Hey to you all, my adoring fans::cricket chirping: …Uh, hehe. Didn't you miss me::crickets are silent: …I love you::panicked screams and fighting: Um…okay, here is the new chapter…
Disclaimer- Well, I haven't done one of these in a while so here it is! I don't own Legolas, Thranduil, Mirkwood, elves in general, etc. I don't own anything. Zip. Nadda.
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Chapter 12- Of Twins
Soft hymns of mourning were sung as the lord was carried down deep into the forest. The birds remained silent in their trees as if they knew something sorrowful was taking place. Not even the leaves rustled in the dark sea of trees. The singing of the elves was endless and smooth as they glided deeper and deeper in until they broke away from their home. They continued on until they came to the swift waters of the Anduin. They placed the lord in a small boat and, slowly, the river took him and would carry him down through the plains of Rohan, the proud country of Gondor and finally into the endless sea where he would float under the moon for the rest of time.
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Ithilwen stood at the tall fountain in the palace grounds with her husband. Streaks of tears stained her face as she tried desperately to keep herself from letting her emotions go. She felt Thranduil clasp her hand in his and she gave him a watery smile. She noticed that tears were glistening in even his eyes. The Queen placed a hand on her swollen stomach absently and managed a small smile when she thought of the new life that would be coming soon.
Legolas's mind was in confusion. For the short time that he knew the lord, he had grown very fond of him. He had become a wonderful friend and the young prince was utterly baffled by the idea of death. Yes, there had been death among them but those who had died were not ones he would call friends. The idea that Daeron would never be with him again was bewildering.
What was even more saddening was that Espenshade was gone. Legolas had grown even closer to the falcon then he had her master. A friend that would not judge him for his status and one that would always listen was gone, never to return.
And, unbeknownst to him, a small part of his spirit locked itself up in the heart of his being, never to be released again.
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Nendir knocked quietly on a large door with a crumpled piece of paper in one hand. He stood for a brief moment before the door opened to reveal a tall elf with dark hair. He was clad in long, burgundy robes and soft, black boots. He offered the Crown Prince a small smile before opening the door wider and motioning with his hand to come in. Nendir smiled slightly with a small bow and came in.
"It is a pleasure to see you, Prince Nendir." The ellon said, moving back to his desk.
"Thank you, my lord Elrond." He replied, taking a seat in front of the desk, "Do you think you can help me with this?" The ellon placed the paper that he held on the desk and Elrond took it, examining it closely.
"I will try." He said and scanned carefully through the writing. His brow furrowed in thought and he rubbed his chin. After a few moments, he slid the paper back to Nendir, "What is the importance of this?" He asked.
"I know not." The Crown Prince replied, "I was hoping you might be able to see anything in it."
"I cannot decipher anything in it. It seems to be just a poem." The Lord of Imladris said, "How did you come by it?"
Nendir shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had not told anyone about the happenings of late. No one knew of Nimedhel nor the poem. Suddenly being asked about it made him worry if the elf lord would think him insane. He quickly tried to think up a story but knew that Elrond would be able to see right through it.
"Nendir?"
"I have been seeing messages in odd places and I have collected them, hoping to make any sense of them. Those that I have asked do not know either." He waited for the Lord to laugh at him and tell him that he is loosing his mind.
"Where have you seen them?" Elrond asked and Nendir nearly jumped in surprise.
"I first heard them in my head. Later, I found another one on the wall written in my brother's blood. One was written in the fog on my balcony door and then in the stars. The last one I saw in a food tray." He explained. The elf lord nodded once and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. He kneaded his forehead with his fist for a moment and then looked to Nendir again.
"I must think on this, Prince Nendir. May I take the poem to study it further?" He asked.
"Of course, my lord." He replied, bowing his head.
"You are excused." Nendir nodded and stood up. He placed his hand to his heart and swept it out into the air, Elrond returning it. The prince then turned and strode to the door.
"Lord Elrond?" He called suddenly. The Lord looked up at him with a small smile.
"Yes?"
"Are Elladan and Elrohir here as well?"
"Indeed, they are. Arwen is also with us along with my wife." Elrond replied.
"Thank you." Nendir replied, bowing once more, and then strode out of the door. With a sigh, he glanced up and down the hallway. He turned towards the direction of the hallway, lost in thought.
The Crown Prince found his wife and Arwen sitting upon his bed, talking quietly. They smiled gently at him and Ethiriel motioned for him to come over. He smiled slightly and sat down beside her without a word.
"How is Norui?" Arwen asked, looking over to the ellon.
