My narrative sometimes tracks Tolkien's version of Middle-earth, sometimes Jackson's.

The story of Elrohir becoming trapped in a cave by a rock fall is adapted from "Confessions."

Thanks to the following reviewers: Ilada'Jefiv, The Inebriated Lion-Minion, punkballet, nightshade468, foxgurl0000, Telcontar Rulz, Starlight9, Elfinabottle, windwraith, CAH, and Apsenniel. I am delighted to receive any and all responses, whether reviewers are logged in or not. If you do happen to be logged in, I will use the reply feature to get back to you.

This chapter incorporates quotations from the book and/or movie versions of The Lord of the Rings.

Beta Reader:Dragonfly, who continues to take time out of a very busy schedule to check over each chapter. Thank you, Dragonfly

Chapter 37: Brothers to the Depths

"Are you certain that you wish to remain here, Gimli?" asked Legolas. "You would be quite welcome to accompany me whilst I visit with my foster brothers."

Gimli shook his head. "I do not doubt you, lad, but you ought to be allowed time with your kinfolk without my tagging along. Those twins—Elradon and Elhiro, in't it?—shouldn't have to entertain me when all they must desire is to hear tell how you have fared these past several weeks."

"It's Elladan and Elrohir," said Legolas, smiling, "and it is very kind of you to forgo my company so that I may visit with them."

"Oh, I thought the sacrifice consisted of my forgoing their company," deadpanned Gimli, "for it is no sacrifice to forgoyours."

Legolas swiftly seized a barm cake and hurled it at the Dwarf, who nimbly caught it. "Why, thankee, lad," he chortled as he took a bite of the roll. He reached for a mug of ale and saluted the Elf with it. "Now, you run along. I am sure I shall be able to entertain myself in your absence. Just toss me another one of those, will you?"

Legolas huffed in mock indignation but threw Gimli another roll before striding from the tent. "Legolas," someone hailed him before he had gone many steps. The Elf turned to see Éomer. The Man had a broad smile upon his face, an expression he had not often sported during the time the Elf had known him (one noteworthy exception, of course, having been the night he had tried to get Legolas drunk).

"Have you seen Aragorn?" the Rider asked. "I have not thanked him properly for his kindness toward my sister."

"He is standing vigil at Halbarad's burial mound," said Legolas, suddenly sober.

Éomer grew grave as well. "I am sorry," he said solemnly. "I had forgotten that when Aragorn cured my kinswoman, he did so with the knowledge that his own kinsman lay dead upon the field of battle."

"No one has been left untouched during this season of grief," Legolas pointed out. "You yourself have lost both cousin and uncle. But let us think not of the lost but of the living. Éowyn grows stronger, is that not so?"

Éomer's smile returned. "Aye, Legolas." Then his smile faltered, "Although she is much graver than formerly. Once she smiled rarely; now she does not smile at all." The Man hesitated and then continued. "Legolas, she sorrows because she loves a Man who feels affection and respect for her but does not, I think, love her—at least not in the way that she wishes to be loved."

Stung, Legolas opened his mouth to reply, but Éomer prevented him. "Nay, Legolas," the Man said, "I do not blame your friend. Feelings cannot be forced. Moreover," the Rider continued, "I have had an opportunity to speak with your kinsmen, the Lords Elladan and Elrohir. They tell me that Aragorn's banner was sewn by their sister, the Lady Arwen. Great love went into the sewing of that banner—and not, I believe, the love of a sister for her brother. Is this not true?"

"It is true," Legolas acknowledged. "Aragorn grew up in the company of Elladan and Elrohir, and toward them he feels as does a brother. Arwen, however, was away, being fostered in the land of her grandparents. When the two met, Aragorn was already a young Man, and the love he feels for her has always been the love of a suitor rather than a brother. I am sorry that his affection for Arwen should be the cause of the pain that your sister feels."

Éomer shook his head. "Her grief began long before Aragorn's arrival at Edoras. I had hoped, though—." Here he broke off, a wistful expression upon his face. "It is no matter," he continued briskly after a moment. "Perhaps in time my sister shall find another path that will lead to contentment." For a moment Éomer made a show of looking Legolas up and down appraisingly, and then he laughed. "No, I think not. Éowyn grew up amongst folk who appreciate a good stout beer!"

Legolas joined in the laughter. "Perhaps Gimli, then," he jested. "He appreciates a good stout beer."

"Éowyn is a woman of Rohan," Éomer rejoined lightly, "so whomever she marries must be an excellent rider. Whatever Gimli's virtues, riding is not one of them."

