You know I planned on saying "Ha! I'm early!" Alas I am not..

Enjoy all the angst and the tears...

Elrohir strode along the winding path that led to his and Elladan's and now Estel's favourite hiding spot. The hidden gardens behind their home, tucked away beneath the canopy of great oak and birch trees and out of sight from any unwanted onlookers. He was restless, unable to sit still and wallow any longer after his conversation with his father just before dawn. He needed to find Elladan and apologise. Elrohir chewed at the skin around his fingers, berating himself for how he had treated his brother, who had only tried to help him.

Now the sky stretched pink and orange into the grey darkness of the morning, the birds beginning their sweet melodies whilst Elrohir mused over his conversation with his father. Elrond had found his son in the same place he had left him after breakfast; reclined on the grass, his head resting against the stone bench looking balefully at the glittering night sky.

"Iôn-nin, what have the stars done to you to make you glare at them as such this night?" Elrond seemed to be the listener of heavy hearts this night, he mused as he plonked himself on the bench next to his son's head.

"My own guilt Ada." Elrohir rested his head on his father's leg, relaxing as his father's hand stroked his hair comfortingly as he had when he was a child.

An unconvinced huff escaped Elrond's lips, "I found your brother in the gardens looking at them in the same manner, though I think his face may be stuck in a permanent scowl from how hard he's been staring at them." He gave Elrohir that look he used to get information out of them as children. His hazel eyes soft and caring, "Care to tell me what's making you both want to glare the stars out of the sky?"

Elladan had of course given him his side of the tale, but Elrond knew that Elrohir needed the opportunity to speak freely.

Elrohir sighed, looking at the upside down face of his father, "Ada…Why did he not tell me?"

Elrond gestured for him to come sit with him, both sat shoulder to shoulder, dark hair blending into the night, their faces and lean build almost entirely identical to onlookers save for the braids that were woven into Elrohir's hair.

"Elrohir, your brother did not tell you not because he wanted to hurt you, quite the opposite in fact. He wanted to protect you."

"From what?"

"From yourself Elrohir. Do not be angry with him, Elladan was worried about you, we almost lost you too. You should go speak to him, he is hurt by both your actions." Elrond's voice softened, resting his head upon his sons which laid upon his shoulder. "I too owe you an apology for not telling either of you sooner."

"You have nothing to apologise for Ada. I will go talk to him, I promise. I did not mean to be so harsh towards him or to act so selfishly. It was all too much to bare. Seeing Lostoriel and knowing that he knew. That he saved her life and never said a word to me. And that she was right there within arm's length of me. Ada…" Elrohir's face scrunched up, the tips of his ears reddening, his voice thickening with emotion before he broke down in his Adar's loving arms. Feeling everything all at once.

Elrohir rolled his shoulder's back standing taller, he knew what he had to do. He hated that he had been so blind towards what his brother was feeling, he deserved what he got from Elladan. His Ada was right, all his muindor had done was try to protect him as they both did for each other, to prevent him from losing himself again. He would do the same for his brothers and his sister, he loved them too much to let them hurt.

Rounding a corner he was abruptly taken from his thoughts by a loud thud and a shout of "Oi!"

Before him, sitting untidily on his bottom was a mousy haired dwarf, next to him was a bearded blond who, due to their likeness in stature and look, Elrohir assumed could be his brother. The Elf immediately bent and stretched his hand out to the dwarf. He gave him an apologetic smile, bowing slightly, "Master Dwarf, please forgive me. I was walking blindly and did not see you there."

Elrohir was careful not to offend them. A dwarf's temper was never a beast to awaken. The blonde dwarf moved to pick a few stray leaves from his brother's hair, revealing a shorter red-haired dwarf behind him. Elrohir thought he looked homely, with his too-big knitted jersey and red-leather bound book with parchment sticking out at all directions clutched protectively against his chest.

The young dwarf stood dusting off his black trousers, "It's alright, no harm-" he stopped, looking at the elf with eyes as big as saucers looking wildly at his brother. Elrohir couldn't help but grin. He knew that look. "You…" Kili pointed at Elrohir accusingly, "Didn't we just see you? We did just see him right Fili."

Said Fili had the same look of astonishment upon his face, "We did yes, just over there by the gardens. How did you?"

The young red-head's mouth moved to speak, but no words came out. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Elrohir basked in his amusement for a while longer, letting the three dwarves sputter about in confusion "I believe that you have seen my twin brother, Elladan, Master Dwarves. I am Elrohir son of Elrond." He bowed lowly, his hair pin-straight hair falling about him like water.

The three dwarves bowed as one, Fili stepped forward to introduce them as Ori- the wide-eyed one, himself and Kili the one without a beard. The trio looked entirely baffled and annoyed with themselves for not realising it sooner.

After exchanging pleasantries they made to move off to their destination, which Elrohir prayed was not to another fountain to bathe in. He had seen enough dwarf bare bottoms earlier that day to scar him for the rest of his immortal life.

He stopped in his tracks realising with a baleful look that they had found their spot. "How did you find it?"

