It was two days later that Elros and Elrond were reunited. Mebat had done a good job treating Elros' wounds. The skin was healing as quick as was expected from an Elven body and there would not be any lasting scars. Elrond, however, was the one to carry the scars for the rest of his life. When he first met his brother again, in the morning at the river where they were now only to wash under surveillance, he hugged his brother deeply, but he did not dare to look into his eyes. Not since their gazes had met during the torture.

"I'm alright, Elrond," Elros said when he noticed how silent his brother was. "Mebat has been taking good care of my wounds and I have spent the past two days thinking of all possible ways to kill Naht."

Elrond nodded. There was no point. No point in killing Naht, no point in resisting him. If they killed their way out of here, they would end up just like Maglor and Maedhros. There was no point in wishing revenge upon Naht because either it happened or it didn't happen. But it would not make Naht's deeds undone.

In the next months, Elrond felt becoming more and more estranged from his brother. It was nothing that could be noted too much, especially from the outside. But they were twins and they had nearly always been together, agreed on most decisions, talked about everything. But now Elrond had the strange feeling that he did not understand his brother well. Maedhros and Maglor taught them how to fight, the most important skills for violent elves like them. Elros was eager to learn the lore of battling, though he refused to unnecessarily inflict pain on animals like the elder elf brothers did. Elrond was disgusted by their willingness to hurt innocent animals – or people. Even though Elrond did not refuse to study the skill of swords and fists and daggers, his heart was with books. Nagla recognised his interests and sometimes she smuggled history records or books about other people in Arda to the twin brothers. Elros listened to whenever Elrond was reading from those in their small room that they were allowed to keep – though now there were iron bars in the windows.

Time went by and Elrond and Elros adapted to their life in the small town. The brothers still mistrusted them and did not leave them unattended, but they beat them less and less. Maedhros wanted to put them harsher rule, but finally, Maglor stood up to his brother and decided that there was no need for punishment if no mistakes had been done.

Luckily for the twins, after two years, shortly after their 15th birthday, Naht died on a pillaging trip of the sons of Fёanor. Since then, it was calmer in the house. At least for a while. Elrond and Elros, on their way to get ready for the night, overhead Mahtos, the cook, talking with Joht, the sword master. Apparently, a war has been growing for years. It was the first that the twins heard about it. They had been kept well uninformed in the town and the evil brothers received messengers only after having sent the twins to their rooms.

For a long time after this, neither Elros nor Elrond heard any news about said war. But it was the eve of their 18th birthday that Elros, Elrond, and Maglor were sitting near the fireside in the great hall where Naht used to sharpen his swords. Elrond was reading a book on herbs while Maglor showed Elros how to deskin a rabbit – luckily only theoretically.

A messenger, Mentere, knocked at the door and was let in by Mathos.

"Is Lord Maedhros not here?" she asked and bowed in front of Maglor.

"He is out," Maglor said, not willing to admit that his brother was probably indulging in Man-grown wine in the town – or indulging in an elf woman who was easier to get than the fierce Mentere who was not only the fastest rider in a one hundred league radius but also a decent fighter.

"There is word from the West," Mentere said.

Usually, Maglor would have sent the twins upstairs by now, but by the news of information coming from the Western lands, he completely forgot. Startled, he invited Mentere to sit. Mahtos also took a seat. The adults had completely forgotten the presence of the twins, and these made sure it stayed that way by keeping silent about it.

"I do not know any details yet since I set out as soon as the first information arrived in the region. But there is a sighting of a huge army coming from the West, wanting to aid us in the war against Morgoth."

"What?" Mahtos asked, but Maglor stared pensively into the fire. The fact that he and his brother had been slaughtering their own kind for the Silmarils had only ever played into their enemy's hands. Now was the moment to fight him – and gain back a Silmaril!

"We need to leave at once. We will ride west and meet them. Whatever their goal – we will help. The town will empty, we ride at down. Find my brother and inform every villager," he instructed to Mahtos.

Once Mahtos and Mentere had left the house, Maglor turned to the twins. "I have told you about Morgoth, but I have not told you the whole truth. The truth is that he will kill every single one of him if we do not fight. By now, he controls most of Beleriand. With the help of the western elves we can meet him head on. You will ride with us but know this – if you dare to turn away, every elf in Arda will know that you have forsaken your own people. Every elf in Arda will learn what cowards you are. You must fight – like the rest of us. Because if we don't, there will be no place for us left and Morgoth will enslave us all."