"True," laughed Legolas. "When it comes to horses, Gimli has distinguished himself only by the frequency with which he has fallen off!"

The Man and the Elf shared another laugh and then parted, Éomer striding toward the mound that marked Halbarad's resting place and Legolas making his way toward the tent that had been pitched for Elrohir and Elladan.

"Mae govannen," chorused the twins when Legolas pushed back the cloth that covered the entrance to the tent. They arose and embraced their foster-brother. Then all three Elves flung themselves down upon the furs that covered the packed earth and began to exchange news. First the twins told Legolas of the Orc sorties that the Imladris Elves had been beating back since shortly after the departure of the Fellowship.

"A few days after you left," Elrohir reported, "the first Orc scouts penetrated our borders. They were larger and more monstrous than any Orcs we had ever seen. Even Glorfindel had never seen their like."

"They were Uruk-hai,' Legolas explained. "They were bred by Saruman, at first because he thought he might raise an army the rival of Sauron's, later because he hoped that he might at least be numbered amongst the allies of a Force he thought could not be defeated."

"Uruk-hai," repeated Elrohir. "These Uruk-hai," he continued, "probed our defenses repeatedly for a fortnight. Then they abruptly abandoned the effort."

"A fortnight," mused Legolas. "That would be about the time that the Crebain spies flew over our camp in Hollin. Saruman must have thought that the Ring was still in Rivendell, but after those creatures reported back to him, he drew his troops from the environs of Imladris and sent them south in pursuit of us. Were the Uruk-hai accompanied by any wolves?"

"Aye, they were," Elrohir said, "but not ordinary ones. One night I brought down several with my bow, but in the morning I found no trace of them. Only my arrows remained."

Legolas nodded in comprehension. "We encountered the same sort of fell wolves," he explained. "They attacked our camp near the Gates of Moria and were one of the reasons that we felt it necessary to enter that place. But go on with your tale."

"For four weeks there were no further attacks upon our borders," Elrohir continued, "but then they began anew. Only this time we were attacked not by Uruk-hai but by the Orcs we have been accustomed to fending off through the ages—not that they aren't bad enough!"

Legolas considered. "By then we would have defeated Saruman's forces at Helm's Deep. Any Uruk-hai not slain outright in that battle were devoured by Huorns as they fled the battle."

"Huorns?" said Elrohir.

"Aye, certain of the trees in the keeping of the Onodrim."

"Onodrim!" marveled Elladan. "I thought those tree shepherds had died out—or so Erestor told us."

"In this one matter Erestor was mistaken," replied Legolas. "Although," he added, grinning, "it is possible he told us the Onodrim had died out so that we wouldn't go looking for them. Their wooded realm would have been a perilous one for an elfling to visit, for some of the Huorns are not able to distinguish between Orcs and others of those who go about upon two legs! However, whatever Erestor's reasons for telling us the contrary, the Onodrim or Ents are still the guardians of the trees of Fangorn, and they marshaled such of the trees as could move. Some they marched to Isengard, and some to Helm's Deep. By the by, we have Pippin and Merry to thank for the fact that the Ents decided to join forces with Man, Elf, and Dwarf."

"Mithrandir has ever said that the least amongst us may prove as important as the greatest," observed Elladan.

"As to that," said Elrohir, "I see that a Dwarf is still numbered amongst the Fellowship. Have his feats been larger than his dimensions?"

"Yes," Legolas replied proudly. "The Nauga has proved the truth of Mithrandir's words not only once but repeatedly! I don't know what we should have done without Gimli. I don't know what I should have done without Gimli."

The eyebrows of Elrond's twin sons shot up so abruptly that Legolas burst out laughing. "Come now," he said as he finally recovered himself. "Elladan, Elrohir, surely you don't think that Elrond and Mithrandir would have permitted Gimli to join the Fellowship if they had not been persuaded of his worth. I did not understand this at the outset, but I understand it now. In all our time together, I have seen Gimli quail only once. Oddly, it was when we had to enter a cavern."

Swiftly Legolas told the tale of the Paths of the Dead. Elrohir shuddered a little as he listened to the story, for he could sympathize with the Dwarf's fear. "I have descended twice into caverns, and both times turned out badly," he observed after Legolas had recounted the dreadful passage beneath the mountain inhabited by the army of the dead. "Legolas, do you remember the time when I ventured into a cave and became trapped by a rock fall?"

