A/N I'd like to apologize for the delay in this chapter, but I'm afraid that finals almost had the best of me, and their wasn't much time for anything else.

Celeborn looked at himself in the full length mirror. Thranduil's clothes did not fit perfectly since Thranduil was an inch or two taller than Celeborn-they were a bit long in the sleeve and tight around the shoulders-but they were adequate. Elrond had examined him to make sure that he really was alright and after a hard stare from the healer, Celeborn admitted that he had gotten a few ribs broken in his altercation with the giants, but they had since then healed and there was nothing to worry about. Elrond had looked unimpressed.

Stepping out into the foyer, Celeborn laid eyes on the other two elves. Thranduil was lounging on the couch, while Elrond was leaning against the fireplace.

"Thank you for the use of your room and clothes, cousin," Celeborn said. He decided that since he had been forcefully removed from his home, he much rather it be with his cousin than the Woodland King. There was no place for titles when the goal was survival.

Thranduil inclined his head, though when he spoke it was of a different matter, "I assume, you as well, were brought here against your will?"

Celeborn nodded, "Aye, I was drawn to a tree and my faculties were taken away from me as I...for lack of a better description, was pulled in."

Elrond was nodding, "it was much the same for us, though in my case it was a waterfall. Yet it seems that I had the least violent entrance into this realm."

"Well my violent entrance was giants, what was yours then, Thranduil?"

"Men."

Celeborn waited, but Thranduil did not elaborate. He looked at Elrond but could not meet his gaze as the Noldo was staring at Thranduil in one part sympathy and two parts annoyance.

His son by marriage was different here. And perhaps it was that he was all here. In this land he was not torn asunder, with his feet on the earth and his heart reaching for a place beyond the sea. Whatever had happened had brought Elrond here, and solely Elrond. Whatever had happened it would have to be talked about later, perhaps in a quiet moment when all other questions had been asked.

"Tell me what you know of this place. I am afraid my experience is only with the patrol that found me

"What do you think of them?" Peter's voice reverberated around the comfortable room.

It had been two days since the third elf had arrived, and they had all met to discuss the three elves' mysterious appearance. The fact that they appeared wasn't the issue. It was Narnia, weirder things had happened, but when three of the same beings turn up in three different places and somehow all end up at the Narnian capital, well there are questions that must be asked, and caution must be taken.

"I do not trust them," General Oreius practically growled.

"We are aware of your feelings on the matter, General," Edmund spoke, "as I am sure our visitors are aware as well".

"I like them," Lucy's musical voice caused all eyes to turn to her, "I do not understand what you have against them, General. I mean, one of them was a captive of the Coloman, it should garner some sympathy at least. Do you not think?"

"But what if he was not a captive and it was merely a ruse? A way to get him into the company of the King?" The General would not be swayed.

"No Oreius, I do not believe that. The wounds inflicted upon him were no ruse, nor the way he made a fool of that Prince," Peter couldn't avoid the smirk that accompanied the memory.

"Besides, they did not even understand us. Even now, they have difficulty with our language," Lucy, once again spoke, "How could they report something they do not understand".

"I do believe ignorance, my Queen, is very easy to portray," the General would not be swayed.

Susan, who had, as of yet, remained silent, made her way to the grand windows that gave view into one of the quieter gardens. "It seems," she said, "That it is not just our Lucy who seems to have taken a liking to our guests".

Her words made her siblings as well as the General to converge upon the window, where they could see their three visitors lounging about the garden. Though they were not alone, for a plethora of Narnian citizens had seemed to find their way to the new interesting beings. The blond one had a lap full of fox cubs as he sat cross-legged on the ground; where a silver head looked to have become a perch for some curious birds, and the dark haired one entertained some also curious squirrels where they both shared a stone bench.

"Would you look at that," Lucy said, "It seems some of the citizens do not share your misgivings, General."

"It does seem that way, my Queen, but neither do they keep the security of Narnia forefront on their minds."

"So what do you propose, General?" Edmund asked, "Surely not that we lock them up when they have done nothing?"

"I merely advise caution, your Majesty," the General said, "We cannot let our guard down simply because we like them. One has already healed from grievous injuring at a very rapid pace, the other killed three giants without aid. They are dangerous."

"As always, you are right General, though we had no plan to let anything of the sort happen," Peter said.

"But they are not violent," Lucy insisted.

"They may not be violent, but they have the capacity for it. It hangs about them in their stance and alertness," the General said, "I suggest, your Majesties, that we assign a guard to each."

"But they have done nothing to warrant such treatment," Lucy protested.

"By the time they do do something, it could be too late," the General said.

"He is right, Lucy. It would be a wise precaution," Edmund said, "What do you say Peter?"

