A/N: Sorry about the long delay, I've been moving from my old place to back home. But now everything is sorted out and put away. Now all that's done and over with all I have to do is worry about the paper for Eng. Coming up Mon. that I haven't started on. (Waaaaaa.) I don't wanna.

Review Replies:

Kitty: Thanks for the review, glad U like it so far. As for who it is… well (hehe) (Singsong) I'll never tell. I'll never tell. (Cough. Normal.) Don't worry you'll find out soon enough.

IwishChan: Sorry 'bout that. Sounds like me after exams. Thanks for the review hope you feel better. Get lots of sleep big shopping days are coming.

Ronda-Chan: Oops did I do that? Drat, it's always the little things that get me. Well good to know you like it anyways. Hoping this chapter doesn't have many booboos in it, but if it does please excuse them I was up late with this one.

EL'n'TM: Sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet life's been busy. I'm just now sitting down to type this out. I'll try to email you when I can, but for now. Reviews. (ch.8) (Sees Begging'n'End waving waaaay in the back) "Hey someone is still there." Yeah I know, but hey I cont. (hugs) thanks for your support. I don't know why but the idea juices just aren't flowing very well for this one. (Thinks) Maybe I have a block somewhere. (ch.9) Hurray another review! Hehe, you've probably figured it out by now, but still (singsong) I'll never tell. I'll never tell. "Man I love that movie. Forgot what it was called, but I swear that's the best part in it." Nope, sorry. Been meaning to read Pride & Prejudice since Middle school, but never got around to it. Yippee another review coming soon. "Thanks a lot for all the help, reviews, email, and everything else, even if I do take forever and a day to get back to you."
Muse: (reading over shoulder) Dude, what's with all the Quotation marks?
Me: (shrugs) don't know. I think I'm Quote happy.

Chapter 11: Three Can Keep A Secret

The halls of Mirkwood were silent in the early evening as we see the twins walking down the nearly deserted hall. They were discussing the disappearance of King Thranduil's advisor, Thespar.

"Do you think it's Thespar?" Asked Elladan

"Not any more." said Elrohir

"Why?" Elladan knitted his eyebrows falling to see his brother's view on the matter. He did not doubt his siblings instincts, but how do you change the publics opinion that Thespar was guilty,the fact that the cowardly Elf had run awaywas now seen asproof of it. After all if one is innocent they certainly would wish to stay and prove it.

"What is the motive for killing the cook? From what I heard they were brothers."

"Yes, well maybe he was in the way. You know what they say three can keep a secret if two are dead."

"Elladan, they were brothers! I doubt he could kill him any more than I could you and Estel."

"I know, it's just…how can we prove the elders are wrong?"

"Who do you think is doing this?" asked Elrohir

"I don't know. I went back to the cave this morning in hopes of finding a clue of some sort. There were no other tracks to indicate that anyone else had been there."

"Could it be that Mot wasn't dead, that you didn't manage to kill him?"

Elladan shook his head, "No, it was a mortal wound. Besides if he did manage to live where would he go? It's many miles between the cave and the nearest human settlement and you know as well as I that the elves of Mirkwood would never have allowed him anywhere near the palace."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know." said Elladan sadly. Stopping he balled his hand to a fist and punching it into the wall his anger and frustration coming out a little as they walked along. "I feel so helpless 'Ro"

Elrohir nodded, "As do I, Elladan. As do I."

Elrond kept a close vigil on his youngest son, who was still no where near recovering. He wasn't any better, but he wasn't any worse, that thought alone was what kept Elrond from losing hope on his human son. He didn't understand. Why wouldn't he wake up?

He had watched as everyone came and went they would stay long hours and sit watching for a sign, any sign that Aragorn, their Estel, to see if their presence alone could will the headstrong ranger awake. Legolas would enter when time allowed, which was almost always. Sadly his princely duties kept him away at times, but those were only when he was practically dragged out by his father.

Thranduil for his part seemed confused by the matter. Why was so much attention paid to a human, who in his eyes was little more than a toddler? He was just a human, what did it matter if this one died, there are plenty of others in the world, would one less really make that much of a difference? But this one made his son and friend happy, so who was he to judge. Legolas was old enough to make his own decisions, and he had rarely been wrong on choosing his friends. As for Elrond and his family, well it was their business who or what they took in. He would not bother to question their reasoning and motives unless it brought a threat to his lands.