"I am not sure. I have not checked on him since he was brought in last night." The ellon replied, "He has been in there a lot, recently." The three elves chuckled softly but it quickly subsided. The loss of Lord Daeron had left them in shock, even to Arwen who did not even know him.
"At least my naneth will be able to help Legolas some. It is amazing how close they are." The dark haired elleth said, trying to break the silence but it didn't seem to work. Nendir subconsciously took his wife's delicate hand in his and gave it a small squeeze.
"Perhaps we could see how Norui fares?" Ethiriel suggested, "After all, he is the hero now." The elleth noticed a shadow pass over the Crown Prince's face and she frowned. There was still tension between the two brothers.
"That would be nice and it might cheer him up if we visit." Arwen added, already standing up. The couple followed her as she slowly made her way out of the room and down towards the Healing Wing.
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Norui groaned and tossed onto his side but immediately regretted it when a sharp pain shot through his body. He quickly rolled once more onto his back, already feeling the sting subside and he sighed.
The prince's head throbbed to the point where it was almost unbearable and even thinking hurt. His torso was covered in bruises, particularly on his spine. He had been thrown against the rock wall countless times by Elinyro and he was lucky that his back had not broken. He was confined to bed rest, still. He groaned once more as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, sending a bright beam of light straight to his eyes and infuriating his headache even more. He wished that Elrond would just come in and drug him with sleeping herbs.
He opened his eyes slightly when he heard the door creak open slightly. He prayed for Lord Elrond to come in but found himself stuck when he saw Nendir poke his head in. His first instinct was to glare but, then again, he wasn't intent on continuing their argument. He felt both relief and annoyance when he saw Ethiriel and Arwen come in behind him.
Ethiriel's eyes lit up when she saw that her brother-in-law was awake and she rushed over to his side. She took his head in her hands and placed a kiss on his forehead. Only when she heard him groan did she let him go. The elleth gasped and backed away to see his pain-stricken face.
"Oh my, Norui, I am sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" She exclaimed, clambering off the bed. The prince shot her a small smile though his pain showed through. He looked up when he saw Arwen walking towards her with a bright smile.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, leaning down to kiss him just as Ethiriel had done. He shrugged slightly but winced.
"As good as can be expected." He rasped, "How is Legolas?"
"He is faring well." Nendir said suddenly, taking a cautious step forward, "He was not too injured but did suffer some broken bones."
Norui looked up at his brother with a straight face, as if studying him. The Crown Prince felt himself shift uncomfortably under the younger ellon's scrutinizing gaze and felt something creep over him, telling him that Norui still had not forgiven him. Ethiriel cleared her throat suddenly, catching the princes' attentions.
"Arwen and I are going to check on Legolas. You may join us when you are ready, Nendir." The elleth said and the two she-elves left them.
When the door clicked behind them Nendir rested his gaze on the injured elf. He noticed that the left side of his jaw was heavily bruised and he could only imagine what his back looked like. He wanted to slap himself for not going to his brothers' aide. He tried to think back on what he was doing but, strangely, he could not remember anything.
"I am sorry for the way I have been acting." Norui said suddenly, causing Nendir to jump slightly. The Crown Prince looked him up and down carefully and then smiled slightly.
"It is alright, Norui." He replied, "Right now, the most important thing is that you get better."
"No, Nendir, it is not alright. I should not have reacted in the way that I did even when I saw that you and Ethiriel had forgiven each other. I guess that I love her so much, that I can't bear to see her hurt." Norui explained though it pained him to do so, "I was stubborn."
The Crown Prince strode over to his brother's side and knelt down, placing a hand on his arm.
"You were right to be angry with me. What I did that night was a complete disgrace to Ethiriel's and my marriage. She did not have to forgive me but she did."
"That is because she loves you too much, Nendir, too much for her own good. She ran into Elinyro's arms because he reminded her of you." Norui said with a sad smile.
"Yes, I know. It cost her dearly, too. But I suppose that we should not dwell on that for it is over and in the past." Nendir said, "But perhaps we should talk about your escapade last night." He added with a smirk. Norui chuckled softly and sighed.
"Well, did you expect me to let that sorry excuse for an elf kill our Legolas?"
"It would have saved us a lot of trouble." The Crown Prince said with a grin. Norui laughed, ignoring the pain it caused.
"But if we did that, then we would not be able to do it later." He replied, grinning as well. Nendir laughed and nodded, patting his brother's arm.