"Find what?" asked Fili as they halted beneath the trees.

"The gardens. They are hidden from anyone who does not know the paths of Rivendell."

A sheepish expression covered each of their faces, "Oh we may have done some exploring through the uhmm... Kitchens." Kili gave him a nervous smile, unashamedly holding up a small sack of fruit.

Elrohir felt a new found respect for the trio, he gave them a proud smile and nod before moving off to find his brother. It took a special skill to make it through the doorway of Sidhon's kitchen unseen and un-shouted at. Though that was probably a curtesy everyone else had, except the twins.

"I hear you glared so hard at the stars that you may end up wrinkled." Elrohir laid himself next to his brother on the wet grass.

Elladan lay with his arms crossed on his chest, unwilling to look at his brother, their hair fanning out around them like halos of night. Two pairs of grey eyes stared at the morning sky, two heavy sighs escaped their lips.

"I'm sorry muindor." Started Elrohir, "I'm sorry brother." Ended Elladan at the same time, sharing a warm smile with the other.

"I acted like a selfish pig last night. I shouldn't have pushed you away Dan. You did what you knew was right and I couldn't see that, I couldn't see that you were hurting too." He sat up, "Forgive me saes."

Elladan rolled his eyes, "You did act like a selfish arse. But I am sorry for what I said, it was out of anger and I did not mean it."

"You do not have to be. I needed it." Elrohir shuffled closer to his brother who was now upright, his hair and tunic full of grass and leaves. He took his brothers face in his pressing their foreheads together.

"Forgiven?"

"Forgiven." Elladan placed his hands on his brother's cheeks with a reassuring smile, as they had always done.

"Now," began the older twin, moving away from his brother and getting up, sending a shower of grass onto Elrohir as he dusted himself off, "what are you going to do about Lostoriel?"

Elrohir gave a cry of frustration, throwing himself back onto the ground, "I don't know. I have nothing beyond, "hello", "so you're alive" and, "marry me?"

Elladan rubbed both his hands over his face, exaggeratedly rubbing his temples and the bridge of his nose. "Uhm, brother I mean this in the kindest way; but you are using none of those except maybe "hello."

It was nearing midday when Lostoriel turned from the target board at the sound of cheering from behind her. She had hit her twentieth bullseye in a row after Glorfindel had hurried her through breakfast, much to Erestor's chagrin. He had then made her run the entire perimeter of Imladris with him twice and spent at least two hours doing physical fitness, or "torture" as she had dubbed it after her second round of the whistle runs. Where he had her running back and forth between designated markings across a wide field at each blow of the whistle along with the other training troops.

The Balrog slayer insisted that their night of sparring was not sufficient sword practice and had her sparring with him before moving onto the archery ranges all before nine o'clock, according to Erestor and Aerinniel who had tried and failed to rescue her from Glorfindel's wrath.

She was exhausted! Her legs threatened to buckle beneath her, her feet ached like she had been walking across gravel barefoot and her back and arm muscles seemed to jiggle and pull like jelly every time she pulled back the bow string. But she was determined to do this.

"Again!" barked Glorfindel, the very image of a relentless teacher. His face hardened into determined lines, usually kind eyes holding nothing but sternness and no small degree of anger. Though Lostoriel knew that was just because he was training her as a soldier, not as a princess. She expected no less of him.

Lostoriel eyed the target board again, pulling another arrow from the barrel next to her, nocking and aiming in one swift movement. Back straight from the stance, one leg forward the other holding her weight.

She remembered the blond face from the flash of memory of her father she had seen in the forest, breathe in and release!

The arrow sped off towards the target, its bright yellow fletching spinning wildly until it hit bullseye with a satisfying thunk!

"Again! Target five! Stance three! Loosen your shoulders, your arms aren't relaxed enough and widen your feet!" Glorfindel cried from behind her.

Lostoriel adjusted her stance, feeling his critical eyes boring into her skull. She rolled back her shoulders, taking a step back and standing at her full height. The fifth target was the size of a dinner plate, it shone white in the sun and was an easy shot for an experienced archer. She adjusted the degree of her aim, relying on centuries of intuition that she tried to hone in on.

She inhaled pulling the string to her cheek and exhaled only once the arrow was soaring through the air. Hope swelled in her chest and died when her arrow dipped and fell a metre short of her target. She gripped her bow tightly, swearing with words and phrases Glorfindel hadn't heard before, frustrated tears threatened to escape her eyes. Lostoriel knew she could do this, not long after she had recovered from her burns she had acquired an archery set and had spent countless hours keeping up her training. Only after she had made her own after wanting to burn that modern bow, as far as she was concerned that piece of metal was good for nothing except sport.

She knew that she had been taught how to make the shot from the tree tops but she remembered nothing from Lord Merenon's or Legolas's training.

He came and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't get frustrated Lostoriel. You know how to do this-"

"But-"

"No. Listen to me." Glorfindel gently, "Just breathe. You are one of the most skilled warriors in Middle Earth. You have trained and fought your entire life. You know what you're doing. Give yourself time."

"Take your Stance."

