Elrond and Elros woke long before their caregiver came in to untie them. "What do we do?" Elros whispered. "They will not let us escape."

"Must we escape?" Elrond asked. "They are nice to us," he ventured.

"Nice?" Elros demanded. "They have done nothing but threaten and shout and make us ride those evil horses!"

"It's not the horses' fault we ache, and they have been nice. They give food, and Maglor sings for us, and he was going to give us his own bed."

"He lies to us and breaks his promises! He tied us up and sent us to bed instead of playing for us at supper."

"I think he forgot. And he climbed into that hole to rescue you. Perhaps he was tired."

"Then let his brother use me as a shield!"

Elrond looked at his brother for several moments, then said, "I want to like it here, we do not have a choice about being here we should enjoy it!"

Elros shoved him, then laid back down and turned to face away from him. Elrond wanted to call for Maglor, but he also didn't want to upset his brother further. He was afraid and cold and missed his parents and wanted the attention of the only person who seemed to care anymore.

His brother was too wrapped up in his anger and hate, his mother had left him, and his father had only bothered to meet him once. Maglor had held him, sang to him, offered him his bed, given him food, and genuinely seemed to dislike what Maedhros did to them. He knew Maglor didn't like tying them up, he had heard them argue about it when they thought he was asleep.

How anyone could think he slept on that horse he would never know, riding hurt too much for that.

Elrond looked back at Elros, then pulled himself out of the nest. His brother didn't react and he could hear snoring. Since Elros thought he didn't snore he would never fake-snore to trick his brother. Elrond managed to pull himself, inching along like a caterpillar, until he reached the door. Already he was tired and cold, but he managed to open the door and crawl through. He remembered how long the hall was and moaned at the thought of crawling that far.

Then he remembered once when their mother had taken them on a picnic and they had spent all day rolling down the hills. He laid on his side and started rolling down the hall. The first go he forgot to turn and smacked into the wall, but he scooted and wiggled until he turned sideways and rolled down the hall. He was enjoying himself entirely too much and had to bite back a giggle so he didn't wake the wrong Feanorian.

He thought for a moment, trying to remember which door belonged to Maglor. He guessed and knocked with his feet.

"Not now Maedhros," was the muffled response. He kicked the door again. He heard the sound of someone standing up, then footsteps crossing the room toward the door.

Suddenly he wasn't sure this was such a good idea. He hadn't considered what he would do if Maglor was angry with him for being out of bed. He didn't want to tie me up. He said to knock and I could go in his room (which I did). He said to shout if I needed anything, but I didn't shout because I might wake Elros. Shouting might wake Maedhros too. Maedhros wouldn't be happy. He'd be furious. He might have punished both of us. I wonder what he would have done. What if we do get in trouble? What will we do then?

The door opened and pulled Elrond from his thoughts. "Hello?" Maglor called, looking around at eye-level.

Elrond wondered if he sat still enough if Maglor wouldn't notice him.

"Is anyone-" Maglor took a step forward and tripped on Elrond. The Peredhel squeaked, the Feanorian shouted and grabbed the door frame. They both looked at Maedhros' door and hoped they hadn't woke him.

Once he was satisfied that his elder brother wasn't coming to investigate Maglor looked down at what he had tripped over. "Elrond?" he asked in alarm.

The boy looked at him with tear filled eyes. He was filthier than he had been the night before, and looked as if he had rolled down the hall. Remembering that he was still bound hand and foot Maglor realized that he most likely had rolled down the hall.

He knelt and put his hand on the child's shoulder. "Is something wrong?" The boy said nothing and looked away. "Elrond," he began.

"I'm sorry."

Maglor's heart clenched. "I am not upset, come in, let me untie you and you can tell me what this is about." He lifted the boy to his chest and slipped back into his room, closing the door behind them. They sat side by side on the bed, and with practiced ease he untied Elrond's wrists and ankles and let the boy stretch out. "Would you like to take your shoes off now?"

Elrond shrugged and Maglor tilted his head. "Are you attached to them, child?"

Elrond looked up at the caring face and remembered why he had come. He snuggled into Maglor's chest and whispered, "Elros said not to. He said you would take them and not give them back. If I take them off do you promise not to tell him?"

Maglor nodded. "I promise."

Elrond fumbled with the ties on his shoes, but let Maglor take over after a moment. He sat still and basked in the attention he was getting, then tried to remember the last time someone had been this nice to him. The servants had been nice, but he knew they had to. His mother had been nice when she wasn't preoccupied with the jewel. He father had been nice but he had only actually been there once.

He realized that he was staring at Maglor and blushed and looked away.

"What troubles you child?" Maglor asked.

"My brother," he confessed. Then he started to cry. Almost before Elrond was aware of his own tears, Maglor had tugged him into his lap and was rocking him.

Maglor held him and slowly brushed his fingers through his hair. He reached to his bedside table and with one hand poured the pitcher of water into the bowl. He dipped a cloth into the water and washed the filth from Elrond's face and neck.

His touch soothed Elrond, and by the time he moved on and was cleaning his hands and arms the child's tears had stopped. "Do you wish to tell me what has happened?"

"Maybe."

"I will listen when you are ready; if you are ready." He sat the cloth aside and held Elrond more snugly.

"Will you sing for me?" Elrond whispered. "We never got to sing like you said we would that night."

For a moment Maglor wasn't certain what he was talking about, then he remembered and said, "Of course we can. As I told you last night, never be afraid to remind me of something if I forget."

He sat Elrond on the bed and looked at him seriously. "Now we must be quiet, we cannot wake either of our brothers." Elrond nodded so he continued, "I won't play on my harp either, it can be quite loud."

