A/N: Yay! Finally, the next chapter! So sorry for the delay - This a bit shorter than I would like it to be, and yet another cliffie, I think - Lots of fluff and angst, of course. Glorfindel ( aka Glorfi/Glory ) is very prettyful in this chapter, hehe - Anyway, thank you to all my readers and reviewers! *huggles u all* Please review and keep reading!

Btw, I finished Captive ( though the last chapter was personally disappointing ), so if you haven't already, please go check it out! ^_^ Brothers in Heart ought to be updated soon as well.

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Chapter 7

A deep and bright gold slowly melted into the black, flickering. Things were blurred and unclear at first, almost unreal. Nothing could be discerned, except the gold that had invaded the darkness. It wasn't bright, but t was light all the same. He waited for a moment for things to come into focus and finally arrived upon clarity. He found himself in the same place he had been before falling deeply asleep. A comfortable warmth enveloped his body where he lay in bed beneath the blankets. He turned his head to see a small ivory candle with its golden flame sending a glow through the otherwise dark ward. The wax was slowly melting, he observed. Night had fallen over Imladris, and his eyes glimmered as they rose to meet the starry sky outside the open window. A breeze blew at the light curtains and soothed him. It was a relatively typical evening in valley of the Elves. Yet, then again, he did not remember.

Aragorn stood with his hands clasped behind him on one of the balconies of the Last Homely House. He was a tall silhouette in the night, with his raven hair neat for once. He was well rested, tidied, dressed as Elrond's son. He was Estel for now, not Strider the ranger. His gray eyes searched the vast sky above him leisurely, watching how they twinkled with admiration. It was a clear night, with the moon somewhere beyond sight. He looked out on the valley of his home and knew that somewhere beyond Imladris, his twin brothers may be dead. He was terribly anxious about going out to find them, but Elrond insisted he stay. Glorfindel would go after them in the morning.

" Mellonin." Estel turned around to see Legolas giving him a pretty smile, weak though it was. The Elf had a somewhat folded, white sheet wrapped around his bare shoulders.

" Legolas," the man replied as he approached the Elf quickly. He put his arms around the slim archer supportively and walked him up to the railing. Legolas on smiled to himself at his best friend's protection.

" I'm not a baby, you know," he remarked lightly.
" Your shouldn't be out of bed so soon," Aragorn said reproachfully. " You need to rest and recover your strength."

Legolas smiled still as he let himself use the stronger mortal for support, sagging somewhat against Aragorn's body. He had his head on the ranger's shoulder as Aragorn held him still and stroked his back.

" Yes, Naneth," Legolas said mockingly, calling his best friend 'Mother'.

Aragorn grinned despite himself. " You know I'm right."

" And so what if you are? " Legolas countered with a stifled chuckle. " I wanted to see the stars."

Aragorn sighed through his smile and barely shook his head against the Elf's.

" Besides, I was all alone," the prince added.

" Well, I wanted to see the stars too," Aragorn admitted. " I only stepped out for a minute."

" I'm all right," Legolas told him, and Aragorn rolled his eyes in denial. " I got out here without dying, didn't I? "

Aragorn laughed. " Yes, I suppose you did. But you shouldn't have done so, all the same. You probably used the walls for support."

Legolas scoffed in dismissal. " Of course not." Aragorn grinned and rocked the Elf over to turn in a small circle where they stood. It almost looked as if the two were dancing. Yet after a long moment, Legolas' knees buckled and he let out a quiet moan.

" Legolas? What is it? " Aragorn questioned as he stopped moving abruptly. The Elf looked up at him with a faint smile and a very pale, tired face.

" It's nothing," the prince said with a small shake of his fair head.

" You're in pain," Aragorn concluded, gazing into his brother's eyes. The ranger was still holding the Elf up to prevent him from collapsing. He straightened with Legolas tightly in his hold and brought the archer back inside promptly.

The candle flame flickered again as Aragorn lay Legolas down on the Elf's bed, and the two exchanged smiles. Legolas settled with his head lain gently down on the pillow by Aragorn's hand and felt his lithe body relax.

" Now, stay in bed unless you want to face the doom of Strider," Aragorn murmured with a devious smirk. Legolas chuckled.

" Oh, dear, what could that be? " he said in reply.

" Merciless tickling," Aragorn hissed with a grip of the Elf's shoulders. Legolas laughed once more, his blue eyes sparkling.

" You wouldn't tickle a wounded Elf," he retorted cleverly.

" Oh, but I would," Aragorn said, leaning in with a devilish expression.

" But I'm in no condition to defend myself, it would be unfair," the Elf said.

" Legolas, you would not escape me even if you weren't wounded," Aragorn said with a grin.

" How dare you call me helpless? " Legolas dared in mock shock.

" You mistake me, Prince," Aragorn said innocently. " I call you not weak, only helpless when faced with myself."

Legolas was smiling more broadly now, and he sat up to jab Aragorn's belly with a swift poke. The ranger, whether as an act or for real, toppled off the bed with a cry. Legolas laughed before he was dragged down with his best friend, and the two rolled across the floorboards until coming to a stop. They lay beside each other for a while, laughing heartily. Legolas' wound was throbbing, but he cared not. Once the laughter faded, the Elf prince recalled the more somber and recent events.

