Chapter 5
Tis what I fear
Elrond decided he was glad he would never be in opposition of Ereinion. The king looked formidable in the armor and the crown gleaming upon his brow. Elros sat beside his brother, both dressed in the dark blue under robes with silver armor over and mail under it.
" Are you nervous?"
" No."
" Liar."
Elrond glanced at his younger brother with a humoring smile. Truth be known, he was scared out of his wits, but he was not about to let Elros know that.
" You are scared, Atta."
Elros shrugged.
" What if we die?"
Elrond touched his brother's shoulder, their eyes meeting.
*We will not fall. The Valar are coming.
The ground shook violently, as if it were churning in pain, but then a pure light streamed in, throwing shadows from every place. Elrond was the only one who remained somewhat calm, merely squinting beyond the brightness to see the Elves. Ereinion ran downstairs and outside to watch the nearing procession. The three leaders, all upon white steeds with their heralds beside them holding the great standards paused for a moment. The brightest one of all, nodded respectfully to Ereinion. Ereinion swallowed, before bowing low. He watched the procession go forth with a relieved smile. Ereinion went back inside, beginning to remove his outer armor.
" What in Arda are you doing?" Círdan asked.
Ereinion's smile was met with surprise.
" The Valar will take care of everything. Our troops are to stay out of this battle. They will send word for us if our assistance is needed."
Elros pushed his brother with a teasing smile.
" I hate it when you have to be right. Now we will not fight. No hacking at orcs for us ever, if you keep giving their positions away."
The weathered warriors around chuckled at the twin's disappointment.
" You will get your chance, Elros, though it is nothing special. I would rather all the beings gone," Ereinion said.
Elros rolled his eyes.
" By the time I ever get to fight, I will be dead."
~*~
The weeks passed and all was well. Ereinion stopped the hunting party, looking above them. A small party was waiting for them, the standard of Manwë flying over them.
" Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo, Ereinion Gil-galad, aran or I Eldar sinomë (A star shines upon our hour of meeting, Ereinion Gil-galad, king over the Elves here)," one said in a loud voice, raising its hand peacefully.
Ereinion came forward a bit as the party came closer.
" Hail, you of the West. What business have you here in this land?"
" I have come for the Peredhel."
Ereinion glanced back at the trailing twins.
" Elrond, Elros."
Two heads snapped up at the sharp commands. Elrond moved forward first.
" Yes, sir?"
Ereinion motioned to their visitor.
" They have come for you."
Elros looked positively sick.
" For us?" Elros swallowed, " I have done nothing. Honest."
The stranger dismounted.
" I am Eönwë, herald of Manwë. I come not to take you into the West, but to lay your destines before you," his eyes turned to Elrond, " Come, Elrond."
Elrond dismounted handing his reins to Elros, before joining the Maia. Ereinion watched, his sharp eyes missing nothing. The Maia took Elrond only out of hearing range, but then turned his back to the party, so they could not read his lips. Ereinion groaned. Elrond's face was set in stone. He would know nothing until Elrond returned.
Elrond waited for Eönwë to speak.
" Manwë wishes to lay before you and your brother a decision. You are both half-Elven, so how will you be judged? As men or Elves? Neither Manwë nor Mandos can make this decision, so you will. Before you is placed the same choice as your parents: to become either Eldar or Edain."
Elrond only shook his head with a disbelieving blink. Eönwë touched his shoulder.
" Tis hard to choose your destiny. You will have one week to decide."
Elrond nodded.
" Shall I send Elros?"
Eönwë nodded.
" May Varda guide your thoughts."
Elrond touched a fist to his heart as he bowed. He turned, making eye contact with his hand-wringing brother. Elros' already perturbed visage became that of one about to encounter death. Elrond's lips turned up slightly, about to pass his brother.
*He is not going to roast you for dinner, Atta.
Elros rolled his eyes as he passed. Elrond could not help a grin to the unsuspecting others.
Ereinion was waiting for him impatiently. He seized Elrond by the shoulders.
" What did he say? Come now, spit it out. What are you hiding? Why will you not tell me?"
Elrond shrugged, highly amused.
" I am waiting for you to let me get a word in, sir."
Ereinion released the Elf by the shoulders, glancing at him with a questioning glance.
" I must choose to be either Eldar or Edain. Tis a simple choice. Elros and I will be Eldar."
Ereinion nodded, his face obviously relieved.
" I thought you two would be leaving."
Elrond could not help a smile.
" Did you really think you could be rid of me that easily, Majesty?"
~*~
Elrond was focused on his sword as he practiced alone in the corner. He was swift, eyes closed, trying to defend every move he knew, alone. His eyes flew open when metal hit metal. Elrond put his blade down slightly. He had instinctively thrown off his opponent's sword, aiming his sword at the neck. Celeborn chuckled at Elrond's shocked face.
" Remind me never to sneak up on you," Celeborn was visibly relieved when the sword was out of his face, " Come practice with me. I am quite rusty with the sword."
Elrond nodded.
" Elros has been going out of his way to avoid me for the last three days."
" He is in love," Celeborn shrugged, and then froze, " I should not have said that."
Elrond was staring as if Celeborn had suddenly sprung two heads.