"I was trapped that day as well," Legolas said dryly, "but by an oath rather than by rocks. Elladan," he continued, turning to that brother, "you were away visiting Lothlórien, but I believe you have heard part of this tale before. Now, however, I shall tell it in full. Elrohir and I went exploring after a long period of heavy rainfall. As soon as we left the Hall, we saw that our world had changed. Trees had been uprooted, their roots unable to hold fast in the rain-softened soil. Boulders had become dislodged and had tumbled down the mountainside. We came across several new streams, and the channels of others had shifted. When we reached the Bruinen, we saw that its bed had altered. Some sandbars had disappeared, others had grown or diminished in size, and some new sandbars had been created. But what fascinated Elrohir the most was a hill whose side had been sheered off by a landslide, for a hole could be seen leading into what was left of the mound. Elrohir was overjoyed at this discovery. He insisted that we ought to explore it at once, arguing that since its entrance had been only newly exposed, it was unlikely to be inhabited by Trolls. I, on the other hand, argued that there were dangers other than Trolls to be found in the deep places of the earth. He laughed at me and stubbornly repeated that the cave has been sealed. And then I said—."

"Yes, yes," grumbled Elrohir, interrupting him. "You said that it might have another entrance and that fell creatures may have gotten in that way. But," he concluded triumphantly, "we never did find any sign of such creatures."

"True," Legolas retorted coolly, "but you may also recall that I warned you of the danger of getting lost. I was proved right, wasn't I?"

"No, you weren't," Elrohir retorted. "I did not become lost."

Legolas laughed. "Perhaps you did not become lost, but it is certain that you were misplaced."

Elrohir grinned and subsided, and Legolas continued the tale. "The next day we retraced our steps to the site of the landslide. Elrohir had brought a torch, and he again insisted that we should explore the cave. He lit the torch and took several steps into the cave. I reluctantly followed and came to stand by his side. In the wavering light of the torch, I could see that one long passageway descended far into the earth and that there were many side passageways. It was just the sort of cave that could swallow up an elfling or two. I became more convinced than ever that descending into that cave would be a dreadful mistake, and I told Elrohir that I was not going to do it."

Elladan nodded approvingly. "I should have done the same," he declared a trifle smugly. This pronouncement nettled Elrohir. "You are just like Haldir," he complained, "stuffy and staid and—." He stopped, appalled at what he was saying. Legolas had told him of the fall of Haldir at Helm's Deep.

"I am sorry, Legolas," he said contritely.

"You mustn't feel sorry, Elrohir," Legolas said quickly. "Haldirwas stuffy and staid on occasion, and if we speak of who he was and what he was, then that must be part of the conversation. The alternative is not to speak of him at all, and I for one am not willing to forgo such a pleasant pastime."

"Pleasant," exclaimed Elladan, surprised.

"Yes, pleasant," Legolas insisted. He found himself repeating the words that Gimli had spoken when Legolas and the Dwarf had both believed Aragorn dead. "When you cherish someone," he explained to the twins, "you form memories worth saving. When I learned that Haldir had fallen, at first I struggled with my sorrow. Now, though, when I think of him, I smile, for it is the memories that fill my mind and not the sorrow. Those memories are like a warmth that spreads throughout my entire body. My brothers, think of the taste and smell of fresh, warm bread. My memories of Haldir are equally as pleasant and revivifying."

"Like the taste and smell of bread?" said Elladan.

"Aye, fresh, warm bread. I am filled and comforted."

The twins considered. At last Elladan nodded, his face thoughtful. "I believe you are right," he said softly. "When my Naneth departed, I did not think I would ever smile again. Now when I think of her, warmth spreads throughout my body, and I feel contentment—even joy."

Elrohir nodded, too, but he could not speak what was in his heart. Instead he cleared his throat. "Aren't you going to finish the story, Legolas," he said off-handedly. Legolas was not fooled by his manner, however, and smiled fondly at him before resuming the tale.

"Once I told Elrohir that I would not join him in exploring the cave," he continued, "I hoped that he would abandon the quest. Ai! Elrohir was as stubborn then as he is now!"

This brought a smile to all three faces and even a soft chuckle from Elrohir. Gladdened, Legolas went on with the story.

"'You may be afraid', Elrohir bragged to me, 'but I am not'. No doubt he hoped to goad me into accompanying him, but I refused to rise to the bait. I turned about and retreated from the cave, stopping when I was several feet away to look back at Elrohir, who scowled at me."

"'Anomen', he said, 'if you tell anyone that I am in the cave, I will never forgive you for orcing on me'."

