Genre: General/Drama
Rating: PG
E-Mail:kaeera@yahoo.de
Summary: When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other?
Notes: That was a quick update, wasn't it? I didn't want to leave you hanging too long...I am not *that* cruel. And that's the reason why this chapter will be about Elladan as well, althogh it would be Elrohir's turn...sorry Elrohir! Next time, I promise! *pats head* Alas, since I was writing this part, I didn't have to get the next chapter of 'When the Snow Falls' done...it will follow soon, I'll try my best! It's just that I barely am at home right now, which is quite difficult when I want to write.
by Kaeera
Part Seven: The pain of being lonely
The wind slowly died down as the storm moved on, making it easier for Elrond to
search the dark gardens of Imladris for his son. Why Elladan would go out in
such weather, he had no idea, but his search of the buildings had been fruitless
and nobody had seen him, either. The only place left to search was outside,
causing Elrond to worry even more.
Why would Elladan feel the need to venture outside even though he hated
thunderstorms? Had he been that distressed that he hadn't even noticed?
Guilt washed over the Elven Lord, and he doubled his efforts. He called out
softly in the darkness."Elladan?"
Glorfindel was worried as well. "This is strange, Elladan should have answered
if he's outside. Where could he be?"
"I have no idea." Elrond shook his head. "But I fear that something has happened
to him."
They exchanged a concerned glance and continued calling for the lost elfling.
Finally, there was a reply, so weak at first that they couldn't make out the
words, but when they listened closely, they recognized the voice.
"A-ada? " The voice sounded small and frightened, and the two elves didn't
hesitate for a second, they stormed forward towards the direction the sound had
come from.
"Elladan? Elladan, where are you?" Rain was pouring down making it difficult for
Elrond to see.
"Ada!" It was more of a sob than a coherent reply, but it helped guide them
towards the elfling.
"He's over there!" Glorfindel pointed towards a large tree not far away. Under
the tree, a small figure lay huddled on the wet ground, thoroughly soaked and
shivering pitifully.
It took Elrond only one moment to realize that his son was hurt, and then he was
off, running towards him. "Elladan!" he gasped and fell to his knees, trained
eyes scanning the motionless figure.
"Ada…" was the whimpered reply and two arms reached up, seeking the comfort they
hadn't been able to have up until now. Elrond immediately gathered his son in
his arms and made comforting noises as the elfling cried into his robe.
"Elladan, are you hurt?" he asked, already running his hands over the little
body in front of him to search for injuries.
"My leg…it hurts…" Elladan sobbed. "I didn't want to…really…I wanted to return
before dinner, but then I slipped, and I fell…and it hurt so much, I couldn't
walk, and nobody would hear me, and it was raining, and, and…"
"Shhh, it's all right. I'm here now. Everything will be all right." Elrond
soothed, while Glorfindel bent down to examine the small leg.
"It seems to be broken." The blonde elf announced and looked sympathically at
the elfling. "Does it hurt anywhere else, Elladan?"
"No, not as much as…my leg…" was the soft reply.
"Hush, don't cry, my little one." Elrond placed a kiss on his son's forehead. "I
will carry you home, but it may hurt a bit. Can you be strong only for a few
more minutes?"
"I'll…try." Elladan shivered. "It's cold Ada."
"There will be a warm fire in your room." Elrond gathered the little elfling in
his arms and stood up carefully to avoid making any sudden movements that would
hurt Elladan further.
The elfling clutched his robes tightly as if he never wanted to let him go
again, and Elrond could only begin to imagine how horrible it must have been to
be stuck outside during the storm and with a broken leg to make it worse,
for…how long? He didn't know, but judging from the coldness of Elladan's skin,
it had to have been more than just a few minutes.
"Everything's all right now, you are safe." He spoke in a calming tone and was
relieved that Elladan's shivers eased up a bit. But his hands still wouldn't let
go of his father's tunic.
"I will rush ahead and prepare the room." Glorfindel spoke in his ear softly,
and Elrond nodded.
"Prepare one of the pain medicines as well, I think he might need it. And please
make sure a fire is started in his room. I don't want to bring him to the
healing wing, he will be more at ease in his own room."
"Of course my lord." Glorfindel nodded and dashed off through the rain, while
Elrond continued at a slower pace whispering soothing words into the ear of the
frightened elfling.
"I'm sorry, Ada." came the small, miserable voice.
"You don't have to be, Elladan."
