A/N: So, I have proven myself wrong for the first time: I finished a chapter before school started. WOW! That is impressive. Savor this moment, I don't think it will happen again anytime soon. So here is something you should know: Thranduil is in this chapter, but please, please, please remember that this is when he is very young, and slightly naïve, and not even close to the powerful character we see in the Hobbit. Please be patient. He will grow up a bit more over the course of this story and in others I plan to write.

Also, this chapter has my very first cliffhanger in it, and I have no idea when the next chapter will come out, so I apologize, but I couldn't think of a way to continue the story without a chapter break. But...here is chapter 35, and I hope you enjoy. Also...I couldn't resist hurting Thranduil and Elrond a little, so I am sorry to all those that want them to always be healthy. I also apologize that you won't get to see how Thranduil is until my next chapter. I'm really, really, really sorry.

But...Please read, review and enjoy until then.

Four days had passed since the battle of wills with Morgoth, and Elrond had been unconscious for the entire time.

They had been able to rouse him, but he had only been able to stay awake for a few minutes before being lost to unconsciousness once more.

In comparison, Elros and Gil-galad had needed one and two days to recover fully, respectively.

It had been impossible to keep what happened secret from the council; so they were told while Gil-galad recovered and rested in his chambers.

The council session he next attended on the third day had everyone breathing a sigh of relief, then asking what had happened. Gil-galad told them all that had happened that he knew, while Elros, Círdan, and the others present filled in any missing pieces. The council was relieved that the king was well and truly recovered, but they all were upset and horrified to learn that Elrond had not regained consciousness yet.

Especially Maglor. Maedhros had seemed worried and upset, but Elros did not seem to be very convinced, and told him in no uncertain terms to stay away from his brother. Luckily that conversation was held in private, otherwise the council might have overruled the young half-elf, as they were not fully aware of the rift between the sons of Eärendil and the eldest son of Fëanor.

The sons of Fëanor had been invited to this meeting more for their agreement with Mithlond than anything else.

Hearing about Elrond's continued comatose state caused Maglor to worry excessively, and he finally swallowed his pride and nearly begged the king to be allowed to sit with Elrond (this was done in private, since he still had his pride to consider when it came to the council).

The king had agreed, knowing that Maglor was an important and powerful influence in the twin's lives, and may be able to reach Elrond in a way no other was able to, not even his brother.

And so Maglor would go and sit with Elrond so his twin could rest, not that he ever did, his worry too much to just leave his brother alone.

Elros was beside himself with worry when his brother would not wake, and Lavaneth had been frantic. Now she lay listlessly, showing no interest in food, or play, or anything that had brought her joy; never leaving Elrond's side.

And so it was like this for several days.

Maglor had just come, and was trying to get an understandably upset Elros to leave so that he could refresh himself and eat.

Naturally, Elros was not having any of it; so while Glorfindel stayed (as he had done for many days, standing in the same place), Maglor nearly ran to his chambers, returning a few minutes later with an object wrapped safely and securely in a blanket.

Removing the blanket revealed a beautiful harp.

Glorfindel shook his head, "Why am I not more surprised?' he thought sardonically to himself.

Maglor, after tuning the harp, turned to Elros, "Any requests?"

Elros only shook his head, dull eyes not leaving his brother's face and his hands lying listlessly in his lap, both wrapped around his brother's hand. Hadlathon had forbidden him from attempting any kind of healing until he was stronger, since he still tired easily.

Maglor shook his head, not really surprised by his lack of interest, and began to play and sing of the Light of the Two Trees in Valinor, knowing this to be one of Elrond's favorites.

At some point, Gil-galad and Círdan arrived but did not interrupt or comment until the song was done.

Only when it was finished did Gil-galad and Círdan applaud quietly as they moved into the room.

Círdan went to Elros, who had dozed off as Maglor's enchanting voice and faultless playing caused him to relax, and gently gathered him into his arms as he slept.

Elros never seemed to loosen his grip.

Gil-galad went from smiling at the sight of Círdan holding a fully grown elf in his lap like an elfling to staring in shock and surprise at the twin's clasped hands.

Círdan frowned as Gil-galad continued to stare.

"Ereinion?" he asked, more loudly than necessary.

Gil-galad shut his eyes and shook his head before looking again, fairly sure his mind was playing tricks on him.

But the sight before him did not change when he looked again.

"Ereinion!" Círdan called, truly beginning to worry now.

Gil-galad only whispered, "Look."

Círdan exchanged glances with Maglor and Glorfindel, himself inwardly wondering if the king had taken temporary leave of his senses. But he looked nonetheless, and gasped in shock at what he saw, as did the others.

Elros' hand was limp and relaxed, while Elrond's grip was firm, but starting to show signs of weakening.

Maglor needed only a moment to put one and one together before taking up his harp once more.

Only this time he did not sing of the Light of the Trees. He sang the Sindarin Song of Renewal, another of Elrond's favorites.

This song did garner a reaction, and it was one that everyone had been holding onto hope of seeing again.

Elrond had floated on the grey sea for a long while. He was awake and aware, but had no way to measure time.

