Darkness covered her vision as her eyes remained hidden under heavy eyelids. Everything seemed so distant Elerrina was not even sure if she was awake or dreaming. Every sound, every smell, all seemed blurred and fuzzy, as she was barely aware of her surroundings, catching only bits and pieces of reality that filtered through the long lapses of empty blackness.

Pain pounding heavily inside her head: that was the only thing Elerrina was sure of feeling at the moment. Splitting pain drummed against the walls of her skull, behind her closed eyes, making everything else seem more confusing as she could not focus completely on anything other than the throbbing pain.

The faint, muffled echo of the slow pace of horses reached her ears, fading in the waves of confusing, incoherent thoughts that danced inside her mind. She could not grasp a concrete thought, and felt disoriented, not knowing where she was or the reason she was there.

Glimpses of the fierce body of water falling around her danced in front of her eyes, followed by the dark trees flying past her; Vilya screaming loudly; Elladan holding a sword. They were unfocused, distorted, and disappearing into darkness as she drifted in and out of unconsciousness.

The distant sound of horseshoes on the soft grass echoes again inside her head, mixing with the images from her unconscious dreams. She was leaning against someone, and could weakly feel the soft pace of a horse underneath her unresponsive body. She could not recognize who rode behind her. She could not even completely feel her body as it felt heavy, exhausted, and so far away from her limbs. She heard a faint moan escape her lips involuntarily, the sound barely reaching her ears.

"You are safe now. We are in Imladris" Came a soft whisper on he left ear, the words dancing inside her confused head in different order than they had been pronounced, and it took her a moment to make sense of them. Imladris…Safe… And then there was the gentle, sweet voice: Legolas.

Elerrina felt herself sink further against her brother's chest as she recognized who was holding her steadily on the back of the horse. Her eyes opened slowly, the bright light on the morning blinding her for a few seconds before cloudy, shapeless forms started to appear in her sight. She felt safe now that she knew she was leaning against Legolas. Legolas? She had been riding with Elladan. Where was he?

The figures around her were clouded, unfocused, but she could make out the foggy shapes of horses and elves, moving slowly around her. She could see Elrohir to her right, holding an unconscious Elladan in front of him. Her tired eyes could also make out the blurry shape of Glorfindel riding some distance ahead of them, the body of the Elf-Lord held limply in his arms, either asleep or unconscious again, she did not know.

She felt her eyelids star to close again, too heavy to keep them open any longer. The peaceful song of nearby waterfalls reached her ears like a soothing lullaby as the pointed arches and balconies of the houses became visible in the distance. She felt her body succumbing to exhaustion, and she did not fight it. She could feel the soothing breeze, smell the scent of humid land and fresh trees; she felt safe in the valley. Her vision turned black, and her senses slowly started to drift off once more. There was no need to stay awake…

Elerrina felt her senses slowly start to return to her. She was lying on a bed, feeling warm and comfortable under soft covers. The gentle music of the swaying leaves outside the windows reached her ears, and she could hear the light footsteps of someone moving around the room. The pain inside her head was now gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, shifting lightly under the warm covers of the bed. A familiar room came into view, lighted brightly by the sun outside: She was in her room. The pale lavender curtains had been left open, framing the view of the golden trees outside in the gardens, birds chirping on their delicate branches.

The familiar figure of a platinum haired elf moved around the room in front of her, placing something that looked like sheets on a drawer by the vanity. Elerrina watched silently as the elven maiden closed the drawer and turned around, stopping her movement when her morning sky eyes fell on her own green pair.

"My Lady, you are awake!" Excalimed Faelilla softly as her lips curved in a wide, bright smile. She could not help but smile widely in return at the elf she loved so deeply, and watched as the maiden made her way to stand at the edge of the bed.

"What is the hour?" she asked. She felt slightly confused, and did not know what had happened since her arrival at the valley. Faelilla smiled again before answering in her musical light voice.

"It is late in the morning" Elerrina furrow her brow in confusion and Faelilla's bell-like laugh filled the room before she continued.

"You arrived here early morning two days ago" She felt her eyes widen in response to Faelilla's words. Two days. She had been out for two entire days. Then Faelilla's sweet smile transformed into a grin as her light blue eyes sparkled teasingly.

