CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As much as Eldarion wanted to fall asleep the need to keep pressure on the wound was denying him participation such an activity. It was not painful, quite the opposite in fact. The area surrounding the wound had gone numb and the sensation was spreading across his abdomen. Rather than pain, Eldarion felt a mixture of grief, confusion and a little fear. If he hadn't wandered into the forest then the three foxes who had been killed in the fight would still be alive and his uncles, father and friend would not be injured. If he had stayed in his bed then Aragorn would not be marching towards the Healing Chamber as though his life depended upon it. How were the adults going to react to his decision to take a night time wander? He knew that Aragorn was not shouting at him because his wound was the more serious issue but within a couple of days Eldarion was going to be facing the wrath of his father and it was not a pretty sight. As of yet, Eldarion had only been on the receiving end of it once and he really wished he hadn't caused a situation in which he would experience it again. The mixture of emotions caused the child to whimper softly.

Aragorn heard the whimper and moved his son closer. "Hush, pen dithen. You will be alright. Just try to concentrate on something other than the wound." little one

"Nin geheno," begged Eldarion. forgive me

"Peace, Eldarion," replied Aragorn, turning and opening the door to the healing wing with his shoulder.

'Aren't you angry?' whispered Eldarion, switching to Sindarin which always seemed more natural. He was thoroughly confused as to his father's mood.

'No,' replied Aragorn, also speaking in his native tongue, as he laid Eldarion on a bed and Elrohir lit a lamp and gathered the materials he would need. 'I am not angry, but I must tell you I have never been so scared in my life!'

'You were scared?' asked Eldarion. Aragorn's varying exploits since he turned twenty-one had raised him from a simply father to a hero in Eldarion's eyes and the idea of him being scared of anything was a foreign concept to the nine-year-old.

'That surprises you,' noted Aragorn as he cut the material away from Eldarion's torso.

'I remember you saying the same thing when Ada told you he was scared of something,' remarked Elrohir, kneeling down beside Eldarion to get a better look at the wound. 'You are going to need stitches Eldarion."

Eldarion groaned and pressed his hands to his eyes. Stitches meant that he was going to have to stay in bed for at least another day. Remaining in bed for too long after the sun had reason was difficult enough when he was in Gondor but in an enchanting realm such as Imladris it was near impossible.

'There is no other way, Eldarion," said Elrohir as he careful rinsed the blood away from the wound. As the dried blood was removed Elrohir was presented with a vivid red, angry looking wound. Slight black tendrils stemmed from the wound as well, causing Aragorn to inhale sharply.

'It's poisoned,' confirmed Elrohir. 'Eldarion, how much pain are you in?"

'No pain,' replied the child causing Elrohir and Aragorn to stare. 'It's numb.' Elrohir was not calmed by his nephew's admission, but was panicked instead.

'Estel, go find Elladan….do not argue with me….find Elladan and Erestor.Tell them that Eldarion has been poisoned and that their presence is required immediately.'

"Poisoned?" asked a voice from the doorway. Elrohir and Aragorn looked up sharply and saw Elboron standing there wearing a look of shear terror. Glorfindel appeared behind him as the three continued to stare at one another. Eldarion rolled his head and his silver eyes connected with the green specked hazel ones of his friend.

'Yrch arrow,' whispered Eldarion holding out an arm to Elboron, suddenly needing to have his spirit brother close. Elboron accepted the stretched out hand and gripped in tightly.

'Estel! Get Elladan and Erestor down here now!' commanded Elrohir as he prodded the wound gently and Eldarion showed no reaction when he should have been screaming in agony. Aragorn nodded and ran from the room.

"What happened?" asked Elboron, clambering on to the bed beside Eldarion. He didn't care which of the pair answered him, so long as one of them did.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. I was playing with some fox cubs in the forest when Orcs came. Ada, 'Rohir, 'Ladan and Glorfindel found me. Foxes tried to protect me but an arrow went straight through a dog and I got hurt," answered Eldarion. Elboron looked ready to faint and Glorfindel quickly grabbed his shoulders keeping him upright.