"'When have you known me to be a tattletale?' I exclaimed indignantly. Elrohir was not satisfied, however, and insisted that I swear not to tell anyone that he had gone into the cave. I gave him my word, and he raised his torch and ventured further into the cave, leaving me lingering at the entrance. Long I waited. The noon hour came, and I unwrapped my lunch but found I had no appetite. 'The torch has surely burnt out by now', I thought to myself. 'But perhaps Elrohir is very close to the entrance and so will be guided back by the light that shines in through the opening'. I peered hopefully in at the entrance of the cave for a long while, but I saw no sign of Elrohir."

"'Perhaps', I thought, 'if I should shout that would bring him back to the entrance'.

'Elrohir', I called. His name echoed from the walls of the cavern, and again and again I called, but I neither heard nor saw any sign that Elrohir was near. At length it was mid-afternoon, and I reluctantly set out for the Hall. As I walked, I wondered what to do, for I had sworn to Elrohir that I would not tell anyone that he was in the cave."

"I came to a pond and knelt by it, meaning to splash water upon my face, for the day had grown hot. I peered into the smooth surface of the pond and saw my reflection staring back wide-eyed."

"'You can't orc on Elrohir', I seemed to hear my reflection say. 'Everyone will think you did it to get him in trouble!'"

"'But he may be lost!' I replied."

"'But what if he's not?' my reflection argued back. 'Then you will have told for nothing—or worse! He will get in trouble, and he will be angry with you'."

"'But what if he is lost?' I insisted."

"'What will it matter if you wait a little longer?' my reflection answered slyly. I argued in return that his plight might worsen the longer he remained in the cave, but my reflection retorted that the mere passage of time would not worsen his plight. This I would not allow, however, and I replied that his plight might indeed worsen if he were in danger or hurt. For if a person is injured, it is always best that the wound be attended to sooner rather than later."

The twins both nodded in grave agreement.

"Still my reflection would not give way," Legolas continued. "He pointed out that it was by no means certain that Elrohir was injured. But for this I had a ready answer. I averred that I did not know that Elrohir was not injured and that greater harm would result if he were injured and I said nothing than if he were uninjured and I told Ada he was in the cave. Better to risk the lesser than the greater harm, I argued."

"My reflection tried one last argument. 'Pah!' he snorted. 'Elrohir is the one who got himself into trouble. Why should you get into trouble as well? For you know that if you orc on him, you will have to admit going into the cave yourself'."

"'I'm not listening', I exclaimed desperately, holding my hands over my ears. In fact, however, I had just been provided the key toward solving my dilemma."

"'It's true: I went into the cave, too', I said to myself. 'I can confess my own misdeed, can't I?'"

"In point of fact, I had only ventured a few feet into the cave, buttechnically I had done wrong and therefore I had something to report to Elrond. I had sworn only not to tell anyone that Elrohir had gone into the cave. I had said nothing about not telling onmyself."

"Relieved, I hurried straight to Rivendell and made my way to Elrond's private chamber, where I commenced to 'confess'."

"'Ada', I declared, 'I have been very wicked today'. You may be sure that his eyebrows twitched at this unusual proclamation!"

Elrohir and Elladan laughed appreciatively. As elflings, they and Legolas had expended much effort on fashioning creative ways to avoid owning up to their transgressions, a fact with which Elrond was well acquainted.

"Elrond," continued Legolas, "managed to control his countenance—save for his eyebrows, of course—and calmly replied that 'wicked' was a very strong word. I assured him that when he heard what I had done, he would agree that my behavior had been very bad. He told me to say on, and he would judge whether or not that were so. I told him that I had gone into a cavern, an enormous one with many chambers. It was, I hastened to add, the sort of cave an elfling could get lost in. He allowed as how that would indeed be a serious transgression if the cave were as vast as I claimed it to be. I eagerly offered to show it to him. We stayed only long enough for Elrond to gather such things as might be needful. Then we mounted up, and swiftly I led Elrond to the cave. Elrond dismounted and looked at the soil at the entrance to the cave. He saw two pairs of elfling footprints leading in, one slightly smaller than the other. The smaller set advanced a few feet and returned. The larger one continued on. 'Well', Elrond said calmly, 'you have proved that there is a cave, but as to whether it is a vast one, I will have to venture in to be sure of that'. He told me to remain with the horses, instructing me to hurry back to the Hall to summon help if he had not returned by sundown. Then he opened his pack and pulled out a torch and a long skein of yarn. I could see that there were several more torches and skeins still in the pack. He shrugged the pack back on and tied the end of the yarn to a bush hard by the entrance to the cave. Then, torch in one hand and skein in the other, he disappeared into the cave."