"That is true, my brother." He said, "But naneth would soon give us a younger one and then we would be outnumbered." The younger ellon furrowed his brow.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well, there would be two princes and three princesses. Of course, that is not including the beautiful elleths that have snaked their way into our hearts." Nendir replied, gaining another laugh from his brother, "Speaking of those elleths, where is Glithiel? I would expect her to be here."
Norui blushed at this and looked away from his brother. When he noticed that Nendir was giving him a questioning glance, he sighed and look back over to him. The ellon shrugged slightly.
"She was here earlier but I was not in the best of moods." He began, "I had just woken up and she immediately pounced on me and let loose an endless stream of questions and scolding. I believe you can figure out what happened afterwards." Nendir frowned at this.
"Is she alright?" He asked. Norui nodded quickly.
"I think so, yes." He replied.
Nendir smiled slightly and stroked some mahogany hair away from his brother's eyes. Norui snorted in annoyance and pushed his brother away from the bed. The Crown Prince laughed and put his hands up, asking for peace. Norui smiled slightly and rested his head against the pillow again, closing his eyes. Nendir took this as the younger ellon trying to tell him to leave and he made for the door but his brother's voice stopped him.
"I have heard things, Nendir." He began slowly and carefully, "Rumors, I think. They are floating around the palace."
"What have you heard?" The other ellon asked, stepping towards him again with his brow furrowed. Norui looked up at him, a frown marring his handsome face.
"Others have been saying that another one has died. They described him as having silver colored hair and navy blue eyes. He looked like an elf but they could tell that he was not one and they have never heard of him until now." He explained, "Is this who I think it is?"
The Crown Prince sighed heavily and leaned tiredly against the wall. He did not speak for a long while as he tried to gather his thoughts. He could feel the younger ellon's questioning gaze on him and he finally looked up with glistening eyes.
"Yes, Norui, it is who you think it is. Lord Daeron is no longer with us." He said softly, sadness lacing his words. Norui inhaled sharply and looked up to the ceiling. He was hoping that they were only rumors but, then again, how would anyone know of the Lord that was kept hidden from everyone, even from the King. His mouth opened to say something but he quickly closed it again. He wanted to say something but nothing would come out of his mouth.
"How?" Was all he could manage.
"We do not know. His lady said that when she awoke, he was already dead."
"Was it the murderer?"
"It could not have been. It appeared as only a natural death but it was not. He was still young." Nendir explained.
"How is the lady?" Norui asked, choking back his tears. The Crown Prince frowned even more.
"She has left to live with her own people." He replied.
"And Espenshade?"
"Her mate was killed in the storm and no one knows where she has gone." Nendir said. The younger ellon let out a shuddering breath and clenched his eyes tight, "Why is this happening, Norui?"
"Elinyro said that he wanted the throne." He replied even if it was a rhetorical question. The Crown Prince's head shot up with wide eyes and he took a few hurried steps to his brother.
"How do you know this? Did he tell you?" He asked, almost frantically. Norui nodded and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when a surge of pain coursed through his spine. He hissed between his teeth and went rigid, waiting for the pain to subside. Nendir took his hand quickly, kneeling beside him, "Forgive me, brother, you are still weak and I should not have pushed you to speak. Please, rest."
Norui looked up at his brother and nodded once, quickly closing his eyes again and relaxing into the bed. A few moments later, Nendir heard the soft breathing from the younger ellon and smiled sadly.
"Sleep well, my brother." He said softly and left the room.
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Elladan and Elrohir walked side by side down the hallway, glancing suspiciously around out of the corners of their eyes. Word had reached them of the murders and they were all prepared the face the traitorous elf. At their mother's bidding, a long elven knife was strapped at their belts, both identical. The two elves were silent as they walked, their burgundy cloaks billowing out behind them.
"What do you make of it?" Elladan asked quietly.
"I sense something is amiss. Everything is too quiet for comfort. I do not like it." Elrohir replied.
"And we thought having to deal with the spiders was horrible." The older twin replied, his voice absent of mirth. The other ellon only nodded once with a stiff sigh.
The twins continued on in silence, occasionally fingering the hilt of the blade at their waist. They would occasionally glance out the corners of the eyes at each other, as if checking they were still there beside them.
"Do you think it was wise to bring Naneth and Arwen here?" Elrohir asked quietly.
"Ada would not have allowed them to come if he did not think he would be able to protect them. He probably would not have allowed us either." Elladan replied just as quietly.
"But, Elladan, we are trained warriors. They are not." The older twin sighed and stopped in his tracks, pulling his brother to him by his collar.
