Chapter Twenty: Avoidance and Retaliation
Elladan scowled as he walked down the dimly lit halls of his fathers' house. Everyone who passed him gave him wide birth as the heir of Imladris cursed under his breath. Dark brown hair hung down his back covered in a sticky substance that smelled strangely of honey. Grey eyes were dark and clouded over in anger. His usually happy demeanour was dampened by the stiff way the elf lord sauntered towards the bathing chambers the household used on a daily basis to clean themselves before the evening meal. The elf's green tunic and charcoal breeches stuck to his lean frame making his well built figure seem more defined then it actually was. In truth, Elladan had been on his way to a young elf maidens' chambers when he had stopped off at his room to quickly change out of his formal robes to something less conspicuous.
Shaking his head, his dark hair flew around his face and a strand stuck to the bridge of his nose. Growling in anger, Elladan slammed open the doors to the bathhouse startling a group of young elflings who were currently bathing before their parents retrieved them for bed. Glaring at the room around him he hoped for Elrohir's sake that he stayed hidden for a few days. Unlikely seeing as their rooms lay directly across from one another. Smiling devilishly, Elladan narrowed his eyes as he entered and flung his towel on the benches out of the waters reach. Large barrels hung suspended in the air, rope hanging from silver faucets to release the water onto those who pulled them.
Glancing up, Elladan caught a glimpse of a star overhead, showing through the gaping hole that was used to fill the barrels full of refreshing water. Frowning, Elladan slipped to the side to catch a better glimpse of the star. Beside it a smaller one shimmered brightly, just seconds off the first ones shimmering. Taking a deep breath, Elladan shrugged out of his now stiff clothing, and slipped under the faucets, pulling the rope above his head, releasing the now steaming water over his body. Closing his eyes, Elladan lost himself in the relaxing sensation of the hot water. He smiled to himself remembering when Elrohir and himself used to sneak off in the middle of the night to shower within the stars light.
Sighing heavily, Elladan frowned once again at the memory of his brother. Surely, Elrohir knew that Elladan would retaliate against him as pay back for his little prank. Chuckling, Elladan began thinking on how he was going to pay his little brother the kindness he had been shown. He began thinking of every little thing Elrohir disliked or even was terrified of. Grinning triumphantly, Elladan remembered the day he had discovered his little brother was afraid of spiders.
Elrohir tiptoed through the halls carefully keeping his senses open for sounds of anyone approaching, anyone especially his brother. A clearing of a throat behind him caused Elrohir to almost jump out of his skin. Spinning around, he met the eyes of his fathers' aid, Glorfindel.
"What pray tell are you up to young one?" Glorfindel asked tapping his foot on the polished marble floor, his arms crossed over his chest.
Eyes wide, Elrohir shook his head. "Why nothing."
Raising an eyebrow, Glorfindel frowned.
Elrohir sighed. There was no use lying to the balrog slayer. Somehow he knew when he or his brother were not forthcoming with him. Licking his lips, Elrohir shrugged. "I am avoiding Elladan."
"Why?" Glorfindel's frown deepened.
Pursing his lips, Elrohir speculated on what to tell him. "I-I-" Unable to finish or even begin his explanation, Glorfindel turned and waved Elrohir into his study. Closing his eyes, Elrohir reluctantly followed. Nothing was said as they entered the room, nor when the balrog slayer pointed to the plush chair that sat in front of the desk. Obediently, Elrohir sat.
"Now, tell me why you are avoiding your brother." Glorfindel commanded.
Hesitating, Elrohir sat in the chair wringing his hands together. "We got into an argument." He muttered with his head bowed. Hoping that would satisfy his father's aid, Elrohir waited.
"Could it be something to do with the evening meal perhaps?" Glorfindel asked turning around from the window.
Nodding, Elrohir kept his head bowed. He knew he was in trouble, but he hoped Glorfindel wouldn't question him further. Elrohir was not so lucky however. Glorfindel sat down across from him and waited patiently.
Refusing to provide answers, Elrohir also waited. He kept his dark head bowed looking intently at his hands that were now white from the tension.
"I'm waiting." Glorfindel quietly stated.
Lifting his head, Elrohir looked at the balrog slayer. "I believe this is something I must work out with my brother, Glorfindel. The situation states that I must make amends for my wrong doing, so if you will allow me, I will take my leave."
"Not until you tell me what it is you have done to cause your brother to be angry with you. Never before have I seen you sneak around the halls, avoiding your twin and I would like to know why. Your father left me in charge in his absence and I will get some answers."
Sighing, Elrohir shook his head. "Glorfindel, I believe this must be corrected without interference from you or even my mother. I must suffer the consequences for my actions, and they will be. However I cannot correct my mistakes if you hinder me so." Elrohir glanced away at the flash of anger that flickered in Glorfindel's eyes. "I have done wrong doing towards my brother, and he is angry, yes. However this was my mistake, no one else's. No one was hurt in this. Only pride."
