-Chapter 35: Alike?

-Elven Hope-

"What?" Admir exclaimed looking at Rogir in disbelief. "You cannot leave!"

Rogir sat down on Admir's bed. "Well we are." He said grumpily. His headache and blurry vision was making his already bad mood escalate. There was also the added fact that it was mostly his fault that they were leaving. Maybe if he hadn't of said anything then his father wouldn't have decided that they have to leave.

"But that is not fair you have only been here a few days!" Admir said sitting down on the bed and folding her arms. "And we hardly ever get to see each other!"

"I am sorry about all this," Rogir said. "Trouble seems to find me and I got you stuck in the middle of it."

Admir laughed. "Trouble follows you? Have you met my brothers?"

Rogir smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I am such a jerk."

"You are not a jerk..." she tried to find the right words which would not be offensive to explain that he just had a rather short temper. "You just have a bit of a temper."

"You hesitated," Rogir said looking her in the eye. "Why did you hesitate?"

"Because I was just..." trying to sugar-coat my answer so that it wouldn't be offensive.

"Just?"

"Just did not want to offend you," Admir answered. "You have a short temper, that is your only fault. And you are mean to Legolas..."

"He deserves it."

"I did not say he does not," Admir said even though in fact she thought that Rogir picked on his younger brother for no particular reason.

"Alright, then why did you say that?" Rogir asked.

"I do not have to listen to this," Admir said crossly. "I'm trying to make you feel better and you are just being nasty. I take it all back you are a jerk!"

"Fine then," Rogir said folding his arms. "And you are just a stupid little girl!"

Admir clenched her fists in rage. "I hate you Rogir! Get out of my room!"

Rogir glared at her and got up walking over to the door his hand resting on the handle for a short moment as he turned back to look at her. "Goodbye."

With that he pulled open the door and left the room shutting the door behind him. He waited a short while, watching the door hoping it would open - but it stayed firmly shut.

Rogir sighed and turned to walk away down the corridor when he ran straight into the twins; or rather they ran into him.

"Rogir," Elladan said quickly.

"Your father wants to talk to you," Elrohir said speaking before Elladan could.

"He is in Ada's study," Elladan said.

"With Aradwyn," Elrohir finished for him.

"You know that is incredibly annoying," Rogir said venomously. "You two finishing each other's sentences. It was alright when you were little, but should not the pair of you have your own lives by now? You are not joined at the hip."

"Your father wants to talk to you," Elladan said ignoring Rogir's scathing comment. "You should go, he is cross."

"Fine," Rogir said and strolled along down the corridor to Elrond's study leaving the twins in the hallway watching him as he disappeared round the corner.

When he entered both his father and brother were already in there, along with Randomir. Rogir glowered at them as well as he could for whilst his eye was swollen like it was it wasn't very convincing.

"Have a seat Rogir," Thranduil said gesturing to the chair next to his brother. Both of the younger elves still looked rather un-prince like, even though Aradwyn seemed to have tried to tidy himself up a bit and now all that showed he had ever been in a fight was a slight bruise on his right cheek, a red mark on the other and a scab on his lip where it had split, but was already healing. Rogir, however, hadn't done much to try and clean himself up and looked terrible, the bruising around his eye had spread badly, there was still a little but of dried blood at the corner of his mouth and his hair was disheveled the braids practically undone.

"Now Randomir, can you please tell me what happened?" Thranduil asked the lieutenant.

"Well from what we saw Prince Rogir got into a dispute with another elf," Randomir paused. "He lost his temper and they started to fight and then Prince Aradwyn joined in."

"That is a lie," Aradwyn hissed.

"You are not in the position to argue at this moment Aradwyn," Thranduil said crossly and turned back to Randomir. "Thank you for your time Randomir, you are dismissed."

Randomir nodded then left the room the sound of the door clicking shut loud in the silent, tension filled room. Rogir looked away, his fingers fidgeting irritably in his lap. Aradwyn stared defiantly into his father's eyes. He was not at fault here, he felt guilty for what he had done, but it had been Rogir's fault. He was always caught in the crossfire and he was sick of it.

