Note: Usually I would indicate mind speak in italics. However as this story will contain mind speak during flashback I will indicate it in bold.

Athrana (Wandering Shadow)

Chapter 4- Elladan and Elrohir

TA2957

Elladan and Elrohir sat in silence across from each other in their sitting room. It had been a long day. First they had had to watch Estel ride off . They had wanted to go with him but this was something he had to do on his own. They couldn't protect him forever, Rivendell couldn't protect him forever. But then they had seen Erestor. They didn't see him very often now. Nobody did, except for Glorfindel and their father. Before Athriel had come to live with him he had been a very solitary elf, most had thought him cold and distant, but now. Now he left his rooms only to go to his office. He didn't speak to anyone in the corridors and he didn't go to the hall of fire. He did his job and he sat in his rooms or in hers. They had only been in there once since her death.

TA2933

It had been a couple of weeks now since they had come back without their closest friend and neither of them had gotten up the courage to speak to Erestor. Not that anyone had actually seen him. Except Glorfindel of course. They stood outside his door for a moment without knocking. Should they be doing this? Did they have any right? Could they even look him in the eye. Elladan raised his hand to knock but Elrohir stopped him. "Is it too early Dan" Elladan shook his head. "It will always be too early Roh"He knocked but it was Glorfindel who answered. "Oh, hello boys. This probably isn't the best time..." But he was interrupted by a quiet voice from inside. "Let them in Fin" Glorfindel nodded and stood aside to let them enter.

Erestor was sitting on the sofa wrapped up in a blanket. A blanket they recognised. Athriel had spent weeks sewing that thing years ago. Before Erestor had given up on trying to turn her into a lady and conceded that warrior training was the best path for her. She had been so frustrated with it, it had almost been thrown into the river on several occasions. He gripped the fabric tightly as he stared into the fire. Erestor had been their tutor once, a long time ago. It was difficult to see him like this, so broken and lost.

"Erestor?" Elladan asked as he knelt down in front of the sofa trying to catch his eye. Erestor looked up "Hello Elladan, Elrohir." Elrohir knelt on the floor as well beside his brother. "Erestor we are so sorry. If..." Erestor shook his head. "It's not your fault boys. No one could have stopped her going" He smiled slightly. "No one could ever stop her doing what she wanted to." He looked up then at a portrait above the fire place. It was a picture of himself and Athriel painted just after her majority. "Erestor. We wanted to ask you something." Elladan said bringing his attention back to them. Erestor nodded. "Yes" It was Elrohir who continued. "We wanted to ask if we could have a couple of things from Athriel's room"

They had taken a couple of things, small trinkets that didn't mean anything to anyone except themselves and Athriel. She would have laughed at the things they had taken. Silly little childish reminders of a friendship nearly 3,000 years old. They all sat in a box under their bed usually, but now they were on the table between them. "Do you remember..." Elrohir asked silently as he picked up a mithril hair slide. "Of course I remember"

TA 231

It was the middle of the night. Or at least it would be soon. Conceivably they should have been asleep hours ago, but it was a special occasion. There was a knock on the door. Elladan jumped up and answered it with enthusiasm. "And what can we do for you my lady and so late an hour?" he asked as Athriel stood there. "I don't know Elladan" she said "Someone pushed a note under my door earlier this evening asking me to come here at this stupid hour." Elrohir laughed from the other side of the room. "Now why would we do something like that." Elladan stepped aside to let her in and walked to a crate of wine bottles in the corner. "It might have something to do with these."

Athriel laughed. "Where did you get them?" She asked as she sat down. "We managed to steal them away from the feast preparations for tomorrow." Elrohir explained as he fetched three glasses. "Oh, you mean my birthday feast preparations." Elladan opened one of the bottles and poured them each a drink. "That's the one. We thought we could celebrate your birthday together, just the three of us before your brother hogs all the attention." She laughed as she took a drink from her glass. "Alright, alright"

Soon afterwards the three of them sat in the bedroom, glasses forgotten drinking straight from the bottle more than a little drunk. "So where is my birthday present then?" Athriel asked as she reached for another bottle. "Who says you get a present?" Elladan asked in return. "I do" she replied. "It's my 100th birthday and if I recall I got you both wonderful presents when you turned 100." Elrohir grinned looking at the two mithril cloak pins sitting on the dressing table. "Yes you did" Athriel sat up straighter. "Which reminds me; I think it rather unfair that I have to buy two presents every year, while you two buy only one between you." The twins laughed so hard they nearly fell off the bed. "You Riel are drunk." Elladan proclaimed. "And you Dan have still not given me my present" To save arguments Elrohir got up to retrieve Athriel's gift. He staggered slightly as he walked to the dressing table and opened a drawer.