Lostoriel nocked, aimed and drew in one fluid movement, "Take half a step back, move your bow a little higher. Yes like that. Now fire!"

Lostoriel didn't dare move her arms from the drawing position until she heard the thwack of the arrow hitting the target dead centre.

"I bet I could best you princess!" called Kili from the picket fence that surrounded the ranges, he leaned on it with a cocky smile on his face. Fili rolled his eyes to the heavens questioning why his younger brother did such stupid things.

Ori on the other hand was less interested in the archery and more interested with drawing the landscape in front of him, he captured every detail of the training fields, the elves and everything beyond it with awe and unrivalled skill in his thick book. So far his favourite drawing was the sketch he did of Lostoriel holding her bow up to shoot when her scary looking instructor had her practicing her stances. She had looked regal, her golden hair flying around her, face set in determination and a fire burning in her eyes. To Ori, she looked every bit as ancient as she probably was.

Lostoriel shared an inquiring look at Glorfindel, who for all the protests he should have had wanted to see the dwarf's skill.

Lostoriel looked to Glorfindel who nodded, mostly because he honestly wanted to see just how skilled the heartless dwarf was and partially because he had done most of the training with Lostoriel that day and was exhausted.

"Very well Master Kili, It seems you have a match." Lostoriel tried to smile, though she was sure it came across as an awkward grimace. The dwarves and her had avoided each other and yet these three kept popping back up. Lostoriel couldn't quite look Kili or Fili or Ori for that matter in the eye. Not after the embarrassment of that night.

Kili came round into the field through the large gate, cheeks turning crimson as he realised that he would need a bow. And not an Elven bow because they were nearly as tall as he was. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as the humiliating realisation hit him.

Luckily Glorfindel had a one of the younger Elves fetch a training bow from the armoury.

"So what brings you three down here?"

Kili turned red for a moment wondering if she knew about their kitchen raid. "Oh we were just taking a walk, Ori wanted to sketch parts of the city. Said something about keeping a documentation of our time here."

"Oh." She didn't know what to say, nor how to say it. The embarrassment from that night flaring up again.

They didn't get any further in their conversation when the young brown haired warrior reappeared with a child size recurve bow. Glorfindel handed it to the dwarf, his hesitation hidden beneath a mask of calm. If the dwarf tried anything he could end him in an instant. The Balrog slayer shook that thought from his head. No, he should have trust in this dwarf, he had no intentions to hurt anyone. Glorfindel felt guilt creeping up his throat.

Instead of being silent he said, "Good luck master..."

"Kili, son of Dís."

"Good luck young Master Kili. I am Glorfindel." He gave the dwarf a warm smile, which he unexpectedly returned. For a moment dwarf and elf stood together, hands clutching forearms as they forgot their ancient rivalry which had trickled into the present. "Your friend here is rather good at what she does, but I think you could best her."

Lostoriel gasped, a look of feigning hurt on her face, "How little faith you have in me Lord Glorfindel."

"I did not say anything about my faith in you, just about your ability to hit that target." Glorfindel patted her shoulder giving her an amused smile in response to her shocked gasp. "You've got this."

Kili on the other hand was testing out the bow, it was just as light as his. He drew back the string with ease. The grip was firm, the weight of the draw pulled at his muscles in a familiar manner, it must've been the same as his own bow.

"Match rules?" He asked, eyes lit up in excitement.

"Best four out of five? No fancy tricks. And we'll avoid target six." Suggested Lostoriel with a raised eyebrow, a smirk on her lips as she pointed with her bow to the last target. Which was hidden behind several tangled branches and leaves, barely visible to the untrained eye.

Earning a nod from both him and Glorfindel. Lostoriel pointed to the trees on the far side of the field, "You see those discs within the trees? That is our last shot."

She saw Kili gulp nervously, he could do this. It like hunting deer from a distance. With only the creatures head popping up. The dwarf nodded to himself smiling confidently at the cheer his brother shouted to him from his spot behind the fence.

"Right then enough chitchat. On my count." Glorfindel placed himself behind them looking far more excited for this than he should have been.

"Well princess, may the best dwarf win." Kili turned to her grasping her forearm in good sportsmanship. She hated that he called her princess, it irked her.

Lostoriel rolled her eyes at the irony in his voice, "Are you going to insist on calling me that?" not waiting for his response she jokingly taunted him, "Prepare to have your Dwarvish hide kicked."

The elf cringed at her words, hoping that she would in fact win this.

The two archers were beginning to draw some attention to the other elves on the archery field. Never before had a dwarf even dared set foot near their training fields and yet today here was one holding a child's training bow having an archery competition with the Woodland princess. Their WoodElven kin had always been strange, but she perhaps was the strangest of them all.

Many of the older warriors recalled the days when she and her older brother would sprint through the trees, flinging themselves from branch to branch like animals, followed hot on their heels by the twins or Arwen. They had all been much younger then and less weighed down by the darkness which they fought and the constant shadow of death which they were often faced with.

Glorfindel gave the call to begin, "Archers take your positions! Draw! Fire!"

