Maedhros wasn't certain if he should be endeared or worried that the twins often came to him with their injuries. Maedhros suspect that while the elflings trusted Maglor implicitly, he had a bad habit of being a mother hen. Maedhros on the other hand was far more likely to patch up whatever injury and then send them back outside instead of to bed.
It was for this reason that Maedhros was interrupted from sharpening his sword one beautiful summer evening. The door creaked open and Elros slunk into the room. Maedhros put down his whetstone with a sigh.
"What did you do this time?" Maedhros rumbled.
Despite the fact that the twins had softened towards his terrifying figure, they still didn't seek him out without a good reason.
Elros hesitated. Despite the stuffy heat, he was well wrapped in a cloak. Maedhros arched an eyebrow.
"Promise you won't tell Atya?" Elros mumbled.
"That depends," Maedhros crossed his arms.
"I got burned," Elros mumbled as he let his cloak fall to the ground.
At first, Maedhros didn't see what was wrong. Then he noted the peredhel's arms. They were red, slightly swollen, and (more alarmingly) the skin was beginning to peel off.
"What did you do?" Maedhros choked.
He reached forwards to gently prod the painful looking injury.
"That hurts," Elros whined.
"What did you do?" Maedhros demanded once more, voice sharp.
These wounds were most definitely burns, but they were unlike any burns he had ever seen and that was saying something coming from someone who had been through Angband.
"I got burned," Elros whined.
"Yes, you said that," Maedhros resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Elros was far too much like Celegorm in some respects. Maedhros could only pray that resemblance wouldn't last.
"I got burned outside," Elros glared at the red head, choosing to be difficult.
Maedhros narrowed his eyes. There wasn't much outside that could burn. The braziers for hot oil that stood on the battlements were cold at the moment. The guards seldom left their watch fires unattended. The smithy, too, wasn't left unguarded when it was lit. Maedhros was quite baffled as to how Elros would have burned his arms like this. Unless… perhaps he had been inside when it happened. The twins had a fireplace in their room. While these burns didn't necessarily look like burns from a fire, Maedhros was willing to guess that was the reason for Elros' injury.
"I'll have someone install a grate over the fire in your room," he finally grunted.
Elros cocked his head in confusion.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because you burned yourself. Maglor will have a conniption when he finds out," Maedros frowned.
"No, I burned myself outside," Elros said in frustration.
"How?" Maedhros snorted.
Elros mumbled something that was too soft to catch. Maedhros narrowed his eyes. Elros caught the look and ducked his head.
"I got burned by the sun," Elros admitted a little bit louder this time.
Maedhros almost laughed at such a ridiculous excuse. The skin of the Eldar could burn under intense exposure. However, when it did happen to burn in the sun, it turned red for two or so days before fading. It never did this.
Then Maedhros caught sight of Elros' far too serious expression and remembered that the elfling in front of him was half elven and half human . He vaguely remembered hearing from somewhere that Edian skin could be badly burned by the sun. That must be what was happening.
"My brother is going to skin you alive," Maedhros commented, rising to his feet.
"I think I would prefer that over this," Elros wrinkled his face in discomfort.
Maedhros escorted the young peredhel to the infirmary. Once there, he lifted Elros up onto the high countertop to have better access to the younger's injuries. Maedhros was uncertain what to do besides check that it was clean (which it was) and slather the burns with a cooling salve.
"There, I supposed that will have to do," Maedhros sighed.
"Thanks," Elros sniffled.
"Don't do it again," Maedhros grunted as he put away the meager supplies he had used.
"How am I supposed to not do it again?" Elros blinked.
Maedhros gave the elfling a very even glare.
"Don't be out in the sun for so long," Maedhros scolded.
"But that's stupid!" Elros wailed, "Inside is boring."
"Then I supposed you'll have to put up with burns like this," Maedhros was entirely unimpressed.
Elros glared back at him.
"You're mean," he declared, hopping off of the counter.
The elfling sprinted out the door. He popped his head back in a moment later.
"Thank you for helping," he said sheepishly, "I'll tell Elrond he can come and see you instead of trying out his homemade 'remedy'."
Then he ducked back out.
Maedhros shook his head. The peredhel were something else…