Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I use in this story. This fanfiction was written for pure fun and no money was/is made with it.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama/Angst
Summary: A simple hunting trip turns into a disaster as Elladan and Elrohir are attacked by orcs. With Elrohir being seriously hurt, their only chance lies now in the hands of Aragorn and Legolas....but will they meet in time? Main Characters: Elladan, Elrohir, Aragorn, and Legolas.
E-mail: kaeera@yahoo.de
Feedback: Always appreciated, and constructive criticism is very welcome
Notes: Hmm...I don't really have much to say...only that I am late again...*sweatdrops* And that the story keeps getting weirder and weirder.
by Kaeera
Chapter Eleven: Hide and Seek
"You know, I bet Ada will be really angry when we return home!"
"Oh, don't fuss so much, it'll be a great adventure and if we hurry, we'll be
home before our parents notice. It's not right that they keep us inside all the
time, after all, we're old enough to go out on our own."
"You are right. I am getting tired of riding out with the guards – they never
let us do what we want!"
"Exactly, that's what I meant."
~What…what are you talking about?
"We're heading north?"
"Yes. Or do you have any other ideas?"
~Who are you?
"No, north is fine. There are a few of those huge waterfalls – you remember? We
visited them with Amme, Ada and Glorfindel last summer. But they didn't let us
to get close to the water! I would have liked to climb the cliffs."
"Well, you can do that now – I won't stop you. Maybe I'll even accompany you."
"You have to! Doing it alone is not fun!!"
~Can't you hear me?
"Sure. I don't know why Amme is always so afraid – it's not as if we are bad
climbers. We haven't fallen off any trees, have we?"
"…Actually, *you* fell off that summer some years ago…"
"Yes, but that was because it was raining and I was surprised by the thunder! My
climbing skills have improved greatly, and yours have too. Amme can be too
overprotective sometimes!"
"But Ada is the same way…although we've been practising sword fighting for some
years now, he won't even let us ride out on our own!"
~Where am I? What are you talking about?
"I don't know why the adults always have to make such a fuss."
"I hope I won't be that way when I grow up!"
~I know your voices…
"Gah…no way, I will never be like that! We have to promise each other that we
will never be stuffy old and boring like our history teacher. Promise, Elrohir?
We shall never break our promise."
"Allright. Let's make an oath, Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond, promise each
other to never ever grow old and become boring. Instead we shall always maintain
our cheerful spirits!"
"…Now that sounded *exactly* like our history teacher!"
"I know, that's why I said it."
~…Help me?
Elrond stood in the doorway watching his two sons, one of them was sitting quietly on a chair while the other one lay unmoving the bed. The elven lord didn't make a sound, he just stood silently. He had done everything that could be done. He had cleaned and bandaged Elrohir's wounds, he had seen to Aragorn and had prepared a healing potion for his youngest son.
But the worry still lingered in his mind, for he knew the worst was not yet
over. Elrond was a healer for more years he could remember, and in those he met
quite a few patients with serious head injuries. He had come to realize that
such injuries could never be taken lightly.
He had seen strong warriors lose their ability to speak, to walk and even slip
into a state of sleep from which they would never wake, and no healer was able
to help them. Such events occurred rarely, for elves were resilient, but it
could happen and it had.
The worst thing was that one never knew beforehand. It could be that Elrohir
would wake up with only a headache, but he may also never wake up again – or he
could have sustained serious damage to his brain, and not even elven medicine
could heal that.
That was the most horrible thought for Elrond, wounds he could treat, broken
bones he could mend, but how did one heal injuries to the mind?
Wearily he turned around, deciding to let his oldest son sit and rest for a bit
before he had a talk with him. Elladan was emotionally shaken, although he
didn't want to admit it, and what he needed most was rest.
"Elrond?"
He turned around at the comforting voice coming from behind. "Ah, Glorfindel." A
small, yet warm smile flashed over his face. "Walk with me a bit, I don't want
to disturb Elladan."
"Certainly." The blonde elf walked beside him. "How are Aragorn and Elrohir?"
"The same as before. Aragorn's condition has stabilized, but I am still worried
about Elrohir."
"The head wound is a nasty one." Glorfindel nodded. "I was quite worried myself
when I picked them up. And of course, the cold and exhaustion did not make
things any better."
"Exactly."
The blonde warrior cast his friend an inquiring look. "Don't beat yourself up
over this, Elrond." He advised softly. "I understand your worry, but you will be
of no help to them if you do not focus your thoughts."