" Where are the twins? " he asked as he stared up at the shadows playing on the ceiling. Aragorn, who was lying on his stomach, propped himself up on his elbows with a sigh.

" I don't know," he admitted heavily. " They haven't come home yet."

Legolas' brow crinkled in concern.

" Glorfindel is riding out tomorrow morning," the man added.

" I hope they're all right," Legolas said warily. Aragorn cocked his head to look over at his best friend.

" Don't worry," he said. " They will be."

Aragorn moved closer to Legolas and reached out to lay his hand tenderly over the Elf's wound. The prince's blue eyes quavered up at his gray and the ranger sighed, searching the Elf's fair face. The warmth from his hand spread into Legolas' whole abdomen, speeding up the healing in that very moment. The candle glowered as they lost themselves in each other's eyes.

" Hannon le," Legolas breathed. And Aragorn understood. The man dipped down and grabbed Legolas into a swift embrace, after a pause. The Elf took a breath audibly as his head slid onto the man's shoulder and he closed his eyes. His lithe arms snaked around Aragorn's torso, and the ranger enveloped Legolas in his own arms.

The dark indigo sky seemed to have taken the place of the windowpane, and a thousand stars shone down at them through that one space alone. The breeze swept down through the little spaces in between their bodies, before they filled them by pressing closer. Aragorn's hand was cupped over the Elf's wound once more. Legolas wept a few tears and wondered why he did so. For the first time, they realized the males Elves were singing outside, filling the night with their deep and beautiful voices. The candle flame flickered again.

Twilight fell over the earth like an airy veil. The light was only a pale blue-gray, the time of day that the Elves adored. All stars had faded except the very brightest ones, which twinkled like the gems of an Elven diadem in the sky. Imladris was quiet, with only the soft rushing of the waterfalls to break silence. The valley was still asleep, and the birds had not yet begun to sing. Morning dew clung to the flower petals and the leaves, as the wind carried an echo of an Elven song down through the place. It would be yet another hour before dawn, if not a bit more.

Glorfindel looked out to his beloved home from where he stood beside his stallion, Asfaloth. He was prepared to ride out now but had stopped for a moment to admire the beauty. He did not miss the song on the wind that lifted his silky, golden hair ever so slightly. He breathed through parted lips as his eyes reflected the gray light. Asfaloth nudged him, yet he did not turn his eyes away. As early as it was, he would ride out now. It was simply better that way. Not even Elrond knew of his departure.

Glorfindel swung up on to Asfaloth with ease and settled himself with his hands taking the reins. He watched the sky still, caught up in his people's beloved twilight. It gave him hope, somehow. The twins must be watching the same sky somewhere. The wind blew gently as his fair face, carrying the song still.

" Noro lim," he murmured to Asfaloth, nudging his dear horse with his heels. Asfaloth heeded his master and set out with soft clip-clops through the valley of Imladris. Glorfindel rode beautifully through the twilight, beneath the immortal trees, past the shimmering waterfalls, and in the falling leaves. His white stallion bore him away from his home in search of the twins, followed by the voice.

Elrohir revealed his gray eyes once more, barely strong enough to move. He had not lost too much blood quite yet, but his soul was fading as his brother's life dwindled. Their hands were still clasped, and Elrohir gave his twin's a squeeze. He received nothing in return, but he couldn't tell if Elladan's hand was cold or not. He looked away from his brother's pale face, too disoriented to fully understand, and looked up too the sky. It took a moment for a smile to creep up on his face as he realized it was twilight.

" Elladan," he whispered. " Elladan, look. It's twilight."

His brother did not answer him, yet he smiled still. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the wind caressed his face. He heard the song and the ethereal voice.

" Ada is in his study now, " he began with eyes shut still. " Estel is yet asleep, the lazy human. And Legolas is sitting on his balcony railing smiling at the sky." Elrohir opened his eyes; they were glazed now.

" Glorfindel is riding Asfaloth down by the waterfall pools, and Erestor is in the gardens seeing to the flowers."

His smile widened. " Naneth must be walking in the hills, smiling. The grass is always green in Valinor, Elladan. She's smiling with the wind in her hair, looking out to the sea. She knows we're coming home, Elladan. "

Elrohir was entranced by the lovely sky above him, not noticing the breeze causing his twin's raven hair to flutter around Elladan's motionless face. He laughed a faint laugh, not knowing where it came from.

" She knows we're coming home."

Glorfindel rode with the wind across the grasses and into the trees, his robes and hair flowing and flapping behind him with Asfaloth's tail and a mane. The voice was guiding him, singing in his people's tongue with a beauty fit for the twilight hour. He knew it was leading him to the twins. He was desperate now. Eru, let them be alive. Please, let them be alive. He loved them like his own children, for Valar's sake. He had helped Elrond during their birth, had been named their godfather, and had been with them their whole lives, as long as they were. He could not lose them now. It would break his heart as much as it would Elrond's and Estel's. And Legolas as well. He could not sail to Valinor one day to tell Celebrian her sons were dead.

Elrohir's laughter was lost in the wind. " We're going home."