He had thought he would be trapped there forever, not something he wanted, but then a beautiful song that he distantly remembered he loved rose from the grey above him.

The song became something tangible, a strand of rope he could grasp if he so desired. As it was he did desire it, and grabbed it in a firm grip.

Just then the song ended, and the rope began to dissolve, becoming thinner and thinner in his hand.

'NO, NO..!' he wanted to cry out, but found he could not open his mouth, 'Keep singing, please!...I can find my way out!'

Whether he was heard or not he did not know, but an instant later the singing began again, this time weaving a song of renewing power.

This time, the rope materialized completely and stayed solid and firm.

This time, Elrond did not waste time hesitating when he saw it.

He grabbed the rope with both hands, and started to pull himself out, hand over hand.

At first the grey sea tried to hold him in its grasp, but he persevered and it gave way.

He did not stop or look back, not even when a light so intense he had to shut his eyes appeared before him.

Voices, achingly familiar, joined the singer and helped the rope become even stronger.

As he pulled himself along, he noticed that the rope was now pulling him along, faster and faster and faster until his surroundings became a blur of grey and white light.

Then it felt as though his head had exploded.

Maglor was surprised when both Círdan and Elros, who had awakened, joined in his song with him.

But the surprise did not cause him to falter in his playing or stutter while he sang.

So focused were they that they did not notice that Elrond was awake until the song came to an end. And then, they only noticed when Elros cried, "Gwador, you are awake!"

Elrond only grimaced and groaned, his eyes shut tightly against the too bright world and all too loud noise.

Recognizing the problem, Gil-galad said very quietly, "Close the window curtains and the balcony doors, Glorfindel. Elros," here Elros looked up in relief at seeing his brother awake, so Gil-galad only said, "Be mindful of how much noise you make."

Elros instantly quieted and calmed, since the pained grimace had not left his brother's face.

Gil-galad stepped out for a moment to have a guard summon Hadlathon; and when he returned it was to a much darker room, since Glorfindel had extinguished as many candles as possible and let the fire burn low while still giving off heat.

Círdan, Maglor, and Elros were trying to convince Elrond to open his eyes; as was Lavaneth, but she was more subtle, rubbing against his hand and purring.

"Come now, gwador," Elros said softly, "The room is darker now, I promise."

Elrond shook his head minutely, then winced as the slight movement caused him even more pain.

Círdan also tried, to no avail.

Maglor then said quietly, "Elrond, if you open your eyes for me, I will not stop you and your brother from putting a snake in Maedhros' bed like I did in Himring."

That statement garnered different reactions.

Elros looked interested, since that was a prank that they had failed at and were looking for another opportunity to try, while Círdan, Gil-galad, and Glorfindel looked shocked to hear Maglor offer up his brother in such a way to the twin's pranks and antics.

Elrond, upon hearing that, opened his eyes to mere slits, then shut them immediately as the room began to spin.

And it continued to a point that Elrond recognized a rising heavy sensation in his stomach.

He clenched the hand holding his, hoping the person would understand.

Elros indeed understood why Elrond had just tried to break his fingers, and quickly got a basin, flexing said fingers as he did so.

Elrond's grip was much stronger than he had ever really realized.

He was not a moment too soon, because Elrond's stomach would not wait a second longer as the king and Hadlathon, who had arrived a few moments before, quickly rolled the poor elf onto his side.

For a few moments all Elrond was aware of was the uncomfortable ache in his stomach and the pounding in his head, as well as his dry hacks.

After a few minutes the hacking stopped, and he was given cool water with which to rinse out his mouth.

A few moments later he was again placed on his back, and expert hands gently checked his pulse and felt for a fever.

Elros never let go of his hand.

Hadlathon was quick and gentle in his examination, checking and frowning at the too-fast pulse and near-fever. Trying to get a look at Elrond's eyes revealed that they were shut tightly, causing Hadlathon to decide to wait until he was asleep once more so that Elrond's stomach would not rebel again. Once finished for the time being he said, "He is still dangerously exhausted and dehydrated. He needs rest and fluids more than he needs to be awake right now," as he prepared a sleeping draught, which would then be followed by cool water.

He encountered some reluctance from his charge, since Elrond was in no mood to repeat what had just happened when he held the draught to his lips.

Elros said soothingly, "Drink, Elrond, it will ease the pain and help you sleep."

Elrond still would not open his mouth.

Elros looked to Hadlathon, a question in his eyes. Hadlathon nodded. Now was the time to do what was best for his patient, whether he wanted it or not.

Elros was gentle, but firm, as he opened his brother's mouth, and the draught was easily given, as Elrond's strength was gone and he could not twist away.

The draught was followed by water, and it did not take long for it to take effect.

As Elrond teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, he murmured, "Did you feel her?" or at the very least tried to, but his coherence and voice were nearly gone.

Elros seemed to understand though, for as they made his brother comfortable, (being careful not to move his head) he said, "Yes, I did. You can tell me more after you sleep," as blankets warmed by the fire were placed over Elrond's shivering form and Lavaneth curled up near his head and purred, the vibrations of the purrs seeming to soothe the pounding in his head as Elrond's features smoothed and relaxed.