"I knelt by the entrance, watching for the reappearance of the torch. The sun dropped lower and lower in the west, and I had begun to think that I would have to ride for the Hall when finally I spotted a distant flicker of light. It grew brighter and brighter and at last I could make out Elrond's figure, with a largish bundle slung over his shoulder. When Elrond drew even nearer, I saw that the bundle had hair and was in fact Elrohir."

"Elrond came out into the dwindling sunlight and carefully laid his burden down next to the bush. Elrohir winced and clutched at his ankle as his father lowered him to the ground. His face was quite dirty, except for those places where tears had cut trails through the grime."

Elrohir took up the tale then. "I remember well Ada's words to you then, Legolas. 'You were quite right, Anomen', he said. 'It is indeed a vast cavern. It seems you were not the only one to be drawn to it. As you see, whilst I was exploring one of the passageways, I stumbled upon Elrohir. Lucky thing, too, for some rocks had fallen from the ceiling and pinned his leg to the floor. It is fortunate you went into the cave and then thought better of your behavior and so came to me to confess your misdeed. Had you not, I would never have come across your brother'."

Legolas looked swiftly at Elrohir, as he had done so many years earlier, and as before the younger Elf saw a look of gratitude upon the face of the older one. "I got off much better than I deserved," Elrohir went on. "My leg was not broken, although Ada splinted the ankle as a precaution. Then he put me on Legolas's horse and lifted Legolas up behind me. Legolas, I remember you reassuring Ada that you could bear my weight, for I was sitting awkwardly on account of my ankle, and I found that it helped if I could lean back. Then Ada mounted his own horse, and at a gentle pace he led us back to the Hall, where, as Ada pointed out, for the next several days I was to suffer a punishment of my own making. For the weather had turned fine and the days were sunny and warm: perfect for swimming and riding and shooting and wrestling. But I was forced to forego these pursuits on account of my ankle. Ada could not have hit upon a more suitable penalty!"

The three Elves laughed at that observation. Then Elrohir halted. "Legolas," he said abruptly, "I never properly thanked you for what you did that day."

"Oh, but you did," Legolas assured him, "and at least twice. Elrond told me what transpired when it came time to mete out punishment for our escapade. He went into your chamber where you lay with your leg propped upon a pillow. You must have known from his grave face that judgment was in the offing, and Elrond says that you spoke up quickly. You told Elrond that even though I confessed to entering the cave, I really hadn't. You declared that you were the only one who truly went into the cave, and you begged him not to punish me. Elrond told me that he knew from the footprints that I had not gone into the cave, but I am glad you told him anyway. I was touched that you should try to keep me out of trouble, for at that time we did not always get along."

Elrohir looked a little shamefaced at that last observation, and Elladan spoke up then, smoothing over the moment of awkwardness. "Legolas, you said that Elrohir thanked you at least twice. In what other fashion did he thank you?"

Legolas smiled at the memory. "Elrohir whittled in order to while away the hours he was forced to spend in his chamber. Elladan, do you remember the bird he carved for you and the horse for Arwen?"

Elladan nodded.

"They were fine pieces of work," Legolas continued, "but nothing as to the boat he made for me."

Elladan's face lit up. "Oh, yes," he enthused. "That boat was a marvel. It was carved in such great detail that every plank was delineated, and Elrohir sewed a tiny sail for it out of a scrap of cloth and devised tiny tackle for the thread that he used to rig the vessel. Had it been scaled up in size, it would have been as worthy to sail the Great Sea as any of Cirdan's vessels in the harbor of Mithlond. Legolas, what ever happened to that boat?"

"I still have it," Legolas replied. "It is in my wardrobe at the Great Hall in Mirkwood along with others of such objects as I treasure."

Elrohir colored a little but grinned, too. Then Elladan spoke again, reminiscing about another scrape that his brothers had gotten into. "I myself was present the second time you went into a cave, Elrohir," he reminded his twin.

Elrohir sobered at once at the memory of this second incident. "I nearly drowned," he began somberly. Then he stopped suddenly and gazed expectantly at the entrance of the tent. Within the space of a moment, the tent flap was pushed aside and Aragorn stepped into the pavilion. His face was flushed, and his eyes glinted in the candlelight. When he spoke, his voice was low yet filled with a suppressed excitement that was mirrored in his movements, which were spare and yet bespoke an energy that sought an outlet long denied.

"Everything is settled," he said. "Everything. Three days hence we depart for Mordor. Before the Black Gate, the End will come to pass." Then he turned abruptly and strode from the tent.

Behind him, his three friends sat silently for a time. Elrohir was the first to stir. He lifted his hands, placing one upon Legolas's shoulder, the other upon Elladan's. "Muindyr nín," he said simply. My brothers.