Lostoriel notched her arrow to the bowstring, shakily drawing the string back trying to ignore the eyes who watched them. It had been years since she had shot in front of other people, her days of practicing on Earth spent tucked away deep in the woods. Her shot flew true and hit the board dead in the centre.

Her nervousness did not escape Glorfindel's eyes as he watched Kili, impressed at the skill of the dwarf. He notched, drew and shot with the skill of an elf and his quarry hit the board in the centre of the target. The small crowd of Elves cheered loudly, Dwarf or not a small break from the bone-breaking routine of Glorfindel and the Weapons Master's was welcomed.

Lostoriel's mind didn't shut off as it normally did when she shot, as she drew fire for the second shot she couldn't help but wonder why Fili, Kili and Ori wanted to befriend her after her embarrassment.

"Won't your uncle be angry with you for talking to me?" asked Lostoriel as Glorfindel called for them to draw fire.

"We don't always have to do what Thorin tells us too you know."

Thwack!

Both arrows hit their targets, Kili's however landing in the outer rings as he misjudged his shot being taken aback by Lostoriel's question. A cheer once again rose from the Elves.

He shook off his mistake, smiling mischievously "What Thorin thinks of our doing doesn't bother us much. He has no reason to judge us for doing so. Our uncle thinks that we don't know what he keeps from us. "

Before she could ask Kili about what he said Glorfindel's call to draw rang vaguely in her mind. Lostoriel stood dumbly, holding her arrow loosely against her bow trying to understand what Kili had said.

"Lostoriel? Do you concede?"

Keeps from them? What dealings with an Elf does Thorin deem so secretive that he would keep it from them?

Lostoriel shook her head, drawing back her bow and firing upon his command. They had once been friends, or friends as much as they were allowed to before his grandfather succumbed to the dragon's sickness. She vaguely remembered her visits to the Mountain after that being few and far between once her father and his had forbade the friendship from happening.

Their arrows curved high into the clear sky, getting lost in the sunlight before the fourth boards which marked the three hundred metre line shook as the arrows pierced the centre ring with a satisfying clunk.

Kili smirked, extremely pleased with his performance in front of all these Elves. He was the best archer back in the Blue Mountains, but here he felt as if he were a boy again only just beginning to learn how to shoot. He held his head high, pride swelling up within him as he thought of how proud his mother would have been.

The tension began to build between the two archers, a ring of elves had gathered around them eager to watch the stand-off. Lostoriel hadn't made the mark as Kili her arrow piercing the ring above it. The Dwarf smirked thinking he had a chance of winning, Lostoriel rolled her eyes as she watched him rather cockily spin an arrow through his fingers.

She knew that she would have to let the Dwarves know that she intended to be part of their quest, but she first knew that it would be wise to be in their good books first. Telling them however could come later, she didn't quite feel like speaking to Thorin just yet.

Now was the moment of truth, the fifth target loomed in the distance, silence swept over the circle of onlookers, Lostoriel stole a tentative glance at them. She recognized a few of the elves standing there, some she had befriended through the twins and others she had met on diplomatic meetings between their two realms.

"The score now rests on a close three to four! Archers to your positions!" Glorfindel was having more fun than Erestor would ever allow him to with the Dwarf. Quite frankly he was enjoying Lostoriel being challenged and by one no less than a Dwarf! Lostoriel caught him giving an elf she couldn't see a quick wink and excited smile, his yellow hair shining brightly in the sunlight.

Kili unknowingly stepped backwards, his keen eyes spotting the plate-shaped disc nailed to a tree on the opposite end of the field. He inhaled deeply, seeing the brown arrow fly through the air in a perfect arc and landing on bullseye in his mind's eye. Dwalin had taught him that trick when he was younger, saying that the key to shooting successfully is to see the shot in one's mind and then to believe that one can do it.

Lostoriel to his left glanced at him out the corner of her eye as she prepared to draw. Her brain unconsciously calculating the angle and telling her hands where to go. She relied on her intuition for this shot, recalling Glorfindel's words from earlier. She knew what she was doing.

"Draw!" came his call once again.

The Elf and Dwarf stepped into their stances, Lostoriel pulling the string towards her ear the light fletching tickling her cheek. She inhaled, feeling the warm summer air filling her lungs and clearing her mind. Kili stared intensely at the disc, his eyes nearly boring a hole into its centre. The Dwarf's fingers just touched his ears, his back muscles pushing together as he held his stance.

"Leithio!" Glorfindel was so lost in the moment that he forgot to give the order to fire in the common tongue. Lostoriel almost laughed at the old Elf's expression, the joyful youth that still managed to shine through him continued to amaze her.

Both archers released their shots, the arrows whizzing high overhead, yellow fletching spinning wildly in the wind and landed vibrating in the centre of both targets. Kili and Lostoriel cheered, her shout ringing loud and clear amongst those from the crowd as she raised her bow in victory.

She turned to Kili, "We'll give you credit for trying." Her eyes smiling with her broad grin. "Well matched Kili."

The two grasped the others forearms, respect and congratulations ringing quietly through the shake.