Only after he was asleep did Hadlathon gently open his eyes, finding them dilated to pin points and completely out of focus.

"He will likely not wake fully for days, as his body has to now recover and rest. Whatever he did drained him completely. It may take several weeks before he is strong again," Hadlathon said.

That news was depressing, but everyone was glad it was not worse. Elros asked though, out of worry, "But he will get better now, right?"

Hadlathon smiled gently, seeing how young the twins really were at that moment, "Once he sleeps, and allows himself time to recover."

Elros relaxed, then made to leave to bathe and eat, comforted in the knowledge that his brother would be well in time.

"Who is "she"?" Gil-galad asked suddenly from next to Elrond on the king sized bed.

Elros only turned and stopped at the door long enough to say, "Melian," before leaving.

Gil-galad was shocked, but seemed to come to the conclusion it would be the only answer he would receive at the time being as Maglor again picked up his harp.

The song he played had no words, but none were needed.

Elrond sighed, turning onto his side to face Maglor and shivering as his shoulder was exposed to the cool air as the blankets slipped.

Gil-galad adjusted the blankets, and smiled as Elrond sighed again and snuggled more deeply into his pillow.

Gil-galad, Círdan, and Glorfindel all exchanged relieved smiles as Círdan and Glorfindel returned to their previous places around the room. Hadlathon had left another dose of the sleeping draught as well as instructions for its use and water to give every half hour before leaving for the evening.

Elros returned less than an hour later, looking better than he had in days, Mithien and Levenil in tow.

Gil-galad willingly ceded the bed to Elros, and in minutes he was asleep; Elrond sighing again and snuggling backwards and more deeply into the warmth of the blankets and his brother.

A blanket was placed over Elros, and calm settled over the room as Maglor continued to play.

No one left for the remainder of the night.

That was two days ago, and Elrond had slept, nearly uninterrupted, through those days.

Whenever he woke, he was never aware of what was happening around him, and was easily put back to sleep by Hadlathon's powerful draughts and Maglor's enchanting music.

Elros rarely left his side, leaving only to bathe and eat; sleeping alongside his brother every night.

During the day he would read, or work on an alliance treaty that could be altered for each House of Men, or speak with Maglor, who had not left at all and played his harp lightly to help keep Elrond's dreams calm and peaceful.

It was the afternoon of the second day when Maglor noticed that Elrond's eyes were open, bright, and alert.

After finishing his current song, Maglor put down the harp and sat down on the bed as Elros quietly slipped away to give Elrond and Maglor a few moments alone and retrieve the king, Hadlathon, Círdan, and Glorfindel, who had been given some responsibilities so that he could keep himself occupied.

It turns out that a bored Vanya is a very annoying person, especially when he has nothing to do and wants to be useful somehow.

Maglor smiled, which Elrond returned, "How do you feel?" as he set a gentle hand on Elrond's cheek.

Elrond leaned into the touch before inhaling Maglor's scent and saying, "Well rested," shivering as the blankets moved and exposed his shoulder.

Maglor's expression became one of concern, "Are you cold?" he asked, to which Elrond nodded, never feeling so weak and spent in his life.

Maglor set a blanket on the rack near the fire to warm. As he did this he said, "I heard you saved the life of the king, again, but caused yourself harm when you did so," coming back to sit on the bed, rubbing Elrond's shoulder to warm it as Elrond sighed and relaxed into the familiar motion, as Maglor had done this whenever something had been wrong when they were younger.

Maglor suddenly gripped Elrond's shoulder gently in warning, "Do not attempt that again, penneth. You may have the blood of a Maia in you, but you are no match to a fallen Vala. Do you understand?"

Hearing the serious tone, Elrond nodded, the rubbing resuming and continuing until Maglor went to check on the blanket.

Finding it suitably warm, Maglor draped it over Elrond, who smiled as he felt the warmth and dozed off, Lavaneth purring in his ear. Her appetite had returned two days before, and she had made it her solemn duty to make sure nothing disturbed Elrond's rest or caused him any distress.

Considering she was a small little cat, it was interesting to watch her protect someone like Elrond, since she was more than willing to try to bite people, as Hadlathon had learned when he examined Elrond the day before.

Elros had had to pick her up and comfort her, since he was the only one she would not bite, until Hadlathon was finished. Afterwards she had rarely left Elrond's bed, leaving only to go outside. Elros was more than willing to bring her her food when he returned from eating, since Levenil and Mithien were staying in the room as well.

A few minutes later Elros returned with everyone and the noise, no matter how quiet, woke Elrond who smiled as Elros embraced him, then Círdan, Gil-galad, and even Glorfindel, who had been very worried ever since his young charge had woken but been completely incoherent so many times.

After the hugs were finished, Hadlathon came forward to examine his patient. The examination only took a few minutes, since Elrond was too spent to try and escape or cajole his way out of it, and everyone knew it.

When Hadlathon finished he said, "I am pleased with how you are recovering."