"Why don't you lay down," Elrohir suggested. "Glorfindel, I need you to fetch me some fresh linens, a basin of hot water and a jar of salt." As he gave the commands to the golden-Elf, Elrohir passed his small dagger through the flame of the oil lamp beside the bed. Eldarion saw and paled visibly.

"What's that for?" he asked, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

"I need to make a larger incision in your stomach," replied Elrohir. He would dearly love to hide that from his nephew but experience had taught him that honesty was the best policy when dealing with such serious injuries.

"Will it hurt?" he asked, increasing his grip on Elboron's hand.

"You said the area around the wound is numb so the incision will not cause you pain. However I cannot tell how the cleansing process will feel," said Elrohir. Biting the inside of his lower lip, Elrohir made two cuts, an inch in length either side of the arrow wound. He was right when he said Eldarion would feel no pain but Elboron clutched at his side and groaned.

"Elboron?" asked Eldarion in concern. He rested a hand on Elboron's shoulder, ignoring the fact that there was an Elf prodding at his stomach. "Elboron what's wrong?"

"You are spirit brothers," replied Glorfindel as he reappeared. At the same time Aragorn, Elladan and Erestor arrived in the healing wing. Aragorn went straight to the side of his son and godson, taking Elboron into his arms as the tawny-Prince continued to whimper.

"Now is not the time to discuss this," stated Elrohir. The cuts he had made had widened the wound in Eldarion's side as was the intention but it also increased the level of blood that Eldarion was going to lose. For a child as young as Eldarion, anything more than a pint and a half could be fatal. "Glorfindel, pass me the water and salt. Elladan, Erestor I need you to make a poultice to withdraw any remaining poison."

"Which poison?" asked Elladan. Elrohir winced.

"The same one that made Nana leave," he said. Without another word Elladan and Erestor moved off to the counter where the herbs and equipment was stored.

"What's happening?" asked Elboron. He was still clutching Eldarion's hand in his and his other cradled his side.

"Spirit brothers feel the pain of their companion," said Aragorn as he smoothed Elboron's forehead, hugging the child to his chest.

"Eldarion?" asked Elrohir as he held a piece of soaked linen a hairs breadth from the wound. "This might hurt but that is just the salt working to remove the poison. Alright?"

"Will it hurt Elboron?" asked the raven boy. Elrohir nodded gravely. Both children tensed themselves for the pain. As the wound was drawn, Elboron continued to moan, pressing back into Aragorn's chest as though to escape the sensation. The numbness began to recede and as it did so, Eldarion began to feel the pain of his wound. As Elrohir replaced the cloth with a fresh one, Eldarion arched off the bed crying out as the full force of the pain hit him.

"I'm sorry Elboron," he whispered, increasing his grip on the hand in his own, before crying out again.

The wound began to seep and Elrohir, seeing that the method of drawing was not going to have the effect desired pulled up his sleeves and pressed his palms to Eldarion's skin either side of the wound. As gently as he could, he began to manipulate the fluids beneath his hands, causing the poison to rise to the surface and seep faster through the slits he had made and the initial arrow wound. The reaction from the boys was instantaneous. Elboron pressed harder into Aragorn's chest whilst Eldarion arched off the bed, both panting heavily.

"Estel, separate their hands," said Glorfindel. "Elboron's reaction might not be as drastic." Aragorn nodded and gently pried Eldarion and Elboron's hands apart. Cupping both of Elboron's in his Aragorn wrapped his arms more securely around the elder boy, all the while wishing that neither boy had to suffer more than was necessary.

Elrohir continued his manipulation of Eldarion's wound until eventually a thick mass of red blood and black poison erupted. Now that their hands had been separated, Elboron did not feel the pain to the extent he had been but Eldarion still had the full blast. Letting out a scream, Eldarion arched high off the bed before collapsing backwards and panting hard, surrendered to the blissful realm of unconsciousness.