Peter took a moment to answer as he weighed the options, but then he said, "I do not like it, but as you said Ed, it would be a wise precaution."

"I suppose that settles it then. Though your guards are merely to observe, General. There will be no hostility," Susan spoke with the command of a Queen.

"Of course," the General bowed, "Your Majesties," and with that, he left the room.

"I do not like it one bit," Lucy said as she too left the room.

A silence was left in the wake of the two departures. Peter let out a deep sigh and walked back over to the window. His gaze was heavy as he watched the three newcomers in the garden.

"What is it, Peter?" Susan asked as she came over to stand beside him.

"I am not quite sure, I just fear losing their trust-what little of it we have. I can not help but feel that we will need it, and once lost it will not be easy to get back."

"I do wish I could understand them," Elrond said as he looked at the squirrels. They spoke much too fast for him.

"I am sure it will not be too long," Celeborn said as he helped a mother bird untangle her son from his hair, "From what I see, you have made great progress in the language already. What do you think, Thranduil?"

"huh?" Thranduil looked up from where he had been entertaining the fox cubs.

Celeborn frowned. That was not a normal response for Thranduil, who was always eloquent. "I was asking about what you thought about Elrond's grasp of the language," he said.

"Yes of course, forgive me," Thranduil looked at Elrond, "You have made great progress and I have appreciated the help you have given me in my own learning."

When he finished talking, he went back to paying attention to the foxes. One looked to be asking a question with his back paws on Thranduil's lap and front paws balanced on his chest.

"I am sorry, little one, but I can not understand you," Thranduil said.

The fox soon gave up trying to be understood before he and his packmate's mom appeared and called them away. The birds were also able to get untangled from Celeborn's hair and they too left with the mother scolding her chick for her carelessness and soon the three elves were left alone. Celeborn looked down at Thranduil, where he still sat on the grass, and couldn't help but let out a sigh at the far off look in his eyes.

"What are you thinking of Oropherion?"

The use of his last name pulled Thranduil out of whatever reverie had taken hold of him. Looking toward Celeborn he said, "I am simply thinking of my people."

"They are strong, Thranduil." Elrond said.

"Yes, they are strong. They have to be, it is the only thing that keeps them alive," There was a bitter edge to Thraduil's stoic tone.

Celeborn got down off the bench and squatted right before Thranduil, "We will get back," he said.

Thranduil opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of a hoof scraping on rock caused his attention to move to the arrival of three guards: one human, a centaur, and a dwarf. Thranduil tried not to make a face at the dwarf before he spoke, "It looks like our guards have arrived."

"Why? We have done nothing wrong," Elrond said.

Celeborn let out a sigh and moved back to the bench.

"We did not have to do anything wrong," Thranduil said, "They have a Kingdom to protect and we are but strangers with questionable stories and questionable intent. I would do no different."

"Yes, Thranduil is right. It was only a matter of time before it came to this," Celeborn agreed, "We just have to make sure we do not escalate matters," He finished with a pointed look at Thranduil.

"Why do you look at me?" Thranduil asked, insulted.

"Because, my dear cousin, you have a habit of finding trouble. And if you do not find it...you make it."

"I do not know of what you speak of, Celeborn, for I am a perfectly behaved ellon who wishes nothing but peace in all situations." Thranduil draped about him an air of regal authority so convincing that if he had not known him since he was an elfing, Celeborn just might have believed him.

Elrond let out a laugh, "Come now, Thranduil, Celeborn does have a point."

Thranduil deflated, "I suppose he does. For what was I doing but minding my own business when I was taken against my will to this place." Celeborn raised his hand in a gesture of well there you go, but before he could follow the gesture up with a response, Thranduil continued talking, "Of course, I was not alone in my trouble, was I? And that would seem to suggest that I am not the only trouble oriented ellon in the vicinity."

Celeborn rolled his eyes and said, "I suppose you also have a point there."

"I usually do," Thranduil said. There was a long pause, "I do hope the dwarf is not mine."

Celeborn let out an unlordly snort, "Well I do not want the dwarf either."

"I do not see how you two could argue about which guard is yours," Elrond said.

"You can have the dwarf then, Elrond," Thranduil said.

"I doubt they will let us choose our own guards," Elrond was trying very hard not to roll his eyes.

Thranduil's lips curled in what could only be a smirk and with a look in his eyes that very clearly taunted watch me, he got up. He walked towards the guards, pointed at the centaur and with a gesture to follow, walked away. The guard exchanged a quick look with his compatriots before following.

"It looks like Thranduil is still Thranduil," Celeborn said in amusement.

"It would seem so," Elrond said.

"Come now, let us make sure he does not get into any trouble," Celeborn said.

And in tandem they both got up and followed in the wake of Thranduil.