"So I can try and stand now?" Elrond asked, a teasing light in his eyes, since he knew he was too weak to even attempt standing, not if he did not want to fall.

Hadlathon smiled, continuing as if Elrond had not interrupted at all, "And the only way you will recover is if you let your body rest, and listen to the signals it sends."

Elrond nodded, knowing and understanding his words to be true.

Hadlathon settled himself unobtrusively in a corner as Gil-galad then said, "I do not think I have had the chance to thank you, Elrond," here he looked Elrond in the eye as he said, "Thank you."

Elrond only said, "You are welcome. Do not worry about me attempting that again," as Gil-galad went to speak again, "I have already been warned against trying. The debilitating migraine makes it less than worthwhile," with a glance at Maglor.

Gil-galad nodded in understanding, knowing that Elrond would obey Maglor's command in it's entirety, such was their relationship.

Círdan chose this moment to ask, "How is it that Melian was there to help you?"

Elrond only shook his head, "All I remember is feeling as though I could not go on and trying to hold on for as long as possible. Even with Elros strengthening me, it was not enough. Then she was just there. I only knew because my blood felt as though it were burning. She strengthened both of us, and was able to drive Morgoth from my mind. How that was done, I do not know. And she gave me the strength to continue. After that she was gone, no words, nothing out of the ordinary to try and take credit for her actions."

Círdan nodded, "That sounds like Melian, never asking for thanks, or having a pride that needed to be sated by fulfilling something."

"And I am glad of that," Gil-galad said emphatically, to which everyone agreed.

Glorfindel then said, "So, now I assume that we must assume that Morgoth will take this loss personally and begin to gather his full strength for war."

"Yes, that he will," Gil-galad said, "And we must be secure in our allies," glancing at Elros as he said this, who grimaced then smiled brightly.

"I know how to keep you occupied while you recover, Elrond," he started to say, but stopped when he saw Elrond was again asleep.

For a moment he was tempted to wake him, but thought better of it when Hadlathon said, "The more he sleeps the faster he will recover. But when he wakes try and get him to eat something," as he stood and bowed before leaving, having many responsibilities to attend to.

Apparently there had been some sort of accident involving a wagon, even though his healers were of the opinion that the bruises on the two elves in question looked more like they were done with fists than anything else.

Elros nodded, and watched his brother sleep until his attention was drawn to Maglor rising, "I believe that I will follow my body's advice and get some rest and food also. Until later, my lords," he bowed his head before gently squeezing Elros' shoulder as he said, "If you wish to play, you may," gesturing at his harp before he left.

After he had left, Gil-galad said, "And there is one more mystery to solve, how you and Maglor have such a loving relationship when you and Maedhros still can not seem to tolerate the air each other breathes," to which Elros scowled.

"It is more of the fact that Maedhros is still unrepentant of what happened at Sirion, although he apologized it is hard to take what he says seriously without considering that he has an ulterior motive, while Maglor is honest and has no motives where we are concerned. I do not think he could bring himself to take the Silmarils, even if he saw them in front of him. If he did, it would only be at the urging of his brother," Elros said as he settled himself in Maglor's vacated chair.

Gil-galad only shook his head, "I hope that it does not come to that, but I somehow doubt that. And now I believe we all have work we must finish before the day is done."

No one could argue that, and so everyone except Elros left.

Elros, after making sure his brother was comfortable once more, picked up the alliance he had been working on.

When Círdan stopped by several hours later, it was to the sight of Elros strumming chords on the harp and Elrond reading over and correcting what had been written in the alliance so far.

Círdan shook his head, smiling as he left, 'I should have known. Elros does not have the patience or skill to write a complicated treaty.'

'Yet,' he thought solemnly as the vision he had seen before came to his mind of Elros, crown on his head, a beard white with age and hair just as white, lying on a couch with Elrond by his side looking eternally youthful as the light passed slowly from his eyes for all eternity.

'But I will not dwell on it,' Círdan thought firmly, 'We still have a war to survive, and for that we need allies. I hope the treaty can achieve that with the Houses of the Edain. And there is still the Sinda to consider.'

In the gardens of Lórien, Melian smiled to herself as she woke from her sleep. Above stood Irmo, who smiled when he saw her awake.

"Worried I was that thou would not wake. That thou's grief would overtake you, and you would never be recalled from slumber," he said as he helped her rise.

Melian only smiled softly, her grief fading a little from her eyes, "My grief will always be, but now I have seen the determination of Thingol once again, in the eyes and mind of his descendant, Elrond the Half-elven," when Irmo only seemed confused she said, "He is strong and daring. Willing he was, to challenge Morgoth in the world of nightmares and shadows in order to expel him from the son of Fingon's mind. Successful he was, but weakened and unable to fight Morgoth out of his own mind. Even with his brother's aid he was unable, and my desire to help them was strong."

Irmo had raised an eyebrow through her explanation, but only said, "Then thou was successful, and glad I am that thou has felt the need to return to the world of waking. For even though I am of dreams and visions, you are of the waking now, and must understand that in order to begin to heal from the wound in your soul."