"This has to be a nightmare of sorts." whispered the elf the wind.

Was he worried? Of course, out of his mind in fact. Everyone asked, he may not look it in the public eyes, but those who knew him could easily tell. There were signs of a worried parent written clearly on his face. Tightly knit lines of worry were written almost permanently on his brow and the corners of his mouth. His eyes held a deep sadness where there once was light, it was as if something in them died when Aragorn was first brought in. He hadn't eaten much, save for what the twins forced him to. Truly he could deny his children nothing; both boys would sit and watch him eat every bit, and would refuse to leave him alone until he did.

A knock sounded at the door, and the sound of paper being slide underneath it.

'How peculiar.' He thought at the behavior.

Elrond stood and picked up the paper, and gasped at the contents it held.

"I'm sorry Estel, but I must leave you for the moment. Thranduil has sent me a message that must be answered to immediately. I won't be long and a guard has been sent to fetch your brothers to look after you in my absence." The mighty Elf Lord picked up the human's cold hand and clutched it tight. "Please stay, and do get better. Everyone's worried, and problems will arise if you don't wake up soon." With that he gently kissed his sons head and left.

Elladan laid awake that night, the ceiling constantly in his view while his mind drifted elsewhere. His thoughts revolving around the trouble plaguing the Elven city. The more Elladan thought on the subject the more he became confused. Something about this whole thing was wrong, he couldn't explain it, but he could feel it. With every new situation that presented itself came new possibilities that seemed to make since with a few other facts, but when other details were added in the theory made absolutely no since. He was missing a key element somewhere along the line he knew it. And with that one key it would force all the other pieces to fit and everything would make since. Sadly the truth was locked away in the minds of two close friends. With and one being unconscious and the other not able remember they were in no position to tell what they had seen.

Finding sleep to impossible this night Elladan got up and dressed tiptoeing quietly to the door so as not to awaken Elrohir, who had last fallen asleep. The poor twin had been up late worrying over the health of Estel and whole murders in general. His twin had not been able to sleep and now that that goal had been achieved Elladan was plagued with insomnia.

Elladan walked aimlessly down the corridors glancing occasional out one of the stained glass window. The moon showed through in all its brilliance bathing the hallways in multicolor. He watched as the stars and moon traveled with the passing hours when a since to look in on Estel tickled his mind. It had been almost a full day since he had checked on his youngest brother. Turning around he dashed off in the direction of Estel's room. Soon his destination was in sight as he neared the door something in the air changed. Everything became still and quiet. There was no sound outside the house and though Mirkwood was in all actually much quieter than Rivendell, it was never like this. Not even the wind blew, no night birds chirped, no crickets. Nothing, it was all quiet. Using every bit of stealth he could muster he creped to the room and gently turned the knob not allowing it to make a sound.

Upon opening the door Elladan came to see his worst fear. A showed figure was poised, sword in hand, over his brother ready to plunge it through the unconscious man.

Thinking quickly Elladan ran towards the attacker effectively pushing him away from his brother. The covered figure landed on the floor with a loud thump and quickly jumped back up on his feet. Elladan looked around the room for a weapon that's when he saw Estel's dagger sitting in a neat pile with the man's cloths on the trunk. He grabbed it and pulled the dagger from its sheath. Something shimmered on the blade caught his eye, but before he could examine it the figure recovered from his fall and came after him, with blade in hand.

Elladan parried the blow with the short dagger. It was not enough as the sword knocked it out of the way. Elladan dogged left and escaped being impaled, but he did not go without injury. He bit back a cry as the steel bit into the flesh of his upper arm. This wasn't going to work it was hard enough to fight in closed in space him having a dagger and the assailant a standard sword add in the fact Aragorn was still unconscious on the bed things did not look good for Elrond's oldest.

Elrond hurried through the halls making his way to Thranduil's private study. He was spending more time in this room than he likedreviewing the murders, their cause hoping to come to a conclusion of some sort so that this matter could finally come to a close.

