All at once the Last Homely House felt anything but homely.

Those remaining drew together around the fire in the Great Hall for comfort most days, loath to go about their business and realise how little it mattered, now Elrond was not there to issue orders and demand updates. There was little for Elladan to do or to consult about with Lindir and Glorfindel, little for any of them, really, to be busy with, except to take care of each other, and themselves, as best they could.

Before two days had passed, Elladan had moved into Lindir's corridor temporarily, taking up a chamber two doors away. Before long, with a sigh, Glorfindel said that if they were clustering in the same wing, he might as well join them, and make life easier for the servants.

The weather closed in, thick with late snow, and Lindir sang hopeful songs of the turning of the white to green, but in the bleak grey and cream and blue landscape, nobody really believed it. The minstrel suffered from being trammelled up in the house; it was too cold and wintry to walk up the valley to look for the mesri-plant, and, indeed, too much a reminder of Melpomaen for him to want to go out.

'You miss our young healer-in-training, don't you?' Glorfindel said, seeing Lindir staring out of the window and up the valley for the fourth day in a row, same time, same window, same sigh...

'He's been very kind. A good friend. Yes, I miss him... but mostly, I worry about him.'

'He'll be fine,' Glorfindel said. 'No, really. You'll see.'

Ten days after the company had departed, news came of a little troop of riders heading down the valley trail. Glorfindel set out with two of his remaining handful of knights to greet them, and Elladan sent to the kitchens to prepare something special for the evening meal, in honour of the visitors. Nobody said, but everybody hoped it was Erestor and Elrohir coming back.

Lindir spend most of the afternoon looking out of one window or another, trying to see if Glorfindel had met with the party yet, who it was, how far away, and, as dusk was drawing down, went to seek Elladan to report.

'It is, it is indeed Erestor and Elrohir, I have seen them meet with our welcome party and they are but two miles hence. What is more, I am sure they have Lord Arveldir and Captain Rusdir with them!'

'That is wonderful news!' Elladan said. 'We should send to the servants, tell them to make up two more rooms... Lindir? Why are you laughing...? Oh.'

And, yes, it was wonderful news, but Lindir saw the doubt in Elladan's eyes as they gathered on the steps to greet the new arrivals.

'Your brother will be glad to see you,' he said. 'Even though he has his special friend with him, there is nothing like the bond between you and he. Family ties are forever ties.'

'Thank you, Lindir; I do not mind, I am not... not jealous... I am, indeed, very happy for him...'

'But you are a little bit sad, too. I understand, I do. I see both these loving couples, together in their joy, and I think, where is my Kovalia? Is she well, is she safe...? It is normal, and natural, and does not mean you love your brother any the less. Nor he you.'

And, indeed, Elrohir threw himself down from his horse, shouting his brother's name, and flinging his arms around him in a huge hug.

'Elladan! Oh, I am so glad to see you! Are you well? How do you like being in charge? Nothing looks about to topple down, at least...!'

'Well, I am well, and you? And you have brought your beloved back with you? I hope you do not mind, Lindir would not let me tell them to make up a guest room for him, will you share?'

Elrohir laughed as he released his hold on his beloved twin.

'Oh, I think we can manage!'

Remembering his position, Elladan stepped forward and bowed.

'Welcome, welcome all of you, visitors from Eryn Lasgalen and welcome home the rest! Please, allow the grooms to take charge of your horses, and come into the warm! There will be a celebration tonight in your honour, but for now, there is mulled wine and honey cakes waiting near the fire.'

Lindir found himself seated between Erestor and Rusdir, on the edge of several conversations but in a position to hear and contribute to all.

'You'll have had a hard time of it,' Glorfindel was saying to Captain Rusdir. 'We've had eight days of snow, and although you might not sink into it, I know your horses will have done...'

'Yes, it became difficult... in fact, we stayed at the inn for some days...'

'Ai, so near, and yet so far!' Elrohir added. 'We looked at the weather, and we looked at the passes, and we knew if we made a dash for it, we'd probably arrive before the snow...'

'It would have been hard on the horses, but we probably could have beaten the storms,' Erestor said. 'And yet there was risk of losing the trail, should the cloud cover come down.'

'And then, we wanted to be sure dear old Ada was from home when we did arrive...' Elrohir grinned. 'Just in case he thought he could bundle Erestor off with him without thought of poor old Arveldir...'

'So, we have been at the Sign of the Happy Valley, adding to our friend the innkeeper's retirement fund... in fairness, he did not want to take our gold...' Erestor went on.

'Just our silver,' Elrohir added with a grin. 'But we were made very welcome... they offered to send word down to you here, but we declined... just in case...'

'...in case Elrond was still here,' Glorfindel said with a grin. 'Wise move, all told.'

'I do not see Melpomaen,' Erestor said curiously. 'Is he well?'

'He went with the company,' Lindir said softly. 'You may remember, he was interested in travelling. And he had been helping me with my studies in the language, so when Elrond required a translator...'

'Ai, and I was from home!' Erestor looked uncomfortable for a moment. 'I ought to have gone, I know. But... I found I did not wish to. And that has meant another, perforce, has gone in my stead...'

'Erestor, with all you have done for Elrond over the long years, none could begrudge you a little time to yourself, and your husband.' Lindir nodded politely towards Arveldir. 'You have waited so long to be together, it would have been unkind to expect such a sacrifice of you.'

And yet Elrond had expected it. Lindir kept the thought to himself.

'He wanted Lindir to go, can you believe it?' Glorfindel said, ignoring Lindir's head-shake as the minstrel tried to silence the Balrog-slayer's outrage. 'So, may the Valar reward him appropriately,' Melpomaen volunteered.'

'So you, too, turned down the opportunity to follow after our lord?' Erestor smiled, a wealth of understanding and sympathy in his eyes. 'Then I am grateful. For you make me feel less guilty.'

'Then I am pleased to be of service. But how wonderful, Lord Arveldir and Captain Rusdir could come back with you...'

'Yes, indeed. His majesty the Elvenking, on learning that our lord would be from home for so long, most graciously granted Arveldir leave to journey with me. And of course, we needed an escort, so when Captain Rusdir volunteered, the king agreed to spare them to us until Midsummer.'

'We expect Elrond back before then,' Glorfindel said. 'Of course, with Arwen expecting, he might decide he wants to play Daeradar for a while... I wonder how long it will take before he outstays his welcome...'

'Or he may decide it is all just too painful,' Erestor said softly. 'Arwen is mortal now, any children she bears will be mortal, too. They are so fragile. So brief.'

So brief.

Lindir swallowed, once more regretting his lack of courage. He should have gone with Elrond; he should have tried...

A bump on his shoulder and he found Glorfindel had inserted himself in the space next to Rusdir and had just nudged him.

'Don't, Lindir,' he said. 'Don't. It was too soon for you to go; you're only just getting your strength of spirit back. You did right to stay home. Melpomaen will talk to your Kovalia, and... yes, they're brief. But they're not that brief, or that fragile. Just hold to your hope, and you will be stronger.'

'How long, Glorfindel? Really, how long?'

The seneschal bumped shoulders with him again.

'As long as it takes. But you have plenty of time, penneth.'

Lindir nodded, accepting the kindness behind Glorfindel's words. And it was true; he did, after all, have plenty of time.

But Kovalia, of course, might not.