" In, in love? As in with a maiden? Which one? I have not been mistaken for him yet."
Celeborn played with his sword a little, almost nervously.
" What say you we practice?"
Elrond stopped the silver haired Elf.
" It is not with an Elvin maid?"
" I did not say that."
" You did not say it was not, yet I perceive it in your mind," Elrond searched his eyes angrily," Where is he?"
Celeborn pressed his lips together before he sighed.
" The Edain village."
Elrond's face turned to that of horror. Elros in love with a mortal?
" So this is why he has avoided me?" Elrond shrugged, " He will soon forget her."
" Elrond, he has known her for at least a year or two."
Elrond closed his eyes, before sheathing his sword and running out the door. He would end this.
" Elrond," Celeborn said, and then louder, " Elrond Peredhil."
The half-elven brushed by the king, out towards the stables. Ereinion looked between the two Elves, and then at Celeborn expectantly.
" I told him where Elros was," Celeborn explained.
Ereinion shrugged.
" Elros went shooting. Why does that upset Elrond?"
Celeborn shook his head.
" That was not all he was doing. His shooting probably took him close to a certain Edain village"
~*~
Elros was silent. Cienna finally looked up at him from her seat against his chest. She bit her lip, not knowing if she should break the peaceful silence. He finally looked down at her.
" What is it?"
" You are thinking too hard. If you thought any harder, I could hear your thoughts."
His chin rested on her head, hand twirling her light, cinnamon colored hair.
" I am trying to decide how to tell my brother about you and something else."
" Your brother? I did not know you had one."
" I do. He is all my family, other than Ereinion, the king."
" You have a high lineage," Cienna looked up at him.
He gently kissed her temple.
" What is the other one?" Cienna asked.
" Just a huge decision."
" Of what?"
He said nothing and she chose not to pursue it, lazily leaning more into him. A gentle wind ruffled the grasses. Elros sighed heavily.
*How do I tell Elrond I wish to be Edain because of Cienna? He will not understand. He is in love with his books.
" There is a storm coming," Cienna interrupted his thoughts.
Elros sat up, his sharp ears at work.
" Those are not storm clouds. They are hooves."
The horse came into sight. Elros stood in anticipation.
The horse pulled up in front of them and Elros groaned. Cienna's mouth was open slightly, eyes darting between them.
" You are a twin?"
Elrond crossed his arms, ignoring her.
" Mana nar elyë cara (What are you doing-Q)?"
" Elrond, ú-cara presto amen (Do not trouble us)."
Cienna looked between the two brothers, not understanding a word of Elvish. Elrond's face darkened. His eyes darted in a reference to her.
" He gwannatha (She will die)."
Elros shook his head, making a no gesture.
" Sen ú-le athrabeth (This is not your debate)."
Elrond put a finger in his brother's chest.
" Le aphadtha I lond (You will follow the path)," Elrond struggled not to stumble over the Westron words he never used, " You will be of the Eldar."
" How can you say that? How do you know what is best for me? Elrond, I could not live for millennia's and be stuck for all those ages with books and herbs and that stuff," Elros shook his head, " Our decisions will differ."
Cienna did not like the ugly glance the other twin gave her.
*Is it because of her, Elros? She will wither and fade like the fall leaves; and so will you if you choose that way. You will be sundered from all that love you, save her. You would give it all up for a woman? You would be like Lúthien. She died for love and was a fool.
Elros shook his head.
*I love her, Elrond, and I will spend my years with her, no matter how long or short.
*Love? What is that, Elros? The fluttery feeling you get? The passion? It will fade and you will fade; and it will have been for naught.
*What has jaded you, brother? You will leave this land lonely.
Elrond shook his head, unable to speak. Elros put an arm around Cienna.
" Cienna, this is my elder twin brother, Elrond. Forgive his rudeness. He is an Elvin counselor to Ereinion Gil-galad and does not use the common tongue often."
" Nice to meet you, Elrond."
Elrond sighed, embarrassed at the clipped foreign accent on his words.
" Tis nice to…" he looked at Elros helplessly.
" He is pleased to meet you," Elros interpreted.
Cienna smiled. She noted the disgust in Elrond's eyes.
" Elros, would you fetch our horses?"
Elros nodded, not understanding her request to the fullest.
Cienna turned to Elrond, once Elros was out of hearing range.
" He loves you," Elrond's face was stony.
Cienna was glad she would never see Elros so stony and stern.
" I love him also. We met here while he was healing."
Elrond ran a hand through his long hair.
" We have been…given a choice to be either Eldar or Edain. I can tell Elros did not tell you this. I know my decision will be Eldar, but I know now that he will not," Elrond paused again, making a mental note to brush up on his Westron. It was embarrassing, " Choose the same as I." He looked up at her, gray eyes full of unproclaimed fear; " I cannot live with the thought of being sundered from him, forever. I cannot bear to think he will age, and die. Like one of you."
Cienna tried to take no offense at his comment, as if somehow, she was so much less than he.
" Maybe he is supposed to choose differently."
Elrond sighed, a long deep heavy sigh she had heard only the elders of the town do. The tiredness in it did not become one looking so young. He pressed his lips together, looking towards his brother, and then back at her.
" Tis what I fear."