"So," Thranduil said eventually. "I did not want to ask you this earlier seeing as both of you were not in a fit state to talk, but I cannot put this off any longer. I want some answers and I want them now."

"It was nothing," Aradwyn answered. "We-"

"Nothing?" Thranduil asked incredulously. "You knock your brother out cold and you say it was nothing?"

"I did not mean to," Aradwyn replied stonily.

"You still did," Thranduil said. He turned to Rogir. "And what about you?"

There was silence from the younger elf who kept his head down and Aradwyn just glared at his father. This was not fair, he knew he shouldn't have retaliated, but what had he been supposed to do?

"Rogir," Thranduil snapped. "Talk to me!"

"I..." Rogir stopped looking up at his father. "Do not be cross with Aradwyn Ada, it was my fault, I hit him, I can understand why he hit me back."

"That is very grown up of you," Thranduil said. "But you realize I still have to punish you both once we get back to Mirkwood."

Aradwyn looked up; this was the first he had heard of Thranduil's decision to leave. "Back to Mirkwood?"

"Yes," Thranduil sighed. "After everything that has happened; the mud fight, stealing Erestor's book, Aradwyn. Rogir getting beaten up, drunk, and threatening Legolas. Then Rogir snuck off after Admir, and attempted to throttle her and then the fight you all had - including Legolas. And then the fight you had just now. Am I missing anything?" Thranduil asked looking at both of his son's. "No? Then surely you understand why this is the final straw."

This is unfair on Legolas, Aradwyn though, he is so much happier here than at home, his has the twins to play with and Estel at home there is just me and Rogir.

"Now I was going to ask you why you did what you did Rogir, but I suppose that it is reasonably obvious," Thranduil said. "Just please don't do it again. Fighting is not the answer, you know this, and I do not know how many times I have said it to you. Aradwyn, I know you are sorry for what you did, but you also must be punished, that blow was a dangerous one Rogir could loose the sight in his left eye."

"What?" Both brothers asked at the same time and Rogir looked at his father worriedly.

"Elrond says there is a small chance, but it is small Rogir." Thranduil said. "It will hurt for a while and your vision may not be perfect, but you will probably not loose your sight."

Aradwyn felt his stomach sink down into his toes; he would never forgive himself if Rogir lost the sight in his eye.

"When we get back to Mirkwood I will give you two a second punishment on top of the one you already have," Thranduil said calmly. "I am sorry, but that is the way it has to be. Now please get ready, we are leaving early tomorrow."

"But-"

"No, Aradwyn, we are leaving tomorrow and that is final!" Thranduil snapped. "Until then both of you are to stay in your rooms. And I mean it Rogir."

"Yes Ada," Rogir said looking at his feet.

Knowing that the conversation was over, both princes stood and Rogir left the room Aradwyn following behind him, but just as he was about to leave Thranduil put a hand on his elder son's shoulder.

"Aradwyn," he said waiting for the elder prince to look at him.

"Yes?" Aradwyn said looking up, but finding it difficult to hold his father's gaze. He still felt terrible about what had happened.

"Can you talk to Legolas?" Thranduil asked. "I would do it myself, but he is not talking to me and well Rogir is not the most sympathetic..."

"I will talk to him Ada," Aradwyn said quietly. "I do not know if he is talking to me either though."

"And what makes you think that?" Thranduil asked his gaze softening slightly.

"When I was taken off the archery field I saw him with 'Dan and 'Ro," Aradwyn said looking down. "And he looked frightened; I do not know whether he will talk to me."

"Well just try," Thranduil said. "Please, you have a better chance than me and Rogir."

"Alright," Aradwyn agreed. "But I would not hold much hope."

Aradwyn was right, Legolas wouldn't talk to him. When he reached his little brother's room and sat down on his bed Legolas just glared at him. He wasn't talking to anyone in his family ever again he had already decided that, how could he when he couldn't trust anyone?

"Legolas," Aradwyn said wrapping a long arm around his brother's shoulder. "I know that you hate all of us at the moment, but I want to help you."

Legolas just ignored his brother completely. He wasn't talking to them any of them!

