N/A: I failed to mention this in the last chapter. I do not know the names of the horses, and so I created them. I also created the Ailon. I think there's a few more things I created, but I'm too lazy to go through the story and look for them.

Disclaimers: Everything, except the plot of this story, belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

In the woods of Rivendell…

            As expected, game was scarce in the woods surrounding Rivendell. They spent all of yesterday searching for game, but had only managed to catch a doe. Due to their respect for living things, elves only hunt a game that had seen many winters. So many young does and bucks had passed them, and none were chased after. But their plans might change soon. They needed food, and winter has always been a hard time for all.

"Adar." Elladan turned his mare to face his father. "Perhaps it is time to start for the bucks and fawnless does. There is none other game in these woods that are more then a few winters old."

"If I disagree with your son, Elrond," Glorifindel said. "I would be lying."

"Then let's not lie to ourselves." Elrond told them. "Let us hunt a few more, before we turn back and head home."

"I will not argue." Elladan turned Astralla around, and trotted ahead.

His elven senses were alert, his reflexes ready to strike. But somehow, he did not sense something else with him when there was. Quick as a lightning, a canine form leaped out from the trees to his left. The growling sound frightened Astralla, and she ran. Turning in his saddle, Elladan saw what had attacked him. A warg was running after them, fang glistening like knives. I must warn adar and Glorifindel. Elladan though, and turned Astralla back. The mare was hesitant of running towards a predator, but she had always trust her master before, and she did now. Getting an arrow out of his quivers, Elladan placed it to his bow and shot. But the warg dogged, and lunged. Elladan drew out a sword, and held its tip towards the wolf-like creature. It hesitated, giving Elladan enough time to kick Astralla into a mad run back to his companions. The warg gave chase after him.

Elladan saw his father and Glorifindel through the trees, and a thought hit him. Why am I leading it to them? How could I have been such a fool? But it was too late. They were so near now that he was sure the warg saw his companions. "Adar, Glorifindel!" Elladan called ahead. "Warg!"

The commander turned around first, but Elrond was a bit slower. Somewhere, newfound strength burst into the warg, and it attacked Elrond, the one nearest to it. With a cry, Elrond fell of his steed, the warg clinging on his arm. With a cry, Glorifindel lunged at the warg, who had its back to him, and killed it with one stroke, though Hasofer had trampled the creature half to death before his stroke fell.

"Adar!" Elladan got of his mare and ran over to his father.

The lord of Rivendell lay on the ground, trying to hold back gasp of pain. His arm was bleeding freely. Putting a hand to his father's forehead, Elladan found it was fiery hot.

"A fever's gotten hold of him." Elladan told Glorifindel.

The commander knelt down to examine the warg. Taking a look at the warg, he knew the situation. "This mutt's carries a disease." He told him.

"But adar can not die, can he?" Elladan was frantic. It had been his fault. He had led the creature towards his companion. Why hadn't he just stop and kill it himself? Was he that afraid? "Elven lore said that and elf cannot die of a disease."

"No, they can't." The commander knelt by Elrond's side. "But he can suffer it."

"What have I done?" Elladan whispered.

"Something you were not prepared for." Glorifindel answered. "Do not take it so hard, young elf. You knew no better."

Getting up, the commander went over to Nina, whose eyes were showing whites with fear, and led the mare nearer to her master. Glorifindel tied Elrond to his saddle with some elven rope from their packs.

"We must get him back." Glorifindel mounted Hasofer and tied Nina's rein to the gelding's saddle. "The soonest we can manage."

Elladan mounted, and followed after the commander, looking anxiously at any change in conditions of his father's health.

They could not make the journey home that day, and had to camp in the woods. By then, Elrond had come up with a rash, and he was scratching with whatever strength he could muster.

"He will suffer from an itch and a cough." Glorifindel finally noticed what illness had fallen over his lord. "But nothing else, and will be well soon."

"Is there no way to make it sooner?" Elladan asked, unable to watch his father suffer. "No cure?"

"None." Glorifindel replied. "But it will depart."

Elladan looked back at his father. Elrond lay on the ground, scratching himself slightly, and coughing every now and then. Elladan pulled a blanket from his pack, and covered his father with it. With a sigh, he took his blanket and fell asleep beside his father.