"What will happen if your prank caused your brother to retaliate? Must I then have to deal with the two of you rather then one? Nay, Elrohir. This must be stopped now before your brother decides that this is a great opportunity to pull his own pranks on you. I know the mischievousness of you both and you have now split to pull tricks on one another rather then as a group. This I will not have!" Glorfindel snapped. "If this is not interfered with now, the two of you will be at this non stop until you both become adults."
Elrohir frowned. "We have both passed our age of maturity, Glorfindel. We are both free to do as we wish, hunt, travel without anyone giving permission."
Glorfindel stood swiftly. "Indeed? Tis why you both returned from your travel's injured and you near death? You have much to learn, Elrohir. You are not yet free to do as you wish! Until you and Elladan realize that your pranks hurt those around you, you have not yet passed your maturity. Mature yes in the eyes of elves, and that of men. However in your actions you have yet to show those in this house that you are mature enough to be free from duty. You have proven to not only myself, but to your parents that you are still immature and reckless. Your disregard to the rules of travel has shown great lack of thought. Not only did you place yourself in danger, but your brother as well!"
Closing his eyes, Elrohir bowed his head once again. "I have come to realize that, Glorfindel. Elladan and I both suffered enough from that experience have we not?"
"Have you?" Glorfindel paced the room. "What happens now, young one? Will your pranks continue until someone is hurt, or dies from the stupidity of it?"
Elrohir raised his head sharply. Anger darkened his grey eyes, and he stood stiffly. "Our pranks have never caused injury!"
"What of Galen?" Glorfindel muttered.
Frozen, Elrohir stood there shocked.
"That-that was not our fault!" Elrohir whispered, his face ashen. "You blame us for Galen's death?"
Shaking his head, Glorfindel turned to look at the stunned elfling before him. "No, all I am saying is that had you thought before you acted, perhaps Galen would still be alive."
Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Elrohir closed his eyes. Great guilt flooded his soul. "That was not our fault." He whispered again.
Glorfindel rested his hand on the youths shoulder. "Elrohir, had you and your brother come to us rather then attempt to settle things on your own Galen's death could have been avoided. Your pride prevents you from thinking clearly. You and Elladan charged into Gur woods without thought, doing so caused a regrettable death. Great misery has been raised from it, and now your father must try to fix what was done." Gripping Elrohir's arms, Glorfindel turned him around. Lifting the younger twins' face, he showed him his reflection in the mirror.
"Look."
Grey eyes opened and stared at his reflection.
"What do you see?" Glorfindel asked.
"I see me."
"Look closer."
Elrohir looked past his reflection and stared at Glorfindel through the mirror confused.
"You share a face with someone else. There is no difference in it. Want to know what I see?"
Shaking, Elrohir nodded.
"I see a young elf, coming into his own. Scrambling to be his own person rather then embracing the gift that was given to him. I see Elladan through you. I see you through your brother. You are half when you and your brother are not together. When you two fight, how do you feel afterwards?"
Looking at the mirror at his reflection again, Elrohir felt a twinge of regret. Something tugged at his soul and caused him to catch his breath. "Alone." He whispered.
Nodding, Glorfindel smiled. "When you two are together, what do you feel?"
"Peace." Came the whispered reply.
Nodding again, Glorfindel turned Elrohir away from the mirror. "You must understand, Elrohir." Turning away Glorfindel left the room, leaving Elrohir by himself.
Confused, Elrohir turned around again looking at the mirror intently. He didn't understand what Glorfindel had meant when he said, 'you must understand, Elrohir.'
Squinting his eyes, Elrohir looked at his face in the mirror. It was his own face, one he shared with another, but he couldn't understand the meaning of the words that had been spoken. 'Alone. Peace.' Both words hung loosely from him as he stared at himself in the mirror.
A pull on his soul earned him a sharp gasp. His grey eyes met those of the reflection, however they were saddened. His reflection changed and became an image. Watching intently, Elrohir realized that he was sitting on the ground, holding something. Tears fell down his face, incomprehensible words formed on his lips as he glanced at the sky. The image changed to Imladris. He stood alone, beside his father. His head was bowed and covered in a cowl. Beside him a figure covered in the royal cloth of Rivendell. His father looked up and stared right at him, eyes filled with grief. The image changed again to his brothers chambers. They were empty. He sat upon the bed holding something tightly, tears falling once again onto his cheeks.
Hissing, Elrohir wrenched his eyes from the mirror and scrambled back. Panting, Elrohir fell to his knees afraid. The images wouldn't leave him however. He heard a horn blow, saw within his mind, a herd of horses approaching Imladris. Battle cries filled the air. He stood beside his brother, armed with the bow, Elladan grinned at him and winked. Calling out, he fired. He saw himself racing towards Elladan carelessly, frantically slashing everything around him in attempts to reach his brothers side. A sharp pain in his side slowed him down; another to the stomach caused him to loose his footing. Crawling on his hands and knees he came to his brothers prone form, lying motionless on the ground. Grey eyes looked at the sky, blinked once and caught another set of grey eyes. Smiling, Elladan nodded, and closed his eyes. Elladan's chest stopped moving. An arrow protruded from where his heart beat. Anguish, washed over his soul. Crying out in a shrill piercing scream, Elrohir clenched his eyes shut tightly from the images.