Melian nodded thoughtfully as she followed Irmo to the halls of Lórien to enjoy a light meal, pondering all the while if she could finally begin to heal.

Many months had passed; summer yielding to autumn, and autumn yielding to winter and spring coming again to the city by the sea.

In that time Elrond had quickly recovered his strength, and was out and about more quickly than any thought possible. Perhaps his Edain blood helped him regain his strength more quickly, proving the resilience of Men.

Indeed his strength had returned so quickly that the chance to put a snake in Maedhros' bed came upon the twins one evening and they could not resist.

Avoiding Maedhros thereafter for a few days until he calmed was also quite enjoyable, as they went out on patrol with Belegon for a few weeks. Heledhon had stayed home to begin preparing their house for children, even though their father's had already done almost everything. Faneth's abdomen had swelled, and she was no longer working with the healers, spending time with her mother and other women that already had children in order to learn as much as possible and begin making new clothes for the soon-to-be arrival.

Faneth could tell that the little one was feisty, punching and kicking very often. She also felt that it was a girl, and so was making clothes for a girl. The other women, knowing how accurate their perceptions usually were regarding these matters, helped and enjoyed making the clothes that would be needed, since Heledhon's and Faneth's fathers had not tried anything of that nature when getting the house ready for children, knowing it to be beyond them, since one worked in the smithies and the other was a groom in the stables.

Erestor had also been promoted to a position among the scribes, for his skill with shorthand and transcription were near-legendary.

Word had reached Mithlond that Lady Galadriel had given birth to a beautiful girl, named Celebrían, much loved by her mother and father as well as everyone in the city, for her laughter was easy to obtain as she found joy in everything, even at her young age.

The people of Fëanor had integrated more fully into Mithlond society, a few even finding love when they thought it would not be possible any longer. The fact that even Maedhros seemed to approve did not hurt either, even though people tread warily around him, since his sanity was still something all questioned. Maeassil had joined the kitchen staff, and they delighted in the many new recipes that she knew, trying to make a few new ones every single day, since her mind remembered all of them in minute and flawless detail.

Unfortunately, there was a group of young elves from Mithlond that found great joy in causing mischief and trouble, and they were always anxious to fight any stranger who showed insecurity or fear in front of them, which was likely what had happened when Elrond was recovering his strength and the "wagon" had tipped over.

In short, they were bullies; but did not often try to pick a fight with the twins since Glorfindel was usually close by, or Heledhon, Belegon, Erestor, and many others that were friends to the twins. The king had spoken to them and their parents (who were well aware of what was happening and were trying to stop it), so maybe they would stop when they realized no one found their antics amusing.

Spring had started a few weeks before when word reached the city that Oropher was coming, along with his sons and a few other Sinda. His wife would stay behind, since the roads were becoming very dangerous as the orcs grew bolder.

Gil-galad was pleased to hear it, and said as much to the council, "We will need a strong treaty with him, since all of the surviving Sinda yield to his command and leadership, ever since the fall of Doriath he has been there to guide them."

The council had agreed, and so plans were made to welcome Oropher and his entourage to the city.

Fortunately, it was no chore to convince Maglor and Maedhros to leave the city for the two months that Oropher would be staying in the city. They would go on a long reconnaissance of the surrounding areas to try and get a measure of the orcs strength and numbers, both knowing that his hatred of them ran deep.

And so Oropher arrived to a city ready to welcome him. He and his sons Brethilion, Glingaerdir, Breigion, and Thranduil were given fine chambers in the palace and a feast was held in their honor.

Throughout the feast Oropher had tried to speak with the sons of Elwing, but they were seated farther down the table and he had to content himself with formal introductions for the time being.

As he ate Oropher spoke with the king, one of the few Noldor he would willingly trust, and Círdan; while also keeping a close eye on his sons, especially his youngest.

To say Thranduil was overwhelmed would have been an understatement. He had never seen walls made of stone, or anything of Noldorin make, and so barely touched his meal; trying his hardest to take it all in and maintain polite conversation.

He needn't have worried, as his brothers were the only ones near him, as well as Glorfindel who was describing Gondolin at the height of it's glory to them, but avoided speaking of it's fall. Thankfully his sons did not pry, since he sensed that it was an open wound to the reborn elf that was only just beginning to heal.

Realizing that his attention had wandered he dragged it back to the king and Shipwright, both of whom looked at him expectantly, having noticed sometime before that he was watching his youngest.

Before he could formulate an apology, however, Gil-galad said, "Do not worry, I am not offended. If my son was experiencing something for the first time I would keep both eyes on him," smiling which Oropher returned when he realized he had not caused offense.

The smile faded, though, when Oropher said, "Nemireth nearly begged me to leave Thranduil behind, saying that he did not want to come, but I said it would be something he would experience eventually, and that you would not take offense to him seeming distant. He has inherited some of my distrust of the unknown, and so I decided he needed to learn how Noldor who do not slay their kin behave. Perhaps it was a mistake."

Círdan shook his head, "It was no mistake. Let him have the reins, so to speak, and learn of the Noldor in his own way. That way he will not feel rushed to learn and accept new things."