Quietly they sang the words of the silly tune, their heads leaned together. Maglor was impressed by how much Elrond remembered, and how little he stumbled over the words.

After they sang through the song once Elrond looked up and him and asked, "Can I tell you about Elros now?"

Once again more tears threatened to spill, so Maglor quickly said, "Of course."

"I just-" Elrond did not know how to express what he felt. He wanted Maglor to understand why they were mad at one another, and how they had fought. He wanted Maglor to know why he had come. More than anything he wanted the elder elf to explain why he craved his company. "I don't know."

"Start at the beginning," Maglor urged.

"Everyone hates me." Elrond did not mean to say that, but the words spilled out and Maglor jumped in surprise at the conviction in his words.

"Do not be ridiculous," Maglor said, once his brain began to work. "No one hates you."

"Nana left me! Ada never visited! Maedhros yelled at us! Elros... Elros... Elros," his words faltered, "Elros shoved me and is always angry now."

Maglor noticed his own name was absent from the list. "Do I hate you?"

"I don't know. You are nicer than everyone else, but since everyone else hates me you must too."

Maglor lifted the boy's chin, so that he would look into his eyes. "I do not hate you, and I do not believe that anyone does. Why would they hate you? What have you done to deserve such a thing?"

Elrond was quick to answer, "I was bad. This is all my fault."

"What does that mean?"

"Nana told me to go with our nurse, but I didn't and I went with her instead. Then our nurse had to hunt me down and she-" he stopped and started crying. Maglor reached to touch him and he pulled back. "She died. The bad men killed her because I misbehaved." His silence immediately after Sirion suddenly made much more sense.

Maglor stared at the boy in horror. "Elrond no! That wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! So Nana left and Elros hates me!" He was shaking so much that Maglor was surprised he didn't fall off the bed.

Ignoring his whimper of protest Maglor drew the boy into his arms and cradled him. "No Elrond, it was not your fault." Then he added, "I promise."

Elrond looked up at him. "You do?"

"Yes. I shall also say that I doubt your brother hates you and that my brother certainly does not. Nor do your parents, they just had something else to do."

"Something more important than me and Elros?"

"They are protecting you and all the elves. You should feel special that they stayed with you as long as they did; they put off saving the world for you." It was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever said, but the effect was immediate.

Elrond relaxed and leaned against him, no longer pulling away. "Now I get to stay with you?"

"Yes, dear child." This is hardly a reward, though perhaps it Is best for you to believe that, for now.

Maglor lost track of time as they sat on his bed, and he failed to notice that the sun was rising and his room growing brighter.

Down the hall Elros was awakened by the rising sun to find himself alone. Fearing for his brother he began to scream.

Maglor jumped to his feet, nearly dropping Elrond. "Elros," the child wailed.

They both sprinted for the door, and were met in the hall by Maedhros who had also been awakened by the noise. He seemed surprised to see Elrond, but Maglor ran down the hall without explaining.

He reached the room first, and ran to Elros and dropped to his knees to comfort him. "Child, child calm down." He ducked a flailing hand that nearly gorged his eye out.

"Where's my brother?" Elros demanded, thrashing about. Elrond tore into the room and threw himself at his twin, drawing him close and hugging him. Maglor reached around him and quickly untied Elros.

"Where have you been?" Elros asked shakily, stretching his freed limbs.

"With Maglor," Elrond confessed.

"Why?" Elros demanded. "Do you not believe me? Don't you love me?" Maglor couldn't believe what the boy had asked, and Elrond's worries made much more sense.

"Of course," Elrond sobbed. "But I- I wanted to talk to him and-"

Elros shoved him and turned away. Elrond began to cry again.

Maglor grabbed Elros' hair, more roughly than he intended. "Stop," he told him. "Your brother loves you deeply, that is why he came to me. He was worried about you. I will not allow you to lead your brother to think that you are angry with him."

"I am!"

"Why? Why are you angry? What has he done to earn your disapproval?" Maedhros' voice rumbled from by the bed, shocking them all.

"Because he likes you; he is mad. You are the enemy and he likes you."

"No I don't. Yes I do. Well, I might." Elrond said.

It was taking all of Maglor's self-control not to hug both children tightly and tell them how stupid and idiotic they were being. "Listen," he said, "I am tired of this already. You are hostages here, do not forget this. The only family you have left is one another and you must care for each other. I will not tolerate you hurting each other. Elrond loves you dearly, Elros."

Elros looked at his brother, "Truly?"

Elrond nodded and hugged his twin. "I'm sorry I left, but I wanted to talk to Maglor." Elros nodded and hugged his brother in return.

Maglor stood and walked to his own brother, "My apologies," he said.

Maedhros shook his head. "I was awake. I wish to know though, how was Elrond in your room without Elros' knowledge?"

"I believe he rolled there."

Maedhros chuckled. "Silly child," he said quietly. That must have been what woke me.

"I am glad he did. I have learned much this morning."

"Could you perhaps learn how to make them, and yourself, smell less?" Maethros asked hopefully.

Maglor enjoyed the gentle teasing tone of his brother. "Will you not help me?"

Maedhros grew serious. "I have a funeral to arrange," he said simply, brushing past his brother and leaving the room.

Maglor took a steadying breath, pulling his thoughts from his brothers and focusing on the twins cuddling on the floor. "We all need to bathe," he told them. "Come along now."

"Our nurse used to say we smelled like a pack of orcs if we did not bathe every night," Elros said.

"Then what do we smell like now?" his twin asked.

"Like you have hung from a cliff," Maglor muttered, lifting the boys into his arms. They truly did smell, all three of them. Perhaps they should have bathed the night before.

"What?"

"Nothing children."

Author's Note

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