obviously reached his limit with that idea and he hastily backed away.

"I think perhaps...I think I will come when there is NOT any festival, I will see...I must go and see Elladan." And he turned and almost ran from them, to be honest, he did run.

He turned back to Legolas and his heart surged with happiness at the laughter in his eyes and the smile on his face. How good it was to see him back like this.

"That was cruel Legolas," he spluttered, "You know how uptight he is, how honourable. How could you!"

But he did not mean it and Legolas knew it.

"I could not resist, it was too easy!"

And he threw back his head and laughed .