"And we are not the only ones to notice he feels uncertain," Gil-galad said quietly, gesturing down the table.

Indeed, Elrond and Elros had noticed Thranduil's unease. They said nothing, and only glanced down towards the head of the table before continuing to eat.

An idea came to Oropher's mind, but before he could speak Gil-galad said, "It seems the twins understand your son's unease. If they wish to, I do not mind them spending time with Thranduil. The three of them are likely the youngest in the room right now," an elfling ran past them suddenly, chased by his father by the looks of it, and Gil-galad amended his words with, "Well...not quite the youngest."

Oropher smiled, "I see what you mean. You have my thanks, my lord. They are likely closer in age than anyone else here, perhaps they will become friends."

"Let us not force the issue," Círdan said in warning, "We can ask it of the twins, but if it does not work we do not want them at each others throats if they disagree on something. Let them decide."

Both king and lord agreed to that, with Gil-galad saying, "Seeing as to how much your son is eating, and how he will likely be hungry later, I will arrange to have some food brought to his chambers, so that he can eat when he does not feel overwhelmed."

"You have my thanks again, my lord," Oropher said before the conversation moved on to lighter topics.

After the feast all were invited to the Great Hall for merrymaking and conversation. It was then that Oropher was able to speak to the twins. He had finished a conversation with one of Gil-galad's lords about the best way to age wine when both twins approached him.

They bowed respectfully to him, and he nodded his head, uncomfortable about the idea of the heirs to his king bowing to him.

The unease was put to rest, however, when one twin said, "We have earned no rank yet, hir nín. Until we do, we bow to those older and wiser then us."

With those words the tension eased from Oropher's heart as he said, "Then it is a good thing you are the heirs of my king, for it takes away some of my discomfort," but he did not elaborate further.

Both twins smiled, then the one who had already spoken said, "We are sorry that this must be a slightly formal discussion, since we have a request to make."

Oropher raised an eyebrow, wondering if it had something to do with his son, "Yes?"

The twins exchanged glances, then the spokesman of the two said, "Elrond and I were wondering if, when you leave, we could accompany you."

The request was not what Oropher had expected, but he was quick to not let the surprise show as he asked, "Why would you wish to accompany us?"

Elrond then spoke for the first time,"Because the council has decided we will treat with the Houses of the Edain. And we are anxious to see your city. We have heard it is a marvel, and it is along the way to the Edain settlements we will visit."

Oropher, unable to find any fault in that reasoning only asked, "Who will accompany you? You must understand some of my people have not forgotten what happened years ago."

Elros said, "Only Glorfindel and Erestor, a scribe in the king's service, will be accompanying us. We did not want your people, or the Edain, to be made uncomfortable by a larger number."

Hearing that news caused Oropher's shoulder to lose some of their tension, and he said, "Then I am more than willing to accept your company."

The twins both smiled, and followed Oropher's gaze to where Thranduil, Brethilion, and Glingaerdir stood near a fireplace.

Thranduil was shaking his head, his muscles taut as bowstrings, ready to flee. Whatever his brothers wanted he had no intention of doing, proving a stubborn streak that the entire family had and they all denied existed.

Finally, Brethilion looked to his father, who nodded, knowing Thranduil had had all he could take for his first night in the city.

Brethilion and Glingaerdir were quick to express their apologies to the king while Thranduil trembled, nearly ready to bolt. Thankfully it did not come to that, and they were able to leave the room calmly, even though there was a flurry of motion as the door closed and Thranduil ran, finally giving in to the fear he had been trying to control all evening.

Oropher focused his attention back on the twins. Both looked sad, but Oropher could see that what they had just witnessed was familiar to them in some way. Turning to each other, they seemed to communicate silently before turning to Oropher.

Oropher could only think to say, "He has never seen walls of stone before, living his entire life in the trees. We spent time here after the Sack of Doriath, but he was too young to remember that. I fear he has grown used to our tree city, and expects all others to live in the same way somehow."

The twins seemed to understand this, and Elrond (or Elros) said, "We both can understand trying to adjust to something new never seen before."

Elrond took up the conversation, "Elros is correct. In our case, though, we had no brothers or father to help us. He is very lucky."

Oropher nodded sadly as he said, "Unfortunately his brothers will be helping me with negotiations and he will be left to himself. He is considered too young by the Sinda to sit for council."

The twins again exchanged an unreadable glance before Elros said, "Perhaps we can help. We will not be attending this council, so maybe we can help Thranduil learn the ways of the Noldor and this city, if he is willing."

Oropher let out an inward sigh of relief before saying, "I can certainly ask him later, when he has had a chance to calm."

Both twins nodded in understanding before Elros said, "We will be under the weeping willow in the gardens after the morning meal for the entire day. It is near a pond along the southeastern side."

Oropher nodded, "I will pass that along as well. You have my thanks for making my worries about tomorrow not as heavy."

Both twins again bowed before taking their leave.

After they had left Breigion approached, "Do they meet your expectations, ada?"

Oropher smiled, "More than I expected they would."

After the palace had quieted for the night, Oropher had gone to Thranduil's chambers to check on his youngest.