Clutching his own chest, Elrohir curled up on the floor lost within his images of terror. The feeling of being alone filled his heart with anguish. His other half was gone; he was no longer a part of someone else, but by himself. He felt lost. He didn't know who he was, or why he was here. Tears fell, grief overwhelmed him, and the sense of uselessness shut him away from everything around him.
Elladan knew something was wrong the minute he walked into his chambers. Dread filled every inch of his body, and he scrambled back out of the room. Shutting the door, a shrill cry filled the halls of Imladris and he raced towards the sound. He knew instantly they were his brothers cries. Horrified that something was wrong, Elladan ran as hard as he could towards the sound. He reached the door in record time, and turned the handle. The door was locked. He slammed into it, grunting from the impact. Splintering sounds of oak breaking made him ram into the door harder until the door gave away under the pressure.
Elladan fell into the room and saw his brother on the ground twitching and crying out in fear. Scrambling to his brothers side, Elladan turned him over and pinned his flailing arms to the ground.
"Stop, Ro! I am here, what's wrong?" He cried out with his own fear.
Grey eyes opened. They locked onto his and cleared from the cloudiness that had surrounded them. Gasping, Elrohir sat up horror evident on his face. Grey eyes searched every inch of Elladan before coming to realization that the images were just that. They were nothing more then daydreams.
"What happened?" Elladan commanded. "Are you alright?"
Drawing in a shaky breath, Elrohir nodded. "I saw something I wish I had never seen." He whispered.
Elladan sat back on his heels. "What? What did you see?"
Elrohir lowered his head. "You."
"Alright, you saw me." Elladan confirmed. "What? Tell me."
"I saw your death." Elrohir raised grief stricken eyes to his brothers and locked on to them.
Elladan froze. "What?" He hissed.
"At least I think it was you, for all I know it could have been me." Shaking his head confused, Elrohir got to his feet slowly. "I don't understand what it was. It was dreadful."
Elladan stood up as well and stopped his brother from walking away. "Ro. I am here see? You are also. There is nothing to fear." Elladan pulled his brother into a hug.
Elrohir buried his face in his brothers shoulder. A muffled apology filled Elladan's ears.
"There is nothing to be sorry about. All is well." Elladan held Elrohir out at arms length. "See? We are both alive and well, when father returns we can ask him about what you had seen. Please tell me that you are not seeing the future as I did those many years ago."
"I do not know what it is I had seen. Perhaps it was a warning." Elrohir walked over to a small table and poured himself a glass of wine. Pouring another glass he held it out for his twin.
The twins sat down and silently watched their glasses fill and empty three times over before either of them spoke.
"You scared the daylights out of me, Ro. When I heard your cry, I don't think I have ever moved so fast. Glorfindel will not be happy about his door." Elladan chuckled.
Elrohir looked over his shoulder and saw the splinters of wood scattered on the floor. "You broke his door?" Elrohir looked at his brother. "How did you manage that?"
Shrugging, Elladan sighed. "I was more concerned with you rather then what I was doing to the door. I know my shoulder will suffer for it in the morning."
Elrohir looked at his brother silently. "You injured yourself for me?"
"What do you think?" Elladan questioned without thinking. "Do you honestly think I would allow you to be alone while you are either injured or in pain? If I have to break a limb to get to you I will, little brother."
"I am not so little." Elrohir muttered under his breath. "Minutes apart are all."
Elladan chuckled at their life long joke as to who had been born first and by how long. Their parents had assumed roughly two to three minutes but no one was positive. "So what do you want to do, Ro?" Elladan asked taking a sip off his goblet.
Elrohir shrugged, feeling the effects of the wine they were drinking. Not being much of a drinker, Elrohir was always the one to stumble first. "Not certain. I suppose we will have to wait until father returns. Then I can ask him about my vision."
"Wait?" Elladan scoffed. "What is stopping us from travelling there on our own?"
Elrohir choked on the wine currently in his mouth. "Well for one dear brother, you and I are not in any condition to travel." He paused and glanced at his goblet. "Secondly, remember how our last journey went?"
Elladan shrugged. "Not at this moment, no." He smiled lazily.
Elrohir rolled his eyes. "Stupid elf."
Elladan looked at him curiously. "Who? You?" He grinned.
Narrowing his eyes, Elrohir snorted. "Not likely, dear brother."
They remained silent for a few moments before Elladan piped up again. "So?"
"What?"
"When would you like to go?"
"You can't be serious!" Elrohir shook his head.
Elladan nodded furiously. "I am. You know I am, and I believe tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day for travel."
"If I refuse?"
Elladan shrugged. "Well, I will go without you."
"Go to bed, Ella."
Their banter continued until the early morning when both decided to find their beds. It wasn't until nightfall when the twins had secretly mounted their horses. They were gone before the stars twinkled in the sky, and no one being knew they were gone until the following morning when CelebrÃan had stumbled across the note left on their beds.