"Lord Elladan has been here every hour of the past days, since he awoke. Anyone would believe that you have truly captivated him" The platinum haired elf's eyes sparkled below a raised eyebrow, and Elerrina could not help but grin guiltily. Faelilla laughed again, the sweet sound making her feel content.

"Our young lord cares about you deeply, My Lady." Faelilla continued with an honest smile on her face, her teasing grin now gone. "If only you had seen the look on his face while he sat by the bed day and night. Only slightly less than an hour ago, Lady Arwen managed to convince him to go eat some breakfast. He likes you, My Lady"

Elerrina smiled deeply at the platinum haired elf in front of her. The sole mention of the elder twin made her heart fill with longing. She laughed lightly at the irony of the words that had just left Faelilla's mouth. He liked her. If only Faelilla knew…

"I like him too, Faelilla" She said softly, smiling broadly with the hidden meaning inside her words. "I like him very much" The platinum haired maiden only smiled broadly in return, at a complete loss of what the words really meant to her.

"Are you hungry, My Lady?" She asked, changing the subject of the conversation. Elerrina nodded her head softly in response, only now realizing how hungry she was. The thought of eating had not crossed her head yet.

"I will bring you some breakfast" Faelilla said with her smile still on her face as she turned and gracefully moved towards the door.

However, the door opened gently before the platinum haired maiden had reached it. She felt her insides fill with warmth as Elladan's tall figure entered into the room, his long raven hair unbraided and falling freely over his shoulders and back. A gorgeous smile appeared on lips as his silver eyes met hers, and suddenly she no longer had eyes for Faelilla or anything else other than the Son of Elrond, as she watched him rush to her side.

"Rina" he breathed out as he sat on the edge of the bed, gently taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go and using the same hand to caress her forehead. She remained silent, smiling and lost in his deep eyes as his gentle fingers slowly slid through her hair and his palm came to rest at the side of her face, his thumb softly tracing the end of her left eyebrow.

She heard Faelilla reaching the door, and threw one last look at the maiden, who gave her one last smirk before closing the door behind her. She turned her eyes back to Elladan, who was still smiling widely, and let her hand reach up to rest over his, at her left cheek.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly, the sound of his voice making her smile widen.

"I am good" was her simple answer, her eyes sparkling when his smile turned into a wide grin. Without another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

He pulled away and she simply watched him, her eyes not able to depart from his, completely welcomed in his silver endless eyes, her spirit feeling his through their bond. His eyes spoke louder than words, and she felt like she no longer needed words to communicate with him, to know his thoughts, his feelings, as long as he let her. Her eyes traveled down to his left hand, and noticed he was holding what looked like a honey cake.

"What are you hiding there?" she asked as her eyes pointed him in the direction of the cake in his hand. His eyes sparkled with their characteristic mischief and his grin expanded as he lifted the cake into view.

"You stole that from the kitchens?" she asked with a light laugh as her eyes glowed with delight at the sight of the treat.

"Perhaps" he answered, and yet his eyes held the delighted glint of guilt. She opened her mouth, silently asking for a bite of the honey treat, but he pulled the cake away, his silver eyes looking at her as if she had gone insane.

"Can I not have a bite?" she complained, unable to retain a chuckle at the look on his face.

"No" he answered simply, as if it was the most obvious answer, still holding the cake away from her with a stretched arm.

"Elladan! How egoist!" she exclaimed, still chuckling lightly. He simply grinned at her words as if he did not care about the insult.

"So? I worked hard to get this cake, Rina" she glared at his vague excuse, his silver eyes looking at her mischievously, piercing her as they reflected his grin.

"Worked hard?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow "Sneaking into the kitchen and stealing the cake is hard work?" If so, his grin only stretched wider as he leaned his face close to hers.

"You try sneaking into the kitchens" he defended himself in a low whisper, his eyes looking deeply into hers, sparkling, as his lips brushed hers lightly, making shivers run down her spine.

"I would have stolen two. You only got one" she whispered in return, closing the small gap between their lips in a quick kiss. He laughed at her words, accepting his defeat.