"Elladan, we must move on." Glorifindel shook the elf's shoulder.

Opening his eyes, Elladan looked over at his father. Elrond was in the same condition as the night before. Getting up, he helped Glorifindel tie his father to Nina.

"We should reach Rivendell this afternoon." Glorifindel said as he mounted Hasofer. "It is no use mourning over one who has not yet died." He told Elladan as they started at a canter through the woods.

"I cannot bear to see adar in such pain." Elladan stared at Astralla's mane. "I cannot stop feeling that it is my fault."

"I can tell you for millennia that the Grey Havens is also call the Undying Lands, and you would not believe it." Glorifindel said. "You can believe it even though the fact argues against your beliefs. Therefore, I will not try to convince you that it was no fault of yours."

Elladan smiled, felling a bit better. They reached Rivendell that afternoon, as predicted, without any obstacles. Estel saw them before they entered the Last Homely House. Rushing to open the door, Estel ran to his father.

"What happened, Elladan?" He looked up at his father, who was bent in his saddle, hot with a fever that had just started a few moments ago. "Why is adar ill?"

"He suffered from a warg bite." Elladan replied as he helped Glorifindel untie Elrond and carry him into the house. "But do not worry, for it will past. Elves cannot die of a disease."

Looking up at his father, Estel noticed that Elrond was scratching lightly, but constantly. "Elrohir is sick as well." Estel told them. "I made tea, but used the Ailon leaves on accident. This happened yesterday, he should be well the day after tomorrow."

"Did Elrohir tell you about the Ailon?" Elladan said, trying to hide amusement. Glorifindel smiled at the memory.

"Yes, he did." Estel chuckled. "He is in his room, scratching his time away."

Chuckling, Elladan opened the door to Elrond's room, and Glorifindel carried the lord inside.

"I will share Elrond's room until he is well once more." Glorifindel told them. "Go and prepare dinner, I will join you soon."

Obeying the commander, Elladan and Estel went out, making sure to close the door behind them. "So tell me, gwador, of what has occurred while I was gone."

Estel did as he was told. Two days later, Elrohir was well once more, and joined his brothers in taking care of the house. Glorifindel stayed in Elrond's chamber throughout the next week, sleeping and bathing there. Why he did so was a mystery to the brothers. Perhaps Glorifindel feared the illness was more then he predicted, or perhaps he was simply loyal. The three brothers joined him every now and then, lounging about in their father's chamber, keeping an eye on him, just in case his health was to change.

And it did. A week from the hunting trip, Elrond rose from his bed. It was morning, and Glorifindel had fallen asleep in his chair beside the bed. Reaching over, Elrond shook his commander awake.

"I am well once more, my friend." He smiled at Glorifindel's relief. "But I must thank you, for watching me all this time. But now, you should return to your own chambers. I am well."

"As you wish, my lord." Glorifindel bid him, exiting his chamber.

"ESTEL!!!! ELROHIR!!!" Two voices shouted in unison 30 minutes later.

The twins were woken by it, and Estel jerked awake.

"Unless something is wrong with my elven ears, that was Glorifindel and adar calling for you and Estel." Elladan said, getting up and following his twin out of the door. They met up with Estel at the doors of Glorifindel and Elrond.

"Go to Glory, Elrohir." Elladan told him. "Estel and I will go see adar."

With a nod, they went into the two chambers. Elrond stood in front of an opened wardrobe.

"Adar, I am glad you are well." Elladan greeted him.

"Yes, Elladan. Estel, may I ask how this rat got into my wardrobe?" Elrond asked.

Moving to his father's side so that he could take a look, Estel saw the rat he had let loose in the house. It had somehow found its way into his father's wardrobe, and had given birth to younglings. Estel had forgotten about the two animals as he was tending to Elrohir. The rat had created a nest out of Elrond's robes; some were even torn apart to shreds. Before Estel could reply, Elrohir appeared at Elrond's door.

"Glorifindel wishes to see you." Elrohir said, approaching the wardrobe and looking inside to see what they were all looking at. It was hard for him to contain his laughter, same as his twin.

"I will explain once I have seen to Glory, adar." Estel excused himself, and exit the chamber before his father could say a thing.

Glorifindel was standing in front of his bathroom; its door's wide open. With a gulp, Estel went to look. Inside, on the counter, laid the snake.