A/N: At the end of the chapter this time.
Part 9:
The lights were low in Imladris as Ithil shined down through branches and open windows to look upon sleeping elves. The shudders were still shut against the cold winter air; spring was coming quickly, but it had not arrived yet. Fires crackled quietly over the sounds of crickets on the window sills and the bubbling Bruinen pervasive through the valley.
The moon lit upon the figure of one elf in particular as he crept around a doorway. Elrohir quieted his footfalls as he crossed his room into his brother's. His raven-black hair hung loose down his back and swished as he walked. He wrapped his robe around him tighter against a sudden chill.
He had woken up with a bad feeling, and sure enough, he found Elladan in the next room muttering to himself in a nightmare. Elrohir climbed up on the big bed and reached over to shake his twin's shoulder. Elladan came awake with a sudden yelp, grey eyes frantic and dark as he searched the room for danger. His eyes found Elrohir's and his gaze shifted away quickly.
"You were dreaming," Elrohir explained. He was at a loss for anything else to say as Elladan simply turned onto his side and refused to look at him.
"Do you want me to stay, Elladan?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.
"If you wish," Elladan replied after a few heartbeats.
"I think I shall. My room is too cold anyway," he lied.
Elrohir slipped under the heavy blankets and began to gently rub Elladan's back. It had been two weeks since Elladan's rescue, and the whip welts had mostly healed, becoming more of an itch than anything as they faded. Elladan didn't react, but then again he didn't react much anymore. He was still terribly weak as the poison lingered in his body, but Elrond assured him that the effects would eventually fade. Still, he wouldn't eat unless coaxed and he slept most of the day. And he rarely spoke. Elladan would listen without really hearing as his father came to talk with him or read to him, or when Erestor brought him flowers and told him of the preparations for the New Year. Glorfindel came less, since he returned to his duty as captain of the guard, but he still came when he could.
Elladan remembered when he woke the second time to find his father at his side and Elrohir sleeping next to him. It had felt so good for a moment, to hear his father's voice and to see his brother's noble face relaxed in sleep, the bow-shaped lips parted slightly the way they did when he was truly exhausted. But then the memories came on the tail of wakefulness, and Elrohir's innocent face brought tears to his eyes that he didn't understand.
Elrond had wanted to send for Arwen, hoping that she could perhaps bring her brother out of his depression. Elladan would not hear of it. He demanded that he be allowed to write a letter to his sister himself, to tell her not to worry and that he would see her when she came to Imladris for the New Year's festivities, when she planned to return anyway. Elrond agreed to it, since he was not outright refusing to see his sister, and he could not blame Elladan for not wanting her to see him in his weakened state.
Elrohir worried after his brother and hardly left his side. They were constant companions, though Elladan would not be able to escape his company if he tried, as he was still restricted to bed. Each day that passed only seemed to bring more pain, and not the healing it should to the twins. Elladan would not speak to his brother any more than to anyone else, and Elrohir was at the end of his wits with the fear that Elladan could still be taken from him by his own grief, after all they had done to get him back.
Elrohir lay awake for a while, lending Elladan what comfort he could. Only after he heard his brother's breathing even out in sleep did Elrohir withdraw his hand and curl up on his side of the bed to rest.
Dawn broke over Imladris, chasing the stars from the sky with golden light. Elrond usually woke with the sun, but it was the sound of his door creaking that woke him this morn. He looked up to see who would invade his private sanctuary without announcing themselves. It was Elrohir, tear- stained and fretful. He shut the door behind him and nearly hurtled onto the bed.
"What is wrong, child?" Elrond asked, making room for his son. It seemed as though it was quite a few centuries since Elrohir had felt the need to take comfort in his parent's bed.
"What happened to Elladan at the hands of the orcs? What is it that you wish to keep from me, for I do not think I know all of what happened," Elrohir asked quietly.
Elrond sucked in a breath. He should have expected Elrohir, forever the sensitive one, to figure out that he was not told the truth in its entirety. "Do you truly not know already? Or do you only wish for me to reaffirm your suspicions with words?"
"It is true then?" Elrohir said. "Elladan was…violated?" He could not bring himself to say the word. "I suspected as much, but I did not want to believe myself. Before, looking into his eyes was always like looking into a mirror. Now, there is something there I have never seen. It is like looking into a stranger's eyes."
"You and Elladan have always gone through life side by side, from the moment you entered the world," Elrond said. "This is the first time you have been separated by experience, though there are far less harsh lessons I would have chosen. Perhaps I should have raised you to be more independent of each other."
