Sorry for the delay, guys. Here's the next chapter.

Keldarion finally reappeared when Legolas was taking his breakfast at the table near the kitchen. The younger prince looked up from his bowl of hot mushroom soup to scowl at his brother. Aislinn, who was stirring something in the pot over the stove, turned around and went still.

For a long while, everyone just stared at one another without a word. The burning woods popped in the hearth, while the broth hissed as it boiled in the pot, providing the only sound in the cabin.

Without taking his eyes off Aislinn, Keldarion said, "Legolas, leave us. I need to talk to Aislinn."

Quickly gulping down another spoonful of his soup, Legolas rose from his chair. But Aislinn came near and placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down onto his seat.

"Do not leave, Legolas. Finish your soup."

Blinking, Legolas shrugged sheepishly back at his brother before he picked up his spoon and continued to eat.

Rolling his eyes, Keldarion walked over and grabbed the woman's hand. "Really, Aislinn, we need to talk."

Aislinn yanked her hand out of Keldarion's grip and stood there defiantly. "Fine! So talk."

O-oh. This is not good, Legolas thought as he watched the stubborn tilt on Aislinn's chin. Somehow, Aislinn's sorrow had turned to anger overnight. To make matters worse, they also found out what Keldarion had been doing after storming out of the cabin. They had seen him bending under the cherry tree, armed with a spade, digging like crazy at the newly turned soil.

Legolas was quite aghast at his brother's action. Truly, digging up a dead man's grave was not up Keldarion's alley. It was more Legolas', come to think of it.

Why is Keldarion acting so much like me? Legolas wondered, and kept on eating, his eyes never straying from the bristling woman and the equally frustrated elven prince.

"I saw the body. Your father is dead," Keldarion started, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

Duh. Legolas shook his head at his brother's remark. Of course, he's dead, you moron! She said so!

"Oh, really?" Aislinn arched her eyebrows, her arms folded across her chest. "You mean, he finally stopped breathing after I buried him under piles of earth for a week? Oh, my. How silly of me for merely stabbing at his throat. Why, if I wanted him to die immediately, I should have just snapped his neck like I would a chicken!"

Legolas choked on his soup. As he wheezed and gasped for air at the table, his elder brother was frowning darkly at the woman. Keldarion didn't find her sarcasm the least bit funny.

"Look, Aislinn, all I'm trying to say here is that I'm sorry. I should have been here for you when he came so that I—"

"So that you can kill him yourself? Is that it?" Aislinn was all but shouting. "What's the matter with you, Keldarion? You are so hell-bent on revenge you can't even think straight! I've killed my father, and that's that! End of story! But what is it you really want from me? Am I just a…a decoy to get to my father or something?"

Told you, Legolas said inwardly as he watched his brother's red face with interest.

"Aislinn, it's not that at all…"

"Then, why? Why am I left dangling like this? I know you've found my father many times before. Why didn't you kill him then? Why wait?"

"Because I can't bring myself to kill the father of the woman who has saved my life!" Keldarion shouted in return. "I'm weak, bound by honor and gratitude! Are you satisfied? Is that what you want to hear?"

Aislinn's lips trembled and her eyes watered. "No."

She then whirled around and ran into the bedroom, locking herself inside. A while later, the sound of her crying hit the elves' keen ears.

Both Mirkwood princes could only stare at the closed door, dumbfounded.

Then Legolas stood and faced his elder brother. "Way to go, Kel."

"Don't start with me, Legolas," Keldarion warned as he strode towards the bedroom. "Stay out of this."

Legolas grabbed his brother's arm and yanked. "Not so fast, Kel. You are coming with me."

"Let go!" Keldarion yelled in protest as his brother dragged him out of the cabin. "Where are you taking me?"

"I want to show you something."

"Show me what?"

"This." Legolas displayed his right fist for his brother, just a moment before he let it fly.

Caught off guard, Keldarion had no time to avoid his brother's blow. Legolas' fist hit him squarely on the jaw, throwing him backwards. With a startled cry, the elder prince landed on his rump.