The chambers were empty, but the balcony doors were open. As he walked over, Oropher was glad to notice that the food that had been sent to Thranduil had been eaten, meaning he was calmer, as he never ate when he was on edge.

Going out onto the balcony revealed his son sitting on the railing; long, nearly gangly legs dangling over the edge as he gazed at the stars. He had had a bit of a late growth spurt, and was still learning how not to trip over his legs when he ran, as he was now taller than all three of his brothers and was close to his father in height. Being tall was not something uncommon among the Sinda, the most notable being Thingol, who was kin to Oropher and his family and the tallest elf to ever live.

Oropher joined him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. Thranduil's head rested on his shoulder as his father's steady presence calmed him even more, as it had always done.

"I am sorry, ada," Thranduil murmured softly into his shoulder.

Oropher raised an eyebrow, "Sorry? Whatever for?"

Thranduil's struggle for words was clear, and Oropher's heart went out to his youngest, "Ai, child, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should apologize to you."

That struck Thranduil as strange, and he asked, "Why?"

"Because I made you come when you clearly did not want to. And then I failed to give you proper warning of what to expect, seeing as my mind was full of how to best go about this alliance. Hence why you felt as though the stone was closing in around you," Oropher said.

Thranduil shook his head, "I think you are half right, ada. I would have had to have gotten used to stone walls eventually, that is true, and no one told me what to expect, but I did want to come. I wanted to see how the Noldor live. Naneth only said that to try and keep me at home. I wish I had gotten a better chance to see how they live, but my fear controlled my actions tonight," here he looked pleadingly up at his father, "Are you sure Brethilion, Glingaerdir, and Breigion have to be in council with you all day tomorrow?"

Oropher was marveling at the intelligence his youngest possessed, surprised to have it directed at himself, but the question caused him to smile sadly. Wrapping both arms tightly around his son, completely disregarding their precarious position, he said, "I am sorry, penneth, but it is what is expected of them. And I will need their aide if I wish to keep a calm and level head."

"I can do that," Thranduil stated. When Oropher only glanced at him, he elucidated by saying, "Keep you calm, I mean."

"Why do you say that?" Oropher returned teasingly.

Thranduil stifled a yawn, starting to fall asleep right where he was before saying, "Because nana said I could, right before we left. She said you cannot stay angry near me, no matter how hard you try."

Oropher smiled at that, "Once again proving wisdom I have still to gain. No, child, do not fall asleep yet, not here. I doubt I could catch you if you fell, at least not without falling over the edge myself," as Thranduil's dark lashes started to fall close. However, his father's words made sense, and he jerked himself awake.

Seeing his son force himself awake caused Oropher to plunge ahead by saying, "Do you remember the twin sons of Elwing and Eärendil? They were seated near you tonight."

Thranduil was upset that he had to shake his head no, but he honestly could not remember.

Oropher's smile said he was not in trouble and he said, "Well, it turns out that they are not attending the council tomorrow, as well."

"Meaning?" Thranduil asked cautiously, not sure if he liked where this was heading.

Oropher's smile seemed to grow even more, "Meaning, if you wish, they are willing to help you learn the ways of the Noldor tomorrow, outside," knowing that the outdoors would appeal to his youngest, "Who knows? Perhaps they know how not to fear stone walls."

"Must I?" Thranduil asked, feeling timidness come forth at the idea of meeting new people by himself, without his brothers or father to smooth over anything that might go wrong.

Oropher sighed, inwardly wishing his sons were not as distrustful as he could be, "No, you must not, but I think that you could learn much from them. Even if they are younger than you, they have seen more of the world than you have. There is much you can learn from them, if you wish to."

Thranduil's dilemma was clear to see: either accept the twins offer and have some company as he explored and learned about the city, or explore by himself and risk making a fool of himself and his family.

In the end, common sense, or the desire not to be alone in a strange place won out, and Thranduil said, "I think I will meet them. I doubt it could cause any harm."

Oropher inwardly sighed with relief before saying, "Then meet them under the weeping willow in the gardens tomorrow after the morning meal," glad the twins had chosen that tree, as it was one of Thranduil's favorites, even though his love of beech trees was stronger, "It is near a pond on the southeastern side of the garden."

Thranduil again nodded, beginning to fall asleep once more as he was held in his father's strong embrace.

Oropher chuckled before saying, "I believe your bed is calling you, penneth."

That caused Thranduil to jerk awake. He did not want to spend his first night in this place alone. It was childish, but he was young enough in the eyes of all that some of his fears were not unfounded in his young age.

Thankfully he had outgrown his fear of the dark, otherwise his brothers would never let him live that down.

Fortunately, his father seemed to understand, for he said, "You may sleep with me tonight child, if you wish," as he got off the railing and gathered his exhausted son in his arms.

Thranduil nodded, nearly completely asleep, and the walk next door to Oropher's chambers was quickly made.

In a matter of moments, Thranduil was comfortably asleep in the king sized bed. After a kiss on his forehead, Oropher quietly prepared for sleep before blowing out the candles and opening the balcony doors. He then climbed into bed, gathered his son gently into his arms and nodded off to sleep himself.