Aradwyn rolled his eyes, his brother had a sensitive nature at times, which in some way he had a right to - after all they weren't the best family, in fact they were very far from it, and the death of his mother had effected the younger elf badly - but it was rather hard sometimes to have a conversation with him, you always had to be careful about what you said.

"But I saw what happened," Legolas said suddenly forgetting his vow of silence. "Rogir hurt you and then you hit him and hurt him badly."

"Yes, I was not thinking," Aradwyn said softly. "I really did not mean to hit him that hard."

"But you did," Legolas said turning ice blue eyes on his brother. "I wish Nana was here."

Aradwyn looked at his little brother shocked; he never spoke of their mother, never.

"And what makes you say that?" Aradwyn asked keeping his voice calm.

"I cannot trust Rogir because of what he did, I cannot trust Ada because he made you drunk even though he knew it was a bad thing to do, And I cannot trust you because you hit Rogir." Legolas said slowly looking at his feet. "But if Nana were here then I could talk to her because I know she wouldnever do something bad."

"You are right Legolas," Aradwyn said wistfully. "But Nana cannot come back so you are stuck with us."

"I know," Legolas said. This had been drummed into him by both his father and Rogir when their mother died and Rogir's method had been rather harsh.

"Well, I know I cannot change your mind, but I just want you to know that I will always be here for you if you want to talk to me alright?" He looked at the younger elf sadly. "Did Ada tell you we're leaving tomorrow?"

Legolas nodded slowly.

"Alright then, I'm going to my room now, but if you want someone to talk to-"

"I heard you the first time," Legolas ground out.

Aradwyn looked down at his younger brother, but didn't say anything. Instead he just left the room closing the door behind him.

"Go away Estel," Admir said trying to drag her little brother out of the room.

"Why?" Estel asked looking at his sister.

"Because I want to be on my own right now, alright?" Admir asked pulling the struggling Adan towards the door.

"But I am bored," Estel protested.

"Well go be bored somewhere else," Admir said crossly.

"But that is boring."
"Ugh," Admir groaned. "Get out of my room!"

"No," Estel said slipping out of his sister's grasp and running back to her bed.

"Ah!" Admir yelled running back towards the young human.

"Ah!" Estel shouted seeing the look on his sister's face and jumping off the bed.

"I am going to kill you Estel!" Admir shouted. "Get back here!"

"'Dan! 'Ro!" Estel yelled seeing that his elder brothers had just entered the room after hearing the commotion. "Save me!"

"From what?" Elladan asked.

"Her!"

The twins looked up just in time to see their sister sprinting towards them. When she looked up she barely had enough time to slow herself down before she crashed into the other two elves and the young human.

"Oh great not you two," Admir said picking herself up and moving away from the others.

"Charming," Elrohir said sarcastically. "Would not a hello be a better way of greeting one's brother?"

"Alright," Admir said fuming. "Hello, now get lost!" With that she sat down on her bed facing away from the others.

"Well why are you in such a fowl mood?" Elladan asked walking over and sitting down next to her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing."

"Oh really?" Elrohir asked joining his brother and sister.

"Admir there is no way we are going to believe that," Elladan said.

"Not when you were trying to kill Estel," Elrohir finished for his brother.

"I was not trying to kill him!" Admir said crossly. "And stop finishing each other's sentences! You are not joined at the hip!"

The twins looked at Admir hurt clear in their eyes.

"You know what, Admir?" Elladan said quietly standing up, Elrohir following his brother's lead.

"You are more like Rogir than you think," Elrohir finished and both twins left the room with out another word. Admir just watched them stunned, what had she done; she hadn't hurt their feelings that much had she? She glared at Estel who was watching her silently.

"What are you looking at?"

I'm not sure whether 'jerk' and 'get lost' are terms elves would use, but I couldn't think of any other words, and Rogir is a jerk. Actually once I've finished this and 'Shadows' I don't know what I'll do, I've become quite attached to Aradwyn and Rogir.

ElvenHope

Yea, actually. But we do have an alternate ending to Shadows, so we have longer with at least sum characters.

Shawna D.