Standard disclaimer - this is not mine. Characters, places, and general storylines belong to Tolkien. I'm just borrowing and expanding.

Maglor carried them to the bathing chamber located just down the hall. He sighed, "I forgot to bring clothes," he said.

"We need clothes to bathe?" Elros seemed confused, or perhaps just mocking.

"After we bathe we will need them. It would not be proper for us to run naked through the halls." Elros and Elrond giggled. Maglor gave them a stern look, "I will return in a few minutes, and I had best find you in here on my return."

"Is the lock going to be fixed today?"

"Yes." Maglor had already given instructions for what needed done in the boys room, and informed the servants that all three rooms would need the sheets changed after having been slept in by people who had neglected to bathe as long as they had.

He went to his own rooms first, and found clothes for himself, watching out the open door as he did to make sure the twins did not try to pass by and leave. He walked by the bathing chamber and was pleased to hear that they were still in there giggling, so he went to their room and fetched their clothes out of the wardrobe.

When he returned to the twins he found that Elros had climbed on top of a counter and was attempting to convince his brother to follow. "No," Maglor gasped. He hurried forward and grabbed Elros, swinging him off the counter and placing him on the floor. "Bad," he scolded.

Elros pouted. Maglor sat their clothes on the countertop and turned to the hole set in the wall. Beneath the fortress was a hot spring, and set into wall was a bucket and pulley which could be used to draw water into the bathing chambers, like a well. He filled the large tub easily and quickly.

Maglor unbuttoned his tunic, remaining in just his leggings to make bathing the children easier. "Do you need help undressing?" he asked.

Both shook their heads and helped each other as if they had done this before. He moved about the room, ignoring them and picking soap to use.

"Maglor?" Elros' quiet voice caught Maglor's attention and he turned to look at him. Both boys were staring, almost guiltily, back.

"Yes?"

"Elrond got hurt," he explained. "By the horses."

Maglor knelt. "Show me," he said, uncertain of what to expect.

The child obediently faced away from him. Maglor was horrified to see a rash spreading across his bottom and thighs, with abscesses and blisters appearing in some areas.

He wrapped a towel around the boy and looked at Elros, "What about you?"

Even though he seemed suspicious he turned and allowed Maglor to see that he had suffered injuries as well. Maglor wrapped him in a towel and said, "I will be back in a moment."

He left and went to his brother's room, forgetting that he had not put his tunic back on. He knocked on his brother's door and waited to be admitted.

When Maedhros replied he walked inside and asked, "How can I treat blisters?"

Maedhros was amused. Maglor had always taken his questions to his older brother, be they about horses, women, their father, children, bodily changes, or anything. Never did it occur to him to ask someone who may actually know the answer. "I am a healer now?"

"The boys have saddle sores."

"You have no shirt." He eyed his slightly chubbier brother with amusement.

Maglor folded him arms, both in insecurity and irritation. "Maedhros," he began.

"Shall I go to the healers for you? Clean the boys and I will come when I have something."

"Will the water not burn them?"

"Mother said that hot water is good for such things. I do not know if it will pain them though." Maglor still seemed uncertain, so Maedhros said, "Then bathe yourself and deal with them later. You still stink." Another thing that had not changed was Maedhros' inability to not tease Maglor. Not only had he always been closest to this sibling, but Maglor was also the least likely to punch him of his brothers. Bless mother and her kindness. Bless you for inheriting it.

"I know, but I worry about them."

"I will go to a healer and," Maedhros stopped. "Boys," he called suddenly, his eyes darting to the open door. "If you are running away would it not be wise to wear clothing?"

Maglor turned to see the two towel-wrapped Peredhel attempting to pass Maedhros' door.

"We were not running away," Elrond replied.

"Yes we were," his brother corrected.

"You said we were going to see Maglor."

Elros nodded. "I was going to look for him so he did not see us."

"Well I saw you," Maedhros said sternly. "Come inside." They walked inside the dark room, seeming uneasy and pulling their towels closer. He shook his head, "Why do you continue to try and escape?"

"We are going home!" Elros replied.

"How?" Maedhros pressed. "You could not survive on your own children, accept that and stop this foolishness." He stood and approached them, not falling to notice them draw back at his approach. "Go with my brother and behave, I am going in search of something for your bottoms."

They nodded and allowed Maglor to shoo them outside. Maedhros was disappearing down the hall, but Maglor could not help himself but of call out, "Are you aware that we are not the only ones that smell?"

Maedhros turned, planning to say something very rude, but forced himself to stop so the children wouldn't hear. He left before Maglor's laughter prompted a response anyway.

"Come along boys, back to your bath." Maglor led the two down the hall, deciding that if his mother said it was alright to apply hot water to blisters then that was what he would do.

Neither protested when he took their towels and told them he was going to bathe them. "It should not hurt too badly," he said. "But if you cannot stand it tell me."

He placed first Elros, then Elrond in the water, but neither seemed too bothered. As an afterthought he pulled their short hair up, out of the water, and pinned it. They were silent and still as he cleaned them, watching him as if unsure what to say or do. He cleaned Elros first, and when he reached for a cloth to use on Elrond he turned his back. He turned back and received a splash of water across his face.