"What is the difference between you holding us like slaves and Morgoth enslaving us?" Elrond asked boldly.

It was the first slap in the face he had earned in three months. "Believe me, Elros–"

"I'm Elrond."

"I don't care. You do not want to be enslaved by Morgoth."

Before earning more slaps, Elros and Elrond went to sleep so that they were not too tired when they were heading to war the next day.

It was a long ride, but for a few years now Elrond and Elros were allowed to ride horses on their own – even without being chained like animals when leaving the town. And so it came that the twins rode out of the town for the first time in five years. Elrond had always wanted to see more of Middle-earth after having read so many books (probably all there were in the town which unfortunately weren't too many), and so he always absorbed as much information as he could – even if it was just green, plain grasslands. After a few days of riding, more elves joined them. Maedhros and Maglor kept the twins in the middle of their own group, not wanting them to talk to other elves. In the nights, the elves would camp under the starlight and Maedhros and Maglor would talk to the other leaders and often meet with scouts who returned with information.

One morning, Elros nudged Elrond in the side. "Look over there," he said and pointed towards the East. At first, Elrond could not see anything, but then he made out single shapes from the army that was coming to ride besides them. But they were not elves and neither were they Men.

"Dwarves!" Elrond said. He was surprised, but he had long stopped sounding surprised. Maedhros hated it. He said showing surprise made one weak. Elrond had only once seen a dwarf before in the village they used to live in. A dwarf had come to trade with them, but the elves did not want anything to do with him. For Elrond, his manners had seemed strange and his accent in Westron had sounded alien.

"If even the dwarves join the battle, it must be truly the end of our times," Elros said. Slowly, the army became so big that the twins lost Maedhros and Maglor – who had also reunited with some of their brothers – out of sight. During dinner, the twins sat down on their own and watched the scenery. Elves talked with elves, Men talked with Men, and Dwarves talked with dwarves.

The twins watched some Men return from the forest with rabbits they had hunted. They sat down near the edge of the woods and begin to de-skin it. "They're not doing it right," Elros muttered, watching them.

"Go help them," Elrond encouraged his brother.

Elros hesitated, but then left and joined the group of Men. They were too far away for Elrond to hear what they were saying, but it seemed like the Men were accepting Elros despite his Elven looks and together they cooked the rabbit meat. Elros wanted to call his brother over, but he noticed that Elrond had already fallen asleep. He was always so attentive and observant during the riding that Elrond seemed to be very tired after a long day. Elros hoped he would gather his strength before the battle itself.

The next morning, Elros rode with the Men. Elrond did not mind, they hardly talked during the day anyway. The landscape was changing, and it was becoming colder and less vegetative.

"You observe the landscape well," a voice near Elrond suddenly said. "But what about the people?" An Elf rode up to Elrond. He was older than the twin, dark-haired and beautiful. He seemed strong, had broad shoulders and wore a small, unobtrusive coronet.

"I don't find people as interesting… or maybe I have just not met interesting people," Elrond admitted, having the feeling that he spoke to an Elf of great power and wisdom. However, somehow this elf seemed rather young…

"I think the latter. You brother seems to have found a liking to new people."

"We live in a small town and hardly get to meet new people."

"You live near Amon Ereb, am I right?"

Elrond was surprised to hear that this strange elf knew, so he said nothing.

"Are you Elrond or Elros?" the elf eventually asked.

"I am Elrond…"

"You live with the sons of Fёanor."

"With Maedhros and Maglor, yes."

"Do you like it there?"

Elrond did not respond. He knew that if the brothers would hear about his feelings about them, he would earn himself another beating, whether they had to face the greatest enemy of the free will or not.

"Do they mistreat you and your brother?"

"Who are you?" Elrond finally dared to ask. "And how do you know all of this?"

The strange elf smiled. "My name is Gil-galad, and I am the King of the Noldor that dwell with me on the Isle of Balar."

Elrond was left speechless. A king? Gil-galad? He had heard of him, but he had imagined him much older.

Suddenly, the whole army came to a halt. "I will see you, Elrond," Gil-galad said and then cantered towards the front of the company to see what was going on.

"I'll see you, too," Elrond muttered. His heart was beating fast and it was not the anxiousness before battle.