'Lord Elladan?' Asked a red-haired Elf-guard, squinting his eyes. 'I thought we saw him attacking you.'

'No. This is Legolas, my father's betrothed. Leave him be!' Elladan said.

'But he rides your horse, my Lord.' Said another.

'Lower your weapons!' Elladan barked with authority. Immediately all fifteen elves in horses around them obeyed.

'Legolas...' Elladan said approaching his own horse with his hands up. 'I'll lend you my horse, my cloak and my sword...'

The prince turned incredulous eyes to him. The Sindar's widened blue orbs broke Elladan's heart and he tried a small smile. 'Just tell me why you run. I want to help because something is clearly wrong here, but you need to tell me what it is. I'll believe you. And I'll help you.'

Legolas blinked. He seemed confused and was struggling to believe in him. He opened his full lips to say something when Glorfindel's voice was heard coming from behind.

'Hault!'

Legolas pressed his eyes closed and Elladan saw the despair in the other elf. The prince turned his horse and his shoulders slumped. 'Lord Glorfindel.' He said in defeat.

'Where do you think you are going, Greenleaf? This is your new house now, boy.' Glorfindel said cheerfully, jumping from his white stallion and rushing towards the prince. 'I know this is not ideal but you've been banished, you can't go back there.'

Legolas only nodded. Elladan stared from one to another. 'Banished?'

'Yes, we are giving him a new home. New life, new everything.' Glorfindel gave a broad smile, although Elladan had a vague feeling it wasn't a genuine one. 'Right Greenleaf?'

Legolas only looked down while nodding.

Suspicion squeezed Elladan's heart. He held Glorfindel's gaze but the seneschal held his gaze unblinking.

'I'll take Legolas back.' Elladan offered.

'No, we are going together back after this merry chase.' Glorfindel chuckled. 'I didn't know Legolas had it in him, but if he can outsmart you, my dear Elladan, he can everyone else in Imladris as well. You'll have to teach us your tricks, Legolas.' Glorfindel patted Legolas on the shoulder when he mounted the horse behind the blonde Prince.

As Glorfindel grabbed Elladan's horse's mane, the twin couldn't shake the feeling Legolas was being held captive between the seneschal's arms. But Elladan never had any reason to distrust his Ada and Glorfindel, so he had to let go.

Elladan quickly mounted Glorfindel's horse and all of them went back to Imladris. Elladan made sure he followed Legolas to his room. The younger elf did notice him, staring at him from time to time from the corner of his wide eyes. Elladan saw Glorfindel locking the window with an outer steel cover that was never used for guests. The seneschal and captain of the Imladrian troops locked it and put the key in his pocket, giving Legolas a meaningful look.

'Why is that necessary, isn't him a guest?' Elladan asked angrily.

'He will be. Right now he doesn't know what's best for him.' Glorfindel turned to Legolas. 'I'm sorry but I'll lock your door now and you'll be escorted wherever you go for a few days. That tree out there will be cut.'

'No!' Elladan and Legolas cried together, then looked at each other in surprise. 'No need to do that Lord Glorfindel.' Legolas said mournfully. 'I'm sorry, I won't jump to it again. I almost killed myself. Don't kill the tree.'

Elladan gasped as he remembered all the blood spots he had seen all over the tree. 'I'm sorry, are you hurt, Legolas? Will you let me see it?'

Legolas shrunk and covered himself with his green Mirkwood cloak, looking shy and insecure at Elrond's son.

Elladan raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. 'I'm a healer. I assure you, I've done this thousands of times.'

The elder twin watched sadly as the prince seemed to struggle between the pain he was in and being helped by some of Elrond's son.

Legolas looked at those compassionate gray eyes. After a long moment, he nodded and just let his hands fall to his sides like in defeat. Elladan promised himself he would get to the bottom of what was happening under his very roof. He gently removed Legolas cloak, revealing he was wearing a thick tunic, breeches and knee-high boots. He did prepare for a night of snow then. He then removed the tunic and saw the already frail and thin Legolas shrink even more in himself. He turned to Glorfindel. 'Please wait outside, I'm the healer.'

Glorfindel hesitated for a moment, his eyes roaming all over Legolas' half-naked body. Then he snapped out of it, sighed and left.