Elrohir smiled. "We would not have let you," he said. His smile faded as he considered his next words. "Ada, I have something to tell you," he started.
"Anything, Elrohir."
"I have sent word to Prince Legolas of what happened to Elladan." Elrohir's hand played nervously with the soft hem of the sheets.
"I did not know Elladan was such close friends with the young Prince," Elrond replied, not fooled by his son's casual tone.
"Closer than you would think." Elrohir glanced down, fully entranced by the thread count now. "He and Legolas are lovers."
Elrond's jaw dropped for a split second before he groaned and dove under the covers. "How, Elrohir!"
Elrohir could not pass that comment up. "Well, you see, Ada, when two Elves love each other very much…"
"No, Elrohir, you know that is not what I meant!" Elrond cut him off as he resurfaced. "How did your brother get involved with the Prince of Mirkwood?"
Elrohir shrugged. "We passed through the Wood Elves' land several times and they were kind enough to show us their hospitality. Legolas wished to come with us on our hunts, and we could find no reason not to let him join us. They…well…they were happy together." Elrohir's voice faded. He was not sure if his father would approve, after the bad blood between the House of Thranduil and their own after the Last Alliance.
Elrond sighed. "I do not disapprove of Elladan's choice in mates, though I fear that affairs in Mirkwood will be stressed. And if there is love between them then I hope it will last, for our kind is known for long unions but short dalliances."
"I believe it is love, though I have not yet felt it for myself."
"You will, Elrohir, when you find someone you can share your soul with. It has always been your way, even when you were child."
"I know," Elrohir said a little wistfully. "I only hope Elladan will be there when I do."
A/N: Okay, I feel really bad because some people were disappointed that this story ended up having 1) slash and 2) Legolas in it. I know that slash certainly does NOT appeal to everyone, and I should have mentioned it earlier instead of wasting some people's time with this story. So, I'm sorry to all those people, and I added a warning in the summary for future reference. And thank you for the people who are sticking with the story. Now, for the fact that Legolas is in it, I actually thought about that a lot. I wanted a strong character to be Elladan's lover, and since the only female elf Tolkien presents is his *sister*--well, let's not go there. And I could have created an original character, but I didn't want to. And I'm the author. So there. But thank you for the reviews—good and bad—and keep them coming, even if it's to say how much I've messed up this story by putting Everyone's Favorite Elf ™ in it.
Part 9:
The lights were low in Imladris as Ithil shined down through branches and open windows to look upon sleeping elves. The shudders were still shut against the cold winter air; spring was coming quickly, but it had not arrived yet. Fires crackled quietly over the sounds of crickets on the window sills and the bubbling Bruinen pervasive through the valley.
The moon lit upon the figure of one elf in particular as he crept around a doorway. Elrohir quieted his footfalls as he crossed his room into his brother's. His raven-black hair hung loose down his back and swished as he walked. He wrapped his robe around him tighter against a sudden chill.
He had woken up with a bad feeling, and sure enough, he found Elladan in the next room muttering to himself in a nightmare. Elrohir climbed up on the big bed and reached over to shake his twin's shoulder. Elladan came awake with a sudden yelp, grey eyes frantic and dark as he searched the room for danger. His eyes found Elrohir's and his gaze shifted away quickly.
"You were dreaming," Elrohir explained. He was at a loss for anything else to say as Elladan simply turned onto his side and refused to look at him.
"Do you want me to stay, Elladan?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.
"If you wish," Elladan replied after a few heartbeats.
"I think I shall. My room is too cold anyway," he lied.
Elrohir slipped under the heavy blankets and began to gently rub Elladan's back. It had been two weeks since Elladan's rescue, and the whip welts had mostly healed, becoming more of an itch than anything as they faded. Elladan didn't react, but then again he didn't react much anymore. He was still terribly weak as the poison lingered in his body, but Elrond assured him that the effects would eventually fade. Still, he wouldn't eat unless coaxed and he slept most of the day. And he rarely spoke. Elladan would listen without really hearing as his father came to talk with him or read to him, or when Erestor brought him flowers and told him of the preparations for the New Year. Glorfindel came less, since he returned to his duty as captain of the guard, but he still came when he could.
Elladan remembered when he woke the second time to find his father at his side and Elrohir sleeping next to him. It had felt so good for a moment, to hear his father's voice and to see his brother's noble face relaxed in sleep, the bow-shaped lips parted slightly the way they did when he was truly exhausted. But then the memories came on the tail of wakefulness, and Elrohir's innocent face brought tears to his eyes that he didn't understand.
