Sorry about the long wait for chapters. Sprained wrists and school and writing do not coincide well. I will say however, that I am hoping to be finished with this story by the end of the month, because I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month in November, so having this finished would be best for all of us.

Thank you for your patience, please read and review!

Soon their days fell into a routine. Mornings they spent with Maglor, and he taught them reading, writing, and music. After lunch, which Maedhros rarely went to, Elrond and Elros were allowed to play outside until dinner. Elros gave up on sneaking away after they were caught, four consecutive days, by a guard and taken to Maedhros. Maedhros scolded them and reminded them that they had nowhere to go, then they were sent away. The third and fourth day he was frustrated enough that he sent them to bed without dinner, and they quit trying to escape. After dinner (whether the twins were there or not), Maglor would take them up to their room and play for them or tell them a story before locking them in for the night.

Even Elros had to admit that there were fun places to explore in Amon Ereb. A little over a week after their arrival they were in a small patch of woods, laying on their stomachs and talking, when a strange bird call startled them. They scrambled to their feet, thinking it was an orc, and ran as fast as they could.

Elros pulled his brother behind him until they were certain they had escaped. When they stopped and looked around they found that they were lost and that Elrond had left their blanket in the woods. Both started screaming.

In the fortress Maglor was playing his harp, completely oblivious to the world around him. Maedhros, who had been waiting to be noticed for several minutes, tapped him on the head and he finally looked up. "Yes?"

"Where are the twin terrors?"

Maglor shrugged. "They will be here in a few minutes, they know to come in before sunset if they want dinner."

"Look out your window."

Maglor did and paled. The sun was setting, usually the twins were inside before it touched the hilltops, but today it was already sunk nearly half way beneath the hill. "We must find them." He sat his harp aside and stood, his heart hammering.

"Do you think they have run away again?" Maedhros asked.

"No, they should have been caught by now."

"Perhaps they were able to pass the guards."

Maglor looked at his brother and thought that his heart wouldn't survive the strain.

Maglor and Maedhros headed outside to look for the boys, both taking a lantern. With their sharp eyesight they did not need a lantern, but Elrond and Elros did not like being out after dark, and might head to the light. Unless they were running away, like Maedhros thought, then they would be far more likely to head deeper into the wilds.

Since none of the guards had reported any sight of the boys, Maglor and his brother headed into the woods within the walls, hoping they had merely lost track of time or strayed from the path.

"Children?"

"Elrond? Elros?"

The shadows on the trees grew longer, but still they had no answer from the boys. Maedhros had stepped off the path, following footprints, when he saw Elrond's green blanket. "Maglor, come here."

Maglor hurried to see what his brother had found. Maedhros pointed with the lantern to the blanket, unable to pick it up with his handless stump. Maglor lifted it from the ground and draped it over his brother's shoulder, resisting the urge to hold it to his chest and panic. "They wouldn't have left that." Where are you? Hurry home, children. Please!

"No. I do not think they would have."

Maglor chewed his lip, turning so that the lanterns illuminated more of the ground. Maedhros pointed again. "Prints," he said.

Together the brothers headed into the woods, following the tracks. Unlike Elrond and Elros they knew the woods, and wouldn't get so easily lost.

"Children?"

"Elrond? Elros?"

It was several minutes, just when they were about to give up, before they heard a reply. "Help!"

Maglor and Maedhros broke into a run. Maglor held the lantern in one hand and placed his other on the hilt of a knife he kept in his robes. Maedhros braced, prepared to toss his lantern as a projectile weapon if needed, then reach for his own knife.

Fortunately they did not need weapons. The cries led them to a small cave in a rock wall where the twins had taken shelter. No sooner had they approached the cave than their legs were gripped by a set of hysterical elflings.

Elrond clung to Maedhros sobbing and digging his nails into the fabric of his pants. Elros held Maglor's legs and tried to climb into his arms. Maglor picked Elros up and cradled him, rubbing his back and trying to calm him.

Maedhros sat his lantern on the ground, afraid of accidentally burning Elrond, and picked up the boy holding onto his legs.

For several minutes neither boy would speak, but when they finally did their voices were so hoarse that Maglor hushed them. "Let's return home and fetch you each a glass of water, then you can tell us what happened."

Maedhros glared at his own lantern, sitting so temptingly out of reach. "Extinguish it and clip it to your belt," Maglor suggested. Maedhros had to sit Elrond on the ground for a moment, but he did manage to put out the small flame and attack the lantern to his belt. When he picked Elrond up this time the child saw his blanket and happily cried out, pulling it off Maedhros' shoulder and accidentally nearly strangling the elder elf.

