Chapter Thirty-Two: Fraternal Bonds
"So," said Elrond II, after a short pause, "if you're me, then you must have lived this life before, right?"
"In the most basic sense, yes," Elrond I replied. "But Lord Mandos himself told me that this life would be very different. Things have been changing since the day I – or rather, you – were born."
"How?"
"Well," the older elf reminisced, his eyes going slightly out of focus, "Lords Mandos and Lórien didn't attend your birthday party last time, for one thing. Second, Eärendil left two years earlier than he did this time. Maedhros and Maglor's fates were very different; last time, Maedhros slew himself by jumping into a fiery pit, and Maglor exiled himself from all elven realms."
"Did Mother come back last time?" the youth asked, his eyes shining.
"She was resurrected, if that's what you mean," Elrond I replied, "but she didn't return to Arda. She lived in a tower by the sea in Valinor, and sometimes she flew with Eärendil."
"And… did this happen last time? Did Morgoth try to attack you like this?"
Elrond I shook his head. "No. This is the most different thing about our lives. I know the very least of what will happen – battles you'll win, friends you'll make, whom you'll wed and so on – but I haven't a clue what Morgoth will do next."
There was a period of uncomfortable silence before the elf-lord spoke again. "About your gift, Elrond… have you been controlling it?"
"It hasn't shown itself," Elrond II shrugged. "Not since the council."
"So you haven't told anyone?"
"Who would believe me?"
"Some people would," said Elrond I, lowering his voice. "Some people would pass that information on to others. Those others would—"
He broke off and rose to his feet as Mandos swirled into view before them, an expectant look on his bloodless face. The Vala spoke only one word: "Well?"
"It is done, sire," Elrond I replied, bowing and indicating that Elrond II do the same.
Mandos fixed the elf with his gaze. "Now it is time for you to make the Choice."
Elrond I nodded. He remembered the Choice; the decision that had shaped his destiny. The Choice to live as an elf or as a human was only granted to the descendants of Beren and Lúthien, the first wedded human and elf. Well, half-elf, technically, for Lúthien was herself half a Maia. Her mother had been Melian, a handmaiden of Vána and Estë, who had dwelt in Valinor in the gardens of Lórien.
The elf came slowly back to reality, hearing his other half ask, "Excuse me, sire, but what is the Choice?"
"You have a crucial decision to make," said the Vala. "It will ultimately alter your life for ever. You are of both human and elven descent; the blood of both runs in your veins. But you cannot live with a foot in either world.
"You must decide whether you wish to have the immortal life of an elf, or the mortal life of a human. And," he added, "once you speak your verdict, there will be no turning back whatsoever. So choose wisely."
Elrond II was silent for a short while, staring at his knees. At length he looked up again at Mandos, saying carefully, "If everything I've just been told is true, which I trust it is, then hasn't my choice been made for me? I'm an elf."
A rare smile curved the Doomsman's thin lips. "Very good. You are correct – the Choice has been made for you. You have immortal life."
There was silence, in which both Elrond I and II were lost in thought. The teen continued to digest the news of his destiny while the elf-lord, reaching up to investigate an itch on his neck, found little Lórien perched on his shoulder. Smiling, he lowered his hand to the bed and allowed the tiny Dream-lord to stroll down his arm.
Elrond II stared at the small figure in much the same way as a young kitten would stare at a newly-discovered insect. His eyes were wide with fascination as he let Lórien's replica ascend his arm, and he nodded his head politely when the Vala did the same to him.
Mandos' small smile never wavered, though its cause had changed abruptly. Oh, how he loved it when Elrond was happy.
Elrond II's eyes suddenly saddened, and he looked up to meet the Doomsman's gaze. He had one more inquiry: "What about Elros, sir?"
"Your brother has already decided his fate," Mandos said softly. "He chose to be counted as a human."
"Oh," the young elf murmured, looking down again. "I see."
The Vala sighed silently when he saw the tears of pain in Elrond II's eyes, but knew that he could do nothing. It was Eru's will.
Oh, the burden of knowledge…
----
Elrond I crawled slowly into bed that night, his movements languid. He sighed quietly for what must have been the millionth time as his gaze roved over the chair at his bedside – Lórien's chair – which stood sad and empty in the moonlight.
The elf fought back tears at the barrage of memories that instantly began to torment him, as they did every evening, He shut his eyes tight, turning away from the chair and curling his body into a tight ball. But he relaxed a little as a hand found his shoulder, and a voice murmured gently in his ear.
"Elrond?"
He looked up, meeting the soft, compassionate eyes of Nienna. The deep indigo circles of her irises blended with the pupils, creating an illusion of utter blackness. Their darkness contrasted with her pale face as they glistened with tears in the moonlight.
