I'm sorry for the delay, but well, life happened. Hope this one is a bit lighter.

Chapter XV

Amras's room was empty and his bed was evenly made. Knowing his youngest brother's latest custom, next thing Celegorm did was to check if his redhead brothers were not sleeping together again. What was more interesting, Maedhros's room was empty as well.

The hunter cursed under his breath. They were to leave at dawn. The sun was already high on the sky and Amras was nowhere to be found. Irritated, Celegorm checked the kitchen, then glanced into Maglor's room. His elder brother woke to the doors creaking, but he could not help.

Stable was the last place he checked, but Amras's stallion was in his place. Celegorm went through the whole stable and left through the second door, promising silently that if Amras would not turn up soon, he would go alone and have a word with his youngest brother later, after he came back. He glanced over the corner of the building and cursed, aloud this time.

He got the right reaction. The smaller of the two redhead elves rose his head abruptly and had the decency to look guilty. Maedhros, on the contrary, rose his eyebrows in polite surprise as Celegorm got to them in a few long steps.

"What are you doing here?" Celegorm growled at both of his brothers, not sparing the eldest. "How long am I to wait before you get to work?"

"We were watching the stars," explained Amras apologetically; he didn't rise, though, because Maedhros was leaning against him.

"And you missed such little detail as Anar on the sky?" snorted Celegorm. "Yeah, easy to overlook. And you, are you allowed to sit like this with those ribs?" he hissed at his eldest brother, who cared little about his reproaches.

"Why not?" asked Maedhros, surprised. "It barely hurts anymore."

Amras intended to rise, but Huan came, hearing his master's voice, and as he saw the elves sitting on the ground, he licked the youngest, pinning him to the wall.

"You too, Huan?" groaned Celegorm in despair. "Get up before I lose my patience," he urged Amras.

"Me too?" asked Maedhros, amused, but his eyes were serious.

"Well, we are not leaving you here alone." The hunter leaned and got his brother on his feet; Maedhros allowed him to do that because of his ribs. "And by the way, I didn't see you leaving."

Both of his brothers glanced at the open window from Maedhros's room. Celegorm shook his head in disbelief, but his eldest brother went the opposite way from the front door, leaving no place for doubts. Maedhros sat on the windowsill and looked at him expectantly when Amras was helping him put his legs inside. Celegorm creased his eyebrows questioningly.

"I thought so," sighed Maedhros quietly. "Go, Amras, I won't keep you any longer."

Amras slid inside and went through his brother's room. Celegorm rolled his eyes at this childish behaviour, but the sight of Maedhros sitting sadly on the windowsill made him come closer instead of turning away and going on the yard, as his youngest brother would be ready to go soon.

"You're still here?" Maedhros snorted. "I thought you were in a hurry," he remarked. Gone was his good spirit and Celegorm felt a pang of guilt. Shooing Amras was not meant to destroy his sick brother's mood.

"Yes, we're going as soon as Amras is ready," he admitted carefully. He glanced at Maedhros's grim expression and smiled. "Will you let me through as well?"

"No," muttered Maedhros sourly; he didn't move an inch.

"Maitimo, I can't..." Celegorm stopped himself from finishing. 'I can't go and leave you sitting like this, lest you fall.'

"What? Go around?" hissed his elder brother. "Yes, you can. I am not stopping you. I'm not going to be useful to you anyway," he added bitterly.

"Get inside and let me through," repeated the hunter, impatiently drumming his fingers on the frame. Then he changed the approach, struck by an idea. "Actually, I would have something for you. But you are going to need a table for that."

Maedhros glanced at him suspiciously, but he rose on his feet. Celegorm jumped inside and looked around the room.

"You've got ink, excellent. I will bring you my records of our provisions," he said, pleased, trying not to be too obvious in watching his brother and waiting for his positive response. "Moryo has been nagging me about it since yesterday. It would be best to sum it all up for him, or he's going to complain again that my notes make no sense," he sent Maedhros a knowing smile.

The sick elf cheered up a bit; enough to return the smile. He sat by the table and took a quill, left there probably by Maglor.

"Is this some kind of revenge?" Maedhros was clearly aware of Caranthir's complains about Celegorm's notes.

"Of course not. I'll be back in a minute."

'Ha, revenge,' thought Celegorm, amused, rushing to his room to collect his records. But he had to admit Maedhros's remark was accurate, considering that Caranthir would not dare to say a word about his eldest brother's scribbles.

xxx

As usual, Amras rode fast at the yard and stopped right before Maedhros scribbling with a quill on a piece of paper. He smiled merrily to his eldest brother, seeing him sitting outside by the table he had brought there earlier with Celebrimbor. He jumped off his saddle and carefully embraced the sick elf, still keeping the reins of his mount.