The night passed quietly. Neither elf woke, and in the morning both felt rested and refreshed.

After the morning meal, and mild teasing by his brothers that he had long gotten used to, Thranduil made his way out to the gardens. Accompanying him was Breigion, to "make sure you do not get yourself lost" as he put it, but it was also to make sure no one bothered or upset his brother.

The older siblings were very protective of the youngest in the family, something he dealt with with an irritated shake of the head and silence, knowing arguing to be useless.

Once they arrived at the weeping willow, they were surprised to find that the twins had not arrived yet.

Breigion glanced left and right before saying, "Perhaps they were delayed and are running late," a bell sounded, marking the time the council was to gather at, "And I will be late as well. Will you be okay waiting alone?" he asked as he turned to his brother.

Thranduil only hesitated a moment before nodding, "They will likely be here soon. I can wait. Maybe it will teach me patience," smiling as he said this, since he was not the most patient of elves at times.

"Are you certain?" Breigion asked, even though he wondered why he bothered asking. His brother was stubborn, Valar!, the entire family was stubborn!

'Why do we bother trying to deny it all the time!?' he asked himself.

Thranduil again nodded as he sat at the base of the willow, "I am sure. The willow seems to like the company," indeed, the fronds and leaves were nearly shaking, such was her delight and excitement about being able to speak with a wood-elf.

Breigion smiled, "Yes, I can see that. Well...I had best leave before ada gets cross with me. I will see you at the midday meal."

Thranduil nodded distractedly, clearly already in deep discussion with the willow, and so Breigion left, chuckling to himself, knowing his brother would be safe in the willow's care.

Breigion had been gone awhile, but Thranduil did not seem to mind, the willow telling him many things about the city and all that had happened in her time in the garden as well as secret lore that only the wood-elves could understand. In return he told her of the woods of his home, and how the beech trees and willows sang every morning, which delighted her to no end. After several hours the willow alerted Thranduil to elves in the garden. Assuming it was the twins, Thranduil was quick to get to his feet, not realizing that they were long overdue and assuming they were only a few minutes late, showing how much he had lost track of time.

Upon seeing who it was though, Thranduil became worried, even though he did not let it show.

It was not the twins; but rather a group of elves, young elves by the looks of it, coming from almost every path and cutting off most avenues of escape, even though the trees were still an option.

"Well, well, well...What do you we have here?" the apparent leader said.

"He looks like a wood-elf to me, Beldir. What do you think, Brassendir?" another asked a third.

Brassendir nodded, "Definitely a wood-elf. The hair is always a giveaway, as is the fear of seeing the Noldor fight."

The others laughed, but stopped when Thranduil quietly asked, "Why do you assume I am afraid?"

"Because you ran like a scared elfling after the feast last night," Beldir sneered, "Does that not show fear?"

"Perhaps it was fear of the unknown that caused me to run, but this does not scare me," Thranduil said confidently, hoping they would not see through his upcoming lie, "My three brothers, my father, and myself often spar against each other, at the same time," looking around in a bored fashion he asked, "Do you think this scares me? I have one avenue of escape you did not consider."

Beldir smiled, "Do you mean the willow and the trees? There is someone up there right now. I would say that avenue is blocked."

Thranduil frowned, reaching out with his senses. Sure enough, there was someone up in the branches of the willow. The willow was unwilling to shake him out because then he would fall on Thranduil.

That left Thranduil with two options once more: run, and hope his body would not betray him, or fight. There were nearly fifteen elves spoiling for a fight right now, and he had no hope of fighting them and winning, not when he was still learning his shape and how to use it in a fight.

While he was considering his options the gang had moved closer. Luckily, the Sinda habit of always being on guard, no matter where they were, helped him duck the first few punches and hits and fight back for a few seconds.

He broke an elf's arm, causing him to cry out, before a weight dropped down on him from above.

That became his undoing. As he fell, he spied a large rock on the ground. Before he could think to move his arm out to break his fall, it was twisted behind him, and a sharp snap! let him know the bone had been broken.

'Strange that it does not hurt,' he thought distantly as the ground seemed to move towards him in slow motion.

Then everything seemed to return to its normal pace as his head hit the rock with a sharp crack! and then a thud.

At first there was no pain, but then it seemed to explode from the side of his head, as did a white light that instantly faded to pitch black as he went limp.

Beneath his head a pool of red began to form as the gang stared in horror.

Translations:

Gwador – Brother
Penneth – young one
Maiar/Maia – spirits that descended into Arda and Aman to help shape the world
Valar/Vala – the powers of Arda who lived on the western continent of Aman
Edain – Men
Oropher – Beech Tree
Brethilion – Son of Beech Tree
Glingaerdir – Sea Gleam in His Eyes
Breigion – Son of Fierce One
Thranduil – Vigorous Spring
Nemireth – Water Jewel
Hir nín – my lord
Adar/ada – father/daddy
Naneth/nana – Mother/mommy
Beldir – Strong Man
Brassendir – White-Hot Man