Chapter Thirteen Severed Skills: Adrift

Elrohir sat up shivering uncontrollably at the feeling of utter hopelessness that over took his small body. He pulled his hand from his brother's clutches and slipped from the bed breathing deeply. He had never woken like this. So disoriented, or alone. He shook his head and climbed back onto the bed to wake his brother, but his hand froze in mid air startled. He swallowed and shook his brother staring at the closed eyes of his brother. He received no response and he shook harder trying to get some signs that his brother was waking. His brother's face was ashen with dark circles around his eyes and his breathing was shallow. Elrohir reached out and touched his twin's face and with a short cry of surprise snatched his hand away from the icy coldness. Frantic, he jumped from the bed and raced to his father's room calling out for him at the same time.

He darted around the corner and slid into the wall in his desperation to reach his father's chambers as quickly as his feet would carry him. He scrambled to his feet and resumed his running until a firm hand held him back.

"You should not be running the halls." A soft voice whispered.

Elrohir spun around furiously and saw Figwit standing there now startled at the urgency on the small elfling's face.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Ada!" Elrohir cried out, his small voice resonating through the halls. He turned ignoring the baffled young aide and scrambling to his father's door. "Ada! Ada!" Elrohir cried shoving the door forcefully. It banged against the wall and Elrond sat up surprised.

"Elrohir?" Elrond asked standing quickly and pulling on a robe. "What ever is wrong?" He quickly gathered his son into his arms and hugged him. His son's sobs muffled his frantic words, and Elrond had to shush him to understand what he was saying. "Easy, tell me what happened."

Elrohir squirmed out of his father's arms and pulled him by his hand out of the room. Stunned and confused, Elrond followed his son who was practically dragging him to the Healing Halls.

Elrohir released his father's hand and raced to the bed, quickly climbing onto it and peering down at his brother' ashen face.

"Ada." He whispered fearfully.

Elrond quickly eased himself beside his son's on the bed and he checked Elladan's pulse. It was there, but extremely shallow.

Elrond frowned shocked at his son's condition and he rolled his eldest onto his back and checked the dressing. His son's wound was healing, no signs of infection. He checked over his son's body searching for other signs of injury and found none. "What happened?" Elrond asked his youngest who gripped his brother's hand in distress.

"He-he had a dream, another. I-I told him it was alright." Elrohir sobbed, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Shush, slowly." Elrond soothed. "He had another night terror?"

Elrohir nodded.

"Then what happened after you told him it was alright?" Elrond asked glancing at his eldest son's pale face.

"He seemed to grow quiet. He reached for my hand and I fell asleep." Elrohir breathed.

Elrond nodded frowning deeper listening to his son, but searching his mind for answers. "Then you woke up and found him like this?" He asked.

"Not right away, I woke up feeling weird." Elrohir sobbed choking on his words. "I wanted to tell Ella about it and that is when I noticed."

Elrond reached over and drew his son into a hug, soothing him with whispered words. "I want you to go wait outside while I check your brother. Can you do that?"

Elrohir shook his head desperately. "I want to stay."

"It will be alright, Elrohir. You must wait outside so I can do what needs to be done."

Dejectedly, Elrohir left the room and sat down on the small bench outside. He curled up on the soft cushion and cried until he drifted off to sleep.

Elrond pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked out of the healing room. He had never felt so exhausted or bewildered at the fate that entwined itself with his eldest. He closed the door silently behind him, hearing the audible click of the door catching the clip. Elrond glanced around him and caught sight of his youngest sleeping on the couch. The elf lord edged forward and sat next to his son shaking him slightly. Elrohir shot up instantly, glancing around him.

"Ada." He gasped climbing onto his father's lap. "Ella?"

Elrond wrapped his arms around his son and nodded his head. "He will be alright, Elrohir. He had a dark dream, and he is frightened. I eased his worries and he awoke briefly before falling back into sleep. This time without dreams."

"Why does he have bad dreams?" Elrohir whispered snuggling into his father's robes.

"I believe he is too young to understand them fully. In time they will become less frequent, and his path will become easier."

Elrond laid his chin on his son's head and sighed.

Elrohir twirled his father's hair around his fingers, snuggling closer to his father.

Elrond chuckled. "Are you tired?"

Elrohir shook his head. "Can I see Ella?"

"Not right now, let him rest for awhile longer."

Elrohir looked up at his father his eyes growing wide.

"I will allow you to see him for yourself and make sure he is alright, but then we must let him rest." Elrond suggested.

It was mid afternoon when Elrond entered his study. He had work to catch up on, but his youngest filled the morning not wanting to be left alone. Now left alone in his study, Elrond walked to his desk and tackled the many letters and reports that scattered his desk. 'It never ends.' Elrond thought to himself, cutting the seal on one letter and scanning over its contents.
Elrohir perched in his favorite tree lying on the branch with his legs and arms hanging over the side precariously. He was so bored and had nothing to do. He glanced to the training grounds and sighed. He had no friends to play with, and he was too young to go to practice alone, and Elladan was inside sleeping. He closed his eyes and listened to the birds sing, causing him to think of the wonderful feeling flying would be. He quickly abandoned that thought however, remembering that he had no wings. He pushed himself up and leaned against the strong trunk of the oak tree, and pulled his legs up to his chest. His ears picked up faint laughter and he longingly turned his head in the direction it was in. He turned his head quickly when he heard the approach of footsteps, and he leaned over to see who it was.

There stood Figwit. Seemingly without a care in the world. Elrohir grinned mischievously. The elfling quickly got to his feet and waited until Figwit was situated almost under him and he jumped with a great cry, causing Figwit to jump and spin around startled. Elrohir and Figwit both fell to the ground in an undignified way, and Elrohir scrambled to his feet triumphantly.