"Elrohir, Legolas is a trained warrior and he was near death. Norui is an even better warrior and look at him now. Apparently, this Daeron person was extremely skilled and he is now dead." He said, "Yes, we are skilled but it seems that the murderer is even better."
The Noldo elf then turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Elrohir behind him. Only when his name was called did he turn and follow after his brother. They turned into their room only to be met with a strange sight.
Melyanna lay on the bed of Elladan, her face buried in the pillows. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she rolled onto her back but not before noticing the two ellons standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened and she quickly leapt up. A small blush was slowly growing on her face. The twins were not sure if they should be amused or confused.
"My lords Elrohir and Elladan, please forgive me. I was only sent to…collect sheets!" She explained hurriedly and began tossing the pillows off the bed. Elladan quirked his eyebrow and stepped towards the princess.
"Princess Melyanna, it is not your place to do such a thing." He said, gently grabbing her arm, "Come, you do not have to worry about it." The elleth's blush deepened and she stood up straight with a nod.
"Of course, my lord." She said as she picked up the pillows and rearranged them on the bed.
"My lady, please…" He began, "You needn't do that." He gently tugged on her arm and she hesitantly obliged. Elladan offered her a soft smile, ignoring the stifled laughter of his brother, and slowly led her out of the room. Once outside, he closed the door behind him and kissed Melyanna's forehead.
"What is a lady like you doing cleaning the chambers?" He asked with a small smile. She blushed slightly and looked down at the floor, shuffling her feet. He chuckled softly and took her hands in his, "It is alright. You did nothing wrong. Would you prefer it if I let you go?"
"No, it is fine." Melyanna said, smiling slightly at him, "I was just looking for comfort." Elladan furrowed his brow.
"How, may I ask, would you find it in my chambers?" He questioned with a small grin.
"I needed someone to talk to." She began, feeling a blush form on her cheeks, "My parents are busy with yours and Lothron is helping in the Healing Wing. My brothers are busy with each other so I do not have anyone to talk with."
"What about my sister? Or Nendir's wife?" He asked.
"Do you not want to speak with me?" Melyanna asked suddenly, taking a step back from him. Elladan frowned and pulled her closer.
"No, my lady, that is not it at all. I am just surprised that you would wish to talk to me." He explained, stroking her hands with his thumbs, "Would you like to join me inside?" At her shy nod, he smiled brightly and brought her into his room.
Elrohir looked up at them and grinned, glancing between the two. He got up from the chair he had been sitting them and approached the two, still grinning widely. Elladan took a glance at him and immediately knew what was going through his mind. He groaned inwardly.
"Hello there, my lady, welcome to our bedroom." He said, stifling a laugh.
"Elrohir…" Elladan trailed off with a warning tone. The younger twin bit his lips to hide his grin though he was failing miserably. The princess only glanced at him with a blush. She felt the older Noldo elf take her hand gently with a squeeze and she smiled.
"May I ask why you were on my brother's bed?" Elrohir asked.
"Because she was looking for someone to talk to, Elrohir, now be quiet." The ellon said, tugging Melyanna over to his bed and the two sat down. The younger ellon took his seat once more and watched the two carefully.
"Would you prefer me to leave?" Elrohir asked suddenly. Elladan growled and leapt up, storming over to his brother. His eyes widened and he hopped up from the chair, already running for the door.
"Out, Elrohir, out!" He shouted, chasing him out of the door. Melyanna chuckled softly when the door slammed and she heard the laughter of the younger ellon as he ran down the hall. Elladan glanced over at her and smiled softly. She returned it with her own and the ellon joined her once more.
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Nendir strode down the halls with Arwen and Ethiriel attached to his arms. Silence ruled over the elves and they dared not say a word lest they break the quiet. They had been walking aimlessly in the corridors most of the day, trying to sort out their own thoughts. The three elves nearly jumped when an ellon suddenly appeared in front of them, grinning. They regarded him carefully with raised eyebrows.
"Nendir, you must come quickly!" Elrohir laughed, already dragging the Crown Prince away. The ellon furrowed his brow and tore his arm away from the Noldo elf.
"What is the hurry?" He asked, already thinking of the worst possible things that could happen. Elrohir barely noticed his sister come over and place a kiss on his cheek.
"I think I am going to become a part of your family!" He exclaimed. Nendir sighed in relief but his face still fell nonetheless.
"Why do you say that?" He asked.
"Because Elladan and Melyanna are together!"
"Oh Valar, no!" The Crown Prince exclaimed, "I cannot be related to you!" With that, he charged down the hallway, Elrohir following behind. The two elleths only watched them with curious eyes and they turned in the other direction.