"But I ran away during the storm even though you told us not to go outside in
this kind of weather, and then I managed to get myself hurt. I only wanted to
see the lighting, it was so pretty, and then I slipped, and it really hurt…"
"I know, my little one, I know." Elrond gently stroked his son's wet hair. "But
it happened and we cannot change it. We simply have to accept things as they are
and try to learn from our mistakes. Next time, you will be more careful, and
maybe you won't try to climb trees during a thunderstorm again."
"Maybe." Elladan sniffed. "But you know Ada, I really missed Elrohir while I was
all alone. It felt terrible."
"You both belong together." Elrond simply stated.
"I guess he really isn't that bad after all…" The words were barely audible as
the sleepy elfling mumbled them into his father's robe, but Elrond understood
them nonetheless, and smiled.
"It makes me happy to hear that." he admitted. "It would be really, really sad
if my two sons hated each other, because I love you both dearly, and your mother
as well. You may quarrel sometimes, but he's still you brother, and you share a
special bond."
"Hmmm." Elladan mumbled tiredly, and Elrond chuckled.
"See, we've reached the main house. It won't be long till we get you out of
these wet clothes and in your warm bed. Then I'll give you some tea and you can
fall asleep without any more pain."
"That would be…great." the elder twin wiped his eyes.
Elrond hugged him closer. "You are safe now."
Finally, Elladan was able to relax.
When they reached the twin's room, Elrond laid the half-asleep elfling on his bed. Glorfindel had already brought in some bandages, and was now brewing a tea laced with healing herbs.
When he was done, they both stripped Elladan out of his wet clothes, careful to
avoid moving his leg.
Elladan's upper body was covered with numerous bruises, and in the light, they could see several dark cuts on his face. Fortunately they were relatively minor compared to the leg, and Elrond was sure they would heal quickly.
He gently coaxed his son to drink the tea, and when he was finally asleep, he
and Glorfindel splinted his leg.
"Fortunately it's not a complicated break." Elrond sighed in relief as he
wrapped a bandage around the leg.
"Yes, but he will still be confined to bed for a couple of weeks, and you know
how hard that will be." Glorfindel grimaced. "The twins were never fond of
staying inside, and I am sure it will be difficult to keep him in his room."
"Oh yes, I am sure you are right." was the dry reply, as the Lord finished
bandaging the leg and began applying an ointment to the small cuts on Elladan's
face.
Glorfindel shook his head. "I just don't get it…why did he go outside during the
storm? Elladan is afraid of thunderstorms, isn't he?"
"He told me that he wanted to catch the lighting, because it looked so pretty."
Elrond smiled. "But I think there may have been another reason as well. I think
he was trying to prove to himself how strong and independent he can be without
his brother, although he had to have been scared."
"For such a young one, it must have taken much courage to venture out in such
weather, especially when he is so afraid of thunderstorms."
Elrond looked down at his son with a strange mixture of pride and concern on his
face. "I think being separated from Elrohir affects him even more than we know."
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "I didn't get that impression at all."
"Oh, he hides it well. But when I was carrying him, he told me he really wished
his brother had been with him today. He also said Elrohir wasn't that bad after
all." The Elven Lord chuckled. "Although he seemed to be pretty embarrassed to
admit it.
"That was to be expected."
"Well, the separation won't last much longer. Celebrian will start her journey
back home in about a week, and soon, we shall al be reunited. I believe Elladan
has learned his lesson, but I wonder if Elrohir has as well?"
Glorfindel tilted his head. "Hasn't Elladan always been the more stubborn one?
Elrohir should be all right if Elladan is ready to make peace, should he not?"
"I fear not, my friend." Elrond tucked the blankets around the elder twin and
stood up, stretching his arms.
"Although Elrohir can be more reasonable than his brother, he can be even worse
than Elladan, believe me. He's just as stubborn, but he hides it well."
"Let's just hope that he didn't do something as foolish as this one." The blonde
elf pointed to the sleeping elfling to emphasize is words. "One injured twin may
be bad, but two will be horrible."
A horrified look appeared on Elrond's face. "Don't say that! I am looking
forward to a peaceful summer! At least for once…"
Glorfindel patted him on the shoulder. "Elrond…maybe you haven't noticed…but you
haven't had a peaceful moment since the day the twins were born. And knowing
those two, it will be that way for quite a while."
Then he smiled. "But I guess it is pretty safe to say you don't regret it, will
you?"