From this close, Elrond could clearly see that the skin around her eyes was tinged scarlet, but that only added to her beauty. She spoke to him again, in a voice quiet and sorrowful, which reminded the elf of a rippling lake.
"It pains me to see you in grief," she whispered sadly, as tears crept down her face like dewdrops on lily petals. "I know how you feel for Irmo, and I know that he feels the same way for you. He asked me to give you these… I assumed that you would know what they are."
From her dress she drew her closed hand, and held it forth as she uncurled her fingers. In her palm lay two small objects. One was a faceted sapphire about the size of a marble, and the other was a folded scrap of parchment that looked charred around the edges.
Elrond accepted them warily, feeling his heartbeat quicken. He knew what at least one of them was. The sapphire was from Vilya, but how it had become separated from the band, he didn't know. And he had a strong suspicion of what the parchment was.
He carefully unfolded the delicate object, and his hunch was immediately confirmed as he read what was written there. Some of the words were partially obscured or burnt away, but it was still fairly legible.
always remember you – both as the child I loved and cared for, and the lord I called my friend. Both sides of you have a place in my heart, and indeed they are the same.
I will forever love you; the ends of the earth cannot separate us. We are joined in heart, blood and mind. Remember that, if nothing else. I love you.
The elf had broken down to tears before he finished reading. It was his father's letter – or what was left of it. He had thought it had been totally destroyed, along with Vilya. Lórien must have gone back to the ruins of Sirion to get these things for him.
"Is something wrong?" the Valië asked in concern.
Elrond shook his head, smiling through his tears. "No, my lady. It's just that… this once was part of a letter, that was the last thing my father ever gave to me before he left Sirion. I've believed ever since that Lord Lórien influenced him into writing it."
Nienna nodded. "I see. I shall indeed tell Irmo of this when next I see him."
"Thank you, my lady," the elf smiled.
"You are most welcome," she replied gently.
----
"Good morning, Elrond."
"Good morning, Elrond. How am I?"
"You're fine. How am I?"
"Very well."
"Good for us."
Elrond I and II both laughed. Conversations like these had become a frequent occurrence in the past few years. It wasn't uncommon to hear them asking each other questions about themselves, or speaking to each other in plurals. Many of the elves who heard it simply laughed and walked on, dismissing the strange banter as harmless fun. That was all the better for Elrond.
"We really should stop talking like this, you know," Elrond I informed his other half at breakfast one morning. "People might start to wonder about us."
"They won't," Elrond II protested. "They think it's funny. They don't pay attention."
Elrond I frowned slightly, but was distracted by approaching footsteps. He straightened up in his seat, calling, "Good morning, Elros!"
Elrond's twin smiled and nodded as he took a seat next to his godfather. "Good morning, Godfather, Did you sleep well?"
"Very well," the elf-lord replied. "And yourself?"
"Fine."
Elrond II grinned over at his brother. "Morning, El!"
"Morning, Ron."
Elrond I chuckled to himself. In contrast with his brother, Elros had insisted on using the nickname "El", the reason being that "'Ros" sounded too much like "Rose", and was as a result too feminine for him. Elrond II still used the less-desired name at times, to bother his sibling for fun.
The elf-lord sighed affectionately. Even at twenty-five, which admittedly was very young for both elves and humans, he and his brother still managed to behave like a pair of ten-year-olds.
Just how my sons will eventually, he thought. Youth at heart seems to run in the family. More likely than not because Father married so young…
His lips twitched into a bittersweet smile. He would have to make the most of his next years with Elros. Soon his younger twin would be gone forever.
----
"You're leaving?" cried Elrond II, incredulous.
"Yes, Ron. I'm going over the Sea. I just feel like my destiny is waiting for me there. I can't really explain it very well. The Sea is calling to me, just like it did to Father. Has it ever done that to you?"
"No," Elrond II replied truthfully. "I'm happy right here on dry land. But then, you were always more like Father. The Sea's in your blood."
"Yes. But I'll always miss you."
"So will I. We'll keep in touch, won't we, El?"
"Of course we will," Elros replied, holding his brother close. "I'll write to you every day if I can."
"And I'll write back twice a day," the older twin added. Then he stared into his brother's face. "When are you going?"
"In a week. Cirdan has a ship ready for my people and I to sail; we just need to load them up with supplies. Then…"
"Westward bound," Elrond II finished sadly.
"Yes."
"I love you, El."
"I love you, too, Ron." Elros smiled tearfully.
"When will you forget me?" Elrond II asked.
"When I turn into a rooster and fly across the world from one end to the other."
"Be sure to lay an egg on top of the highest mountain."
"I'll lay four. One for you, one for Mother, one for Father, and one for Godfather."
"Done."