A/N: I know, I promised an R chapter next, but this one snuck up on me, I
swear! Part II of "The Sea" coming soon! By the way, you probably have to
have read "Somewhere Between" to understand this part.
WARNINGS: None that I can think of
TIMEFRAME: About 20 years after "Somewhere Between".
********************* A Brother's Gift *********************
Glorfindel's steps were silent as he wandered the corridors of Imladris. The stone was cold under his feet, the watery winter sun refusing to warm it. It was becoming dark now, though it was still early, and long shadows stretched across the hall. Winter this year was long; the days showed no signs of lengthening and the trees were still in their deep slumber.
Glorfindel's sharp Elven ears caught voices on the air before he arrived at his destination. His steps slowed and he stopped to lean against the wall outside of the door to Elladan's chambers. It was cracked open slightly, just enough to allow him to clearly hear the conversation inside.
"I am here, brother," he heard a musical voice say. It was Elrohir, Glorfindel could tell by the slight lilt at the end of the words.
"I know, Elrohir," a softer, weaker voice replied. Elladan, Glorfindel thought. "You are always by my side."
Glorfindel bit his lip and restrained himself from entering the room. The brothers were quiet for a few moments, though Glorfindel could hear Elladan's slightly ragged breathing and the whistling of the wind outside.
The twins had returned from the wilds a month ago, expecting to wait out the winter in the sheltered valley until they could head out again in the spring. The winter this year was tenacious, and Elrohir feared for his brother's health. It was true that Elladan fell ill when winter was especially long and hard, but it only happened a handful of times before. Still, Elrohir forced them both to return home at the end of every winter, so Elladan was not far from his father's hands.
Glorfindel sighed. This year was an unfortunate year. The winter snows blocked the paths down from the mountains, so it was slow going for the twins returning home. Glorfindel himself had ventured out to clear the paths for the travelers who were forced to stop and take shelter, every time hoping he would see the smiling faces of his lord's sons riding towards him. They had returned, as they always did, but there was a faint listlessness about Elladan that Glorfindel well recognized. At first, he hoped it was merely due to the fact that Legolas could not visit because of the harsh weather. But as the days passed, the depression deepened, his hands developed tremors until he could no longer hold a quill, and finally, he had been sent to bed with fever and chills.
Glorfindel was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of voices again.
"Damn this weakness!" Elladan cried. "It feels as though I am on a leash, tethered to Imladris when the snow falls as though I am nothing more than a babe who would catch a chill."
"Hush, brother," Elrohir interrupted him. "It is no weakness of yours. You are as strong now as you ever have been, and wiser for it. This year, we would have returned home no matter the reason. It is no small comfort to sleep in feather beds once more, with a good fire to warm your bones. If you are the reason for it as you say, then I am grateful for it."
Elladan's laugh, though subdued, still lightened Glorfindel's heart to hear it. "You are a fine little brother, cheeky and annoying to the last," Elladan said. "But you are a gift to me, more precious for each moment we spend together."
They were quiet again, but Glorfindel could hear the shift of fabric and wood as Elrohir climbed onto the bed to lie next to his brother. "Sleep now, Elladan," Elrohir said. "So you may gain your strength and endure my cheek for a while longer."
Elladan yawned and the bedclothes rustled again. "I will tolerate you for a little while yet. Perhaps we should stay close to home for a few seasons. Ah, I hear no objections to that. Tell me why. Nay, do not, for I am tired, and I fear it is a longer story than I ask for."
Elrohir murmured something Glorfindel could not make out, so muffled it was in the pillow beside Elladan's ear.
"Ah yes, I thought so," Elladan said sleepily.
There was no reply, and soon Glorfindel could hear their breathing deepen and even out in sleep. He slipped into the room and drew the curtains shut, letting the candles supply the only light. The two brothers lay entwined in each other's arms, so he could hardly tell where one ended and the other began. Glorfindel chuckled to himself and drew the blankets over the pair. He snuffed out all but one of the candles and bent to kiss their fair brows, Elrohir at first and then Elladan. Elladan's eyes opened to regard him sleepily, though Elrohir did not stir.
"Shh," Glorfindel soothed needlessly. "Your brother watches over you."
Elladan nodded, his eyes unfocused and bleary. "I love him," he murmured, half asleep already. "Elrohir deserves to be loved."
Glorfindel stroked the raven-dark hair with an elegant hand. "You both do," he said solemnly.
"Do you love him?"
"I love both of you."
"Which of us more?"
Glorfindel hid his smile at the childish question. Elladan was not himself, after all. "I love you as the moon and Elrohir as the river."
"In different ways?" Elladan asked, his eyes now closed.
"Yes, child. That is exactly so."
Elladan was asleep then, and Elrohir had not stirred at all. Glorfindel smoothed the bedclothes one last time, stoked the fire and left the candle to burn down, casting its light on the two brothers comforting each other through the night.