"Oh hilarious Princess. I may have let you win. But there's always a next time." Kili winked, his wide smile hiding nothing but joy and a little confusion. "Well-matched, I did not think that they would be so excited to see a dwarf shoot."

"They're young, warriors in training, they can't resist a competition. You both were a welcomed distraction." Glorfindel held them both at arm's length congratulating them as the crowd of Elves quickly dispersed upon seeing their other Captains and Lord Amdirlain's stern call to take their lunch break.

He threatened them with an afternoon of butterfly drills if they weren't back before the sun reached its zenith. Lostoriel knew from experience that those drills weren't anywhere near "butterfly-like" as the name suggested. The Captains of the Woodland realm used them on a daily basis when training their troops and had more than once made Lostoriel feel as if she would die.

Lostoriel was about to speak when Lindir appeared out of nowhere quietly speaking to a crestfallen Glorfindel and conveyed a message from Thorin to Fili and Kili who were to meet him in Lord Elrond's halls immediately.

"Take the rest of the day off. I unfortunately have a Council meeting that I'm late for." He sighed disappointedly, "Erestor is going to kill me. I'll meet you at the usual spot for our morning run. You did well today." He gave her a squeeze on the shoulder and turned away with sagging shoulders towards the path leading into the City.

The three dwarves bade farewell to her, she couldn't help but notice how ink-stained Ori's fingers were, and a small smudged line crossed his cheek. Lostoriel made a mental note to ask him later if she could see what he had been working on.

The Elleth stepped between the wood and string of the bow, hooking the bottom curve around her ankle and the other in front of her shoulder so she could release the string to let the wood breathe. It was now that she finally allowed herself to groan in pain as her muscles threatened to collapse. The aching in her feet returning with vengeance and the muscles around her torso and back clenched together as she moved. Glorfindel had worked her to the bone, she sighed in resignation, and today was just the first day she knew the pain would be worse tomorrow.

Lostoriel placed the bow in the barrel and in twisted the cap off her water skin when a flash of brown hair raced passed her screaming "Glorfindel! Glorfindel wait!"

A small child, no older than ten perhaps was bolting across the grounds and bounced straight up into the arms of the warrior who caught him with a smile and spun him in the air for a few moments. Lostoriel watched them for a few moments, her expression somewhere between a frown and a smile. She had noticed that that was no Elven child that Glorfindel had in his arms.

"Challenging Dwarves now are we?" came a voice from behind her.

Lostoriel froze recognizing his unmistakeable smooth voice, she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply to gather herself. Her heart pounded in her chest, her head filled with cotton wool as she turned to face him with a smile that reached her ears.

"Only the good ones." Lostoriel's stomach flipped as the sensation of hundreds of fluttering butterflies filled it, the elf in front of her looked every bit as young as he had when she had seen him last. Dark chocolate brown hair flying in the breeze, grey eyes gazing at her softly in the sunlight and his angular face beaming with joy and relief.

She took a tentative step forward, playing with her hands not quite sure what to do after last night's teary, messy encounter with him. Elrohir seemed to sense this and gave her a reassuring smile taking a small step forward too. His heart called out to hers and he could not wait to feel her in his arms again.

They simply stood there studying each other, she gazed at him unblinkingly watching as his eyes filled with tears. They didn't waste another minute, Elrohir engulfed her in his arms, hers stretching across his shoulders face buried in the crook of his neck. He cried freely, his cheek resting upon her head a laugh escaping both their lips as he spun her in the air before setting her back on the ground. Foreheads touching and hands moving from her face to shoulders and then holding her hands and bringing them to his lips. Both their minds being unwilling to comprehend they stood here breathing the same air as each other after so long.

He looked deeply into her eyes, losing himself in the sea of blue, "I…You were…And now!" for once and not the last time the silver tongue of Elrohir Elrondion failed him. His words coming breathlessly and jumbled as he couldn't express the whirlwind of emotions flowing through him.

"Elrohir, breathe melleth-nin. I know…" Lostoriel laughed, joy spreading to every inch of her body. She gently placed her scarred hands on his flushed cheeks, the world around them fell away into silence, and it was just him and her. And the rapid beating of Elrohir's racing heart which he was sure she could hear.

Her pink lips met his, no sign of hesitation or confusion as he kissed her back, one hand cupping her face the other snaking around Lostoriel's waist to draw her closer to him. They had waited and longed for this for an entire century, thirty-six thousand five hundred days of not having her by his side, if he had calculated correctly. He poured every moment of grief, longing and happiness into this one kiss and Lostoriel grinned, tears streaking her cheeks unable to contain her emotions let herself finally feel that she was home.

The two broke apart, somewhat reluctantly, neither caring about the stares and nudges in their direction that the warriors gave each other. They had each other again. She wiped the tears from his face, "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to… We were supposed to get out, but there were still Dwarves inside and we just… We couldn't leave them and I have spent every day since then thinking of you and my Ada and Legolas and I'm sorry about last night."

