Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof

Author's note: I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so I won't have computer access for a week. I'll try to post soon when I'm home again.

Pinto: Elladan is…brash, rude, but he is not a faker or a liar. He'll go into detail about himself later on. Looks like my conscience was having a nap. I shall try not to let it do that again.

Falasiel: Elrond's "blindness" is explained a little in this chapter; Elladan's anger will come later, but I promise it will come.

Thanks everyone for reviewing, I love hearing from you!

*****

When Elrohir caught up to his brother, Elladan had gone to the edge of the valley and was gathering wood for a fire. "Where did you mean to go, then?" asked Elrohir, fully expecting his brother to jump in surprise. Elladan did not even flinch, and when he replied it was with a tone of complete nonchalance.

"Somewhere. Anywhere. Maybe I was going to visit Legolas or Grandmother on the other side of the mountains. Maybe I was going to go to Rohan to learn from the horse-lords. Or maybe, maybe I was just going to leave this cursed place and get out on my own, never come back. Never even look back." Elladan did not even stop work as he said this.

Something in Elrohir's chest vibrated painfully at hearing these harsh words. Imladris was home. He had never once questioned that. "You do not mean what you say!" he cried to his brother, his twin, the other part of himself.

"Yes, I do," replied Elladan, now having enough wood and kneeling in a circle of stones. He began to carefully clear away any debris, fallen leaves and such. Elrohir could not say anything, he simply stood, staring open-mouthed at his brother. Elladan finished clearing away the debris and arranged the smaller sticks in a cone formation, with a square-like formation around them. At last he looked up, a stick in either hand. "Go on, boy, get. Turn around and go on back the way you came, back to you ada and nana."

"They are your parents too!" Elrohir shot back.

"Yes, but I do not wish to return to their clutches and you do. So go."

"You cannot tell me what to do! You are not the boss of me!" A part of Elrohir hated to fight with his brother, and wished to return home to his warm, safe bed, to make amends with his ada and sleep soundly knowing that his family loved him. But what was family without Elladan? They had been the same cell, the same egg in their mother's womb. Elladan was a part of Elrohir, whether he liked or not, and Elrohir was not leaving until he had some answers. He just did not know his questions yet.

"No, I am not, but I know what you want to do. Go back, Elrohir. I will not think you a quitter."

Elrohir squared his shoulders. Being a quitter had never occurred to him before, and he was proud. "I am not going back until you do, Elladan. You turn back first. Think you are so brave? Turn back first!"

Elladan looked at Elrohir, for the first time really looked at him. Then he rose and slowly and menacingly approached him, staring him straight in the eye. Elrohir felt an uncomfortable scrutiny, but he did not back down. At last Elladan broke out in a smile. "I did not think you had it in you, brother," he said. "Come on, then." And with that Elladan turned.

"What?"

"Are you coming?"

Elrohir paused, then followed after Elladan. After only moments he stopped again, and he said, "Elladan, wait. You--you did not truly mean it? You know we are not allowed."

"Yes, Elrohir, I know what ada says," Elladan replied. He sat on a stone and began to unlace his boots.

"You cannot be serious!" Elrohir exclaimed.

"You do as your lord and master commands, but me? I am my own lord and master," Elladan said. He tied the strings of his boots together and tossed them around his neck, then began to roll up his leggings.

"You are wrong in your head, brother!" Elrohir cried.

"No, brother, that would be you!" replied Elladan, his tone more frightening than Elrohir had ever heard it. The younger twin froze, his heart beating like a drum. "You little kiss-up, you think what he tells you to think and believe what he tells you to believe. You never question him! He loves you for your intelligence, yet you are too stupid to think for yourself. You are blind. You are pathetic. Now do you wish to come with me, or do you wish to remain in Imladris being ada's perfect son?"

Elladan did not wait for an answer, but sat again and began rolling up his leggings. By the time Elrohir had regained the ability to move, Elladan was halfway across the Bruinen.

*****

"Glorfindel, am I a bad parent?" asked Elrond of his blond-haired friend.

Glorfindel, who had been going through battle motions with his sword, now paused, laid down his weapon, and set himself beside his friend. "Oh, no. What happened?" asked the warrior.

"Elladan hates me," Elrond replied.

"Elladan has a lot of anger." Glorfindel had been training the elder twin in the use of a blade and hand-to-hand combat for many years, and thus had seen him probably more than the boy's own father. Glorfindel could recite Elladan's strengths and weaknesses in battle, which manoeuvers he had trouble with and which hand he favoured. He could have told you just how hard that boy could push himself and when he would know to give up. But Glorfindel was not Elladan's father, and while he tried to be the best role model he could, there was a place in Elladan's heart that he could not fill. "He needs guidance, Elrond, from someone he loves. He looks to you for it and you turn him away. Now his heart…his heart is hard, Elrond."

"I never knew…"

"You did what you thought was best," Glorfindel replied. "You lost your parents at such a young age, you never had any example of what you should do for your own little ones once they became not-so-little. You did the best you could."

"But that was not enough!" Elrond replied, angry with himself. "What have I done to my son? My firstborn. I love him so much, Glorfindel. Every day when I watched him spar with you I wished it could be me. But you know I surrendered my blade long ago. I did not know what I was doing wrong, and now I cannot undo it."

Glorfindel patted his friend on the shoulder. "Go and have a long talk with him. He will seem angry, but he will listen. He may not forgive you right away, but if you say to him what you just said to me, he will not be angry for very long."

*****

The water was freezing cold and the current frightfully strong. Elrohir was knee-deep in the ford. He could hardly believe it. Here he was, chasing after a person who abhorred him, and for what? Some measly answers to questions he could not even form. Was he insane? Why was he doing this, when he could be safe and warm and asleep at home?

As he cursed his stupidity, Elrohir took another step and shivered. "You should not lift your legs out of the water when you step," commented Elladan, who stood on the opposite bank. He had discovered the hard way that the water was deeper than it looked, and was wringing out his clothes as he spoke. Elrohir, using this knowledge, had tossed his own garments across.

"You said you would not look!" Elrohir said, blushing, to which Elladan chuckled. "Well, you did…" Elrohir was not paying very much attention, too busy being angry with himself and his brother. "Why are you waiting, anyway? You hate me, remember?" Elladan did not reply. Elrohir took yet another step forward, and suddenly the water was deeper than he was tall. He had not been ready for the sheer drop, and fell into the river. Elrohir tried to strong, and so he gave in.

*****

To be continued