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Elladan placed a kiss on Melyanna's forehead and smiled at her, taking her hands in his. They had not talked much, as the princess had intended to do, but they still enjoyed each other's company and presence.
"I feel honored that you would come to me when you seek comfort, my lady." The ellon said, still smiling.
"This has been a very trying time for us, my lord. I wanted someone who was not affected by it." She replied. Elladan frowned and placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"You think we are not affected?" He asked softly.
"You could not possibly be. You have not experienced this."
"But, my lady, we are. My Ada and Naneth and Gwador are here and that means that we are worried for you. I am worried for you."
"You say that because you must." Melyanna retorted. Pain flickered across the Noldo elf's face and he placed the elleth's hands on his chest, pulling her closer.
"No, I say it because it is true. You must believe this."
Melyanna suddenly let loose her tears and she fell against him, gripping onto his tunic. Elladan grabbed her shaking form and held her tight against him, stroking her back gently. He placed his cheek on her head and whispered softly to her.
"Be still, my lady. I am here for you." He said and slowly tried to ease her tears.
The door burst open suddenly and both elves jumped apart. Standing in the doorway was the Crown Prince and a laughing Elrohir. Nendir quickly strode over to the side of the bed, crossing his arms.
"And what, may I ask, is going on here?" He questioned with annoyance.
"Nendir, we were only talking." Elladan said, standing up from the bed. The other ellon snorted.
"According to Elrohir, he stumbled upon you two kissing!"
Melyanna's face turned a pretty shade of pink while Elladan just stared flabbergasted at the Crown Prince. The sound of Elrohir's laughing was the only thing that could be heard.
"When did he tell you that?" The Noldo elf asked nervously.
"When we were coming down this way!"
Elladan's eyes shifted to his brother's with a hard glare. The younger twin just grinned and shuffled out of the room. With a growl, Elladan lunged forward after the ellon and Elrohir gave a cry of surprise and dashed down the hall. When their shouts had dissipated, Nendir turned his gaze to his sister and strode over to her side. He immediately started examining her worriedly and she pushed him away.
"What is wrong with you, Nendir?" She asked in annoyance.
"Did he hurt you, Melyanna? What did he do to you?" The Crown Prince questioned with a worried look in his eyes.
"He did not do anything to me!" She exclaimed, moving away, "We were only talking."
"Then why did Elrohir tell me that you were kissing? Were you?"
"No!" The elleth shouted, "I don't know where he got that from!"
"What was going on? Why were you-" He cut his sentence short when his gaze caught something else. Melyanna furrowed her brow and followed her brother's gaze to find that they were locked on a painting of a woodland scene.
"Nendir?" She called but got not response. When she glanced at the picture again, she saw that thick, red writing had appeared. She read it over and over in her mind but it meant nothing to her, "Nendir, what is that?"
"Another message." He breathed and looked around frantically for parchment. He flopped over the bed and opened the nightstand to find a few pieces of fresh paper and a bottle of ink with a quill, "Read it to me, Melyanna." He instructed. He wrote hurriedly as she carefully read the scrawled writing. When she had finished, the message seemed to disappear as if nothing had been there.
She leaned over her brother as he studied the phrases. She read them over once again, furrowing her brow. On the paper, he had written:
Enjoy your siblings and laugh for
Never again will you do so once the red bird calls
End any quarrels or arguments and do
Not provoke the red bird's call
"What does that mean?" Melyanna asked as he set the quill down.
"I do not know." He replied, "That is what I am trying to figure out."
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There we go! Hehe, I know I said that I was taking a break but I couldn't keep myself from writing. :grin: Anywho, I hope you liked it. ;) You know, I think this story might be coming to an end but I am not sure. A few more chapters, I imagine.
Crecy- New reader! Yay! Welcome aboard! I am glad you liked Daeron and it hurt to kill him but I needed to for the story's sake. :cries and hugs Daeron's body: I'll miss you! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope to see you again!
Jousting Elf with a Sabre- Hello there, mellon-nín! I am glad you liked it and I am glad you find it creepy. Muahaha. :evil grin: Nendir is the murderer, eh? Hehe, you will see in time. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Swasti- Hehe, thanks. A shame I didn't take that break though. Stupid me. :whacks self: I hope you liked this chapter even if it wasn't one of my best. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
By the way, do any of you have an idea of what the messages might be? If you think you know what it is, send me an email! I want to see what you think! Well, that is about it! Talk to you later!
Until Next Time,
Manwathiel