"Fine. You can have a bite" he complied, still grinning widely as he gently moved the cake towards her mouth. "Tiny!" he warned before placing the treat right in front of her lips.

Elerrina opened her mouth and took a bite that was everything but tiny, eating off nearly half of the small treat, delighted at the sweet flavor.

"Rina!" came the expected complain, almost making her choke at the sight of his wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in a pout. His silver eyes looked at the half of the cake left in his hand, and then turned again to meet hers, his mouth still lightly hanging open. He looked like a small elfling.

"You can have it all" he said with a sigh as he handed her the remains of the honey cake in defeat, his expression like that of a child who has been asked to give away his favorite toy. She could not help but smile at him, and at the same time feel slightly guilty.

"I am sorry" she said with a light laugh "You still have half of it." She added, trying for it to sound like a small consolation.

Elladan turned his eyes to face her once again, the silver irises staring deeply into hers, lovingly, as he smiled softly, his free hand reaching to rest on her cheek once more.

"You can have the cake, Rina. I will even get you another one, if you want. I stopped wanting it the moment you wanted it" His eyes stared at her, transparent with honesty, and she was sure the look in her eyes held the same loving look than did his. She smiled at him, lost in his eyes, as she happily accepted the remains of the cake.

She then attempted to sit up, but a sudden pain exploded through her right arm the moment she put pressure on it, making her hiss sharply, either in pain or surprise, she did not know. She sank back down into the pillows as her left hand instinctively flew to her right elbow, pressing the bent arm close to her body. For the first time, she noticed that her arm was wrapped in bandages, keeping it bent.

"Easy" said Elladan softly as his hand gently brushed her cheek, his eyes looking pained as he stared at her. Slowly, he helped her up into a sitting position, her left hand still firmly grabbing her right arm.

"Your elbow was dislocated" He explained, his voice edged with sadness and pain, and his eyes were haunted by a gleam of guilt. Flashes of the flight from the riders came back to her mind, and she remembered the sudden pain bursting in her arm when she hit a low branch, but the adrenaline and fear had blocked it away at that moment.

"May I?" He asked softly, and she let go of her arm, allowing him to take a look at the wounded limb.

Gently, he grabbed her arm in his hands, unwrapping the bandage from around it with extreme carefulness. She watched in silence as the slightly swelled and heavily bruised elbow came into view, the pain from before once again dulled down until she could no longer feel it. His fingers traveled over the bruised area, pressing around the elbow with extreme tenderness. She flinched lightly when his light touch came in contact with a sensitive spot and he pulled away, giving her an apologetic smile. He then moved one of his hands to her wrist and gently, slowly, started to stretch her arm from its bent form, his eyes turning to look at her every half a second, waiting for her to indicate him when to stop.

The arm stretched about half of the way before a sting of pain made her gasp. Instantly he stopped and gently bent her arm again, carefully bandaging it back the way it had been previously. After he was done, his hands slid from her arm to her hand, caressing it softly with his thumb before placing a tender kiss on it, his sad eyes looking into hers.

"It is healing well." He said with a sad smile "It will heal quicker than I thought" She nodded her head in response, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Are you in pain?" he asked with a soothing voice, his silver eyes worried.

"No" she answered softly, smiling lightly at him to ease his worry. She did not feel any pain at all. "It does not pain me in the slightest" He nodded his head in response, offering her another sad smile, his eyes still pained and deeply concerned.

"Let me know if it does" he whispered softly as his hand gently placed a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.

"It will not" she said confidently and Elladan smiled widely at her as he shook his head.

"I am sure Adar will want to see the injury as well. Perhaps he can do more" She looked up at him at the mention of the Elf-Lord, many questions popping suddenly into her mind.

"Is he awake?" the image of the Lord of Imladris staring at her from Glorfindel's horse at the other side of the river flashed through her mind. Had the sudden rise of the river been his doing?

"I believe he is asleep at the moment, but yes, he is no longer unconscious, if that is your question" She could see him smiling as he spoke, his eyes glowing with content. She wanted to ask if the Elf-Lord remembered his sons, if he recognized anybody, but did not know how to voice the question. She opened her mouth, but closed it again, unsure to ask for fear of what the answer might be, and obtaining only a chuckle from Elladan.