Elladan gently turned around the blonde only to find a horrible gash on the poor elf's side. 'Valar!' You would have bled to death. By morning, you would be lying face down on the snow.

He couldn't continue on in silence. He held Legolas shoulders and made the slighter elf look at him. 'What is going on? I'm not like them, whatever they are or had become. Please tell me why did you run?'

Legolas stared blankly at stormy eyes. The young Prince didn't seem to understand a word. Elladan fearfully started repeating his question when Legolas eyes closed and if the raven-haired elf wasn't already touching him, he would have fallen to the ground. Elladan held the thin elf in his arms and rushed to lay him over the bed. He cursed himself for letting his emotions take over instead of stopping the bleeding. But not for long, he immediately went to work and let his rational mind take over. Automatic movements cleansed, stitched and covered wounds. When he finally did all he could he caressed the fair brow, tears falling from his eyes when he felt Legolas was freezing.

He brought three blankets from the wardrobe. Elves never used so many of them and they smelled a little stale for lack of use. He covered the frail form. He pulled a chair near the bed and sat on it.

Glorfindel entered the room, probably after hearing the fuss with the chair.

'I'm not going anywhere.' Elladan said angrily without moving. 'And you all have some explaining to do.'

'I already told you. His father is a monster, we're doing him a favor.'

'Then why is he trying to run and why does ada would want to marry him? I haven't seen he marrying any dwarf, woman or men he helped and sheltered here over the years. All refugees were free to come and go.'

'He is not really ok in the head Elladan. You cannot take anything he does or says seriously. He's been so tortured and abused he tries to run from everyone.'

Elladan's head snapped back to stare at Glorfindel in disbelief.

'I'm telling you.' Glorfindel raised his eyebrows to emphasize his claim.

'Then why on Arda would father marry him? That's not right!'

'Well, look at him. Your father was smitten.' Glorfindel chuckled. 'The youngster is beautiful.'

Elladan stared furiously at the seneschal who didn't flinch but stopped laughing. 'I'm not sure your father will agree with your staying here. But I'm tired and will retire now.'

'I don't care, I'm not going anywhere.'

Minutes later Elrond entered the room. Elladan stood angrily. 'Explain to me ada.'

Elrond sighed, throwing himself at a chair tiredly. 'Glorfindel told me he explained things to you.'

'Why would you want to marry someone who has a mental problem of some sort? Don't tell me it's charity because you ceased doing that for a long time.'

'Of course not. And why would I continue? I don't owe anyone in Middle Earth anything. I was tired of the endless helping with always more to do, with so many expecting more and more of me. I am only one elf, there's so much I can do for everybody. After everything was taken from me I just want to have some pleasure in life.'

'Is that what this is? Pleasure?' Elladan's teeth showed through his sneer. He was so angry.

'No son. I'm in love. And I'll give him time to come to me.'

'He tried to run. I don't think he is that disabled to not know what he wants.'

'I'm just saying I'll try. I told him already. I'll be waiting for him everyday if he wants to come to me or not. But he's free to do as he will.'

Elladan shook his head, massaging his brow in exhaustion. 'This doesn't seem right. When he hit me, he seemed to regret doing that so he could run. There seemed to be intelligence behind those eyes.'

'Is everyone smitten with him? He is normal, it's just that he has his outbursts... He... he brought a lot of shame in his kingdom. That's why Thranduil hid him, to protect his son and also from rumors and gossip.'

'What do you mean?'

'That's between Legolas and I. Mind your own business son. I'm also a healer, remember? I can take it from here.'

Elladan frowned. His father had changed so much over the centuries. He wondered at it and wanted trust him, in truth. Elrond did so much good most of his life and he was his father. And besides, Elladan still hadn't found real proof to any wrong doing towards Legolas. Or to anyone for that matter. All he had was how everyone around him seemed to be changing. His twin was angrier, Elrond didn't care about others anymore, Glorfindel didn't seem so noble as he once was... He couldn't blame them. After the inhumane torture Celebrian had been subjected to - centuries ago - he himself almost went insane in hatred, revenge and grief. It might have changed everyone. Elladan just seemed to be the only one who tried to restore his integrity, compassion and old ways and everybody else didn't. Tragedy could change others irrevocably. He was a healer, he seen it happen often enough.

He did leave for his rooms but tossed and turned that night until he could finally find sleep.