"Eldarion?" whispered Elboron. Reaching out he shook Eldarion's shoulder but the boy did not awaken. "Eldarion!"

"He's unconscious," said Elrohir. "It is the best thing for him at the moment."

Elrohir continued to work on Eldarion for the next half hour, removing as much poison from Eldarion's body as was possible before applying the poultice Elladan and Erestor had prepared. Aragorn had continued to sit on the bed, cradling Elboron to his chest. Elboron himself had been worn out with the foreign pain signals his body was receiving and was now sleeping in Aragorn's arms. Eldarion had yet to reawaken but Elrohir was not concerned about that, and neither was anyone else considering what the nine-year-old had just gone through.

"It will help him heal," said the younger twin as he cut the thread he had used to close the wound. Placing needle and bobbin of thread on the bedside table, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. Elladan knelt down beside his brother and pulled the exhausted Elf to him.

"Well done," he whispered, tucking strands of Elrohir's hair behind his ears. Elrohir rested his forehead against Elladan's chest and shook his head.

"Congratulate me when they are up creating havoc again. Eldarion still has a long way to go."

"You helped him make that first step," said Elladan, kissing his twin's forehead. When Elrohir didn't respond, he glanced down and saw that the younger twin had fallen asleep. Smiling gently, he moved them around until he was in a suitable enough position to lift Elrohir into his arms.

"I bid you goodnight," he said and settling Elrohir in his arms properly the two left the healing wing, Elrohir in about as much need for sleep as either of the children.

Aragorn smiled after his brothers and found that he did not have the words to thank Elrohir for his efforts in aiding his son and godson. Leaning down, he kissed the forehead of both boys before moving out from behind Elboron and laying him on the bed.

"Garo bost vaer, ion nîns," he whispered, reconnecting their hands and pulling the blanket up over the two. Elboron shifted closer to Eldarion and in his sleep rested their embraced hands on Eldarion's chest. He stood up and signalled for Glorfindel and Erestor to follow him out into the corridor.

"What do you mean Eldarion and Elboron are spirit brothers?" he demanded as soon as the door was mostly closed.

"It is the only thing that makes sense," said Glorfindel. "Elboron knew that Eldarion was in trouble even though he could not see him. He felt Eldarion's pain though he was only holding his hand, Elrohir was touching him the entire time and he never so much as winced. Eldarion and Elboron are as close as any of the twins of Eärendil's line, a simply blood tie is all that is missing."

"Are they soul mates?" asked Aragorn. Glorfindel shook his head.

"While spirit brothers and soul mates are both bound by love, one develops while the other is decreed by the Valar before the individual is born."

"Will they always be bound in such a way?" asked Aragorn. He had read something about spirit brothers when he was a child but had never discovered his own. Kalya was closest thing to his heart and their connection was similar to Elrohir's to Elladan and Elrond's to Elros – they never felt each other's pain physically but knew instinctively that there was a problem. It generally led to the healthier twin becoming restless and everyone else around going crazy until the situation resolved itself.

"That decision is very much up to them. There may come a time when they don't wish to be bound and the link will dissolve. However, unless something drastic happens in their future, the likelihood is that the bond will strengthen," replied Erestor. "The best approach would probably be to teach each of them who to shield their emotions. That way only intentional feelings will be transferred to the other."

"Like Eldarion wanting to shield Elboron just now," conceded Aragorn. "I hope he makes it through this, I can't loose him as well."

"Don't worry. We found him in time. Celebrían suffered more than one wound and was tortured for days before the twins found her. Eldarion has a strong spirit, he will pull through this," said Glorfindel. Aragorn nodded.

"Would you mind staying with them? I have to go tell Faramir, Éowyn and Arwen want it happening." Glorfindel and Erestor nodded and moved back into the healing wing to watch over the sleeping children.

Sighing and rubbing his palms across his face, Aragorn made his way along the corridor back to the families of the two young boys.