Elros froze, obviously the culprit.

Realizing the child expected a punishment Maglor glared and pretended to be angry. Then he splashed him back, laughing. For a moment both boys were stunned, then they both drenched him.

"Enough!" He spluttered, laughing. "We can play later."

He cleaned Elrond next, but had not touched either boy's sores, afraid of causing them more pain. He still cursed himself for not having thought of the possibility ahead of time.

He leaned Elrond's head back over the edge of the tub and let his hair down. "I am going to brush your hair before I wash it," he explained. As he had expected much of the dirt brushed out once he worked through the tangles. He guided Elrond to sit with his head back in the tub but still leaned back. Then he poured water over the dark hair and soaped and rinsed it carefully.

After he repeated the process on Elros he helped both children climb out of the tub and he drained half the water. He wrapped them in towels and replaced the half of the water with fresh and undressed and climbed in himself.

The water was warm and comforting and he had no desire to do anything except disappear into the warmth and never come out. He would have stayed longer if the door had not opened and Maedhros strode in, frightening both twins and causing them to run and hide behind the tub. Maedhros watched them scurry as he shut the door, then produced a glass jar from his pocket. He set it on the countertop. "Keep the blisters clean and apply this in the morning and evening until you run out." He said.

Maglor nodded and thanked him. Elrond peered around him to look at Maedhros.

"Why does he only have one hand?" The question was obviously meant for Maglor, but Maedhros had evidently heard.

Maglor and Maedhros exchanged glances. Finally the elder said, "I was held captive by the enemy, I was injured during my rescue.

The Peredhel twins leaned their heads together and whispered, then Elros said, "Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"I am glad," Elros replied, then he bit his lip as if he had not meant to say that.

Maedhros left and Maglor finished bathing. He forced himself out of the hot water by reminding himself that there were two children waiting on him. As he reached for his tunic Elros poked a silver line on his stomach. "What's that?" he demanded.

"A scar," Maglor replied, buttoning his shirt.

"Where did it come from?"

"I was hurt, fighting in a battle many years ago."

"Against what?"

Maglor disliked Elros' tone; while his brother's seemed both polite and curious, Elros' was demanding and nosy. "A dragon."

"You've seen a dragon?" Elrond asked excitedly.

Maglor nodded, finishing with his buttons and standing. "Yes. I have seen a dragon. One evaded my lands many years ago when I had my own fortress to keep. It was called Maglor's Gap. Unfortunately, it was lost many, many, years ago."

"Where did you go?" Elrond asked.

"To Maedhros in Himling." He passed the boys and walked to the counter where Maedhros had sat the cream for the boys.

Elrond seemed upset by the story, but Elros said, "Good. You lost your home just like you took ours from us."

Maglor nodded. "I am afraid so children." He pulled his hair back and pinned it before lifting the jar of cream and removing the lid. He sniffed it. "Vile," he remarked, wrinkling his nose.

"Come here boys," he said, motioning to them where they were sitting on the floor, swaddled in towels. "This will ease the pain." As much as he wanted to scold them for not telling him about the blisters sooner, he had to admit they had had no reason to. The person he was most angry at was himself however, because he should have noticed sooner.

Both approached him and sniffed the jar, their noses wrinkling at the sour smell. "I don't like it," Elros announced.

"It will get rid of the pain and prevent infections," Maglor said. He waved the jar in front of them.

"I want it," Elrond said quietly, chewing on his towel. Elros glared at him.

Before the more timid of the boys could change his mind, Maglor picked him up and sat him on the counter. "Lie on your stomach," he said.

"I thought we weren't allowed on the counter," Elros interrupted. "Or do you like him more?"

Maglor honestly wondered if he did, simply because Elrond was quieter and less of a pain. "No, you are allowed on the counter with an adult to keep an eye on you." But I adore them both, I love them all the more for their imperfections.

Elros scowled at him, but seemed wise enough to say nothing. With little coaxing from Maglor his stretched out on his stomach and allowed the foul smelling balm to be rubbed in. Maglor then helped him sit up and dress, before setting him on the floor and reaching for Elros.

"No," Elros pulled back. "I don't want any."

Maglor took several deep breaths. "Child," he began coaxingly.

"No!"

"Fine!" Maglor snapped. "Suffer then!" he could tell by the expression on the boy's face that he had not expected to actually get his way. Maglor also guessed that he had not truly wanted to. However he knelt down and dressed the boy, telling himself not to feel bad about the pain Elros was so obviously in.

Author's Note:

An experienced rider like Maglor or Maedhros (I imagine they are) would be fine, they would know how to prevent trouble, and probably having pants with liner or padding. But a new rider, especially a child, would get saddle sores. (Believe me I know they HURT) Saddle sores are also what you get from biking too much for you less horse-crazy people.

Also - each chapter title comes from one of Tolkien's works (actually, all may be Silm, Hobbit, and LotRs thus far) had you noticed? The last chapter is going to cite all of them, in case you were curious.