Disclaimer: See the first chapter
Chapter 2
Elrond walked through the halls of Imladris, heading for his sons' rooms. To those who were less familiar with the elf-lord, he seemed calm as always, nodding his head at the elves he passed. To his closest friends and family however, he was distracted and his composure was beginning to break from the strain. As his close friend and advisor had remarked, he was as well as he always was when he was expecting one of his sons home. Inwardly, Elrond smiled at the aptness of the observation. Since his darling wife Celebrian had sailed for the Undying Lands some centuries ago, he held his children; both foster and blood children closest to his heart.
Stopping at a door, Elrond quietly opened the door. His eldest son Elladan was still asleep; his room cluttered with his many weapons. Navigating his way towards the large bed Elrond smiled as he took in the sight of his son. Sitting on the bed, he stroked his son's hair. Elladan had returned home recently together with his twin brother Elrohir, both of them in no worse condition than any other of their usual 'hunting trips'. His sons had a tendency to find trouble whenever they set foot out of the valley. Or, he mused; they would find trouble within Imladris. It was this tendency in particular that caused him to worry so much whenever they left or returned. His youngest son, Aragorn, also known as Estel, was expected home within a few hours. Elrond knew that his sons would want to be there to greet their brother, whatever state he was in. His middle son, Elrohir was already awake and talking to Glorfindel downstairs in the private dining room.
Leaning forward, Elrond brushed his son's face lightly.
"Elladan, wake up ion-nin", he said softly.
Elladan stirred, his head feeling much worse for the wear after too much wine. Opening his eyes, he saw the room spin and quickly shut his eyes again. Slowly opening them this time, he was relieved when his vision focused and his looked up at the figure of his father.
"Ada? What's wrong?" he queried. It was unusual for his father to come to their rooms, only on matters of great importance did he enter their rooms or as the servants termed it, their dens.
"Nothing is wrong Elladan, or at least I hope nothing is. You might want to wake up though; Estel has been sighted by the border patrol. He should be here within a few hours."
Suddenly Elladan was wide-awake.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he exclaimed, throwing off the coverlet and bolting upright.
Elrond had a bemused expression on his face.
"Seeing as I have only just woken you, it would seem that I had little chance to tell you," watching his son rushing around the chamber in a haste to be prepared.
Elladan paused in his mad dash for a moment, his clothing held in bundle as he comprehended what his father had said.
"Oh right. Sorry ada. I was just excited to see Estel again. It's been three years!"
"I quite understand Elladan, but try to calm down. Breakfast is being served now downstairs, I expect you to be there shortly."
Rising, Elrond left his son standing in the middle of his room, mouth open and wordless with awe. Realising how undignified he must look, he quickly dressed and went downstairs to join Elrohir.
Aragorn was only an hour from the house when his ribs began to ache almost unbearably. He had been biting his lower lip for the past two hours, pushing back the pain. Normally, his body would have been able to keep going through the pain but together with his other injuries and his lack of food and sleep, it was becoming more than he could bear. He had already taken some painkilling herbs before but what he really needed was to rest for a while, a luxury he didn't have. Sorting through his herbs in his pouch, he found one that would dull his sense of balance and the pain, but would not come into full effect for while. He considered his options. He could either take this herb, which would make his slightly lucid but would hopefully allow him enough time to reach the house before he fell from his mount. Or, he could take another painkilling herb and continue his slow and painful progress towards home. Dismissing the latter, he chewed the sleeping herb and kicked his horse into a gallop. Trying to ignore the dulled ache in his ribs, Aragorn rode at full speed towards the gates of Imladris.
Elladan had arrived at the dining hall to find Elrohir questioning Glorfindel thoroughly about his foster brother. Adding his queries to the rather stressed out elf, the twins determined that their brother was riding slowly towards Imladris and appeared to have injuries, the full extent of which was not known. Inquiring as to when he was expected, Glorfindel replied that if he maintained the same pace, he would reach the gates within an hour or so. The conversation was immediately stopped when a servant breathlessly inform the elves that a figure was riding full speed towards the gates. The twins looked at each other, and then at Glorfindel.
"It would appear that your brother would be here sooner than expected" said Glorfindel rather dryly as he followed the twins, who were racing out of the hall together. He himself was moving at a more dignified pace, gracefully but still swiftly.
When he arrived in the courtyard, about a minute after the twins had arrived, he found Elrond was already there, his gazed fixed on the small figure that was steadily becoming closer towards the opened gates. As the rider came closer, it was apparent that he was in some kind of trouble as his body was drooping and his head flopping with the movement of the horse.
Elrohir nudged his brother.
"Look at ada!" he whispered. Elladan looked and saw his father mouth was twisted into a thin line of worry. As the horse's rider pulled up his horse and trotted through the gates, Elrond gave a wordless sigh of relief at having all of his sons home again. Meanwhile Aragorn was still on his horse, attempting to muster the ability to speak without screaming. His ribs seemed to be on fire and now that he was home, his other injuries were making themselves known; the journey had by no means been comfortable.
Lord Elrond was looking at his son worriedly. To his practised eye he had spotted dried blood on Estel's right sleeve immediately. His son was extremely thin and was silently gasping, his shoulders shaking slightly. Motioning for a groom to hold the horse, he approached his son, followed by the twins.
Aragorn was still trying to conceal the amount of pain he was feeling. The herbs had made him slightly disorientated and the world was swimming in and out of focus. He was still trying to control his breathing when a worried query reached his ears.
"Estel?"
Believing he was in control of his body, Estel turned towards the voice and saw the face of his father.
"Ada," he tried to say. Instead he groaned. A sheen of perspiration covered his forehead. Aragorn tried to dismount but the lack of food, rest and the herbs made him misjudge the distance and he fell out the saddle into the arms of his father.
A/N: I've been trying to update regularly but I've been rather busy with the start of the new school year. I know there wasn't a lot of Elrohir but there'll be more of him and Aragorn in the next chapter.