"I know, my friend, I know." Elrond sighed heavily. "And yet my head is troubled
and my heart is afraid. I cannot treat what I cannot see, and that frightens me.
I can do nothing but sit on the sidelines and watch Elrohir fight for his
life…and he may not make it."
Glorfindel put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Elrohir is strong."
"So was Celebrian."
Momentarily taken aback, the warrior sighed. "Elrond, you have to trust him. I
understand your worry, I am concerned as well, but you must believe in him.
Elrohir is strong, he can fight this and he will come back to us."
Elrond rubbed his eyes and nodded hesitantly. "I know, Glorfindel, it's just…I
feel so utterly helpless, for I know what devastating affects a serious head
wound can have. I vividly remember the many warriors who struggled with those
same affects. I am frightened that perhaps a part of his brain may be injured. I
will not know what to do if that happens…"
He looked out the window. "Tell me Glorfindel, why is it that it is always my
sons who get into trouble? I can think no other father in Imladris who has had
so much trouble with his sons!"
Glorfindel smiled wryly. "Well, I'd say again that they have inherited that from
their father, but then I would get scolded. And as far as I can recall, I caused
my father many anxious moments as well."
"Oh, that is true." Elrond sent him a dark look. "You were probably one of those
elves that came home injured most of the time. The twins only imitated you."
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Glorfindel replied innocently.
The dark-haired elf smiled slightly, but then his face became serious again. "I
really will get grey hairs one day." He admitted defeated and looked down at his
brown, thick strands.
His friend chuckled. "Now that would be a sight to behold."
Elrond glared at him. "I am certainly not looking forward to it." His expression
softened, however, as he looked down the corridor. "I really should go and see
Elladan now. He needs me, even though he's too stubborn to admit it."
"Go and take your time. But remember that you need rest, too."
"I will, my friend. I will." Elrond said as he headed off. "Thank you."
Glorfindel smiled mysteriously. "You're welcome."
He was glad he had been able to raise Elrond's spirits at least a bit, although he could tell his friend was still worried. But who could blame him? Glorfindel had gone to see Elrohir for himself and had been shocked by the stillness of the normally mischievous elf.
It had to be even harder for Elrond, who raised Elladan and Elrohir as father,
back then when life in Imladris had seemed to be much easier than it was today.
Oh, there had been fights and many tears as well, pouting elflings and exasperated fathers, but the world always seemed brighter with two energetic little elflings waiting at home.
Glorfindel remembered fondly, the times when he came back to the main house and
the twins would run to him and hug him fiercely. They barely reached his hip.
Alas, those times were very special to him.
"I really hope you decide to come back, 'Ro." He mumbled worriedly. "Because if
you don't, I will have two cases to deal with, and I don't know if I can handle
that. It was bad enough after Celebrian's departure, and I don't think your
family can handle another loss – especially Elladan. He may be strong, but he
needs you."
His words echoed unheard through the corridor and he sighed deeply, knowing that
all he could do was wait and help Elrond. It was a position he didn't like at
all, but the situation was out of his hands.
There were times he had envied Elrond's happy family. But those were rare,
especially because Elrond always made many efforts to include him in his family,
like a well-loved uncle. And in the end, Glorfindel realized that his position
was actually much better than the one of a father. He didn't have to worry about
spoiling the twins and later Arwen, too much, instead he could do many fun
things with them.
He had often – intentionally or unintentionally – put the twins up to one joke
or another, helped them avoid some of the elders when they had gone too far and
later trained them himself with a sword and bow.
Of course, that hadn't always pleased Elrond, but that never seemed to bother
Glorfindel and Elladan and Elrohir loved him for that.
He smiled wistfully as his thoughts wandered back to those carefree times, and
for a moment, he almost forgot the present situation.
Elladan, however, was not in such high spirits. In the last few hours, he hadn't moved an inch from his chair, just sat there staring at his twin laying on the bed. Elrohir hadn't even twitched, he remained motionless, flat on his back. The thick gauze wrapped around his head made his dark hair stand out, and his face was pale.
The older twin didn't know what to do. How could he help his brother? Could he
help him at all?
He had tried talking with Elrohir, but he received no response from his unconscious brother, and now his voice was hoarse. Valar, he didn't even know if Elrohir was able to hear him!