WARNINGS: None that I can think of
TIMEFRAME: About 20 years after "Somewhere Between".
********************* A Brother's Gift *********************
Glorfindel's steps were silent as he wandered the corridors of Imladris. The stone was cold under his feet, the watery winter sun refusing to warm it. It was becoming dark now, though it was still early, and long shadows stretched across the hall. Winter this year was long; the days showed no signs of lengthening and the trees were still in their deep slumber.
Glorfindel's sharp Elven ears caught voices on the air before he arrived at his destination. His steps slowed and he stopped to lean against the wall outside of the door to Elladan's chambers. It was cracked open slightly, just enough to allow him to clearly hear the conversation inside.
"I am here, brother," he heard a musical voice say. It was Elrohir, Glorfindel could tell by the slight lilt at the end of the words.
"I know, Elrohir," a softer, weaker voice replied. Elladan, Glorfindel thought. "You are always by my side."
Glorfindel bit his lip and restrained himself from entering the room. The brothers were quiet for a few moments, though Glorfindel could hear Elladan's slightly ragged breathing and the whistling of the wind outside.
The twins had returned from the wilds a month ago, expecting to wait out the winter in the sheltered valley until they could head out again in the spring. The winter this year was tenacious, and Elrohir feared for his brother's health. It was true that Elladan fell ill when winter was especially long and hard, but it only happened a handful of times before. Still, Elrohir forced them both to return home at the end of every winter, so Elladan was not far from his father's hands.
Glorfindel sighed. This year was an unfortunate year. The winter snows blocked the paths down from the mountains, so it was slow going for the twins returning home. Glorfindel himself had ventured out to clear the paths for the travelers who were forced to stop and take shelter, every time hoping he would see the smiling faces of his lord's sons riding towards him. They had returned, as they always did, but there was a faint listlessness about Elladan that Glorfindel well recognized. At first, he hoped it was merely due to the fact that Legolas could not visit because of the harsh weather. But as the days passed, the depression deepened, his hands developed tremors until he could no longer hold a quill, and finally, he had been sent to bed with fever and chills.
Glorfindel was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of voices again.
"Damn this weakness!" Elladan cried. "It feels as though I am on a leash, tethered to Imladris when the snow falls as though I am nothing more than a babe who would catch a chill."
"Hush, brother," Elrohir interrupted him. "It is no weakness of yours. You are as strong now as you ever have been, and wiser for it. This year, we would have returned home no matter the reason. It is no small comfort to sleep in feather beds once more, with a good fire to warm your bones. If you are the reason for it as you say, then I am grateful for it."
Elladan's laugh, though subdued, still lightened Glorfindel's heart to hear it. "You are a fine little brother, cheeky and annoying to the last," Elladan said. "But you are a gift to me, more precious for each moment we spend together."
They were quiet again, but Glorfindel could hear the shift of fabric and wood as Elrohir climbed onto the bed to lie next to his brother. "Sleep now, Elladan," Elrohir said. "So you may gain your strength and endure my cheek for a while longer."
Elladan yawned and the bedclothes rustled again. "I will tolerate you for a little while yet. Perhaps we should stay close to home for a few seasons. Ah, I hear no objections to that. Tell me why. Nay, do not, for I am tired, and I fear it is a longer story than I ask for."
Elrohir murmured something Glorfindel could not make out, so muffled it was in the pillow beside Elladan's ear.
"Ah yes, I thought so," Elladan said sleepily.
There was no reply, and soon Glorfindel could hear their breathing deepen and even out in sleep. He slipped into the room and drew the curtains shut, letting the candles supply the only light. The two brothers lay entwined in each other's arms, so he could hardly tell where one ended and the other began. Glorfindel chuckled to himself and drew the blankets over the pair. He snuffed out all but one of the candles and bent to kiss their fair brows, Elrohir at first and then Elladan. Elladan's eyes opened to regard him sleepily, though Elrohir did not stir.
"Shh," Glorfindel soothed needlessly. "Your brother watches over you."
Elladan nodded, his eyes unfocused and bleary. "I love him," he murmured, half asleep already. "Elrohir deserves to be loved."
Glorfindel stroked the raven-dark hair with an elegant hand. "You both do," he said solemnly.
"Do you love him?"
"I love both of you."
"Which of us more?"
Glorfindel hid his smile at the childish question. Elladan was not himself, after all. "I love you as the moon and Elrohir as the river."
"In different ways?" Elladan asked, his eyes now closed.
"Yes, child. That is exactly so."
Elladan was asleep then, and Elrohir had not stirred at all. Glorfindel smoothed the bedclothes one last time, stoked the fire and left the candle to burn down, casting its light on the two brothers comforting each other through the night.