chapter 25

Elrohir watched Estel rush past him and grabbed the younger man's arm and saw the look on his face.

"He told you, didn't he?" Elrohir spoke softly, receiving a small nod as a reply, "I'm sorry Estel, but we had to keep it from you for your safety..."

"Yeah, safety, lies, deceit, not much difference is there really eh brother," he spat the word like poison, "how much longer were you planning to keep it from me? Hmm? Another fifty years? A hundred? Were you going to wait until I was upon my deathbed before you told me?"

"Estel..."

"Don't call me that." He hissed, "That name, like the rest of my life has been a lie."

"We never kept it from you to hurt you brother..."

"I am not your brother Elrohir, I am but a mortal you should not concern yourself with me Elf," the tone stabbed the twin worse than any poisoned weapon could have ever done.

"Aragorn I..." he tried to speak but was at a loss what to say.

"Don't bother; I'll be out of here soon. You won't have to lie to me any longer." He stormed off, leaving the twin speechless and rooted on the spot.

Closing his eyes against the sting of tears he walked off to find Elladan.

"Elrohir?" no sooner had the thought for his twin crossed his mind, the familiar soft voice called to him quietly, he turned to see the elder watch him with concern, "What is wrong brother?"

"Estel...no Aragorn...he's not Estel any longer..."

"Nonsense Ro, he'll always be our little Estel..."

"No Dan...he wants nothing more to do with us...he denied us as brothers..."

"If we are dead to him, then he is dead to us." Elladan said firmly.

"What? No Elladan...you cannot mean it like that...he..."

"Has nothing more to do with us. He has to find his way alone; we cannot aid him any longer. I will hear no more on the matter." His tone left no room for argument, Elrohir sighed, knowing he would not win the argument. "Come, if you want to make yourself useful you can help me respond to some of those letters, seeing as I will be unable to write for a short while." He started walking inside.

"As you wish, my lord," he added bitterly, he was starting to worry for his twin's state, the past few weeks had been hard on the elder twin, having to accept so much loss and responsibility, perhaps loosing Est...Aragorn had pushed him over the edge and the sharp tone in Elladan's voice betrayed no gentle emotion, as if none had ever existed, he could feel his twin shutting himself away from everyone and everything, he knew if Elladan carried on like he was, he would destroy himself.