"He is completely aware of where he is, as well as for the elves who have been to see him. He recognizes all of us without trouble…well I do not think he was sure whether I was Elladan or Elrohir, and did not truly believe us when we told him which was which. He only half-believed it when Glorfindel told him, but that is alright, I accept that margin of error at the moment, he is still recovering"

Elerrina laughed at his explanation. She also would not trust the twins to tell the truth about which twin was which. She saw his eyes sparkling with their natural glow and his smile remained wide on his face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. She could not help but smile broadly at his joy. She loved him.

"Good thing you allow that margin of error. Who could ever confuse the two of you?" She added sarcastically and he chuckled in return before she continued.

"So, there is no damage from head wound?" She remembered clearly the nasty looking wound over the Elf-Lord's right eyebrow, bruised and covered in dried blood, as well as the disoriented look in his grey eyes as he looked confusedly at his son's face.

"No. It seems he was only confused and not completely awake back in the forest. There is no damage from wound, only a slipping headache" He laughed lightly and she joined in his musical laughter. "I had to whisper incredibly lowly to speak to him. I accidentally raised my voice slightly and he tried to hit me! Can you believe that?!" he added still chuckling.

"Of course I can." She laughed "I would also hit you if I had a headache and you were being loud!" She could not picture Lord Elrond trying to hit his son, and deeply suspected that Elladan had probably received numerous kind requests to lower his voice before receiving a hit.

His sweet laughter echoed in the room in response to her words, and then he simply stared at her. His silver eyes inviting her to free fall into their endless depths, unable to pull away as he smiled softly at her. Then, he leaned in a pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Thank you" He said, his voice now deep and honest, all traces of playfulness gone "I do not completely know what happened out there, but I know part of it was your doing, so thank you"

She simply smiled in return, her mind flowing with images from the run through the forest, new questions bursting into her thoughts. She could feel Vilya still hanging from her neck, now silent and peaceful, and dreaded the conversations that were yet to come. She was not completely sure of what had happened, but was only sure of what thing: she had used the ring, it had responded to her.

Elladan continued to stare into her eyes, and she could see the same questions reflected in his liquid silver irises. Neither of them knew what the consequences of that dark encounter with the riders would bring. Suddenly, the door opened again and the younger twin entered into the room, smiling widely when his eyes met hers.

"Elerrina!" he said as he sat next to his twin at the edge of the bed, his kind eyes looking at her. She smiled at Elrohir in return, he was so easy to like.

"Good to see you awake" He said softly, his grin mirroring that of his elder brother. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked in his sweet, kind voice.

"Good" he said when she nodded her head in response. Then his eyes turned to look at his twin, then back at her, and then back at Elladan.

"Would you like me to leave you alone?" He asked teasingly as he threw a playful look to his twin brother, gaining only a gentle smack on the back of his head.

"No, of course you would not. Elerrina would never want me to leave and leave her to your mercy, right Rina?" She laughed at Elrohir's words, an immense joy growing in her chest at his playful tone, his once again kind eyes, the silent, cold and hard look on them completely disappeared, leaving no traces that it had ever been there.

"Right, Elrohir" she answered smiling widely as Elladan raised an eyebrow at her. However, the younger twin proceeded to speak again before Elladan could add anything.

"Dan, Ada just awoke. Arwen and Glorindel are with him, and they asked me to get you." Elrohir's voice was once again soft and peaceful as his silver eyes looked deeply into an identical pair, both mirror images smiling lightly. Then Elrohir's eyes turned to her as he added, "He would also like to see you, Elerrina"

Here is chapter 36! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think! Sorry for the long wait, but again, this week was crazy with the amount of work.

Thank you deeply again to all of those who reviewed my latest chapter: She Elf of Hidden Lore, SarahWeasley, alexiana75, Hirilnin, Glory Bee, , Paperlanterns86, Lizzie, booklover1498, MinNinniach, Coco99, Mercedes216, TheRegularOne, and CeffylGwyn. Thank you for all of your comments!

Love,

Elena