Maglor helped Elrond wrap up in the blanket, then led the way back to the fortress. They went straight to dinner and sat at the table, but before either boy was allowed to eat or speak he had to drink a glass of water and eat a spoonful of honey (by recommendation of one of the cooks). Maedhros sat by Elrond, and Maglor sat between the boys so they could both clutch at his arms.

Elrond finished first. For a moment he sat smacking his lips and trying to rid his mouth of the sticky honey. When he finally seemed content Maglor gently asked him what had happened. "We were sitting on the blanket," he said, "and then we heard an orc and ran and ran and ran and ran-"

"Please skip to the end of the running," Maedhros interrupted.

"We stopped running."

I had noticed that, little one. "Then? What happened that you did not come for dinner?"

"We were lost."

"Poor children." Maglor patted both on the head. "Maedhros, could it really have been an orc?"

"I doubt it," Maedhros replied. "There are local birds that sound frightening enough though; that is what I assume it was."

"Hear that?" Maglor asked. "It was not an orc after all."

Both twins relaxed and Elrond put his blanket into his mouth again. "Elrond," Maedhros scolded, "you know the rule." Don't get honey on that poor, abused blanket.

Elrond grumbled and passed his blanket to Maedhros who sat it aside until after dinner. Maglor hardly noticed the exchange; he was rubbing Elros' head and asking him why he was crying again. "You are safe now," he promised. "It was not an orc, and now you have a warm supper. You had better eat before it gets cold," he coaxed.

Elros began to sob noisily, and Elrond jumped up from his seat to run past Maglor and comfort his twin. Maedhros peered around Maglor at him. "I- I- I- I'm sorry," he screamed.

"Shhhh," Maglor lifted him out of his chair and pulled him into his lap, Elrond ran back to his chair where he could see his brother easier, because that was the shoulder Elros had laid his head on.

Elros kept crying and Maglor continued to rub his back until he finally calmed enough to form words. "I won't run away again," he wailed.

Maedhros grabbed Elrond and hissed, "You said it was an accident."

Elrond twisted to look at him with pitiful grey eyes that clearly said that it had indeed been an accident. "He's crazy," the boy sobbed, twisting his fingers into Maedhros' tunic.

Neither Maglor nor Elros noticed their brothers, because Elros began talking again right as Elrond scrambled into Maedhros' arms. "I was scared today, and you saved us! You would have fought the orc if he was real and I couldn't so I won't run away because I'm safe here and you really do care don't you?"

"Of course we do," Maglor promised. "You scared us today Elros, and of course we would never let a nasty old orc get you."

Elros grew calmer after several more moments of Maglor's comfort. As he rocked the child Maglor glanced to check on the other, only to find that he was snuggled in Maedhros' arms and, despite the rule about it not being at the table, Elrond was wrapped in his green blanket.

Maglor managed to pull Elros off his lap so he could eat, but Elrond wouldn't budge, and remained in Maedhros' lap through dinner.

Maglor herded the boys upstairs and prepared them for bed. "Are you going to be alright?"

Both nodded sleepily as he undressed them and put their night-clothes on instead. Because they had only brought two sets of clothes each (the ones they had worn on the trip had been beyond help) Maglor had clothes made for them. Night clothes and some of their play clothes were made out of tunics of Maglor's that had been cut short in the torso and arms to fit them. At night it didn't matter that Elrond and Elros were far too thin for the shirts, and if they wore them in the day they belted them on.

A serving girl once had the misfortune of seeing Elrond racing down the hall in a white shirt, and as it fluttered around him she was certain that she was seeing a ghost. Maedhros had found her hiding in the kitchens and apologized, but Maglor had found the incident so amusing that he burst out laughing every time he passed her in the halls.

Maedhros had ordered the white shirts to be dyed green, but it came out more of a puke color.

So that night Maglor amusedly dressed the boys in puke-green shirts and tucked them into bed. "Sleep well, both of you."

"Aren't you going to play for us?" Elrond yawned.

"Would you stay awake?" he asked, glancing at the tired boys with amusement.

"Goodnight Maglor," Elros mumbled into the pillow. Elrond snuggled against him and yawned again.

Maglor left, certain they would be asleep in seconds.

Maedhros was standing in the hall, trying to peer past him and see the boys. He stepped clear of the door and allowed Maedhros to see them safe in bed, then shut it quietly.

"Are they alright?" Maedhros asked.

"Have you grown to care for them, Maedhros?" Maglor knew his brother did care, otherwise he would not have brought them to Amon Ereb, but let Gil-Galad's men have them when they cornered them in the woods (admittedly that may have also been pride). Maedhros felt the same attraction to the children as his brother, Maglor was certain, but he was too stubborn to let it show so easily. Or too afraid of being hurt again.

"It is hard not to be attached to something that has clung to you for over an hour."

"I was not aware you were so fond of parasites."