"Only you would apologise for dying." A huff of laughter escaped him, "You have nothing, nothing to apologise for Lostoriel." He shook his head profusely, "You did what you knew was right even if it meant giving your life. No one could have asked you to do any more. But taking on a dragon by yourself! Lostoriel that was reckless and borderline suicidal." Elrohir suddenly realised what he was doing and stopped himself, his anger washing away, she knew that already. She had known that the moment she had stepped in front of that beast and did what they all would've done.

"Forgive me."

"For what?" Lostoriel searched his face, his eyes looking dark and haunted by years of suffering.

"For being furious with you all these years. For not letting you rest."

"Elrohir… Stop, I do not blame you, if you had gone rushing off to kill a dragon by yourself I too would've said and done the same. Only louder and with more "unladylike" words." The elleth laughed telling him it was alright, that she took no offence to what he had said. Her musical laughter made his heart flutter, it had felt like millennia since he heard it, since he had laughed even harder at her when she snorted like she had just done.

He couldn't help but nod in agreement lightly laughing at the thought, she would have killed him before the dragon could. "I wouldn't put it passed you. "How…How did you come back?" he asked interlacing his fingers with hers, "How is this possible?"

"I'm not sure…I don't remember how or why…" she shrugged, "My mind has been hazy, but I will find out."

"RO!" the child bounded back towards them breaking the moment, his small face beaming with excitement, "You'll never believe it! Glorfindel promised to take me riding with him later!"

The child shouted as he closed the distance between him and his brother, leaping into Elrohir's arms who caught him easily.

"Did he now?" the elf raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips.

The child nodded eagerly, "Only if I promise-" he stopped short his eyes widening in surprise at the stranger next to his older brother. He immediately tried to hide himself in Elrohir's shoulder, Estel moved so quickly that Elrohir almost dropped him. The shyness he felt towards the archer making his toes curl. He had seen her shoot and had been amazed by how easily she managed to shoot as if the bow was a part of her.

"Estel what's going on?"

The child lifted his chin ever so slightly, hazel brown eyes darting to the blond elf who had been holding Elrohir.

The older elf's mouth curved in an O shape as realisation dawned upon his face, he turned himself to face Lostoriel sideways, bringing Estel closer to her.

"Estel, this is Lostoriel of the WoodLand Realm. She is an old childhood friend of ours." He winked at the shorter elf, "Lostoriel this is our little brother Estel."

Lostoriel studied him curiously, wondering why on Earth Lord Elrond had adopted a human child. She studied his face closely, his slightly angular features reminding her of someone she had met, but she couldn't remember who. Pushing that thought away she gave him her kindest smile lowering her head, "It is a pleasure to meet you Estel. You must be the one who Lord Erestor was chasing after the other day." She grinned.

He blushed crimson, mouth widening in surprise, "You saw me!? I was running away from his boring lessons."

"Estel!" Elrohir quietly reprimanded him.

Lostoriel laughed liking the child already, "No I didn't, but I did hear him throw some interesting words your way. And don't worry when I was your age I hated lessons too. My brother and I would run off into the Woods instead and hide until our instructor gave up searching for us." The elleth nodded towards Elrohir, "As for your brothers, don't think that they're so innocent either. You should ask Erestor about what trouble they'd get themselves into."

Estel liked the look of her, she was a warrior like her brothers he could see, except that she was dressed in greens and browns like the strange Elves from the books he had read in the library. He especially liked that she hated lessons too and gave him valuable information that he could use later on his older brothers.

Wow, he thought to himself, his young mind drinking her in like she was a figment of his imagination. The stories of the WoodElves were legendary, they were invincible in his eyes and as his Ada had explained it, had such a strong love for nature that it was a wonder that they weren't forest creatures themselves.

"Please don't give him anymore ideas, we have enough trouble getting him to sit still as it is." Came Elladan's exasperated voice, an easy smile on his face.

He had stood off to the side watching the scene unfold before him grinning. He had laughed at how idiotic his brother looked for a moment, just standing there gaping at her like a fish out of water.

"Elladan!" exclaimed Lostoriel turning to greet him.

"Next time you decide to go off fighting dragons do wait for us!" The pair embraced each other for a long moment, both overjoyed at seeing an old friend after so long. "It's good to have you back Toriel."

She noticed the tears glistening in his eyes but didn't say anything, Elladan was never one to openly express himself. Instead she smiled and tried to convey the same relief and sisterly love back to him.

"I'll let you know in advance! Thank you for saving my life the other day, that orc looked much too happy to kill me." She grasped his forearm a hand still on his shoulder.

He nodded solemnly which she returned in suit, but his bright eyes betrayed his happiness, "Always. Travelling in the company of Dwarves now I see?"

"It's a long story." She sighed stepping back and studying the trio of brothers in front of her. If it weren't for Estel's round cheeks and ears she could've sworn that all three of them were biologically related.

Elrohir came to her side, snaking an arm around her waist, "Luckily we have all afternoon for you to tell us of your recent adventures."

Estel wriggled free from his brother and hopped lightly to the ground and coming to stand in front of Lostoriel. He grabbed her hands, his eyes wide as saucers, bouncing on his toes. "You went on an adventure? Where did you go? What was it like?"