It was kind of disconcerting to talk to a lifeless body. If he had only twitched
just once, squeezed his hand, or given any sign indicating that there still was
life in his fragile body, but – nothing. The hours had passed and nothing had
changed. How could he bear it if Elrohir stayed like this for days? Maybe even
for weeks?
Elladan buried his head in his hands. He didn't know. He really didn't know! He
was tired, exhausted, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, and
to be honest, he didn't want to. Thoughts were racing through his mind, worries
doubled with fear, and he felt so alone that it hurt.
He was dimly aware of the passage of time, and guilt washed over him as he
remembered that his other brother, Aragorn, had been hurt as well. But he simply
couldn't summon the energy to get up.
"This is entirely your fault, do you realize that, 'Ro?" he accused wryly.
"Honestly, getting hurt like that, what were you thinking?"
The tall elf leaned forward until he could look directly at Elrohir's face. "And
now you're laying there, worrying everyone. Don't you realize how frightened we
all are? Ada frets over you and if Estel was awake, I bet he would try to leave
his room to see you. Don't you dare to die on us!"
"And I don't even know if you can hear me or not." Elladan sighed. "Why are you
doing this?"
For a long while he stared at the unconscious elf on the bed. "I'm talking
rubbish again, aren't I? Always trying to blame it on you, as I did when we were
younger."
"Maybe I should have paid better attention."
"Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to go on this hunting trip."
"Maybe I should have told you to return as soon as the first snowfall started."
"Or maybe I simply failed to protect you, as I should have, after all, I am your
older brother." He looked at his hands thoughtfully. "'Maybe' is a
wide-stretching word, don't you think? I guess I can't really change what has
happened, although I would really, really like to. If I could, I wouldn't be
sitting here right now worrying about you. Instead, we would be talking and
fighting and laughing like we usually do. And we would most certainly be
annoying Estel and playing pranks on Glorfindel."
For a long while, Elladan simply stared ahead. "Can you even hear me Elrohir,
wherever you are?"
He didn't wait for a reply, for he knew that he wouldn't get one. "Just let me
tell you one thing 'Ro, if you don't wake up soon, I will never forgive you, do
you understand??"
"It will be just like that time you destroyed my favourite toy, only this time,
I won't give in to your bribes of sweets, kind words and tears."
"Elbereth!" Something hot burned in his eyes and he quickly wiped it away. "I'm
talking rubbish again. You'd probably laugh at me if you could hear what I am
saying…but I can't help it."
"For Valar's sake!" Elladan slammed a hand on the bed sheet and stood up. "All
this moping is getting me nowhere!"
He shoved his hands in his pockets and pondered his situation for a while. He
could do nothing, he was feeling helpless and generally worried beyond belief.
Waiting…oh how he hated that word! His whole life, Elladan had always despised
sitting still and doing nothing.
Those times were the worst, sitting around uselessly, waiting for something to
happen. Waiting made one think of strange things, you became afraid and nervous,
until it became unbearable, until he wanted to jump out a window and scream!
The worst part about a fight was always the waiting before – during the fight
itself, one didn't have the time to think, just acted out of instinct, until the
enemy – or oneself - was destroyed.
But when he waited for a fight to start…when he knew that a fight would begin,
only didn't know when exactly…then he started to think about what might happen,
could happen, would happen. His thoughts wouldn't stop swirling about the 'What
ifs' and he felt like he would go crazy.
What if some of my friends get killed?
What if I get killed?
What if they never come and we are waiting here for hours?
What if they take us as their prisoners?
Those questions run through his head every time he was in a dangerous situation.
Right now, it was similar.
What if Elrohir dies?
What if I die of grief?
What if I wait for days and he never wakes up?
What if Elrohir is trapped in his mind forever?
What if he wakes up and is mentally handicapped?
Questions every warrior dreaded. The realization of not being able to do
anything made Elladan's heart ache, and he desperately wished that he could
trade places with his brother…
flash…
Bright sunlight shone through the windows of the buildings, illuminating even the smallest corner of the grand room. Many noises filled the air, laughter mingled with soft talking, and above all, the soft sound of music playing.
"Elladan, no, you aren't allowed to drink wine!" a strict voice scolded.
"But I want to!" came the whiny reply.
"No, you are still too young."
"Ada…please?"
"No."
"Aww, come on!"
"Elrohir, not you too! You should be more responsible than this. Wine is only
for adult elves."
The voices stopped, and footsteps could be heard. Then, soft voices whispering
angrily, telling that the resistance wasn't quite forgotten.