"Here it is" he said triumphantly walking over to the others. Athriel grinned and held out her hand. "Oh it's beautiful" she exclaimed once she had ripped off the paper. It was an elaborate mithril hair slide with black stones set into it. "I can go back to my room now then" she said cheekily. She stood up to leave but the pulled her back.

"Why?"

"There's still wine left"

"And it's nearly morning anyway"

"You could just stay here"

She shrugged "Alright" She lay back against the pillows and took another swig of the bottle. "There's something I've always wanted to ask you two anyway." She said thoughtfully. "What is it?" Elrohir asked. "Why do you still only have one bed." Elladan laughed. "Why do you only have one bed?" he countered. "Because I'm only one person" she answered confused. "Well so are we really" Elrohir explained. It took a couple of seconds for Athriel's alcohol raddled brain to catch up. "What?"

"We"

"Are"

"One"

"Person"

"In"

""Two Bodies. That's why we can do this, and mind speak and know what the other is thinking all the time""

Athriel still looked confused. "But you are both different." Elladan rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever have different opinions on different days or different tastes." She nodded. "Well it's like that." Athriel shrugged. "OK" Elrohir nudged her with his elbow. "You've known us for 96 years and you never thought to ask before?" She grinned. "It didn't seem so strange when you were five" They all laughed together."Do you have any idea what time it is?" The three looked up to see Elrond standing in the door way. They tried to look innocent, but that hadn't worked in a long time.

Athriel had worn the hair slide to her birthday feast along with the new dress Erestor had bought for her. Elladan sat up and brushed the items into their box and put them away. "What did you do that for" Elrohir asked. "I can't do this anymore. I can't just sit and look at her stuff. She's gone and she's not coming back." Elladan walked out onto their balcony and looked out over the valley. For the last 24yrs they had put off dealing with their grief. They had thrown all of their energy into looking after Estel, but now he had left to travel on his own. What were they supposed to do now. "Do you think we should have told Erestor the whole story" Elladan asked. "What good would it do?" Elrohir countered. Elladan shrugged. "Doesn't he deserve to know everything?" Elrohir walked out to stand next to his brother. "Is it better for him to know the truth or to believe that she died instantly" The truth was that neither of them had actually seen Athriel die. The truth was that maybe they had dragged her off alive to do worse things to her before her body gave out completely. She wasn't even supposed to have gone with them.

TA2933

Elladan and Elrohir were in the stables readying the horses when Athriel came in. They watched her tack up her horse before Elladan spoke. "What do you think you are doing Athriel?" he asked. "You're not coming with us" Elrohir added. She laughed. "Of course I am." With that she led her horse out into the courtyard and mounted up. Erestor was standing on the steps with his arms folded tapping his foot when they finally followed her out. "Where do you think you are going?" he asked. She shook her head. "To have some fun dear brother." he scoffed. "Oh come on Erestor, it's a nice simple easy errand. All we are doing is going to collect them and we will be right back. I'll be back tomorrow." And then without waiting for an answer she was galloping off.

""Wait up Riel""The twins shouted together as they climbed up onto their horses. Erestor was glaring at them. "We tried to dissuade her Erestor, honestly" Elrohir said. "But she would have none of it" Elladan finished. Erestor shook his head and walked back inside. Then they took off at full speed intent on catching her.

The errand had been a simple one as Athriel had predicted. They were nearly home before things started to go wrong. "Yrch!" Athriel had yelled. Within seconds they were all riding as fast as they could. The twins either side of Gilrean and her child and Athriel slightly behind. But suddenly she slowed. Athriel snapped the arrow as it protruded from her body as they slowed beside her. ""Athriel?""She looked down at the wound in her shoulder. It had been a lucky shot. "It's poisoned" she said before looking at them and then at Gilrean's horse disappearing through the trees. "Go, get them to safety. I'm already dead." With that she jumped down off of her horse. ""No!"" But they couldn't stop her as she ran back towards the enemy with her long knives in hand. "Go!" she yelled as she ran. They turned and rode off. When they turned to look back they saw Athriel being overwhelmed by the creatures.

Athrana watched from the tree-tops as Estel rode away from Rivendell. She pulled the cloak she wore tighter around herself. For nearly twenty years she had been watching the inhabitants of Rivendell and for the first time the mortal was riding out without his foster brothers. Something important was happening. She was torn between following him and waiting to see what the twins would do. Eventually she turned and followed Estel. The twins would be safe for a while. She knew that Elrond wouldn't let them leave so soon after him.