Elrond had wanted to send for Arwen, hoping that she could perhaps bring her brother out of his depression. Elladan would not hear of it. He demanded that he be allowed to write a letter to his sister himself, to tell her not to worry and that he would see her when she came to Imladris for the New Year's festivities, when she planned to return anyway. Elrond agreed to it, since he was not outright refusing to see his sister, and he could not blame Elladan for not wanting her to see him in his weakened state.
Elrohir worried after his brother and hardly left his side. They were constant companions, though Elladan would not be able to escape his company if he tried, as he was still restricted to bed. Each day that passed only seemed to bring more pain, and not the healing it should to the twins. Elladan would not speak to his brother any more than to anyone else, and Elrohir was at the end of his wits with the fear that Elladan could still be taken from him by his own grief, after all they had done to get him back.
Elrohir lay awake for a while, lending Elladan what comfort he could. Only after he heard his brother's breathing even out in sleep did Elrohir withdraw his hand and curl up on his side of the bed to rest.
Dawn broke over Imladris, chasing the stars from the sky with golden light. Elrond usually woke with the sun, but it was the sound of his door creaking that woke him this morn. He looked up to see who would invade his private sanctuary without announcing themselves. It was Elrohir, tear- stained and fretful. He shut the door behind him and nearly hurtled onto the bed.
"What is wrong, child?" Elrond asked, making room for his son. It seemed as though it was quite a few centuries since Elrohir had felt the need to take comfort in his parent's bed.
"What happened to Elladan at the hands of the orcs? What is it that you wish to keep from me, for I do not think I know all of what happened," Elrohir asked quietly.
Elrond sucked in a breath. He should have expected Elrohir, forever the sensitive one, to figure out that he was not told the truth in its entirety. "Do you truly not know already? Or do you only wish for me to reaffirm your suspicions with words?"
"It is true then?" Elrohir said. "Elladan was…violated?" He could not bring himself to say the word. "I suspected as much, but I did not want to believe myself. Before, looking into his eyes was always like looking into a mirror. Now, there is something there I have never seen. It is like looking into a stranger's eyes."
"You and Elladan have always gone through life side by side, from the moment you entered the world," Elrond said. "This is the first time you have been separated by experience, though there are far less harsh lessons I would have chosen. Perhaps I should have raised you to be more independent of each other."
Elrohir smiled. "We would not have let you," he said. His smile faded as he considered his next words. "Ada, I have something to tell you," he started.
"Anything, Elrohir."
"I have sent word to Prince Legolas of what happened to Elladan." Elrohir's hand played nervously with the soft hem of the sheets.
"I did not know Elladan was such close friends with the young Prince," Elrond replied, not fooled by his son's casual tone.
"Closer than you would think." Elrohir glanced down, fully entranced by the thread count now. "He and Legolas are lovers."
Elrond's jaw dropped for a split second before he groaned and dove under the covers. "How, Elrohir!"
Elrohir could not pass that comment up. "Well, you see, Ada, when two Elves love each other very much…"
"No, Elrohir, you know that is not what I meant!" Elrond cut him off as he resurfaced. "How did your brother get involved with the Prince of Mirkwood?"
Elrohir shrugged. "We passed through the Wood Elves' land several times and they were kind enough to show us their hospitality. Legolas wished to come with us on our hunts, and we could find no reason not to let him join us. They…well…they were happy together." Elrohir's voice faded. He was not sure if his father would approve, after the bad blood between the House of Thranduil and their own after the Last Alliance.
Elrond sighed. "I do not disapprove of Elladan's choice in mates, though I fear that affairs in Mirkwood will be stressed. And if there is love between them then I hope it will last, for our kind is known for long unions but short dalliances."
"I believe it is love, though I have not yet felt it for myself."
"You will, Elrohir, when you find someone you can share your soul with. It has always been your way, even when you were child."
"I know," Elrohir said a little wistfully. "I only hope Elladan will be there when I do."
A/N: Okay, I feel really bad because some people were disappointed that this story ended up having 1) slash and 2) Legolas in it. I know that slash certainly does NOT appeal to everyone, and I should have mentioned it earlier instead of wasting some people's time with this story. So, I'm sorry to all those people, and I added a warning in the summary for future reference. And thank you for the people who are sticking with the story. Now, for the fact that Legolas is in it, I actually thought about that a lot. I wanted a strong character to be Elladan's lover, and since the only female elf Tolkien presents is his *sister*--well, let's not go there. And I could have created an original character, but I didn't want to. And I'm the author. So there. But thank you for the reviews—good and bad—and keep them coming, even if it's to say how much I've messed up this story by putting Everyone's Favorite Elf ™ in it.