Figwit rolled over and gathered his feet, shaking his head laughing. "You almost caused my heart to fly out of my mouth, young one."

"Did I really scare you?" Elrohir grinned.

Figwit nodded and glanced up to where Elrohir had jumped. "That is no short distance, Elrohir." Figwit noted. "Are you that bored?"

Elrohir nodded kicked at a stone on the ground. "I have no one to play with." He muttered.

"What about the elfling's in the training field?"

"I am too young to go there without adult supervision." He stated.

Figwit nodded in understanding. "Would you like to go fishing with me?"

Elrohir's eyes brightened immediately. "Would I like to?" He cried. "I would love to."

Figwit smiled and held out his hand. "Come then, let us get you a pole and some worms, and then let us catch your father and brother a large fish." Figwit lead Elrohir down the path towards the small fishing hole smiling at the antics of the young elf darting in and out of the trees, his pole catching on bushes causing the small one to be stopped from time to time in frustrated excitement as he pulled his fishing rod from the clutches of a barbaric bush. At times it lead to a game of tug and war, as the bushes clung unmercifully to the line. Figwit burst into laughter when the bush released its hold on the pole causing a frantic elfling to stumble backwards and land on his backside into the mud. The wet mud splashed up leaving its traces on the young ones arms, face and leggings. Shaking his head chuckling Figwit leaned over and aided the younger twin to his feet.

Elrohir frowned at the mud splatters that covered his once clean tunic, and he tried desperately to wipe it off, only to cause it to smear into a further mess. Elrohir bent down and picked up his pole and slung it over his shoulder proudly, the small tumble forgotten in his haste to reach the fishing pond. He looked over his shoulder and turned around quickly with impatience as Figwit walked more slowly down the path.

"Hurry." Elrohir waved frantically. "Come on." The young twin turned around again and quickly walked down the path. He disappeared from Figwit's line of sight, and the older elf broke into a run remembering the last time one of the twins who wandered out of his eyesight. Figwit rounded the corner and glanced around, catching Elrohir's small figure standing at the edge of the fishing pond. His face was white and he had dropped his pole, his face full of fear.

"What is it, Elrohir?"

"The monster tried to eat me here." Elrohir whispered. Not once did his eyes drift from the water.

Figwit sighed, instantly remembering the incident. "Haldir fought the monster, remember?"

Elrohir backed up even further from the water's edge.

Figwit placed his hand on the small elf's back and paused his retreat. "We will not enter the water, but sit upon that boulder, there." He pointed to the big one lying beneath a great willow tree, its branches and leaves covering the rock with shade.

Elrohir nodded hesitantly and took Figwit's hand. His eyes finally left the water and glanced down at his forgotten fishing pole, and he reached his free hand out for it. Both elves walked to the large boulder, and situated themselves on it, laying out blankets, and their tackle. Elrohir froze and nervously whispered to Figwit.

"What if we catch the monster?" His eyes grew rather large, causing Figwit to bite his tongue to refrain from laughing.
Coughing to recover his dignity he muttered quietly. "We will then pin it to the tree there, and let it watch us fish."

Elrohir nodded agreeing to the terms and sat down watching Figwit fit the bait on the hook attached to his fishing pole. Figwit passed the rod to Elrohir and watched as the young elf heaved the line into the water. He almost laughed out loud again as the elf used all his might to cast the small worm into the water, causing the elf to spin around in a full circle and stumble nearly loosing his balance. Figwit grabbed the elfling's tunic quickly stopping his fall and pulled him into a sitting position on the rock.

Shaking his head, Figwit cast his own rod and both elves leaned back onto their elbows. Figwit chuckled to himself as he watched out of the corner of his eye. Elrohir was watching him intently mimicking his every move. If he turned onto his left side, Elrohir would cast his eyes over casually and copy his movement.

They sat upon the rock until the sun started its roll to the west, when Elrohir's fishing pole jerked and almost slid off the edge of the rock. The younger twin sat up and watched with wide eyes as his pole made its way off the rock. Quickly he fell to his stomach and clutched the pole in his tiny hands, crying out to Figwit excitedly as the mighty fish pulled Elrohir across the rocks surface.

Laughing, Figwit gripped the fishing rod and yanked on it. Elrohir let out a yelp as the fish flew up out of the water, its silvery skin shining in the sun. The large fish fell back into the blue lake, and flew up again, causing the small excited elfling to dance about crying out for joy. Figwit yanked on the line and pulled it towards the rock, causing the fish to fly in and out of the water, before it made its final landing onto the rocks surface.

Elrohir reached for the fish, but yanked his hand back giving out a startled exclamation as the fish danced around seeking air.

"Will it bite me?" Elrohir cried out loudly, as the fish continued its desperate attempt for escape.

Figwit shook his head, and knelt down beside the fish, watching the young elf's wonder. He silently watched as the elder elf cleaned the fish and then both of them quietly made their way home with Elrohir's treasure that he was ecstatic to chare with his brother.

Elrond waited on the steps as they arrived and grinned at his advisor as Elrohir excitedly talked about his adventure at the lake. He gathered the now tired elfling in his arms and carried him up stairs as Figwit disappeared towards the kitchen to speak with the cook regarding the evening meal. By the time Elrond reached his son's room, Elrohir had slipped off to sleep, curled up in his father's arms, and his head lying on his shoulder peacefully. His small hand was wrapped around his hair and the other lay over his shoulder carelessly. Smiling, Elrond laid his small son onto the bed and pulled the covers around him, tucking in his feet and pushed the hair off the forehead. Elrohir mumbled and turned over onto his side and Elrond slipped from the room, silently.