"Oww!" Holding his abused jaw, Keldarion glared at his brother. "What the heck did you do that for?!"

Legolas was smiling even as he favored his bruised knuckles. "For Aislinn."

"What?!"

"You've hurt her, so I have to hurt you in return."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND?!"

"No, Kel. It's you who's out of his head. I've promised Aislinn to beat the senses back into you so that you can—"

With a roar, Keldarion leaped to his feet and flew headlong into his brother.

"Oof!" The air whooshed out of Legolas' lungs from the impact. The two brothers crashed to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, rolling crazily about in the dirt. They growled fiercely and cursed fluently, fists flying and all.

"Blast it! Stay out of my affair!" Keldarion was shouting as he punched his brother's belly.

"Then stop being such a stupid ass!" Legolas shouted back, kneeing his brother in the groin.

Distracted by the noise, Aislinn rushed out of the bedroom and stood in the doorway. Gasping in shock, she stared wide-eyed at the two tussling elves.

"Stop!" she cried out and ran towards them. Grabbing at Legolas' arm, she yanked. "Stop it, I said! This is madness! I don't want the two of you fighting because of me!"

But the brothers would not listen to her. Grinning like a loon, Legolas threw a punch at his brother's face. Keldarion ducked and wrapped his arms around Legolas' waist, trying to pin him down.

Legolas kicked. Keldarion grunted, and clouted his brother's head in retaliation. Legolas yowled, and then he elbowed his brother in the nose. Keldarion practically screamed in anguish. Holding his nose, he made a move to pounce on his brother but a splash of cold water hit them both all of a sudden.

Sputtering and coughing—brushing sodden hair and water out of their eyes—the brothers looked up. Aislinn was glaring down at them, her right fist rested on her slim hip while the other hand held an empty pail.

"I will not tolerate such childish behavior around my house!" The woman fumed. "Kindly take your silly scrap elsewhere or I swear I'll tan your ugly backsides!"

The brothers blinked. They turned to stare at each other and burst out laughing. So deep they were in their mirth, each brother collapsed against the other and roared with uncontrollable hilarity.

Aislinn could not find any humor in the situation.

"I mean it!" She stomped her feet. "Don't you ever come inside before you regain your senses! And get rid of that filth! I will not clean after the dirt and blood that you'll drag in!"

With that, she spun on her heels and headed back inside, slamming the door behind her with enough force to shake the entire cabin.

Still laughing, Legolas painfully got to his feet and reached down to help his brother. Wincing, Keldarion grasped Legolas' hand and pulled himself up. He instantly moved towards the door but Legolas held him back.

"Let her stew for a while. We really need to talk, Kel." Never releasing his brother, Legolas pulled him away towards the stream behind the cabin. "And she's right. We need to clean ourselves. Thanks to you, we are incredibly dirty."

Sending his brother a sidelong glance, Keldarion retorted, "You started it."

Grinning sheepishly, Legolas shrugged. "Yes, well…"

"You punched me!"

"You deserve it."

"Oh, really?" Keldarion folded his arms across his chest and watched as his brother stripped to the waist.

"Yes, you do!" Legolas flung back as he sat on the bank to take off his boots. "You truly need someone to knock around the loose screws inside your head so that you can clearly see what's in front of you."

"You are talking in riddles."

With a shake of his head, Keldarion also took off his tunic and stepped out of his footwear. Legolas had already waded into the stream and was languidly treading water.

"You have a brain, brother," the younger prince pointed out, washing the blood and dirt off his skin. "I know you can figure out what I'm talking about."

Grimacing as the water smarted against the cuts on his face, Keldarion stared hard at his brother. "Are you by any chance talking about Aislinn?"

Legolas smiled. "I knew there is a bright part within that stupid brain of yours."

Growling at the insult, Keldarion grabbed his brother and pushed him underwater. Choking and chuckling at the same time, Legolas broke the surface. Then they grappled about, trying to dunk each other amidst cries of laughter and vile expletives.

A while later, freshly cleaned and slightly winded, the two brothers lay on the grass near the water's edge, basking in the sun as they waited for their skin to dry.