"Ada is being mean, don't you think, 'Ro? I think we are old enough to drink
wine!"
"It's unfair, just because we are smaller!"
"Then let's steal some of it later, nobody will notice…"
flash…
Snow fell from the sky, covering every inch of Imladris as the wind howled
through the trees. Two male voices echoed through the corridors, followed by
childish laughter.
"Come on, Arwen, don't be such a girl, we'll teach you how to make snow-balls,
all right?"
"I *am* a girl, Elladan!" replied a pouting child's voice.
"That's not the point."
"But it is cold!"
"Arwen, you are our sister! Do you want us to be embarrassed of you? Honestly…"
"As the only sister of the famous Peredhil twins, you must always remember to be
mischievous and play jokes on everyone."
"…All right. I'll try my best."
"That's better. We don't want to have a sissy girl as a sister!"
flash…
It was autumn, and the leaves of the trees were falling, coloured brightly in
reds and yellows.
"You like a girl? Oh come on, 'Dan, you have to tell me about it!"
"No."
"Why not? I am your twin, I have a right to know! Maybe I can help you."
"No, you can't. So stop asking."
"Elladaaaa…."
"Whining won't help, either."
"Bribing?"
"Nope."
"You are sooo mean. I told you about my first crush! It is only fair that you
tell me of yours!"
"From what I remember, you didn't tell me voluntarily, only after I found the
love letters on your desk. So stop playing the wounded brother; I will tell you
when the time comes, and not a moment sooner."
"You are a mean older brother."
"I know. And I am proud of it."
flash…
Thick clouds moving across the sky, covering the sun and making the scenery seem
dull and grey.
"What? You are adopting Aragorn?"
"That's great! I have always wanted to have a younger brother!" an excited voice
exclaimed.
The first voice seemed to be insulted. "You have one!"
"That doesn't count, you are only younger by a few minutes."
Someone else chuckled. "But it might be difficult for you; after all he is human
and will someday pass from this world."
"But before that, we can teach him all our tricks and show him how to annoy
Glorfindel!"
"And we can take him out in the woods and teach him how to fight!"
"Of course! We absolutely *have* to show him the secret cave, don't you think,
'Dan?"
flash…
You won't leave me, will you 'Ro? you can't leave me like this, you simply
can't, because I can't live without you, we belong together, we are brothers…
"Let's make a promise, we shall never be separated again. No one shall ever come
between us!"
And I don't even know if you can hear me or not. Why are you doing this?
…I wish I had an answer to that question…
Later...
Aragorn was dimly aware that he was lying flat on his back, but for the first few minutes, that was all he noticed. It was difficult to concentrate, his mind was so fuzzy, so he simply waited for the dizzy feeling to pass.
It was the dull feeling of something hurting that finally brought him back to
reality. He couldn't figure out where his body hurt at first, but as he
concentrated more, he realized that it was his arm, more precisely, his left arm
that burned with a blinding hot pain.
Aragorn groaned mentally as the situation hit him. His arm hurt, he had trouble
focusing – that could only mean that he had managed to get injured again!
Slightly disgruntled by this realization, he did a quick check of the rest of
his body. No, there didn't seem to be any further injuries, but that knowledge
didn't get rid of his dizziness.
His head hurt, his throat ached and he felt hot and cold both at the same time.
All in all, he simply felt miserable.
The ranger would have frowned if he had the strength to do so, but at the
moment, he did not. Why did it seem that it was always him who woke up in
various unpleasant situations, be it imprisoned in a dark cellar, buried under a
rock slide or at home in Rivendell, facing the wrath of his father which was
worse than the first two?
He pondered about this fact for a moment, but couldn't find a satisfying answer,
so he concentrated on regaining his senses once more.
Being experienced in situations such as this, Aragorn knew that it would take a
while until he would be able to open his eyes and talk, so he listened to his
surroundings instead.
It was silent, and the only noise he could hear was the faint howling of the
wind. Nobody was talking, which probably meant he was lucky and wouldn't have to
look into several worried faces as he opened his eyes. He hated that the most,
waking up and realizing how much others had worried and feeling guilty for
causing them so much distress.
It was because of this he slowly tried to crack his eyes open, shutting them
almost immediately when bright sunlight pierced through his lids.
After a few seconds, the ranger decided to try it again and he opened his lids a
second time, this time managing to keep them open.
At first, all he saw was a blur, but then slowly shapes formed out of the
nothingness and he recognized the familiar ceiling of his room.
"Awake already?"