"Oh no, not at all." Elrond chuckled. "But sometimes, it would be nice to have a
little bit of peace and quiet, I must admit."
"Oh, really?" His friend sent him an unbelieving look. "Knowing you, you would
soon become bored with all so-called peace and quiet, Elrond. You are too much
like your sons. You enjoy the excitement, every day, and I like it as well." His
eyes twinkled. "For it has brought many a smile to my face."
"Aye, my friend, I believe there's a little bit of truth in that…"
It was late the next morning when Elladan finally awoke from his peaceful slumber. Wearily, the elfling blinked his eyes open and scanned his surroundings. The memory of coming back to his room last night was quite blurry, and so he spent the next few minutes trying to recall exactly what had happened.
The storm seemed to be over, bright, yellow sunrays shone through the large
window and illuminated the whole room in a warm, golden light. The shadows of
the trees painted little pictures on his bedcovers, and a slight breeze rustled
through the branches moving the pictures.
Elladan rubbed his eyes and winced as his hand brushed the large cut on his left
cheek. He suddenly remembered his father finding him and bringing him back to
his room.
Now, that the sun was shining and everything was so warm, the memory of the
terrible night seemed to fade away and the pain was already forgotten, until
Elladan tried to out of bed.
A sharp pain shot up his leg and he whimpered slightly. Throwing aside the
bedcovers, he sent an inquiring glance towards his uncooperative limb and saw
that his leg was wrapped in thick bandages. It didn't hurt too much when he
didn't move, so he left it alone and lay still.
The elder twin had once broken his arm two summers ago and the feeling had been
very similar to what he was feeling now. He also remembered the terrible time
afterwards in which he hadn't been allowed to use his arm at all. He really
hoped that this time wouldn't be like that.
"Finally awake, I see." came a friendly voice from the doorway, and Elladan
turned around to see Glorfindel standing there.
"Hello Glorfy!" He smiled.
"That was quite foolish of you, falling out of a tree, don't you think?" The
blonde elf scolded gently. "I thought you had more sense than that."
Elladan blushed furiously and stared at the bedcovers. "I only wanted to see the
lighting." he murmured sheepishly.
"Alas, and now you have a broken leg as a result. Do you realize what that
means?"
The elfling shook his head, afraid to hear the answer.
"Well, you will have to stay in bed for at least two weeks, depending on how
long it takes your bones to mend. You must not move your leg too much because
then it won't heal properly."
He chastised the young elf gently and grinned at the shocked look on Elladan's
face. "I guess that is punishment enough for you, your father and I have decided
not to punish you further. But I really hope that you have learned from your
mistake!"
Elladan nodded quickly, gulping at the prospect of being caged into his room for
two weeks, and maybe even more! And there wouldn't be anyone to keep him
company! Oh, he would be sooo bored…
"Alright. Then," Glorfindel paused, glancing at the elfling who looked much
better than last night, "are you hungry?"
"Oh, yes!" Elladan replied eagerly, for he hadn't been able to eat dinner the
evening before.
The blonde elf chuckled. "Then I will ask someone from the kitchen to bring you
some breakfast, all right? And I will tell your ada that you are awake. I think
he wants to talk with you."
Elladan simply nodded and leaned back as the older elf left the room, humming a
soft melody to himself.
It didn't take long for his breakfast to arrive, it was brought in by a
beautiful she-elf who reminded Elladan painfully, of his mother. He shook off
the sad memories and dug in to his meal, enjoying the fresh bread and sweet
honey. He had not realized how hungry he was, and he did his best to satisfy the
empty feeling in his stomach. He even forgot about the pain while he ate.
The plate was nearly empty when another elf entered the room, smiling broadly at
the sight of young Elladan.
His son was really a sight to behold, thought Elrond as he stood in the doorway
watching Elladan. Besides having a broken leg and numerous hurting bruises, the
elfling's immense appetite hadn't been affected at all and he had emptied the
whole tray, leaving only a few crumbs on his plate.
Honey was smeared around Elladan's mouth as he looked up, finally noticing
Elrond watching him patiently.
"Ada!" he exclaimed and tried to scramble out of bed, only to wince in pain as
his leg protested fiercely against the rough treatment.
"Easy, Elladan." Elrond rushed to his side and helped to settle down again. "You
aren't supposed to move your leg too much. It has to heal, and that will take
time."