"What do you really feel for her, Kel? Is it love?" Legolas asked quietly, staring at the fat, white clouds that decorated the blue, blue sky.

Keldarion took almost an eternity to answer. "I don't know."

Propping himself on an elbow, Legolas gazed down at his brother's handsome yet troubled face. "Looking at the way you two respond to each other, I know you deeply care for her at the same depth she cares for you, perhaps even more."

Keldarion looked directly at Legolas. "You think so?"

The other prince nodded. "The air actually sizzles when the both of you are in the same room. If I can feel it, surely you can feel it too."

Sighing, Keldarion returned his gaze to the clouds. "I cannot have any feelings for her, Legolas."

"Why not?"

"Well, she is…umm…" Keldarion seemed lost for words.

"A human?" Legolas helpfully supplied. "Estel is a human, and Arwen is married to him."

"Then you also want me to fall for a mortal? Like Arwen?"

"There's no problem in that kind of relationship, I gather, if you know what you are in for. Look at Arwen and Estel. They are perfectly happy with four children now."

"Arwen gave up Valinor for him, Legolas. Do you want me to give up Valinor like she did?"

"You don't have to give up Valinor for Aislinn. In fact, there is a way for you to take her to Valinor with you. That is, if you love her that much."

Keldarion whipped his gaze back to his brother. "Who says I love her?"

"Your eyes do."

The elder prince grew quiet and looked away from his brother's understanding gaze. The two princes stayed that way for a long moment, never moving. They stared at the sky as if they were watching a stage show, completely mesmerized by the various interesting shapes the big white clouds were making.

"Aislinn is the daughter of the man who…who ruined my life," Keldarion finally broke the silence.

Legolas shrugged. "What's wrong with that if she's the one who will restore you life?"

Keldarion frowned back at him. "When did you become such a forgiving person?"

"Who says I'm a forgiving person?" Legolas grinned. "Don't get me wrong. I still want to kill Morat for what he had done to you. But he's dead. There's nothing we can do about it. Furthermore, a father's sin is not for his children to bear. Aislinn is innocent in all this. In fact, she helped you escape the camp. She deserves to be happy, Kel."

Staring directly into his brother's eyes, Legolas added, "You deserve to be happy too. Aislinn is perfect for you."

Keldarion sighed. "Oh, Legolas. I wished it could be that easy."

"What is so difficult about it?" Legolas exclaimed. "You love her, and I'm sure she loves you too. End of story."

"But, is our relationship going to have a sad or happy ending?"

"Is love supposed to have an ending?" Legolas squeezed his brother's shoulder. "All right. Look, it's like reading a new book. You don't know what the ending is. So you need to read through the beginning chapter before you can move on to the next, and the next. You must at least try and see how it goes. It's your choice, Kel. If you want a good ending, then you'll get a good ending. But if you find the storyline not to your taste, you can always rewrite that story yourself."

Gazing at his brother's fair countenance, Keldarion saw an abundant of love and support mirrored there. Legolas' bright silver eyes were actually sparkling with wisdom, instead of his usual cunning mischief.

Smiling, Keldarion shook his head. "And when did you become so wise?"

Legolas chuckled. "Why, on the day I became a father to two little imps!"

And then he closed his eyes as he whimpered. "Valar. I miss my boys."

"So do I." Keldarion also nodded. "Thanks to their father, I can clearly see my path now."

Smiling at his brother, Legolas asked, "Now you know what you need to do?"

"Absolutely." Keldarion's face brightened as he rose. "I'm going to talk to Aislinn."

He suddenly stiffened when he felt the slight tremor upon the earth he was standing. Legolas also leaped to his feet, as he also caught the sound of wild thundering hoofs that were fast approaching the cabin.

Not long after, they heard Aislinn's terrified scream.

"Get out of my house!" Aislinn cried out, using a long wooden ladle as a weapon, ready to strike at the men's heads if the need arisen.

The nine invaders only grinned back at her.

"Now, now, sweetheart," one of the men crooned as he edged closer to her. "That's not the way to treat your father's friends, now eh?"