An all-too familiar face shifted into focus and he tried to smile as he
recognized the elf leaning above him.
Legolas couldn't wipe the relief from his face and he smiled at his friend.
"It's good to have you back." He said honestly. "But you are still weak. You
should rest a bit more."
Feeling the strain in his limbs, Aragorn silently agreed and closed his eyes. He
was far too tired to move, much less say anything. Satisfied that his questions
would soon be answered, let his lids drift down and sleep tug him into darkness.
"That's good, rest a bit more." Legolas' soft voice sounded as if the he were
far away.
Slowly Aragorn sank back into a deep, peaceful healing slumber, unaware of the
struggle both his brothers were going through at that very moment.
…floating in the darkness…
…unable to see as the time passed…
…Mind swirling with fears, confusion and loneliness…
...Images of the past, present and future haunting your mind…
...and above all, the monotone sound of waves splashing against the shore, the
lonely cry of a gull, the wind howling in your ear. Present and past mixing
until no one can distinguish them, and time passes and stops at the same time.
Caught in this situation, who would be able to find a way back, wherever a
'back' may be?
How can one find his way home if one doesn't remember ever having a home?
…you have to fight…
But…
…how can you fight when you don't even know your enemy?
…what if your enemy is…
…yourself?
To be continued...
Nili – Ja, der liebe Elrohir steckt ganz schön in der Misere. Ich weiß auch nicht, was mich dazu veranlasst hat, so ein krasses Psychozeugs zu schreiben, aber jetzt, wo ich einmal angefangen hab, fällt es schwer, wieder aufzuhören…dabei sollte die Geschichte eigentlich gar nicht so lang werden…
Ja, der liebe Aragorn als Elb, das wäre was *ggg* Aber eigentlich…wäre es dann ja langweilig. Die ganzen Witze von Elrohir und Elladan würden wegfallen!
Salara – Naja..eigentlich ist Aragorn wirklich wieder auf dem Wege der Besserung, denn es fällt mir unheimlich schwer, über zwei Todkranke auf einmal zu schreiben…außerdem muss er sich ja auch noch ein bisschen Sorgen machen! *g*
Und Elrohir's Unterhaltungen werden immer krasser…Tschah…ich weiß auch nicht warum…
Jadelyn Rashwe – Elladan is really angsting right now, and yes, I am having fun with it. Although it is cruel, but well…actually, I never planned on letting Elrohir see the sea while others don't, but when I wrote it, it was suddenly there…just like that…must have been my muse!
Celestra – Sorry, no more of little 'Ro and 'Dan, but in the next chapter, I promise!
School has started three (or four?) weeks ago here in Germany, and we already wrote our first tests. Argh. I have to study! .
Erothwen – Yeah, well, I can sooo imagine Arwen trying to imitate the twins while Celebrian always wants her to behave like a girl…it seems like a funny scene!
Iawen Londea – Okay, I tried to put in a little bit more Ada-angst, but I don't know if I managed it. I find it incredibly hard to write Elrond! I already thought about letting Elrohir wake up without his memory, but I am not sure if I will do it…you will have to wait. And you will get your Aragorn fretting…somehow…
Vereniel Greenleaf – Well, you could complain about something else…the weather for example…or parents, parents are always good to complain about! *laughs*
TrinityTheSheDevil - *slaps lightly* No passing out here! We need every reader to continue reading the story! *stern face*
andrea42 – Yep, toilet paper is a very interesting nickname. *lol* Little Arwen idolizing her brothers is quite an interesting idea, don't you think? I would like to write a story about it, but I don't have the time...*sighs* It would be so cute!
Well, I think Legolas would address Elrond like that, because he's a prince himself after all, and those have to maintain such gestures. Or not?
Gwyn – Sorry to disappoint you, but I like torturing Ro too much to let him wake up now^^
Idle Mind – Don't worry, that happens to the best of us. (I'm quite well-known for such actions among my friends :P). I'm glad you liked the story^^
Melissa Greenleaf – But it is so difficult to write Elrond's reactions! *whines* That's why I always manoeuvre around it…but I put him in into this chapter, hope it is okay^^
Firnsarien – Yep, I am very glad about the 200 reviews…that's the biggest amount I have ever received, and it feels awesome!!
FirstMate – I feel honoured that you checked me first! But I am not that quick with updates, so you always have to wait a few weeks…Poor Elladan suffers and nobody helps him! Awww! I want to hug him! *sniff*