The attacker came again, thinking quickly Elladan kicked a stool between them, tripping the figure. Elladan came down to strike, but the dark figure came up with a small knife and stabbed it into Elladan's leg. Elladan howled in pain as he felt the blade pierce the skin and muscle coming to stop at the bone. Elladan fell to ground instinctively grabbing his leg near the injury. He felt the warm blood ooze out from around the blade and onto his hands. Feeling eyes on him he looked up to see the dark figure towering over him. Bright red eyes peered out from the hood and mask, in those eyes he saw something what would become of him. In that moment he knew he would die. He was injured, defenseless, now that the dagger had been kicked away from him. But he swore he would show no fear, pain yes, he could show pain. His eyes would betray him in that, but no fear; he would not give the mystery man that satisfaction. He only hoped he would be avenged soon after.

Thranduil had had a long and tiring day. More troubling reports had been coming in not with only spiders dropping dead left and right, but it sightings of a large warg pack had slowly moved closer to home, and on top of it all their main suspect for all the murders, Thespar, had run off. The guards had reported last seeing him going into woods and from there had been lost. Not a trace had been seen of him. He was just now trying to calm his existed mind down with a cup of warm wine when the door of his study had opened with a loud bang.

Startled he looked to the one who intruded on his privacy.

"Lord Elrond?" He said in surprise. "What are you doing here? I would think you would be by Estel's side."

Elrond rose an eyebrow in question, "What do you mean? You sent a messenger to summon me, you said it was urgent."

"What are you talking about? I didn't summon you."

The sound of something falling above them broke all thinking and anything they would ask. Both sets of eyes instantly looked up at the ceiling.

"What was that?" asked Thranduil

Elrond shook his head, "I don't know."

Another sound, this time it was heavier, the sound of something large hitting the floor.

"The only rooms up there are…" Thranduil paused as his memory kicked in.

Elrond's eyes grew wide. "Estel."

Elrohir woke with a feeling, a feeling that couldn't be explained. It was a feeling that came from the bond shared by all twins. But something about it seemed off, he didn't understand what this was. Many things had been felt through this bond over the years: a wide range of emotions, pain, sometimes thought, and the occasional shared dream. But this new feeling matched none of these. It made the bond seem smaller, thinner in somehow. It was like holding a thin hair between his fingers that should he let go then it would soon disappear into the carpet never to be seen again.

Then a thought struck him. Perhaps he was being paranoid, or maybe this was nothing, or perhaps only a dream, or maybe some deep seeded instinct to the meaning of this feeling.

'Maybe something happened.' he thought unable to put further thought into more dreaded possibilities.

Looking over to where his twin would normally sleep he found the bed empty. Getting up Elrohir placed a hand on the rumpled sheets. They were cold.

Noise out side caught his attention. Someone was coming down the hall, in too much of a hurry to hide their steps. He looked outside his door and came face to face with his father.

"Ada, what's going on?" asked a somewhat sleepy Elrohir

"Something is happening in Estel's room. Wake Elladan and meet me there." Said the worried father as he hurried past his sons' room.

"Elladan's not here." Elrohir nodded

"What?"

"Elladan's not here. He must have left to check on Estel."

Elrond sucked in a breath. "Then we must go quickly"

'Why was Elrohir not with his brothers?' he asked himself, 'The note had said both twins had been sent for.'

'The note lied.' said the voice in the back of his mind. 'The note had lied, and now Estel will die.'

(back to Elladan)

The sound of running feet along with Elrohir's voice could be heard coming down the hall. They had heard all the commotion coming from Aragorn's room and come running. In a last effort to catch the fiend, who was now trying to decide whether or not he should kill Elladan and risk being caught or leave now and get away. Elladan grabbed a candle holder from the nightstand behind him and threw it at the chest of the shadowed figure. But he dodged it without effort and giving a last minute glance at the Elf he reached over and bashed the hilt of his sword to Elladan's temple. Darkness instantly clouded his vision as his consciousness was stolen away from him.

There Elladan Elrondion laid, blood escaping from his wounds, he didn't notice the attacker jumping out the balcony window and disappearing into the night, nor did he hear the cries of his twin bother when he was found seemingly lifeless on the ground. He didn't feel his father as he pulled the knife from his leg and dress his wounds. He knew not of his surroundings only the darkness that trapped his mind.

A/N: Well what do ya' think. I know it might be confusing at some parts, so I might come back and fix it when a better idea comes along. But for some reason when I uploaded this chapter my little pagebreaks wouldn't stay up so I hope you can tell when I switch between people. Any problems don't hesatate to tell me.

Review me. Pwease.