"My father is dead!" Aislinn's eyes went wild with fear as the men blocked the door and every window, her only exit out of the cabin. "And you are certainly not his friends."

"All right. Not his friends, then," the first man said again. "But he definitely owes us some money and we want him to pay."

"Didn't you hear what I said?" She backed against the hearth, brandishing the ladle about when the man tried to touch her. "He is dead! He can't pay you anymore! And I have no money to pay on his behalf so go away! Leave me be!"

"Och, we can't do that!" The other man piped in. "A debt is still a debt, but it can be paid in many ways."

"Come now, wench," said another as he leered at the young woman, eyeing her up and down lustily. "Give us some pleasure, and consider your father's debt paid."

Aislinn gasped in dismay, and then she grimaced in revulsion. "Absolutely not!"

Goodness! Where are those silly elven brothers when I need them? She wondered desperately as the men closed in around her.

The man nearest to her shrugged with a grin. "Suit yourself, but we're still going to have you!"

And they all leaped for her, laughing and cheering out loud. Shrieking in terror, Aislinn raised her 'weapon' and whacked one of them on the head. Undeterred, they kept grabbing for her.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU MISCREANTS!" Keldarion suddenly shouted from the doorway, his fists clenching as he struggled to control his wrath. "Leave her alone."

Standing next to his brother, Legolas shook his head.

"Aw, Kel, that sounds so corny," he muttered, amused to see the look of great bewilderment on the men's faces. Clad only in their leggings, the elves seemed to appear suddenly out of nowhere.

Ignoring his brother's teasing words, Keldarion valiantly stepped forward. Waking up from their stupor, the men instantly turned from Aislinn to confront the elves, raising their swords and daggers with a loud cry. The two brothers were weaponless because their bows and daggers were kept inside the bedroom. Still, they faced their adversaries with great relish.

Sending a grin at Keldarion's way, Legolas exclaimed, "Now let the real fun begins!"

At that, he nimbly leaped into the midst of men and smashed his fists against two exposed throats with all his might. The men immediately dropped their weapons and grabbed their necks, gurgling and choking from the heavy blow. Smiling with grim anticipation, Legolas turned to face the rest of them.

Keldarion, meanwhile, was shouting at Aislinn as he fought with two men at the same time. "Aislinn! Hide yourself under the table!"

Still dangerously brandishing her ladle about, Aislinn shouted back, "I will do no such thing!"

Growling in exasperation, Keldarion ducked under a man's swing before chopping him at the back of his neck. As the unfortunate man crumpled to the floor, Keldarion grabbed Aislinn around the waist and pushed her—kicking and screaming—under the said table.

"Stay there!" he ordered, and turned just in time to avoid a swinging blade.

Tightening her mouth in frustration, Aislinn reluctantly obeyed. But she could not sit still. When a man fell but a couple of feet away from her, the woman reached out with her ladle to whack him viciously across his temple before he could get back to his feet. Convinced that he was either dead or unconscious, she then watched the noisy skirmish around her in keen fascination, wincing now and then as her meager furniture crashed against the wall and broke to pieces.

Four men had now fallen, leaving five more to stand and fight like mad. Unarmed, the two brothers had only their own wits and sheer prowess to subdue them all. As deadly as full armed men, the elves leaped and twirled and parried gracefully, only to twist around unexpectedly in counterattack, heading directly for vital points like the heart, head and neck.

One man fell dead to the floor with a thump, his neck now lolled oddly to one side after Legolas' powerful twist to the head. Keldarion was again facing two adversaries, and the men were able to cut him in his left arm. Ignoring the wound, the elder prince pushed forward and kneed one man in the belly, elbowing the face of the other. He then took a step back before ramming his fists against the two men's chests directly above the hearts, stopping their heartbeat immediately. Without losing a rhythm, he deftly grabbed one of the fallen swords and whirled around to face his next victim.