Maedhros did not escape his touch, the intentions of the younger redhead were clear enough not to startle him. He didn't really pay attention to the fact that Amras was looking at his attempts to write. His eyes were glued to the sorrel horse and his expression softened a bit. He laid back the quill and rose to caress the soft muzzle with his ink-stained fingers. The horse snorted quietly and started searching for treats.

Amras moved away to make him some room and Maedhros caressed with pleasure the shining neck of the stallion. There was something nice in that simple gesture, in the silk hair under his fingers, the muzzle nagging his cheek shamelessly; a touch so long deprived that almost forgotten.

"Would you like to ride?" offered Amras suddenly. "Are you feeling up to it? You could finally see the settlement."

"I think so, yes."

The offer sounded great. Maedhros was almost sure he could walk around the yard with his eyes closed and not bump on anything. Years had passed since he had last sat in a saddle, and Amras's mount was o beautiful... His lips curved into a light smile.

"You spoiled him," he pointed out, because the horse, seeing the elf's interest, was getting insistent.

"He's the youngest." Amras grinned at him; his eyes shone with enthusiasm at his brother's good mood. "And the fastest. Wait for me, I'll be right back," he added and went inside, taking the bag he had by his saddle.

He came back a moment later, without the bag, but with an apple for the horse and a green, embroidered shirt for his brother.

"You have a whole sleeve stained with ink," he explained, seeing an inquiring look.

Maedhros twisted his arm and noticed that indeed the cuff had dark stains by the wrist. He had not noticed it earlier, focused on trying to make the letters look the right way and place words in lines. But Amras was right, if he wanted to go outside the yard, he should at least wear a clean shirt, even if all of his clothes were too wide for him; he had not allowed to have them fitted.

He changed with his brother's help and only then looked at the horse Amras was ostensibly feeding with an apple. At one gesture and a quiet command the stallion knelt before the eldest son of Feanor had a chance to wonder how he was going to mount.

Amras secured him when he put his leg over the horse's back and then later, when the stallion straightened his long legs and lifted Maedhros up. The younger brother helped him sit correctly, adjusted the stirrups and glanced up.

"Alright?"

"Yes, yes."

They drew attention as it was to be expected. At the sight of the two redhead sons of Feanor many elves looked at them, at first surprised, only to cover their dread with cheerful smiles. Maedhros understood them; he could see his reflection in a mirror everyday and he knew he looked far from healthy. He answered to the greetings and questions, watching how his Noldor managed to settle in the last years.

Amras led him between the houses through the alleys that were wide enough for a wagon to pass freely. The houses were rather small, with just one floor, mostly made of timber with stone foundations. Every other building was a bigger one, a stable or a storage, and sometimes there was a larger space between the regular buildings – a square, a small corral or a garden. As a whole it seemed to be a rather well-planned settlement, but it was plain the buildings were made in a hurry with everything they had in hand. Safe, considering the wall surrounding the settlement, but still painfully temporary.

After a while the stares of the elves passing by became wearing. Maedhros leaned forwards and rested his good arm on the horse's neck, reassuring Amras he wasn't going to fall. He was not accustomed to being surrounded by crowd and he had spent the last weeks talking mostly with his brothers, Alcarino and Fingon when he visited. Even if there were other elves on the yard, they usually greeted him and left him in peace.

Amras mentioned they could go and see how Caranthir was doing with repairs by the main gate, but he caught Maedhros's increasing anxiety and turned the other way, to the lake. He even suggested going back home, but Maedhros refused; he had not gone out to go back now only because he was alarmed by the crowd. He needed to reassure himself that there was mostly curiosity and kindness in the eyes of his elves, that they were not the creatures of Morgoth, ready to mock his every sign of weakness. For that reason he did not try to keep straight when his right arm started to ache due to his tension. He leaned comfortably, half-laying on the horse's neck, and let Amras lead him to the lake.

They stopped by the willows leaning their branches towards the surface of the water. Amras helped his brother get down and noticed with content that Maedhros calmed and was no longer anxious, when they left the houses and the noise behind. The elder of the brothers tossed his light shoes away and, driven by some impulse, combed the grass with his toes. The movement threw him off balance, but Amras caught him in time.

They sat under a tree and Maedhros spread on the ground, not caring that the wet grass was going to leave stains on his clean shirt. Amras gave him his outer tunic to place under his head and he sat silent, wondering, because Maedhros looked like he was about to fall asleep. But when he noticed an insect on Maedhros's arm, he hit it without thinking.