"Estel one question at a time." Elladan told his brother gently, laughing at his excitement.

"Well Estel it began in the forest in a downpour." began Lostoriel as the four strolled back into the city. Elrohir's arm around her shoulders, hers around his waist and Elladan feeling like the world made a little more sense again as he watched them smiling at each other like idiots with Estel grasping his hand tightly as they listened to Lostoriel recall her tale.

And for a moment Lostoriel felt as if she had never left.

Elladan rested his legs on the balcony railings, stretching his muscles with a contented sigh. His eyes fixed upon the two slender figures strolling hand in hand down the garden path alongside the winding stream. He could hear his brother's lyrical laugh from where he sat high above and his heart warmed; it had been a long time since he heard Elrohir laugh like that.

The four of them had spent the rest of the afternoon together with the Halfling Bilbo Baggins joking around, eating and telling Estel and he stories from their childhoods. The normalcy of having Lostoriel around again filled him with warmth, it was as if they were younger and the world was a less dark place.

Unconsciously his hand began to stroke Estel's wavy hair which lay in a mess on his lap whilst the child practised his reading skills. Tonight Erestor had him reading the tale of the Hare and the Deer, it was an old fairy tale of Men that Gilrean his mother had begun to read to him.

"Stop it Elladan!" Estel swotted his hand away from his hair, trying to wriggle away laughing. But he was too slow for the elf. Elladan quickly threw his arms around him and squeezed him against his chest pressing a large kiss on his forehead.

"Dan! Leave me!" the boy laughed and used all his might to push his brother's face away. The boy kicked out and landed with a soft thud on the couch.

Elladan turned to him, an exaggerated frown on his face, "Too old to get love from your brother are we?"

The child rolled his sparkling brown eyes, "Yes." He answered simply before crashing onto Elladan's chest arms thrown around his neck, "But not just yet."

Once the two settled into the quiet of the night Elladan spotted the pair of elves sitting on a stone bench not far into the gardens, Elrohir's hands held Lostoriel's face, one of hers on his cheek the other holding his hand. Eyes locked on the others the space between them closing quickly until their lips met in a kiss so deep Elladan suddenly felt guilty for watching them. He couldn't help but smile. Before he carried on spying on them he turned to check that Estel was still reading. Satisfied that his little brother was quietly reading aloud, he turned his attention to Elrohir and Lostoriel.

Upon seeing that their faces were still smushed together he almost laughed, the sight looked so normal, so sweet and yet he still felt a twinge of mild disgust at watching her kiss his brother. It was not anything bad of course, it was just the realisation that this was the elf who would most probably one day take his brother from his side. Forgetting that thought he turned his gaze skyward, eyes running over the stars that looked down upon them on the warm summer's evening.

His mind floated to the conversation he had with his father in the wee hours of the morning when the sky looked the same as it did now.

Elladan was sprawled out on the grass in his mother's garden just below the kitchens. His nightshirt billowing out around him and his dark hair melting into the shadows. He looked like a great, four legged spider with a pair of eyes that shone with fury unlike the joyful stars that they watched. He couldn't sleep. Not after the fight he had had with Elrohir.

Guilt turned his stomach, anger through his head and a strong sense loss pulled at his heart. Elrohir had acted selfishly, as if Lostoriel's death had only affected him, as if it had sent only him into a mad search for her that had lasted months if not years and as if King Thranduil hadn't refused to believe that she was truly gone. He hated that Ro seemed to forget who it was that pulled him from the depths of grief, who sat with him as the light of the Eldar left him. Who gave up his strength and will to live so that his brother could see the next minute.

It made Elladan's blood boil, it made him want to shout from the rooftops and knock some sense into him. Preferably with a boot or better yet with a chair. But he wouldn't do that to Elrohir. He'd let his brother's conscious have its way.

Soft footsteps came towards him, barely audible above the melancholic singing that filled the air. His hands unconsciously reached for his sword that wasn't there moving away when he felt the presence of his father behind him.

Elrond watched his son with concerned eyes as he approached, something was definitely wrong. Elrohir was not with Elladan, either his other son was sleeping or the pair had had a fight. That was usually the only time the two were apart. He was silent for a moment coming to lie on the grass with his son, "If you glare any harder at the sky you may just shatter the moon ion-nin. Why are you alone this night?"

The pair were unmistakably father and son, grey eyes staring at the same sky, the same thin lips pressed together in stern lines.

Elladan turned to face his father, "I needed some air."

Elrond hummed in response, raising a sideways eyebrow, letting Elladan take his time. His eldest had always been slow to speak how he felt, he had believed that his worries were his alone to carry. One could never force Elladan to talk about how he felt. He was too stubborn to talk about it in the first place and then eager to take his time to formulate the right words to express himself.

"I didn't tell Ro about Lostoriel and he saw her before we went to bed. He just lost it with me Adar. He stormed off and only came back late into the night refusing to talk to me or to even look at me. He was furious that I had kept this from him, he had every right to be but I didn't know how to tell him. I didn't know what to say or how to process it myself. But he…" Elladan paused to calm himself.