By then, Legolas was rolling around on the floor with another man, a sharp dagger flashed dangerously between them. Legolas fought for the blade, with one hand wrapped around the man's neck. The man kicked hard at Legolas' side, causing the elf to see red. Snarling in fury, Legolas jerked his head forward and butted the man in the forehead. The impact was so severe that he saw stars for several moments. When his vision cleared, Legolas smiled in satisfaction to see his opponent lying so still beneath him.

"I forgot to tell you that I have a head as hard as a rock!" the elf said with grin before leaping to his feet to check on his brother's progress.

With blood running freely down one arm, Keldarion was engaged in a swordfight with the very last man at one corner of the cabin, stepping over fallen bodies and broken furniture all the while. Seeing this, Legolas folded his arms across his bare chest and leaned his hip casually against the table.

Aislinn didn't like this one bit. Disgruntled, she scrambled out from under the table and confronted the younger elf. "Well, don't just stand there! Help him!"

Legolas grinned in reply. "Relax, Aislinn. My brother can beat that bastard in no time at all. Kel is the best swordsman I've ever known."

Torn between awe and anxiety, Aislinn's eyes were wide as she stared at the battle. True to Legolas' words, Keldarion's moves were smooth and sure, his strength and skill clearly evident in his powerful swings and thrusts. He was simply toying with the man, keeping the upper hand the entire time.

When he grew bored with the game, Keldarion raised the sword one last time and ran it through his opponent's belly. Eyes bulging, the man stared open-mouthed at the raven-haired elf.

"We were just…collecting our debt," he managed to whisper with his dying breath.

Grimacing in disgust, Keldarion pushed the body away.

"Consider it paid," he curtly responded, and turned to smile at Aislinn and his brother. Paying no heed to the dead bodies at his feet, the elder prince headed straight for the young woman and pulled her into his arms.

"Oh, Keldarion…" Aislinn managed to utter breathlessly before Keldarion's head swooped down to claim her lips. As the ladle dropped from her grip, she grasped the back of his neck and pressed him closer, kissing him back in full ardor.

"Err…" Legolas blinked stupidly at the spectacle, and broke up chuckling. "I'll…uh…leave you two alone to…uh…"

He had to clear his throat before continuing, "Right. Don't mind me. I'm gone."

The kissing couple ignored him.

Laughing and slightly blushing, Legolas took himself out the door, intending to give his brother and Aislinn some privacy. He stretched languidly, trying to release some strained muscles he acquired from the great excitement just now. His eyes sought the beautiful colors of the trees far across the meadow, clearly visible due to the wonderful weather. Thanks to his keen vision, Legolas could actually see the black stripes on a leaping jungle cat and the dots of colors on the feathers of a flying bird. He also saw the dark-brown acorns in the pine trees, the purple flowers among the tall grass, the—

He abruptly went to a stock still, his own face drained of any color whatsoever.

His heart shrinking, Legolas retreated back into the cabin to get his brother. "Uh…Kel, you need to stop…whatever you're doing."

Keldarion didn't even lift his head. "Get lost, brat."

Legolas rolled his eyes at that. "No, seriously. You need to see this."

Muttering an oath, the other prince turned to glare at his brother. "What?"

"See for yourself."

"Look, brat, I don't have time to—"

"But Kel, you really, really need to see this," Legolas insisted, almost pleading.

Then Keldarion also heard it, the sound of thunderous hoof beats rushing closer and closer towards the cabin.

"Great. There are more of these troubling men?" he growled, sweeping his eyes in disgust over the bodies sprawled about on the floor.

"No, but this is trouble indeed." Legolas was already dragging his brother to the door, ignoring Aislinn's startled expression. "At least, to the two of us!"

Keldarion managed to snatch a fallen sword and he braced himself to face this new interruption. But then he also went pale at what he saw.

"Valar almighty!" Keldarion exclaimed, his mouth dropping open. He was so shocked the sword fell from his grip. "I can't believe it."

Legolas couldn't believe it either, because riding at the front of the horse troop that was fast approaching the cabin was none other than the great king of Eryn Lasgalen.

Their very own father.

The brothers exchanged horrified glances, knowing that they were in a very, very deep trouble.

Keldarion gulped before uttering, "Err…Run!"

TBC…