Maedhros jerked and sat up with astonishing speed, his eyes glanced around vigilantly and fell on Amras, who froze. The fear was replaced with incomprehension.

"Why did you do that?"

"Mosquito," replied Amras weakly. "I'm sorry, Maitimo, I didn't think..."

"Mosquito?" repeated Maedhros, lying back carefully; there was still a hint of distrust in his voice.

"Mmm, an insect," the youngest brother rushed to explain, trying to draw attention from the incident. "No wonder we had none in Aman."

"Are they dangerous?" asked Maedhros with interest.

"They bite," Amras shrugged. "They leave itchy marks, nothing serious, but it's annoying."

"Mmm..." The sick elf spread on the ground again. "Are they numerous?" he inquired sleepily.

"It's not bad this year, but last year there was more rain and they were everywhere. You couldn't sit by the water."

"I'll risk it... Unless you have something to do?" Maedhros opened his eyes for a moment and glanced at his brother.

"No, sleep well," replied Amras.

And so Maedhros did for the most of the afternoon. It seemed he didn't mind hard ground or wet grass. On the contrary, the change of place and soft humming of the willows made him sleep peacefully. Only when he woke, he was confused at first.

"We missed dinner," said Amras merrily; the sun was already beginning to set. "Kano is going to be cross with me for kidnapping you like this without a word," he tried, watching his brother. Maedhros pleased him with his smile.

"He'll live. He cannot imprison me there." The smile vanished, replaced by a spasm of pain, but it was brief. Maedhros forced his lips to curve back into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Amras pretended he didn't see anything and gave his brother a moment to collect himself, then suggested to have a walk. Maedhros agreed eagerly, but as soon as they got to the edge of the lake, he changed his mind; the water drew him too much. He convinced Amras to sit on the edge and put his bare feet to the water, without caring that it was cold.

"Was Tyelko very angry with you?" he asked after a while.

"Not really. He had no time." Amras smiled. "But come on, let's go back. I'm hungry. And Kano is really going to have my head for not leaving him a word."

"It was me who fell asleep, not you," remarked Maedhros as he regretfully left the lake.

"But he will lecture me, not you. It's enough for today that Tyelko is cross with me."

They went back home more quickly, without stopping to talk with the elves passing by. Maedhros might have not wanted to go, but Amras could see he was weary, just like he was right about Maglor fretting about their absence. When they reached the yard the singer stopped his agitated conversation with Celegorm and relaxed visibly. He sent Amras a condemning look, but whatever reproaches he had in mind, he did not voice them as he noticed Maedhros's good mood.

Celegorm was not so understanding.

"Really?! Have you lost your mind today?!" He greeted Amras. "Are you mad?"

Said redhead glanced at his eldest brother, then smiled with fake penitence and led Maedhros to the door. At his command the horse knelt and Maedhros dismounted carefully, grabbing Amras's arm for support. The horse stood up and nagged him tenderly with his muzzle.

"What is it about, Tyelko?" asked Maedhros with astonishment. "What's the problem?"

"The problem? The problem is that Amras endangers you needlessly," growled Celegorm. "What kind of idea is it, letting you ride Rimpalote?"

"A good one," replied Maedhros carefully.

"Yeah, great. Just wait till that beast teaches you how to fly and then we will talk. And Alcarino will make us all regret," snorted Celegorm, still furious. "Damn, disobedient beast. Moody, skittish and awfully stubborn."

"Who are you talking about so nicely?" Caranthir leaned through the window. "Ah," he nodded in understanding. "But honestly, you two should get along."

Maedhros seemed at loss. He sent Maglor a questioning look and the singer explained with amusement. "The only horse in the whole camp that has ever thrown Turkafinwe. Just like that. But he listens to Amras and is really well-trained."

The eldest son of Feanor glanced at the horse. Amras was caressing its neck, but also, as he noticed with surprise, he kept the reins closely.

"But," Maglor decided to change the subject. "Where were you?"

"By the water," Maedhros smiled. "We would have been back earlier, but I fell asleep," he explained and glanced briefly at Amras. "Is there any dinner left?"

"For you, perhaps," grunted Celegorm. "And you, you take that Flower of yours away from here before he causes trouble," he snorted at Amras and went inside.

"Tyelko really is crossed with you today," commented Maedhros, grabbing Maglor to support himself.

"Of course he is." Amras grinned, apparently deciding that Celegorm was not going to do anything in Maedhros's presence. "He wanted to chase me this morning and lost. Again."