"Elrohir turned it all to revolve around himself, everything became my fault. As if I didn't lose one of my closest companions, as if we didn't lose a part of our family and didn't spend decades mourning."

His voice thickened, nearly choking on his tears, "And he blatantly ignored the fact that it was I who had to stop him from killing that beast himself. That it was you and me and Arwen everyone else who had to watch him fade almost to his death and had to practically pull him from the death! He was so selfish Ada, he acted as if the years we spent searching the East with Legolas hadn't happened. As if all our tears and strife had been for naught! I got mad then. I said something I shouldn't have. I had meant to tell him, but I was too afraid of what may have happened. Of him falling into his grief again. I couldn't risk almost losing my brother again."

Elrond sighed placing his hand over Elladan's, "Peace my son." He sat up bring the sniffling elfling with him and wrapping him in his arms. Elladan rested against his father's chest, ear listening to his calm heartbeat and letting it soothe him. "I'm not saying that he was right to act in such a manner Elladan. He was wrong to disregard your feelings as were you in hurting his."

"Ada."

"Dan." Elrond answered in the same pleading tone, he gently stroked his son's hair, "Understand where he is coming from. Lostoriel is his One, whether either of them know it or not. When she died so did a part of him. Yes if it weren't for you and the rest of us he may have not been here now, but his and our lives have changed again and perhaps for the better. He has a chance to be happy again, he has a second chance at love."

Elladan sat up his thoughts disturbed by the small snores that escaped Estel's mouth. The book lay in a heap on his stomach rising and falling to the slow rhythm of his breath. The Elf carefully set the book onto the couch and scooped the child into his arms laughing as the snores deepened. The stark contrast between Estel's unbridled energy in the day and his exhaustion at night continued to amaze him. Mortals were strange beings, he mused to himself carrying his brother out of his room, much like Elves the sun told them of the start of the day, but their bodies were oddly attuned to the light in the sky. The moon was a beacon of sleep for them, or at least, that was what he thought.

His thoughts turned back to his conversation with his father, it now seemed like it was ages ago. His Ada was right, the Valar had given Elrohir a second chance at love and Lostoriel one at life. Having seen the look of pure love and happiness upon their faces the entire day made him realise that. His heart swelled at the way his brother smiled, truly a part of him had returned from the dead. The two of them had a long way to go, but they had each other. Elladan supposed that that was all they needed.

Whilst Elladan was carrying Estel to bed, unbeknownst to anyone a Dwarf leaned silently against the stone railing of the balcony outside his room. His fingers unconsciously tapping in tune as he hummed an old song of love and loss that his mother had taught him. His deep humming resonating in tune with the slow, lament the Elves had decided to sing that night, echoing from the Hall of Fire. He swore that they could have been about the same thing, the sadness of their floral words mixing smoothly with his own melancholy.

His weary eyes had been watching the stars, noting the constellations in his mind and wondering if his father looked down upon him; now ready to guide him back to their homeland. His dark hair blended into the night as he turned from the stars. His steady gaze sweeping over the landscape of Rivendell and accidentally landing on an Elven couple strolling hand-in-hand, up a pathway leading to what looked like a waterfall.

His eyes widened as he noticed that it was Lostoriel with a dark-haired elf he had earlier seen rushing through the halls. Her long, brown-blond locks cascaded down her back, standing out against the deep green dress she wore. The moonlight seemed to follow her with every step she took. He turned away from the private scene, his stomach churning with guilt and sadness.

The Dwarf tugged his coat across his chest, shivering in the cold breeze. He wondered if she truly would not come with them, he hoped she would, her skills may be useful to them. But also he hoped she didn't, should they pass through the Woodland Realm there was nothing stopping her from having them captured and forbidden to pass through. Nothing stopped the Elves from forcing them to give up a portion of their birth right in exchange for uninhibited passage through MirkWood. Silently he berated himself for thinking in this manner.

No, she was not like that. She was different. And yet the uncertainty of her allegiance gnawed at the back of his mind. Watching her now with the other Elf made his heart sink to the ground. He was beginning to understand what he had been told about the "friendship" of Elves and why he should have never allowed himself to fall in love with her in the first place.

Hello Everybody! It's me agaaain!

I know that not much happened in this chapter, but I promise the action looms close!

Thank you again to everyone who has followed, favorited or has just been reading this story! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter, feedback is always good...

Lancelot 2.0: Ah thank you so much! Here is more Glorfindel for you! You're most welcome to yell about him anytime! Bilbo and Lostoriel are softies, there's more to come! GAahh I love it too! Hannon le for beta reading this chapter...

ro781727: Thanks again for clearing up the Elven King thing! I feel like she's just terrible at remembering historical facts. Also I didn't think about Glorfindel being completely healed in Mandos... That would've been helpful to know about earlier..lol ...

I'm rather enjoying having him being this way though. But thank you!

Anyways enough from me, hope you're all staying safe during this time! See you next week...