Elladan sniffed. "But I don't want to stay in bed for so long. It is so boring!"
"Well, unfortunately, that cannot be helped." Elrond brushed his son's hair out
of his eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"But don't worry, after the first few days you will get a walking cast and you'll be able to move around a bit with crutches. Running and jumping, however, won't be allowed until your leg is fully healed!"
"Really?" Elladan's mood lightened a bit at this, but the prospect of not being
able to run for at least two weeks was dampening his spirit.
"Yes. And who knows, maybe your mother and Elrohir will return soon. That would
be a pleasant surprise, wouldn't it not?"
A mixture of feelings rushed over Elladan. Happiness that his brother might come
back to keep him company and a hint of stubborn conviction that he should still
be angry with his younger twin.
Elrond watched the emotions play over his son's face before he interrupted. "Or
do you still hate your brother?"
Elladan gnawed on his lower lip and looked at his hands. "No…no, actually not."
"Won't it be much more fun with Elrohir here to keep you company instead of
sitting all alone?"
"…Yes."
"So would you like him to come back?" Elrond inquired, feeling a bit anxious at
what the answer might be.
Stubbornly, Elladan set his jaw and looked in his father's eyes. "Yes."
"That's great!" the older elf laughed in relief and he ruffled Elladan's hair.
"I was afraid you would keep up this façade, it was really getting annoying."
The elfling blushed and avoided his father's gaze. "But I'm still a bit angry
with him…" he mumbled softly.
"That's all right. After all, you are brothers, it is natural for you to quarrel
sometimes. Life would be dull without some conflicts here and then, wouldn't
it?" Elrond's eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Did you and your brother fight as well, Ada?" Elladan asked curiously, glad to
have found a way to change the subject.
"Oh yes, many times." was the chuckled reply, as Elrond recalled his younger
years. A feeling of sadness washed over him as he remembered his twin, who had
left him way too early, and he sighed as he looked at the curious child in front
of him. "We used to fight over the silliest things, and sometimes we even hurt
each other. But when I grew up, I realized how wonderful it was to have a twin –
a person who shares a very unique bond with you and who will be with you all the
time, no matter what."
Elladan tilted his head. "Do you miss him?"
Elrond looked out of the window and nodded. "Oh yes. There are times when I miss
him more than anything, but since he's gone, there will always be an empty place
in my heart. I sincerely hope that you and Elrohir never have to endure such a
fate."
"I hope so, too." The elfling admitted and then threw his arms around his
father. "But don't be sad Ada, now you have us, and we will fill that empty
place in your heart!!"
Surprised, the elven lord blinked, and then laughed. "I am sure you will. Thank
You, Elladan."
The only reply was a giggle and Elrond continued to stare out the window, a sad
smile on his face as he realized everything would be alright.
To be continued...
Silverfox - Somehow, it never came to my mind that twins could have a mental connection. I mean, all the twins I know are normal people and act like normal siblings. So I haven't actually planned something like that in this story...although it sounds quite interesting, I must admit. Maybe I'll use it somehow. Who knows^^
Faila Gamgee of Sandy Downs - ....okay, I'm afraid of your wrath...so here's the next part...
Erothwen - No way! I surprised you? Wow....you don't how happy I am about that!!! Normally, my plots are so simple that everyone knows the ending before I write it, which is kind of annoying. But somehow, I can't think of complex storylines...*sobs*
Lady of Legolas - If you have something on your mind, say it! I like hearing people's thoughts, as weird they might be^^
xsilicax - Storms are really fascinating, I share your opinion - that's why I chose to write about it. I can understand why
Elladan ventured out in such a weather...I would do it myself...Ah, and I am not that cruel, really...this chapter is about Elladan, too.
Because the readers wouldn't be able to concentrate on what was happening to 'Ro when they are still thinking about Elladan, so...it seemed
like a wise choice.
And I don't think that Elrohir can actually feel Elladan's pain...he may get uneasy, but that's probably all.
Starlight Wolf - Perfect Family? I react allergical to the word 'perfect'. Perfect is boring...my sister can be annyoing and my relatives embarassing, but I love them all for their crazyness. There's always something to laugh... But you are right, it would be cool to have a brother like Elladan. Or Elrohir. Or both^^
Iawen Londea - *sighs* Why does everyone think about twin empathy? I haven't even heard of that before I started this chapter...I'll see what I write. Well, at least Elladan is safe. And it proves that he's less stubborn than Elrohir^^